Month: March 2013

World Bank welcomes BRICS development bank

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The World Bank has welcomed the move by the BRICS countries to set up a development bank and vowed to work closely with the new lender.

Finance ministers from the BRICS members (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) agreed Tuesday to establish the bank to fund infrastructure in the five emerging economies, Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei said in South Africa.

“Establishing a development bank is a significant undertaking,” the World Bank said in a statement.

Sania-Bethani in quarters; Bopanna-Ram out

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India’s Sania Mirza and American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands moved into the women’s doubles quarter-finals of the Sony Open Miami Masters tennis while her compatriot Rohan Bopanna was knocked out from the second round.

Sania and Bethanie, seeded seventh, beat the Australia-German pair of Jarmila Gajdosova and Sabine Lisicki 6-1, 3-6, 10-7 here Monday.

Sania and Bethanie will face Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci for a semi-final berth. In the men’s doubles, Bopanna and his American partner Rajeev Ram were defeated 4-6, 5-7 (5) by the Spanish pair Mark Granollers and Marc Lopez.

Need for justice for the Muslims – Shabbeer

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Mr. Mohammed Ali Shabbeer, former Minorities Minister who has recently been elected to Legislative Council, while addressing a gathering organized to felicitate him said that he is making representations on behalf of the Muslims of the old city for providing cooking gas connections and to extend the benefits of various Minorities Welfare schemes of the Govt. The felicitation function was organized by Mr. Ismailur Rab Ansari.

US Congressional, business team to visit Gujarat

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A US Congressional and business delegation, visiting India this week, will feature a meeting with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi has been denied a US visa for his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, but of late US businesses have warmed up to him.

Aaron Schock, a Republican member of the House of Representatives from Illinois who will lead the delegation, is scheduled to travel to Ahmedabad to meet Modi on Thursday, according to an e-mail from the lawmaker’s office.

Muslims played important role in fighting against British imperialism

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The impression of the Muslim youths of today is that in addition to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad there must have been two or three other Muslims who participated in the freedom struggle of India against the British imperialism.

The fact is the Muslims are the ones who started freedom struggle. They were arrested, tortured and imprisoned. Their number is so large that the Muslims can tell with pride that the Muslims have shed maximum blood for the freedom of India. Attempts are being made to belittle the role of the Muslims in the freedom struggle.

Construction of boundary wall and shed at Charminar police station is violation of heritage rules

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Mr. Veda Kumar, President of Forum for better Hyderabad told that the construction of boundary wall and shed at Charminar Police Station is the violation of heritage act. He said that Charminar and Golconda Fort are the two monumental buildings which are our cultural heritage. Hyderabad is identified in the entire world due to Charminar. Construction activities by Govt. departments are the attempts to destroy the grandeur of these cultural heritage buildings.

Urdu University’s 5th Convocation – Today is the last date for submission of applications

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According to a press note issued by Incharge Controller of Examinations of Urdu University, Prof. Syed Mohammed Haseebuddin Quadri, the last date of submission of applications for getting a degree is today, the 27th March 2013.

Such of the candidates who have passed any degree or diploma examination conducted by Urdu University either through Distance mode or regular mode may submit their applications to the university for attending convocation which is likely to be held soon.

Minorities protest at Tahsildar’s office in Adhoni

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Muslim Men and Women under the stewardship of Mr. Basheer Ahmed, Advocate, staged a protest in front of the office of Tahsildar, Adhoni. They submitted memorandum to Mr. Bala Ganeshaiah, Tahsildar.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Basheer Ahmed told that the Govt. has been giving assurance to the Muslims for the past four years that it would provide houses and marriage hall to the Muslims. He said that such memoranda have already been submitted to Govt. officials earlier but so far no action has been taken. Marriage hall is incomplete for the past few years.

Incentive of Rs. 50 thousand for marrying a handicapped boy or girl

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Mr. Abid Siddiqui, President of Minorities Development Forum said that Siasat would organize “Du Ba Du” (Face To Face) programme for arranging matrimonial alliances of the handicapped boys and girls.

Blind, deaf, dumb and physically handicapped persons can register their names for marriage. MDF is registering all such cases at Siasat office. There is no registration fees.

Two separate cases registered on Dilsukhnagar bomb blasts

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National Investigation Agency of Govt. of India registered two separate Criminal cases in connection with Dilsukhnagar bomb blasts. According to the order no. 11011/14/2013-ISIV of Govt. of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, National Investigation Agency has registered two separate cases under RC-01/2013/NIA/Hyd and RC-02/2013/NIA/Hyd again.

It may be noted that immediately after the bomb blast incidents occurred in Saroornagar and Cyberabad, Hyderabad city police has registered cases but on the instruction from Govt. of India, these cases were entrusted to National Investigation Agency.

105,000 people per hour after first expansion

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The mataf (circumambulation area around the Holy Kaaba) will have the capacity to hold 105,000 worshippers in an hour with the completion of the first phase of the expansion project during the fasting month of Ramadan, which will begin on July 9, it was announced on Saturday.

