C M YK

SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2013

8 Pages Rs: 1.00 Jammu Edition www.thestudentage.com JKENG/2012/41612 Vol. 2 No: 154

C M Y K

Why is UPA in hurry over Food Security Bill: Mamata

PAGE 6

Ridiculous levels in claiming history, legacy

PAGE 6

Three die in Canada floods, 75,000 forced out of homes

PAGE 7

Uttrakhand calamity: Body count piles up, thousands still missing

Impending rains to complicate rescue operations
RUDRAPRAYAG, JUNE 22: With the weatherman giving warnings of more rains in entire flash flood hit Uttrakhand, the prospects of stepping up mammoth rescue operation is feared to suffer. Thousands of people still reported missing the worst fears are coming true. The tragedy that struck Uttrakhand has crossed all proportions and comparisons. Flash floods and landslides unleashed by early monsoon rain have killed at least 560 people in Uttarakhand and left tens of thousands missing, officials said on Saturday, with the death toll expected to rise significantly. Houses and small apartment blocks on the banks of the Ganges, India's longest river, have toppled into the rushing, swollen waters and been swept away with cars and trucks. "It has been a horrifying experience," said Tulika Srivastava, a visitor from Lucknow, who has been stranded with her 80-year-old mother in the key pilgrimage town of Rudraprayag since last week. Thousands of military servicemen are involved in rescue operations, with air force helicopters plucking survivors, Contd p2

Kedarnath: Pilgrim place turns ghost town with bodies all over
KEDARNATH/DEHRADUN: Now a pilgrim town and now a ghost town, the hallowed pilgrim centre is now only a hulk of itself. Boulders and bodies mingle in a dreadful sight never Contd p2

Ahead of PM's visit militants kill two policemen

SRINAGAR, JUNE 22: Striking in the heart of Srinagar city ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Kashmir militants on Saturday shot dead two policemen. Using silencer-fitted pistols, the ultras carried out the attack at busy Hari Singh High Street near Jehangir Chowk here this afternoon, resulting in critical injuries to Head constable Mohammed Maqbool and constable Nazir Ahmed, police said. While Maqbool died on his way to hospital, Nazir Ahmed succumbed to his injuries when he was being operated in the hospital, they said. A 16-year-old girl, identified as Ishrat of Ganderbal, was also injured in the attack as she was hit by a bullet in the arm, the police said. The attack comes three days ahead of high profile two-day visit of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the state during which he will inaugurate the railway section between Banihal and Qazigund. Singh is scheduled to arrive here on June 25. The firing sparked off panic as people present in the busy area ran for safety. The area was cordoned off and a hunt has been launched to nab the militants involved in the attack, Contd p2

Survivors all praise for Army

Having several brushes with death, survivors of the Himalayan tsunami which left a trail of destruction in Uttarakhand were all praise for Army, which they said has given Contd p2

157 of 671 T Nadu pilgrims rescued, reach Chennai

Tamil Nadu government today said 157 of the total 671 pilgrims from the state, stranded in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand, have returned home and officials have Contd p2

Mehbooba condemns killing of two policemen

SRINAGAR: Reacting on the killing of two policemen in the heart of Srinagar city by militants the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday condemned the killing, saying violence in any form will not solve problems. "Violence in any form would not solve any problem. We are deeply shocked over the incident," Mehbooba told reporters here. The PDP leader also expressed concern over the "sharp increase" in targeted attacks on police in the recent months. "It is regrettable that the present dispensation has totally failed to protect the human lives," she said. Mehbooba expressed her solidarity with the families of two slain cops Mohammad Maqbool and Nazir Ahmad. Militants struck in the heart of the summer capital Contd p2

An IAF helicopter lands for rescue operations as stranded pilgrims get down at Gauri Kund in Uttarakhand.

IAF C-130 j Hercules planes land at Dharasu

NEW DELHI: In an innovative step, the IAF on Saturday established "an aviation fuel supply bridge" at Dharasu in Uttarakhand to give greater impetus to the ongoing rescue operations, which were being severely restricted due to non availability of aviation fuel. The first C-130J "Super Hercules" aircraft from the Hindon airbase landed at Dharasu, an advanced landing ground Contd p2

No damage to Hemkund Sahib Gurdwara: Trust

The Shri Hemkund Sahib Management Trust today said no damage has been caused to the Hemkund Sahib shrine by the rain fury in Uttarakhand and it Contd p2

C M YK

Obama nominates James Comey as next FBI director

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has nominated James Comey, a Bush-era Justice Department official, as the next FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) Director. If confirmed by the Senate, the 52-year-old former hedge fund executive would succeed Robert Mueller. Comey is best known for facing off against White House officials over the legality of the eavesdropping programme of the National Security Agency (NSA). Praising his Contd p2

P N Bhat Trust warns against any dilution of the Temples and Shrines bill
JAMMU, JUNE 22: Taking note of the recent developments in the passage of the Kashmiri Hindu temples and shrines bill, P N Bhat Memorial Trust, the nodal agency of the Kashmiri Hindu organisations for the passage of the much needed Shrines bill has made it clear that the community of exiled Hindus of Kashmir, pressing for the early passage of the Shrines Bill would not countenance any dilution in the ambit of the Temples and Shrines bill for the protection and preservation of the Hindu shrines and temples in Kashmir. It reiterated that no exclusion would be acceptable. The nodal organisation noted that the community was seriously distressed by the delay in the passage of the bill, saying that delay of each day in the passage of the bill results in deterioration of the holy sites and shrines lying in states of serious neglect. The extended meeting of the Trust was chaired by Sh Harji Lal Jad and was attended by the members of the representative committee dealing with the Temples and Shrines bill, including Dr A N Pandita, Dr R L Bhat, Dr B L Handoo, S/Sh Manmohanji Thaplo, Pyare Lal Bhat, Kashmiri Lal Bhat, M L Ganjo, H L Bhat, Pranji Pandit, M K Raina, Prof P N Trichal, Rajinder Ji, Ramesh Hangloo, Ashok Braro, Shibanji Saraf, H N Pandita. The meeting expressed satisfaction with the efforts being made by the Trust to convince the powers both at the state and central level about the need for enacting the bill pending before the state legislature at an early date. The meeting was informed that the Contd p2

Pakistan deploys 25000 Special Forces BRIEFLY to protect its nuke weapons 13 year old cracks
ISLAMABAD, JUNE 22: With increasing fears within Pakistan military that Taliban or some other terror organization might make a bid to cease its nuclear assets Pakistan has raised a 25,000-strong special force and put in place. This was revealed by, finance minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday. "A special security force of 25,000 personnel, who have been specially trained and provided sophisticated weapons, has been deployed to protect (the nuclear assets)," Dar said, while winding up the debate on the 2013-14 budget in the National Assembly or lower house of Parliament. Pakistan has raised a special response force, a special escort force and a marine force to protect and guard its strategic assets, he said without giving details. Besides, there are also counterintelligence teams and a "personnel reliability programme" to oversee the strategic programme, he said. The 25,000-strong security force has been equipped with the latest equipment and the personnel are fully prepared for "mobility on the ground or in the air", he said. The Strategic Contd p2

IIT-JEE exam

C M Y K

PATNA: The thirteen year old Bihar boy Satyam Kumar a farmer's son who is just 13-years old, has cleared the fiercely competitive Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) for which 150,000 candidates had appeared this year. Satyam, who passed his class 12 exam last year, secured an impressive all-India rank of 679. "We are proud of him. He has done something special at this age," Satyam's Contd p2

Wani inaugurates motorable bridges at Sigdi & Vohal

KISHTWAR, JUNE 22: Minister for R&B and Mechanical Engineering, Abdul Majid Wani accompanied by G M Saroori, MLA Inderwal and various officers of Different departments including Tehsildar Chatroo, S E PMGSY, X En R&B, X En PMGSY, X En PHE, BDO Chatroo, on Saturday visited far flung areas of Sigdi Bhata, Passerkoot and Chatroo Tehsil of Kishtwar District. The minister inaugurated 35 metre Span Steel Bridge over Sigdi Nalla and 25 metre span bridge at Vohal on Singpora Nalla, Both constructed under PMGSY. Addressing a series of public meetings at Dadhpeth, Sigdi, Passerkoot and Chatroo, the Minister said that government is committed to provide road connectivity to the people living in Contd p2

NC-Cong differences come to fore, Fotedar provokes NC leaders

MAKSON TICKOO JAMMU, JUNE 22: The NCCongress coalition is on warpath after the recent statement of former Union Minister and senior Cong leader M.L.Fotedar saying that chapter of autonomy was closed with 1975 accord. According to sources the differences in the two parties are not at ground level but senior party leaders have also started mud slugging against each other with their statements. Sources said the recent statement of senior Congress leader and former union minister M.L.Fotedar who has been architect of New Delhis Kashmir policy during the rule of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, that autonomy chapter has been closed with 1975 NCcongress accord has provoked the NC top leadership which retorted back and made personnel attacks on Mr Fotedar. Provoked by Fotedars statement, NC senior leader and additional general secretary Dr. Mustafa Kamal forgetting the coalition dharma started personal attack on Fotedar. This was followed by the statements of other NC leaders including Party MP from Anantnag Dr. Mehboob Beg who accused Mr. Fotedar of creating confusion in Government of Indias seriousness to address Kashmir issue. Sources said the statement of Mr. Fotedar should be viewed seriously in view of his proximity with Nehru Gandhi family and his old friendship with former Chief Minister and PDP senior leader Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. Mr. Fotedar was architect of forging Congress- PDP alliance in 2002, sources added. Mr. Fotedar also Contd p2

Police detain employees marching towards Raj Bhavan

SRINAGAR: Hundreds of employees who organized a protest march against the failure of the State Government to redress their long pending demands were stopped by police on Saturday when they made a bid to march towards Raj Bhawan. More than a dozen employees were detained by police but nobody was injured, official sources said. The workers, under the aegis of Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC), assembled at the Sher-e-Kashmir Park here and tried to march Contd p2

Poor national response to Uttrakhand tragedy

HINDSIGHT
ROHIT SINGH RANA Th e t ragedy that h as stru ck Uttrakhand has unnerved the ordinary Indians. More unsettling is the scale of death and destruction that the Himalayan tsunami has left in its wake. It is almost now a week but the lack of coordination among the various relief and rescue organizations is so appalling that the number of stranded in still tens of thousands and with many starvation deaths reported. Uttrakhand represents what is called the faith bowl of India. It is a most sacred place in the country because of very holy religious sites. But the response of the whole nation towards the tragedy is not only heartbreaking but distressing. Normally if such a catastrophe strikes any other religious site in any part of the world there is a worldwide response but Uttrakhand is different. We in India have developed cold feet when it comes to accepting the holy nature of the religious places in the state. Under the garb of selective secularism we are prepared to look the other way when it comes to respond collectively towards the destruction of religious sites which represent the base and fundamentals of Indias conscience. Notwithstanding the commitment of th e count ry t owards Constitution it is equally important to come up and rise collectively as a nation and gear up efforts to lend full scale helping hand to the state popularly called Dev Bhumi. It was eminently best time for the ruling UPA to give a clarion call to the whole nation to rise and double up rescue and rehabilitation efforts. But that is not forthcoming. Same is the case with BJP which has also not reacted till now as it should to the occasion. Till now there should have been a nationwide awakening with people collecting money and other material and place it at the disposal of the relief operations authorities. Volunteers in thousand from the youth wings of all political parties sh ould have rushed to the ravaged areas of Kedarn ath , Joshim ath , Gu pt kashi, Govind Ghat, Rudraprayag and initiated a sustained national response to the calamity. Worst still is the tale of disconnect of the people of one state with the other. Some states as a show of mere tokenism have donated peanuts to the PMs relief fund. This tokenism will not do the nation has to come together to rebuild the devastated state.. The efforts of army, airforce and ITBP have been commendable. Even though thousands of army men are working day and night with 45 aircraft and sixty helicopters the scale of calamity is so huge that this effort seems to be insignificant. Th e t ragedy has exposed how vulnerable Indian disaster management system is. In April, th e C ompt roller an d Au dit or General (CAG) had issued a report stating that Uttarakhand has no disaster management plan to speak of. It also pointed out that that the State Disaster Management Authority, which was constituted in October 2007, has never met till date. There are lessons to be learnt for the nation. Put disaster management plan in place for the entire country. And above all the need for a national response is must but with a political system that is bent upon dividing people on various lines

C M YK

will it become a reality is difficult to answer. Large scale construction without caring for the fragile ecology has today resulted into this devastation. The construction of buildings on the natural courses of river beds and building of hydro electric dams without taking into account the ecological risks have added to the miseries. Kedarnath today is a ghost pilgrim town with dead bodies strewn all over. Baring the temple and the sanctum sanctorum there in virtually nothing left there. India has to rise together t o rebuild Kedarnath. It has to rise as one nation to contribute liberally toward rebuilding roads, bridges and other infra structure. Above all India has to rise above politics and blame game and join whole hog to rebuild Uttrakhand-- Dev Bhumi for more than one billion people of this country.

Great Indian eyes see good signals from Pakistan!!

On account of poor eye sight India looses a cool 37 billion dollars per year according to a Times of India study. Sadly, India foreign office suffering from poor eye sight sees all well inside the complicated minds of Pakistani leadership. Regrettably, India has always seen a mirage and in turn landed into trouble. Mirage is not reality so what the External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshed sees as good signals from Pakistan with his foreign affairs eyes is only a grand illusion. Otherwise, how could Nawaz government sanction a hefty sum for Jamat-ulDawa headed by internationally recognized terrorist Hafiz Sayeed who is involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attack? If Pakistani government sanctions money for a terror organization then what good signals does it convey for India? Similarly there have been cease fire violations and as per reports hundreds of terrorists are waiting at the launch pads to enter India. This is the second good signal Pakistan wants to convey. It is high time for the wise policy makers of the country to sit and craft a rational policy in order to reach out with neighbours like Pakistan. We have developed habit of seeing roses everywhere which later on turn out to be only sharp thorns. It is time to wait for some real good signals from across the border and not see that is yet unseen. RANASAHIB

C M Y K

Page-2.qxd 8/4/2013 1:40 PM Page 1

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2013

CONTD
1,355 passengers were airlifted. Overall, the IAF towards 'Op Rahat', has flown 768 sorties in which 1,03,350 kgs of load has been dropped/landed and 5,347 passengers airlifted," she said. would not have any chance of coming back ever.

2
Hon'ble Minister Sh Raman Bhalla and other leaders saying that the state legislature had already passed comprehensive acts for the safeguard and upkeep of the Muslim and Sikh shrines in the form of Wakf acts and Gurudwara Prabandak committee acts and that there should be no delay in the passage of the Kashmiri Hindu Temples and Shrines Bill especially in view of the stark neglect in which these hoary shrines have suffered. The meeting cautioned against any dilution of the provisions of the proposed act. It said that the community had made it clear that the bill pending before the house contains provisions to take care of all the objections and that all reservations whatever must be resolved under the provisos of the bill itself. will leave no stone unturned to develop these areas. The minister expressed his concern over the delay in completion of different projects by contractors and directed the concerned authorities to terminate their contracts and blacklist them. Speaking on the occasion, G M Saroori apprised the Minister of different problems being faced by the people and demanded that work on Singpora Vailoo Tunnel should be started, free ration be provided to all on equal basis, Electrification of Left out villages under RGGVY and compensation for acquired land be provided. Different delegations met the Minister and presented their charters of demands. The minister directed the concerned officials to address their demands on priority. IIT-JEE (Advanced) results for admission into IITs were declared on Friday. According to IIT-JEE website, Sahal Kaushik from Delhi was the youngest person to have cracked the exam in 2010 at the age of 14. But now this record is held by Satyam. "Now Satyam is the youngest to crack the IITJEE," an IIT official said. Satyam, who hails from Bakhorapur village in Bhojpur district, had last year qualified for admission into IIT at the age of 12-anda-half years after he got a special permission from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). He had then secured an all-India rank of 8,137. Not satisfied with his low rank, he appeared for the IIT-JEE preliminary examination this year again and qualified. "Satyam has improved his rank by his hard work and determination," his father said. He appeared for the entrance examination in Kota, Rajasthan, where he had been studying. He was one of the 150,000 candidates who appeared for the examination this year. Earlier, Satyam Kumar had said he wanted to establish a software company on the lines of social networking website Facebook.

