New Delhi, July 28: With a Parliamentary panel slamming officers for employing soldiers in “demeaning and humiliating” tasks, the government on Monday said ‘sahayaks’ would not be employed in menial house-hold work and that the Army was issued elaborate instructions to ensure “strict checks” to prevent their misuse.
Lucknow, July 28: Days after the arrest of 14 persons from what the police called a secret meeting to set up a frontal organisation for SIMI, a group from Saharanpur said that the organisation named has been in existence for years and should not be connected with SIMI.
The police had said that the frontal organisation being planned at the secret meeting, in Mana village of Akola district, was vaguely named as Wahadat-E-Islam. Now, the Saharanpur-based group said they belong to Wahadat-E-Islam, which is 15 years old.
Washington, July 28: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit seven African countries next month to “highlight” the priority President Barack Obama places on the continent, her spokesman has said.
Following Obama’s own visit to Ghana on July 12, Clinton will travel August 5 to Kenya, the birthplace of Obama’s father, before travelling to South Africa, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Liberia and Cape Verde, spokesman Ian Kelly said yesterday.
Washington, July 28: Seven men including six Americans have been arrested in the US state of North Carolina on charges they conspired to “engage in violent jihad,” the Justice Department said.
The defendants, who include a father and his two sons, were formally indicted by a grand jury last Wednesday and were arrested by federal police last morning, according to a statement from the department.
New Delhi, July 28: Heavy rains lashed the capital in which one person died of apparent electrocution and crippled the city inundating several low-lying areas, causing massive traffic jams with thousands of people stranded for hours till late tonight and disrupting flights.
A 36-year-old identified as Naveen, a resident of Gupta Colony, died apparently getting electrocuted after coming in contact with an electric pole which had a short circuit following the rains. The incident took place at Ramaiyya Chowk in Central Delhi’s Mori Gate at around 9.20 pm.
Kanpur, July 27: A student today died here following cardiac complaints during the counselling at Chhatrapati Sahuji Maharaj University, police said. According to police sources, today during the counselling for MSc, Praveen Kumar, a resident of Auraiya district complained of sever chest pains, after which he was rushed to a nursing home, where he was declared brought dead.
Srinagar, July 27: Jammu and Kashmir Government today said it would upgrade infrastructure and transport facilities to make fruit growers in the state self reliant. Minister for Health, Horticulture and Floriculture Sham Lal Sharma at a meeting with fruit growers and traders of the state said that high-tech facilities like cold storage, proper marketing would be upgraded.
New Delhi, July 27: D. Purandeswari, Minister of State for Human Resource Development in a written reply to a question, in the Lok Sabha today said, “It is the constant endeavour of the Government to improve the teacher education system in the country. The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) frames regulations, norms and standards for quality teacher education and reviews them from to time.
New Delhi, July 27: The Ministry of Earth Sciences celebrated the foundation day here at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi today.
On foundation day, the National Award for Ocean Sciences and Atmospheric Sciences to be given away by Chief Guest, Prithviraj Chavan, Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences (IC).
Dr. K. Kasturirangan, Member, Planning Commission delivered the foundation day lecture.
Mumbai, July 27: Students who could not manage to get a seat in the first merit list of junior college admissions have reason to cheer after second merit list as many of them have been allotted a seat in their choice of colleges.
In the second merit list announced on Sunday, more than 1.3 lakh students secured admission in their choice of college and stream.
The department of education has a message for students who could find a seat after second merit list, “Do not get disheartened, and await the declaration of the third allocation list.” 35,000 students are yet to secure admission.
Nagpur, July 27: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is to be signed between the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences and the University of Sydney.
The MoU has to be signed to offer Iternational Postgraduate Paediatric Certificate (IPPC) programme which is equivalent to Diploma in Child Health.
Once the MoU is signed, the University of Sydney will approach Medical Council of India for its nod.
The IPPC programme will be a one-year part time distant education programme. Students having MBBS degree are eligible for the course.
–Agencies–
Right to Education Bill assures admission to BPL students
Sydney, July 27: An Indian journalist working undercover to expose migration and education scams in Australia was assaulted over the weekend following which officials on Monday raided the office of an agent allegedly involved in exploiting foreign students.
The Immigration Department said the raid took place in the central business district here, but did not identify the agent.
ABC News Online reported that the woman was attacked possibly because of her work. She was working on a report for the Four Corners programme.
New Delhi, July 27: A new media school, 9.9 School of Convergence (9.9 SoC), was launched here today by the 9.9 Media Group. Dr. Pramath Raj Sinha, Founder & Managing Director of 9.9 Mediaworx Pvt Ltd and the Founding Dean of the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, will be the Dean of the new institution.
