Pakistan apprehensive about Obama's India visit
India can help create jobs in US: Sam Pitroda,Need to deregulate education: Sam Pitroda
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Militants want to submit peace plan to interlocutors
The Hindu - 9 hours agoPTI PTI Senior journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, one of the interlocutors appointed by the Centre. He said in an interview that the militants have expressed their willingness to present a "peace plan" during a meeting.
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31 Oct, 2010, 01.10AM IST, Sunanda Poduwal,ET Bureau
India Inc wishes that political bonhomie yields economic rewards
It is the meeting of the world's greatest democracies and the excitement is palpable. Heralded as a historic event, US President Barack Obama's visit to India is being considered another step towards a new era of bilateral relations and deepening of Indo-US relations. The two nations are expected to take economic and political engagement to another level by discussing a host of issues and attempting to remove the hurdles in the way.
The bilateral trade, worth about $70 billion, makes US one of India's largest trade partners. The sheer magnitude of economic engagement between the two countries would keep the business minds in India tuned into every word that Obama utters. This curiosity is touching feverish highs since many industry heavyweights are expected to be part of the Presidential delegation including Jeff Immelt of GE, Terry McGraw of McGraw Hill, Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo , Jim Mcnerry of Boeing and an SME delegation accompanying secretary of commerce, Gary Locke .
According to a report compiled by consultancy major Deloitte and American Chamber of Commerce in India—The Indo-US Dynamics: Anchoring Change Through Collaboration —between April 2000 and July 2010, investments from the US accounted for nearly 8% of all FDI inflows into India. Between 2004 and 2009, Indian exports to the US grew more than 135%. During the same period, US exports to India increased by a staggering 269%, faster than its exports to nearly all other countries. With a population exceeding one billion, India provides the US with a diverse consumer market eager for foreign wares.
Industry experts believe that there are multiple avenues of growth and collaboration. They are unanimous in their voices when they talk of the business opportunities thrown up by signing of the India-US Civil Nuclear deal; the importance of alignment and mutual compatibility between climate change and trade policies and the potential of the defence trade (almost $32.03 billion is earmarked for national security in India for 2010). But there are other priority subjects as well.
According to Rajan B Mittal, president, FICCI, the Indian government is working on expanding and restructuring various educational sectors. to fulfill the stated goal of 20% gross enrolment in higher education by 2020, India will need an estimated 800 more universities and 35,000 more colleges in the next 10 years. "The Obama-Singh 21st century knowledge initiative will increase university linkages, support junior faculties between American and Indian universities and enhance existing initiatives like the Nehru-Fulbright programme," he says.
"I believe technology and innovation will be the propellers for this new level of engagement between our two countries," says Chandrajit Banerjee, director general, CII. He goes on to say that focusing on solar and nuclear energy, biofuels, shale gas and green infrastructure would be small step towards mitigation and adaptation of efforts in the larger, multilateral climate change debate. "Space technology has tremendous application across sectors, including in agriculture crop forecasting, disaster forecasting and management, energy and communications," he adds. Another bright sector, according to him, is agriculture with special focus on productivity, food processing and the logistical and marketing value chain.
Sangeeta Singh, senior vice-president, Nasscom, sees healthcare as one of the biggest opportunities for Indo-US collaboration. She is interested in seeing how technology plays a role in improving healthcare facilities in India and also in the US. "A lot of our members have started to look at this opportunity and are talking to American companies for collaboration. American companies can leverage India for new product design," she says.
It can't be all hunky dory in this imperfect world and Indo-US relations are strewn with irritants that that pose major hurdles in the potentially smooth road of economic convergence. "The primary message that we want to convey is—'Mr President, please don't go down the protectionist path'. That is the biggest concern from the perspective of Indian industry," says Chandrajit Banerjee of CII. Rising anti-dumping duties, hike in visa fees and bans on outsourcing are proving to be worrisome factors for India's business capabilities.
Another irritant muddling bilateral cooperation is the inconclusive Doha Round of the WTO negotiations. Rajan Mittal of FICCI contends that the global economic crisis has made the target of concluding Doha round more imperative. The conclusion of Doha negotiations will bring better preconditions for future economic growth and prosperity in the long term and will also reduce the risk of protectionist tendencies. "In the context of non-agricultural market access (NAMA), FICCI believes sectoral tariff negotiations should remain strictly non-mandatory and flexibility is essential for our employment-intensive industrial sectors including small and medium enterprises," he adds.
The chambers also cry foul over the US export control regime that governs high technology sales to India. According to them, there is a dire need to undertake a comprehensive review to remove all such export controls from the US that are inhibiting bilateral trade in the high technology sector. All unnecessary restrictions that are enforced on India on grounds of chemical and biological weapons, nuclear non-proliferation, national security, crime control, etc.
should be removed. They also wish that the US removed India's high-technology agencies, from the entities list that subjects them to specific licence requirements for export, re-export and transfer of items from the United States. "Easing high technology trade would spur economic activity and innovation across industries," is the collective argument.
It is too early to say that this political bonhomie would lead to better economic ties. But India Inc believes that a congenial political environment is definitely helpful, if not a precursor. "The Bush Administration was clear in its interest in seeing India become a stronger and it viewed India as helpful to the overall power balance in the region.
President Obama' visit within the first term of a US President shows the importance he attaches to India," says FICCI's Mittal. Our business linkages, student linkages and people-to-people linkages led the way while our political establishments are trying to catch up believes CII's Banerjee. "I believe, it is really our shared values—democracy, pluralism, diversity—and also our ambitious and entrepreneurial spirit that are bringing our nations together."
(With inputs from Ravi Teja Sharma and Pankaj Molekhi)
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/sunday-et/special-report/India-Inc-wishes-that-political-bonhomie-yields-economic-rewards/articleshow/6844056.cms
India is all set to Welcome first Black President of America and Sam Pitroda will showcase rural India for obama!As WikiLeaks has released nearly 400,000 secret American documents on Iraq war detailing graphic accounts of torture.Barack Obama's trip to India Nov 6-9 will be the sixth by a US president since Dwight D Eisenhower became the first to come visiting more than 50 years ago. Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W Bush were the other US presidents - in that order - to visit the country.
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Times of India - 1 hour agoSRINAGAR: Home minister P Chidambaram on Sunday reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in meetings with chief minister Omar Abdullah and top officials, especially in view of the visit of US President Barack Obama to India this week.
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Pakistan apprehensive about Obama's India visit
Economic Times - 5 hours agoISLAMABAD: Pakistan is apprehensive about the visit of US President Barack Obama to India, "especially over the symbolism hidden in the decision to pick Mumbai's Taj Mahal Hotel for starting the trip" as it was the focal point of terrorist strikes on ...
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Business StandardRefining, petrochem margins to improve next year: RIL
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Experts see 25 bps hike in key rates at upcoming RBI review
Economic Times - 5 hours agoMUMBAI: Leading economists expect the Reserve Bank to desist from tightening key short-term rates by more than 0.25 percentage points at its quarterly monetary policy review on Tuesday, give the slowdown in industrial output and poor credit offtake.
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Security forces to remain in Maoists-hit areas, says Pranab Mukherjee
Economic Times - 1 hour agoNABAGRAM(WEST BENGAL): Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said that the security forces would remain in the Maoist-hit areas in West Bengal as well as in other States.
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Eisenhower's visit to India in December 1959 was part of his Asia tour, planned ahead of his meeting with Western leaders in Paris.In his address to the Indian parliament he spoke of "a great awakening" in which the world has come to recognise "that only under a rule of moral law can all of us realise our deepest and noblest aspirations".
The premiers of China and Japan met on the sidelines of an Asian regional summit in a bid to defuse a territorial dispute on Saturday, while the United States urged Asia's two big economies to cool the standoff.
In the "largest classified military leak" in the US history, whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks has released nearly 400,000 secret American documents on Iraq war detailing graphic accounts of torture , killing of over 66,000 civilians and Iran's role in the conflict.
The latest leaked documents chronicling the Iraq war from 2004 to 2009 provide a new picture of how many Iraqi civilians were killed, open a new window on the role that Iran played in supporting Iraqi militants and give many accounts of abuse by Iraqi army and police, said "The New York Times", one of the news organisations which got early access to the papers.
WikiLeaks, which released the papers despite Pentagon's warning that it could endanger informants and reveal war strategy, called the document drop "the largest classified military leak in history." In a news release, the group said the documents detail 109,032 deaths in Iraq, encompassing 66,081 civilians, 23,984 insurgents, 15,196 Iraqi government forces and 3,771 coalition forces, according to the classifications used by the US military.
The Pentagon strongly condemned the unauthorised disclosure of classified information contained in 392,000 documents. "...'significant activities' reports (in the leaked documents) are initial, raw observations by tactical units," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters.
"They are essentially snapshots of events, both tragic and mundane, and do not tell the whole story. That said, the period covered by these reports has been well-chronicled in news stories, books and films and the release of these field reports does not bring new understanding to Iraq's past," Morrell said.
The Pentagon had established a task force that had been combing through the Iraq data base to assess the damage that a Wikileaks publication of the significant activity reports could pose to the US military, Iraqi allies and ongoing operations. Morrell said the US Central Command is reaching out to more than 300 Iraqis it feels are at significant risk for reprisal after their names were exposed within documents.
He said thousands of names were exposed, yet these 300 or more are at higher risk. WikiLeaks Editor-in-Chief Julian Assange told CNN that the new round of field reports shows "compelling evidence of war crimes" committed by forces of the US-led coalition and the Iraqi government. According to the NYT, hundreds of reports of beatings, burnings and lashings suggested that "such treatment was not an exception."
U.S. authorities face accusations of failing to investigate hundreds of reports of abuse of Iraqi prisoners by Iraqi police and soldiers, including cases of rape and even murder that are detailed in the logs. WikiLeaks says there are also cases of abuse of prisoners in U.S. custody, but media given advance access say those cases pale in comparison.
Richard Nixon, who became the 37th president, was the second American president to visit India. He made a one-day trip in July 1969, about six months after he assumed presidency.
Nixon's visit came at a politically turbulent period, when then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi was fighting with her opponents in the Congress party over who should fill the post of president after Zakir Husain died, Dennis Kux, a former US ambassador, wrote in his book "India and the United States: Estranged Democracies 1941-1991".
"When Nixon arrived in Delhi, the public welcome was none of the overwhelming enthusiasm president Eisenhower received 10 years earlier," Kux wrote. His arrival speech largely dealt on the situation in Vietnam and the role of Asia.
"Neither Gandhi nor Nixon displayed much warmth during their discussions. Official meetings were low key, almost perfunctory," he wrote. Nixon flew to Lahore the following day.
