Saturday, March 28, 2009

Force India to start 15th and 16th after Toyotas punished

Force India's second qualifying goal didn't materialise but lady luck smiled on them and Giancarlo Fisichella [Images] will start 15th while his teammate Adrian Sutil [Images] 16th after the Toyota [Images] cars were pushed to the back of the grid for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix for breaking technical rules.
Force India's hopes of making the second qualifying (Q2) session went up in smoke after Fisichella (18th) and Sutil (19th) found themselves among the slowest five drivers who dropped out after the first qualifying session (Q1).
Luckily for them, the Toyotas of Timo Glock [Images] and Jarno Trulli [Images], who had finished sixth and eighth respectively in the qualifying session, were later pushed to the back of the grid after stewards found their cars to be in contravention of the rules.
A post-qualifying inspection by the FIA found the TF109s' to have 'extreme flexibility' in their rear wings, thus breaking Formula One racing's technical regulations.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton [Images] will start 18th after his McLaren [Images] gearbox suffered troubles, which also benefited the Force India drivers.
In fact the grid may see some more changes following Williams' complaint about the wings of Red Bull and Ferrari [Images] cars.
For Force India, Sutil's ninth place finish in Friday's practice sessions raised the hopes of the VJM02 car making it to the Q2 for a better start in the season opener tomorrow but it proved false dawn in the end.
With the field proving even closer than last year where 1.5 seconds covered 10th to 20th, Fisichella and Sutil were among the five drivers who dropped out after the first qualifying session.
"For sure we were hoping after yesterday's performance to be able to make it into Q2 but in the end it was not possible. Things looked better in practice but perhaps the others were not showing all their potential," said a candid Sutil.
The German said the car needed downforce and said his priority would be to take to the chequered flag tomorrow.
"We know we have plenty to work on, our main problem is that we need a lot more downforce. My main goal now will be to make it to the end of the race tomorrow and then let's see where we are. It's even tighter than last year," Sutil said.
Fisichella, meanwhile, was not too surprised by the outcome.
"We knew that it would be difficult today, but considering what we have done so far this year, with the limited pre-season testing, being just two tenths slower than the 2008 world champion is a good result," said Fisichella.
"Being so close shows it's already a very challenging season. I had a good lap and I am happy as I have been struggling a bit with the brakes and locking all weekend and I'm not driving as I want.
"But all this considered, there is really good potential in this car so we are looking forward to working it through," he said.
"For Sunday, first of all we need to get to the end of the race - that's the main goal and then we'll see," added the Roman with more than 200 Formula One races under his belt.
Chief race engineer Dominic Harlow expected both Sutil and Fisichella to make it to Q2 but still insisted any thing can happen tomorrow.
"Unfortunately it was not the outcome we'd hoped for as both drivers narrowly missed out on Q2. The drivers and engineers got close to getting the best they could from the car this weekend," he said.
"Given how our programme started late, we've made enormous progress already and we know that there is plenty in the pipeline," Harlow said.
"The race is going to be a good one, and it will be interesting to see the strategies that are adopted now that all the teams must commit to a race start fuel load just two hours after confirming their grid position," Harlow added.
Jenson Button claimed the pole position, edging out teammate Rubens Barrichello [Images] as the Brawn team occupied the front row tomorrow.

PM urges India Inc to be sensitive in turbulent times

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday asked India's top industrialists to be sensitive to the adverse impact of the current economic crisis on the weaker sections of the society and sought their help in meeting the challenges.
"I have great faith and confidence in India's entrepreneurs and particularly in the wisdom and experiences of captains of industry assembled here today to meet the challenges confronting our economy," he told a meeting with them at his official residence here.
"We need to be particularly sensitive to the impact of slowdown on the weakest in the organised as well as unorganised sectors. We must meet the challenge of job losses caused by the slowdown," the prime minister added.
Manmohan Singh had invited some 25 leading industrialists to hear their views on some of the key issues concerning the domestic and global economy and to help frame India's position ahead of his participation at the G20 summit in London April 2.
The meeting was attended, among others, by Ratan Tata, K.V. Kamath, Sunil Mittal, Rahul Bajaj, Sashi Ruia, Harsh Pati Singhania, Sajjan Jindal, R.P Goenka, Baba Kalyani, Tarun Das, Amit Mitra and Kumar Mangalam Birla.
Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Reserve Bank of India Governor D. Subbarao and Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar were also present at the meeting that lasted nearly two-and-a-half hours, official sources said.
In his opening remarks, the prime minister said the challenges confronting the Indian economy can be understood and met only if all stake-holders supported each other with confidence, and with concern for the welfare of all.
The participants at Saturday's meeting told IANS that the main concern expressed unanimously by India Inc was to do away -with high interest rates despite the sharp fall in inflation rates - and the prime minister agreed.
"With ample liquidity and low inflation, there is scope, perhaps, for a further moderation in interest rates," Manmohan Singh said. "Domestic credit flow for productive needs has to definitely be maintained at reasonable cost.
" He said there was hope yet for revival, while pointing out that there were signs of improvement in some core industries like cement and steel.
"The rural demand for goods and services appears quite robust and the outlook in the agricultural sector gives room for optimism."
The prime minister, who will leave for London March 31, said there were great expectations from the world leaders to get crucial inputs from India on ways to tackle one of the worst crises in decades.
The world today looks at India with respect and hope - respect for our calibrated reforms which have resulted in growth with justice and hope that India would be an engine of growth for the world economy," he said.
"I am confident we will all work together to fulfil these expectations, and secure the growth essential for our people."
Both the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) presented an agenda paper to the prime minister.
The industrialists also said that in times such as these, elections should not come in the way of crucial economic policy decisions and that the government must seek the Election Commission's permission in this regard.
They also said that India should use its pre-eminent position at the G20 summit to ensure that rich nations did not raise non-trade barriers.
"Protectionist tendencies, if not curbed, could be counterproductive in the long run and thus needs to be arrested before gaining ground, for demand generation," said Assocham president Sajjan Jindal.

Montek says govt may call for more stimuli, rate cuts

India may have to resort to further stimulus measures despite a widening fiscal deficit along with further cuts in interest rates to avert a sharp economic slowdown, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said today.
Speaking at the annual summit of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Ahluwalia said the Indian economy is likely grow only 6.5 per cent in the current financial year, which will end in a few days, missing the government's target forecast of 7.1 per cent growth. On a calendar year basis, 2009 is going to be significantly worse than 2008, he added.
Speaking at the same session, Arvind Virmani, chief economic adviser to the finance minister, too, said that given the severity of the global downturn, more steps may be necessary. "If we have a crisis of this dimension, there is a huge impact on demand. So both fiscal and monetary policy will have to be brought into operation," Virmani said.
"It will require a very definite use of fiscal and monetary policy," Ahluwalia concurred. "I think, while the rest of the world will do worse in 2009, the next government will be trying to see whether we can do as well next year as we did this year," Ahluwalia said. Fiscal deficit, however, may climb to as much as 7 per cent of GDP in the coming financial year, up from a previous forecast of 5.5 per cent, Virmani added.
With a slowdown in demand, India is also likely to see negative inflation in the coming year. Virmani said, in the coming financial year, inflation is likely to be in the range of negative 2 per cent to 2 per cent. "If one looks over a year ... March-end to next year ... I would expect a zero, plus-minus 2 per cent, inflation," he said.
However, ruling out any possibility of sustained deflation in the economy, he added that the consumer price deflator used for GDP is more indicative of inflation and that is not expected to be anywhere near zero. "We don't have the aggregate CPI (consumer price index). We pay attention to the WPI (wholesale price index). Globally, they look at the CPI. To conclude on the basis of WPI is not good," he said. He added that consumer price inflation, in which food items have a greater weight, is still in double digits and would come down the same way as WPI, but with a lagged effect.

Obama tries to save Wall St, Detroit; stocks wane

The United States tried to save its financial and automotive industries on Friday, with President Barack Obama urging bankers to sell their toxic assets and his autos task force finalizing a rescue plan.
Obama met America's leading bankers at the White House and stressed the importance of removing toxic assets from balance sheets so financial institutions could start lending again.
Many bankers came out expressing support for the private/public partnership that could buy up to $1 trillion of underperforming debt from the banks, though the issue of how to price that debt remained unanswered. Some banks may prefer to unload those assets later, once the economy recovers.
"The president opened up by talking about the importance of dealing with toxic assets and getting banks lending again," White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said. "It's fair to say that they agreed on the need to update the framework of regulations."
Obama, already dealing with two wars, a recession and a complex rescue of the financial system, also seeks to rewrite regulation to curb the type of risk-taking that nearly wrecked the banks.
He will seek common ground in London next week during a Group of 20 meeting of leaders from the world's leading industrial and emerging economies. But first, he will unveil the next phase of a bailout plan for the auto industry on Monday.
General Motors Corp and Chrysler face a March 31 deadline from U.S. officials to act on a request for up to $22 billion more in emergency funding to help them ride out the weakest auto sales in three decades. The U.S. Treasury has already made $17.4 billion available to the automakers.
In a somewhat positive sign for policy-makers and manufacturers, reports on Friday showed U.S. consumer spending rose for a second consecutive month in February and sentiment edged up in March.
"It is too early to bet on a consumer renaissance, because consumers are still facing severe headwinds from declining employment and reduced wealth. But the worst appears to be behind us," said Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight.
INFLATION, RATES
While Japan edged closer to deflation as both domestic and external demand faltered and Europe slid closer to zero inflation, with Germany's consumer price index slowing to its lowest level in nearly a decade, rising prices were a concern in the United States.
"The core price index was on the high end of expectations. This will fan inflation fears. The Fed is sowing the seeds of future inflation," Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James & Associates, said of the consumer spending data.
The euro zone reports inflation data on Tuesday, when economists predict the annual rate will fall under 1 percent for March and sink further in the next few months.
That is well below the European Central Bank's 2.0 percent ceiling, opening the door for it to cut interest rates at its monthly policy meeting on Thursday.
The U.S. stock market rally that began on March 10 sputtered on Friday, with the Dow closing down 1.9 percent after it had risen 21 percent over the previous 13 sessions. JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon triggered selling when he came out of the meeting with Obama and told CNBC television that "March was a little tough" for the bank.
The S&P 500 lost 2.0 percent and the Nasdaq lost 2.6 percent after it had turned positive for 2009 on Thursday. Earlier in the day, European shares lost 1.1 percent and Tokyo stocks ended flat.
POTENTIAL CLASH AT G20
On Tuesday, policy-makers from the G20 will discuss regulations to ensure the mistakes that led to the current banking crisis are not repeated.
But the potential for discord was evident, with Europe resisting U.S. calls for greater stimulus spending.
In the latest salvo, Germany warned that surging debt levels could threaten the stability of the euro currency and lay the groundwork for future crises.
"If it is not taken seriously, I am telling you, the euro will have trouble one day in terms of its own credibility and stability," German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck told parliament.

