New Delhi, July 26
With the Congress deciding to back it on the controversial India-Pakistan joint statement, the government is bracing itself to squarely face the Opposition’s onslaught on the floor of Parliament next week over its recent foreign policy initiatives.

The BJP and the Left have already made their intentions clear to corner the government on what they describe as disturbing developments on the foreign policy front.

While the BJP is worried over the India-Pakistan joint statement adopted at Sharm el-Sheikh, the Left will take on the government over the end-user monitoring arrangement for defence procurements reached with the US and the G-8 joint statement vowing to ban the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing (ENR) technologies to countries which are not signatories to the NPT.

CPM general secretary Prakash Karat alleged that India was getting deeper into ‘strategic entanglement’ with the US and the government was not worried about concerns over nuclear issues and ‘American inspection’ of Indian military facilities under the end-user monitoring arrangement.

For days, there was disquiet even within the Congress over the govt’s move of delinking the composite dialogue process from the action against terrorism and allowed a reference to Balochistan to be incorporated for the first time in an India-Pakistan joint statement.

If Congress sources are to be believed even UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi initially had some reservation over endorsing the joint statement. It was in this backdrop that Congress spokespersons refused to solidly back the joint statement, reflecting a difference of opinion between the party leadership and the government.

It was on Friday night when the Congress core group met that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dispelled the apprehensions of senior party leaders and his cabinet colleagues with regard to various foreign policy issues.

With the doubts getting cleared somewhat, the party and the government have decided to speak in one voice. Prime Minister is likely to intervene in the debate in Parliament on July 29. Congress MPs are also being briefed on how they should defend the government’s initiatives.

According to official sources, the government has all relevant answers for the questions likely to be posed by the Opposition.

On the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement, the sources said there was no question of India going ahead with a full-fledged dialogue with Pakistan until it acted against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks and dismantled the terrorist infrastructure. The decoupling of the dialogue process from the action against terrorism implied that Pakistan should not wait for the talks to resume but act decisively against those misusing its soil for the export of terrorism.

On the issue of Balochistan, they said, “Since our conscience is clean and we have nothing to hide, we said we are not afraid of discussing this issue. Therefore, there is a reference to Balochistan in the joint statement. In fact, it is Pakistan which has internationalised its internal matter.”

Regarding the end-user monitoring arrangement, the sources said it clearly provided for joint consultation on verification of the military equipment. India has achieved its desired objective of not permitting automatic access to its military bases and facilities under the accord. The US has such an arrangement with more than 80 countries but what India has got was more than any other nation could possibly ask for under the arrangement.

Regarding the joint statement of the G-8 countries on ENR technologies, the sources underlined that it would have no direct bearing on New Delhi since India already possessed these technologies. “What we want is that there should be no discrimination against us in the civil nuclear business…we got a clean waiver from the NSG and we hope all those countries which have entered into nuclear agreements with us will abide by their commitments.”

Rajkot, July 26
Former Union Textile minister Shankersinh Vaghela today demanded that narco analysis test be conducted on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in connection with 2002 post-Godhra riots.

“The BJP government in the state was adapting double face policy by saying different things to Special Investigation Team (SIT) and Nanavati Commission probing post-Godhra riots,” Vaghela told mediapersons here. “To find out the truth, narco analysis test should be conducted on Chief minster Narendra Modi and other ministers and state government officials for failure to control 2002 riots,” he said.

SIT was formed on orders of the Supreme Court to conduct thorough investigation of some of the post-Godhra riots cases while Nanavati Commission was set up by Modi-led BJP government, Vaghela said, adding that Modi was ready to co-operate with Nanavati commission but had objection on probe by SIT.Besides, SIT should file a case out of the confessions in the diaries of two IPS officials S Sreekumar and Rahul Sharma, Vaghela said.Vaghela, who lost recent Lok Sabha elections to BJP’s Prabhatsinh Chauhan from Panchmahal constituency, has also challenged the poll results in Gujarat High Court.

Vaghela also slammed Modi-led government on failure of implementing prohibition law in the state and said law existed on paper only.“If the prohibition law is existing in Gujarat then state government should ensure its strict implementation. It exists on papers only as of now,” he said.

“The state government either should implement the prohibition law strictly or if they wanted to relax the law then they should go to people and seek their mandate during election,’ he said.