Jimmy Carter was the third US president to visit India nine years later, in January 1978. During his three-day stay in the capital, he was caught by microphones telling his aides that a "cold and blunt message" should be delivered to the Indians over its nuclear ambitions.
It also took him to Daulatpur village in Haryana. Carter's mother Lillian Gordy Carter had been a frequent guest at the village headman's house when she was working in India as a Peace Corps volunteer. Carter and first lady Rosalynn visited the home where Lillian had stayed and even presented the village with its first television set. Later Daulatpur was renamed Carterpuri to commemorate the presidential visit, while the day Jan 3 became a village holiday.
Twenty-two years later, in March 2000, Bill Clinton became the fourth US president to visit India. His daughter Chelsea Clinton accompanied him. His itinerary was packed with visits to Agra, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Mumbai besides Delhi. Clinton's five-day trip was the longest by a US president.
In his address to parliament, where he was virtually mobbed by MPs, Clinton favoured talks between India and Pakistan and urged restraint in its nuclear programme.
"Most of the world is moving toward the elimination of nuclear weapons. That goal is not advanced if - in any country in any region - it moves in the other direction," he noted.
George W Bush was the fifth US president to visit India, in March 2006. Bush and first lady Laura barely spent 60 hours - the shortest by a US president after Nixon's 23-hour stopover.
During the visit, India agreed to a separation of its civilian and military nuclear facilities - a key step leading to the signing of the historic India-US civil nuclear agreement.
Besides his meetings in Delhi, Bush took a short trip to Hyderabad where he visited a university.
Barack Obama, the 44th US president, will be the sixth to visit India, and the second after Nixon to come in his first term in office.
National Knowledge Commission Chairman Sam Pitroda said Friday India can help create jobs in the US by providing alternative training.
"Everyone's focus in US is on job creation. To create jobs you need to provide alternative training to the people. I think India can help US in retraining people," Pitroda told reporters on the sidelines of a conclave organised by the Indian Institutes of Technology alumni group, PanIIT .
He said business will be on top of the agenda of US President Barack Obama's India visit. "Our market is more attractive to them in terms of business and selling products and services. He is spending two days in Mumbai so I am sure on his agenda business is big piece."
Pitroda, who also heads the National Innovation Council, said Obama's visit provides a "unique" opportunity to India and the US to strengthen their economic and political relations.
"It is a unique opportunity. Excitement is very high. Expectations are very high on both sides and I hope we can take our relationship to next level."
Asked whether India would raise outsourcing issue during Obama's visit, Pitroda said: "outsourcing is not the only job. There are a lot of other things. If it makes business sense to them they will do it. If it doesn't make business sense they won't do it and we won't do it."
"It is not about going back to what it was. It is about creating new future. If you think about going back to what it was there isn't much to be done," he added.
Obama, visiting India from Nov 6-9, is scheduled to address business meetings in Mumbai during his two-day stay in the India's financial capital.
Meanwhile,The Bombay Stock Exchange's benchmark Sensex is likely to hit the much awaited psychological level of 21,000 in the next week, driven by the smart RIL numbers and expectations of robust listing of the Coal India IPO, say analysts.
Sensex, which saw a subdued performance last week by shedding 0.66 per cent, mainly on account of tight liquidity, may bounce back by surging over a staggering 1,000 points.
"The country's most valued firm Reliance Industries has posted better-than-expected second quarter numbers, which will boost the investor sentiment and lead the market to the 21,000-mark on Diwali ," CNI Research Chairman and Managing Director Kishore P Ostwal said.
On Saturday, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries had posted a robust growth of 27.8 per cent in its net profit for the second quarter ended September 30, at Rs 4,923 crore against Rs 3,852 crore in the year-ago period.
Besides, the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) quarterly review policy on November 2 and Coal India, which will list on the bourses on November 4, are the two big fat issues on which the market will heavily bank upon, feel marketmen.
What is that Indian gastronomic delight that will tickle the taste buds of the world's most powerful man? The chefs of Bukhara restaurant here are tightlipped as they cook up a dish to be named after US President Barack Obama - but it sure promises to be 'finger-licking' good.
Obama, who will stay at the luxury hotel ITC Maurya from Nov 7-9, will have to eat Indian style at its flagship eatery Bukhara - with his fingers!
One of the USPs of the restaurant is its custom of urging guests to use their hands, instead of forks and knives, to eat the food.
"The essence and flavour of the food that our chefs prepare, especially the meat, are lost when forks and knives cut through them. The special aroma and herbs of the dishes are lost when blades are used," a Bukhara staffer who did not want to be named told IANS.
The Clinton Platter, named after Bill Clinton after his visit in 2006 and which costs around Rs.5,000, is an aromatic spread of mixed meats, lentils and oven-baked bread.
Details about Obama's culinary preferences have kept the chefs and managers at Bukhara busy as they try to churn out the dish that will touch base with his taste buds.
"We have to respect Obama's wishes of naming a platter after him, as had been done for Clinton. Our efforts are mostly directed towards Obama's platter more than any other detail," the staffer said.
The Obama platter is expected to have lamb, prawn and murgh kuchnar along with baked bread.
The ambience at the signature restaurant - voted one of the world's best Indian restaurants for northwest frontier cuisine that has been patronised by world leaders who visited New Delhi - will remain the same.
"No particular changes in the ambience, including the music, seating arrangements, furniture etc, are expected, though one should expect last-minute requests for changes from their side," the source added.
Details about the preparations for Obama's visit have been kept strictly under wraps and the Bukhara staff has been told strictly not to divulge any details.
"Although the management has not made clear the seating arrangement for Obama's visit, they may seat him there," said the source, pointing towards a slightly segregated group of seats arranged in a chamber near the entrance.
Elaborating on Bukhara's insistence on guests using their fingers, the source related an anecdote about Bill Clinton's experience at the restaurant. Clinton had dipped his fingers into a dish of Bukhara lentils and tasted it with his fingers, and appreciated the slight change of table manners.
Bukhara also has a 'Chelsea Platter', named after Clinton's daughter.
"A lot of demand for the Clinton platter was generated shortly after his visit to our restaurant, with slight variations," said the source.
Obama is expected to arrive in the capital from Mumbai Nov 7 and check into the Maurya. He will spend two nights at the luxurious 'Presidential Suite'. All 440 rooms at the hotel have been booked for Obama and his entourage.
US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle will be extremely busy in Mumbai, upon landing on November 6 for a two day India visit. As the world's most powerful man and his wife zip around the city visiting the 26/11 memorial on Marine Drive, the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mani Bhawan and other locations in south Mumbai, the security obviously will be water-tight .
Adding to the Obamas' busy schedule is Michelle's likely visit to Kamathipura, where she will meet commercial sex workers on the invitation of an NGO. The highprofile visit is likely to inconvenience the citizens, as there could be a complete clampdown on traffic on some main roads of south Mumbai and sanitisation of buildings flanking them.
The Obamas will stay at the Taj Mahal Hotel, and his itinerary practically means Marine Drive will be shut for vehicular traffic on the day of the President's visit, while buildings flanking it will be sanitised with security personnel manning them until Obama has left the place. Same would be the case with Obama's visit to Mani Bhawan and Michelle going to Kamathipura.
An officer with the security establishment said, "Several other arterial roads in south Mumbai will also see restricted traffic movement, with tight security all around. The Obamas are not expected to schedule any engagements in the night due to security reasons."
Since Obama is expected to arrive in the afternoon on November 6, and will travel by road to the Taj Mahal Hotel, the entire stretch from airport to the hotel will be under heavy security. The officer said, "There will be no vehicular movement on Western Express Highway at that time. Traffic on roads leading up to the highway will also be stopped. All buildings flanking the entire stretch will be sanitised. However, there is no threat from the snipers as the President will travel in a bullet-proof car with 4.5-inch thick sheets, which are impenetrable for any gun."
Obama's personal security staff itself will be huge, and it has already started making its own arrangements in Mumbai. "A team of secret service agents has already arrived, and has surveyed the areas of his stay and the roads and places on his itinerary," the officer said.
To ensure fool-proof security, the President's team has booked the entire the Taj Mahal Hotel, including 570 rooms, all banquets and restaurants. Since his security contingent and staff will comprise a huge number, 125 rooms at Taj President have also been booked, apart from 80 to 90 rooms each in Grand Hyatt and The Oberoi hotels. The NCPA, where the President is expected to meet representatives from the business community, has also been entirely booked.
The officer said, "Obama's contingent is huge. There are two jumbo jets coming along with Air Force One, which will be flanked by security jets. There will be 30 to 40 secret service agents, who will arrive before him. The President's convoy has 45 cars, including the Lincoln Continental in which the President travels."
Since Obama will stay in a hotel that is on sea front, elaborate coastal security arrangements have been made by the US Navy in consonance with the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard. "There will be US naval ships, along with Indian vessels , patrolling the sea till about 330-km from the shore. This is to negate the possibility of a missile being fired from a distance," the officer said.
The President will be accompanied by his chefs, not because he would not like to savour Indian cuisine, but to ensure his food is not spiked.
US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are scheduled to land in Mumbai on November 6.
Need to deregulate education: Sam Pitroda
National Knowledge Commission chairman Sam Pitroda Thursday stressed the need to deregulate education, calling it the need of the hour.
'We don't need central or state control on universities and colleges. Today the challenge is to deregulate education,' Pitroda said, addressing a conclave organised by the Indian Institute of Technology alumni group PanIIT.
'That's what we did to economy in 1991. That is what we need to do to education in 2011,' he stressed.
Pitroda also emphasised that there was need to urgently pass the educational reform bills, expressing dissatisfaction over the fact that they have been delayed.
'There is no sense of urgency over passing the education reform bills, many of them have not even been tabled yet,' he said.
Many new bills, including the much debated National Commission for Higher Education and Research Bill have been drafted on the recommendations of the National Knowledge Commission and the Yashpal Committee. However, they have not been tabled in parliament yet.
'We have had debates and discussions, but no action. It's time for government to act,' he said.
At least nine new bills have been drafted by the human resource development ministry. Of these, the Foreign Education Providers Bill, the Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill, the Educational Tribunals Bill and the National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill, have been introduced in parliament.
These have been sent to parliamentary standing committees, and are likely to be taken up during the winter session.
'Education is the only area we have not focused on economy of scope. We have to create an atmosphere where even a plumber can think of going for a Ph.D. in Mathematics,' he said.
Speaking on the occasion, HRD ministry's secretary for higher education Vibha Puri Das stressed on increasing the gross enrollment ratio (GER) to 30 percent by the end of this decade.
The GER, representing the percentage of students enrolled for higher education, is presently at 12.5 percent.
'We are giving right to education to students... higher education should be made available to them,' she said.