Uttrakhand calamity...
many of them pilgrims and tourists, from the foothills of the Himalayas. About 33,000 people had been rescued so far this week, the home ministry said. Railways were running special trains from the devastated areas to take people home. "Whatever is humanly possible is being done," information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari told reporters. The rains had eased on Saturday but more rain is expected early next week, complicating the task of rescuers. Rain will fall from Monday onwards in many places in the Himalayan foothills, said a weatherofficial who sought anonymity. As many as 150,000 people were airlifted from the reach of the floods, said Dinesh Malasi, a rescue official at Dehradun, the state capital, with 60 helicopters pressed into the task. Aid workers are struggling to negotiate roads blocked by landslides to reach the Kedarnath valley, one of the worst affected areas, where thousands of pilgrims have been stranded. Some of those rescued by helicopter told charity officials in Dehradun they had seen bodies scattered everywhere. Kedarnath, the site of a temple to Shiva, is 86 km from Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand. "The deaths will certainly rise," said Madan Mohan Doval, an official of Sphere India, a group of non-government bodies working in the area that includes international charity Plan as well as the Indian Red Cross Society. "People are in immediate need of basic aid such as dry food, clean drinking water, clothes, medicines, tarpaulin sheets for shelter and blankets," Doval added. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has offered Rs 200,000 to the family of each of those who lost their lives and 50,000 rupees to the injured from his national relief fund. He also pledged money to people who have lost their homes. Singh promised Rs 10 billion in disaster relief to Uttarakhand. The rains have not hit the summer sowing season in northern India so far, as the planting of rice, sugar, cotton and other agricultural

produce is not yet in full swing.

IAF C...
with an airstrip only 1300foot long, early on Saturday morning for the first time despite inclement weather. "On landing the aircraft defueled 8,000 litres of fuel into an empty bowser which had been airlifted on Friday from Sarsawa by a Mi26heavy-lift helicopter. With the availability of additional fuel now at Dharasu, the extraction, evacuation and rescue operations have picked up pace and the available helicopters are now able to make more number of trips," said IAF spokesperson Squadron Leader Priya Joshi. Apart from the carrying fuel to Dharasu, the first C130J on its return trip carried about 40 and the second aircraft about 100 injured and stranded pilgrims to the safer plains of Air Force Station at Hindon, on the outskirts of Delhi. An emergency medical centre has been set up at Hindon for the medical check-up of all the people arriving on board the aircraft. "The first two C-130J aircraft carried fuel to Dharasu, while a third is carrying a medical team of the IAF to attend to sick people at Dharasu itself before they are moved out to safer places," she said. Having paved the way for fixed wing aircraft landing at Dharasu, the IAF also pressed its AN-32 aircraft also into action. These aircraft are carrying disaster communication equipment, some more aviation fuel, Sudan pumps for refueling the helicopters and 4,200 kgs of bridging equipment of BRO. The heavy lift Mi26 helicopter will also be airlifting the heavy equipment of BRO to facilitate road repair and construction work. "While the fuel bridging has given impetus to rescue operations, increased flying activity in the narrow valleys is posing a new challenge to traffic management and safe flying. IAF has inducted additional personnel to ensure smooth planning, coordination and execution of flying operations, be it Air Force, Army or civilian operators," she said. "Since Saturday morning, till 3 pm in the afternoon, the IAF has flown about 149 sorties in which 26, 700 kgs of load and

157 of ...
established contact with over 380 persons still awaiting return. Following chief minister Jayalalithaa's announcement about taking steps on a warfooting to rescue Tamil Nadu pilgrims stranded there, a team of high-level officials led by the state's Special Representative in Delhi are camping in Uttarakhand and coordinating rescue efforts with officials there, a state government release here said. Of the 671 pilgrims, 157 of them have been rescued and reached Chennai, while 118 of them have been lodged at Tamil Nadu House in Delhi and they will be sent home by air. Officials have established contact with 382 people even as efforts are on to rescue 14 others stranded in Gaurikund, it said, adding that one person is yet to be contacted. Meanwhile, around 100 pilgrims reached Chennai from Delhi today by a government carrier.

ried out in view of inputs that militants might try to sneak into the city to disturb the peace by carrying out subversive activities, officials said.

Mehbooba condemns ...

of the state, shooting two policemen dead from point blank range. The ultras, using silencer-fitted pistols, carried out the attack at busy Hari Singh High Street near Jehangir Chowk here this afternoon, resulting in critical injuries to Head constable Maqbool and Constable Ahmad.

Kedarnath: ..
envisaged in such a holy place. Though the thousands of years old temple is still intact perhaps a testimony to its historical grandeur which the deadly dance of Shiva wanted to preserve there is virtually nothing left. It will take a long time to give some semblance to Kedarnath which it once proudly wore. According to reports, rain water gushed into the town from the summit behind the shrine carrying rocks and boulders, destroying everything on its path. The most ironic part of the tragedy is despite the mobile phone towers remaining intact, there is no electricity due to which people were unable to contact their families as their phones ran out of charge. IAF has already started rescue operation in the area.

Obama nominates ...

FBI nominee, Obama said Comey is a rarity in Washington who does not care about politics. "Comey understands that in time of crisis, America is judged not only by how many plots or how many criminals are bring to justice, but also by commitment to the Constitution and civil liberties espoused in the Constitution," Obama said. "As we've seen in recent days, this work of striking a balance between our security but also making sure we are maintaining fidelity to those values that we cherish is a constant mission. I have confidence not only in his experience, but his integrity, that Jim will be a leader who understands how to keep America safe and stay true to our founding ideals no matter what the future may bring," he added. Mueller, who took over as FBI director just the week before the September 11 attacks in 2001, will retire after heading the FBI for 12 years. "Mueller has embodied those values through decades of public service and lived them every day as FBI director during an extraordinary period in our nation's history. He began one of the biggest transformations of the FBI in history to make sure that nothing like that ever happens again," Obama said.

Pakistan deploys ..
Plans Division, which manages the nuclear arsenal, has set up a training academy for the security force, Dar said. The security force was always prepared and it trained for all conditions and eventualities on the basis of past experiences and potential scenarios involving the strategic assets, he said. The system for identifying dangers is always at high alert and is constantly being reviewed, Dar said. Pakistan's strategic assets programme is based on strong foundations and meets international standards for security and management of nuclear assets as laid down by organisations like the Nuclear Suppliers Group and Missile Technology Control Regime, he said. Over the past year, the military too has provided details of the special security force raised by the Strategic Plans Division. Several batches of this force have passed out of training academies across the country.

NC-Cong ..
favored the alliance of Congress-PDP in 2008 but in view of PDPs role in 2008 Amarnath land row agitation, Congress high command did not favored the same, sources added. Not only Mr. Fotedar but former Minister of J&K and senior congress leader Abdul Gani Wakil also attacked NC accusing Chief Minister of protecting corrupt elements in his Government. Mr. Vakil demanded immediate action against corrupt ministers saying that ineptness of CM in acting against corrupt has led to anarchy in the state But with many fissures in coalition and the statements given by Dr. Mustafa Kamal against New Delhi during last three years has annoyed Congress high command which has kept the options open for future alliance in the state. Sources said the Congress also took strong objection to NC for not including its any member in Selection Committee to study Shrines Bill and came out with a unilateral statement of getting bill passed in coming Autumn session of state assembly. Moreover the open mud slugging by NC Minister Sajjad Kichloo and Congress Minister Abdul Majid Wani at each other has also indicated that the two coalition partners are on path of parting away, sources said.

Survivors all ...

them a second life. Sukhvinder Singh, a Ludhiana native who was stuck for eight days on the way to Hemkund Sahib, said, "I was en route to Hemkund Sahibwhen the disaster struck. The situation was deteriorating with the passage of time...We were bit relieved when Army stepped in. They gave us food and water and helped us in every possible way. Had they not been here, we wouldn't have survived." Recalling his horrific experiences during the past few days, Aman Bisht, who arranges treks to Hemkund Sahib every year, said, "The road links were shattered and down there we had no bridges left. And even if there was a road somewhere, it was broken. The Army has been very supportive." Another survivor from Punjab, who was rescued from Joshi Math, said he was able to contact his family only with the help of army personnel. One Sharan, who along with his family was rescued from Badrinath and brought to Chamouli relief camp yesterday, said, "The situation is pathetic. Had the army not been there, we

No damage ..
is safe. "The main gurdwara building is intact and no loss has been caused to the 'sanctum sanctorum' where the Birs (religious scriptures) is installed," Vice Chairman Narinderjit Singh Bindra said. He told over phone that he had received information from SHSMT staff from Hemkund Sahib that on the intervening night of June 16 and 17, water level of the lake adjoining the shrine had increased as glacier from the uphill came down.

Police detain ..
towards Raj Bhavan, they said. The protesters were stopped near Tourism Reception Centre by the police, who asked them to disperse peacefully. They, however, refused to pay heed and continued to march ahead, forcing the police to resort to lathicharge and use water cannons, the sources said. The call for March to Governor's House was given by EJAC to press for their demands, which include enhancement of retirement age from the existing 58 years to 60 years and removal of pay anomalies in different cadres of state service, besides regularisation of daily wage and casual workers. EJAC president, Qayoom Wani said the protests against government will continue till their demands are met. "Our fight will continue till our demands are met," he said.

Ahead of ...
the spokesman said. Police sources said the security agencies are reviewing the CCTV footage of the camera installed in the area for identifying the assailants. No militant outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the incident which came a day after police carried out a crackdown on the nearby commercial hub of Lal Chowk following intelligence inputs that militants might try to sneak into the city. No one was arrested during the hour-long operation which was a common sight during the 1990-2000 decade at the peak of militancy. The operation was car-

Wani inaugurates ..
these remote areas as roads are the basic necessity for the effective development of people, the minister also announced that those habitations that have been left out will be covered under the second phase. While appreciating the people of Chatroo Tehsil, he said that people have maintained the feeling of brotherhood and harmony in the region and the government

P N Bhat ...
trust had sent detailed memos to the prime minister and the chairperson of UPA in this regard and was meeting all the leaders to make sure that the hurdles in the early passage of the Shrines bill were got cleared. The representative committee welcomed the concern shown by the congress president Sh Saifudin Soz,

13 year ..
father Sidhnath Singh, a farmer, said.

Techie held for sending emails containing wife's obscene pics

HYDERABAD: A software engineer from Bangalore was arrested by Andhra Pradesh police on the charge of sending emails containing obscene photos of his wife who had sought divorce for allegedly hiding his first marriage. "Nanda Kumar Jai was arrested from his residence in Bangalore on June 14 by the Cyber Crime police of Andhra Pradesh CID after his role was established for sending objectionable photos of his current wife to her relatives and friends," CID Additional Director General of Police T Krishna Prasad said on Monday. The victim, a native of Guntur district, had lodged a complaint with Cyber Crime Police on August 30 last year regarding transmission of obscene photographs to her friends and relatives and suspected her husband's involvement. According to police, the complainant had sought divorce from Nanda Kumar after she came to know about his first marriage. However, when she sought divorce on mutual understanding, the accused started abusing her and threatened her of posting her obscene pictures on Internet. As the victim left him and went to United States, Nanda Kumar bore a grudge against her and her parents, created certain fictitious email IDs resembling the victim's name and transmitted them with the photographs of the victim to damage the character and reputation of the complainant and her family members, the CID official said. The case was analysed technically and based on email headers, the involvement of Nanda Kumar was identified and he was arrested, Krishna Prasad said. Nanda Kumar confessed to marrying the victim through an online matrimonial site by hiding his earlier marriage from which he has a son, he said. The officer said that Nand Kumar extracted money from the victim and her parents under various pretexts. Police seized a mobile phone, hard disk of Nand Kumar's computer and also retrieved the alleged email communication from his email IDs.

Aircel organizes 'Blood Donation Camp' in Srinagar

SRINAGAR, JUNE 22: In its unwavering commitment to serve the community, Aircel, one of India's leading telecom players, organized a Blood Donation Camp at Aircel office in Srinagar, in association with Civil Defense Srinagar, SDRFand facilitated by Govt. Medical College, L D Hospital.The camp witnessed active participation from Aircel employees who volunteered to donate blood for this noble cause. Through this blood donation camp, Aircel aims to raise awareness for the need of safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood. Speaking on the occasion,Sundeep Talwar, Circle Operations Head - Jammu and Kashmir,Aircel said "It gives us immense contentment to be able to contribute towards our community by way of donating blood for the needy patients. I would like to thank all the Aircelites, volunteers and officials and personnel from Civil Defense, SDRF and Govt. L D Hospital who have joined us today in thisnoble cause. I believe together through such initiatives we can bridge the gap in the demand and supply of safe blood." Present on the occasion were

Centre to pay pregnant women for treatment: Azad

NEW DELHI JUNE 22: Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday announced a new scheme for pregnant women in the country under which they will get expenses for treatment, transportation and food at least six months before delivery date."We have introduced a new scheme for more care and comfort to pregnant women in the country under which the government will take care of her treatment, diagnosis, transport and food at least six to seven months before the delivery and will also cover the new born against all diseases for one year," Azad said in Srinagar.Under the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY) introduced eight years ago, a pregnant woman used to get benefits at the time of delivery, but as per the upgraded scheme, married women will get benefits immediately after conceiving till the time of delivery, he said."She will get free treatment during the pregnancy period along with free of cost transport facility from home to hospital and back. The government will take care of her treatment, diagnosis, transport and food for at least six to seven months before the delivery at a government hospital," the Union minister said."The whole expenditure will be borne by the union health ministry," he said and expressed hope that the entire country will take benefit of the scheme.

Change of Name
I Mahak Kumari D/O Daldeep Kumar R/O Chak Jawahar, PO Ramgarh Teh & Distt. Samba, I want to change my name from Mahak Kumari to Mehak Malhotra if anyone have objection contact concerned authorities within 7 days.

Mr. Aamir Ali, Deputy Chief Warden, Civil Defense; Mr. B K Kaul, Sales Head Kashmir-Aircel; Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad Rather, Medical Superintendent, Govt. L D Hospital; Dr. JavaidIqbal, Department of Hematology & Blood Bank Officer, Govt. L D Hospital. Mr. Aamir Ali and Dr. Mushtaq appreciated the initiative taken by Aircel and requested other corporate houses in J&K to come forward and participate in such types

of Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Dr. Javaid Iqbal on the occasion said,"It feels great that besides connecting people Aircel also helps in managing blood donation camps and has actively participates in other CSR activities like give way to Ambulance, Anti Narcotics Campaign,setting up free calling camps during Leh Flash Flood etc. More public awareness is required so that we achieve our target where-

in 100% blood is made available in our blood banks as and when required." According to estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) India needs approximately 12 million units of blood every year. A shortage of this valuable resource has a major impact on victims of road traffic accidents and trauma victims, women with complicated pregnancies, children suffering from thalassemia, and people undergoing major surgeries.