Reacting on state government's demand of death penalty to bootleggers in the wake of Ahmedabad hooch tragedy that claimed more than 130 lives, Vaghela said, “It is the responsibility of the home department and if state government’s demand of death penalty is approved, then state home minister, who is responsible for tragedy, should be punished first.” — PTI

Mumbai, July 26
A film producer-director was arrested today after a girl alleged that he had raped her on the pretext of giving role in his films, police said. “The director Ramkumar Kumawat has directed some small budget films and the victim, who is about 24-years-old, had gone to audition for a role in his film on Tuesday along with a male friend,” officials from Versova police station said.

At the time of audition, Kumawat promised the actress that he would give her a major role in films he was making and asked her to come to his office in suburban Versova the next day, they said.

“On Wednesday when the victim went to his office, Kumawat allegedly forced himself on her and later told her that she should not tell anyone. He also told her that such incidents were common in the entertainment business,” they said. Kumawat, who has directed a set of devotional music videos in the past, also told the girl to report to a studio in Thane the next day for the shooting of a music video.

However, when she went there the next day he attempted to rape her again but she managed to escape, police said. The victim then narrated the entire incident to her male friend, who had accompanied her for the first audition, the police officials said. “The victim and her friend came to the police station yesterday and filed a complaint against Kumawat after which he was arrested,” the officials said.Kumawat was produced before a local court which remanded him to police custody till July 29.

The victim was sent for the medical tests and the results are expected soon, they said.

The producer-director on his website claims to hail from Rajasthan and living in Dubai. Kumawat on the website claims to be running his production house from Dubai and Mumbai. He has directed music videos and produced some lesser-known music albums in the past. — PTI

Lucknow, July 26
Clearly perturbed by the Congress frontal attack on the BSP government during the weekend Chief Minister Mayawati today declared another 27 districts drought ridden taking the total number to 47.

She also sent a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today repeating her demand for a special package for Bundelkhand. The lack of development in Bundelkhand and the misappropriation of funds under NREGA was highlighted by Central Minister of State for Rural Development Pradeep Jain ‘Aditya’, who belongs to the region, at a public function in Lucknow.

Mayawati in her letter pointed out that the region with its topographical conditions needed special support, so that the population can find employment through central schemes like the rail-coach factory, branch of NIFT, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, National Automobile Training and Research and infrastructure projects.

Incidentally, all these projects mentioned in her letter have been sanctioned or are coming up in the Rae Bareli-Amethi constituencies of the Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi during the last five years.

Meanwhile, Mayawati today directed the officers to relax parameters adopted for declaring districts drought hit.

Chief secretary Atul Kumar Gupta, said those districts that have had less than 40 per cent of rains during June 1 to July 23 and where the sowing of kharif was less than 75 per cent have been declared droughthit. In the light of this decision, 13 districts viz- Agra, Shahjanhanpur, Saharanpur, Faizabad, Meerut, Mahoba, Aligarh, Jyotibaphule Nagar, Balrampur, Etah, Rampur, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budhha Nagar have been declared drought hit.

Lucknow, July 26
Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh today said Chief Minister Mayawati was not aware of ground realities in the state as she was cut off from the real world.

“She does not meet people. She does not take any feedback or advice from anyone,” said the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary, who is also in charge of UP affairs, while addressing a press conference. He said the Congress would launch a four-pronged attack on the BSP government for misuse of central funds, mishandling of the drought situation, shortage of power and drinking water and the worsening law and order situation.

Asked whether Centre would consider imposition of President’s rule in the state, Singh said the Mayawati government had got a mandate to rule for five years and the party was not in favour of dismissing constitutionally elected governments.

Responding to a question about SP’s reported threat to withdraw support from the UPA government, Singh said his party would like to keep all secular forces together. “But in the interest of secularism, parties should focus on national issues and not on personal and regional agendas,” he added.

An anti-communal front headed by Amaresh Mishra and a research and development cell to be run by Mohammad Tahir Siddiqui were also set up at the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee building today. While the front will work for communal harmony, the R&D cell will compile a database that would be used by the party for its strategy for 2012 assembly elections.

Mumbai, July 26
The Anti-Narcotics department of the Mumbai police Saturday night arrested 11 persons, including four women, from a flat at Colaba in South Mumbai where a party with liquor and drugs was in progress, police said.

The police team, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Vishwas Nangre Patil, descended on the Nandu Mansion building at Colaba after being tipped off, police said. Apart from liquor, the police recovered cocaine and other drugs from the venue, which has been sealed.