Pakistan apprehensive about Obama's India visit
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is apprehensive about the visit of US President Barack Obama to India, "especially over the symbolism hidden in the decision to pick Mumbai's Taj Mahal Hotel for starting the trip" as it was the focal point of terrorist strikes on the city, a media report here said on Sunday.Obama will be in India for four days - Nov 6-9, beginning the visit from Mumbai.
The US president is likely to make a statement on the war against terror from the hotel, while "anxious eyes in Islamabad will meticulously examine how the American president manages ties with India without impacting long-term partnership with Pakistan", the Dawn said.
The daily said senior officials in Pakistan have been reassured by the Americans that, unlike British Prime Minister David Cameron's allegations of terror export from Pakistan, during his visit to India, "there would be no brazen anti-Pakistan remarks" from Obama.
"Nonetheless, they (senior officials) are worried that President Obama will try to ratchet up pressure on Pakistan to act against leaders of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba and its reincarnations, and certainly to speed up the trial of suspects in the Mumbai attack," the daily said.
But the forthcoming statement on terrorism is not Pakistan's only concern, the report said.
What Obama, during his stay in India, "says or doesn't say on Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi's long-standing desire for permanent membership of the UN Security Council and India-US military cooperation would not only be important for Pakistan, but also for the future of Islamabad-Washington ties".
"The Pakistani leadership, with a belief that the Americans could facilitate talks on Kashmir, has desired that Mr. Obama speak about the human rights violations in Kashmir during his stay in India," the report said.
Efforts have also been made by Pakistan through diplomatic channels to convince Obama to meet Kashmiri leaders.
Diplomatic sources told the Dawn that Obama during meetings with Indian leaders will address the Kashmir issue and press for resumption of India-Pakistan talks.
While Obama may go to any extent for pleasing the Indians, he will be the last person to annoy the Pakistanis and risk losing their crucial support for ending Afghan war, Pakistani analysts believe.
The optimism in Pakistan's Foreign Office was reflected by spokesman Abdul Basit, while commenting on Obama's visit.
"We do not have any concern. Frankly speaking, the US president's visit should help promote stability and peace in South Asia. This is what we are expecting because the US is a major power and it has influence across the world," Basit said.
Former foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmed said: "Anything in India-US relations that affects Pakistan's interests will be crucial for us." He said he was a little concerned about Obama not visiting Pakistan along with India.
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चिदंबरम ने लेह का दौरा किया
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राम विलास पासवान
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अंग्रेजी देवी के मंदिर पर प्रशासन ने रोक लगाई
डी-डब्लू वर्ल्ड - 4 घंटे पहलेलखीमपुर जिले के बनका गांव में अंग्रेजी देवी के मंदिर पर जिला प्रशासन ने रोक लगा दी है. मंदिर निर्माण पर प्रतिबंध लगाने से इस इलाके में काफी रोष है. मंदिर बनाने वालों का कहना है कि यह किसी धर्म से जुड़ा मंदिर नहीं है. जिलाधिकारी समीर वर्मा ने मंदिर पर रोक का आदेश दिया. उनका तर्क है कि सार्वजनिक स्थान पर मंदिर बनाने के लिए प्रशासन से अनुमति लेना जरूरी है. गौरतलब है कि सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने किसी भी सार्वजनिक स्थल पर बिना अनुमति के ...
प्रशासन ने लगा दी अंग्रेजी देवी के मंदिर पर रोक
दैनिक भास्कर - ३०-१०-२०१०लखनऊ. अंग्रेजी शिक्षा के प्रचार और प्रसार को ध्यान में रख कर उत्तर प्रदेश के लखीमपुर खीरी के मोहमदाबाद तहसील में बन रहे अंग्रेजी देवी मंदिर के निर्माण पर आज जिला प्रशासन ने रोक जिलाधिकारी समीर वर्मा ने कहा कि मंदिर निर्माण के लिये अनुमति नहीं ली गयी थी इसलिये इसे बनाने पर रोक लगा दी गयी है। उन्होंने कहा कि किसी सार्वजनिक जगह पर बिना अनुमति के धार्मिक स्थल का निर्माण नहीं किया जा सकता। मंदिर निर्माण प्रशासन ने इसे जिला ...
'अंग्रेजी मइया' के मंदिर पर रोक
SamayLive - ३०-१०-२०१०उत्तर प्रदेश के लखीमपुर खीरी जिले में 'अंग्रेजी मइया' के मंदिर के निर्माण पर प्रशासन ने रोक लगा दी है। बताया जा रहा है कि बिना अनुमति के इस मंदिर का निर्माण किया जा रहा था। मंदिर निर्माण पर प्रशासन ने भले ही रोक लगा दी हो लेकिन मंदिर के बाहर मूर्ति की स्थापना कर जोरदार ढंग से पूजा अर्चना का काम जारी है। दरअसल लखीमपुर खीरी में 'अंग्रेजी मइया' किताब से निकलकर बाहर आ गई हैं और उनका मंदिर बनवाया जा रहा है। उत्तर प्रदेश की ...
DO NOT IGNORE HR VIOLATIONS IN KASHMIR: WKDA TO OBAMA
Rising Kashmir News
Toronto Oct 30:
The World Kashmir Diaspora (WKDA), an alliance of international Kashmiri organisations, urges President Obama not to sideline the human right record of India in Kashmir over economic interest that US is prioritising in its bilateral relations with India.
A meeting of the executive body of the WKDA stressed that President Obama must live to his pre election promises on foreign policy regarding south Asia in particular reference to Kashmir in his statements of
September 25th 2008: "I will continue support of ongoing Indian Pakistani efforts to resolve Kashmir Problem in order to address political roots of the arms race between India and Pakistan"
October 23rd 2008: "Working with Pakistan and India to try to resolve, and Kashmir, crises in a serious way. Those are all critical tasks for the next administration. Kashmir in particular is an interesting situation where that is obviously potential tar pit diplomatically. But for us to devote serious diplomatic resources to get a special envoy in their , to figure out a plausible approach , and essentially make the arguments to the Indians, you guys are at the brink of being an economic superpower, why do you want to keep on messing with this?"
And October 30th 2008: "We should probably try to facilitate a better understanding and try to resolve Kashmir Crises"
The WKDA meeting maintained that silence over Kashmir during his visit to India will not only generate a sceptical impression amongst the people of Kashmir but also embolden India to continue its murder of innocent Kashmiri civilians. It will also mitigate the long term US goal to mend its relations with the Muslim world.
According to the spokesperson of the WKDA, Habib Yousafzai, the executive body meeting chaired by the President of WKDA Farooq papa was also participated by Murtaza Shibli, Secretary General WKDA; Ali Raza Syed, Chair, WKDA, EU chapter and New York based Attorney at Law Zouhoor Wani. The meeting raised concerns over media reports that human right abuses in Kashmir and its resolution is not on the Presidential agenda. The Chair of the WKDA, Farooq Papa said: "Ignoring the murder of 120 people in Kashmir by Indian forces in a span of 3 months will not behove for a President of United States and Nobel laureate of peace".
The WKDA executive committee also approved and released a letter to President Obama which emphasizes the need to engage China as a party to the dispute of Kashmir given its de-facto control of Kashmiri territory and its rising interest in Kashmir affairs. The letter states: "It is encouraging for the people of Kashmir to notice that China has within the norms of international commitments, United Nations resolution and the UN charter stood steadfast in its diplomatic approach by truthfully stating the disputed nature of Kashmir and taking the symbolic steps of granting the visit visa to Kashmiri people as a separate entity contrary to the United States, Britain, France and Russia who are the other Permanent members of Security Council". The continued human rights abuse and sufferings of Kashmiri people at the hands of more than half a million Indian Army soldiers garrisoned invariably in every village, town and city of Jammu and Kashmir. This observable fact is continuing for the last 63 years and is indicative of the non resolution of the Kashmir dispute.The overwhelming presence of the armed forces in Kashmir valley is domineering, frightening and most intimidating. Such belligerence of the Indian state, which is meant to sustain the occupation, has affected the people of Kashmir in all aspects of social, psychological, economic, cultural and political life.
Massacres, extrajudicial killings, mass murders and mass graves, rape as weapon of psychological war, arbitrary detentions and draconian laws have become part of the instrument of occupation, states WKDA in its letter to President Obama.
On the economic issue WKDA states in its letter that India's record of plundering the natural resources including water resources for India's own development without any recompense to the indigenous people draws no parallel even in the colonial rules of 19th and 20th century. Its deliberate attempt to isolate Kashmir from the rest of India's economic growth fraught with its malevolent policy of keeping Kashmiri people dependent for their livelihood is evident from the statistical data of gross GDP growth of India in its proportionality to Kashmir's lower GDP growth.
Ironically this all is done with a façade of democracy which India has been able to portray to the outside world. It has taken maximum advantage of the west's open-ended war on terrorism by manipulating Kashmir within the domain of this war.
While we understand the changed geo-politics and the US priorities, we strongly believe that a meaningful US engagement with all the actors to the conflict – Kashmiris, India, Pakistan and China is imperative. We believe that the US must recognise the Chinese role as a party to the dispute as have both India and Pakistan agreed in classified demeanour.
We understand that the current US position on Kashmir is to seek a local solution within the South Asia Region though contrary to the UN resolutions that US as a permanent member has authored and affirmed in UN Security Council. We still believe there is a possibility of seeking a solution locally within the region. The US support to such local initiatives is also very vital given the fact that China can not only influence the engagement into a more meaningful and result oriented outcome, but also act as a guarantee from reneging Indian promises and Pakistan's volatile political governance.
WKDA states in its letter to President Obama's visit to India in November this year followed by Chinese Premier Mr. Wen Jiabao`s visit in December to India as an opportunity that can usher in a much awaited peaceful era in the region that otherwise is fortified with Nuclear powers. Ironically Kashmir has the unique distinction amongst the conflict areas on the map of world whose borders abut three nuclear armed countries, as such warranting attention.
http://www.risingkashmir.com/news/do-not-ignore-hr-violations-in-kashmir-wkda-to-obama-3041.aspx
India to supersede 'ageing' China as Asia's dominant nation: Howard
SYDNEY: China is "rapidly ageing" because of its one-child policy and this will allow India, a younger country, to supersede it as the dominant nation in Asia before the end of the 21st century, former Australian prime minister John Howard has said.
"The problem China has is that she will grow old before she grows rich, she's got a terrible demographic problem because of the one-child policy. China is a rapidly ageing country, whereas a country like India is a younger country and I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of the century India is a more powerful country," Howard was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Howard said changing power bases in Asia justified his government's decision to forge new regional alliances while strengthening Australia's ties to its traditional allies. He served as the prime minister from 1996 to 2007.
Howard, however, said China could never overtake the US as the world's military or financial superpower.
"I think China is a rising power but I do not share the view China will ever outstrip the US as an economic power or military power," he said.