Page 3.qxd 8/4/2013 1:40 PM Page 1

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2013

STATE
SHRI AMARNATHJI YATRA-2013

3
Khajuria inaugurates reconstruction of overhead water tank Gujjar Nagar
JAMMU, JUNE 22: BJP National Executive Member & Jammu East MLA Ashok Khajuria, along with Jammu District President Rajesh Gupta, visited Water supply station of PHE in Gujjar Nagar area of W.No. 6 and inaugurated the work for complete dismantling and reconstruction of an overhead tank, which had developed cracks and was closed. Ashok Khajuria, on this occasion, said that the overhead tank which was constructed to supply drinking water in Gujjar Nagar, Bawe Wali Gali, Christian Colony in W.Nos. 5, 6 & 7 of Jammu East constituency, could not serve the purpose and instead of meeting the need of drinking water it was now posing threat to the adjoining areas. He said that keeping in view this the decision to dismantle it and get reconstructed was taken for the benefit of the public. He said that complete demolition will take three months at an expenditure of Rs. 18 lakh and thereafter rupees 202 lakh will be spent for its reconstruction. Ashok Khajuria expressed concern over encroachment of land around Maha Maya forest adding that the

Governor reviews arrangements at Baltal-Domel-Panjtarni-Holy Cave Camps

SRINAGAR, JUNE 22: Mr. N. N. Vohra, Governor, who is Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, reviewed the arrangements for the forthcoming Shri Amarnathji Yatra and visited the Yatra Camps at Baltal, Domel, Panjtarni and Holy Cave today to take stock of the arrangements so far made.The Governor, accompanied by Mr. Navin K. Choudhary, Chief Executive Officer of the Shrine Board, inspected the arrangements at the Holy Cave, Panjtarni and Domel and held meetings with the concerned officers at these three Camps. Later, he inspected the arrangements at the Baltal Base Camp and chaired a high level review meeting there. Among those present in the review meeting at the Baltal Base Camp included Mr. Navin K. Choudhary, Principal Secretary to the Governor and CEO, SASB; Mr. P. S. Sandhu, IG BSF; Mr. Sarmad Hafiz, Deputy June.The Governor while reviewing the positioning of Mountain Rescue Teams on the track and the Disaster Management measures emphasized the need for ensuring prompt response in case of any emergent situation. For this purpose, he asked all the concerned agencies to ensure greater coordination at all levels.The Governor asked the Langar organizations to provide only the prescribed Food Menu diet to pilgrims. He impressed upon all the Departments, service providers and all other stakeholders to maintain cleanliness and ensure protection of environment and ecology in the Yatra area. He issued instructions for taking stringent sanitation measures and keeping the area neat and clean. During his visit to Domel, the Governor reviewed arrangements in regard to Access Control Gate management and shelters put in place for the convenience of Yatris in case of bad weather.

Commissioner, Ganderbal; Mr. Shahid Mehraj, SP, Ganderbal; Brig (Retd) Khanna from the National Disaster Management Authority; Mr. R. K. Pandita, GM (Works), SASB; senior officers of the Police and Security Forces and concerned District and Divisional officers of PDD, PHE, CAPD, PWD (R&B), Health, Forests and Environment, Labour, Animal Husbandry, BSNL and the other con-

cerned Departments. Taking an extensive review of the arrangements put in place to facilitate the Yatris, the Governor asked all the concerned Government Departments, service providers and all other agencies to complete the entire remaining work on this axis also before 26th June 2013 so that all the arrangements and logistics are positioned well in time before the commencement of the Yatra on 28th

Sadhotra stresses on parent-teacher synergy for harmonious growth of children

JAMMU JUNE 22Minister for Planning, Development Labour and Employment, Mr Ajay Kumar Sadhotra today stressed the need for outreach of education with adequate infrastructural facilities to enable rural children grow in standard and quality academic environs. Laying the foundation stone of a new school complex at Lachmanpura in Marh Constituency here this afternoon, the Minister said the government has taken several initiatives in this regard with focus on raising adequate infrastructural facilities apart from quality faculty and other requirements related to teaching. role of the parents in maintaining close rapport with teachers for monitoring the performance of their children, On the occasion, the Minister spelled out the measures taken by the government under the stewardship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for rural uplift and economic emancipation of the people. He said that major focus is being laid on weaker section of the society and women, adding that it is imperative for the harmonious growth of the society. The minister said that the progress of the state would remain a distant dream unless adequate opportunities are created for the youth.

JDA approved Rs. 579 lakh for development of Parks

JAMMU, JUNE 22- Vice Chairman, Jammu Development Authority, Satesh Nehru convened a meeting of senior officers of the department to review the progress registered in the development works undertaken by the department. During the meeting Vice Chairman sanctioned Rs.579 lakh for the Parks and Sabzi Mandi which would be developed on modern lines. It was apprised that Rs. 370 lakh would be utilized for the development of Maharaj Hari Singh Park at Tawi front, Rs 53 lakh for the development of green belt at Narwal fruit mandi, Rs. 27 lakh for the development of park at Durga Nagar, Rs. 5 lakh for Ram Vihar at old Janipura, Rs. 5 lakh for Installation of High Mast lights at Trikuta Nagar Parks, and Rs. 119 lakh for the development/construction of New Sabzi Mandi, opposite Director School Education at Palloura which will be constructed on modern pattern. All these works are being executed on the directions of Nawang Rigzin Jora, Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies during his tour of Jammu city

encroachments and cutting of forests will lead to Kedar Nath type mishap. He said that the golf ground of Sidhra is causing threat to the very existence of historical Peer-Kho area and the government should take immediate steps to check such developmental activities which are not desirable for the area and its residents. Khajuria appealed the people of Jammu to not to get provoked by communal forces and maintain and keep up the time-old glorious tradition of brotherhood and communal harmony. He said that brotherhood and communal harmony have been the centuries old golden tradition of Dogras and Jammuites. When Punjab and Kashmir valley were engulfed in communal and sectarian violence, Jammu

was an island of peace, tranquillity and brotherhood and did not get swayed by the provocations of communal forces. He said that Jammu and state can progress only when we maintain brotherhood and mutual trust which is essential for unshackling the energies of the people for progress and development.Rajesh Gupta expressed gratitude to the MLA for his untiring efforts and exertions for development and welfare of the constituency. He said that the every area of Jammu East constituency has witnessed change due to development after the sitting MLA got elected to the assembly. Rashida Begum, former Corporator of the area, thanked the PHE department and the MLA for making joint efforts for this work.

Azad reviews health scenario of JK

SRINAGAR, JUNE 22: Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad today launched new welfare scheme for the pregnant women in the country. Under the newly announced scheme, every pregnant woman from initial pregnancy stage to delivery would receive free treatment and transport facilities from her home to hospital and back. The Scheme envisages that the Government will bear all the expenses on the hospitalization of women besides the new born babies would be provided medical care up to one year.The announcement was made by the Minister while chairing a high-level meeting of officers, convened here to review the implementation process of Centrally Sponsored schemes under health sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Elaborating details about the newly launched sops for the mother and child, Mr. Azad said that under Janani

The additional complex block will cost Rs. 11.24 lakhs in the local Government School. He said the government has devised a mechanism whereunder steps have been initiated to meet the infrastructural requirements of academic institutions in a phased manner. He said the schools lack-

ing facilities especially in the rural areas have been identified and included in the plans for their phased development. The Minister urged the student community and the teaching fraternity to put in their best for achieving the goals set in the field of education. He also stressed the

Announces 600 new health centres for State, special sops for women folk in country

Power shutdown
JAMMU, JUNE 22- In order to carry out the branch cutting and stabilization of 11 KV feeders C-7, C-8 and C-16, the power supply to Bhagwati Nagar, Puran Nagar, Kabir Colony, Vikas Lane, Nitco Lane, Gole Pulli, Talab Tillo and PHE installations and adjoining areas fed from 33/11 KV Receiving Station Canal shall remain affected on June 23, 24 and 25, 2013 from 7 a m to 10 a m. The shutdown is subject to fair weather conditions.

Agar Jitto Mela gets underway

KATRA, JUNE 22: The three day historic Agar Jitto Mela got underway on Saturday amidst full cultural & religious ambience as thousands of devotes turned up at the local Temple Shrine today at Agar Jitto village near here.The visitors included Shri Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims, besides people from across the state turned up at the venue. The DDC Reasi, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, formally inaugurated the mela. Complimenting the people of the area and pilgrims from across the country, the DDC said that such type of festivals provide an opportunity to know about the culture & tradition of a particular area and help in strengthening communal amity and promote people to people contact .The DDC said that efforts would be made to add more attractions to this historic Mela in near future so as to make it a popular among the people.The Staging of its highly acclaimed Dogri Play 'Baba Jitto' by Natrang Theatre Group, besides traditional Dangal organized by J&K Indian Wrestling Association were main attraction of the Mela on day one.A free Medical Camp by Keshav Ashram was also organised to benefit the rural populace. The government departments including Agriculture, Horticulture, Handloom, employment, RDD, besides J&K bank have put up their stalls to educate people about the self-employment and other schemes being offered by them and also to display their products, while Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in collaboration with State Bank OF India (SBI) has set up an awareness stall to educate people about fake currency.

Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karikram (JSSK), the Government has extended more incentives for the pregnant women to facilitate their safe institutional deliveries. "Now onward every pregnant woman right from the day first of her conceiving the baby and till the delivery, the Government will bear all expenses on her treatment, including transportation from her home to hospital and back besides medication. In case of caesarians, the women will be entitled to get free treatment up to 45 days", he said and added that the Government would also bear all expenses

on the treatment of sick born babies up to one year of delivery. Union Health Minister that Central Government has also announced free treatment for the patients who are suffering from serious ailments like Cancer, heart ailments, kidney and liver problems. He said Government bears all expenditure on the treatment of poor patients in all Government hospitals where these facilities are available after completion of certain formalities. He exhorted upon the Chief Medical Officers/Block Medical Offices to create awareness amongst the patients for availing these benefits.

Ensure every facility to Amarnath yatries: Bhalla to admn

Calls for regular market inspection to keep check on overcharging, quality of eatables
JAMMU, JUNE 22-Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Culture, Mr Raman Bhalla today reviewed the essential services delivery scenario in Jammu and its peripheries, besides the arrangements made by the administration to ensure smooth conduct of ensuing Amarnath Yatra, at a high level meeting here today at Civil Secretariat. Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Mr Pardeep Gupta, Inspector General of Police Mr. Rajesh Kumar, District Development Commissioner Mr. Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Commissioner Jammu Municipal Corporation, Mr. Kuldeep Lal Khajuria, Joint Director Tourism Mr. Shiv Kumar Gupta, Superintending Engineer, Power Development Department Mr. Gurbachan Singh, General Manager SRTC Mr. R. S Jamwal besides other senior officers from Tourism, PDD, PHE, JMC, R&B, police were present in the meeting. The Divisional

Congress must for development of State: MP Madan Lal

SUNDERBANI JUNE 22 :- Madan Lal Sharma Member Parliament Jammu Poonch Constituency addressed a public meeting at Dharpur Sunderbani said that for the development of State Congress is must as this is the only party which can ensure social justice and empowerment to all sections of the society . He appealed the people to unite and vote Congress to power in both Centre and State. He directed the officers to make new projects under various schemes like PMGSY, NABARD, CRF, and MGNREGA etc. to ensure better connectivity without which progress of the people is not possible. MP also termed the issues of Refugees as genuine and appealed the State Government to resolve them on top priority. He informed people that Congress led Government has brought a food security bill in the parliament by virtue of which 75-80 percent of Rural people and 50 percent of Urban poor will get food on negligible price for all members of the family and flaying the BJP for blocking food security bill in the Parliament. Mr. Sharma felt that the people residing in

Annual Trishul Bhaint Yatra on July 1st

DODA, JUNE 22-With a view to review the necessary arrangements for the Annual Trishul Bhant Yatra to Padder district Kishtwar, District Development commissioner Doda, Mubarak Singh convened a meeting of officers here today. DDC impressed upon the officers to put in coordinated efforts during the yatra so that the pilgrims/do not face any sort of inconvenience. Various issues were discussed in detail during the meeting which include supply of drinking water, Security, Uninterrupted Power Supply, sanitation, fire wood, Medicare facility besides other necessary arrangements were also discussed. As per programme, this year the famous Trishul Bhaint Yatra, Bhagwati Chandi Jagran would be at Doda city on 29th of July at 8:00 P.M and Departure of the Yatra from Doda city would be on 1st of July at 8:00 A.M. The meeting was attended Chief Planning Officer Doda, Dy. S.P (HQ) Doda, Xen PHE, PDD, Tehsildar Doda, Assistant Director CA&PD, CMO Doda, Executive officer Municipal committee Doda and other district officers.

Commissioner apprised the Minister about the arrangements being made by the administration for the smooth conduct of Amarnath Yatra. He said adequate accommodation, power, Medicare, free langer, ration, transport, boarding and lodging , provision of safe drinking water, sanitation, registration counters , ATM and communication facilities have been made for the yatrires at Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas the Jammu base camp for Shri Amarnath Yatra . He also informed that control

rooms have been established at all the halting stations. He informed that the first batch of yatries will leave from Yatri Niwas to Shri Amarnath Holy cave on June 27 at 5 a m in SRTC buses. The Minister instructed to the all line departments to work in tandem to ensure that the visiting Amarnath Yatries get all basic facilities. He also asked the PHE Department to made available drinking water facilities in sufficient quantity to the yatries at Yatri Niwas in Bhagwati Nagar. He directed them to install water

supply post from Canal hea d to Yatri Niwas for the convenience of the yatries. The Minister asked for regular market inspections to keep a check on overcharging by traders, transporters, besides quality of food and eatables at hotels, restaurants and roadside vendors. Mr Bhalla issued instruction to the Power Development Department (PDD) to gear up men and machinery for providing regular power supply at Yatri Niwas and also set up base camps in city of temples.

remote villages are not benefitted from the ongoing developmental schemes launched by Union Government lack of drinking water, power supply and poor road connectivity bears testimony to this fact. He directed the officers from various departments present on the occasion to ensure that these unprivileged people must be connected with developmental schemes to realize the mission of State and Centre Government. MP announces Rs.05 lacs from his constituency fund as a contribution for completion of the pending road. Prominent among present on the occasion and spoke include Shri Kuldeep Raj Verma Vice Chairman OBC, Satpaul Sharma, Rajinder Sharma, Pushpinder Gupta, Sarpanch Tirath Ram Sharma, Rashpaul, Yashpaul and many more.

AGE 4.qxd 8/4/2013 1:39 PM Page 1

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2013

EDUCATION AGE

4
Dun, Coimbatore etc. * Zoological Parks * Wildlife Ranges * Education sector as tutors * Green watchers, Wildlife Trust of India, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Environment Awareness Society, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) etc are some of the national and international voluntary organizations that actively work towards the preservation and conservation of wildlife and forests. Entry into the Central government is through the Indian Forest Service (IFS) examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. Applicants with a graduate degree in animal husbandry and veterinary science, botany, chemistry, geology, mathematics, physics, statistics, zoology, agriculture, forestry or engineering, and between 21 years and 30 years of age are eligible to apply. Initial training is at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy, after which the selected candidates are trained at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy at Dehra Dun. They are then posted as the assistant conservator, district conservator, conservator, chief conservator, principal conservator, and the inspector general of forests. The senior most post is that of the Environment Secretary in the Union Government. REMUNERATIONS In the government sector, the starting salary is per government pay scales: * Junior scale Rs 8000 to Rs 13500 * After 4 years Rs 10000to Rs 15200 * Junior Administrative Grade Rs 12000 to Rs 16050 * Selection Grade Rs 14300 to Rs 18300 * Conservator of forests Rs 16400 to Rs 20000 * Chief Conservator of forests Rs 18400 to Rs 22400 * Principal Conservator of forests Rs 22400 to Rs 24500 * Inspector General Rs 26000 Indian Forests Service officials are also entitled to accommodation, official vehicle, telephone and other government allowances. Those with qualification in forest management find jobs with multinationals, Indian firms, NGOs can expect to get a salary of Rs12000 to Rs16000 per month.