Married to militants and living in hell: Kashmiri girls

Not all marriages are made in heaven. Some are solemnised at the point of a gun - as many women and teenaged girls in Jammu and Kashmir will tell you.
Forced marriage to militants has wrecked their lives in the insurgency-wracked state. Fatima Bi, now 16, who belonged to Chatroo, a mountainous village in Kishtwar district, told IANS over telephone that she was just 12 when she was abducted by militants.
She was studying in Class 7 in a local government school when one day a group of four militants led by Sher Khan, then divisional commander of Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami (HUJI), barged into their house and kidnapped her.
'I was studying at that time when they abducted me,' she said.
'They took me to their hideout in the nearby forest where they beat me and tortured me for eight days. They hit me with rods on my thighs and threatened to kill my family if I did not marry Hashim Ditta,' she said.
She said Ditta was a close friend of Sher Khan and a helper of HUJI.
'She was forced to marry Ditta at gun point,' said a police officer in Kishtwar.
Fatima wanted to study and become a teacher. 'But my dreams were shattered after they abducted and forcibly married me to Ditta,' Fatima said. Ten months after her marriage she gave birth to a son and her 'childhood was snatched away when I delivered this baby'.
A 'happy moment' for Fatima came when Sher Khan along with his two associates surrendered before the security forces last year.
'Except for bearing Ditta's child I never took him as my husband and there never was any such feeling as it was a forced marriage that ruined me,' she said.
Sher Khan was sentenced to imprisonment for eight years. Fatima took this as an opportunity and fled Ditta's house along with her infant son.
Ditta's parents, however, lodged a missing person report with police. Fatima went to her relatives in an adjoining village and fell in love with a farmer.
Her second chance at life was however not so easy as the local clerics said even if it was a forced marriage, Fatima would have to live with Ditta until they got legally separated.
Similar is the story of 18-year-old Chana whose nightmare started in early 2007.
A Harkat-ul-Ansar (HUA) militant called Farid fell for her when he saw her grazing cattle in the Chicha area of Kishtwar district. She too was forced to marry at gun point.
'I too had dreams of getting married to a well-to-do person with all the rituals,' said Chana. 'But in forced marriages like ours it is just a couple of militants and a maulvi who form the marriage gathering.'
A few months later, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant, Khalid, operating in the area, wanted to marry Chana and asked Farid to divorce her. But when Farid declined, the LeT militant shot him dead and also shot Chana in the left leg.
She was forced to marry Khalid and now lives with him along with her and Farid's infant son.

New Zealand take control against India

New Zealand need nine wickets in two days to level the series against India after they seized control of the second test on the third day at McLean Park on Saturday.
India, following on, were 47 for one at stumps in the second innings after Chris Martin produced an inspired spell of pace bowling with the second new ball to help dismiss them for 305 in the first innings after tea, 314 runs behind New Zealand's mammoth 619 for nine declared.
Martin took three for 30 off seven overs, and ended with three for 89, before Iain O'Brien had Harbhajan Singh (18) and Zaheer Khan (eight) dismissed off successive balls.
"I think we're all in a pretty good space -- it's not often New Zealand are in a position to enforce the follow on," Martin told reporters. "The results showed the discipline we bowled with.
"It's still a good wicket. The way we've bowled on it has put India under pressure."
OUTLANDISH SWEEP
The visitors, who won the first test of the three-match series in Hamilton by 10 wickets, had reduced the deficit to 267 runs but lost the wicket of Sehwag.
The stand-in captain was trapped in front by off-spinner Jeetan Patel for 22, attempting an outlandish slog sweep to a straight delivery that pitched in line.
Rahul Dravid, who top scored with 83 in the first innings, was 11 not out, while Gautam Gambhir was on 14.
"This team has the opportunity to do something special," Laxman said in reference to their precarious position.
"It's a very good batting strip ...(and) we have done some amazing things in the past and we take a lot of confidence from that."
India had begun the day on 79 for three and while they lost Sachin Tendulkar for 49 before lunch when he was well caught by Ross Taylor at first slip off Patel, Dravid and Vangipurappu Laxman appeared to be consolidating their innings.
However, New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori threw the ball to part-time bowler Jesse Ryder, who enticed Dravid to chase a wide delivery and he only succeeded in getting a thick edge to wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum.
An out-of-sorts Yuvraj Singh struggled against Martin's bounce with the second new ball before he was eventually caught at second slip by Tim McIntosh to give Martin his 150th test wicket in the final over before tea.
Martin captured Dinesh Karthik (six) and Laxman after tea before O'Brien cleaned up the tail, with Ryder, who scored 201 in New Zealand's innings, taking a brilliant leaping catch in the gully to dismiss Zaheer Khan.
"He's just one of those naturally talented athletes," Martin said of the burly Ryder's catch.
"To look at him you wouldn't think he could do half the things that he does.
"Today he lulled a guy who was batting nicely into a bad shot. It sums the guy up -- he's a little bit better than you think."

Varun Gandhi sent to judicial custody till Monday (Lead: Varun Gandhi)

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi, who on Saturday moved a surrender plea in Pilibhit's local court, has been sent to two-day judicial custody.
The application, which was moved by his lawyers before Chief Judicial Magistrate Vipin Kumar, will be taken up on Monday.
Speaking with journalists outside the Pilibhit court, Varun said: "I am ready to go to jail. I am victim of political conspiracy."
Earlier in the day, party workers, who gathered here to support Varun, were arrested after they clashed with police.
On Friday, Varun withdrew his anticipatory bail application from the Delhi High Court. The court had granted him anticipatory bail on March 20.
Varun took the decision to withdraw the bail application after the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday rejected his petition seeking quashing of two FIRs registered against him for his speeches in Pilibhit on March 7 and 8.
He was accused of making inflammatory communal remarks at election meetings in his constituency on March 6.
The Election Commission issued a notice to Varun, charging him of violating the Model Code of Conduct for elections by making communal remarks.
Following the Election Commission notice, the Pilibhit police filed an FIR under Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act.

Saving UPA government was a big blunder, says Amar Singh

Samajwadi Party (SP) General Secretary Amar Singh has claimed that saving the UPA government during the voting on the Indo-US nuclear deal debate in Parliament was a big blunder.
"We supported the Congress When it was going through rough patches. Now we believe that saving the UPA government at the time (when it was required to prove its majority) was a big blunder," Singh told ANI in an exclusive interview.
Singh also said that his party's aim to form a secular government was contradicted by some bad elements.
"When we said that we wanted to form a secular government, everyone started claiming it a political conspiracy. Some people even said that we wanted to take advantage of this. That's why we supported the Congress at the time, Left parties left it after four and half years of enjoyment," he added.
The SP leader said his party has always supported the Congress even after the ruling party tried to place false allegations against the SP chief Mulayam Singh.
"The Congress put false allegations against our chief Mulayam Singh Yadav in fake tape case. They again tried to make Mulayam stuck in the CBI case," he claimed.
"This all happened because of some wrong people in the Congress," he added.
Singh claimed that it was the SP, which supported the Congress, when it was going through some really tough patches.
"The Congress was struggling after its defeats one after one all across the country. Virbhadra Singh in Himachal Pradesh, N. D. Tiwari in Uttarakhand, Digvijay Singh in Madhya Pradesh, Amrinder Singh in Punjab and Dharam Singh in Karnataka, faced defeat one after one. Meanwhile, Left parties also withdrew their support after four and half years of enjoyment. At that point of time, we supported the Congress. It is SP who saved the government," Amar Singh claimed. By Pankaj Choudhary

Advani now challenges Sonia to live TV debate

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani on Saturday said that if the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was not willing for a live television debate, he could ask the Congress President Sonia Gandhi for the same.
"I have asked the PM for a live television debate. If he is not willing, he can ask Sonia Gandhi for the same," Advani told an elections rally here.
On March 26, Advani challenged Manmohan Singh for a television debate to help people judge who was the better prime ministerial candidate.
Advani also challenged the PM for contesting the Lok Sabha elections to prove his worth.
"It is good that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi has finally announced its prospective Prime Minister's name. But the PM should contest the elections instead of taking the Rajya Sabha route," he added.
His comments came two days after Manmohan Singh cleared that he had no intention to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
The Congress members, however, opposed such debate, saying it was more suited to countries having a presidential form of government.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Air Deccan founder Capt. Gopinath to contest from Bangalore