"I think one of the problems China has is eventually she will have to decide whether she can maintain a position where the country is economically liberal and open and, politically, still closed and controlled."
The former prime minister was speaking at a luncheon held to promote his autobiography, "Lazarus Rising".
31 Oct, 2010, 09.15AM IST, Ishani Duttagupta,ET Bureau
Obama visit an opportunity to raise India Inc's concerns
US President Barack Obama's visit may not really go down in history as the time when hard issues were discussed, however, it could still provide an opportunity to bring up some of the concerns of India Inc .
"The new US Border Security Act has raised H1B and L1 visa fees for many Indian IT companies. During discussions on the Bill, Indian IT giant Infosys was referred to as a 'chop shop' by Democrat Senator Charles E Schumer. Indian IT industry has contributed significantly towards building up the Indian brand and the Indian government should use the US President's visit as an opportunity to discuss the issues around the Border Security Act," says Sanjay Puri, chairman and founder of US India Political Action Committee, the organization representing the concerns and issues of Indian Americans on Capitol Hill and the White House.
There have been indications that the US President will explore ways in which Indian and US companies can collaborate on innovation for benefit to both the countries. Suresh Kumar, assistant secretary for trade promotion and director general of the US & foreign commercial service, US department of commerce, who was in India recently has indicated that business innovation is likely to be among the key themes during President Obama's interactions with business leaders and government officials.
"Innovation means free movement of goods, services and people across the borders and at this point such a discussion with the US would open a Pandora's box. Visa related issues would definitely come up," says Puri.
Indian and American IT companies are hoping that some progress is made on the totalisation treaty between the two countries during President Obama's visit—some even hope that it will be signed. There had been early indications from the commerce ministry and the ministry of overseas Indian affairs that the totalisation pact, which will enable expatriate workers in both countries to repatriate social security contribution, would be signed during the visit. If signed, the deal will come as a shot in the arm for IT companies who now have to pay social security contributions for their employees, who cannot avail themselves of the benefit in the US. However, it is still not clear whether the agreement is on the cards yet.
Indian IT entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley are not very hopeful of any major milestones being reached during President Obama's India visit. "The President and many in his administration have been making statements keeping in mind the domestic election year situation, which do not sound very good for India. However, there's a wealth of knowledge and talent available in India that cannot be denied," says Hatim Tyabji, a Silicon Valley based serial entrepreneur and CEO of Byte Mobile, which is based in California and has operations in India.
On the geo-political front, experts are of the opinion that India should talk about the right to know about the situation in Afghanistan and America's defence assistance to Pakistan . "These are important issues that should be on the table during the President's visit," says Puri. The Sino-Indian issues too are likely to figure in discussions between the US and India during the Presidential visit.
31 Oct, 2010, 02.32AM IST, Brahma Chellaney,
Obama's India visit strategically significant
The US-India relationship has picked up momentum that is independent of the two governments. US President Barack Obama's impending visit will do little more than symbolically strengthen an already warming relationship with India.
His predecessor had declared in his valedictory speech that, "We opened a new historic and strategic partnership with India." Since then, despite a growing congruence of US and Indian interests on larger geostrategic issues, significant strategic content has yet to be added to a relationship that is largely being driven by the business community, which is spurred on by the expanding commercial opportunities in the Indian civilian and defence sectors.
The very fact that Obama is visiting India as part of a tour of Asia's four leading democracies—the others being Japan, Indonesia and South Korea—is significant. Although Obama has already been to China once, the symbolism of a tour restricted to Asia's major democracies cannot be lost on Beijing at a time when Chinese assertiveness on exchange rates, trade and security issues has upset US calculations.
In fact, the Obama administration spent last year assiduously courting China. The catchphrase coined by Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg in relation to China, "strategic reassurance," signalled an American intent to be more accommodative of China's ambitions — a message reinforced earlier by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she went out of her way to downgrade human rights in America's China policy during a visit to Beijing. Obama, for his part, declared that America's "most important bilateral relationship in the world" is with China.
Today, with his China strategy falling apart, Obama is seeking to do exactly what his predecessor attempted — to line up partners. Still, for several reasons, that is unlikely to significantly elevate India's importance in his foreign policy.
First, he is coming to India when his presidency is likely to be weakened by reverses in congressional elections. With his approval ratings plummeting, Obama could end up as a one-term president.
Second, on key regional issues, especially Afghanistan-Pakistan, Iran and Myanmar, his administration sees Indian policy as not in sync with US strategy. That is particularly conspicuous on Pakistan.
The Obama administration, not content with turning Pakistan into the largest recipient of US aid in the world, has just unveiled fresh military assistance of $2 billion to that country. Such aid will further fatten the Pakistani military and intelligence—the very institutions controlling the country's foreign policy and nurturing terror groups.
With Obama determined to end the US-led war in Afghanistan, the US needs the Pakistani military and intelligence for its exit strategy in much the same way it relied on them to start and sustain the war.
Third, despite the more-recent erosion in trust and confidence between the US and China, Washington is unlikely to try and contain a country with which its economic and political linkages are likely to remain deeper than with India.
31 Oct, 2010, 12.39AM IST, Vikram Bakshi,
India requires investments to sustain its growth: Vikram Bakshi, McDonalds India
Leading the global iconic brand McDonald's in India has been significant for me. Our success in India is a good indicator of what global companies can do right to achieve success in India. When we entered India, the concept of quick service restaurants did not exist in the country...plus there was poor infrastructure in terms of roads, cold chain technology...a scenario that should have derailed our plans in India. But we persisted. McDonald's invited its global partners to establish JV's in India to establish its eco-system which would help it take off. This all happened before we opened our first restaurant in the country at Basant Lok in Delhi.
Looking at our success today it is evident that our persistence has paid good dividends.
While the company invested a lot to set itself in India along with its partner eco-system, we also did right by respecting the local culture and preferences. From the start, we have had separate cooking sections for vegetarian and non vegetarian food, and this sanctity is maintained not only in our restaurants, but has been the integral part of our complete backend (the entire cold chain as well as the food processing plants) which inspires tremendous confidence in our large vegetarian consumers across India. Good 70 percent of our menu in India has been locally developed catering to local tastes and preferences. India is perhaps the only country in McDonald's system that does not serve any beef or pork based products.
Rewards have been tremendous. Today, McDonald's is the leader in QSR (Quick Service Restaurants) domain, and is one of the most trusted global brands, in the country. Our performance over the years has been consistent both in terms of financials and earning consumer trust. We have been doubling our revenues consistently every three years since we started in India in 1996, which is in sync with the steady and solid growth of the Indian economy.
We are confident of Indian economy, and are excited with the prospects that it continues to unravel in so many aspects.
Our population is expected to reach 1.5 billion by 2030, which would be 4-5 times the population of US now. Middle Class would constitute the largest block of this. There have been studies that reveal that disadvantaged section of the population would fall down to 15 percent in 2030 from 64 percent in 2000...which clearly indicates that Middle class in India is growing or rather its growth is exploding. You just have to imagine their purchasing power now and in the future.
It is no surprise that India is one of the few countries whose economy passed through the recent difficult times practically unscathed largely due to the huge consumption that exists in the domestic market. A strength China, whose economy has largely been export led, is realizing now.
Our country is expected to continue its roller coaster growth at sustainable rate of 9-10 percent for the next 15-20 years. India would require tremendous investments to sustain this growth...an opportunity that has not gone unnoticed by the investing community across the world.
The icing on the cake is the median age of the Indians...in 2050; it is expected to be at 26 from the current figure of 24. We will be one of the few nations across the world with a very young population.
Our economy is growing steadily, and the sheer potential in front indicates that we have just scratched the surface. There is huge opportunity now and for the future. There is certainty about India. All this clearly reflects that India is where you would want to be in now. You want to engage with India now more than ever.
In this scenario, President Obama's visit assumes significance. It would do well to strengthen the already burgeoning bilateral relationship in between the two countries. I am confident that India would reciprocate by opening its market further, if the similar gestures are extended to it, as has been amply demonstrated in the case of McDonald's in India.
Vikram Bakshi, CEO, McDonalds India
Australian IPL gets nod, Indian investors upbeat
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Cricket Australia has approved minority private ownership in a revamped domestic Twenty20 competition to start next season, paving the way for potential Indian-based investment.
A Cricket Australia board meeting on Friday approved an extended Twenty20 competition _ to be called the Big Bash League _ which will run over the December-January period starting in the 2011-12 Australian season.
It will initially feature teams based on the current six state associations, plus two further cities which will be decided over coming months.
Indian investors are reported to be interested in the likely Sydney and Melbourne teams, with CA chief executive James Sutherland saying the final details on private ownership thresholds will soon be finalized.
``All of the teams may well have private investment ... but as a matter of principle the board has approved minority stakes as being the level of investment they will permit,'' Sutherland said.
``The board will retain ultimate say in who the investors are and they'll be vetted through the appropriate means as required.''
The Indian Premier League was an instant hit when it was launched in 2008, attracting multi-million dollar bids from some of India's leading industrialists and celebrities for the franchises.
The high salaries attracted the leading players from around the world and the format became highly successful to a global audience, leading to a number of offshoots.
However two teams had their licenses revoked last month for unauthorized ownership structures, while the expansion Kochi franchise has been given a month to resolve a shareholding dispute or face termination.
Sutherland said an IPL-style auction was unlikely. ``The revenues the Big Bash can generate in a small market such as Australia are not going to be the same as the Indian Premier League,'' he said.
``But at the same time, this league is on the international stage, the teams that play off in the finals will qualify for the Champions League _ the context of this league is it's a global league, there's global interest.''
Former Australia captain Steve Waugh said luring Indian players into the Australian franchises would be the key to success.
``It's not going to be a powerful franchise system unless you've got Indian players playing ... and if we haven't got Indian players playing, you won't get the TV rights in India,'' Waugh said.
``They really still hold all the aces.''
31 Oct, 2010, 12.16AM IST, Shyam Saran,
India must focus on long-term dividends during Obama's visit: Shyam Saran
Recent commentary on US President Obama's forthcoming visit to India focuses on whether he will deliver on the expectations concerning specific outcomes, such as endorsing India's candidature for permanent membership of the Security Council or dismantling technology denial regimes still operating against India. One should have a broader canvas on which to assess its impact.
If the visit results in the reaffirmation of the convergence of long-term interests even while recognizing and managing the sometimes contradictory, tactical compulsions which operate on both countries, then it should be judged a success. The long-term perspective is compelling.
As multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, secular and plural democracies, India and the US have a significant stake in each other's enduring success. This is particularly so in a world increasingly threatened both by religious extremism and resurgent totalitarianism. The space for liberal values must not diminish.
India and the US confront a rapidly transforming and a persistently uncertain geopolitical landscape. The rise of China and its recent assertiveness is one element of this change. The emergence of India and several other middle ranking powers is another. A strong Indo-US security partnership can be an anchor of stability both regionally in Asia-Pacific as well as globally.
