Funeral procession of Andhra student taken to assembly

The last wish of a student who committed suicide over the delay in formation of a separate Telangana state was fulfilled when his funeral procession was allowed to be taken to Gun Park near the Andhra Pradesh state assembly here.Amid tight security, the body of Sai Kumar, a second year B. Tech student of Osmania University, was brought to Gun Park Tuesday night to enable supporters of the Telangana movement to pay their last respects. Sai Kumar's body was later taken to his native village Kodad in Nalgonda district where the last rites will be performed Wednesday. The student hanged himself in his hostel room Tuesday to protest the delay in carving out a Telangana state. In his suicide note, he expressed the wish that his body be taken in a procession to the assembly. The suicide triggered fresh tension in Osmania University, the nerve centre of the ongoing Telangana movement, as students clashed with police at Gandhi Hospital when the latter did not allow them to take the body to assembly. Some students were injured when police used batons. It was late on Tuesday that the State Human Rights Commission on a petition by the Joint Action Committee of students directed police to allow the funeral procession to Gun Park at 11 p.m. The students then brought the body to Telangana Martyrs' Memorial. M.Kodandaram, convener of all-party Joint Action Committee, and leaders of pro-Telangana groups offered their respects to Sai Kumar. The students raised slogans against political parties and elected representatives. This was the third suicide for Telangana on the Osmania University campus. On Feb 20, a student of Class 12 immolated himself at the main entrance of the university to protest the delay in formation of Telangana state. He resorted to the extreme step in full public view during a protest by university students. In January, a MCA (master of computer applications) student set himself on fire in the university campus. His burnt body was found on Jan 19. Parties fighting for separate Telangana state claimed that over 300 students and youth have committed suicide in the region since protests began in November last year. However, there is no confirmation of this claim.
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First time after NTR's death son meets stepmother

N.Balakrishna, Telugu film actor and son of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR), Wednesday sprang a surprise when he called on his step-mother Lakshmi Parvathi.For the first time after his father's death 14 years ago, Balakrishna drove to her residence in Banjara Hills here and spent more than an hour with her. Parvathi told reporters she was happy that her son came to her house. "I am very happy. I can't describe my feelings in words," she said, describing the visit as a courtesy call. "I came to see my mother and will continue to come," said the popular actor, who was once seen as the successor of his legendary father. "Balaiah (as the actor is popularly known) became emotional while recalling the last days of his father and told me that the 'past is past. Let us do something good in his memory'. I assured him of my support," Parvathi said. Balakrishna's visit has created a flutter in political circles here though Parvathi, who went into political oblivion after NTR's death, claimed that politics was not discussed. It is believed that Balakrishna discussed with Parvathi a property dispute pending between the two in a court. NTR, a popular Telugu actor, had launched Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982 and created history by coming to power in the state within nine months. A few months before returning to power with a landslide majority in 1994, NTR married Parvathi, a college lecturer who came close to him while writing his biography. However, the second marriage annoyed his family which alleged that Parvathi had an overriding influence in party and government affairs. NTR's son-in-law N. Chandrababu Naidu led a revolt against him to become chief minister in August 1995. In January, 1996, NTR died a broken man. Interestingly, Balakrishna's daughter married Naidu's only son Lokesh two years ago. The actor also campaigned for TDP in last year's elections.
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Women’s bill will impact caste struggle in India: Experts

