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DRDO organises a 3-day conference on its golden jubilee

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:30:00 +0530

A three-day conference on “In Service of the Soldiers: Life Sciences Perspective” is scheduled to be held from November 24-26, to commemorate the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) R&D activities at DRDO Bhawan.

The historical conference is being organized to bring scientists, technocrats, industrial partners involved in development, production and service personnel to create an ideal platform to know the activities carried out by Life Science Laboratories working in a spectra of disciplines that includes life saving and strategic support systems, protective equipments and clothing, physiological-psychological aspects, health and protection against biological and chemical warfare, Instant food requirements for high attitude battle field operations.

Life Sciences Laboratories over the years have contributed immensely to the services and are considered life line of Indian armed forces. These are also responsible not only for creation of human capital but are also responsible for catering to the requirements of forces operating in various environments that include air borne, under water and also high altitude conditions.

The state of the art technologies developed by DRDO Life Sciences Laboratories are expected to stimulate the industries to gear up for taking new challenges and provide products with global standards.

The conference will also be useful to the public and the spin-off of the technologies would also find applications to common man.

The conference being attended by the actual users of products i.e., services would give great impetus to scientists to get an insight of the actual expectations and value added products that contribute directly to the combat efficiency of the soldier.

Eminent scientists from Defence R&D institutions and universities will present the state of art R&D activities with a Life Sciences Perspectives being carried out in India. Service Personnel and Industrialists are expected to attend the conference, which will be inaugurated by Minister of State for Defence.

Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General M.L. Naidu will preside over the function.

Prof. Deepak Pental, a world renowned Biotechnologist and Vice Chancellor, University of Delhi will deliver a keynote address on “Biotechnology in the service of mankind” and its potentials for futuristic warfare scenario.

Dr. W. Selvamuthy, Chief controller, Life Sciences will highlight the exciting fields in which the life science Laboratories are working and give an overview of life sciences scenario in the current security environment.

An exhibition has been also arranged in which DRDO Laboratories and their industry partners will showcase the array of items developed for the Services.

The conference will conclude on November 26 with a valedictory address by the Ministry of State for Defence Production, Rao Inderjit Singh. (ANI)

India could face tough questions on Samjautha probe from Pak FM

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:30:00 +0530

The alleged involvement of homegrown Hindu militant Pragya Thakur and Lt.Col. Purohit can reverberate in the Indo Pak talks, which begins next week.

There are fears in the South Block that India has to face some embarrassing questions regarding the probe in the Samjauhtha blasts when Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrives here in New Delhi next week.

Although both India and Pakistan have remained cautious and have adopted a measured approach in blaming each other for the 2007 Samjauhta blasts but Indian investigative agencies have initially pointed fingers on Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish in collusion with HUJI for the carnage which killed more than 65 people most of them Pakistani citizens.

According to official sources, India, in one of the joint anti terror meetings, had also handed over a photograph of a suspect and also mentioned the names of other suspects of Samjauhtha to their Pakistani counterparts''.

But with the latest dramatic twist in the Samjautha probe, which shows the involvement of Hindu militant, and an army personnel have nullified the previous findings giving Pakistan a leverage to substantiate its claim that India blames Pakistan for all the attacks without proper investigation and verification. However authoritative government source in the Ministry of External Affairs says that India is open minded and we just follow our investigations.

Indian home secretary will also be visiting Pakistan on 25th November to meet his counterpart in Islamabad.

Indo Pak peace process, which is in its fifth round, is resuming when deepening economic crisis is hurting both sides. But what is making New Delhi optimistic about the resumption of peace process is the decline in violence levels in jammu and Kashmir, reduced infiltration bids from across the LOC but what has delighted the mandarins in New Delhi is the heavy turn out of voters in the first phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir which is also attributed to non intervention of Pakistani
terrorist and ISI. (ANI)

Coalition politics, governments here to stay: Lalu Yadav

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:29:00 +0530

Regional parties have the possibility coming together to form the next government, Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Yadav said on Friday.

Revealing that he was in touch with leaders of various regional parties, Yadav told participants at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here that he would not disclose the details just yet.

He said there was no doubt about coalition politics remaining embedded in India, and added that new political parties are cropping up every now and then.”

“The neglected states are coming to assume importance in the era of coalition of politics,” he added.

As far as his Prime Ministerial ambitions were concerned, Yadav said such things are pre-destined.

“If I have to become the Prime Minister, I will. Nobody knows about such things”, he said.

He also described Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi as an earnest young man on a journey of discovering India similar to an exercise undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi when he returned to India from South Africa in 1915.

Lauding the secular traditions of the Congress, he said that the Gandhi family had sacrificed a great deal.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and the Chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Sonia Gandhi, said that India had the capability of minimising the negative impact of the global financial meltdown.

Both described the global economic crisis as a major issue, but added that its impact could be contained to allow new opportunities to surface.

"The Indian economy has weathered more severe economic meltdown during 1991 and later during the Asian currency crisis. We have the ability to sustain a growth rate of about eight per cent. And we will do so," Dr. Singh said, adding that India had the "resources and the wisdom to grapple and deal" with the crisis.