In the emerging world, the salience of cross-cutting, global issues such as terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, global pandemics and climate change is rising. Both India and the US will need to work together to evolve effective regimes to manage the global commons.
India will be a growing market for the US but without being a mercantilist threat. It will become a global reservoir of highly skilled and technologically sophisticated manpower. Its spirit of innovation and creative entrepreneurship will match that of the US and create immense opportunities for mutual gain.
The US is and will remain, for the foreseeable future, the world's leading economy and strongest military power and the chief repository of cutting edge technologies. It will be an indispensable partner for India's quest for sustained development. Obama's visit should be an occasion to clearly and unambiguously reaffirm the continuing validity and compelling logic of this strategic vision, which has lately become somewhat blurred and hazy.
Both our countries are currently grappling with more immediate but nevertheless complex and difficult challenges. These have generated contradictory tactical responses which sometimes trump the bigger picture. The US may be convinced that the success of its exit strategy in Afghanistan requires Pakistani collaboration, which must, if necessary be bought with economic and military largesse.
The collateral damage on India is obvious. Conversely, India has important regional and energy security related interests in the Gulf which necessitates a more nuanced policy on Iran. The US may find this frustrating. The US domestic politics, in the midst of an unprecedented economic and financial crisis, may threaten India's export of IT services with populist protectionism. And India's persistent Left leaning politics remains hostile to a closer collaboration with the US, even at a level which is a fraction of what exists today between the US and China.
It is necessary for political leadership in our two countries to remain focused on the long-term strategic vision and nurture it. They will need to learn to manage the immediate contradictions and avoid their becoming major roadblocks in the journey towards a more substantive strategic partnership.
This will require regular, high-level engagement and constant, frank and forthright dialogue in multiple fora and at different levels. It has been my own experience that US interlocutors value India's perspectives and insights on a range of regional and global issues. There are occasions when the US policies and positions have been altered to accommodate India's interests.
The airing of differences in a spirit of friendship and understanding, is both possible and necessary, and will strengthen, not weaken our relations. I also believe that a relentless focus on the convergence of our long-term interests and its constant review and update, will make it easier to handle the more immediate disconnect on various issues. If President Obama's visit helps establish this pattern of engagement between our two countries it should be judged a success.
Shyam Saran, Former Foreign Secretary
(The writer is a senior fellow at Centre for Policy Research & acting chairman of RIS)
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/sunday-et/special-report/India-must-focus-on-long-term-dividends-during-Obamas-visit-Shyam-Saran/articleshow/6843822.cms
China buys more US bonds, allows more imports
BEIJING: China has bought $3 billion more worth of US Treasury debt and expanded the scope of imports from the US in what are seen as measures that will result in the Yuan appreciating against the US dollar - a key demand of the Obama administration.
China's holdings of treasury bonds rose by $846.7 billion in July after two months of decline, state-run China Daily reported today. The news allayed concerns that Washington's largest creditor China was moving away from investing in dollar assets, the Daily said.
Coincidentally, the debt data came out at the same time as two congressional hearings were being held in the US on China's exchange rate policy of pegging the value of yuan far lower to dollar than its perceived strength. The US treasury secretary Timothy Geithner, called for "a significant and sustained appreciation of the yuan over time" and "a more balanced economic relationship" but did not back the demand for trade sanctions against China.
China s increased investment in US Treasuries "helps bolster the US financial market". "The yuan has become more flexible and risen by about 1.6 %p since mid-June despite hurting Chinese exporters and domestic jobs," the Daily said in its editorial. "The two factors indicate that China values a stable US and global economy and is committed to reforming the yuan's exchange rate regime," it said.
Recent data also showed that China is permitting more US imports.
During the first seven months of this year, US exports to China surged 36% year-on-year (Y-O-Y). At the same time, China's exports to the US grew by 21%. China has become the US' third-largest export market and now accounts for 6.8% of the country's total overseas sales.
Yao Jian, spokesman of the Chinese commerce ministry said this week that the two economies are highly complementary and pledged to boost bi-lateral economic ties by purchasing more goods from the US.
Yao said a Chinese trade delegation led by Wang Chao, the vice-minister of commerce, is visiting the US and seeking trade and investment opportunities in the energy and technology sectors.
Also China, sitting pretty on $2.5 trillion forex reserves has been buying debt of Japan and South Korea as well. China has been a major buyer of Japanese debt this year, having snapped up $27 billion worth in the first seven months. It also doubled its holdings of South Korean debt, to $3.4 billion in the first half of this year.
"Though there is no direct relationship between China buying into the yen and dumping dollar assets during the past few months, it was a good option to diversify the country's colossal foreign exchange reserves on the debts of countries with strong trade ties to China," Jinny Yan, an economist at Standard Charted Bank said.
Chinese experts say that it is essential to make sure that cooperation between China and the US is not derailed by exchange rate disputes. "If the benign relationship in economic areas is dampened due to the exchange rate rift, it is highly likely that there will be a negative impact on China and US cooperation in other crucial areas, such as security and diplomacy," Shi Yinhong, a senior scholar in American studies at the Beijing-based Renmin University of China said, "China and the US maintain a relatively low level of cooperation and limited strategic trust on security issues.
"The increasing interdependence of China and the US is mainly in the area of economy and finance," he said.
24 Oct, 2010, 08.39AM IST, Viraj Desai,ET Bureau
ADAG to invest Rs 75000 crore in Madhya Pradesh in 5 years
The Reliance- ADAG will invest over Rs 75,000 crore in power, mining and coal projects in Madhya Pradesh in five years, group chairman Anil Ambani said at the Global Investors Summit 2010 at Khajuraho.
Mr Ambani said the company would make mega investments that include India's largest private-sector coal mines with a capacity to produce 25 million tonnes a year and a cement plant that will initially produce 10 million tonnes a year and its capacity would later be doubled.
Last month, he had said that the company holds domestic mines having over 2 billion tonnes of coal reserves that can support up to 20,000 MW of electricity generation capacity.
"While the state's plan outlay over next 5 years would be Rs 1,00,000 crore, R-ADAG's investment over the same period would be Rs 75,000 crore," Ambani said.
Other projects include setting up of 12,000 mw of power plants. The group had announced in the past that it would ramp up its generation capacity to 25,000 mw from only 600 mw. The company will have an operational capacity of 5,000 mw by 2012 and will commission another 20,000 mw over the next three years.
The conglomerate would employ 1,00,000 people in the state, he said, but demanded better infrastructure to support large investments in the state.
"With expected industrialisation in MP, the state needs to focus on road network which is very important for these industries to succeed," he said.
Madhya Pradesh is relatively less industrialised and developed than other states that have attracted large investments. Officials in Madhya Pradesh said the two-day summit began with signing of 12 MoUs, which involve investments aggregating to Rs 1.64 lakh crore. The group would also set up an institute for information and communication in Bhopal, he added.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan shares a light moment with industrialist Anil Ambani.
24 Oct, 2010, 02.20AM IST, M Rajshekhar & Urmi A Goswami,ET Bureau
NAC wants subsidised food for 75% Indians
NEW DELHI: The National Advisory Council, headed by Sonia Gandhi , has worked out a compromised formula for the food security act on Saturday. Keeping in mind the budgetary and the foodgrain constraints of the government the council has proposed "near universal with differential entitlements" food security programme. Under the compromised formula, 90% of the rural households and 50% of the urban households will be covered.
It has recommended to the government that the programme be rolled out from the next financial year. All beneficiaries will be covered by March 31, 2014. A "reformed" public distribution system will be the vehicle for rolling out the programme.
The Council is of the view that at least 75% of the country should get subsidised grain. This is further broken down as 90% of all households in rural India, and 50% in urban areas.
"We are obviating the need to look at the BPL data. Starting from the top we have decided to knock off 15% of the most affluent section from the rural areas and 60% from the urban areas and including the rest under the food security net," NAC and Planning Commission member Narendra Jadhav said.
The NAC decided to set aside the BPL criteria. Instead it has suggested two broad categories—"priority" and "general"—eligible for foodgrain entitlement under the proposed food security law. Both these categories will have to be defined by the government. On its part, the advisory panel has based on the Tendulkar committee report to quantify the two categories. Accordingly, the "priority" category is estimated to include 46% of all households in rural areas and 28% in urban. The "general" category is at 44% of all rural households and 22% of urban.
As regards the entitlement, the Council has proposed that the "priority" category will receive a monthly entitlement of `35 kilos of foodgrains at a subsidised price of `1 per kg for millets, `2 per kg for wheat and `3 per kg for rice. The "general" category, on the other hand, will get a monthly entitlement of 20 kilos of foodgrains at a price, which would not exceed 50% of the minimum support price (MSP). It has been suggested that the minimum coverage and entitlements as well as prices should remain unchanged at least until the end of the Twelfth five year plan in 2017.
"We, originally started with a proposal of near universalisation with just 10% of people at the top in rural India being excluded. This was challenged on the grounds of both budgetary and food grain shortfall. Given that, the NAC's recommendations are much better than what the government had originally proposed, especially the 1/2/3 formulation for the priority households," NAC member Aruna Roy said.
Other important components of the NAC's food security bill are legal entitlements for child and maternal nutrition, as well as for community kitchens and programmes for feeding the destitute and vulnerable groups. Suggestions have been made for revitalising agriculture, diversifying the commodities available under PDS, ensuring universal access to safe water and proper sanitation. The Council has recommended universalising primary healthcare, extending nutrition and health support to adolescent girls, strengthening the school health programme, the programme for Vitamin A, iodine and iron supplementation and the national programme for creches.
The NAC has recommended that programme cover 85% of the rural population and 40% of the urban population in the first phase itself. It has recommended commencing implementation of the first phase from the next financial year, 2011-12, and complete coverage by the financial year 2013-14.
Mr Jadhav said that the first phase of the food security law may cost the exchequer an additional `15,137 crore in food subsidies. After the implementation of the final phase, the additional cost would be `23,231 crore. At present, the government spends `56,700 crore every year on food subsidies.
A "reformed" public distribution system will be the vehicle for rolling out the programme. The NAC will now examine proposals for PDS reform. Options being considered include decentralised procurement and storage; de-privatisation of PDS outlets as in Chhattisgarh where these are run by self help groups and other village bodies. Apart from these, the NAC will also consider the possibility of doorstep delivery of grain to PDS outlets; revision of PDS commissions; use of ICT including end-to-end computerisation of the PDS, full transparency of records and use of smart cards and biometrics subject to successful pilots.
The NAC's recommendations are expected to be considered by the Cabinet, and then introduced in Parliament as the National Food Security Bill.