By encouraging women’s participation in politics, the historic bill to reserve 33 percent of seats for them in parliament and the legislatures will impact the country’s political scenario, the patriarchal system and the caste struggle in rural India, experts say.Bibhu Mahapatra, consultant of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) project on Legal Empowerment, said: “The 73rd constitutional amendment, passed in 1992, gave constitutional recognition to local self governance and reserved 33 percent seats in panchayats for women. This encouraged lakhs of women to enter public life by giving more opportunities to them.”“The Women’s Reservation Bill will have a similar impact. It will also impact the caste struggle. Today, there are questions asked about who is more marginalised within the Dalit community and that is because more women are in the forefront in politics,” Mahapatra said.The bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha after a lot of furore Tuesday. The Lok Sabha, which has seen protests on the issue for the last three days, is expected to pass the bill before it takes a three-week break beginning March 16.Said Kamal Mitra Shenoy, a sociologist at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU): “In the beginning, there may not be much impact on the caste struggle because the more dominant will field their candidates into the political arena.”“But with time, women will definitely be empowered because of the bill as it will have its effect on patriarchy and change the gender dynamics. You won’t just have the wives and daughters of political leaders being fielded,” he maintained.Shenoy said the idea of a quota within quota – that is, reservation for women from backward classes within the women’s reservation – will not do any good.“There is no reservation for other backward classes (OBCs) in parliament, yet there is a lot of OBC representation there. So, reservation within reservation is not really needed,” he explained.Mahapatra said the bill will also encourage political parties to re-invent themselves.“It will have a stimulating effect on the political parties. Parties like the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have very little women’s representation, but now they will have to rope in more women,” he said.Ranjan Sharma, a Delhi-based sociologist, said: “More women would also mean that there will be a sobering effect on parliament. You will most probably not have so much hooliganism. Similarly, it will have a civilising effect on the political parties.”While Shenoy said the actual effect of the bill will be seen after 15 years, Mahapatra opined: “In the next elections, the predictions and calculations will be different because we will not just take into account the SC/ST vote banks, but may be also the inclinations of the women segment.”
(way2online)
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Sonia meets Mamata, seeks assurance on women’s bill vote

Ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi met Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday and sought an assurance that her Trinamool Congress will vote for the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, Congress sources said.The meeting at Gandhi’s 10 Janpath official residence that Congress sources described as “cordial and positive” comes in the wake of Trinamool Congress MPs abstaining from voting for the bill in the Rajya Sabha Tuesday.“The meeting was cordial and the outcome was positive,” a senior Congress leader, who was present at the meeting, said.Gandhi had expressed surprise at Banerjee’s last-minute objections to the bill.The Congress president said she had been told by a minister who sat next to Banerjee at the last cabinet meeting that she was very “enthusiastic” about the bill.
The Trinamool Congress, with 19 MPs in the Lok Sabha and two in the Rajya Sabha, is the largest ally of the UPA government. The party’s stand could be crucial in ensuring that the bill sails through the Lok Sabha, which is the next hurdle for the legislation to become a law.The Women’s Reservation Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha Tuesday. The bill, which seeks to set aside for women 181 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha and 1,370 of the 4,109 seats in the 28 state assemblies, is expected to be tabled in the Lok Sabha next week.It is being opposed by parties that mainly have their support base in the Hindi heartland of northern India, but enjoys majority support from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left parties. (thanks to way2online)
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Lok Sabha adjourned as Yadav trio protest women’s bill

The Lok Sabha was adjourned Wednesday after Samajwadi Party’s Mulayam Singh Yadav, Janata Dal-United’s Sharad Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Lalu Prasad staged noisy protests against the women’s reservation bill being passed in the Rajya Sabha after seven MPs were forcefully evicted.Leading other protesting MPs, the Yadav trio marched towards’s the speaker’s podium, raising slogans against the government. Speaker Meira Kumar then adjourned the house till noon.The MPs accused the government of using marshals to forcefully evict suspended seven Rajya Sabha MPs — SP’s Kamal Akhtar, Veerpal Singh Yadav, Amir Alam Khan and Nand Kishore Yadav, JD-U’s Ejaz Ali, Lok Janshakti Party’s Sabir Ali and RJD’s Subhash Prasad Yadav — to pass the women’s quota bill in the house Tuesday.The bill seeks to reserve 33 percent seats for women in parliament and state legislatures.The protesting MPs said the Lok Sabha would not be allowed to function until the Rajya Sabha revoked the suspension of their colleagues.They also raised slogans demanding quota for Muslims, Dalits and other backward castes within the reservation for women.The Trinamool Congress, the second largest constituent in the Congress-led ruling alliance that opposed the bill in the present form, however, did not join the protesters.Lok Sabha is expected to pass the bill before it takes a three-week break March 16.The divide in the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) over the women’s quota bill came to the fore once again Wednesday as only one JD-U MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lallan’ joined Sharad Yadav in the protests.The JD-U MPs had supported the legislation in the Rajya Sabha.  (WAY2ONLINE)
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Dayanidhi Maran inaugurates Jute Festival

