News Analysis - April 2006 @ whatisindia.com

Uzbek Allows Indian Oil Exploration (April 28, 2006)
India and Uzbekistan reached a landmark deal where the latter will allow Indian companies to explore for natural gas that can then be shared equally. <More>

US Wants More Economic Reforms (April 28, 2006)
US Treasury Under Secretary Timothy Adams said that more economic structural reforms are necessary for billions of dollars to flood the India and create unprecedented opportunities for the nation. <More>

Since when is Punishing a Child Good? (April 28, 2006)
In the narrowest interpretation of the law, the Karnataka High Court ruled that under the Sec 95 of Indian Penal Code, a school could beat a child if such beating was done in good faith and to discipline the child.< More>

ISRO to Carry Experimental Satellites Free (April 28, 2006)
In a very positive move, the Indian Space & Research Organization (ISRO) has invited proposals from Universities and students to create miniature, non-commercial, experimental, and scientific satellites that can be carried free.<More>

Escalating War of Words about Iran (April 28, 2006)
The Iran issue refuses to be resolved with increasingly caustic comments from Iranians President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and equally acerbic comments from various influential circles of the US Administration. <More>

Germany Seeks Market Access (April 27, 2006)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked German Chancellor Angela Merkel to bring in more investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, and high technology while his interlocutor asked India to shed protectionism and open markets further.<More>

PM Appoints Narmada Monitoring Panel (April 27, 2006)
The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a three-member panel that will assess, monitor, and advise the Government on relief provided to those ousted by the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) across the Narmada River. <More>

SC Orders Dismantling Fish Tanks in AP (April 27, 2006)
The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the Andhra Pradesh (AP) to destroy fish tanks created in the Kolleru Lake by politically connected individuals that threaten the ecosystem of the large wet lands and the livelihood of those who live around it.<More>

Eastern Naval Command Assuming Prominence (April 27, 2006)
In line with the Indian Maritime Doctrine released last year, the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) based in Visakhapatanam has assumed great significance to protect the 2,600-kilometer coastline and 200,000 square kilometer exclusive economic zone.<More>

Russia to Strengthen C. Asia Presence (April 27, 2006)
Russian President Vladimir Putin along with Kyrgyzstan President Kurmambek Bakiyev announced that Russia will increase its Air Force base force levels at Kant by 2.5 times in response to expansion of American base in Manas International Airport.<More>

China Reinforcing Developing Nations Ties (April 27, 2006)
Analysts say that through Chinese President Hu Jintao visits to Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Nigeria, and Kenya right after his visit to the US on the same trip shows that China is interested to reaffirm its ties with the developing world despite its economic ascendancy. <More>

IT Exports Up 36% (April 26, 2006)
Increased global reach of Information Technology (IT), strong demand for qualified human resources, and strong investments by IT companies saw India exporting over USD 22.5 billion worth of software and services up 36% from last year.< More>

Tirpur Knitwear Exports at USD 1.7B (April 26, 2006)
Knitwear mills in Tamil Nadu town Tirpur reported increase in exports of 33.3% valued at USD 1.7 billion to grab the number 1 spot from Punjab’s Ludhiana and is aiming to increase its output to USD 2.25 billion next year.< More>

Maran’s COI and Bigger Issues (April 26, 2006)
A New Indian Express (NIE) investigative report alleged that Minister of Telecommunications & IT Dayanidhi Maran abused his position to try arm-twisting the Tata Group to share part of its Dish-to-Home (DTH) business with his own Sun TV business.< More>

Denel Paid Middlemen (April 26, 2006)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said that it has determined that South African Anti-Material Rifle vendor Denel paid a 12.75% commission to a Varas Associates for procurement of contracts.< More>

LTTE Strikes after Ban Call (April 26, 2006)
A day after the Sri Lanka called on the international community to ban the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), it deployed a suicide bomber to assassinate a senior decorated military commander seen as a hawk wanting stricter action against LTTE.<More>

Terrorists Declare War in Nepal (April 26, 2006)
Nepal’s Seven Party Alliance (SPA) elected veteran politician G.P. Koirala as Prime Minister for the 4th time and was jubilant about their victory, but the terrorists who are also part of the alliance refused to accept democracy and declared war on the nation.< More>

Nuclear & Bio-Warfare Suits (April 25, 2006)
The Indian Army has started create a large number of nuclear and biological warfare command centers to direct battle operations in a modern hostile environments in addition to mass manufacturing of nuclear radiation resistant suits for these forces.< More>

Govt Not Banking on Separatist Vote (April 25, 2006)
National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan said that the ongoing roundtable discussions with Jammu & Kashmiri groups cannot be held hostage by group and that separatists do not have a “veto” on the “success or otherwise” of these talks.< More>

India Joins Thermonuclear Organization (April 25, 2006)
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) Direct Anil Kakodkar will be signing in India as the 7th participant in the global Thermonuclear Experiment Reactor (ITER) project to contribute USD 565 million worth of indigenous material or 10% of ITER needs.<More>

Osama Accuses West of “War on Islam” (April 25, 2006)
An audiotape attributed to fugitive terrorist Osama bin Laden said that the “Crusader-Zionist” armies are waging a “war against Islam” and said people in West shared the responsibility for their “financial and moral support.”<More>

Sri Lanka Wants LTTE Banned (April 25, 2006)
A senior Sri Lankan Government (SLG) functionary accused the LTTE of failure to continue with the peace process and honoring ceasefire agreements and called on the European Union (EU) to follow-through with its threat to ban the outfit.<More>