Forty planes and six armoured cars: Obama visit to India the 'biggest ever by a US President'
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:28 PM on 31st October 2010
Heavily protected: President Obama will have six armoured cars and 40 aircraft for his three-day visit to India
Barack Obama's trip to India next month will be the biggest by any US President - with a staggering 40 aircraft and six armoured cars.
Details of the elaborate arrangements for the tree-day presidential visit on November 6 were leaked to Indian newspaper earlier this week.
Forty aircraft - including the Air Force One military plane - and six heavily armoured cars will follow the president around the country.
The huge security operation comes days after a suspected bomb was found on a cargo plane at East Midlands Airport.
The entourage will be the biggest ever in terms of logistics and manpower for any US president.
The president himself will be ferried around in a black Cadillac - dubbed 'Barack Mobile' - which has its own built in communications centre - to enable Obama to be in touch with the White House, US vice president and the US strategic command
The car also has the US nuke launch codes and the nuclear switch for the president. It can also withstand a chemical or germ warfare or even a bomb attack.
Obama will be accompanied on the trip by US first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia and Sasha, according to Indian newspaper Headlines Today.
Earlier, Obama's daughters Sasha and Malia were not to be part of the trip. But Michelle's opinion prevailed and now the girls will accompany the first American couple to India, according to the paper.
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It is hoped that the trip will build important economic links between the US and India. The county has become one of the fasted growing economies and some experts predict that it could rival China in the coming years.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister David Cameron took a group of business leaders on a UK trip to India.
US officials also hope that Obama's trip will breath new life into his presidency after a drop in support ahead of the mid-term elections.
Political commentators claim that many poorer white American's feel alienated by Obama's failure to deliver promises two years after his rip-roaring election win.
But the extent of the trip to India - which could run up a bill of hundreds of thousands of pounds - is unlikely to win over hard-up swing voters in the US.
The president has booked the entire Taj Mahal Hotel for two days of his visit and the property will be a no-go area for non-hotel staff while he is staying.
Gandhi: A shopkeeper selling Mahatma Gandi-themed T-shorts hopes the president will pop by when he visits the Taj Mahal
A heavy security cordon will be in place around the hotel and there will be strict restrictions on vessels near the plush building.
Obama will visit the historic Taj Mahal with wife Michelle and their two children.
The secret service will set up two command posts in Delhi and Mumbai which will act as the communication nerve centres. These centres will keep an eye on each movement by the president with real time satellite monitoring.
Three Marine One choppers will be reassembled in India to ferry Obama and his family.
Thirty sniffer dogs will also be put on service to boost the security arrangements during Obama's visit.
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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1325075/Obama-India-visit-Biggest-US-President-40-planes-6-armoured-cars.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz13wlavxmA
Indian-Americans a growing political force in both parties
By MARGARET TALEV
McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's trip to India days after the Nov. 2 election will be watched with interest by 2.8 million Indian-Americans. For now, however, they're concentrating on matters much closer to home: the outcome of political races across this country.
A record half-dozen Indian-Americans - all Democrats - mounted runs this year for the House of Representatives. One lost in her primary challenge to an incumbent in New York. The others face uphill general election bids in districts in California, Kansas, Louisiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
If Republican Nikki Haley wins the governor's race in South Carolina, she'll be the nation's second Indian-American governor. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, also a Republican, became the first with his election three years ago.
Indian-Americans are too small a potential voting bloc - less than 1 percent of the population - to sway the outcome of state or national-level contests.
However, as Indian-Americans amass wealth and become more active in politics, they're being increasingly sought out, especially as donors, by Democrats and Republicans. They're disproportionately wealthy, well-educated and employed at high levels in fields - such as health science, technology, engineering and energy - politicians see as key to the nation's economic future.
More than three-dozen Indian-Americans have served or are serving as presidential appointees in the Obama administration. Indian-American actor Kal Penn grabbed headlines for serving in Obama's Office of Public Engagement; he's since gone back to Hollywood. However, Indian-Americans also were tapped to play important roles on Obama's National Security Council staff, as the head of USAID, as the federal chief information officer, and as lawyers, spokespeople and advisers throughout the White House and various agencies.
USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah is scheduled to give the keynote speech Thursday at a State Department event, connected to Obama's trip, examining ways that prominent Indian-Americans can expand U.S.-India ties.
The past decade, meanwhile, has marked the rise of several Indian-American-led issue and political advocacy groups.
The New York-based Sikh Coalition has issued a press release expressing disappointment over reports that Obama won't visit their treasured Golden Temple while in India next month. The group has launched a letter-writing campaign to urge Obama to reconsider.
The bipartisan USINPAC was heavily involved in the approval of the 2008 U.S.-India nuclear agreement. Other prominent advocacy groups include the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association.
Democrats have the Indian-American Leadership Initiative. Republicans have the Indian American Conservative Council and the Republican Indian Committee.
Indian-Americans come from a variety of religious, linguistic and geographic backgrounds. Some are here on temporary work visas. For every Indian-American engineer or cardiologist, there are cab drivers, convenience-store clerks and middle-class workers. Those who become citizens and vote support candidates in both major U.S. political parties, although activists say Democrats have the edge in the Indian-American community, for now.
Rajeev Sharma, an Indian-born, American-raised business owner and Democrat, recently got a call from party officials: Could he throw together a big-ticket fundraising dinner for Senate candidates at his home in the Maryland suburbs on just one week's notice? And could the president drop by?
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Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/31/1900934/indian-americans-a-growing-political.html#ixzz13wm1YdIG
Obama's visit to India underlines its economic power and rivalry to China
The arrival of US President Barack Obama in Mumbai next weekend has been hailed a turning point in India's standing as a political and economic power.
Dean Nelson in New Delhi
Published: 7:30AM GMT 31 Oct 2010
16 Comments
Obama's visit to India underlines its economic power and rivalry to China Photo: AP
His vast delegation will include US energy chief executives eyeing new alternative and nuclear energy deals and defence CEOs chasing lucrative field gun and transporter plane contracts. There will be university principals looking at tie-ups with their Indian counterparts and engineering executives salivating at the prospect of building locomotive factories to make 1,000 new trains in a deal worth as much as $5bn (£3bn).
Like David Cameron's visit with the largest-ever Cabinet delegation in July, President Obama's visit is an acknowledgement that India is becoming a lucrative source of potential domestic growth and an increasingly serious rival to China.
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How close and serious a rival India is has become an obsession for the country's business leaders and commentators. Their ambitions were deflated during the Commonwealth Games, when construction delays, dirty athletes' accommodation, malfunctioning equipment and corruption allegations made the claims of a new Indian future seem wildly optimistic.
But in a new book, one of the country's most successful businessmen says the two countries are a lot closer than many political and business leaders believe.
Raghav Bahl, founder and owner of India's largest television news group Network18, and draughtsman of the countries largest media joint ventures with Time Warner, NBC Universal and Viacom, has written Superpower? The Amazing Race Between China's Hare and India's Tortoise as a riposte to those who say the two cannot be mentioned in the same breath.
"India and China are nearly 3bn people in one contiguous part of the world, both very poor countries making this huge transition in opening their economies, trying to pull millions of people out of poverty.
"A lot of people believe China is so far ahead that the two can't be compared. I don't believe that's true," he said in an interview at his Network 18 office in Noida, a modern new town on the outskirts of New Delhi.
Mr Bahl believes countries like Britain and America have been blinded to the scale of opportunities India offers by a shared colonial history and the closed economy which persisted from Independence in 1947 to the early 1990s when Rajiv Gandhi began to open India to the world.
Although India started its reforms a long way behind China, Mr Bahl says India can catch up fast if its government acts on corruption, steps up economic liberalisation and legal reforms and focuses on development.
The problem is that India's political leaders cut their teeth during the isolation years and are too cautious. The country's advantage is that it has mature, democratic institutions which put it ahead as a free market economy.
India's GDP is $1.2 trillion compared with China's $5 trillion, but its growth is only a half a per cent behind China's 9.1pc and is forecast to overtake it as the world's fastest-growing economy by 2015.
Mr Bahl believes China's growth – begun with Deng Xiaoping's reforms in the early 1980s – were made easier by an authoritarian government which was able forcefully to acquire land and build infrastructure. He said China's formerly relatively benign foreign policy which speeded it along has given way to "hubris" which could slow it down.
"We are in a closer economic situation than the world has been led to believe. China's GDP is four times that of India. But look at China 10 years ago, the economy was the same as India's is today, but it was a weak economy. It wasn't in the WTO [World Trade Organisation], it had no judicial framework, or enough private property laws. China's was equal to India's size now but institutionally weaker. So India is less than 10 years behind China," he said.
"Looking at it like that the two are not that different, [the gap] is not unbridgeable. Who will be the bigger player in this race? The jury is out."
It depends, he said, on whether India's state is a block to development, or whether it steps back and acts as an enabler. Mr Bahl argued that India needs to reform land acquisition laws to ensure those forced to sell are fairly compensated and share in the development windfall. This will clear a major obstacle to development projects, such as Tata Motors' aborted attempt to build a production plant for its new Nano in West Bengal.
"The Indian state will either be able to reform itself or it will be the drag. " he said.
Mr Bahl believes India's new generation of thinkers, assertive civil society, free judiciary and independent media will be key drivers in forcing reform of state governance.
China, on the other hand, has yet to make any real moves towards the democratisation he believes the country needs to realise its full potential. He sees India's great opportunity in China's failure: "If India can fix its social infrastructure, there's no gainsaying it could overtake China. My hope is that we are able to reform our governance before they democratise."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/8098757/Obamas-visit-to-India-underlines-its-economic-power-and-rivalry-to-China.html
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28 Oct 2010 ... National Knowledge Commission chairman Sam Pitroda Thursday ... Pitroda said, addressing a conclave organised by the Indian ... US Air Force ferries security tonnage ahead of Obama visit (28th Oct, 2010) ... Senior citizens in W. Bengal village protest non-payment of pension (28th Oct, 2010) ...www.indiavision.com/news/article/national/118931/ - Cached
India's innovation czar - Views - livemint.com
6 Dec 2009 ... Pitroda, recently appointed as India's first innovation czar, ... much as an idea that guarantees a future sustained income to these poor villagers. The key challenge for India's innovation czar will be to help create ... PM asks China to be sensitive to India's 'core issues' · 'Landmark Obama visit ...www.livemint.com/2009/12/.../India8217s-innovation-czar.html - Cached
Sam Pitroda - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Sam Pitroda (born 4 May 1942, in Titlagarh, Orissa) (Real name Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda) is an inventor, entrepreneur and policymaker. ...
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During a two hour interaction with the leadership of the Dell Foundation, Sam Pitroda made very specific suggestions about what can be done to transform ...
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This short biography of Sam Pitroda helps you to know about the life of Dr. ... The biggest virtue of Sam Pitroda is that he has a definite vision to use ...