The Union Minister of Textiles, Shri Dayanidhi Maran inaugurating the ‘Jute Festival’, organized by the Jute Manufactures Development Council (JMDC), in New Delhi on March 10, 2010. The Minister of State for Textiles, Smt. Panabaka Lakshmi is also seen.
(Photo by No.CNR-30754)
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(PIB NEWS) With a view to increase awareness of Jute products among consumers Thiru. Dayanidhi Maran, Union Textiles Minister inaugurated a Jute Festival at the Dilli Haat, here today. The Festival is being organized by Jute Manufactures Development Council (JMDC). On the occasion, Tmt. Panabaaka Lakshmi, Minister of State for Textiles and Tmt. Rita Menon , Secretary, Textiles were also present. During the four day Festival, 20 Jute units from across India will exhibit their products. To improve the public perception of jute and change its branding among customers, a fashion show of jute apparel and accessories “Earth Couture” was organised and the renowned vocalist Ustad Rashid Khan also performed “Songs for the Earth”. The show and the festival brought home to the audience of Delhi the truth behind the message “Surprisingly Jute”.
The Ministry of Textiles under the leadership of Thiru. Dayanidhi Maran has launched a new initiative to revive the jute industry. The Jute Technology Mission addresses issues of agricultural improvements, research & development of new products, modernisation of mills, introduction of new technology and skill upgradation. At the same time, the Ministry has empowered the Jute Manufactures Development Council to promote diversified jute products that reduce the industry’s dependence on sacking and hessian. This initiative includes not only promotion of new technical applications such as jute geo-textiles and composites but also aggressive marketing of jute lifestyle products both within the country and in international markets. It is encouraging that value-added JDP account for nearly 30% of India’s jute exports (total about Rs. 1100 crore) even though they form less than 8% of jute goods production in India. In the domestic market, the banning of non-biodegradable packaging in many areas has driven the demand for eco-friendly jute. Jute, the golden fibre, is the raw material for one of India’s oldest industries. The first jute mill started production in Bengal in 1856. After more than 150 years, the jute industry is now challenged by competition from alternative materials, by the recession in the international markets and by low awareness among consumers of the versatile, eco-friendly nature of jute fabric itself. Yet this industry still provides a livelihood to more than 250,000 mill workers and more than 4 million farmers’ families. It is a golden bond with the Earth, Its use is a statement about ecological awareness as it is a fully bio-degradable and eco-friendly fibre. It comes from the earth, it helps the earth and once its life is done it merges back into the earth.

11.8% Deaths due to road accidents in Andhra Pradesh,in the year 2007,

(PIB NEWS) Driver’s fault accounted for about 75 per cent of deaths caused by road accidents in the period 2004 to 2007. As per the information made available to the Rajya Sabha during the question hour by Shri Mahadeo Singh Khandela, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, while driver’s fault was responsible for 75.2 per cent accidents deaths in 2004, it accounted for 74.0 per cent in 2005, 73.3 per cent in 2006 and 75.1 per cent in 2007.

The Minister also informed the House that about 45-49 per cent deaths caused in road accidents were due to over speeding i.e. exceeding lawful speed limit of the driver. Over-speeding was the main reason for the death of 48.7 per cent (45,106 people) killed in road accidents in 2004, 46.7 per cent (44,346 people) in 2005, 45.5 per cent (48,123) in 2006 and 48.8 per cent (55,883) in 2007. As per the data available, the maximum number of accidental deaths in the year 2007 occurred in Andhra Pradesh (11.8 per cent of the total) followed by Tamil Nadu (10.5 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (10 per cent) and Maharashtra (9.8 per cent).
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Empowerment of Minority Women,