Bangalore: Captain G.R. Gopinath, who pioneered India's low-cost airline Air Deccan, is taking off as a politician. He will contest the coming parliament poll as an independent candidate from a constituency in Bangalore, with an agenda to fight terrorism, communalism and work for the economic development of the country.
"I am plunging into active politics due to the dramatic events and developments over the last six months in the country and the world over such as the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, global recession, economic slowdown in India and unsavoury incidents in Karnataka," Gopinath told IANS Thursday.
Gopinath, who sold his stake in the budget carrier to business tycoon Vijay Mallya leading to Air Deccan's merger with private airline Kingfisher, said he would soon decide on the Lok Sabha constituency from which he intended to contest.
"I will finalise the constituency in two-three days. I am consulting my friends such as Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Infosys Technologies vice-chairman Nandan Nilekani and Microland chief executive Pradeep Kar and well wishers to select the seat," Gopinath said.
"My three-point agenda is to fight terrorism, which is impacting our life in terms of safety, security and economic activity; communal violence and divisive forces, which are rearing their head again, especially in Karnataka after the BJP came to power; and socio-economic development of the country, particularly, infrastructure that is holding up the pace of growth," Gopinath added.
Disillusioned with political parties, Gopinath is entering the electoral battlefield as an independent to offer the people an opportunity to choose a candidate free from political pressures or compulsions.
"I not joining any political party as people are disgusted with their functioning. As candidature is decided on the basis of caste, community and ulterior considerations, I have decided to be on my own. Even their manifestos and election strategies are driven by the interests of industrialists and business houses," Gopinath pointed out.
Clarifying that no political party had approached him and neither had he done so, Gopinath lamented that politicians want democracy to flourish in the country but there was no inner democracy in their parties.
"Another reason for contesting as an independent is the conspicuous absence of inner democracy and value for impartial opinion. It is difficult to secure nomination in such a set-up and make a difference to serve the people," the former army pilot noted.
Though Gopinath hails from Gorur in Hassan district, about 250 km from here, he has decided to contest from India's IT hub, betting on the support of the large middle-class electorate, especially tech-savvy youth, working women and the articulate sections of society.
"I have already received tremendous support from IT and BT (biotechnology) sectors. As someone who has grown up from the ranks and made Bangalore my home, I am sure I will get full support from the educated, socially upward and articulate sections in this cosmopolitan city," Gopinath asserted.
Using ICT (information and communication technologies) as a tool, Gopinath plans to reach out to the electorate in the city through SMS messages, e-mail and a dedicated website with provision for suggestions, advice and feedback.
The delimitation exercise has increased the number of parliamentary constituencies in Bangalore to three from two - Bangalore South, Bangalore Central and Bangalore North.

Nano Vs Maruti 800. Who will win the race? Read on…

Will Tata `Nano’ over take Maruti’s 800? The question is doing its rounds ever since Ratan Tata announced his dream project to develop a Rs 1 lakh car. Many have responded to the question in terms of Maruti’s proven track record and the higher degree of comforts anticipated in the wonder car-Nano. The debate continues and the choice is now left with the users to make a final verdict on Nano. But will the Nano be able to beat the pride of the Indian middle class that rejected many a products that tried to bet big on the price tag?
It is true that Tata Nano has made it big until now and people are eagerly waiting to see the car on the roads. But will the majority of Indian middle class prefer to have a Nano, which is being positioned as a cheap and best car? Only time can answer the question. Remember what happed to a ` …Tough’ jeans brand that tried to woo the youth with its juicy price. Despite heavy advertisement and the `worth for price’ quality denim and a Bollywood action hero as the brand ambassador, the Rs 299 jeans failed to make inroads in the market. Not because it was low in quality, but because of the over publicized price range.
Even while the world is humming the `Nano’ song, right now because of the noble idea behind the revolutionary step, it will be not easy a task for Nano to poach the customer base of Maruti 800 that still prefer to position itself as a SMALL CAR. If price was the main criteria for selecting a car, Maruti Swift would not have become the hottest selling car in Indian market. Of course, Nano is not a match for Swift. But there is some strong relation between the middle class’ pride (or false pride) and Swift.
Nay,…this is not a Nano bashing article. The author is just trying to look at the other side of the Nano hype. See the aversion some people show towards the car when they lament over what will happen to the parking space and city traffic, once the car hit the Indian roads. Perhaps, the arrival of Nano would force the authorities to make a visionary approach towards road development. Let’s hope….
Better be more optimistic and try to find out where all Maruti and Nano score over each other? If look and style are to be considered as the prime criteria, Maruti 800 is no where near the cute Nano. Gone by the series of attempts, Maruthi has not been able to make a face lift to the boxy look of Maruti 800.
Maruti 800 comes in two variants, while Nano will be of course available in three variants. Maruti 800 is the king in the small car segment. It sells an average of 4000 to 5000 cars /month. Maruti’s starting price is about Rs 1.92-2.03 lakh and for Nano it could be anywhere between Rs 1.3 lakh on road to Rs 1.9 lakh.
The Nano is 3100 mm in length, 8 per cent shorter than the Maruti 800. However, the breadth and height of the car got a different story to tell. Nano is 4 per cent wider and 14 percent taller than Maruti 800. The Tatas also claim the car is 21per cent bigger than an 800 when it comes to inside space.
When it comes to small cars, fuel efficiency matters big than any thing else. On a decent drive Maruti 800 offers 20 km/litre . It’s proven. According to Tata, `Nano’ would be more fuel efficient than any other cars, ie, Maruti 800. On ideal conditions, the car would offer 23 Km/ litre. But it still in talk, only time could prove how fuel efficient the car will be.
According to auto experts, Nano may also yield fuel efficiency similar to that of Maruti 800. But chances are less that the car out beat Maruti 800 in terms of mileage. While Maruti 800 runs on a 3-cylinder 796 cc engine, Nano runs on a 623 cc 2- cylinder engine. Commonsense tend to believe that a Nano drive won’t be as smooth as an 800 drive. The 800 churns out 37 BHP, while the Nano tops at 33 BHP, at 11per cent less power.
If test drive results are to be believed, Nano can stretch up to 106 km speed per hour. However, when pushed, Maruti 800 can hit 120 kph.
Service and maintenance would be one of the biggest challenges for Nano, especially when it is pitted against Maruti 800 that has a proven track record of low maintenance cost and cheaper accessories.
The maintenance cost for Maruti 800 is about Rs 300-400 per month. However for Nano, the numbers are yet not known but it could be around the same if not less and it in fact could even go up higher because the service module for this car is still unknown.
However, State-owned non-life insurance company National Insurance, which tied up with Tata Motors two months ago, expects the comprehensive insurance premium for the auto major's small car Nano to be around Rs.3,000-Rs.4,000 a year initially. For Maruti 800, the comprehensive insurance premium comes around Rs 5,500 to Rs 6000.
According to astrological pundits, the numerological total of the name The Nano is 32 = 5. Number 3 is ruled by Jupiter and 2 is ruled by positive Moon. In Astrology, whenever Jupiter conjuncts Moon, it is called 'Gaj Kesri Yog' . The Nano is surely going to have a good start However, going deep down into the total of 32, we get Number 5 ruled by Mercury. 5 indicate instability. So, this car may have some bugs.
Numerological total of Maruti 800 as per Chaldean Numerology is 8, ruled by Saturn. Powerful Saturn's influence indicates strong business instinct and leads the business to success. Maruti has endured because of strong influence of Number 8 in it's name, says pundits.

IPL final in Johannesburg on May 24

The opening match and final of the second edition of IPL, shifted overseas to South Africa , are to be held at the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town and the Wanderers in Johannesburg respectively on April 18 and May 24.
The semi finals are to be held on May 22 and 23 in Pretoria and Johannesburg respectively, as per the full schedule of the Twenty20 League available with PTI.
In a double header on the first day, last year's winners Rajasthan Royals would take on Royal Challengers, Bangalore, while Mumbai Indians would clash with first edition's runners-up Chennai Super Kings at Cape Town.
In all, the 59 matches will be held in eight cities: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria, East London , Kimberly, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth.
Kingsmead in Durban, which has a large number of South Asians, has been alloted the lion's share of 16 matches while the Centurion Park in Pretoria would host 12 ties.
The Wanderers in Johannesburg and Newlands in Cape Town come next best with eight matches each, with the latter playing host to four of these on the first two days of the cash-rich, high-profile competition.
Seven matches are to be held in St George's Park in Port Elizabeth while Buffalo Park in East London has been allotted four matches.
Two matches each have been handed over to Outsurance Oval in Bloemfontein and De Beers Oval in Kimberley. Matches would be held at 4 pm (12.30 pm local time) and 8 pm (4.30pm local time) IST.
There are a total of ten double headers (two matches back-to-back at the same venue) with Durban hosting half of these.
THE SCHEDULE: (Time in IST):
April 18: Rajasthan Royals v Royal Challengers Bangalore (4 pm) at Cape Town; Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings (8 pm) at Cape Town.
April 19: Kolkata Knight Riders v Deccan Chargers (4 pm) at Cape Town; Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab (8 pm) at Cape Town.
April 20: RCB V CSK (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth.
April 21: RR v MI (4 pm) at Durban; KKR v KXIP (8 pm) at Durban
April 22: DD v CSK (4 pm) at Durban; RCB v DC (8 pm) at Cape Town
April 23: KKR v RR (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth
April 24: KXIP v RCB (4 pm) at Johannesburg
April 25: KKR v CSK (4 pm) at Cape Town; DC v MI (8 pm) at Durban.
April 26: RR v KXIP (4 pm) at Cape Town; RCB v DD (8 pm) Port Elizabeth
April 27: KKR v MI (4 pm) at Cape Town; CSK v DC (8 pm) at Durban.
April 28: DD v RR (4 pm) at Pretoria
April 29: MI v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban; KKR v RCB (8 pm) at Durban
April 30: DD v DC (4 pm) at Pretoria; RR v CSK (8 pm) at Pretoria.
May 1: RCB v KXIP (4 pm) at East London; MI v KKR (8 pm) at Durban
May 2: RR v DC (4 pm) at Johannesburg; CSK v DD (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 3: MI v RCB (4 pm) at Durban; KXIP v KKR (8 pm) at East London
May 4: DC v CSK (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 5: DD v KKR (4 pm) at Durban; KXIP v RR (8 pm) at Durban
May 6: MI v DC (4 pm) at Pretoria
May 7: KXIP v CSK (4 pm) at Pretoria; RCB v RR (8 pm) at Pretoria
May 8: DD v MI (4 pm) at East London
May 9: DC v KXIP (4 pm) at Bloemfontein; CSK v RR (8 pm)at Port Elizabeth
May 10: KKR v DD (4 pm) at East London; RCB v MI (8 pm) at Johannesburg
May 11: DC v RR (4 pm) at Bloemfontein
May 12: RCB v KKR (4 pm) at Pretoria; KXIP v MI (8 pm) at Pretoria.
May 13: DC v DD (4 pm) at Durban
May 14: MI v RR (4 pm) at Durban; CSK v RCB (8 pm) at Durban.
May 15: KXIP v DD (4 pm) at Kimberley
May 16: CSK v MI (4 pm) at Johannesburg; DC v KKR (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 17: RR v DD (4 pm) at Kimberley; KXIP v DC (8 pm) at Johannesburg
May 18: CSK v KKR (4 pm) at Pretoria
May 19: DD v RCB (4 pm) at Johannesburg
May 20: CSK v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban; RR v KKR (8 pm) at Durban
May 21: DC v RCB (4 pm) at Pretoria; MI v DD (8 pm) at Pretoria
May 22: Semi Final 1 at Pretoria
May 23: Semi Final 2 at Johannesburg
May 24: Final at Johannesburg.