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Mr. Sam Pitroda (Chairman). Mr. Sam Pitroda has spent four decades in the world of telecommunications helping bridge the global communications divide. ...
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Sam Pitroda to head National Innovation Council - Rediff.com Business
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17 Aug 2010 ... Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday approved the setting up of a National Innovation Council to prepare a road map for the 'Decade of ...
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13 Sep 2010 ... The way towards financial inclusion — getting the unbanked into the net — is through the mobile money route, feels Sam Pitroda, ...
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19 Mar 2010 ... The high-profile outsider is known for his iconoclastic approach to India's problems.
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Sam Pitroda slams BSNL for losing first-mover advantage on 3G ...
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2 Sep 2010 ... Advisor to the Prime Minister and telecom czar Sam Pitroda on Thursday slammed state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited for losing its ...
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YouTube - 10 My Indian Heroes Technology Guru Sam Pitroda
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http://www.indobase.com/indians-abroad/sam-pitroda.html Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda, better known as Dr Sam Pitroda ...
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India can help create jobs in US: Sam Pitroda - 1 day ago
NEW DELHI: National Knowledge Commission Chairman Sam Pitroda said Friday India can help create jobs in the US by providing alternative training. ...
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- "Everyone's focus in US is on job creation. To create jobs you need to provide alternative training to the people. I think India can help US in retraining people,"
- 1 day ago Economic Times (Occurrences: 5)
- more by Sam Pitroda
India can help create jobs in US: Sam Pitroda
Economic Times - 1 day ago
NEW DELHI: National Knowledge Commission Chairman Sam Pitroda said Friday India can help create jobs in the US by providing alternative training. ...
Government to spend $20 billion on IT in five years - Daily News & Analysis
INDIA: Urgent need to deregulate higher education - University World News
Obama s India visit ignoring IT hubs only election rhetoric - Moneycontrol.com
all 14 news articles »
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Need to deregulate education: Sam Pitroda
Sify - 3 days ago
New Delhi: National Knowledge Commission chairman Sam Pitroda Thursday stressed the need to deregulate education, calling it the need of the hour. ...
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Bigwigs give IT.biz a miss on last day
Express Buzz - 11 hours ago
The prime minister's advisor on public information, infrastructure and innovations, Sam Pitroda and RBI Deputy Governor Usha Thorat, who were slated to ...
IT.biz sees absence of speakers - Deccan Herald
all 4 news articles »
* Mangalorean.com
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Need to deregulate education: Pitroda
Livemint - Prashant K. Nanda - 2 days ago
New Delhi: Sam Pitroda, advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Information Infrastructure and Innovations Thursday urged central government to ...
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$1-billion innovation fund mooted for inclusive growth
The Hindu - 8 Oct 2010
The proposal, yet to be approved by the Centre, was agreed to at a recent meeting of the National Innovation Council , according to Sam Pitroda, ...
India To Invest Rs.15000 Cr. In Rural Telecom Network - RTT News
India plans heavy spending on rural telecom networks - Africa IBTimes
all 9 news articles »
* Siliconindia.com
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Play it again, Sam
Hindustan Times - 10 Oct 2010
There's no evidence of these multiple medical setbacks as CEO, inventor and entrepreneur Satyanarayan Gangaram "Sam" Pitroda strides quickly across the ...
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India to invest Rs 15000 crore on rural network
Economic Times - 7 Oct 2010
... Sam Pitroda, an adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh , said today. "A note for this investment will be sent to the Cabinet very soon," Pitroda, ...
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There's need to do things in innovative ways: President
Indian Express - 1 day ago
Advisor to the Prime Minister Sam Pitroda said the nation still faced the challenges of disparity; equitable development was happening, but "not fast ...
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Indian rural network to get $3.4 Billion investment from the ...
ZDNet (blog) - Manan Kakkar - 19 Oct 2010
Sam Pitroda speaking at the Institute of Studies, Singapore gave a brief ... According to Sam Pitroda the investment for the project will come from the $1.3 ...
Indian Rural Network Gets $3.4 Billion Facelift - Penn Olson
all 3 news articles »
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PIL filed against BSNL-MTNL CMD selection
CIOL - Prasoon Srivastava - 2 days ago
It has been completely manipulated and is not in line with the recommendation made by Sam Pitroda panel for restructuring of BSNL," said a senior member of ...
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Pakistan apprehensive about Obama's India visitEconomic Times - 5 hours agoISLAMABAD: Pakistan is apprehensive about the visit of US President Barack Obama to India, "especially over the symbolism hidden in the decision to pick Mumbai's Taj Mahal Hotel for starting the trip" as it was the focal point of terrorist strikes on ... MPs expect Obama to support India's claim to UNSC seatThe Hindu - 8 hours agoPTI PTI Workers carry out the maintenance work of Parliament House in New Delhi on Tuesday. Support to India's rightful claim to a permanent seat in the UN Security Council is what Indian lawmakers expect from the US during the address of President ... Pakistan to convince Obama to talk to KashmirisInternational Reporter - 51 minutes agoIslamabad, Pakistan: October 31, 2010 –IR Summary/ET - Pakistan is apprehensive about the visit of US President Barack Obama to India on certain probable remarks against them, President Obama who shall be in India for four days from November 6 to 9, ...
Forty planes, six armoured cars to join Obama on India tripEconomic Times - 9 hours agoWASHINGTON: Six armoured cars and 40 aircraft will accompany US President Barack Obama during his three-day visit of India. Details of the elaborate arrangements for the tree-day presidential visit on November 6 were leaked to Indian newspaper earlier ... Obama sees India as a global power: RoemerIBNLive.com - Oct 24, 2010Hello and welcome to 'Devil's Advocate'. Just two weeks left for President Barack Obama's visit to India, how does Washington view its relationship with India - that's the key issue I should explore with the American Ambassador Timothy Roemer. ... Obama to have his fill of Gandhi and townhall meetings during India visitTimes of India - Chidanand Rajghatta - Oct 27, 2010WASHINGTON: President Obama will have a fill of his pet passions on his three-day visit to India next week in what will be his longest stay to date in a foreign country. Two Gandhi-related events, several townhall-style and round table meetings, ... India must focus on long-term dividends during Obama's visit: Shyam SaranEconomic Times - 19 hours agoRecent commentary on US President Obama's forthcoming visit to India focuses on whether he will deliver on the expectations concerning specific outcomes, such as endorsing India's candidature for permanent membership of the Security Council or ... India needs to look beyond Obama's charisma during the visitEconomic Times - 15 hours agoThe remarkable thing about the forthcoming visit of the US president to India is the paucity of major tangible issues to be sorted out between the world's largest democracies. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will talk of ... Economics to override politics during Obama's visit to IndiaTimes of India - Chidanand Rajghatta - Oct 28, 2010WASHINGTON: Number of times US officials referred to the economic agenda in a preview on Wednesday of President Obama's upcoming visit to India: 26. Mention of jobs for Americans and promoting US exports: 17 times. References to strategic ties with ... New Delhi Defence platter piled high before Obama visitHindustan Times - 19 hours agoIndia and the US will bring to the table heaps of unfinished defence business — ranging from outstanding military agreements to expanding US military aid to Pakistan to discussions on possible weapons sales — during President Barack Obama's first visit ... All 1,368 related articles » | RelatedBarack ObamaIndia Timeline of articlesNumber of sources covering this story
ImagesThe HinduInternational R... The Hindu The Hindu Deccan Herald Calcutta Telegr... Oneindia Indian Express Deccan Herald All related images » VideosBardhan on Obama's India visitNewsX - Oct 30, 2010 Watch video <div class="video-thumb thumbnail"><a class="js-link thumbnail-toggle" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return false;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CMOWTicf0YM/default.jpg" alt="" class="thumbnail" width="120" height="90"> <div class="icon play-icon"></div></a></div> <div class="video-details"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMOWTicf0YM">Bardhan on Obama's India visit</a> <span class="source">NewsX</span> - Oct 30, 2010 <div class="icon video-icon"></div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMOWTicf0YM">Watch video</a></div> All related videos » |
"We invite many more tourists from the Asean countries to visit India to see the splendour of its rich cultural heritage"
18 hours ago Calcutta Telegraph (23 occurrences)
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Oneindia
India, US to partner in Africa anti-poverty drive
Economic Times - 4 hours agoNEW DELHI: When President Barack Obama sits down for talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh next week, India and the US will look to joining hands in ...
Services, investment the next step: Manmohan The Hindu
Clinton meets Singh in Hanoi Hindustan Times
Singh push for Asean unity Calcutta Telegraph
AFP - Indian Express
all 320 news articles »Email this story
Manmohan Singh defends PMO decision to take charge of CWG
Sify - Oct 30, 2010The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Saturday, defended his decision to take charge of the preparations of the XIXth Commonwealth Games that were held ...
PMO Shouldn't Have Intervened in CWG Earlier: PM Outlook
all 13 news articles »Email this story
The Hindu
President, Prime Minister pay tributes to Indira Gandhi
The Hindu - 6 hours agoPTI The Hindu President Pratibha Patil seen with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to ...
Indira Gandhi remembered on her death anniversary Oneindia
President, PM pay homage to Indira Gandhi Sify
Nation pays homage to former PM Indira Gandhi on her 26th death anniversary Stock Market Today
all 27 news articles »
हिंदी मेंEmail this story
SamayLive
Tribute paid to Sardar Patel on his 135th birth anniversary
Daily News & Analysis - 42 minutes agoPlace: New Delhi | Agency: PTI Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar led the nation in paying tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ...
Prime Minister pays tribute to Sardar Patel on 135th birth anniversary Sify
India remembers Indira, Sardar Patel Washington Bangla Radio
all 26 news articles »Email this story
Reuters India
India, Malaysia to discuss economic cooperation pact
Economic Times - Oct 28, 2010KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who reached here Tuesday night to upgrade India's economic engagement with Malaysia, will take forward the ...
A 'Little India' comes into being in Malaysia The Hindu
To narrow the rich-poor gap, grow fast: PM Indian Express
India,Malaysia to intensify economic ties during Manmohan Singh's visit Oneindia
Calcutta Telegraph - Hindustan Times
all 2,130 news articles »Email this story
Manmohan Singh to inaugurate Petrotech International Oil, Gas Conference
Sify - Oct 29, 2010The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, will on November 1 inaugurate the Petrotech International Oil and Gas Conference. The ninth Petrotech International ...
Manmohan Singh to inaugurate Petrotech International Oil, Gas Conference Oneindia
all 13 news articles »Email this story
The Hindu
India and South Korea finalise N-deal
Hindustan Times - Oct 29, 2010National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon announced this following a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and South Korean President ...