(PIB NEWS) The Government has formulated and approved a scheme for Leadership Development of Minority women. Inputs received, inter-alia, from National Commission for Women (NCW) were also taken into account by the Ministry of Minority Affairs while formulating the scheme. Giving this information in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of Minority Affairs, informed the House that NCW had envisaged a scheme which would reach out to minority women and help them to assume leadership roles in accessing services, skills and opportunities for improving their lives and livelihood. The scheme was launched this year on 27th January.
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Prime Minister’s New 15-Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities,

(PIB NEWS) The Government has said that the Prime Minister’s New 15- Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities aims at enhancing opportunities for education, equitable share in economic activities and employment, improving the conditions of living of minorities and prevention and control of communal riots. Giving this information in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of Minority Affairs, informed the House that the new programme envisages location of a certain proportion of development projects in minority concentration areas. It also provides that, wherever possible, 15% of targets and outlays under various schemes should be earmarked for minorities. Accordingly, State-wise and scheme-wise targets are fixed for benefits to minorities under various schemes included in the programme considered amenable to earmarking. Shri Khurshid informed the Lok Sabha that implementation of the 15- Point Programme is monitored at the State/UT and district levels by the State/ District level committees. At the Centre, the progress of implementation of the programme, monitored and reported by the various Ministries/ Departments concerned, is reviewed every quarter by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and on half yearly basis by a Committee of Secretaries and by the Cabinet.
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President of India Inaugurates ‘Exhibition of Innovations’ at President’s Estate

The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil inaugurating an ‘Exhibition of Innovations’, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhion March 10, 2010. The Minister of State of Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Prof. K.V. Thomas is also seen.                                                    (Photo by PIB No:CNR-30748)  

=======================================================                                  (PIB NEWS) The President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil inaugurated an ‘Exhibition of Innovations’ in the President’s Estate of Rashtrapati Bhavan today. This is perhaps the first time ever that a Head of State anywhere, has hosted an exhibition of innovations. The showcasing of this exhibition is in consonance with the vision of the President and inspiration received by the nation, following the declaration of this decade as the ‘Decade of Innovation’. The President feels that the ‘business as usual’ approach will not do and there is a need for focusing on new ways of doing things in this decade. The event is therefore a lead taken by Rashtrapati Bhavan in this direction. The exhibition places before the public, innovations principally from grassroots innovators from unorganized sectors. The Exhibition will be open for viewing to the public from March 10 to 14 from 1000 hrs to 1700 hrs. Entry would be from Gate No. 35 of Rashtrapati Bhavan, situated near North Avenue. The President took a look at the various innovations on display and interacted with the innovators. She was keen that the exhibits should not remain merely displays, but efforts should be made to take the next steps forward. This would involve helping the innovators link-up with industry and marketing agencies to fine tune their creations and then bring their products into the market. If found necessary the President’s Secretariat would assist by asking the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, to help wherever required. The principal objective of this event is to promote the innovative spirit and knowledge, encourage grassroots innovators and follow-up the process by bringing industry and manufacturers together to make the new products available for larger number of people for the good of society. This also is in consonance with the need for inclusive growth. The principal theme of the exhibition is innovations which impact agricultural production and related fields. It is hoped that some of the innovations on display may be able, through this opportunity, to move forward on the road for learning and commercialization of the concepts and products. The exhibition has participation from 32 innovators from around the country, with 36 innovations and products showcased. These include 9 new plant varieties, 3 innovations by students, 14 related to the agriculture and farming sectors and four energy and environment related exhibits. The National Innovation Foundation (NIF) whose function the President attended in November 2009 and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) are participating in this exhibition. The Minister of State for Agriculture, Prof. K.V. Thomas was also present.
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Andhra opposition protests with lanterns