Singh said all instruments of public policy — monetary, fiscal, public investment and exchange rate — "will be deployed" to tackle it.

Observing that the global economy was passing through a "deep crisis", the economist-turned-politician said: "We cannot pretend that we are not affected by it. The crisis was not made in our country but elsewhere. ... Due to the interdependency (of the world economies), we are in the same boat."

He also said that there was a need for a global safety net, and this had been conveyed by New Delhi at the recent Group of Twenty (G-20) leaders meeting in Washington.

Replying to another question, Dr. Singh said cooperative pluralism and respect for diversity was the basis of democracy in India and "competitive politics must not be allowed to divide the people on the basis of religion, caste or region."

The Prime Minister said that his ambition for the 21st century was a fully educated and empowered India.

"The light of knowledge should touch every child," Singh said as he recalled his rise from a "dusty village" in Punjab to the top office only because of education.

"My dream for myself was realised in my own lifetime," he added. (ANI)

Jolie''s twins’ pic deal with People magazine ''guaranteed positive coverage''

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:29:00 +0530

When Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt negotiated with People magazine for photos of their newborn twins, the couple was seeking more than the estimated 14 million pounds they received from the deal, according to reports.

The couple reportedly wanted a guarantee of ‘positive’ coverage.

According to the New York Times, Brangelina made the condition during negotiations with People and other magazines, which were competing to carry the first pictures of the latest additions to the Hollywood couple''s family.

The stars reportedly sought a promise from the winning magazine that it would not include any negative coverage of their family, not only in the piece about the twins but also in all future articles.

However, a spokesman for People denied there were any restrictions or conditions placed on coverage.

"These claims are categorically false. Like any news organization, People does purchase photos, but the magazine does not determine editorial content based on the demands of outside parties," the Telegraph quoted a statement given to the New York Times. (ANI)

''Citizen Kane'' tops French magazine''s ''Best 100 Movies'' list

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:28:00 +0530

''Citizen Kane'', a 1941 American dramatic film and the first feature film directed by Orson Welles, has topped Cahiers du Cinema magazine''s list of ''The Best 100 Movies''.

Second on the list is 1955''s ''The Night of the Hunter'' by Charles Laughton while 1939''s ''The Rules of the Game'' by Jean Renoir came third, reports the Independent.

''Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans'' by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau landed the fourth spot.

Rounding off the top five was 1934''s ''L''Atalante'', a 1934 French film directed by Jean Vigo and starring Jean Dasté, Dita Parlo and Michel Simon.

The top 20 movies, according to Cahiers du Cinema:

1. Citizen Kane, 1941, Orson Welles

2. The Night of the Hunter, 1955, Charles Laughton

3. The Rules of the Game, 1939 (La Règle du jeu), Jean Renoir

4. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, 1927, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau

5. L''Atalante, 1934, Jean Vigo

6. M, 1931, Fritz Lang

7. Singin'' in the Rain, 1952, Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen

8. Vertigo, 1958, Alfred Hitchcock

9. Children of Paradise, 1945 (Les Enfants du Paradis), Marcel Carné

10. The Searchers, 1956, John Ford (ANI)

Heath Ledger''s family slams book for describing him ''mentally ill''

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:28:00 +0530

Heath Ledger''s family has slammed a book that describes the late actor mentally ill.

The Ledgers issued a statement today to distance his immediate family, close friends and associates from Janet Fife-Yeomans book ''Heath: A Family''s Tale'', published by Murdoch Books.

The book suggests that the ''Brokeback Mountain'' star may have suffered from bipolar disorder just as his estranged uncle Haydn Ledger does.

However, the Ledgers have claimed that the book is grossly inaccurate.

"The book contains gross inaccuracies, false allegations (against Kim Ledger) and many incorrect and unsubstantiated comments about Heath in his youth, provided by estranged family members and some people who had little to do with Heath''s life," News.com.au quoted the Ledger family, as saying in a statement.

"Further, Fife-Yeomans has no right to infer that we (as Heath''s family) in any way authorised this book.

"We have never contributed to or authorised any publications about our son," they added.

However, Fife-Yeomans said: "I stick by everything that I wrote in the book, and I never said it was an authorised biography." (ANI)

Manipur fruit processing plant adds to income of several families

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:25:00 +0530

A fruit processing plant, established in militancy affected Manipur, has added to the income of many families in the State.

Founded by L.Dikho Mao, the Exotic Juices Limited, which is the biggest fruit processing plant in north-east region, has today changed the fate of many people here.

People in the region have started systematic cultivation of fruits in the region. A non-governmental organization ‘Good Samaritan Social Service Association’, established in 1990, has been playing a pioneering role.

The organization has encouraged the cultivation of passion fruit found in abundance in Manipur’s Mao district in other areas of the State. .

The ‘Exotic juices’ organization got financial assistance from Small Farmers'' Agri Business Consortium (SFAC); a society under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of India.

It has also received assistance from North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFI), Ministry of Food Processing Industries and the EXIM bank of India.