Hailing from well-to-do families, the accused were questioned all night before being produced before the holiday court today, which remanded them in judicial custody till July 31. The police said blood and urine samples of all of them were recovered and sent for tests.

The police, however, refused to release the names of the 11 persons as there was no conclusive proof so far that they were consuming drugs.

Hyderabad, July 26
Known as the rice bowl of India, Andhra Pradesh is set to adopt cooperative farming as the new mantra to further boost the farm sector growth.

After surpassing the national target of agricultural growth rate during the last four years, the state is keen to take the farm sector to the next level of growth by implementing cooperative farming on an experimental basis in two villages in every district.

As against national target of 4 per cent annual growth rate for agriculture, AP has achieved 6.4 per cent growth rate during 2004-09 and become the second largest contributor of food-stocks to the national pool.

“Now, our goal is to provide economies of scale to farmers, access to latest technology, quality inputs, timely credit, mechanisation, post harvest facilities and market intelligence and thereby increase their incomes,” the state finance minister K Rosaiah said.

The modalities of co-operative farming scheme, being introduced for the first time in the country, would be worked out soon, he added.

As per the plan, the farmers in selected villages will be encouraged to form integrated agricultural cooperative societies which will take up community farming to increase productivity and to take up allied activities on a large scale. The plan revolves around transferring the farmers’ land and land owning rights to a co-operative. The state government proposes to allow farmers to sell their shares to the existing members of the co-operative.

The initiative, on the lines dairy co-operatives, is expected to provide a long-term solution especially to farmers with smaller land holdings. Through cooperative farming, the government would help farmers reap good results in the dairy, poultry, fisheries, sheep-rearing and food processing sectors.

“The objective is to increase productivity through precision farming and mechanization and take up allied activities,” the agriculture minister N Raguveera Reddy said.

Adequate safeguards would be taken while implementing cooperative farming and there was no room for fears that the lands would go into the hands of big industrialists and corporate bodies, he assured. At present, the main problem facing the agriculture sector was the fragmented nature of land holdings, Reddy said adding that there was no scope for implementing mechanization, precision farming and post-harvesting methods in such a scenario.

Since Independence, the number of landholdings had fragmented to 1.2 crore units from 30 lakh in 1947 and in another 15 to 20 years these would further break up into two crore units, making it further difficult to implement scientific farming methods. 

New Delhi, July 26
The Chairman of advisory committee on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education in India, Prof Yashpal, today said there was a need to launch a “freedom movement” of the universities.

He said maximum autonomy should be ensured at the universities and government should stop dictating terms regarding the courses and curriculum.

Prof Yashpal was speaking at a conference on “Higher Education- The Challenges Ahead” here today. The conference was organised by the DAV Forum, under the aegis of DAV Managing Committee.

Talking about the suggestions from his report submitted to the Human Resource and Development Ministry, Prof Yashpal said the universities should be free from the control of a central ministry and should instead come under a constitutional body comprising of the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India.

“Responsibility only comes with freedom; only when the universities are made free to take their decisions, they will understand their responsibility of creating a better world,” he said.

He added that he realised it was unlikely that the government was going to accept the suggestions from his report in totality.

Prof Yashpal said education had become a big business in the last several years and drastic steps needed to be taken to change the picture of higher education.

Giving the example of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Yashpal said it was the overall culture of the universities and colleges that defined them more than the syllabus. “Great universities like trees and plants grow slowly. One has to create the culture and overall atmosphere of the university before starting one,” he said.

He highlighted the need make education interdisciplinary. He said steel compartments with strict demarcation between different streams were problematic.

“Knowledge cannot be divided into disciplines. We should offer best of humanities and music in institutes like the IITs, whether the students want to take them or not. Interaction between a variety of ideas is important,” said Prof Yashpal.

While underlining that education could not be measured on a scale from one to hundred, Prof Yashpal said the teachers had a responsibility of making education enjoyable, relating it to the world outside classrooms.

Bangalore, July 26
Nityanand Gopalika, who was arrested by the Pennsylvania police recently for soliciting sex from a minor girl, seems to have had left very few footprints in Bangalore where he was working before being transferred by his employers, General Electric (GE), to work in their establishment in Cincinnati in the US.

Gopalika (30), an alumnus of IIT, Kanpur, had spent more than two years in Bangalore. He was apparently not one to keep in touch with his peers. Sujit Kumar and YS Chauhan, office bearers of the Bangalore chapter of IIT-K Alumni Association, disclosed that they never knew him or met him in the city.

