After keeping them on a long wait, the Andhra Pradesh government tonight finally promoted several Indian Police Service officers to the ranks of Inspectors General and Deputy Inspectors General of Police and gave them new postings in a reshuffle involving 19 officers.
P V Sushil Kumar (1993 batch), who has been waiting for a posting, has been made the IGP of AP Special Protection Force.
–Agencies
APJ Abdul Kalam was ready to swear Sonia Gandhi as the Prime Minister after the 2004 polls when he was the President despite pressure from various political leaders before Manmohan Singh was nominated to head the UPA government.
Kalam’s stand on the political situation after the Lok Sabha elections lifted the veil on an episode that has been intensely speculated upon that he was reluctant to appoint the Italian-born Gandhi as the country’s PM.
The blame-game over Adarsh scam continued on Saturday with former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan pointing a finger at his predecessor Vilasrao Deshmukh, saying as revenue minister during the latter’s tenure it was beyond his jurisdiction to allot land to the society.
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee Saturday kick-started his election campaign here by meeting DMK party president M. Karunanidhi and seeking his party’s support.
Reaching here in the evening, Mukherjee drove straight to Karunanidhi’s residence where he was accorded a rousing welcome with drum beats.
Speaking to reporters, Mukherjee said DMK was a major constitutent in both UPA-I and UPA-II.
He said he would seek the support of all the parties for his election.
—-IANS—
BJP on Saturday said Sonia Gandhi’s decision not to stake claim to Prime Ministership in 2004, as noted by APJ Abdul Kalam in his forthcoming book, should not be seen as a “supreme sacrifice” as the mandate in that Lok Sabha election was not heavily in favour of her or Congress.
In his forthcoming book, “Turning Points: A Journey Through Challenges”, Kalam has said had Gandhi, Congress President, wanted she could have become the Prime Minister and he would have had “no option but to appoint her”.
However, BJP maintains that this does not make Sonia Gandhi a symbol of sacrifice.
A delegation headed by the chief of the paramilitary Pakistan Rangers will visit India to attend a biannual meeting with the Border Security Force at Delhi during July 1-5.
The delegation, comprising top officials of the Pakistan Rangers, Survey of Pakistan, Interior Ministry and Anti-Narcotics Force, will discuss key issues of common interest and measures to improve peace and tranquillity along the border, an official statement said.
Expressing concern over the quality of medical education, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said a “credible regulatory” mechanism should be put in place and a “serious look” given at the curriculum.
“There is a perception of deteriorating quality. We cannot allow this situation to continue. We must put in place a credible regulatory and institutional mechanism to help develop standards in our medical education”, he said in his address at the third Convocation in Jawaharlal Institute of Post graduate Medical Education and Research here.
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has launched an online petition seeking the release of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian on death row in Pakistan.
On Friday, in an emotional tweet the actor had appealed to the people of Pakistan to support him in efforts to free Sarabjit.
Pakistan on Thursday released Indian prisoner Surjeet Singh. Earlier, reports had said that Pakistan was to free Sarabjit Singh, but later Islamabad clarified that it was another Indian prisoner named Surjeet Singh.
IANS
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said the situation arising in the wake of the Dastageer shrine fire demanded imposition of restrictions in some parts of the city, adding that he apologised to the people for the inconvenience.
“I make no apologies for the administrative measures used over the last few days in a handful of police stations. Situation demanded it,” Omar wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.
Britain’s most prolific surrogate mother who gave birth to 10 children has announced her retirement from the baby business.
Jill Hawkins, 47, insists premature twins Jacob and William will be the last children she carries over her 20-year “career”, Daily Mail reported.
Her decision has been prompted by the serious complications she suffered during her pregnancy. The twins were delivered via an emergency Caesarean eight weeks early.
Jacob and William, are now in incubators in intensive care.
Friday night Hawkins, who is single, said she is ending her career as a surrogate mother.
Expressing concern over the quality of medical education, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said a “credible regulatory” mechanism should be put in place and a “serious look” given at the curriculum.
“There is a perception of deteriorating quality. We cannot allow this situation to continue. We must put in place a credible regulatory and institutional mechanism to help develop standards in our medical education”, he said in his address at the third Convocation in Jawaharlal Institute of Post graduate Medical Education and Research here.
A woman allegedly committed suicide after killing her two daughters in Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh, police said.
B Bhagya (25) of Morrai palli village under Mustabad police limits, set her two minor daughters on fire by pouring kerosene, before setting herself ablaze, they said.
The incident took place at their residence in the village and the reason behind the suicide was yet to be known, police said.
Further investigations were on, police said.