Exotic juices Limited has a capacity to process 3,200 metric tonne of juice in a season. It has a capacity to process 2 tonnes of passion fruit per hour. The unit has plans to process other seasonal fruits such as lemon and orange in future.

The unit is hoped to bring boom the people of the region by bringing about economic prosperity to the states of Manipur and Nagaland, especially to the passion fruit growers.

L. Adani Mao, the General Manager of the Exotic Juices Ltd., Mao, said: “This project establishment can be taken as a success story which can be emulated in other areas too. Manipur is blessed with so many products that can be capitalized upon. Entrepreneurship must be encouraged by government and through labour and commitment, we can triumph over all challenges."

Nearly 3,000 farmers have benefited and 1,261 farmers have been enrolled as shareholders of the fruit plant.

Besii, an employee of the Exotic Juices Ltd, Mao, said: “It will benefit the farmers. There are so many farmers and poor people, the fruit processing unit would really help the people of the region."

L. Mathibo, another employee, said: “The problem is because of economic backwardness. If the youth could be employed in this kind of industries, the insurgency’s problem will somehow be solved. It can ultimately bring economic boom to the state as a whole.”

26 skilled workers are managing the plant, which has employed several others working on daily wage at the plant.

The plant complex is used for juice extraction, pasteurization, concentration, aroma recovery as well as bulk aseptic packaging. It is also planning to undertake commercial production of various juices extracted of other local fruits.

It aims to market its finished product outside the State and also export it to other countries as well.

It is hoped more and more such plants will come up in the region, which has a good potential for economic development. (ANI)

Former Special Services Group head could have been killed as Taliban'' revenge

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:25:00 +0530

General (retired) Ameer Faisal Alvi, a former head of the military Special Services Group (SSG), who had died in an attack in Islamabad, could have been killed for revenge by Taliban following his involvement in operations against militants in the tribal areas.

It is likely that General (r) Ameer Faisal Alvi was made a target for commanding the Special Services Group group in a covert operation ''Operation Mountain Lion'' carried out against militants in Waziristan in 2006, with the US and British involvement, The News has stated.

At least 12 militants, a number of foreigners, were killed by Alvi''s unit and others were arrested. Among them were a number of foreigners.

Writing in its editorial "In the name of revenge", The News has stated that General (r) Ameer Faisal Alvi had been receiving threats from the Taliban for several months. It looks his murder was pre-planned.

The edit pieces stated that no other motive has been suggested for the assassination, carried out by killers, riding motorbikes and a jeep, who opened fire on the general''s car and then fled.

The Taliban, it looks, were eager to deliver a clear-cut message, The News observed.

"The retired general was seen as a ''soft target''. His death, alongside that of his driver, is a reminder of the extremist hatred for the forces acting against them and of their ruthlessness. The game of revenge is obviously a dangerous one."

"It is not known if other targets are in sight. The killing could also set a pattern that ''copy cat'' assassins emulate, to gun down, in a similar fashion, those involved in actions against militants at various times."

"The thought is a terrifying one. We already have, in our society, far too many strands of violence. An addition to them is obviously not a development to look forward to."

The News through its editorial has suggested that solutions to the situation are not easy to find. But the government must, with the military and other security outfits, consider a way to make the country a safer place; heads must be put together to find a way."

"Unless we can achieve this, the walk down the dangerous path that leads only to darkness will not be halted and this cannot augur well for any of us anywhere in the country," The News stated. (ANI)

Former Special Services Group head could have been killed as Taliban'' revenge

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:24:00 +0530

At least 12 militants, a number of foreigners, were killed by Alvi''s unit and others were arrested. Among them were a number of foreigners.

The edit pieces stated that no other motive has been suggested for the assassination, carried out by killers, riding motorbikes and a jeep, who opened fire on the general''s car and then fled.

The Taliban, it looks, were eager to deliver a clear-cut message, The News observed.

"The thought is a terrifying one. We already have, in our society, far too many strands of violence. An addition to them is obviously not a development to look forward to."

"Unless we can achieve this, the walk down the dangerous path that leads only to darkness will not be halted and this cannot augur well for any of us anywhere in the country," The News stated. (ANI)

Ten killed, 40 injured in Dera Ismail Khan blast

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:23:00 +0530

A bomb attack killed at least 10 people and wounded 40 at the funeral for a Shi''ite Muslim on Friday (November 21) in the northwest Pakistani town of Dera Ismail Khan.

The attack sparked an outbreak of shooting around the hospital where the dead and wounded were brought, and police fired tear gas in an attempt to restore order, an Express TV report quoted journalists at the scene, as saying.

NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain was quoted by a foreign news agency as saying that 10 people were killed and up to 30 wounded, though a doctor at the main government hospital put the number of wounded at 40.

Witnesses gave conflicting accounts on whether the blast was caused by a suicide bomber or a device planted on the funeral procession''s route.

The majority of Pakistan''s Muslims are Sunni, but around 15 percent of the 170 million nation are Shi''ite. Thousands of people have been killed in tit-for-tat sectarian violence going back to the 1980s, and earlier this year around 200 people were killed in fighting between Sunni and Shi''ites in the Kurram tribal region. (ANI)