New Delhi, July 27: The Ministry of Earth Sciences today conferred the National Award in Ocean Sciences for the year 2009 on Dr. George Joseph on the occasion of Ministry’s Foundation Day today.
The former Director, Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad and presently Director of Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific, Dehradun, affiliated to the United Nations, Dr. Joseph was born in Chenganoor, Kerala on 4th August 1938.
Kolkata, July 27: The annual general meeting (AGM) of Birla Corp held here Monday was adjourned to Aug 24, a company release stated.
‘The annual general meeting of Birla Corporation Limited, held today, the 27th July 2009, in Kolkata, was adjourned without considering any of the items on the agenda, to be reconvened on 24th August 2009. The adjournment motion was passed by the shareholders present by majority,’ the statement said.
Mumbai, July 27: The winners of its Corporate Trophy will bag Rs.10 million in prize money while the runners-up will get Rs.5 million, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced here Monday.
Twelve teams will be divided in four groups of three each and the league matches will be played in Mohali, Visakhapatnam, Dharamsala and Bangalore Sep 1-3. Mohali will host the first semi-final Sep 5 while Bangalore will host the second semi-final (Sep 6) and the final (Sep 8).
New Delhi, July 27: The Delhi High Court Monday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for its response to the bail plea of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) member secretary K. Narayan Rao, arrested for allegedly demanding a Rs.2 million bribe to give approval to an engineering college.
Justice G.S. Sistani sought the CBI’s response to the bail plea of Narayan Rao and asked the investigating agency to file its reply by Aug 11, the next date of hearing.
New Delhi, July 27: Two-wheeler major Hero Honda will be the title sponsors of the hockey World Cup to be hosted here in March next year.
International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Lendro Negre and managing director and CEO of Hero Honda Motors Ltd Pawan Munjal signed a deal at an impressive ceremony attended by the members of the 1975 World Cup winning Indian team.
‘For the global development of hockey, it is important that Indian hockey should come up and play to its true potential,’ said Negre.
New Delhi, July 27: Former fast bowler Wasim Akram, who made appealing a fine art during his playing days to win marginal decisions, now wants to teach how to appeal convincingly to young Indian fast bowlers.
Akram has been roped in by city-based Gatorade Centre for Pace Excellence (GCPE) as the chief coach for bowling variation and strategy.
‘I will teach them how to appeal. That is also an art that keeps the umpires under pressure in a legal way,’ Akram said here Monday.
New Delhi, July 27: Struggling Australian spearhead Mitchell Johnson has been backed by team coach Tim Nielsen despite another terrible game in a three-day match against Northampton.
The Australians won by 135 runs Sunday but the left-arm paceman is now in danger of losing his place for the third Test, beginning at Edgbaston Thursday.
Johnson was the worst of Australia’s bowlers against Northampton. His only wicket was the very last to fall in the match, giving him second innings figures of 1-65 from 11.1 overs after 0-42 from seven overs in the first innings.
New Delhi, July 27: It was a memorable reunion for the 1975 World Cup hockey team.
The team led by Ajitpal Singh beat Pakistan in the final at Kaula Lumpur to win India’s only World Cup.
They shared the dias with International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Leandro Negre Monday as the 2010 World Cup trophy was unveiled.
Ajitpal, Zafar Iqbal, B.P.Govinda, Brigadier H.J.S. Chimni, Ashok Dewan were some of the members of the 1975 winning squad who were present at the ceremony.
From a glam doll in Dhoom2 to a historical character in Umrao Jaan & Jodhaa Akbar, the Bollywood diva & Bachchan Bahu, Aishwarya Rai has portrayed an assortment of roles.
In her upcoming movie “Action Replay” she will don the look of an old woman. The director Vipul Shah says he has hired a Aishwarya RaiHollywood make-up artist to get the right make up on her face.
Mumbai, July 28: Being touted as one of the biggest blockbusters of the year even before its release, Shahrukh-kajol starrer ‘My Name is Khan’ recently touched upon another landmark.
Fox Star Studios, who distributed oscar winner ‘Slumdog Millionare’ in India have reportedly picked up the rights of the Karan Johar biggie for a whopping Rs. 100 crore.
Mumbai, July 27: A special POTA court here on Monday convicted all three accused in the 2003 Mumbai twin blasts case that killed 52 persons and injured 100 others.
The court convicted Ashrat Shafique Ansari (32), Mohammed Hanif Sayed (46) and his wife Fehmida Sayed (43) for murder and conspiracy under Sections 302, 307, 427 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code besides being found guilty under Section three of POTA.