Ryder, Taylor tons guide NZ to strong position

Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder combined for a record 271-run partnership to help New Zealand recover from a disastrous start and reach 351 for four at the end of the first day of the second test against India on Thursday.
Taylor (151) and Ryder (137 not out) had come together at 23-3 within the first hour when Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma destroyed New Zealand's top order after the hosts had won the toss and opted to bat on a good wicket at McLean Park.
The pair, however, rescued the hosts with their partnership, surpassing the record for any New Zealand wicket against India after tea. Mark Richardson and Lou Vincent scored 231 for the first wicket in Mohali in Oct. 2003.
James Franklin survived a dropped catch by Yuvraj Singh in the slips and three confident lbw shouts in the final few overs of the day to remain with Ryder at stumps on 26 not out.
"We knew it was a pretty good wicket once the new ball lost its shine, we knew if we played straight...it's a pretty fast scoring ground," Taylor told reporters.
"You don't often get 350 on the first day. It's something for the team to be proud of but we know it's only half the job done. We probably need 500-550 to be competitive."
India, who won the first test in Hamilton by 10 wickets, are seeking their first series win in New Zealand since 1968 but were dealt a blow when captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni sustained a back injury during the warm-up and was replaced by Dinesh Karthik.
Virender Sehwag took over as captain and the absence of Dhoni did nothing to prevent opening bowlers Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma from taking three New Zealand wickets in the first hour.
Ishant had Tim McIntosh (12) caught behind by Dinesh Karthik, while Zaheer bowled Jamie How (one) and had Martin Guptill caught by Sehwag in the gully for eight to leave the hosts floundering.
The scenario was reminiscent of the first test in the three-match series at Seddon Park when New Zealand never recovered after slumping to 61-6 in the first session of the match.
AGGRESSIVE APPROACH
The 25-year-old Taylor however, chose not to temper his aggressive strokemaking despite the precarious position before lunch, taking New Zealand to 98-3 by the break.
After lunch he produced several anxious moments while on 99 and almost ran out Ryder while searching for a quick single before he brought up his third test century with an edged drive behind point for his 18th boundary from 151 balls.
"Jeepers. You'd have thought it was my first hundred the way I was jumping around," Taylor said.
"I haven't had a significant score for a while now. I'm a nervous starter normally but today I was probably a little bit more nervous than usual."
They took the hosts to 233-3 at tea and in the final session they set the partnership record before Ryder brought up his second test century, when he guided a Zaheer delivery past backward point for his 14th boundary.
Taylor finally departed when he top-edged Harbhajan Singh and was well caught by Yuvraj in the shadows of the main stand in the outfield.
"I'm a bit disappointed I played a reckless shot but at the same time to get the team to where they are after being three for 20-odd was a pretty good effort," Taylor said.
"I haven't batted with Jesse for that length of time for a while and he was a big help through the whole innings. He was geeing me along a lot."

Radar imaging satellite ours, not Israel's, says ISRO Chairman

The Indian Space Research Organisation today asserted that the Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT), expected to be launched by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle from Sriharikota spaceport next month, is not an Israeli one. Denying reports in a section of the press that RISAT is from Israel, ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair said it is an Indian spacecraft.
Asked if RISAT is an Israeli satellite or an Indian one, the Secretary in the Department of Space said "we don't launch any Israeli satellite. It's an Indian satellite".
On whether Israel has contributed to the satellite, Nair said "no. That many countries contribute, not only Israel.
It's our satellite". Asked if Israel supplied Synthetic Aperture Radar for the satellite, he said "those finer details.
We will talk when we make the launch". He said the exact date for the launch has not been finalised.
"It could be within two weeks or so", he said, adding that preparations are in progress at the launch pad. "May be sometime in the middle of next week, we will fix the exact date", he said.

US economy suffers worst decline in 26 years

The US economy suffered its largest drop in 26 years during the last three months of 2008 with the nation's gross domestic product declining by 6.3 percent, according to an official report Thursday.
The biggest drop since the first three months of 1982 in this key measure of economic activity was slightly worse than the government's previous estimate of a 6.2 percent drop in the fourth quarter.
Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast that GDP would fall 6.6 percent in the latest reading.
The report showed broad based declines across various measures of economic activity. Spending by consumers fell 4.3 percent, with purchases of big ticket items plunging 22 percent.
Investment in housing fell 23 percent from already depressed levels, completing three straight years of declines in the sector.
Investment in equipment and software, taken as a measure of business spending, plunged 28 percent. Exports tumbled 24 percent.
The economic problems have obviously not ended with the fourth quarter report, CNN Money.com said. Economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics forecast a 5 percent decline in the first quarter, which ends Tuesday, followed by a 1.7 percent drop in the second quarter.
Still, Bernard Baumohl, executive director of The Economic Outlook Group, cited by the news channel said that some recent economic readings on housing and retail sales that have come in better than expected in the last couple of weeks suggest that the recession may be approaching a bottom.
But other economists say it's too soon to say the worst is over. Brian Bethune, chief US financial economist at Global Insight, was quoted as saying there needs to be signs of a more widespread economic recovery in the auto and retailing sectors before banks start lending again. He doesn't expect even a modest pick-up in GDP until the fourth quarter of this year.
Meanwhile, the number of people filing initial claims for unemployment benefits rose last week, while those filing continuing claims hit an all-time high for the ninth straight week, the Labour Department reported.
In the week ended March 21, a total of 652,000 people filed initial jobless claims, up 8,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 644,000.

India playing important role in development of Afghan: US

The US today said India has been playing a very "important role" in the development of Afghanistan post-Taliban, as the Obama Administration tries to involve New Delhi in its policy towards the war-torn country. "India makes a very positive contribution towards Afghanistan's development," Gen Karl Eikenberry, President Barack Obama's nominee to be ambassador to Afghanistan, said today.
Elaborating India's contributions in Afghanistan, he said: "It has good agricultural programs. It's been a generous aid donor.
It also has extraordinarily good capabilities of developing civil service and helping to educate Afghan bureaucrats." Being stationed in Afghanistan on two different occasions in various capacities, he has a first hand experience of the role being played by India in Afghanistan.
"Given its proximity, given its own interests, but given really its capabilities and the generosity it's shown to date, they have a very important role to play, as do all of Afghanistan's immediate neighbors and the neighbors in the near abroad," Eikenberry, the US commander in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007. Told the members of the Committee in response to a question.
The Obama Administration has been trying to involve India in its policy towards Afghanistan. It has held consultations with Indian authorities in this regard.

CBI pitches for lie-detector test on Raju

CBI today pitched for a lie- detector and other scientific tests on Satyam Computer's disgraced founder B Ramlinga Raju, alleging that the accused was still holding back certain facts about the accounting scam in the company. Terming the Satyam fraud as unique - as the accused was also the one who had founded the company, CBI Director Ashwani Kumar said: "We feel that Raju has not shared everything that he knows about it.
This is a case of corporate fraud and the suspect is the same person who has brought up this huge organisation." The CBI Director was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
He said the CBI has filed an application before before the local court in Hyderabad seeking nod to conduct polygraph test on Raju and his brother, besides the company's former CFO. The court will hear the matter on March 28. On the basis on Raju's confessional statement, the probe agencies had arrived at the conclusion that the scam was to the tune of Rs 7,800 crore.
However, during investigations by the CBI, the agency claimed to have found evidence showing that funds to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore could have been misappropriated. In a related development, a team of CBI officials met Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and sought some papers related to auditor PriceWaterhouse, the bookkeeper of Satyam.

Maneka breaks silence over Varun's hate speech

Former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi on Thursday broke silence over her son's alleged hate speech, saying the Congress was taking up the case to 'conceal' its 'anti-Sikh acts'.
"It has become empirical for Congress to show such tapes (of hate speeches) to conceal their anti-Sikh acts," Gandhi said.
She accused the Congress of giving tickets to people involved in the anti-Sikh riots, in which thousands of Sikhs were killed," Gandhi said.
She further said that the Election Commission has also dismissed the tape as a fake one.
"The Election Commission has also dismissed the tape as a fake one and it actually is a fake one because Varun has not spoken anything like that," she added.
On March 17, the Election Commission filed a criminal case under a non-bailable law against Varun Gandhi for his alleged hate speech against Muslims in Pilibhit.