CAREER FORUM: FORESTRY

INTRODUCTION Forestry is the science of the development and care of forests; the management of growing timber. Forestry or forest management is considered as both independent scientific branch and practical field, containing many aspects of forestry, which formulates synthetic conclusions indicating the main directions of management. It is engaged in formation of relation between nature and the man on the basis of knowledge of forest state, demand society for forest functions as well as scientific achievements and experience in solving the problems of running and organic structure of forest. Issues like global warming, deforestation, global climatic change, water scarcity, natural disasters, etc, are all related to the effective and controlled use of forest wealth. With 175 million hectares constituting wasteland and another 110 million hectare forming severely degraded land in India, the need of the hour is to rejuvenate it through forestry-related programs. The profession of forestry has experienced rapid and perceptible changes in the last years. What used to be considered as a business and a responsibility of the local villagers has turned into a field of global concern where the preservation and conservation of biodiversity play a main role. "The study of nature has no beginning and it has no end," Jim Corbett had said in Jungle Lore. And the forests of our country provide an opportunity to spend a lifetime in admiring nature and make a living at the same time. In the remote areas of India, where a sizable proportion of the population depends on forests, directly or indirectly for the raw materials, employment and other daily needs, forestry is the main source of employment. In these areas appropriate steps are undertaken towards energy conservation, proper utilization of wastelands and goods and services are also produced. NATURE OF WORK Forester takes care of forest resources by protecting them from fire, pests, disease, encroachment and indiscriminate felling of trees . Their tasks typically involve: * They advise clients on good forestry practices * They advising woodland owners on planting design and species choice, budgeting, public access, ecological surveys, and forest certification; * They are entrusted with the task of organizing the growing, harvesting, marketing and sale of timber; * Annual work programs are planned and implemented by them and they ensure the effective use of resources to meet the current objectives of the forest area; * They supervising forest workers and contractors in the field * They help in wasteland development * They contact the customers, landowners, timber merchants, the public and local authorities * Liaising with and working on many projects with other professionals, such as landscape architects, biologists, surveyors and engineers, and charitable bodies * They have to attend meetings of professional bodies * Keeping up to date with legal changes and other developments; * Budgets are planned and controlled by them and they prepare costing and financial forecasts Forest managers/foresters are also involved in forest protection, which is a wide-ranging part of the role reflecting the government's desire to promote sustainable forest management. This includes: * Conducting research in areas such tree improvement and entomology; * Monitoring existing forestry practices; * Protecting forests from illegal felling, pests and diseases; * Ensuring that the presence of forests does not affect the surrounding environment and wildlife by damaging wildlife habitats, water supplies or soil. * They help in promoting eco tourism CAREER OPTIONS They can work as a Forester: The forester is responsible for protecting and regenerating forests, protecting wildlife habitats, checking for and fighting wild fires, landscape management and so on. Dendrologists: Their work involves research on the history, life span, measuring, grading, classifying the varieties of trees, and studying ways and means of tree improvement through aforestation etc. Ethnologists: An ethnologist studies and analyses the evolution, behavior, biological functions etc. of an organism in its natural environment. Ethnologists design healthy habitats for animals in zoos, aquariums, and laboratories and also study animal behavior. Entomologists: Entomologists specialize in the study and control of diseases caused by insects and pests. Silviculturists: Silviculture is an aspect of Forestry that refers to the growth of plantations that yield periodic harvests. Forest Range Officers: Forest range officers take care of public forests, sanctuaries, botanical gardens etc. They have conservators, loggers and other junior personnel working with them. Zoo curators: They are responsible for animal welfare in the zoos and also undertake conservation programs. Zoo curator plays a role in the administration of zoo functions and captive breeding programs. Other than career options mentioned above forestry specialists from India are finding jobs abroad as wildlife consultants for esteemed organizations. The most important of these being the World Wildlife Fund(WWF). Many organizations are hiring Indian personnel for working in countries like Kampuchea, Vietnam, South Africa, and other such countries. PROFESSIONAL COURSES Those with Physics, Chemistry and Biology at the intermediate level can go for B.Sc Forestry course. Further the master's level offers specialization in subjects like Forest Management, Commercial Forestry, Forest Economics, Wood Science & Technology, Wildlife Science, Veterinary Science etc. PGDFM is a field-based course, which combines managerial qualities concordant with the demands made by the forestry sector. Courses in Forestry and Forest Services are: * B.Sc Forestry * M.Sc Forestry * B.Sc Wildlife * M.Sc Wildlife * M.Sc Wood Science & Tech. Colleges, Institutions and Universities There are many institutions all over India conducting courses on forestry and wildlife, few are: * Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke , Ranchi * Forestry Research Institute, Dehra Dun * Indian Institute of Forest Management, Nehru Nagar, Bhopal. * Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneshwar.

* Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehra Dun (affiliated to Saurashtra University, Rajkot) * College of Horticulture And Forestry, Solan * College Of Agricultural Engineering & Technology, Dr. Punjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, P O Krishinagar, Akola * Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli * College Of Agricultural Engineering, Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana * College Of Agriculture, Patnagar * University Of Agricultural Sciences Bangalore, Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra, Bangalore * College Of Agriculture And Regional Research Station, Dharwad * Jawharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Krishi Nagar, Agartala, Jabalpur * Orissa University Of Agriculture & Technology, Faculty Of Agriculture, Bhubaneswar, Khurda ELIGIBILITY Various courses in forestry are available, at the graduate, postgraduate and diploma level, as well as at the Ph.D. level. Those with Physics, Chemistry and Biology at the intermediate level can go for B.Sc Forestry course, which is a 3year degree course. Further the master's level (2 years) offers specialization in subjects like Forest Management, Commercial Forestry, Forest Economics, Wood Science & Technology, Wildlife Science, Veterinary Science etc. The Indian Institute of Forest Management

(IIFM), Nehru Nagar, Bhopal offers a study program in Forest Management. There are also opportunities for doing Ph.D in Forestry at the recognized centers. Those with Bachelors degree in related subjects can appear for Indian Forest Service exam conducted by Union Public Service Commission. Specialization One can specialize in subjects like: * Agriculture economics * Agriculture statistics * Agro forestry * Forest products * Microbiology * Silviculture * Soil sciences * Waste management and tree improvement and genetic resources CAREER PROSPECTS Foresters can work in offices, laboratories or outdoors depending on their field of specialization. Employment opportunities exist with * Governmental, non-governmental organizations interested in preservation of forest resources * Corporate having own plantations for timbering * Industries that utilize forest resources employ industrial and agricultural consultants * Indian Council Of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) and its affiliated Forestry research institutes such as Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, Institute of Social Forestry and Eco-rehabilitation, Allahabad etc. * Wildlife Research Institutes in Dehra

Four from Andhra Pradesh make Private medical colleges in Pondy surrender 265 MBBS aseats Symbiosis launches skill development it to top 10 in IIT-JEE Advanced
HYDERABAD: Two students from Hyderabad secured the top two ranks in the Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced), which guarantees admission in the IITs across the country. Two others from the state, including a girl student, made it to the top 10 out of the 1.15 lakh candidates who sat for the exam on June 2. Seventeen-year-old P Sai Sandeep Reddy, a resident of Prakasam district who studied in a school in Madhapur, secured the first rank with 332 marks out of 360, officials said. He was followed closely by A Ravi Chandra, a resident of Hyderabad, who got 330 marks, securing him the second rank. "I am a big fan of Harry Potter and I love to read story books whenever I get time," said an overjoyed Sai Sandeep Reddy. Son of a school teacher, Sandeep prepared hard for the exam by devoting 12-14 hours per day in the three months leading up to the JEE exam. "I am still dazed. I never thought I would top the exam," Sandeep said. The tall lanky boy, who dreams of carrying out research in robotics in IIT Mumbai, said he was immediately heading to the Shirdi Sai Baba temple with his parents to offer thanksgiving prayers. Ravi Chandra, son of a central government employee, said he wants to carry out research in computer sciences. "I expected to be among the toppers but never did I think that I would be able to secure the second rank," said Chandra, who studied in the same Madhapur institute as Sandeep. Asked what he did to blow off steam, he said he loved to watch films and added that his inspiration was his brother who is studying in IIT Madras. Out of the 1,15,971 candidates who took the exams, around 21,110 qualified. Two female candidates, including S Leena Madhuri from Tirupati, made it to the top 10 ranks for the first time. Leena, who stood eight with 314 marks said she studied for 15-16 hours leading up to the examination. "I also love playing chess and watch television," she said. Meanwhile, M Viswa Virinchi, a resident of Kukatpally, who secured the first rank with in the JEE (Mains) with 345 marks, had to be contended with seventh rank in the advanced exam. Virinchi, who secured 315 marks, said he used to spend his free time taking piano lessons and wants to be an engineer. The JEE Advanced results were declared two days in advance, but officials said the admissions would be done only from June 24 as planned. The examination had two objective papers comprising physics, chemistry and mathematics. Candidates have to qualify the exam to get admission into any of the 15 IITs in the country including IITHyderabad. The JEE (main) scores were an eligibility test for the advanced exam. PUDUCHERRY: A total of 265 seats have been surrendered by seven private medical colleges in Puducherry, official sources said on Saturday. This was done at a meeting chaired by chief minister N Rangasamy. Representatives of the managements of theses colleges were also present. These seats would be used to sponsor candidates for the MBBS course in the private medical colleges here through Centralised Admission Committee, popularly known as CENTAC, during the current academic year 2013-2014. A release from the secretary to health G.Ragesh Chandra said these seven colleges have surrendered 265 seats in MBBS course for the government. Four deemed colleges out of the seven institutions have surrendered 122 seats while the remaining three colleges affiliated to Pondicherry University have earmarked the remaining seats. These colleges together have an intake of 900 seats.

courses

India-US higher education dialogue 2013 to be held on June 25

NEW DELHI: The HRD minister M M Pallam Raju and visiting US secretary of state John F Kerry are to co-chair India-US Higher Education Dialogue on June 25, 2013 in New Delhi. During the dialogue, the two sides will take up research and innovation partnership under Singh-Obama Knowledge Initiative, institutional partnership and skill development as well as promotion of community colleges in India and technology enabled education including massive open online courses. IIT - Bombay is entering into an MoU with Edx. The intended outcome also includes twoway students' mobility from India to USA and vice-versa. India and US will also take up linkage between industry and academia and faculty development. They are also expected to take up issues like post doctoral research and co-operation in training for the school teachers. The HRD minister had visited USA last month for forging linkages and collaborations in the field of higher education. The educational relations have intensified between India and USA after the visit of the PM of India to USA in 2009 and reciprocal visit of the USA President Barack Obama to India in 2010. The first India-US Higher Education summit was convened at Washington DC in Oct, 2011. During the dialogue, major announcements are expected. This includes second round of Singh-Obama Knowledge Initiative Awards which have 8 joint research programmes under it, first batch of 126 Raman Fellows, who are being sponsored by UGC to take up post-doctoral research in US institutions and "Connect India" programme for US students to come to India. To promote community colleges in India, a framework has been developed by the HRD ministry after the first India-US Higher Education Summit and International Conference on Community Colleges. It was organized in February this year in the Indian capital. Following un-precedented response from both academia and the industry, five community college principals/leaders will be sponsored for a visit to community colleges in US for the leadership development. The two sides may also agree to promote cyber networks through IIT Delhi and University of Nebraska. The Plenary session will be followed by three working session on students mobilities and research collaborations, community colleges and technology enabled education. The working sessions would be cochaired by Secretary (HE) Ashok Thakur and US Under Secretary of State Tara Sonenshine.

All state-owned universities in Odisha to be digitized

BHUBANESWAR: All state-owned universities in Odisha would embrace latest technologies in a phased manner to become digital varsities akin to their counterparts in Maharashtra, official sources said. The state-owned Odisha Knowledge Corporation Limited (OKCL) would soon sign MoUs with Utkal University, Ravenshaw University, Berhampur University, Sambalpur University, Fakir Mohan University and North Odisha University to replicate the Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited's model of digital university, secretary, higher education, Gagan Dhal said. OKCL, of which the chief secretary is chairman, is under the administrative jurisdiction of the higher education department. "All the universities have made their presentations regarding their plans to digitize various operations. Their respective syndicates have to give the go-ahead for the MoUs," Dhal told. "This is one of our major initiatives as part of our efforts to reform the higher education sector," he added. Official sources said the digital university model would help varsities offer a one-stop solution to different issues like managing students and colleges. Students as well as officers would gain from it. "Students would benefit as they would be given personalized login to access e-learning, exam schedules, different kinds of relevant alerts, information and documents online," an officer said. For university administrators, digitization would aid them in minimizing paper work and better manage the application, academic examination and administrative processes, sources noted. Officials said the e-facility could be extended to college students and facilitation centres can be set up to assist in implementing the project. On an experimental basis, the project will be tested in certain educational institutes this year before being fully implemented in 2014-15 academic session. Varsity and college officials will be trained to deal with the software under the project, sources added.

PUNE: The Symbiosis Institute of Skill Development (SISD) has launched new courses for backhoe loader, fork lift operator and crane operator training from this year. "Upcoming projects like Pune Metro, Mumbai Bangalore industrial corridor, Delhi Mumbai industrial corridor will create huge job opportunities for crane, backhoe and fork lift operators," said Swati Mujumdar, principal director of the Symbiosis Open Education Society (SOES) at the launch ceremony. She said, "These training programmes can help unemployed youth and college drop outs to acquire employable skills and obtain jobs in the fast growing sectors such as construction and infrastructure development." The skill development institute, located at Daravali near Paud, about 20 km from Pune, is a part of the SOES and offers basic and advance skill development courses in high growth sectors such as automotives, manufacturing and construction industries, among others. "In the fast growing construction and manufacturing sector, use of modern heavy construction and material handling equipment has been on the rise. This has led to a huge demand for skilled operators," Mujumdar said. P N Mehta, head (training), Escorts Limited, said, "Skilled operators can help reduce cost on fuel and maintenance." Godrej deputy general manager Sudhir Vaidya also commended the SISD effort towards exploring newer avenues for skill development studies. Vivek Sinare, who heads the SISD, and project coordinator Amol Jadhav were among those present.

PAGE 5.qxd 8/4/2013 1:39 PM Page 1

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2013

EDITORIAL

5
saries alike, due to immediate political factors and policy choices. The Congress from the 1920s to the 1960s has a near monopolistic claim on Patel, or Nehru for that matter. The Congress from the 1960s onward no longer has that exclusive claim. There is the argument that the BJP is hijacking Patel because it has no pre-1947 stalwarts of its own, foundational figures who suffered in the cause of India's independence. This is a decidedly problematic contention. At the simplest level, the BJP has no freedom fighter in its ranks because the BJP did not exist before 1947. An earlier incarnation of the Congress did. More substantially, is it correct to say there was no Hindu nationalist or Hindu political quotient to the freedom struggle? To do so would be to disown an entire strain of the pre1947 era. This strain was most evident in Maharashtra, Bengal and Punjab. It can be traced back to at least the assassination of Walter Rand, the Plague Commissioner of Poona, by the Chapekar brothers on this day (another coincidence) in 1897. It is worth noting that Bal Gangadhar Tilak, part of what was then considered the Congress right or its 'Extremist' faction, met Damodar Chapekar at Yeravada prison shortly before the latter was hanged. While he had no role in the murder, Tilak was moved by Damodar's love for his country and in fact organised his cremation. Does Chapekar belong to India or to the BJP? If one goes by the contention that history must be current-day politics by other means, and that only the Congress has a claim on Patel, then there would the inevitable and ridiculous conclusion that only a party of the Hindu right can extol the Chapekar brothers. The past is too complex for such neat boundaries. It is not without reason that both the Akalis and the Indian Left can invoke the Ghadar Movement that electrified Punjab a hundred years ago. What draws Mr Modi to Patel? It is common to stress that the Gujarat Chief Minister, like Mr LK Advani before him, covets an 'Iron Man' image. Even if true, this is a facile argument. A deeper analysis is necessary. There is a robust sub-culture in Gujarat that believes Patel has not been given his due by the establishment in Delhi and its school of historiography. This is no different from a similar belief among significant sections of Bengal that feel Bose has been treated unfairly. Neither is it an electoral issue. The 2014 poll is certainly not going to be a referendum on how the Congress may or may not have treated Bose or Patel. Nevertheless both are social issues. It is possible, even probable, that Mr Modi is one of the innumerable Gujaratis who hold a grudge on behalf of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. On its treatment of Patel, the Congress (today's political party, not the historical entity) is on the defensive. Take Patel's Bharat Ratna. It was awarded posthumously in 1991, 41 years after the man had died. In contrast, Nehru was given the Bharat Ratna in 1955 and Indira Gandhi in 1971 (both by Governments they headed). Rajiv Gandhi got it posthumously in 1991, just before the conferment on Patel. This represented a strange oversight. In the interim period, even K Kamaraj (posthumously in 1976) and MG Ramachandran (posthumously in 1988) had been awarded the Bharat Ratna - but not Patel. It took PV Narasimha Rao's Government to redress that wrong and name Patel for the Bharat Ratna. Rao, of course, headed a Congress Government, and the party would want to claim that Government's act as its own.Yet, the Congress is wary of claiming Rao himself as its own. These twists an turns of legacy

ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER

ndians love moralizing. So even when moralizing is not intended, the moral tone infects the use and order of language, obscuring contexts and turning perception on its head. The statement of the judge in the Madras High Court, C.S. Karnan, to the effect that when two consenting adults satisfy their "sexual cravings" they become equivalent to "husband and wife" provoked widespread alarm, outrage, laughter and sarcasm that obscured the immediate context of the judge's pronouncement. The judge was actually ruling in favour of a woman who had been discarded by a man she had lived with for five years and with whom she had had two children. She was asking for maintenance which the man had refused, arguing that they were not legally married. The court upheld the primacy of the 'relationship' over legal technicalities, a position inaugurated by the 2010 judgment of the Supreme Court that recognized live-in relationships as something akin to a marriage.The judge supported a position very different from fusty morality that would condemn a woman 'living in sin'. But the formulation of the statement seemed to carry the same sort of condemnation, suggesting that if people can decide to satisfy their "sexual cravings" they jolly well pay for it by getting hitched, at least in effect if not in law. That is a terrifying thought, almost a warning against premarital sex. Moralizing structures are so deep-rooted in the Indian mind that they seep into the way thoughts are ordered in language. The language also exposes the pulls and pressures operating in a rapidly changing society and the efforts of law and its interpretation to keep pace with these changes. Therefore there lingers the suggestion of criminalizing premarital sex while the statement professedly aims at something totally different. The court, given the context, was not talking about casual individuals, but of a couple in a relationship. In that limited field, the ruling is both welcome and heartening. But taken out of context, the dangers posed by the perceived ambiguities in the court's order are many. The problem is that the Indian moralizing tendency is compounded in this case by an even more messy issue, sex. Distorted, the position can be used to support the forced marriages of rape survivors to their rapists, a terrible practice that society as well as the police often try to push through. Then, by appearing to equate sexual relations with marriage, the order seems to suggest that sex is for procreation, a position that is at odds with the very changes the judiciary is apparently trying to keep pace with. It is difficult, if not impossible, to decide on the legal status of consensual sex between adults, premarital, extramarital, casual or whatever it may be. Once this truth is faced, and digested, the sky will begin to clear and forwardlooking orders may become lucid.