Legislators from opposition parties came to the Andhra Pradesh assembly Tuesday with lanterns to protest against a severe electricity shortage in the state.Led by former chief minister N.Chandrababu Naidu, legislators of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) staged the protest with lanterns and dummy transformers at Gun Park opposite the assembly building. They later marched to the assembly and raised the issue in the house. The Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged similar protests. Speaker N. Kirankumar Reddy, however, rejected their adjournment motions on the issue, triggering an uproar. The speaker had to adjourn the house and call a meeting of all floor leaders to find a way out. Earlier, Naidu termed the electricity situation as serious. He alleged that farmers, the domestic sector and students were badly affected by the scheduled and unscheduled electricity cuts. PRP led by its president K. Chiranjeevi staged a demonstration at Vidyut Soudha, the headquarters of AP Transco (Andhra Pradesh transmission corporation) in Somajiguda. The state is in the grip of a severe electricity crisis due to the increased demand in summer and the ongoing rabi crop season. AP Transco has imposed two-to-six hour scheduled cuts across the state. Authorities have imposed two-hour cuts every day in the state capital and major cities, five hours in towns and six hours in villages. However, people are complaining of unscheduled cuts for longer durations. The state has declared a one day weekly power holiday for industries and is planning to increase it to two days. Experts say the situation could turn worse as it was only the beginning of summer. The peak demand is 250 million units (MU) every day while there is a shortage of 25 MU.                      (thanks to newkerala.com)
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Rajya Sabha debates women’s bill,

After frenzied opposition and repeated disruptions, the Rajya Sabha Tuesday evening finally debated the historic women’s reservation bill in the run up to a vote on the legislation reserving one-third seats for women in parliament and state legislatures.Amongst those who spoke were Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Arun Jaitley, Communist Party of India-Marxist’s (CPI-M) Brinda Karat, Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) Satish Mishra and Jayanthi Natarajan of Congress.Opening the debate was Jaitley, who said his party “unequivocally” supported the women’s bill but added that the privilege of supporting it had been diluted by “some of the most shameful incidents in India’s parliamentary history”.The leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, who spoke after the constitution amendment bill was put to vote by Chairman Hamid Ansari, said he had a feeling of being a party to history in the making when he came to the house.Karat, a vocal supporter of the bill, said women’s reservation in parliament and state legislatures would change the “culture of the country because women today are still caught in a culture prison. In the name of tradition, stereotypes are imposed and we have to fight these every day”.These stereotypes will also be broken by the bill, said Karat, who believes the entry of a larger number of women in legislatures would make for “more sensitive politics”.“The women’s reservation bill will ensure that women of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes, poor women and Muslim women would benefit from it,” Karat said, addressing concerns that the bill would benefit only some sections.Congress leader and spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan also refuted critics demanding a special quota for Dalit women, saying Dalits and tribals would continue to get reservation under the bill.A triumphant Natarajan said no other party “had the courage to deliver the promise (of reservation for women) to the people of India”. She said Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had not lagged behind in supporting measures for women’s empowerment.However, Bahujan Samaj Party’s Satish Mishra said his party would not be able to support the proposed legislation in the current form. He wanted the prime minister to reserve 50 percent of all seats in legislatures for women in line with their population ratio.Shivanand Tiwari of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) created a minor stir in the house by speaking in favour of the bill, which has been opposed vocally by a section of his colleagues led by party president Sharad Yadav.The AIADMK’s V. Maitreyan pointed out that the bill was a great tribute to the Indian housewife who he said had proved to be better financial managers of the household “than all the finance ministers of India”.(thanks to way2online)
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Osmania University student commits suicide for Telangana,

Desperate over the delay in formation of a Telangana state, another student of the Osmania University committed suicide Tuesday.Sai Kumar, a second year B. Tech student, ended his life by hanging in his hostel room in the campus. A suicide note purported to have been written by him said he was taking the extreme step as he was upset over the delay.Police said some hostel inmates saw Sai Kumar hanging from the ceiling fan. Kumar, who hailed from Nalgonda district, was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead.The incident triggered fresh tension in the university, the nerve centre of the Telangana agitation. Students gathered in large numbers and raised slogans of ‘Jai Telangana’.In view of the tense situation, the university authorities have postponed the exams scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.This is the latest in a series of suicides by Telangana students in support of the demand for separate statehood to the backward region, which comprises Hyderabad and nine other districts.A student of Class 12 had immolated himself Feb 20 at the main entrance of Osmania University to protest the delay in formation of Telangana state. He resorted to the extreme step in full public view during a protest by university students.AMCA student self-immolated on Osmania University campus and his body was found on the campus Jan 19.Parties fighting for separate Telangana state claim that more than 300 students and youth have committed suicide in the region since protests began in November. There is no independent confirmation of this number.                                                                             (thanks to way2online)
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PRESIDENT PRESENTS "STREE SHAKTI PURUSKAR 2008-09"