I am ready for live TV debate with Manmohan: Advani

March 26 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani Thursday challenged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to a live television debate ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, like in the US, and also described
Manmohan Singh him as the weakest political head the country has ever seen.
'Let the prime minister come for a live TV debate for which I am ready. This is the practice prevalent in the US during elections,' Advani told an election rally in Sepa in East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh bordering China.
The BJP's prime ministerial candidate also termed Manmohan Singh as the weakest prime minister India has ever seen.
'I have never seen a prime minister who has to take orders from the party high command to do anything for the country. Without Sonia Gandhi's approval, nothing moves in the government,' Advani said at a modest gathering.
The BJP leader also challenged Manmohan Singh to contest parliamentary elections instead of taking the Rajya Sabha route. 'Singh will be more acceptable to the people of India if he decides to fight the elections and go to the Lok Sabha,' Advani said.
Manmohan Singh is a member of Rajya Sabha from Assam.
Earlier, Advani addressed two election rallies in Assam where he lashed out at the Congress party for what he termed its failure to tackle infiltration from Bangladesh which has posed a threat to the country's internal security.
Advani's remarks come two days after Manmohan Singh challenged the BJP leader's ability to rule India, saying his only contribution to 'national welfare' was his role in the 1992 demolition of the Babri mosque.
Advani had on Tuesday termed Manmohan Singh a 'weak' prime minister.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

India tops remittances in 2008, fall predicted in 2009: WB

Washington: With migrant workers facing job losses, anti-migrant sentiment and even violence in the deepening global financial crisis, World Bank researchers predict remittances will fall to $290 billion in 2009, from last year's high of $305 billion.
Remittances flowing to developing countries from Russia, South Africa, Malaysia and India are "especially vulnerable to the rolling economic crisis", says the Bank's revised Migration and Development Brief.
With a total of $45 billion, India was the top recipient of remittances in 2008. China came next with $34 billion followed by Mexico ($26 billion), Philippines ($18 billion) and Poland ($11 billion).
But even with a drop of between five and eight percent, remittances will still outstrip private capital flows, expected to fall by half in 2009, and official development aid, typically around $100 billion, the bank said.
Remittance flows will stay "resilient" because many countries have a well-established "stock" of migrants who are unlikely to leave their adopted countries.
They will continue to send money home, even if they have to reduce the amount they send, says economist Dilip Ratha, who leads the World Bank's Migration and Remittances team.
Although newspapers are reporting a large number of migrants returning home, migrant workers are still moving to destination countries, although at a slower pace. They, too, will add to the flow of remittances, says Ratha.
Ratha's team predicts remittances will amount to about 1.8 percent of GDP for developing countries in 2009, a slight drop from 1.9 percent of GDP in 2008.
However, considering that officially recorded remittances registered double-digit annual growth in the past few years, the expected fall will cause hardships in many poor countries, says the Bank's Brief.
Ratha says employment of foreign-born workers in the US is holding steady in wholesale and retail and going up in the restaurant and hotel sector, though their employment in construction has fallen faster than that of native born workers, based on new US Bureau of Labour Statistics data.
"Migrant workers are more flexible. They are cheaper. They work harder and they don't insist on all the right employment conditions. They don't ask for too much. And I think there is an additional reason - a lot of workers that have dropped out of the payroll officially continue working off the books."

Ganguly to try out Buchanan's captaincy rotation

appears to have reluctantly agreed to the proposed rotation of captains by cricket director of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) John Buchanan.
Ganguly says the idea of multiple captains is John's plan and the team would give it a try.

"He is the coach. These are John's plans. We will go by them and we all have to deliver on the field. That's how the sports go," said Ganguly, arguably India's most successful captain, after Buchanan unveiled his plans for multiple captains during KKR's second Indian Premier League (IPL) engagements in South Africa. "My job is to get runs and take wickets," said a dejected Ganguly, with a resigned look on his face.

Buchanan dropped a bombshell three days back, saying that the leadership issue is still to be decided.

And Wednesday the Australian said he had planned to rotate the captaincy with players like Ganguly, Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle and Brad Hodge in the side. "There will not necessarily be a fixed captain in the team. We have not nominated a captain so far. It's still open. We are also looking at someone to lead the team even when he is off the field."

"We have a lot of high-calibre players in the side. There are several experienced players in the side. We are going to use the experience of all of them for the benefit of the team," Buchanan told the media at the Eden Gardens here with Ganguly, who led the KKR in the first edition of IPL last year, by his side. To a pointed question from a scribe, Ganguly said: "No, I am not upset."

But his uncharacteristically unshaven and dishevelled look indicated otherwise.

Buchanan hugged Ganguly in a show of bonhomie at the very beginning of the press conference, when asked about the reported rift between the two.

"There are no problems between us. He is a fine person," Buchanan said.

Blaming the media for the controversy, he said: "We are not sending across any (wrong) messages to the other teams. You (media) are (doing it)." Buchanan said the very nature of the Twenty20 game requires new thinking.

"This format brings new challenges to the game, so it needs different thinking.

"For an example, if the captain gets out early or is not satisfied with the decision, he will feel disturbed. The short game does not give you the time to recover. In such a case, a second captain can do a better job," he said, adding that he (Buchanan) himself will carry the cross for the KKR in the entire IPL tournament.

"For example, McCullum is behind the stumps, he will have a good idea of the field. So he can be a captain as far as the field placing is concerned." Buchanan said the number of captains, whether one or more, will be decided after assessing the condition before a match in South Africa.

"If we find that the plan is not working, we'll switch over to plan-II," he said.

The former Aussie coach said he would try out his plans in a practice game in South Africa ahead of the tournament starting April 18.

Asked about the major challenges he would face in South Africa, Buchanan said he had no idea about the tournament schedule and the venue.

The KKR owners or other team officials, however, are yet to come out officially on the captaincy issue.

I am not fond of LTTE, it killed my father: Rahul

Puducherry: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Wednesday said he was not "particularly fond" of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers because they killed his father Rajiv Gandhi.
He told a press conference here: "The LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is a terrorist group. I am not particularly fond of LTTE myself. It killed my father."
A LTTE woman suicide bomber assassinated former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at an election rally near Chennai in May 1991. India outlawed the LTTE the next year.
Gandhi, however, said that India was doing its best to protect Tamil civilians caught in the conflict between the LTTE and the military in Sri Lanka's north. "We are trying to help the situation there," he said.

LeT claims responsibility for Kupwara encounter, threatens of more attacks

Claiming responsibility for Kupwara encounter in which eight Army personnel, including a Major, and 17 militants were killed, Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit has threatened to intensify attacks across the Kashmir valley. "LeT will continue to render sacrifices for the freedom of Kashmir," the outfit spokesman Abdullah Gaznavi said maintaining that the coming days in Kashmir would prove "dearly for Indian forces.
" "The operation in Kupwara should serve as an eye-opener for New Delhi. India should understand that the freedom struggle in Kashmir is not over.
It is active with full force," Gaznavi told a local English daily here. The spokesman said its fighters were involved in the five-day long encounter in Kupwara forest.
"The army had launched a combing operation in Chowkibal forests of Kupwara district on March 20. However, LeT had already received information about the army movement and laid an ambush in the forest," the spokesman said.

Varun Gandhi thanks Thackeray for his support

Bharatiya Janata Party candidate for the Pilibhit constituency Varun Gandhi, who has been accused of making inflammatory anti-Muslim remarks, has thanked Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray for supporting him for his speech.
"I am overwhelmed by his support. I am grateful to him and thank him," party mouthpiece 'Saamna' on Wednesday quoted Varun as saying.
The Election Commission had issued a notice to Gandhi, charging him of violating the Model Code of Conduct for elections by making communal remarks at an election meeting in Pilibhit on March 6.
Gandhi also came under fire from the Congress and some of his own party leaders for purportedly insulting the minority community.
However, Thackeray backed Varun and said that the young leader did not say anything wrong that would violate the model code of conduct.
Thackeray said his party would welcome such a Gandhi, as the young gun was full of Hindutva spirit.
"He is one Gandhi we like... There is no need for Varun to apologise for his remarks... Varun has spoken out the truth," Thackeray had said in an editorial in the newspaper, of which he is the editor.

Kashmir on alert amid fears of militant incursion: Police Chief

Areas in Jammu and Kashmir bordering Pakistan have been put on 'highest alert' after reports that militants are getting together to penetrate into India ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, says the state's police chief.
Director General of Police Kuldeep Khuda said after a brief 'deceptive lull', Pakistan has restarted pushing infiltrators into the state.
Security forces 'have been asked to be on highest alert on the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border' after reports that militants are grouping to infiltrate to this side, Khuda told IANS in an interview.
He said Pakistan continued to support militancy and push terrorists into Kashmir though there had been a drop in infiltration and 'terrorist activities after the Nov 26 Mumbai attacks'.
'I don't find a change in the attitude of Pakistan as far as terrorism is concerned. Also there are indications that it (Pakistan) might gradually raise the pitch as per (its) convenience,' Khuda said.
'Pakistan resorted to cosmetic actions (after Mumbai attacks). But things reversed in no time,' the police chief added, referring to increased movement of militants in the Kashmir Valley, particularly in the border district of Kupwara.
At least 19 people, including 11 guerrillas and eight army troopers, were killed in a long- drawn gun fight between militants and security forces in the Shamswari forests of Kupwara early this week.
The police chief still feels confident that the situation in the state is 'well under control' ahead of the five-phase parliamentary polls, which begin April 16 and end May 13.
'Though there are terrorists still operating in the state, the situation is well under control,' he said.
He said parliamentary polls threw challenges to the police like 'atmosphere where people can come out freely to vote without any intimidation or threat of militants and separatists to boycott'.
The most important challenge, he said, was the security of candidates, public meetings, campaigners, political activists, polling booths and voters.
'Prime requirement is to create a security atmosphere where people feel and participate in the electoral process and cast their votes.'
According to the police chief, there are about 700 to 800 militants operating in Jammu and Kashmir with '40 percent of them (being) foreigners'.
'Pakistani terrorists are taking initiative and carrying out major strikes while locals are being used as helpers,' he said.
Khuda noted with concern the developments in Pakistan where the 'establishment has virtually given up its role in Swat and Peshawar, thus giving boost to the morale of militants operating there. And if (militant) activities increase, it is a matter of concern not only for Pakistan but for us.'
About the reports that Taliban or Al Qaeda members may have sneaked into the state, the police chief said: 'Taliban/Al Qaeda is no different from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) or Al-Badr who are operating (in Jammu and Kashmir).
'The common link between most of these terror outfits is support of ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) and the (Pakistani) establishment. It does not matter whether Taliban or Lashkar is operating against us. So we are dealing with these outfits in any case.'

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

India, South Africa to play tri-series in Zimbabwe

South Africa and India will join hosts Zimbabwe for a one-day tri-series later this year, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) said in a statement.
"Immediately after the conclusion of ICC Twenty20 World Cup, the Indian team will be leaving for West Indies to play four ODIs after which the team will tour Zimbabwe for a tri-series involving India, Zimbabwe and South Africa," the statement said.
New Zealand last month postponed their tour of Zimbabwe in July for a year due to their government's lack of support.
Zimbabwe has agreed to skip the Twenty20 World Cup, being played in England from June 5 to 21, for political reasons.