PTI
Semi-naked young girls are dancing and they are twisting various parts of their bodies in such a way that they are human bodies but statue made of rubber. Youngsters are pouncing on these girls in semi-conscious status crying like wild animals. Their elders are smiling standing nearby as if their wards are performing some proud deed. The sound of DJ sound system is getting increased. Joined in this group are some eunuchs also. The atmosphere is festive. Nothing is heard in loud musical notes.
The blame-game over Adarsh scam continued on Saturday with former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan pointing a finger at his predecessor Vilasrao Deshmukh, saying as revenue minister during the latter’s tenure it was beyond his jurisdiction to allot land to the society.
The Obama administration is considering a new gambit to restart peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan that would send several Taliban detainees from the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to a prison in Afghanistan.
Under the proposal, some Taliban fighters or affiliates captured in the early days of the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan and later sent to Guantanamo under the label of enemy combatants would be transferred out of full US control but not released, US and Afghan officials told a news agency.
Calling the Taliban-linked Haqqani network a “common enemy”, the US has made it clear to Pakistan that both countries have to work together to deal with the dreaded terror outfit responsible for attacks on coalition forces based in Afghanistan.
Stating this, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said Pakistan too has been a victim of terrorism and cited the recent killing of 17 Pakistani soldiers by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“They lost 17 Pakistanis on a patrol to the TTP. And so every day they too are the victims of terrorism,” he noted.
Roger Federer overcame a two-set deficit Friday at Wimbledon to avoid his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2004.
The six-time champion found himself two points from defeat on six occasions but survived a tense fourth-set tiebreaker and beat Julien Benneteau in the third round, 4-6, 6-7 (3), 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-1.
“It was a tough match,” Federer said. “Oh my God, it was brutal. Obviously, a bit of luck, maybe, on my side. Who knows? But I tried hard. I fought `til the very end.”
With several states reeling under a drought-like situation as they await the monsoon, experts have pointed out that not enough is being done to deal with the situation arising out of scanty rainfall.
Drought management, they say, assumes significance in view of changing weather patterns.
“We are not prepared to handle the effects of climate change on agriculture. It is reflected through our management of drought situation in states like Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh,” veteran agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan said.
The World Bank (WB) has allocated $52.6 billion of assistance fund for developing countries in the fiscal year of 2012, a statement released by it said Saturday.
The assistance fund would be materialized in loans, grants and assurance to help spur economic growth, Xinhua quoted the statement as saying.
Unidentified gunmen shot dead five policemen and set the police station ablaze after looting the armoury in Nigeria’s northern state of Adamawa.
Police officials said the attack took place late Thursday at a divisional police headquarters Gulak, near Madagali Local Government in northeastern part of the state.
Three officers were at the post on duty when unidentified gunmen numbering 30 besieged the station, looted the armoury and set the station ablaze, they said.
The gunmen shot dead all three officers.
The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to give free laptops and computer tablets to students in the state who pass the high school and intermediate examinations in 2012.
The beneficiaries would include students passing high school and intermediate examination conducted by UP Secondary Education Board, Poorva Madhyama and Madhyama of Sanskrit Education Board, Munshi/Maulvi and Alim of Madrasa Board, as per the decision taken by the state cabinet yesterday.
Perceiving them to be a hurdle in her love affair with a man, a girl poisoned her father and brother in Malpur village in Bihar’s Vaishali district, police said on Friday.
The teenaged girl, identified as Khushboo Kumari (13) cooked vegetable laced with a poisonous substance for dinner for her father, Shankar Mahto (35) and brother, Vikas Kumar (12) last night, police said.
The father and son died during sleep after consuming the poisonous stuff. Mahto’s wife who did not have dinner as she was feeling unwell, had a providential escape, police said.
Prof. S.A. Shakoor, Secretary of Urdu Academy in a press note stated that the last date of submission of applications for best Urdu Teacher Award for the academic year 2011-12 has been extended upto 15th July 2012.
AP State Hajj Committee is conducting 2nd training programme for the benefit of Hajj Pilgrims on Sunday 1st July 2012 from 10 am to 5 Pm at Hajj House, Nampally.
Mr. Syed Khaleeluddin, Chairman of AP State Hajj Committee will preside over the function. Various prominent Islamic Scholars will address the gathering.
Mr. Abdul Hameed, CEO of State Hajj Committee has requested the interested Hajj Pilgrims to attend the training programme. They are requested for bring a note book and a pen to note down important points.
Siasat News
TRS rejected the proposal of formation of Rayal Telangana State combining Rayalaseema district of A.P with Telangana. TRS told that a separate Telangana State be formed consisting of 10 districts of Telangana only.
It rejected the proposal of the Govt of India to include Anantapur and Kurnool to form Rayal Telangana. It said that the districts which were included with Telangana while forming A.P. State should be bifurcated from Telangana.