RIDICULOUS LEVELS IN CLAIMING HISTORY, LEGACY

ASHOK MALIK
The confrontation among political parties to claim a slice of historical legacy has often stooped to ridiculous levels. Whom did BR Ambedkar, Netaji Bose or Sardar Patel belong to? What of the Chapekar brothers? Whom does history belong to? Who can claim and who cannot claim a slice of historical legacy? These are abstract, abstruse questions that seem to have acquired a life of their own in recent days on the issue of Narendra Modi's and the BJP's claim on the memory of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Was Patel a Congress leader the BJP and Modi are attempting to appropriate? Is every historical character to be judged only in terms of contemporary political lines? At which point does partisan politics become a common history? Is there a cut-off date? The trigger for this debate is, of course, the announcement in Gujarat of the plan to build a 600-foot statue of Sardar Patel, the world's tallest statue when it is completed. This is a project driven by Mr Modi and many of his opponents have criticised it as a waste of money. Ironically, on June 20, the UPA Government said it had given clearance for the construction of a 300-foot statue of Shivaji, just off Mumbai and in the Arabian Sea. On the urging of Maharashtra's Congress-led Government, environmental regulations had been relaxed. This writer is consistent that gargantuan statues, reminiscent of one-party states from the Cold War age, are hardly necessary to commemorate past figures. There has to be a tasteful and more utilitarian mechanism. Even the abundance of Babasaheb Ambedkar status across the north Indian countryside, of uneven quality and almost always painted in a loud blue, needs to be revisited at some stage. This is a personal, aesthetic view. It does not take away from the fact that Ambedkar, Patel and Shivaji are all authentic Indian heroes. Indeed, so is Jawaharlal Nehru, and someday the great man and his legacy need to be rescued from the idea that they are the intellectual property of a single party, the leadership of which is related to him. It is true Patel belonged to the Congress, but does this make him a Congress partisan in a contemporary political setting? Consider an analogy. In the late 1930s, the Congress turfed out Subhas Bose from the organisation's presidency and sought to isolate him in the leadership. Bose left, beginning a remarkable political journey. He founded the Forward Bloc on, as it happens, this day in 1939. Today, the Forward Bloc is a small Left-wing party in primarily West Bengal. Does Bose's legacy belong only to it? Can no modern Congress politician claim part of Bose's legacy, just because of 1939? Irrespective of one's voting preferences, it has to be acknowledged the Congress is a great Indian institution. Its 127-year history can be broken into roughly three phases. The first lasted from its founding in 1885 to about 1920. In this period it was a collective of emerging elites of urban India, lobbying for greater political autonomy. The second phase began when Mahatma Gandhi made it a genuine mass movement, committing it to a broader nation-building project - not just political independence but profound social reform. This phase lasted for 40 years. It ended with Nehru's death in 1964 or perhaps with the fourth general election in 1967. Whatever date one settles on, it marks the arrival of a postnational movement Congress, one without the towering leaders of the past and evoking strong reactions, from adherents and adver-

Colours, castes and a touch of the country

SUNANDA K. DATTA-RAY Down the road from where we live is a seemingly ordinary upper middle class Bengali family but of proven descent from England's King Henry II (1133-1189) and the "Fair Rosamund" whom "with envious heart queen Ellinor" murdered with a "cup of deadly poison strong" in Thomas Delone's imaginative ballad. Despite their Plantagenet blood, they wouldn't have been welcomed by the whitesonly clubs of colonial Calcutta. The Rangers, too, would have pulled up its drawbridge for they are not Anglo-Indian in law or perception. But they are part of a cosmopolitan mix that entitled Susobhan Sarkar to call Henry Derozio "a great son of Bengal" long before Mamata Banerjee's "Marwaris are as Bengali as I am" and which has again been confirmed by the excitement over Prince William's ancestry. Actually, the story isn't new. Lady Colin Campbell's biography of Princess Diana long ago mentioned "the secret they kept hidden". It was of "a dark-skinned native of Bombay who had lived, without benefit of matrimony" with Theodore Forbes, great-great-grandfather of Diana's grandmother, Lady Femoy. "Unsavoury as the taint of illegitimacy was, even at that distance in time, it was nothing compared with the stigma of what was then known as 'coloured blood' Eliza's true race was therefore expunged from the family tree and she re-emerged as Armenian. This fiction was maintained even when Diana married the Prince of Wales". Lady Colin Campbell, whom a British newspaper called "a very unladylike lady", should understand diversity. Chatting with her at the wake for a common friend who called her "Georgie" and had appointed her his executor, I learnt she was born Georgia Ariana Ziadie in race-sensitive Jamaica. Her parents were of Lebanese-Maronite Catholic-Jewish extraction with English, Irish, Portuguese and Spanish blood. She didn't tell me she was born male and married a younger son of the Duke of Argyll after gender surgery. The marriage lasted only a year though she clings to the title. Eliza Kewark couldn't have been as ethnically exotic, but was she Indian or Anglo-Indian? It's a moot point. The Government of India Act 1935 defines an Anglo-Indian as "a person whose father or any of whose other male progenitors in the male line is or was of European descent, but who is a native of India". K.C. (Bhaiya) Sen had to call his memoirs The Absolute Anglo-Indian instead of his original choice "The First Anglo-Indian" and he was incorrect even then. Since General Sir Edward Barnes, commander-in-chief of India, 183133, was his mother's great-grandfather, he wasn't Anglo-Indian at all. His paternal greatgrandfather being Brahmananda Keshub Chandra Sen, he was Indian in law like my Bengali Plantagenet neighbours. Mr Bumble knew "the law is a ass". Contrary to his view, however, the law has experience of diverse forms of matrimony. Colonel William Linnaeus Gardner, who raised Gardner's Horse (2nd Lancers), argued that "a Moslem lady's marriage with a Christian by a Kazi is as legal in this country as if the ceremony had been performed by the Bishop of Calcutta". Gardner referred to his own spouse (whose father was Nawab of Cambay) as "Her Highness the Begum" and to his son's spouse as "the niece of the Emperor, the Nawab Mulka Humanee Begum". His descendants in Uttar Pradesh's Etah district can claim a dormant barony in the United Kingdom. The 1935 Act allowed people with "the lofty names of Albuquerque and De Silva and De Souza (that) are borne by kitchen boys and cooks" as W.W. Hunter of the Indian civil service commented, to call themselves AngloIndian. He might have added Braganza, Portugal's royal family and a comic but ultimately heroic character in the film Bobby, or the Bhopal Bourbons of even grander lineage. This profusion of Anglo-Indians with not a drop of Anglo blood doesn't mean Eliza's Armenian connection would have counted for anything even if it wasn't invented like Merle Oberon's Tasmanian roots to cover up what expatriates called "a touch of the tar brush". Rumer Godden mentions a British mercantile executive having to quit his job for marrying an attractive young Armenian. A Bengali honorary white covenanted officer in a similar firm, also with an Armenian girlfriend, took the hint. Eliza may have "been" pure Indian like Job Charnock's wife. Or she may have been like the very burra memsahib of 1960s Calcutta of whom my octogenarian Indian army host at the Cavalry Club in London said 50 years later, "She had country in her, didn't she?" Expatriate English society ruthlessly tracked down and penalized mixed blood. From Herbert Stark to Wilson deRoze, articulate Anglo-Indians attributed this discrimination to the humiliations European colonists suffered in the United States of America, Haiti and San Domingo. They blamed the ban on AngloIndians studying in England and holding superior positions in the army and civil services (Standing Order of 1791) to the fear of revolt. The East India Company's grandees turned the argument round. They told J.W. Ricketts, who led the first East Indians' Petition to London in 1830 that "exclusion" was "founded upon the belief of your appearance and your colour being likely to affect you in the estimation of the natives of India". Perhaps there was some truth in both charges. When Bhaiya Sen's sister Monisha (later Chaudhuri) was invited to play the piano in a concert at the Saturday Club, the organizers suggested she do so under her mother's maiden name, Barnes. "After all, you could pass for English." Monisha refused. The snobbishness that was one of the bulwarks of the empire didn't concern only darker skins. A nephew of Sir Jeremy Raisman of the ICS who became finance member of the viceroy's council and its vice-president during World War II, told me a tale that might have been amusing were it not also sad. Raisman and his small son were visiting his mother, an Orthodox Jewish refugee from the Baltic who made ends meet in Leeds by taking in sewing. The little boy wanted to urinate and his grandmother was about to take him to the lavatory when Raisman grabbed his son and drove off to London nearly 200 miles away. He didn't want his mother to know his son wasn't circumcised. Robert Towers, US consul in Calcutta in the 1940s, mentions a colleague who affected Anglo-Saxon airs to conceal his Jewishness. No rule is absolute. Many Brits were fond of and cared for their Anglo-Indian children but did not collectively accept responsibility and resist official policy. Lord Reading, the viceroy, was Jewish. Calcutta Brits looked askance at the flamboyant "Mr Leventine" in Rumer Godden's novelThe Dark Horse, but the original was the only private person to host the future King Edward VIII when he visited Calcutta in 1921. Unlike Merle Oberon, Darjeeling-born and Calcutta-bred Anna Kashfi (Johanna O'Callaghan) who married Marlon Brando insisted she was Anglo-Indian although her parents vehemently denied any Indian blood. William's paternal antecedents may be just as mixed. Lady Colin has also written controversially about the queen mother's birth and pregnancies. A play that was banned in Britain depicted Lord Melbourne, the prime minister, agreeing to Queen Victoria's marriage only after he was convinced Prince Albert was not the son of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg but of either a Jewish chamberlain or the commoner lover the duchess later married. Melbourne preferred illegitimacy to haemophilia from the Saxe-Coburg royals. What with Spain's Moors, Ottoman Turks throughout the Balkans and Regency England's 500 or so Negro slaves who were assimilated into the population, the Oxford historian, H.A.L. Fisher wrote, "Purity of race does not exist. Europe is a continent of energetic mongrels." But like Frank Anthony, I prefer the comment by Cedric Dover, the Calcutta-born Anglo-Indian scientist and writer, "There are no half-castes because there are no full castes."

UPAs jobless growth

he Government's latest unemployment survey, which says in no uncertain terms that jobs in India are fast disappearing, reiterates the Opposition's long-standing claim that nine years of economic growth under the Congress-led UPA regime has been 'jobless' in nature. This survey, which looks only at the two years between 2010 and 2012, was specially commissioned by the Government after the regular once-every-five-years unemployment survey undertaken by the National Sample Survey Organisation painted a bleak picture that the authorities simply did not wish to see. Instead, the UPA regime dismissed the job loss figures as a result of the financial crisis of 2007-2008. In the process, it refused to acknowledge the inherent flaws of its populist job-dole policies, particularly its flagship social welfare programme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, and take any corrective measures. The result of the UPA's mindless tinkering with the labour market so as to appease its rural vote-bank with no-work jobs and easy money, is now out for all to see. In the two years between January 2010 and January 2012, the rate of unemployment rose by a shocking 10.2 per cent, as a result of which there were 10.8 million jobless persons in the country in 2012, as opposed to 9.8 million in 2010. Moreover, with the economy having further shrunk in the 18 months since then, it is safe to assume that the present-day unemployment figure is even higher. In other words, less than 38.6 per cent (the figure for 2011-2012) of the country's working-age adults presently have a job. Compare this to the fact that when the UPA first took charge in 2004, that number was up at 42 per cent. This goes hand-in-hand with the fact that in the first five years of the previous decade (during most of which the BJP-led NDA was at the helm) as many as 60 million new jobs were created, even though the growth rate was actually lower at that time. In the second half of the decade, under the aegis of the Congress-led UPA Government and when the growth rate was in fact inching towards double digits, only 2.7 million new jobs were added. Of course, the incumbent regime will be quick to point out that the latest survey shows that since 2010, it has created 13.9 million jobs. And while that does offer a silver lining, it is one that is paper-thin and clouded by the poor quality of jobs created. More than nine million of the new jobs created in those two years were the less desirable blue-collar work - mostly in construction - while employment in the manufacturing sector actually dropped. On the contrary, during the NDA years, the proportion of the labour force engaged in casual jobs fell. And that is not all. During its nine years in power, the UPA has also effectively pushed women, especially rural women, out of the labour force even though it claims to have empowered them through the MGNREGA mandate. Only 24.8 per cent of working-age, rural females joined the labour force in 2012, down from 26.1 per cent in 2010. While it is true that some of this loss may be offset by the increasing number of people who have taken to self-employment, the self-employment route has gained largely because formal employment is now harder to come by.