Anand beats Kramnik to take sole lead

World champion Viswanathan Anand crushed Vladimir Kramnik in the blindfold section and romped home with a 1.5-0.5 victory in the crucial eighth round of the Amber Blindfold and Rapid chess tournament, in Nice, France on Monday.
Anand won the blindfold game and surged ahead in this section to share the second spot in this section.
With the rapid game ending in a draw the Indian ace is now in sole lead on 10.5 points.
Levon Aronian of Armenia defeated Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan in the blindfold game and played out a draw in the rapid to win by a similar margin like Anand and so did Magnus Carlsen of Norway in his match against Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria.
Both Carlsen and Aronain remained on Anand's heels, half point behind, and it might well be a race between these three for the title in the last three rounds.
Kramnik slipped to fourth following the loss with 9.5 points. The fifth place is held by Peter Leko of Hungary on 8.5 points while American Gata Kamsky, Topalov and Alexander Morozevich of Russia are locked on 7.5 points apiece.
Ukrainians Vassily Ivanchuk and Sergey Karjakin and Radjabov share the ninth spot on 6.5 points while Wang Yue of China is now in the cellar with 5.5.
In the blindfold section, Carlsen is in sole lead with 6.5 points followed by Anand a point behind.
In the rapid section, Anand shares the lead with Kamsky and Aronian with 5 points.
The clash of the day between leaders Anand and Kramnik started with an impressive victory for the world champion in the blindfold game.
In their first encounter since their match in Bonn a few months back, Anand played the King pawn allowing his rival to go for his favourite Petroff defence.
"After the 20th move by Kramnik I believe black's position was a bit unpleasant as there was no coordination between his pieces," said Anand, who played white.
He was pleased with his 22nd move and explained that Kramnik had missed his devastating queen manoeuvre when he erred on the 27th. Kramnik's next move was a further oversight, running into the lethal pawn push on the king side resulting in a checkmate web, but at that point black's position was already lost.
In the rapid game also Anand showed excellent opening preparation. He surprised Kramnik with the line he chose and after 15 moves he achieved what most probably he was aiming for. It was an effortless draw with the black pieces.
In other matches of the day, Kamsky drew with Karjakin in blindfold but lost the rapid game, Wang played out two draws with Leko while Ivanchuk improved his standing slightly, beating Morozevich 1.5-0.5.
Results Round 8:
Blindfold: V Anand (Ind) bt Vladimir Kramnik (Rus); Levon Aronian (Arm) bt Teimour Radjabov (Aze); Gata Kamsky (USA) drew with Sergey Karjakin (Ukr); Peter Leko (Hun) drew with Wang Yue (Chn); Magnus Carlsen (Nor) bt Veselin Topalov (Bul); Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr) bt Alexander Morozevich (Rus).
Rapid: Kramnik drew with Anand; Radjabov drew with Aronian; Karjakin bt Kamsky; Wang Yue drew with Leko; Topalov drew with Carlsen; Morozevich drew with Ivanchuk.
Combined standings after Round 8: 1. Anand 10.5; 2-3. Aronian, Carlsen 10 each; 4. Kramnik 9.5; 5. Leko 8.5; 6-8; Kamsky, Topalov, Morozevich 7.5 each; 9-11. Ivanchuk, Karjakin, Radjabov 6.5 each; 12. Yue 5.5.
Blindfold standings: 1. Carlsen 6.5; 2. Anand 5.5; 3-5. Leko, Aronian, Kramnik 5 each; 6. Morozevich 4; 7-8. Topalov, Radjabov 3.5 each; 9. Ivanchuk 3; 10-11. Kamsky, Yue 2.5 each; 12. Karjakin 2.
Rapid standings: 1-3. Anand, Kamsky, Aronian 5 each; 4-5. Kramnik, Karjakin 4.5 each; 6. Topalov 4; 7-10; Leko, Ivanchuk, Carlsen, Morozevich 3.5 each; 11-12. Radjabov, Yue 3 each.

HDFC cuts lending rate by 0.5%

Country's premier home loan financier, Housing Development Finance Corporation on Tuesday slashed its lending rates by 0.5 per cent effective.
With this reduction, HDFC's Retail Prime Lending Rate stands at 14 per cent. The lender has lowered its RPLR by one per cent since December 2008.
"We are now seeing a reduction in the costs on a portfolio level and as in the past HDFC has ensured that the reduction in cost is passed on to existing customers by way of a reduction in RPLR," HDFC joint managing director Renu Sud Karnad said.
The benefit of reduction in RPLR will accrue to all existing floating rate customers over the period of next three months based on their respective reset dates, HDFC said.
The home loan lender has seen its costs coming down owing to improved operational efficiency and good quality portfolio, HDFC said.
"HDFC continues to efficiently manage its liabilities and reprice its debts. In the current environment there is a time gap between the reduction in the marginal cost of funds and the portfolio cost," HDFC said.

South Africa named host for IPL-2

Johannesburg: South Africa was today chosen to host the second edition of the Indian Premier League which has been shifted out of India because of security apprehensions.
The decision to hold the lucrative Twenty20 tournament was taken after a meeting between IPL commissioner Lalit Modi and Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola at an undisclosed venue.

Although no official announcement has been made yet, sources said that the tournament will be held between April 18 and May 24, a delay of about one week from the original schedule.

Eight venues have been identified for staging the eight-team tournament and the matches will start at 4 pm IST and 8 pm IST to make it convenient for Indian television viewers.

Modi and Majola are scheduled to hold a press conference at 8.30 pm IST where the details of the tournament are expected to be announced.

South Africa pipped England as the venue after the BCCI decided to shift the tournament outside India because of security issues in view of the general elections.

England was initially tipped to be the front-runner but the wet weather there during April and May swayed the IPL officials to consider South Africa as the preferred venue.

Another reason for England's chances receding is the assurance from South Africa government and CSA officials that the tournament will receive full support.

South Africa was considered to be a better option because the cost of running the tournament would be substantially less than in England and their domestic event would have concluded by the time IPL began, sources said.

Nano base model to cost Rs 1.34 lakh in Mumbai, Rs 1.23 lakh in Delhi

Mumbai: Tata Motors on Tuesday said its people's car, Nano, will be priced between Rs 1.34 lakh and Rs 1.85 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai), although the car's claim to fame was its Rs 1 lakh tag.
While announcing the prices, Tata group Chairman Ratan Tata said the company has kept the ex-factory (Pantnagar) price of the base model of the Nano at Rs 1 lakh.Yet, customers will have to pay far higher than Rs 1 lakh to own the car. The Nano will have a price tag ranging between Rs 1.12 lakh and Rs 1.70 lakh for the three variants at showrooms at Pantnagar, where it is produced.
In Mumbai, the the Bharat Stage III compliant Nano will cost between Rs 1.34 lakh and Rs 1.85 lakh (ex-showroom) and in the National Capital, it will have a price range of Rs 1.23 lakh to Rs 1.72 lakh (ex-showroom) for the three different variants."Six years ago we made a decision, a decision to conceive and produce more cars that would give the people of India, who rode with their families on two-wheelers, an affordable all-weather transport at a price that is within their reach," Tata said.
To book the Nano, customers will have to shell out Rs 95,000 for the base model BS II and III, Rs 1.2 lakh for the mid-range model and Rs 1.4 lakh for the top end all across the country.
"We hope this day we will usher in a new form of transport," Tata had earlier told reporters at a conference here to mark the launch of the snub-nosed car that was unveiled in January last year.He said the endeavour was never to build the cheapest car but to provide an affordable form of transportation to the average Indian family.
Tata, however, hastened to add that "we made a promise (of a Rs 1,00,000 car) and that we've kept the promise".
He told editors earlier in the day that the pricing was not a "gimmick". The low pricing is despite the cost of steel and other materials going up, he said.
According to market research firm Crisil, Nano's price reduces the cost of ownership of an entry-level car by 30 per cent and to below three times the cost of owning a motorcycle.
"This will make the car affordable to an additional 14 million families, including a section of 58 million two- wheeler owners," Crisil said.

Priyanka hits back at BJP on Varun issue

Hitting back at the Bharatiya Janata Party for criticising her remarks on Varun Gandhi's hate speech, Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday said religion is "no one's personal asset" after the saffron party took exception to her reference to Bhagwad Gita.
"Who am I to teach anyone? But one thing I am sure of is that religion is no one's personal asset," she said, when asked to comment about reactions by BJP leaders that Priyanka was no one to preach Hinduism.
"It's not my place to preach. Religion is no one's property. A person who is truthful and good is religious whether he is a Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Buddhist," she told media persons in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh.
"I am confident that the people of this country are intelligent enough to understand because our culture is based on this. And if anyone will teach a lesson, it will be the people of our country," Priyanka said.
Priyanka on Monday criticised Varun for making hate speeches and asked him to read the Gita properly.
Priyanka said the issue was not a family matter but a question of principles for which the Gandhi family stood for.

Tipu's throne to go under the hammer on April 2

After Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings, some more of India's heritage is to go under the hammer -- this time, a gem-set gold finial from the throne of Tipu Sultan will be auctioned in London next week. The recently discovered gem-encrusted gold finial plundered from Tipu Sultan's huge golden throne is being put up for sale in the British capital on April 2, ten years after it was found lying in the vaults of an English bank.
The object, found by the Bonhams Islamic Department during a routine valuation, is one of three surviving tiger head finials that adorned Tipu's elaborate throne. It had lain at Featherstone Castle, Northumberland, where it was listed in an 1843 inventory of the late Baron Wallace of Knarsdale (1768-1844), who oversaw the East India Company, and afterwards was hidden away in a bank.
In fact, the famous golden throne was broken up so quickly -- much to the disapproval of the then Governor- General Lord Wellesley -- following the fall of Seringapatam that little is known about the fate of the remaining relics.