Santosh, an executive in the GE’s John F Welch Technology Centre (JFWTC) here, also denied having ever known Gopalika. Raj Raghavan, HR Manager, however, acknowledged that Gopalika did work in the JFWTC here.

“Nityanand Gopalika was an ex-employee of the JFWTC and no longer works for the company,” Raghavan said on behalf of the company to the Tribune.

Gopalika, who was arrested by the police in a sting operation, had posted his resume in a matrimonial site in which he wrote that his “desired match” should be a vegetarian Hindu girl who did not drink or smoke and between 24 and 28 years of age.

The techie described himself as a teetotaller and vegetarian. His favourite drink was milk. He also wrote that he was fond of watching romantic movies and Aishwaraya Rai was his most favourite actress.

Gopalika, in the US on a work visa, allegedly used an Internet chat room to approach what he believed was a 13-year old girl from the Pittsburgh. The “girl” turned out to be an undercover agent. He was arrested when he arrived at a pre-determined meeting location. If convicted, the IIT graduate could face up to 20 years in prison.

New Delhi, July 26
The research organisation, International Data Corporation’s (IDC), worldwide quarterly PC Tracker for 4Q08 says 4.1 million more desktop PCs and 2.4 million more notebook PCs will be in use in India by 2009. Going by these numbers it has been estimated that the country will have approximately 47 million units by 2010.

Experts say more than half of the power in a desktop PC is wasted as heat. Even servers that are typically more efficient than desktops waste 30 to 40 per cent of the power utilised.

One of the main reasons behind wastage of power is that desktop PCs have default setting of sleep or hibernation mode when inactive for a sustained duration. However, in about 90 per cent of the systems this functionality has been disabled. This results in higher energy consumption and an increase in electricity usage.

Majority of IT users are not aware about power saving features that are already available in their computers, says Rahul Bedi Corporate Affairs (South Asia, Intel) - the first chairman of Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI) India Chapter launched on Friday.

Bedi says in the next three years the CSCI will cut greenhouse gas emissions in an amount equal to planting around 4,800 sq km of trees by spreading awareness on energy efficient practices in every-day computing.

The CSCI launched its India chapter with nine major organisations, including Dell, Intel, HP, Google WWF, TERI, CII-ITC Centre Of Excellence For Sustainable Development, MAIT and NASSCOM. The nine founding members pledged to reduce carbon emissions by four million tons and reduce 50 per cent in energy costs through efficient computing in next three years.

Welcoming the initiative, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said India was committed to bringing about a reduction in its global carbon footprint. “Starting January 2010, it will become mandatory for certain products to carry eco labelling. In the first lot four products - refrigerators, air conditioners, distribution transforms and florescent lamps - will be covered. By mid-next year three more product lines (colour TVs, LPG stoves and electric motors) will need to carry the mandatory eco labelling,” he said.

CSCI, a nonprofit group of eco-conscious consumers, businesses and conservation organisations is promoting adoption of smart technologies that can improve the efficiency of a computer’s power delivery and reduce the energy consumed when the computer is in inactive state, was initiated in US in 2007 by IT majors like CSC, Dell, Google, HP, Intel, Lenovo, and Microsoft.

Chairman of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change RK Pachauri said with projected increase in numbers and extent of usage of IT equipment, it was essential that this industry became fully conscious of the implications of these developments for increased energy consumption.

BRIEFLY

Sankaranarayanan is new Jharkhand Guv
RANCHI: Kateekal Sankaranarayanan on Sunday took oath as the Governor of Jharkhand. The state is currently under President’s rule. Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court, Gyan Sudha Mishra, administered the oath of office at the Raj Bhavan here. — PTI

Train coaches derail
BHARUCH: Four coaches of Surat-bound Bharuch shuttle passenger train were derailed when it was being brought on to the platform here on Sunday morning, Railway officials said. Though there were no casualties, the rail traffic was affected for nearly an hour, the officials further said. — PTI

IAS officials reshuffled
BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government has transferred two Assistant Collectors posted in Raisen and Alirajpur districts of the state, official sources said on Sunday. Assistant Collector Vikas Narval has been transferred from Raisen to Sehore while his counterpart in Alirajpur district Bharat Yadav was shifted to Hoshangabad, the sources added. — PTI