Civil nuclear accord finalised with South Korea The Hindu
Manmohan Singh meets South Korean President in Hanoi Sify
India, South Korea agree on civil nuclear pact news domain-B
Economic Times - All India Radio
all 65 news articles »Email this story
Indira Gandhi Award for AR Rahman, Ramkrishna Ashram
Economic Times - 16 minutes agoCongress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave away the award at a function here. Swami Vyaptanand received the award on behalf of ...
The Chosun Ilbo
Manmohan Singh takes part in ASEAN Summit in Vietnam
Sify - Oct 29, 2010Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Saturday began talks with other leaders attending the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Vietnam ...
Manmohan to hold talks with Wen Jiabao today The Hindu
Manmohan in Vietnam to attend ASEAN, East Asia summits MyNews.in
India, ASEAN nations to unveil five-year action Plan of Action MSN India
NetIndian - Channel News Asia
all 1,000 news articles »Email this story
Non-counter terrorism arms to Pak an issue
indiablooms - 3 hours agoNew Delhi, Oct 31 (IBNS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Saturday afternoon. It lasted about 45 minutes. ...
Clinton discussed Obama visit, situation in region with PM: Menon Sify
all 12 news articles »Email this story
Reuters
PM Manmohan Singh raises stapled visa, border row with China
India Today - Oct 29, 2010Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday raised with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao the issue of stapled visas issued by Beijing to residents of Jammu ...
Video: Be sensitive to our core issues: PM to Wen
Stapled visas to Kashmiris to figure in Manmohan Singh-Wen Jiabao talks Daily News & Analysis
China 'conscious' of trade imbalance, Wen tells Manmohan The Hindu
Deccan Chronicle - TopINews
all 2,551 news articles »
हिंदी मेंEmail this story
Indian Express
Badal seeks relaxation on paddy procurement norms from PM
MSN India - Oct 29, 2010... procurement of paddy, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh''s direct intervention in resolving the matter. ...
Sukhbir to meet PM seeking relaxation in paddy norms MyNews.in
Central team to visit Punjab next wk to assess paddy procurement mess Financial Express
Punjab farmers stop trains, Badal warns of unrest Sify
all 26 news articles »Email this story
PM's interaction with media on flight
indiablooms - 3 hours agoNew Delhi, Oct 31 (IBNS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh replied to many questions by journalists on board Air India One on way to New Delhi from Hanoi on ...
NDTV.com
Obama looking forward to private dinner with Manmohan
Sify - Oct 28, 2010Manmohan Singh will host the dinner for the Obamas at his 7 Race Course Road residence Nov 7, a day before the two leaders sit down for wide-ranging talks ...
Humayun tomb, private dinner with Singhs, first on Obamas plan NDTV.com
US officials recee Humayun Tomb ahead of Barack Obama visit Daily News & Analysis
Taj missed, not its inspiration Calcutta Telegraph
all 48 news articles »Email this story
PM avoids Raja issue, non-committal on cabinet reshuffle
Economic Times - 15 hours agoResponding to questions about the harsh observations of the apex court on the minister, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told reporters accompanying him to New ...
PM stays neutral on issue of cabinet reshuffle Oneindia
all 10 news articles »Email this story
The Hindu
2G scam: Manmohan declines comment
The Hindu - Oct 30, 2010PTI PTI Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while interacting with journalists on his way back to India after the three-nation tour, refused to comment on ...
India's beef on entry of US dairy products: The cow ingredient
Indian Express - 19 hours ago... access for US agricultural and dairy products as a major deliverable and even mentioned it to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his recent communique. ...
Hazare threatens to return Padmabhushan
Hindustan Times - Oct 29, 2010The Gandhian social worker has also written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh apprising him of the "irregularities" in the project near "Builders, ...
Hazare writes letter to PM on Lavasa project irregularities IBNLive.com
all 6 news articles »Email this story
Opening Of Little India A Nostalgic Moment For Resident
Bernama - Nur Firdaus, Abdul Rahim - 6 hours ago... last Wednesday by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, brought a sense of nostalgia for A. Palaniayee, ...
The Hindu
Naxalism is the greatest threat: Manmohan
The Hindu - Sandeep Saxena - Oct 22, 2010Lt. General Prakash Menon, Commandant, National Defence College, presenting a memento to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as King Jigme Khesar Namgyel ...
Video: Going east
Manmohan Singh favours modernisation of country's defence doctrines Daily News & Analysis
No headway on Indo-Japan nuke pact on eve of Manmohan Singh's visit Oneindia
Times of India - Calcutta Telegraph
all 336 news articles »Email this story
The Hindu
PM refuses to comment on Chavan's role in scam
Oneindia - 10 hours agoPrime Minister, Manmohan Singh said, "I am not aware of all the facts related to the scam, I have read in newspapers that some politicians, senior military ...
Video: Chavan's days may be numbered as CM
PM refuses comment on Adarsh Housing Society scam Times of India
Adarsh Society scam: PM says will make 'meaningful comment' after collecting facts Sify
Deccan Herald - The Hindu
all 291 news articles »
हिंदी मेंEmail this story
Stuff.co.nz
Manmohan doesn't hold any grudge against NZ over Henry's 'racial-slur': John Key
Sify - Oct 30, 2010New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has said that his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh did not seem to hold any lingering resentment over the infamous ...
No hard feelings over Paul Henry New Zealand Herald
John Key pushes trade agenda at East Asia Summit power lunch Stuff.co.nz
EAS Concludes In Vietnam Voxy
all 149 news articles »
हिंदी मेंEmail this story
Indian Express
Posco positive: PM to tell Seoul
Indian Express - Oct 28, 2010S Korean President Lee Myung-bak is likely to take up Posco's case with PM Manmohan Singh on Saturday. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will reassure South ...
India reassures South Korean investors, including Posco Sify
Clearance issue related to POSCO plant will be addressed: India Economic Times
Bid to calm Posco, retail nerves Calcutta Telegraph
Humsafar News Site
all 134 news articles »
TYO:5412Email this story
The Hindu
Manmohan lays stone for TIFR campus in Hyderabad
The Hindu - Oct 19, 2010Prime Minister Manmohan Singh congratulates Director of TIFR Mustansir Barma and Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Srikumar Banerjee in Hyderabad on Tuesday ...
Manmohan Singh inaugurates TWAS Oneindia
Expand human resource pool in science, technology: PM Times of India
Quicken developing scientific knowledge, says PM Economic Times
Sify - Indian Express
all 175 news articles »Email this story
MiamiHerald.com
Breakthrough in ties not made as Manmohan Singh faced pressure: Pak PM
Daily News & Analysis - Oct 22, 2010Place: ISLAMABAD | Agency: PTI Voicing disappointment that the promise of better ties held out by his meetings with Manmohan Singh had not yet been realised ...
Obama popular in India: Poll Hindustan Times
The buzz about Obama's visit is missing Rediff
Obama Wants To Move Beyond Nukes With India Wall Street Journal (blog)
India Infoline.com
all 870 news articles »Email this story
China PM visits India pavilion at Shanghai Expo
Times of India - 8 hours agoBEIJING: Days after his "positive" meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday visited the India pavilion at Shanghai ...
Expert group to brainstorm with Barack Obama
India Today - Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury - 3 hours agoPrime Minister Manmohan Singh is going the extra mile to ensure that US President Barack Obama's upcoming visit acts as a catalyst for stronger Indo-US ties ...
PINK:EXPU
Daily News & Analysis
Central funds do not belong to the PM or the Cong: Advani
Indian Express - Oct 25, 2010Senior BJP leader LK Advani invited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Monday to openly debate their statements on ...
Central funds do not belong to the PM or the Cong : Advani IBNLive.com
all 9 news articles »Email this story
CM seeks conversion of state roads into national highways
Times of India - Oct 27, 2010HYDERABAD : Chief minister K Rosaiah on Tuesday shot off a letter to prime minister Manmohan Singh seeking his intervention in converting 23 state highways ...
Rosaiah Asks For National Status To 23 State Roads Fullhyd.com
all 5 news articles »Email this story
No HC relief for judge terminated on graft charges
Times of India - Oct 29, 2010... Gautam Kant Nimaan of the Rohini district court, a division bench of Justices AK Sikri and Manmohan Singh said the termination order is not punitive ". ...
No relief for judge sacked for graft Hindustan Times
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Services, investment the next step: Manmohan Sandeep Dikshit
HANOI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday expressed the hope that early completion of formalities for implementing the India-ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement would ensure that work would begin on finalising the other two pillars of an FTA — services and investment. "This would be an important step in our goal of comprehensive economic cooperation," Dr. Singh said while speaking at the 8th India-ASEAN summit here.
However, sources said, "it is too bad that the agreement in services and investment wasn't signed between India and other South East Asian nations during the current summit. We had expected that it would go through this time."
Dr. Singh commended officials for developing a Plan of Action to implement the ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity for 2010-2015 (This has been completed with China). Terming it an ambitious road map, he said the 82 action points reflected the potential and the desire to develop a multi-faceted India-ASEAN relationship. He invited ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan to visit India to review the mechanisms and procedures to speed up the pace of implementing the agreed projects.
He reiterated his formulation that ASEAN is the core around which the process of economic integration of the Asia-Pacific region should be built.
Visa on arrival
In order to step up people-to-people contacts, which is "well below potential," the Prime Minister announced visa on arrival facility to people from Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Laos from January 1, 2011.
Dr. Singh said he was looking forward to the first-ever India-ASEAN Summit in India in 2012 and hoped the Eminent Persons Group would be set up quickly to formulate a vision statement for the meet.
News Update
- Stories in this Section
- Explosives in air parcels set off U.S. terror alert
- Ashok Chavan offers to resign
- CRZ notice issued to Adarsh in 2009 itself
- "Medha-led campaign exposed scam in 2008"
- Symbolic of luxury, Lavasa is built on irregularities
- Congress MLC: why should I surrender flats?
- Former Navy Chief surrenders flat
- Services, investment the next step: Manmohan
- Need to reaffirm dialogue with Pakistan, China: Prime Minister
- Notice to Shah: why shouldn't bail be cancelled?
- Marxists not against market, FDI: Karat
- NGO's charge against Centre
- Iraq: coffee shop bombing kills 30
- Cronje tested me the most: Sachin
- All set for The Hindu Best Fiction Award 2010
- Wi-Fi Direct promises range, bandwidth higher than Bluetooth
- Facebook to introduce technology to limit sharing of user ids
- Thevar puja passes off peacefully
- New ITBP complex
- Shorter days, colder too
- Government has delivered more than DMK promised
- 18 killed as trawler carrying 100 capsizes, many missing
- Curfew in three Kashmir towns
- MLAs on boat cruise lose contact
- Rs.6 crore sanctioned for GH in Manapparai
- Road map for new local body members
- Obama 'very excited' about India visit
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