READER SPACE
Cancellation of Rahul's visit of Chenab Valley
DEAR EDITOR, The much awaited visit of Gen Secretary AICC Rahul Gandhi to Chenab Valley area viz Doda, Kishtwar and Bhadarwah to assess the earthquake damage and to console the victims of damage was cancelled without thinking what the residents of Chenab Valley will notice and think that which type of step motherly treatment is going on with the poor, helpless people residing in the disaster area of earth quake. Visit was cancelled due to bad weather, here I would like to bring to notice that on the scheduled visit day the weather was not so bad that helicopter could not land at Bhadarwah, whereas helicopters carrying VVIPs went to Budgam Srinagar in that weather, crossing heights of Peer Panchal Banihal mountains. Landing at Budgam to address public meetings and announcing packages there, whereas people of Chenab Valley were kept waiting, it was just rubbing salt on the wounds of earthquake victims and making residents of this area realise that, there is no leader in this country who really has sympathy with them. God forbid, if situation like this could have happened in Rai Barely, Amethi constituencies where same type of earthquakes, and aftershocks could have occurred, would Rahul Gandhi have cancelled his visit their also? Why our leaders play with the sentiments of poor people, what type of heart they have, is there no feeling for the poor people, is their motto only to win elections by playing tricks with poor, helpless people? The people of Chenab Valley living in Doda, Kishtwar, Bhadarwah and far flung areas of this mountainous area are braves of all. They have always come out of worst situations before many times, they believe in Almighty God, it is land of Sufis, saints and above all clear hearted people, hard working people. By distributing a meager quantity of ration and meager amount to the victims which the people are denying do the high command think that they are doing justice to people. This is my open question in this democratic country of India and will AICC Gen Secy. Rahul Gandhi please answer? Should the sufferers of earthquake be avoided? Whether, children, women, old and poor people of this area are to be neglected and let them sleep in open, without tents, ration and left be bitten by snakes and poisonous insects. Should the people of this area believe in the policy of Congress and vote for this party? Please tell, do our leaders deserve to lead the country keeping in view all happenings in the country? Which the whole country is closely watching. The people of Chenab Valley will be pleased to hear from your goodself about the answers of above simple queries . Keeping faith in Almighty God. YOURS ETC, KAUSHAL KOTWAL GATHA, BHADARWAH

UPA's economic mismanagement

DEAR EDITOR, People no longer take the Congress-led UPA Government's assurances seriously, and are resigned to their fate. Spiralling prices of basic commodities, growing inflation, a sluggish economy and a weak rupee are reasons enough for the people to panic. FDI inflow that does not ensure development and employment will not improve our economy. Raising a cap on FDI is not the solution, since the much-hyped 100 per cent FDI in single-brand retail did not help; nor will raising the cap in the insurance sector help. The recurring inflow of dollar through exports and reduction in imports will contain current account deficit and ensure growth. They neither abjured Islam nor did they oppose "Indianness". They were true liberals as they were free from colonialism. They cannot be compared with some of the present set of liberals, who oppose Islam. Yours Etc, Omkar Gupta Jammu

Page 6.qxd 8/4/2013 1:39 PM Page 1

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2013

NATIONAL

6
Why is UPA govt in hurry over Food Security Bill, asks Mamata
BANKURA, JUNE 22: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday asked why the UPA government was in a hurry to legislate the Food Security Bill when its continuance was in doubt, while denying that Trinamool Congress was opposed to it. "Congress is saying that they are going to pass the National Food Security Bill and the Trinamool Congress is obstructing it," Banerjee told a panchayat election meeting here in Bankura district. "You (UPA government) have not done it for over four years and now when it is time for immersion what is the hurry?" she asked. "We support the Food Security Bill. But the Centre should ensure it reaches the people," she said, doubting the efficacy of the proposed cash transfer in lieu of foodgrains when banking facilities were unavailable in remote areas. Questioning if it was feasi-

Sushma Swaraj should have been considered first for PM's post: JD(U)
NEW DELHI, JUNE 22: Hours after Lal Krishna Advani emphasised that the BJP would need to join hands with other political outfits to defeat the Congress, the Janata Dal (United) on Saturday attempted to reach out to senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, saying she should have been considered first for the prime minister's post as she is a lady and the leader of her party in the Lok Sabha. "She speaks well and is not in any controversy. But the whole nation is watching as to how this party, which talks about India's culture and civilization, sidelines a woman and an elderly," said JD (U) leader Ali Anwa. He said Advani has not given up his weapon yet. "His fight in the party is on and there are several other people like him. So, what he has said is a result of that. He is saying that the BJP cannot do anything all alone. It is a coalition era and so none of the parties can do anything all alone," said Anwar. "He is giving indications that things will not fall in place if Narendra Modi comes forward and it will be counter productive. He might realised the importance of allying with other parties opposed to the Congress rule during Jansangh's first national meet in Kanpur in 1952. "His idea is relevant in today's context as well... It is important that the party makes friends," he said days after his party lost its 17-year-old ally JD(U). Advani quoted Mukherjee on the need for the Jan Sangh to reach out to all non-Congress forces to end the hegemony of the Congress and the BJP leader went on to emphasise that the call was valid even now. Advani had earlier this month quit all his three party posts after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was appointed as the chairman of BJP's campaign committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. He was forced to do a u-turn after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat stepped in and withdrew his resignation on June 11. Advani quoted Mukherjee on the need for the Jan Sangh to reach out to all nonCongress forces to end the hegemony of the Congress and the BJP leader went on to emphasise that the call was valid even now.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

have withdrawn his resignation after taking note of the situation, but the infighting within the BJP is still on," he added. Anwar further said the BJP is plagued by infighting. "And the party which is plagued by infighting, how can it lead the nation. If Advaniji separates, how will he put forth his point? This party is damaged with internal conflicts. Did you read his blog? He mentioned

about dictatorship...They have become so narrow-minded that those outside do not want to support them," he added. Speaking at a function organised to pay tributes to Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee yesterday, the BJP veteran returned to his pet theme of need for unity of like-minded political entities to defeat the Congress. Advani said the late leader had

ble for a villager to spend Rs 40 on transport to go to collect Rs 12, she said that her government was already providing rice at Rs 2 per kg in Junglemahal despite its limited financial resources. Claiming that it was a 'political gimmick' and that the Centre did not have the required funds to implement the scheme across the country, she said "the responsibility of food security should be left by the Centre to the states."

Dwelling on her party quitting the UPA on allowing FDI in retail and other "antipeople" policies, she said her party had allied with the Congress after assurance from it at the time that it would not compromise with the CPI(M). "But I found that they did not change," she added. She reiterated that the Centre was taking away huge interest on loans taken by the former Left Front government.

NAWADA (BIHAR), JUNE 22: A local court has sentenced six persons to life imprisonment for murdering a man seven years ago. Additional Sessions Judge Baijnath also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 each on them. According to the prosecution, the six had murdered one Prem Tripathy at Govindpurdih village in Nawada district in 2006.

Six get life Hagel apologises to Indian-origin prof term for murder
WASHINGTON , JUNE 22: US defence secretary Chuck Hagel has expressed regret to an Indian-born college professor at University of Nebraska for jokingly asking, "you're not a member of the Taliban, are you?" seconds before the professor rose to ask a question. Hagel's spokesman said the joke was not directed at anyone in particular, and the defense secretary called the professor, Robin Gandhi, to tell him as much hours after the Wednesday event at the University of Nebraska, where Hagel gave a speech and took questions from the audience. Still, the remarks have drawn considerable media attention, particularly given the announcement this week that the United States and the Taliban intend to hold talks after nearly 12 years of war in Afghanistan. Hagel "expressed regret for any trouble that this caused the professor," spokesman George Little told reporters. "They had a very good discussion and (Hagel) wanted to leave no impression that this joke was directed at anyone in particular, including the professor," Little said. He noted that the defense secretary a little earlier in the program had answered a question about the Taliban, the Afghan insurgent group. Gandhi said in a statement distributed by the university that he was honored to

14 killed, 23 injured as bus rams into truck on Lucknow-Basti road

UTTAR PRADESH, JUNE 22: Fourteen people were killed and 23 others injured when a bus dashed into a stationary truck on LucknowBasti road here in Basti in the wee hours on Saturday, police said. The mishap took place around 3 am when when the overloaded bus hit the truck after one of its tyres got burst and the driver lost control over the vehicle, they said. Those killed in the mishap have been identified as Farooq, Hukumdar, Mahboob Ali, Jai Narain, Safiq (all from Sidddhartnagar), Surendra Kumar Yadav, Raj Narain Pandey, Ram Mani Pandey (all from Basti), Jitendra, Afsar Ahmed, Shahid, Taresh Kumar Yadav, Iklaq (all from Sant Kabirnagar) and an unidentified person, police said. Among the injured admitted to hospital, some are stated to be 14 killed, 23 injured as bus rams into critical, they truck on Lucknow-Basti road added. The mishap took the truck after one of its tyres place around 3 am when got burst and the driver lost when the overloaded bus hit control over the vehicle.

hear Hagel's speech and enjoyed the secretary's answer to his question about cyber weapons. "Before I rose to ask a question, there was apparently some confusion that did not involve me," Gandhi said, suggesting he too did not believe Hagel's joke was addressed at him. Nothing in the video of the event suggests Hagel knew Gandhi would be the next person to ask a question when he made the joke 12 seconds earlier. Gandhi is an assistant professor of information assurance at the University of Nebraska's College of Information Science and Technology. A university spokesman said Gandhi was born in India.

Woman gang-raped by BSF officer murders wife on suspicion Police claim leads into Manipal gangrape case taxi drivers in Rewari of an extramarital affair, hangs self as hundreds of agitated students hit streets
REWARI, JUNE 22: A 25year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by five taxi drivers in the Rewari district of Haryana, police said on Saturday. The woman was first gangraped in a rented room at Tula Ram Vihar colony and then in a room of a city hotel on Friday by the youths, they said. The victim, who is a resident of the Palwal city of Haryana and is a divorcee, came here from Gurgaon by train on Friday morning. She was enticed by a cab driver Anoop Singh who took her to his rented room in Tula Ram Vihar colony where he and his four associates, who were already present in the room, allegedly took turns to rape the woman. Later, the accused took the woman to the hotel where they again committed the crime till late in the night, police said. However, she managed to call police, who rushed to the hotel premises and apprehended two youths whereas their three accomplices managed to flee from the spot. Besides Anoop, the other accused have been identified as Ganpat, Mukhtiar Singh, Krishan of Mahendergarh district and Sunder of Kanohri village in Rewari district. A case has been registered on the basis of the complaint lodged by the woman and her family in this connection, police added. UDUPI/KARNATAKA, JUNE 22: Police on Saturday said culprits would be arrested soon in connection with the kidnap and gangrape of a medical student at Manipal, near here, as they claimed to have obtained "some leads" on the shocking incident that has triggered protests from students. "We have gathered some information from different sources. We have some leads into the kidnap and gangrape, and we are working on it. We have formed eight teams and are rigorously working on it. We hope to crack the case soon," Udupi Superintendent of Police Boralingaiah told reporters. Boralingaiah said Home Minister K.J. George would visit Udupi on Sunday to take stock of the situation. The 22-year old student from Kerala was allegedly kidnapped in Manipal University campus late night on Thursday as she was returning to her room from the library and gangraped. The victim, who has suffered a fracture in the legs and injuries on her hands and

AHMEDABAD, JUNE 22: A Border Security Force jawan murdered his wife on suspicion of having an extramarital affair before hanging himself in a well at Bhandara village in the district, police said on Ahmedabad. Ramesh Damor (28), posted in Jammu and Kashmir, had come to his native place on leave on June 18. Ramesh suspected that his wife Ila was having an extra-

marital affair and stabbed her to death using a sharp-edged weapon on Friday night before killing himself, police said. "After murdering his wife, Ramesh hanged himself with a rope in the well," Santrampur police station sub-inspector VK Jadhav said. The dead bodies were sent for postmortem to Santrampur government hospital.

neck, is being treated and recovering. Earlier on Saturday, braving rain, hundreds of students took to the streets to protest against the incident. The protest was led by Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishat (ABVP) and various other student organizations like 'Campus Front of India' and 'Girls Islamic

Organization.' The protesters demanded immediate arrest of the persons responsible for the crime and enforcement of stringent laws to curb rapes and crimes against women. The protesters also submitted a memorandum addressed to the Home Minister and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Akhilesh Yadav directs officials Bhubaneswar: ex-Army doc hacks Namaz and puja for Uttarakhand flood victims in Kanpur their safe arrival to home. to make UP 'mandis' world class wife, stores body parts in 22 trunks He said many relief-camps UTTAR PRADESH, JUNE have been set up in the
22: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday here in Lucknow directed officials to chart out a project to improve facilities at state's 'mandis' and make them world class. Akhilesh, who is also the chairman of Mandi Parishad, asked the officials to identify the areas which needed to be improved for making "radical changes" in the 'mandis' (a whole sale market where farmers sell their vegetables, food grains and other products). The chief minister asked for setting up modern 'apna bazars' at 31 places, where, besides the availability of agricultural inputs, arrangements for folk culture, recreation and hand loom products should also be made for the benefit of farmers and their families. The chief minister said that if required Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for running these 'apna bazars' BHUBANESHWAR, JUNE 22: A 71-year-old retired army doctor in Bhubaneswar allegedly murdered his wife two weeks ago, chopped her body into pieces and dipped them into chemicals to dispose of them over a period of time. Police arrested Somnath Parida, a retired lieutenant colonel, following complaints by relatives on Friday night. They found the body parts in 22 steel containers in two boxes, as well as some sharpedged weapons and surgical instruments used in cutting the body, at his house in a posh locality in Bhubaneswar. According to investigation, Ushashree Parida, 62, was allegedly murdered on June 3 and her husband had allegedly already disposed of some of her body parts, including the head. The police are yet to ascertain the motive behind the crime as Parida has proved to be a tough nut to crack giving misleading statements. He said that he chopped the body into pieces after his wife committed suicide by banging her head against a wall. Our investigation does not suggest suicide, Bhubaneswar additional police commissioner Santosh Bala said. We have sent the body for a forensic test and are awaiting expert opinion. He added that all angles to the crime were being probed into. The aged husband and wife were the only occupants of the house; their son and daughters live abroad. Parida worked as a consultant at a private hospital and did not interact much with the neighbours. When Parida did not respond to his sons telephone calls for the last few days, the latter asked his relatives to check on them. A relative went to Paridas house on Friday night, but the doctor turned him away. Suspicious, he called other relatives, who found a foul smell emanating from the house. They soon informed the police. Parida was quite hot-tempered, but we cannot imagine that he could go to such extremes, said one of the relatives requesting anonymity. Neighbours too did not have a good impression of Parida; according to them he dressed impeccably, but often quarrelled with them on petty matters. He often threatened people saying he would get them arrested, said a neighbour Muslim-dominated villages and edibles and other necessary items will be sent to the flood-ravaged Uttarakhand through the city DM. Meanwhile, the traders belonging to Akhil Bharatiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal have set up two camps in Collector Ganj market area where biscuits, flour packets, mineral water bottles, medicines and other necessary items are being collected by them. A truck with the relief-material from these camps will be headed for Uttarakhand tonight, a trader said. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) national spokesperson Praksh Sharma told that the local teams of VHP in Haridwar and Dehradun are taking part rescue operations. Officials of the Commercial Tax Department have also decided to donate their oneday salary for the flood victims.

should be considered. Akhilesh, who was presiding over a meeting of Uttar Pradesh Rajya Krishi Utpadan Mandi Parishad, asked for equipping the 'mandis' with solid waste management, rain water harvesting and solar energy besides planting trees in the open land of mandis. The chief minister said that it has been decided that under the Mandi Parishad run personal accident assistance scheme, an assistance of Rs 50,000 in the event of death should be enhanced to Rs 2 lakhs.