Kasab says he is a Pakistani National

The man accused of being the lone surviving gunman in last year's Mumbai attacks told an Indian court on Monday that he was from Pakistan and wanted legal assistance from the country. In February, police formally charged Mohammed Ajmal Kasab with waging war against India, and his trial began on Monday via a video link with his prison in Mumbai.

Robots take centre stage in U.S. war in Afghanistan

The U.S. military is deploying the robots to Afghanistan to navigate the country's treacherous terrain.
Called BigDogs, these robots are being deployed in addition to big guns.
The BigDogs - four-legged robots that can navigate the country's treacherous terrain - and pilotless helicopters than can transport tons of supplies to very remote bases are just two of the new weapons being tested in Afghanistan, reports Fox News.
The machine's creator, Boston Dynamics, has a motto - "dedicated to the way things move" - and that's precisely what is both jarring and fascinating about its invention.
Using a gasoline engine that emits an eerie lawnmower buzz, BigDog has animal-inspired articulated legs that absorb shock and recycle kinetic energy from one step to the next.
Its robot brain, a sophisticated computer, controls locomotion sensors that adapt rapidly to the environment. The entire control system regulates, steers and navigates ground contact. A laser gyroscope keeps BigDog on his metal paws - even when the robot slips, stumbles or is kicked over.
Boston Dynamics says BigDog can run as fast as 4 miles per hour, walk slowly, lie down and climb slopes up to 35 degrees. BigDog's heightened sense can also survey the surrounding terrain and become alert to potential danger.
All told, the BigDog bears an uncanny resemblance to a living organic animal.
Routine helicopter flights operating 24 hours a day, year round, are crucial for the American mission.
The Marine Corps has recently called for unmanned cargo flights to carry essentials to isolated areas that can be reached only by air.
Enter the K-MAX, a remote-controlled helicopter designed to transport heavy loads - even in Afghanistan's high altitudes.
The K-MAX's unique rotor design - two intermeshed rotors turning in opposite directions and slightly angled to prevent the blades from colliding - give this unmanned aircraft a distinct advantage.
"All the energy goes into the lift and eliminates the need for the tail rotor," said Frans Jurgens, spokesman for Kaman Aerospace Corp, which manufactures the K-MAX.
The design enables the relatively small chopper to tow up to 6,000 pounds.
"The K-MAX is basically an aerial truck," Jurgens said.

Report: IPL to be played in South Africa

An Indian television station reports that the Indian Premier League twenty20 cricket tournament will be played in South Africa from April 17.
England and South Africa were the two candidates to host the lucrative event. The tournament is being moved for security reasons because it clashes with general elections in India.
New Delhi Television says IPL organizers have agreed to play the tournament in South Africa, but pushed back the starting date by a week.
IPL chairman Lalit Modi met with Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola on Tuesday in Johannesburg. A news conference is scheduled to be held later Tuesday.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Book your Nano for just Rs 2,999

In view of the expected significant demand and limited production capacity initially until the Sanand plant is fully ramped up to capacity, the Tata Nano will be available through a booking mode.
Booking amount for the Nano, the world's cheapest acr, can be done by just paying Rs 2,999 upfront while the rest can be secured by way of loan.
Tata Motors [Get Quote] has entered into an exclusive agreement with the State Bank of India [Get Quote] to manage the booking process.
The sale of application forms and acceptance of booking will start from April 9 till the end of April 25. The application forms will be available at a price of Rs 300, with a range of offers from select associates of the Tata Group companies.
The application forms will be available at over 30,000 locations in about 1,000 cities through Tata Motors Passenger Car dealerships, State Bank of India and its branches, its subsidiaries and associates, other preferred financiers, and outlets of Westside, Croma, 'World of Titan' and Tata Indicom exclusive stores.
Within 60 days from April 25, when bookings come to a halt, Tata Motors will process and announce the allotment of 100,000 cars in the first phase of deliveries, through a computerised random selection procedure.
These 100,000 allotments will be 'price protected', i.e. the cars will be available at Rs 100,000, excluding insurance and registration cost.
The price of the Nano, including that of the base model, will most likely go up after this.
Deliveries for the first 100,000 cars will commence from July 2009.
After collecting the forms, customers have two options. They can either pay the entire booking amount themselves or seek financing of the booking amount.
For those who seek financing, Tata Motors has entered into agreements with 15 preferred banks/NBFCs. A Tata Nano can then be booked by paying Rs 2, 999. The chosen financier will directly submit the application forms to the State Bank of India.
Those, who choose to themselves pay their entire booking amount, can submit their application forms to State Bank of India through 1,350 notified branches in 850 cites, and also at Tata Motors Passenger Car dealerships, Westside and Croma outlets. Option to submit bookings online is available at www.tatanano.com.
Applicants have the option to retain their booking deposit, even if they do not get allotment in the first phase. Those who choose this option will be eligible for interest on their deposit, effective from the date of announcement of allotment of the second phase, at a rate of 8.5 per cent for retention period between one year to two year and 8.75 per cent for a retention period of more than two years. Allotment of retainees will be simultaneously communicated, along with the allotment of the first 100,000 cars.
Preferred financiersTata Motors has entered into agreements with 15 preferred banks/NBFCs for the Tata Nano booking loan product. The preferred financial institutions are: State Bank of [Get Quote] India, Tata Motor Finance, State Bank of Patiala, ICICI Bank [Get Quote], State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Mysore [Get Quote], State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Indore, Axis Bank, Punjab National Bank [Get Quote], Federal Bank [Get Quote], Corporation Bank [Get Quote], Indian Bank [Get Quote], and the Central Bank of India. The updated list and details are available at www.tatanano.com .
Merchandise and accessoriesThe Tata Nano comes with an attractive range of accessories and merchandise. The range of merchandise includes a Nano phone, Nano watch, T-Shirts, etc. and will be made available online at www.tatanano.com as well at all Tata Motors Passenger Car dealerships, Westside & Croma outlets. Tata Indicom will also market the Nano phone and Titan the Nano watch.
Accessories include alloy wheels, body kits, decals etc., to customise the Tata Nano to individual tastes.