(PIB NEWS) Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil gave away Stree Shakti Puruskar for year 2008 and 2009 to eminent personalities drawn from diverse fields and launched the National Mission for Empowermewnt of Women. The President struck a personal note when she said that the launch of the Mission gave her the happiness of fulfilment of a dream. She thanked the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for his support for the Mission and acceding to her desire for the Prime Minister to Chair the Mission. Smt Patil said this is a gift to women on the occasion of Women’s Day.The President said that all round development of women require that both economic and social empowerment is taken care of. She said that for meaningful participation of women in the economic process they should have access to credit at low rates.Deputy Chairperson of Planning Commission Shri Montek Singh Pointed out that gender perspective is integral part of the 11th plan and launch of the mission will lead to better implementation of the gender specific programmes. Minister of State (independent Charge) Smt Krishna Tirath thanked the president for envisioning the Mission and providing unflinching support for it. The Minister said that the winners of the Stree Shakti Puruskars are a source of inspiration for us and it is important that thir example should be made known more widely.On the occasion of International Women’s Day on 8th of March, the Government of India presents national awards called the Stree Shakti Puraskars as a measure of recognition of achievements of individual women in the field of social development. The awardees have been nominated by state governments and selected by a national level Screening Committee.There are six awards instituted in the name of eminent women personalities of Indian history like Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar, Kanngi, Mata Jijabai, Rani Gaidenlou Zeliang, Rani Laxmibai and Rani Rudramma Devi. Each award carries a cash prize of Rs. 3 lakh and citation and is awarded to a woman who has excelled in providing support and rehabilitation to women and children, upliftment of women in tribal areas, empowering women to enable them to participate in political life, has worked with women in distress or has shown an exemplary courage in her life.
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PRESIDENT OF INDIA, presenting the "Stree Shakti Puruskar 2008" to Hyderabadi Women Mrs. Mahjabeen,

The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Stree Shakti Puruskar 2008 to Mrs. Mahjabeen (Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh), in New Delhi on March 08, 2010.The Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Women and Child Development, Smt. Krishna Tirath, the Minister of State of External Affairs, Smt. Preneet Kaur and the Chairperson, National Commission for Women, Dr. (Miss) Girija Vyas are also seen.
(Photo by No:CNR-30728)
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Women’s quota bill ‘anti-Muslim’,'anti-Dalit’: Mulayam

Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav Sunday termed the women’s reservation bill “anti-Muslim” and “anti-Dalit”, and said it will restrict chances of members of these communities getting elected to legislatures.“When states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharastra, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi or Orissa rarely elect even a single Muslim, the reservation for women will further minimise the chance of a Muslim ever getting elected from these places,” he said at a press conference here.Opposing the reservation bill in its present form, he contended that the quota for Dalit women will actually eat into the quota for Dalits, “depriving Dalit men”.Slamming the stand of Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who are supporting the bill, Mulayam Singh said: “Their stand clearly reflects that they are hand in glove and their real intent is to harm the larger interests of Muslims, Dalits as well as backwards”.In a reference to the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), he remarked: “There are certain political parties in the country which are dominated by women whose word is law in their respective parties but did they ever care to allocate 30 per cent tickets to women? If they wanted, they could have even given away 50 per cent or even 100 per cent seats to women, but they never did so”.                     (thanks to way2online)

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Telangana lawyers boycott courts