Bombay HC acquits three family members of killing woman

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Three members of a family, who were found guilty of setting a widow afire following a quarrel, have been acquitted of murder charge by the Bombay High Court, which observed that there was no evidence to implicate them in the case.

Justices P D Kode and V K Tahilramani, while acquitting the trio — Devidas, Sakhubai and Shaila Ahire — of murder charge, however, held them guilty under Section 452 IPC (house trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint).

Hindu community in Pakistan celebrates Holi

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Hindus across Pakistan are celebrating Holi, the vibrant festival of colours. Men, women and children gathered at their neighbourhood temples, drenched themselves with colours, sang and danced to popular tunes linked to Holi. The festival is awaited for its fanfare and frolic. The day begins with prayers and is followed with people playing with colours and enjoying special dishes made during the festival. In the evenings, people visit their relatives and friends to greet each other. “Our lives should be as colourful as we colour everyone here.

Indian corporate leaders stress on boosting small, medium enterprises at BRICS

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Captains of Indian industry have given a call for promoting small and medium enterprises and easing trade relations between member countries representing BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) for overall growth. They voiced these views at the ongoing fifth BRICS Summit in Durban, South Africa. Briefing the media on the sidelines of the conference, Naina Lal Kidwai, country head of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) in India, said that the mid-sized business enterprises need continuous support.

Rajasthan Govt. scales down popular elephant festival under pressure from animal rights activists

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Buckling under pressure of animal rights activists, the Department of Tourism of Rajasthan has decided to scale down the popular elephant festival. Held to coincide with Holi celebrations in Jaipur, the elephant festival is a colourful event that used to begin with a spectacular parade of decorated elephants, before an afternoon of music and folk dancing, culminating in an enormous game of elephant polo. The day-long festival used to be a celebration of the elephants, the traditional bearers of royalty throughout the ages and a symbol of power.

Lankan players not to participate in Chennai IPL matches

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Bowing to intense political pressure, top Sri Lankan players were today withdrawn from the Chennai matches of the high-profile IPL after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa refused to host them in view of the prevailing anti-Sinhalese sentiments in the state.

Jayalalithaa wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh making it clear that IPL matches would be permitted in the state only if there were no Sri Lankan players, umpires, officials or support staff in these matches beginning April 3.

Kashmir Police could be deployed on Nepal border

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India’s home ministry is examining the possibility of deploying Jammu and Kashmir Police along the Nepal border in the wake of recent controversy over the arrest of suspected Hizbul Mujahideen militant Liyaqat Shah, official sources said Tuesday.

They said the that the move was aimed at improving the mechanism concerning the surrender of Kashmiri youth who had crossed over to Pakistani-administered Kashmir in the early 1990s during peak of militancy and want to return to the country via Nepal.

‘South Africa must follow India, China lead on affordable medicines’

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International humanitarian group Doctors without Borders (or Medecins Sans Frontieres) said the South African government must follow the lead of its BRICS peers like India and China to ensure that life-saving medicines are affordable.

Speaking in Johannesburg, MSF South Africa media liaison officer Kate Ribet said other BRICS countries have fulfilled the commitments they made in July 2011 to enact public health safeguards spelled out in World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements.

President, vice president greet people on Holi

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President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi Tuesday greeted people across the country on the occasion of Holi and hoped the festival will further strengthen unity and harmony.

In his message, the president said the colours of Holi were a reflection of the country’s diversity and multi-cultural heritage. Holi is being celebrated March 27.

HRD ministry advises states to promote gender sensitisation

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Indian government’s human resource development (HRD) ministry has advised state governments to promote gender sensitisation by re-examining text books and curriculum and introducing gender module for teachers during the annual in-service training.

According to an official release Tuesday, the ministry has called for school monitoring systems to incorporate a checklist of parameters that promote gender sensitivity in classroom transaction and extra-curricular activities.

Mamata government blinks, but standoff with poll panel continues

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Faced with a gritty state election panel, the West Bengal government Tuesday flip flopped but blinked, agreeing to reorganise the districts in the two phase rural body polls late next month on a dramatic and action packed day.

However, a solution to the battle between the election commission and the Mamata Banerjee-led government still seemed a far cry with the poll panel sticking to its stand that the elections would have to be conducted by deploying the central paramilitary forces.

Minister expelled from BJP for anti-party activities

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The ruling BJP in Karnataka tonight expelled Excise Minister Renukacharya for six years for “anti-party activities” after he unleashed a no-holds-barred attack on state leaders.

In his first initiative against indiscipline after taking over as the state BJP chief, Prahlad Joshi took the action against Renukacharya, saying he had been talking “lightly” about some state party leaders.

Saif likes me in every colour: Kareena

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Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor, who looked fabulous in a pinkish-orange outfit designed by Namrata Joshipura at the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Summer-Resort 2013, says her husband Saif Ali Khan likes her in all colours.

The collection had a range of vibrant colours.

Asked which colour her husband Saif Ali Khan likes to see her in, the actress promptly replied that he likes her in all colours.

“Saif likes to see me in every colour. He has no choice,” she told the media.

Saif was not present to cheer the actress at the show, but she took it sportingly.