Month: April 2013

India is hosting the sixth IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) Summit in New Delhi on June 6.

The Summit in New Delhi will commemorate the 10th anniversary of establishment of IBSA. It also assumes special importance as being the last Summit in the Second cycle of IBSA Summit.

The Summit will be preceded by a number of meetings of Joint Working Groups and People-to-People Forums.

IBSA is a unique forum, which brings together India, Brazil and South Africa, three large democracies and major economies from three different continents, facing similar challenges.

As the government came under opposition attack on dealing with Chinese incursions, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid today said this was not the time for scoring points but for speaking in one voice.

“Nation must give a clear signal that we speak in one voice. This is no time for scoring points,” Khurshid said here when asked about the opposition uproar over the Chinese incursions in the Depsang Valley in Ladakh.

He said the government would do what is best in the national interest and “I think we should not blow anything out of proportion”.

National Human Rights Commission on Monday issued notices to Jharkhand and Delhi police after taking cognisance of media reports about the plight of tribal girls in cities, especially in the national capital.

The rights panel have sought reports in this connection from the DGP, Jharkhand and the Delhi Police Commissioner within four weeks.

NHRC took suo motu cognisance of media reports that hundreds of tribal girls, lured to the Metros and, in particular, Delhi on the pretext of providing employment, lead a miserable life as domestic helps.

As the government came under opposition attack on dealing with Chinese incursions, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid today said this was not the time for scoring points but for speaking in one voice.

“Nation must give a clear signal that we speak in one voice. This is no time for scoring points,” Khurshid said here when asked about the opposition uproar over the Chinese incursions in the Depsang Valley in Ladakh.

He said the government would do what is best in the national interest and “I think we should not blow anything out of proportion”.

A former Indian spy, who languished in Pakistani jails for two decades, Monday called the attack on death row convict Sarabjit Singh in Lahore a “pre-planned” one, carried out with the connivance of the authorities.

The spy, who claims that in 1977, he was given a blank cheque to kill deposed prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, said it was impossible for death row convicts to carry out such assaults without the connivance of authorities. Bhutto was lodged in the Lahore jail at the time, after being deposed in a military coup.

Voicing concern over hate speeches by politicians and religious leaders, the Supreme Court today asked the Central and state governments to show courage and take penal action in such cases which “disturb the basic fabric”.

The apex court said there was a need for taking concrete steps to curb such speeches and the Centre should ask state governments to apply penal provisions in dealing with those delivering such speeches.

Amid allegations of non-compliance and favouritism, the Defence Ministry has put on hold a joint venture between public sector Mazagon Dockyards and private sector Pipavav shipyard for building warships for Indian Navy.

The Defence Ministry has formed a Committee under an Additional Secretary-rank officer to look into the “joint venture formation, price discovery mechanism and several other aspects of the tie up between the two shipyards”, sources told PTI here.

A Nigerian was arrested from Mumbai international airport for allegedly not declaring that he was carrying USD 80,000 with him, a customs official said today.

As per rule, passengers carrying above USD 5,000 have to give declaration before the authorities.

The man, identified as Bello Almou, was frisked on Thursday after he passed through the green channel at the Chhattrapati Shivaji Terminus airport, the official said.

A passenger faces arrest or detention if he or she passes through the green channel with undeclared goods or currency.