Hyderabad,8.Mar, Lawyers in Andhra Pradesh’s Telangana region Monday boycotted the courts to protest attacks on them by activists of the Telugu Desam Party(TDP).Acting on an appeal by the Telangana lawyers’ Joint Action Committee, the lawyers did not attend work in the High Court and other courts, demanding the arrest of TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu and TDP activists involved in theattack.Raising anti-TDP slogans, the lawyers staged a protest on the road outside the High Court, leading to a traffic jam. They also demanded that Naidu tender an apology to the lawyers.Similar protests were held in other courts here and in nine other Telangana districts.Seven lawyers were injured when TDP workers attacked them for disrupting Naidu’s speech at a protest programme organised against price rise by TDP and Left parties at Indira Park here Saturday.The pro-Telangana lawyers were demanding that Naidu make his stand clear on the issue of a separate Telangana state. Naidu rejected the demand for an apology. His party alleged that the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) had instigated the lawyers against Naidu.Police registered cases against Naidu and TDP workers but did not arrest anybody.Security was tightened at the NTR Trust Bhavan, the headquarters of TDP here and at all TDP offices in the region, in view of the threat by lawyers to lay siege to the party offices.“We are demanding the arrest of Chandrababu Naidu and his party workers for the attack on lawyers,” G. Rajverdhan Reddy, a leader of Telangana lawyers’ JAC, told reporters.

(thanks to way2online)
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Terrorists may attack airports during peak hours: CISF

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Monday said that terrorists may attack airports during peak hours to cause maximum damage.“There is a view that chances of hijack by terrorists are very few. So they can attack the airports from the city side during peak hours to cause maximum damage,” CISF Additional Director General M.S. Bali told reporters here.“We have taken preventive measures. We have deployed personnel at the city side at the Delhi and Mumbai airports,” he said. Similar measures could be taken in other airports too.The central paramilitary force guards 57 airports, Delhi Metro and other vital installations. It has more than 120,000 personnel.                                                      (thanks to way2online)
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Unbearable pain for family of Indian boy who died in Australia

The family of three-year-old Gurshan Singh Channa is dealing with “unbearable pain” over his death, a councillor said Monday while paying respects to the boy whose body was found far from his home in this Australian city.Gurshan’s body was found on Wildwood Road Thursday night after a massive search following a complaint by his parents who were staying in Lalor, over 20 km away.Darebin councillor Tim Singh Laurence said charges laid Sunday night against part-time taxi driver Gursewak Dhillon had helped ease the family’s pain.Dhillon is alleged to have placed the child in the boot of his car unconscious, but still alive, Thursday. He lived in the same house as the boy and his parents and several other people.“Obviously they (Gurshan’s parents) were dealing not only with the unbearable pain of losing a three-year old toddler, but dealing with the anxiety of not knowing what had happened to their child.“With the police announcing progress in the case it gives some relief to them but the pain of losing a child remains,” Australian news agency AAP quoted Laurence as saying.It was still unclear as to how the boy was rendered unconscious; an autopsy has failed to determine a cause of death.Gurshan arrived in Australia in January with his parents. The family was due to return to India as his father Harjit Singh Channa failed to find work in Melbourne.Singh and his wife Harpreet Singh Channa gave statements to police Friday but officials say they are not suspects.Gurshan’s death had caused an uproar in India, with New Delhi Friday describing the incident as “most unfortunate”.There have been a string of attacks on Indians in Australia, with one of them proving fatal. Nitin Garg was fatally stabbed Jan 2 while on his way to work in this city.   (thanks to way2online)
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UK visa offices closed for upgrade,

If you're travelling to the UK in the first week of April from India, you must read this. The British high commission offices in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi will be closed between March-end and first week of April for an IT system upgrade. While the Hyderabad, Kochi and Bangalore offices are closed between March 31 and April 5, the Chennai office will be closed from April 1 to 5. The last date on which Visa Facilitation Service (VFS) will accept new applications in Hyderabad, Kochi and Bangalore is March 30. In Chennai, the last date is March 31. These centres will reopen on April 6. During the closure, applicants can collect their passports from the centres between 9 am and 10 am only.
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