UTTAR PRADESH, JUNE 22: People from all walks of life are praying together for the safety of Uttarakhand flood victims as namaz and special puja are being performed in mosques and temples respectively here in Kanpur. Citizens have extended their condolences for the deceased with taking out candle-light vigils and praying for peace for the victims. People of the city are collecting funds for people who are still stuck in the affected

areas, while Indian Medical Association (IMA) of the city chapter will send a team of doctors tonight. Kanpur District Magistrate Avinash Singh said that the city advocates have also collected Rs one lakh and submitted it to him in draft and promised to donate more funds in future. Head cleric Maulana Alam Raza Nuri said that he has directed to all Imams of the city mosques to pray for the flood victims, who are still stuck in post-flood debris and

Page 7.qxd 8/4/2013 1:39 PM Page 1

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2013

INTERNATIONAL & ECONOMY

7
BEIRUT: Syrian government forces stepped up their attack against rebel strongholds north of the capital Damascus on Saturday, while opposition fighters declared their own offensive in the country's largest city Aleppo. Both sides intensified operations as an 11-nation group that includes the U.S., dubbed the Friends of Syria, began meeting in Qatar to discuss how to coordinate military and other aid to the rebels seeking to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Britainbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on an extensive network of activists in Syria, said the shelling of the district of Qaboun has killed three children, including two from the same family, since Friday. Activists reported heavy shelling on many fronts on districts north of Damascus, apparently an attempt to cut links between rebel-held districts that have served as launching pads for operations against the capital. The Lebanese TV station AlMayadeen, which had a reporter embedded with Syrian govt. forces in the offensive, quoted a military official as saying that the operation aims to cut rebel supply lines, separate one group from another, and secure the northern entrances to the capital. The regime's forces have struggled for months to regain control of these suburbs. The Observatory said the neighbourhood was being attacked from several different sides, while the shelling has caused structural damage and started fires. Activists from Qaboun posted on Facebook that govt. forces had brought up new tanks to reinforce its positions outside the neighbourhood, and the bombardment had brought buildings down.Th e Observatory said rebels targeted a police academy in the nearby Barzeh area Saturday, pushing back against a government attempt to storm the neighbourhood. One rebel was killed in overnight fighting, it said. A recent declaration by the U.S. that it had conclusive evidence that President Bashar Assad's regime used chemical weapons on a small scale against opposition forces prompted Washington to authorize the arming of rebels, a major shift in policy. The decision also followed advances by the govt. forces aided by fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Three die in Canada floods, 75,000 forced out of homes Syrian troops attack rebels in Damascus
CALGARY: At least three people were killed by floodwaters that devastated much of southern Alberta, leading authorities to evacuate the western Canadian city of Calgary's entire downtown. Inside the city's hockey arena, the waters reached as high as the 10th row. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the level of flooding "stunning" and said officials were not yet sure if it would get worse, but said the water had peaked and stabilized and the weather had improved. Overflowing rivers washed out roads and bridges, soaked homes and turned streets into dirt-brown waterways around southern Alberta. Royal that people will be able to return to those buildings before the middle of next week," he said. He also warned that there could be another wave of danger ahead. Iconic structures flooded The flood has hit some of the city's iconic structures hard. The Saddledome, home to the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames, was flooded up to the 10th row. That would mean the dressing rooms are submerged as well. "This is incredible. I've seen a little bit of flooding in Calgary before. I don't think any of us have seen anything like this before. The magnitude is just extraordinary," the Mayor said. "We're all very concerned that if gets much more than this it could have real impact on infrastructure and other services longer term, so we're hoping things will subside a bit." Mr. Nenshi said 25 neighbourhoods in the city, with an estimated 75,000 residents, were evacuated due to floodwaters in Calgary, a city of more than a million people that hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics and is the centre of Canada's oil industry. A spokesman for Canada's Defence Minister said 1,300 soldiers from a base in Edmonton were being deployed to the flood zone.

Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Patricia Neely said two bodies were recovered and a third was in an area that made it too dangerous to recover. As the sun rose in Calgary on Saturday morning it wasn't raining. Some of the 75,000

flood evacuees were holding out hope they might soon be allowed back into their homes. However, Mayor Naheed Nenshi said earlier that the downtown area was still without power and remained off limit. "It is extremely unlikely

Thousands take to the streets to protest Malaysia poll verdict

KUALA LUMPUR: Thousands of Opposition supporters on Saturday marched in the Malaysian capital to protest alleged fraud during last month's parliamentary election and to demand the resignation of top elections officials. The protesters, mostly wearing black T-shirts, caused traffic jams as they converged on a park where they planned to stay for the day. Malaysia's National Front coalition, which has ruled since 1957, won the May election. Johari Abdul, an Opposition Member of Parliament and the rally coordinator, estimated the number of protesters at 30,000. A police officer put that number at between 6,000-8,000. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim hailed the protesters for braving the moderate haze that engulfed Kuala Lumpur. He called on top election officials to resign for failing to ensure a fair election. "We will fight in and out of Parliament to ensure that the people get justice," he said. Husam Musa, a senior leader of the predominantly Muslim Opposition party PAS, was detained by police officers prior to the rally while being investigated over alleged seditious comments. Dozens of protesters have set up at least 20 tents at the rally site and were planning to hold camp until the officials resign.

Egypt airports on high alert ahead of June 30 protests

CAIRO: Egypt's airports will raise their alert level to "high" ahead of June 30 when opposition-backed protesters plan to demonstrate against President Mohamed Morsi, security officials said on Saturday. "An emergency plan will be put in place from June 28 until July 1," the head of Cairo airport security, General Magdy al-Yussri, told. At Cairo airport, security patrols will be increased, passengers will be thoroughly checked and new cameras will be installed "to monitor and confront any emergency," he said. Civil Aviation Minister Wael al-Maadawy has been in talks for several days with airport and security officials as well as the heads of companies affiliated with the EgyptAir holding company that runs the national carrier. "A state of high alert will be declared from June 28 to July 1," said General Magdy Elwan, who heads the EgyptAir holding company. In the provinces, security will be beefed up at airports and EgyptAir offices. Security personnel will be given the necessary arms and equipment "to protect these vital establishments," an airport official said. A campaign dubbed Tamarod (rebellion in Arabic) first called for the anti-Morsi rally to coincide with the first anniversary of his taking office. Tamarod rapidly picked up steam, and organisers said they have collected 15 million signatures demanding that Morsi step down.

Attacks kill NATO service member, 2 Afghan police

KABUL: Taliban militants attacked local security checkpoints in a provincial capital in northern Afghanistan, killing two policemen in a fight that also left 18 insurgents dead,Afghan officials said Saturday. NATO said a coalition service member also died in a militant attack in the south on Saturday, but did not provide further details. The violence follows NATO's formal handover of security in the entirety of Afghanistan to Kabul's forces - a transition that comes at a time with violence levels matching their worst in nearly 12 years of war. In northern Afghanistan, Kunduz provincial police spokesman Sayed Sarwar Hussaini said Saturday that the Taliban attacked multiple checkpoints at about noon Friday in the provincial capital of the same name, killing one member of the Afghan local police, a communitybased force, and wounding two. The Taliban then moved outside the city where a gun battle with Afghan security forces lasted until about midnight, Hussaini said.

Sri Lanka appoints parliamentary committee to study the 13th Amendment issue
COLOMBO: The Speaker of Sri Lanka's parliament, Chamal Rajapaksa appointed the members of the ruling party to the proposed parliamentary select committee (PSC) to study the issue of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. The Speaker appointed 19 members from the ruling United People's freedom Alliance (UPFA) and asked the opposition political parties also to name their representatives. Irrigation & Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva was appointed as the Chairman of the Committee. Other ruling party members appointed to the PSC are Ministers Prof. G L Peiris, Maithripala Sirisena, W D J Seneviratne, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Dinesh Gunawardena, Susil Premajayantha, Douglas Devananda, A L M Athaullah, D E W Gunasekara, Rishad Bathiyutheen, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Wimal Weerawansa, Basil Rajapaksa, Lakshman Seneviratne, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, and Janaka Bandara Tennakoon Deputy Minister Muthu Sivalingam, and MP Sudarshani Fernandopulle. Sri Lanka's Cabinet last week decided to appoint a PSC to discuss revisions to the 13th Amendment due to the divergent views of the coalition members over the 13th Amendment. The Cabinet was of the view that a PSC would give an opportunity for all parties to express their views on the 13th Amendment. Meanwhile Indian media reports say India's National Security Adviser, Shivshankar Menon will arrive in Sri Lanka on July 8 to discuss the 13th Amendment introduced to Sri Lanka's Constitution. However Sri Lanka says Menon will be here on an earlier scheduled visit to participate in the Trilateral Maritime Security Conference

6 killed in separate attacks in Iraq

In Iraq, six people were killed today in separate attacks in north of Baghdad. The dead include 4 policemen and 2 labourers. The spate of deadly violence across the country has stoked fears of a return to full-blown sectarian war as tensions following months of protests by Sunni Arab minority and claims by Kurdish leaders to a swathe of territory to incorporate into their autonomous region and protracted political deadlock in Baghdad continue.

ECONOMY

LIC to open 300 offices by June-end Imported coal to now make power costlier
MUMBAI: Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) will open 300 offices by end of June.. In an event to be held next week, finance minister P Chidambaram will inaugurate 300 mini LIC offices at one time. These offices spread across the country, will have one LIC employee and empowered agents to collect premiums. Thomas Mathew T, currentin-charge chairman of LIC said that they would open 1700 offices by December. "There are 3867 locations in India with population of 10,000 and above. We have and running. These offices would not only collect premium and issue policies, but also assist customers in presence in 2167 locations, and will open up 1700 additional offices by end of December," he said. These mini offices would have empowered agents who would help them in premium collection in those areas. The infrastructure facility in those new locations, is already up renewals. In his budget speech, Chidambaram had asked LIC and public general insurers to have presence in all towns with 10,000 and above population. It was said that all such areas should have an LIC and a public general insurance company's office by end of this financial year. LIC also held its board meeting today, where the strategies for this financial year, in terms of products and budget was discussed. The country's largest insurer holds a board meeting every quarter to discuss issues of immediate importance and to seek approvals of various plans for growth in business. The LIC board has representation from banking sector, Central Board of Direct Taxes and has economic affairs secretary Arvind Mayaram and financial services secretary Rajiv Takru as members. NEW DELHI: Ending a year-long drama surrounding supply of coal to power plants, the Union Cabinet today allowed power companies to pass on to consumers the extra cost of importing coal to bridge the domestic fuel shortage. The decision will need regulatory go-ahead. If cleared, it will increase the electricity price in the country by an average 20-25 paise per unit. Reacting to the govt. move, the stocks of power companies rose by up to two per cent on BSE. The scrip of NTPC rose 2.11 per cent over its previous close to Rs 143.05, while those of PowerGrid and Tata Power climbed 1.18% and 0.74%, respectively. The Cabinet decision covers 78,000 Mw of power capacity commissioned in six years through March 2015. Over 36,000 Mw of this has already come on stream since March 2009. "Costly power is better than no power. More than Rs 1 lakh crore has already been invested in setting up around the 25,000-Mw capacity stranded at present. The choice is between paying more for electricity or having no electricity at all," FM P Chidambaram said, announcing the decision. The finance minister, who was accompanied by Coal Minister Shriprakash Jaiswal, said it was difficult to work out the exact quantum of increase in power rates, as it would vary from one power plant to another. He added implementing the decision would require modifications to the coal distribution policy and tariff guidelines. The govt. had last year asked state-run miner, Coal India Ltd (CIL), to meet power companies' coal demand, corresponding to at least 80 per cent of their annual contracted quantity (ACQ). The Cabinet has now decided CIL would meet 65% of ACQ through domestic linkages in the current financial year. To meet the balance supply obligation, CIL will supply imported coal and supply on a costplus basis. The power firms would have the choice of importing coal on their own. Actual supplies would begin only after power purchase agreements (PPAs) are signed. "We have advised the electricity regulator (CERC) to allow the increased cost of imported coal as a pass-through on a caseto-case basis, to ensure power investments remain viable," Chidambaram said, calling the pass-through only an interim measure. He added power plants with more than 4,660 Mw of capacity would be left without assured coal supply even after today's decision. CIL will have to import six mt coal in the current financial year to meet the shortfall. "This import quantity would vary every year, depending on how many FSAs (fuel supply agreements) materialise. However, there would not be any need for imports in the terminal year (2016-17) at 80% commitment level, given the growth in our coal production," CIL Chairman S Narsing Rao told. He also said power firms were likely to opt for sourcing imported coal through CIL, owing to assurance of supply and competitive prices. The approval for pass-through cheered the power industry. "The Cabinet decision breaks the fuel impasse that was threatening the viability of the generation segment in the power sector and creating systemic risk for the banking sector," said Ashok Khurana, director-general, Association of Power Producers. The country's largest private power generator, Tata Power, called for a similar mechanism for imported coal-based projects. "Such projects have been impacted due to extraneous factors beyond the control of developers," the company said in a statement, referring to its 4,000-Mw Mudra project in Gujarat. The power regulator had recently allowed a compensatory tariff increase for the project after costly imported coal jacked up costs. The government had originally asked CIL to meet supply obligations for projects with 60,000 Mw capacity. It was later increased to 78,000 Mw after taking into account the 7,000-Mw projects with valid letters of assurance (LoAs) and likely to be commissioned by March 2015, and 11,000 Mw of capacity that has been granted tapering linkages. However, today's decision might lead to legal complications, as a sizeable chunk of this capacity has been set up through competitive bidding for tariffs.

RBI cuts home loan risk weightage UBS to exit banking

MUMBAI: In a move to boost the real estate sector, the Reserve Bank of India reduced the risk weightage on home loans and residential housing projects. RBI, on its website, stated the risk weightage on housing loans up to R75 lakh has been brought down to 50% from the earlier requirement of 75%. On home loans above R75 lakh, the risk weight has been brought down to 75% from 100% earlier. "The government had provided additional tax benefits for home loan borrowers in the Budget and RBI has followed it up with these announcements," said Keki Mistry, vice-chairman & CEO of HDFC Ltd. The move is intended to help banks price loans better. However, bankers say it will be tough for them to cut home loan rates since they are already being offered at base rates, below which banks are not permitted to lend. In the premium housing segments, rates may see a marginal downtick. "A lot of banks offer home loans up to R75 lakh at base rate. So for banks to lower interest rate on these loans, they would have to first reduce the base rate itself, which seems difficult right now," said Ram Sangapure, general manager, Central Bank of India. Recently, Bank of Baroda announced all its home loans will now be offered at 10.25% which is its base rate. Similarly, Indian Overseas Bank confirmed it offers home loans up to R75 lakh at base rate. SBI is also the leader in the individual home loan segment and offers home loans up to R30 lakh at a rate of 9.95%, marginally higher than base rate of 9.7%. SBI is the only lender to offer home loans at below the 10% mark. Standard asset provisioning for home loans remains at 0.4% "Our extant instruction requiring additional risk-weight of 25 percentage points (0.25%) for restructured housing loans and higher provisioning of 2% for housing loans extended at teaser rates by banks will continue to remain in force," RBI stated in its announcement.

business in India

MUMBAI: Swiss bank UBS AG will surrender its Indian banking licence and close its banking unit, covering fixed income, forex operations and credit services, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told on Saturday. However, UBS will continue its corporate client service business, which includes mergers and acquisitions, equities and debt capital market services, said the source who declined to be identified as the information was not yet public. "That doesn't mean that we are closing down our India operations. We will be closing a very small business unit, to focus on our key strength," the source said, adding, "It's part of our global strategy." A UBS spokesman declined to comment. UBS has a full-fledged banking license in India with a single branch in Mumbai and was focusing on the wealth management business, covering foreign exchange, fixed income and credit services. According to report, on Saturday that UBS would surrender its banking license. Earlier this year, Morgan Stanley sold its private wealth management business to Standard Chartered, in a sign of growing consolidation of Asia's wealth management industry, which is struggling with rising regulatory costs and wafer-thin advisory fees.

Dubai taps India and China markets to boost tourism

NEW DELHI: Dubai is looking for growth in tourist arrivals from outside the Gulfregion and new markets by offering incentives and discounts over next three months. This the Dubai government hopes will be able to attract tourists during JuneSeptember which is a slow season for travel business in the emirate. Last year Dubai attracted over ten million visitors which is a growth of 9% over 2011. However corporate travel dips forcing hotels to cut rates. Saudi Arabia is the largest market for Dubai followed byIndia, Britain, USA and Russia. Dubai's department of tourism and commerce marketing has launched 'Summer is Dubai' campaign aimed to promote the city as an ideal leisure destination for families. "As a part of our strategy we identify periods when business is slow and we work closely with hotels and retail sector to offer attractive packages to tourists,'' said Saeed Al Falasi, director (strategic alliances) in tourism department. This includes free hotel stays and meals for children and discounts at Dubai's attractions. "Actually Ramadan month is no longer a slow period and last two years we have experienced growth in tourists from Gulf region,'' said Saeed Al Falasi, director (strategic alliances) in tourism department. He added the department was also promoting Dubai as an destination for celebrity entertainment events which draw large visitors to the city. In 2012 over 7.6 lakh Indians visited Dubai, a growth of 10% and the first quarter saw a growth of 16 percent in arrivals from India. The Dubai govt. aims to attract 20 million visitors by 2020. The department's plan is to retain growth from all top source markets, increase awareness in big potential markets such as Latin America, Africa and China and encourage repeat visits. Further the department is hoping for an increase in average length of tourist stay and spends.

