Month: January 2012

New Delhi, January 26: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Thursday favoured compulsory voting, saying people should be encouraged to fulfil their responsibility to democracy.

Speaking at a flag hoisting function at his residence on Republic Day, Advani said voting percentage should increase and go near cent percent.

“If possible, it should be near the cent per cent mark,” he said.

Advani said he did not find compulsory or mandatory voting as something impossible in India.

New Delhi, January 26: Stating that gram sabhas (village councils) were above state assemblies and parliament, activist Anna Hazare Thursday called for legislation to empower local bodies and said people should be prepared for a “second freedom struggle” if the government does not bring such a bill.

In his video message “Rebuilding Rebuplic” posted on YouTube by his team, Hazare said that gram sabhas were the highest structures in the country as they derived their strength directly from the people.

Kolkata, Jan 26 (IANS) Novelist Vikram Seth Thursday accused the government of “knuckling under” an “enforced disgrace because of power and politics” and “misusing” religion ahead of assembly polls over author Salman Rushdie being forced to cancel his visit to the Jaipur Literature Festival.

Iterating that the Indian republic would not be allowed to be hijacked by fear, Seth said: “God and his prophets do not need bullies to defend themselves.”

Hyderabad, Jan 26 (INN): Secondary Education Minister K Parthasarathy on Thursday stated that the results of Teachers Eligibility Test would be announced on February 29 or March 1.

Talking to media persons, Parthasarathy said that the results might be delayed by one or two days as against the original schedule of Feb 28. He attributed the reason for delay to a few questions that appeared from out of the syllabus.

Hyderabad, Jan.26: Tirupati MLA Chiranjeevi has said everyone should strive to spread the nation’s image across the world.

Speaking to the media after hoisting the national flag on the occasion of the 63rd Republic Day celebrations at his Blood Bank here on Thursday, Chiranjeevi said that he was moving forward with the aim that development was only possible through social justice.

Hyderabad, Jan.26 (NSS): Telangana Rashtra Samiti senior leader Naiani Narasimha Reddy has come down heavily on the Maoist leaders, who were criticizing the TRS leaders’ role in the Telangana agitation.

Hoisting tricolor National Flag at the Telangana Bhavan here on Thursday, NarasimhaReddy challenged the Maoist leaders to come out into the open and fight for Telangana cause, instead of issuing statements. He has demanded Maoist leader Jagan to immediately withdraw his recent remarks on the TRS party.

Hyderabad, Jan.26 (NSS): Tension prevailed for some time here on Thursday, when the Telangana Jagruti president Kalvakunta Kavita and activists of her organization tried to take out a rally from Ambedkar Statue at Tankbund to the Legislative Assembly protesting against demolition of Ambedkar’s statues across the State.

Hyderabad, January 26: They engineered what they claim to be the longest national flag ever in the world.

At 3.1 km length, the tricolour students of Dr Paul Raj Engineering College displayed on the Republic Day at Bhadrachalam town in Khammam district could well justify their claim to the fame.

As the students carried the massive flag – three metres wide and weighing a whopping 750 kg – from the Bridge Centre to the college premises, they set off a wave of patriotic fervour in the town.

Hyderabad, January 26: Mild tremors in parts of Andhra Pradesh Thursday triggered panic among people. There was no loss of life or damage to property.

People ran out of their houses in several parts of Krishna and Guntur districts in north coastal Andhra and Khammam district in Telangana region as the earth vibrated for few seconds.

People in some areas said they experienced tremors at least five times between 12.25 p.m. and 12.30 p.m. Vessels and other house-hold items trembled and even fell on the ground, people said.

Hyderabad, January 26: Telugu Desam star campaigner Nandamuri Balakrishna on Thursday stated that he was ready to contest the by-elections, if party directs him to do so.

Talking to media persons after hoisting the tri-colour at Basavatarakam Cancer Hospital, Balakrishna said that he would abide by the party’s decision in this regard. “If party directs me to contest the by-elections, I will oblige and support the party in all aspects,” he stated.

Hyderabad, January 26: The City Police on Thursday foiled the attempt of Telangana Jagruthi president Kavitha and her supporters to take out padayatra from Ambedkar Statue at Tankbund to Assembly building demanding installation of constitutional architect Dr B R Ambedkar’s statue in premises of State Legislative Assembly ,

After garlanding the statue of Dr Ambedkar, Kavitha started her padayatra. However, the police foiled her padayatra and took her and a few other Jagruthi activists into their custody. They were later shifted to Nampally police station.

Hyderabad, January 26: A 14-year-old boy was killed by a group of people in the belief that a human sacrifice would yield them a secret treasure in Andhra Pradesh’s Nirmal town, police said Thursday.

The police Thursday recovered the body of Ganesh at Shyamgarh Fort on the outskirts of the town in Adilabad district, about 250 km from here.

One man, Raju, who reportedly sold the boy for Rs.20,000 to the treasure seekers, has been arrested while eight members of the gang which sacrificed him are yet untraced and on the run, police said.