India hints at signing CTBT

India will most likely sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty--a top non-proliferation priority of the Obama Administration--if the world moves "categorically towards nuclear disarmament in a credible time-frame," India's point man for nuclear issues has indicated.
Shyam Saran, Prime Minister Manmohan Special Envoy for Nuclear Issues and Climate Change, headlining a major conference organized by The Brookings Institution titled, The US-India Nuclear Agreement: Expectations and Consequences, acknowledged that the CTBT is "an issue that has been seen as potentially, a contentious one in our relations with the new US Administration," and one that "President Obama has made clear that he will seek Senate ratification of, which the US has signed, and India has not".
"He has also promised to launch a 'diplomatic effort to bring on board other states whose ratifications are required for the treaty to enter into force,'" Saran noted, quoting Obama's own words on his commitment to the CTBT, which he articulated in his letter of September 23, 2008 to Prime Minister Singh on the day of the latter's arrival in the US to meet with then President George W Bush .
Saran, an erstwhile Foreign Secretary pointed out that "India has been a consistent votary of a CTBT but did not sign the CTBT as it eventually emerged because it was not explicitly linked to the goal of nuclear disarmament. For India, this was crucial since it was not acceptable to legitimize, in any way, a permanent division between nuclear weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states."
He said that the "other reason was the manner in which the CTBT was pushed through, bypassing the Conference on Disarmament, which works by consensus, and bringing the issue before the UN General Assembly. This was done to over-ride Indian objections and was justifiably seen in India as a not too subtle attempt to foreclose India's options."
"Additionally," Saran noted, "India was included in a category of states whose signature and ratification was deemed necessary in order for the Treaty to come into force, again an unusual provision, directed at putting international pressure on India to join a Treaty whose provisions it did not agree with."
Thus, he explained that "it was against this background that India did not sign the CTBT," but said however, that since the Pokhran tests in May 1998, "India has observed a unilateral and voluntary moratorium and is committed to its continuance.""This is spelt out in the Indo-US Joint Statement of 2005," he added. Consequently, Saran said, "It is also our conviction that if the world moves categorically towards nuclear disarmament in a credible time-frame, then Indo-US differences over the CTBT would probably recede into the background."
The CTBT, was the major foreign policy initiative of the second term of the Clinton Administration, and it was no secret that it held out the lifting of the sanctions imposed on India after its Pokhran tests as a quid pro quo for New Delhi's signing of the CTBT. But, India, which was under tremendous pressure at the time, got off the hook, when the then Republican-controlled Senate refused to ratify the Treaty, much to the chagrin of President Clinton.
But, now, with the return of the Clinton Administration's nonproliferation hawks holding top positions in the Obama Administration, the CTBT has been marked up as a major foreign policy priority, and both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have made clear that they will keep pushing for its Senate ratification and also launch a major diplomatic offensive to get other non-signatories like India to come on board.
At the outset of his remarks, after being introduced by Strobe Talbott, president of Brookings and former Deputy Secretary of State in the Clinton Administration, Saran, who was the original interlocutor of the negotiations on the Indian side of the US-India civilian nuclear deal during his avatar as Foreign Secretary, said, the direct fall-out from the US-India nuclear deal would be "the significant business opportunities it opens up for our two countries."
He said that "India has already conveyed a letter of intent for upto 10,000 megawatts of US nuclear power reactors at sites that are currently under examination within our Government. State governments, where the potential sites are being considered, will need to be consulted. The good news is that in India, being chosen as a site for nuclear power, is a privilege most states aspire to, unlike the controversy such decisions are dogged by in other countries," he said.
Saran asked American business and industry keep on investing in India's nuclear energy market, regarding India's expeditious signing on to the International Convention on Civil Nuclear Liability, said, "I understand that the inter-agency process within government has been concluded."
"India plans to increase substantially its nuclear power production capacity," he said, and added, "international cooperation in civil nuclear energy will be an important means to achieve this goal. Therefore, we see joining the international nuclear liability convention as being in our interest and hope to do this soon."
Saran however, noted, "In any event, this does not prevent US companies from engaging their Indian counterparts already to prepare the ground for substantial nuclear commerce." Meanwhile, he said that "on the US side, we await the early commencement of our dialogue on arrangements to give effect to our right to reprocess US origin spent fuel," and added that it was New Delhi's understanding that the new Obama Administration "is ready to engage with us at an early date."
Saran said that another trade-generating fall-out of the nuclear deal which is sometimes "neglected in our discourse over its merits," was the prohibition over the years "on the transfer to India of nuclear-related items, soon expanded significantly, to cover a very broad range of dual-use items and technology."
He argued that "with the opening up of nuclear commerce with India, there is a need now to review and remove these unnecessary restrictions on international trade with India on dual-use items and technology," and predicted that "as India's economy matures and its industry moves into higher end manufacturing, the demand for high technology goods and services is destined for a major boost."
"And, the US, of course, remains the preferred source of such goods and services," he said. "It is also our hope that the so-called Entity List, which still prohibits sale of US technology and goods to a number of Indian high-tech companies, will be scrapped, sooner rather than later. The positive impact of a more liberal technology trade regime is already beginning to make an impact on India's sourcing of defense hardware from the US."
While acknowledging that India has not been totally immune to the global financial and economic crisis and will also find its growth rate going down by 2 or 3 percentage points during the next couple of years, Saran however asserted that "energy and defense will remain at the top of out national agenda and this should encourage the US to look at India as a welcome source of demand for its goods and services, even as the global economy contracts."
He said 10,000 megawatts of nuclear energy could very well "translate into $150 billion worth of projects with significant business opportunities and potential collaboration for both Indian and US companies. This would also result in significant and high quality job creation in both our countries."Saran said, "If India maintains its current level of defense spending to achieve its medium and long-term goals of force upgradation, then a growing part of the expected 10 year acquisition plan of $120 billion could be reoriented towards the US."
"This will require the US to overcome lingering Indian doubts about the reliability of US supplies," he said, and argued that as a result, "simultaneously, both of us need to work together to find a mutually acceptable solution which will take care of US legal requirements about end use monitoring of transferred defense articles and also meet our sensitivities."
Saran predicted that he was "certain we will be able to do so quickly given our past experiences and also given the interest both our countries have in strengthening this relationship."
On the larger nuclear domain, the senior Indian official said that thanks to the civil nuclear deal, "we are now, potentially, at a different level of engagement of these hitherto sensitive and even contentious issues, compared to the past," on issues of nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear disarmament.
Saran said, "For India, the US acknowledgment, endorsed by consensus by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, that India's nonproliferation record and its current credentials are impeccable, has given the country a welcome sense of vindication. From being an outlier, India is now accepted as a partner in the global nuclear domain."
"The success of the civil nuclear initiative has engendered a sense of assurance and confidence which enables us to look, proactively and not defensively, at a new global agenda for nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear disarmament," he said.
Thus, he said a number of initiatives proposed by President Obama during the presidential campaign, and since his inauguration, had "caught the attention of Indian policymakers," and could very well "become the agenda for a substantive Indo-US engagement on nuclear security issues."
Saran said these could include universal nuclear disarmament which President Obama had said would be a "central element of US nuclear policies," that corresponds "neatly with our own long-standing advocacy of nuclear disarmament as one of the highest priority for the international community."
Also on the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, where, he said, "India has held a consistent position and envisages it as a significant contribution to nuclear nonproliferation in all its aspects."
"We have encouraged the negotiation and early conclusion of a multilateral, universally applicable and effectively verifiable treaty on Fissile Material Cut-Off at the Conference on Disarmament," Saran said.
Saran also spoke about Nuclear Weapons and Terrorism , becoming a major Indo-US agenda item and pointed out that "India is one of the countries taking the lead in raising international awareness of the dangers inherent in the possible link between Weapons of Mass Destruction and international terrorism."
"The possible acquisition, through clandestine means, of nuclear weapons or other WMDs, by terrorist and jihadi groups, adds an entirely new dimension to the nuclear threat, a threat which cannot be deterred by the doctrines of retaliatory use," he argued.
Saran said that "for as long as there is a world divided between nuclear weapon haves and have-nots, there will always be the danger of proliferation to additional countries. This is what gives rise to a clandestine network of the kind run from Pakistan and which creates potential sources of supplies for terrorist or jihadi groups."
He warned that "the greatest likelihood of such a threat emanates from our neighborhood," but said, "what is encouraging, from an Indian perspective, is President Obama's clear recognition of this danger and his willingness to confront it with a sense of urgency."
Saran lauded Obama for his commitment "to working together with other concerned countries in developing and implementing a comprehensive set of standards to protect nuclear materials from terrorist threat".
Recalling Obama's remarks during the campaign about his intent to convene a summit on preventing nuclear terrorism, the Indian diplomat said India was willing to work together with the US "on this shared concern, which to us, living in a dangerous neighborhood, is of great importance."
Saran also referred to President Obama's plans to expand the Proliferation Security Initiative "from its current focus on stopping illicit nuclear shipments to eradicating nuclear market networks, like the remnants of the Abdul Qadeer Khan organization," and said it was his (Saran's) own belief that India, though not yet a member of PSI, "should have an open mind on joining the PSI and in supporting its expanded mandate as envisaged by President Obama."
He said that "this fits in very well with India's own concern over clandestine proliferation, especially in our own neighborhood, and the likelihood of such clandestine activities facilitating the acquisition of nuclear weapons or fissile material, by a terrorist or a jihadi group".

War of words: Jaitley, Chidambaram spat over IPL move

New Delhi: Home Minister P Chidambaram and BJP spokesman Arun Jaitley were on Monday locked in a war of words over IPL's decision to shift its Twenty20 cricket matches abroad with the saffron party leader saying an impression was going round that India, like Pakistan, has become an unsafe sporting venue.
Hitting back at Jaitley, Chidambaram said the BJP member was known to exaggerate but this time he had gone overboard.Jaitley, also the Delhi and District Cricket Association president, said the Home Ministry's refusal to assure security for the high-profile Twenty20 league has given the country a bad name.
"The impression which has gone is that India is not a safe destination for sporting events. Today, it's sporting events, tomorrow it maybe other events where crowds gather. It maybe some religious events like Kumbh Mela or Ajmer Sharif function," Jaitley said at a press conference here.
"Therefore the impression that India is a safe destination must be created. Country's activities don't come to a standstill merely because elections are being held.
"He must realise that it amounts to giving India a bad name, almost clubbing us with the image Pakistan has. He must concentrate on the job assigned to him," Jaitley said.
"I know that Jaitley has a penchant for exaggeration but because he also wears the cap of the President of the DDCA, he seems to have gone overboard this time," Chidambaram retorted.

Blast rattles Islamabad police station

Islamabad: One person was killed and several others were injured in an explosion at a police station here Monday.
The explosion occurred at a police station in sector G-7 near Sitara Market. Initial investigation showed that it was a suicide attack, the police said.
Eyewitnesses said smoke was coming out of the police station, located in the capital's Sitara Market, after the blast, which was so loud that it shattered windowpanes of the surrounding buildings.
The injured were being shifted to nearby hospitals and the police have cordoned off the area.

Q+A - Tata Motors to launch Nano

Tata Motors, India's top vehicle maker, on Monday launches the Nano, the world's cheapest car, in a move that could dramatically change the auto market in the world's second most populous nation.
The Nano debuted in January 2008 and was expected to be on sale late last year, but its arrival was delayed a dispute over the land where a purpose-built facility was to be located.
Ahead of Monday's launch, here are some frequently asked questions.
Q. What will the Nano cost?
A. The ex-factory price is 100,000 rupees ($1,975), but to drive one out of the showroom, customers will have to add dealer charges and taxes, taking the on-the-road price up to 130,000 rupees, dealers say. Buyers can also pay for extras such as air conditioning.
Q. When will the Nano be on Indian roads?
A. Dealers don't expect the Nano to be available before the mid-year. Bookings only start in the second week of April, and Tata Motors is expected to take time to make allotments and deliveries.
Q. How many Nanos will Tata be producing?
A. Large-scale production has been delayed by the relocation row that shifted production to Gujarat from West Bengal last year. As a stop-gap arrangement, Nanos will be rolled out from Tata Motors' existing car factories in Pune in western India and Pantnagar in Northern India.
Analysts estimate only about 50,000 cars will be available in the first year until the 250,000 capacity unit in Gujarat comes onstream.
Q. How many people can the Nano accomodate?
A. The car can seat four people. Tata Motors Chairman Rata Tata has said his inspiration for the cheap car was the common sight of a family of four riding on a motorbike.
Q. Is it safe?
A. According to Tata Motors, the Nano's safety performance exceeds current Indian regulatory requirements. It has an all sheet metal body and safety features include crumple zones, intrusion resistant doors, seat belts, strong seats and anchorages. Tata says the Nano's tubeless tyres, apart from reducing friction, provide better balance and stability.
A version for the European markets, Tata Nano Europa, will have even more stringent safety standards with anti-lock brake systems and airbags.
Q. Is it environmentally friendly?
A. Tata Motors says the Nano's tailpipe emission performance exceeds regulatory requirements. It has a lower pollution level than two-wheelers being manufactured in India today. The Nano Europa has low carbon dioxide emission of less than 100 grams per kilometre. Environmentalists, however, worry that India's roads and infrastructure will struggle to cope with a surge in car ownership.
Q. How does Tata manage to make (sell) a car so cheaply?
A. The wheels are made of pressed steel, where the cost is less than using alloy. The positioning of the engine in the space behind the rear seat also keeps costs down. The engine was built in-house by Tata Motors, which has also worked with Germany's Krug to reduce capital and variable costs, such as paint and the number of tools used to make parts. Tata says the 100,000 rupee price tag would only be available for a limited period.
Q. How many Indians currently own cars
A. There are around 9 vehicles per 1,000 people, well below levels in developed countries.
Q. How much does a 2-wheeler (scooter, bike) cost?
A. Prices of motorcycles range from 30,000 rupees at the low end to 1.2 million rupees at the higher-end. Tata has said the Nano aims to give people the chance to shift from a bike to car ownership.