Page 8.qxd 8/4/2013 1:38 PM Page 1

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2013

MISC
Trophy win after breaking the jinx of not having won any International Cricket Council (ICC) tournament till they won the Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean in 2010. This is England's second Champions Trophy final, having lost to the West Indies at The Oval in 2004. The month of June has always been special for Indian cricket in England. Never having lost to England in two Champions Trophy matches before, a victory at Edgbaston will be the perfect way to compliment the 30th anniversary of India's first World Cup at Lord's on June 25. India's batting has been in ominous form. India's opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma has prospered in every game, but it is not their run-making that has impressed the purists. The temperament to treat the good deliveries with respect and play out the first 10-12 overs without any overdose of adventurism has stood India in good stead. On the flip side, India's middle-order remains untested. As far as bowling is concerned, the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja have been admirable in unfamiliar but helpful conditions. Umesh Yadav and Ravichandran Ashin, too, have been instrumental in swinging the momentum India's way on a few occasions. The month of June has always been special for Indian cricket in England. Never having lost to England in two Champions Trophy matches before, a victory at Edgbaston will be the perfect way to compliment the 30th anniversary of India's first World Cup at Lord's on June 25. The hosts' top-order has been quite prolific with the workmanlike Jonathan Trott providing a calming influence at No 3. The Champions Trophy final is also 'special' for skipper Alastair Cook. He is leading England for the first time in a global event and is just a win away from a landmark victory. "It would be a massive achievement and it's very hard to do. It's taken a long time to get to the finals. We got to the finals in 2004 and couldn't quite get over the line. I hope this time we can get one better," said Cook. NEW DELHI, JUNE 22:: Manjeet Singh had to content with a silver medal at the 3rd China Open boxing tournament after going down to local lad Akepeer Yusuf in the final of the super heavy weight category (+91kg), in Guiyang. Making his international debut, the 21-year-old Indian boxer put up a sterling show, Yusuf made an aggressive start making full use of his long reaching arms. But Singh, a two time Youth National Championship bronze medalist, displayed some good ring movement and in-fighting to land a few telling blows on his opponent in the second round. However in the final round the Chinese boxer was more dominant with his precise attacks, which kept the Indian on the back foot.

8
Boxer Manjeet settles for silver at China Open

India looks to win Champions Trophy final challenge

BIRMINGHAM: JUN 22: India are standing on the cusp of winning their second straight world title as they take on hosts England in the summit showdown of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 at Birmingham on Sunday. India, the only unbeaten side in the tournament, is 8-11 odds on to win the trophy on their terrific current form. India have not devised any "special plans" for the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 final against hosts England, according to captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who said his team will just go in with the same approach like they did in the previous matches. "We don't have any special plans. We will go with the same approach like we did in the match against Pakistan and the semifinal (versus Sri Lanka)," Dhoni said. India have so far played very good cricket in the Champions Trophy and Dhoni said the first 10 overs is very important for any side while bowling as well as batting. Hosts England are desperately looking for the maiden Champions

ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY IS THE ONLY MAJOR TOURNAMENT THAT MS DHONI HAS NOT WON SO FAR

ENGLAND V INDIA IN ODIS

Matches Overall In England 86 33 Ind Won Eng Won 46 11 4 1 35 18 9 0 Tie/Nr 2/3 1/3 1/3 0

Since 2004 in England 15 Tournament final 1

ICC to devote Champions Trophy final to HIV awareness campaign

BIRMINGHAM, JUNE 22:: The final of the ICC Champions Trophy will be dedicated to the highly successful HIV awareness campaign, THINK WISE, which is a partnership between the ICC, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Ms Jan Beagle will attend the final at Edgbaston on Sunday. She will join ICC President Alan Isaac, Chairman of England and Wales Cricket Board Giles Clarke, and two representatives of people living with HIV, and will walk out with the teams for the national anthems in solidarity of people around the globe living with HIV. Over the past decade, the ICC has been promoting awareness for the AIDS epidemic, which led to the creation of the THINK WISE partnership in 2009 with UNICEF and UNAIDS. The campaign has been profiled throughout 2013 through dedicated matches, site visits and coaching clinics with international players and other promotional activities. During the final, both the been using cricket as an effective avenue to convey lifesaving messages and reach large numbers of people on key issues around AIDS."

Tennis Star Sharapova to venture into cosmetics and fashion world

MOSCOW, JUNE 22: Tennis champion Maria Sharapova ventured into business with a sweets line by the name of Sugarpova, and now she has plans to branch out into the cosmetics and fashion markets. The 26-year-old had recently launched her sweets range for department store Selfridges. The tennis player admits her personal style is quite classic as she usually sticks to simple, well-tailored pieces, but she also thinks it's important to have fun with clothes and to be able to express yourself through accessories and bold colours. "It's very individual, that's what I love about it. It's very experimental - people can express their own style and personality through their clothing and accessories," she said. "What I love about (fashion) is that there are no rules. That's what makes it fun. On a day-to-day basis my style is pretty casual. Overall I think my style is pretty elegant - I pay a lot of atten-

Manjeet lost on a split decision in the end. The Indian men's team returns from the event with one silver and three bronze medals - Sunil Kumar (52kg), Ajay Kumar (56kg) and Jaideep (75kg) had to be content with a bronze medal performance after losing out in the round of four. The tournament has been a good exposure for the young Indian team, especially for the likes of Manjeet, Ajay and Jaideep, who were all making their international debut in Guiyang.

Maharaja Sports holds Jehlum Sports to draw

SRINAGAR, JUNE 22: Maharaja Sports held Jehlum Sports to a 1-1 draw in the Super Division League Tournament of District Football Association (DFA) Srinagar at Polo Ground, on Saturday.Jehlum Sports took the first lead in the 20th minute of the match, but was equalized by Maharaja Sports in the 47th minute. It was not the day for Maharaja Sports, who missed two penalty kicks only to find the score leveled at 1-1. Meanwhile, in Division-B League, Safdar Football Club and Sir Syed Club won their respective matches. In the first match, Safdar Club blanked Bohlachpora Club 40. Later, in another scheduled match, Sir Syed Club trounced Muslim Friends by three goals to one.

Super Division Football of Srinagar

finalists, as well as match officials, ICC and ECB staff, and cricketers will wear red ribbons to raise awareness about the stigma surrounding people living with HIV. Beagle congratulated the ICC on its commitment to AIDS awareness: "I am moved to see the incredible dedication of the ICC and cricket players to promoting HIV prevention and reaching zero discrimination for people living with HIV. For a decade, UNAIDS and the ICC have

ICC President Alan Isaac added: "I would like to extend a warm welcome to Ms Beagle and it brings me great pleasure that the ICC's partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF is flourishing." By walking out with Ms Beagle, Clarke, the two finalists, the match officials and representatives of people living with HIV, the ICC is sending a message to the world about the importance of getting the facts about HIV and stopping the stigma.

tion to the details in clothes. I think the material and the tailoring really make an outfit," she added.

Lalit Suri Group's 5th Lalit Polo at Drass on June 30

JAMMU, JUNE 22: With the remarkable success of the last four editions, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group (an enterprise of The Bharat Hotels) is all set to host The 5th Lalit Polo at Vishwanathan Stadium, Drass in Kargil on June 30. Chief Minister, Omar Abdulla shall grace the occasion and give away the prizes to the winners of the event Drass, which is located at a soaring altitude of 3280 metres thus becomes the second coldest habitat on earth. Conceptualized by Chairperson and Managing Director, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group & vice president- FICCI, Dr Jyotsna Suri, the once battlefield would witness teams from Manipur, Leh and Drass competing for the top honours. The event is set to add add excitement to the game and an international flavor to the Greatest Himalayan Polo Adventure. Polo is a magnificent game of horsemanship- a martial tradition immensely popular within the local communities of Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the Drass and the Kargil region. The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, India's fastest growing hospitality chain has aided in converting a battlefield to a sporting arena and reiterates Group's commitment to revive tourism opportunities and promote sports in the region through various initiatives. Apart from The Lalit Polo that has helped in restoring the legacy of Drass to its former glory, the group has also organized landmark events in the J&K region like The Lalit Shikarathon in Srinagar, The Lalit Ice Hockey in Leh and The Lalit Caddies Golf Tournament. With the ethos of 'Developing destinations and not just the hotels', The Lalit has been a pioneer in creating unique events across the destinations it operates in.

Wrestling team finalized for Junior Nationals

Usain Bolt wins 100 finals at Jamaica

in the island's national stadium, which was half empty on a calm Friday night in Kingston. He said his start and his "execution wasn't the best" but he was "feeling all right, not too tired." He said he was fairly pleased with his acceleration -- or his "turbo," as he calls it -- but it's not yet where he wants it to be. "I've got a lot more work to do," the 100 and 200 world record-holder said after the race, adding, "As long as the coach is not worried, I'm not worried." Bolt has dominated global sprinting for years. The powerful Jamaican has set world records (his mark stands at 9.58) and captured two straight Olympic 100-meter finals. State wrestling team poses with Sports Officer of State Sports Council after screening test at MA Stadium, Jammu on Saturday. JAMMU, JUNE 22: Jammu and Kashmir Wrestling Association today finalized the state junior boys' team for the upcoming 32nd Boys Wrestling (Free Style and Greco Roman) Championship to be held at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu from June 27 to June 30. Earlier, the selected boys underwent a screening test formality under the supervision of Sports Officer, Ravi Singh at MA Stadium, here today. General Secretary of the Association, Ajay Vaid as also Vijay Pahalwan (vicepresdident), Swarn Lal (joint secretary), Om Parkash, Raju Sharma (treasurer), Dheeraj Sharma and Raj Kumar were also present. Ravinder Kumar and Sahil Kumar accompanying the team as coach while Sukhdev Singh has been named as manager. The Team: Gourav Kumar (42 kg), Dalbir Singh (42 kg), Rajinder Singh (46 kg), Yaqoob Ali (46 kg), Anand Sagar (50 kg), Aashish Kumar (50 kg), Sehdev Singh (54 kg), Ashwani Kumar (58 kg), Gourav Kumar (63 kg), Lakshay Wadhawan (69 kg), Rahul Kumar (76 kg), Deepak Sharma (66 kg), Ranbir Singh and Mukesh Kumar.

KINGSTON, JAMAICA, JUNE 22: Usain Bolt wins the finals of the Jamaica national championships on Friday night and sounded less than thrilled with his performance. "It's all about getting through and getting it done and that's what I did," Bolt said after the race

India declare squad for 20th Asian Athletics Championships

the triple jump event. Vikas Gowda along with two other Indians -- Arjun Singh and Vikas Poonia -- will be seen in action in discus throw. Sprint queen P T Usha`s protege, Luka will compete in her pet event -- 88metre. Sreedharan and Jaisha will be part of action in three events -- 1500metre, 5000-metre and 10000-metre. Mayookha Johny will compete in long jump along with Prajusha M A and Neena V. Mayookha will also be part of the triple jump event. Krishna Poonia will compete in the discus throw event. MEN: 100 & 4x100m Relay: 1. Anirudh Kalidas Gujjar; 2. M Vijay Kumar; 3. Manikandan; 4. Krishan Kumar Rane; 5. Sameer Mon; 6. Renjith KG. 200m: 1. Pratiek Ninawe; 2. Ritesh Anand; 3. Amiya Kumar Mallick. 400M, 4X400M Relay: 1. Kunhi Mohammed; 2. Neeraj Pawar; 3. Aroakia Rajiv; 4. Bibin Mathew; 5. Davinder Singh; 6. Sachin Roby. 400 Hurdles: 1. Satinder Singh; 2. Jithin Paul; 3. Rama Chandren. 800M: 1. Sajeesh Joseph; 2. Manjit Singh; 3. Sagaya Raja Francis 1500M: 1. Sandeep - II; 2. Pranjal Gogoi 5000M: 1. Lakshmanan Nitinder; 2. Singh Mohd. Yunus 10000M: 1. Khet Ram; 2. Rati Ram Saini; 3. Lakshmanan 3000M Steeple Chase: 1. Jaiveer Singh; 2. Naveen Kumar 110M Hurdles: 1. Sidhant T; 2. Pinto Mathew High Jump: 1. Jithin C. Thomas; 2. Nikhal Chitrasu Pole Vault: 1. Praveen Kumar; 2. Bala Krishna P. Long Jump: 1. Prem Kumar; 2. Arshad M; 3. Ankit Sharma Triple Jump: 1. M Renjith; 2. Arpinder Singh Decathlon: 1. Bharatinder Singh; 2. Daya Ram; 3. K Dileep Kumar Discus Throw: 1. Vikas Gowda; 2. Arjun Singh; 3. Vikas Poonia Hammer Throw: 1. Chndrodaya N. Singh; 2. Kamalpreet Singh; 3. Kaushal Singh Javelin Throw: 1. Krishan Kumar Patel; 2. Samrjit Singh; 3. Rajender Singh Shot-Put: 1. Inderjit Singh; 2. Satyendra Singh; 3. Om Prakash. WOMEN: 100M, 4X100M Relay: 1. Asha Roy; 2. Merlin K Joseph; 3.Sharadha Narayanan; 4. Sini S; 5. Srabani Nanda; 6. Bhagya Shree Shirke 200M: 1. Asha Roy; 2. Dutee Chand; 3. Srabani Nanda 400M: 1. M R Poovamma; 2. Nirmala 4X400M Relay: 1. Anu Mariam Jose; 2. Anil Da Thomas; 3. Sarita; 4. Priyanka Mondal 400MH: 1. Elavarasi; 2. Anu R 800M: 1. Tintu Luka; 2. M Gomathi; 3. Sushma Devi 1500M, 5000M & 10000M: 1. OP Jaisha; 2. Sini A Marcose; 3. Jhuma Khatoon; 4. Preeja Sreedharan; 5. L. Suriya; 6. Kavita Raut; 7. Monika Athare

NEW DELHI, JUNE 22: Krishna Poonia, Tintu Luka and Vikas Gowda were some of the well-known athletes in the 110-member (57 men & 53 women) squad that will represent India in the upcoming 20th Asian Championships, to be held in Pune from July 3 to 7. Besides, there will be Preeja Sreedharan, O P Jaisha, Mayooka Johny who will be seern in action at the Balewadi Sports Complex. In the men`s 100-metre event, Renjith K G, Anirudh Kalidas Gujjar, M Vijay Kumar, Manikandan, Krishan Kumar Rane and Sameer Mon will seek to represent India. While in the women`s section of the same event, India will have Asha Roy, Merlin K Joseph, Sharadha Narayanan, Sini S, Srabani Nanda and Bhagyashree Shirke. Renjith Maheshwari will feature for the hosts in

3000M: 1. Sudha Singh; 2. Kiran Tiwari; 3. Priyanka Patel High Jump: 1. Sahana Kumari; 2. Mallika Mondal 100MH: 1. Gayathry G; 2.Hamasree J Pole Vault: 1. Khyathi; 2. V.S. Sureka Long Jump: 1. Mayookha Johny; 2. Neena V; 3. Prajusha MA Triple Jump: 1. Mayookha Johny; 2. Sheena N.V; 3. Amitha Baby Heptathlon: 1. Susmita Singha Roy; 2. Navpreet Kaur; 3. Liksy Joseph Discus Throw: 1. Krishna Poonia; 2.Seema Antil; 3. Navjeet Kaur Dhillon Hammer Throw: 1. Manjubala; 2. Gunjan Singh Javelin Throw: 1.Suman Devi; 2. Annu Rani Shot Put: 1. P.Udaya Laxmi; 2.Neha Singh; 3.Navjit Kaur

CHIEF-EDITOR, PUBLISHER, OWNER: Rohit Singh Rana, C.E.O.:Pawan Rathore, Administrative Head J&K: Vikram Singh, LEGAL ADVISOR: Advocate Ashok Parihar PRINTED AT JK PRINTING & PUBLICATIONS, SUJWAN, JAMMU TAWI. For Contributing articles mail us at callme.ranasahib@gmail.com, editor.studentage@gmail.com. For Complaints, Querries or Advertisement Contact us: 0191-2580342.. Address: Sector-12, H.No-12 Nanak Nagar, Jammu (All disputes are subjected to the exclusive jursisdiction of Jammu District courts only.)