Agra, January 26: An SMS sent by a prankster is being forwarded on Republic Day Thursday, causing alarm and fear of an earthquake among mobile users.

The message, attributed to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), advised people what to do during an earthquake, pack up medical kit, essentials and food items, and identify in advance safe places indoors and outdoors.

The SMS read: “Before Earthquake – Identify safe place indoor & outdoor, keep essential medicines, ID, Food & Water, Emergency Telephone Nos. – NDMA.”

Hyderabad, January 26: After the talks between state government and the agitating junior doctors have failed, the junior doctors of government hospitals have decided to go on indefinite hunger fast.

JAC convenor, Dr. Abhilasha told that a meeting was called by the high officials of health department and health minister.

Medicos put forth their demands which include 40 percent hike in the stipend.

Siasat news

Hyderabad, January 26: Various reports are coming to the fore, regarding appointment of non Urdu teachers in Maulana Azad Nation Urdu university. It the reports are true then it is surely being tried to end Urdu as a medium of instruction. There is no dearth of Urdu knowing highly educated and experienced teachers despite that why non Urdu candidates are being appointed? This act of university is synonymous to injustice towards Urdu and playing with the future of Urdu students.

Mumbai, January 26: Global banks led by Citigroup, HSBC, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Barclays are slashing jobs in their Indian operations at the fastest pace since the 2008 credit crisis amid dwindling deal flows and parent companies’ shrinking balance sheets to boost capital.

Moscow, January 26: The US was not involved in any opposition rallies in Russia, Washington’s Ambassador Michael McFaul has said, as Moscow gave the go-ahead to a planned opposition march followed by a rally where 50,000 people will protest the results of the Parliamentary Elections.

“That’s not true. People came there because they had something to say, not because the Americans did something. It’s your affairs, not ours,” RIA Novosti quoted McFaul as saying during a live show on Moscow-based Ekho Moskvy radio station.

New Delhi, January 26: Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra Thursday became the third consecutive leader from South East Asia to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day parade.

Shinawatra, who took over the reins of the Thai government in August 2011 at age 44, is in India on a two-day state visit beginning Wednesday at the invitation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

This is her first visit to India as prime minister.

Kabul, January 26: Officials say a rocket fired by Taliban insurgents has killed a woman and her child in eastern Afghanistan.

President Hamid Karzai and NATO’s commander for Afghanistan, General John Allen, condemned the insurgents on Thursday for firing the rocket in Kapisa province.

The provincial governor’s chief of staff, Abdul Sabor Wafa, says insurgents fired a mortar round during a battle with Afghan Army soldiers trying to clear militants from a stronghold in Alasay district on Wednesday.

Athens, January 26: Greek authorities say an earthquake with preliminary 5.3-magnitude has shaken the southern Aegean Sea islands, but no injuries or damage have been reported.

The Athens Geodynamic Institute says the undersea earthquake occurred Thursday between the popular tourist resort islands of Santorini and Crete, some 244 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of Athens.

Islamabad, January 26: Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf’s heroics in returning to his country could prove to be another misadventure for him, a Pakistani daily said on Thursday.

Not only half a dozen court cases await Musharraf in Pakistan but all political parties in the Senate have agreed that the former Army chief and president should be arrested on arrival and tried for treason, said a report in Dawn News.

In two cases, courts have proclaimed him a “proclaimed offender”.

Moscow, January 26: A Russian Soyuz-U rocket carrying the Progress M-14M cargo spacecraft was launched just after midnight Wednesday for the International Space Station (ISS) now in orbit.

The rocket was launched from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan, Russia’s Mission Control said.

The freighter will deliver over 2.6 metric tonnes of supplies to ISS. The cargo includes fuel, water and food as well as scientific equipment.

The Progress’ docking with the ISS is set for 0108 GMT Saturday.

Jerusalem, January 26: Israeli scientists are developing miniature satellites that can identify people in distress.

Experts at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology aim to launch three small satellites weighing six kg each to orbit earth at an altitude of 600 km for one year.

Once in orbit, the satellites would pinpoint people showing signs of distress, Xinhua reported quoting the daily Ma’ariv Wednesday.

The orbiters will also help conduct surveillance of birds’ migratory patterns across the globe, among other missions.

New Delhi, January 26: The Chief Information Commissioner has sent notice to Air India for refusing to reply to specific RTI queries pertaining to the use of carrier for former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel’s daughter Poorna Patel and some IPL players.

Allegedly, a scheduled Delhi-Coimbatore flight that was cancelled on April 20, 2010, was used to ferry these people on the request from Poorna Patel.

The official documents accessed through RTI, show the request was made by India Cements Limited, Chennai owners of Chennai Super Kings.

Washington, January 26: In an unprecedented move, the US Justice Department has sought a permanent injunction against Ranbaxy, a move that will require the Indian pharmaceutical major to make fundamental changes to its plants both in the US and India and would prevent it from manufacturing drugs at certain facilities in the US.

The Justice Department cited violations of manufacturing standards and problems with submitted data in a consent decree for permanent injunction filed in court against the company.