King Reinstates Parliament (April 25, 2006)
In a televised address, Nepal King Gnanendra, conceding a key Opposition demand, said that he will reinstate the Parliament he dismissed in 2002 from Friday and asked the political parties to “bear the responsibility” for restoring peace and national unity.<More>

Hamas Nominates Terrorist in Cabinet (April 25, 2006)
Deepening the concern of the world community, the Hamas-led Government has nominated a prominent terrorist, wanted by Israelis and Americans for the murder of American security personnel, as the Inspector-General of Interior Ministry.< More>

Japan and South Korean Make Island Deal (April 25, 2006)
Japan and South Korea averted a bitter naval showdown over a deserted group of islands that is rich fishing ground and reportedly over billions of dollars worth of unexplored fossil fuels by agreeing to stand down and engage in dialogue. < More>

FII Exposure valued at USD 80 billion (April 24, 2006)
With an estimated 8% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate, India continues to attract Foreign Institutional Investors (FII) whose numbers have grown from 685 to 898 in a year and valued at USD 80 billion driven up by the 180 A-group companies. < More>

Islamic “Court” Defies SC (April 24, 2006)
The highest religious body of Sunni sect in Orissa, the Jamait-ul-Ulama chided the Supreme Court (SC) for interfering “in religious matter” and promised to excommunicate the couple that SC granted protection to stay married. <More>

Over 5 million HIV cases in India (April 24, 2006)
The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) estimates that India has a HIV positive population of 5.21 million but cautioned that this figure could be much higher and the Government did not know how many people were dying of his disease.< More>

Advanced Russian Defense Systems in Belarus (April 24, 2006)
Anti-missile system deployment in Poland and Eastern European nations, air bases in former Warsaw pact nations Romania and Bulgaria, and expansion of the North Atlantic Treat Organization (NATO) is prompting Russia to deploy advanced defense systems. <More>

Pak to get Chinese Nuke Plants (April 24, 2006)
A report published in Pakistan paper The Dawn said that Pakistan will seek 4 more nuclear plants at a cost of USD 6.5 billion in addition to the 2 on order for USD 1.2 billon claiming that these plants will allow it to generate 8,800 megawatts of power by 2030.<More>

King Amenable to Parliament Resurrection (April 24, 2006)
Softening his offer to the 7-party political alliance, Nepal’s King Gnanendra said that he is willing to accept the resurrection of the Parliament by a Prime Minister appointed by them but the alliance has been recalcitrant to this softened position.<More>

Germany Softens Stand on Nuclear Deal (April 24, 2006)
Softening her stand on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, German Chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged India’s non-proliferation record and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) backing but wanted to await outcome of US Congress discussions.<More>

Postal Act May Kill Courier (April 21, 2006)
The Indian Government created a new draft law that would essentially ban courier companies from carrying letter mail lighter than 300 grams —Industry sources castigated this move saying that it is “against the spirit of liberalization and globalization.”<More>

SC Admonishes Islamic Courts (April 21, 2006)
The Supreme Court (SC) took serious exception to an “Islamic court” that issued a fatwa seeking the divorce of a couple in Orissa because the intoxicated husband uttered “talak” word thrice in his sleep.< More>

Cauvery Tribunal Order Expert Committee (April 21, 2006)
The Cauvery Tribunal, charged with ensuring equitable sharing of water across riparian states, called for an expert committee to verify, validate, and confirm extremist and differing perceptions of the water usage, sharing, and needs. <More>

Countries Urge Norway to Stop Whale Hunting (April 21, 2006)
With Norway’s plan to hunt the highest number of whales in two decades this year, a dozen countries joined together and called on it stop this reprehensible practice of hunting whales for profit.< More>

King Calls for PM Candidate (April 21, 2006)
Sustained public demonstrations, non-nonsense statements from India, and blunt speaking from the US caused Nepal King Gnanendra to relent and call for a Prime Ministerial candidate from the 7-party alliance of political parties.<More>

US-Sino Relations & India (April 21, 2006)
The Chinese President Hu Jintao’s meeting with who-is-who of the US business world even before his planned meeting with President George Bush demonstrates the focus of China in its relationship with the US.< More>

Malaysia Destroys 100 Year Old Hindu Temple (April 21, 2006)
Even as Hindus, treated as 3rd class citizens in their own nation, were worshipping Malaysia destroyed a 100-year-old temple with a single day’s notice and without a clear indication of why it is taking this extreme step.< More>

SENSEX Breaks 12K-Barrier (April 20, 2006)
Defying international trends relating to oil and security concerns, strong domestic fundamentals inspired Indian mutual funds to flood the stock markets raising the SENSEX index beyond 12,000 in just 16 sessions.<More>

Tariff Relief per SAFTA (April 20, 2006)
At a meeting of South Asian Commerce Ministers meeting at Dhaka, India and Pakistan agreed not to charge import duties on 5% of products traded within the South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA) region.<More>

Reservation Politicking in Private Sector (April 20, 2006)
With state election campaigning in full swing, politicians have been ballooning innovative but retrograde ideas on reservations in private sector, premier institutions, and based on religion, which have been routinely opposed and trashed. <More>

Cong Pussyfoots around Commies (April 20, 2006)
With State Election campaign in full swing, the Congress Party finds itself in the unenviable position of leading a Federal coalition but face their allies as opponents in States who continue to eat into their vote-banks and criticize it with impunity. <More>

Govt to Allow GM Soya Oil Import (April 20, 2006)
Ministry of Environment & Forests said that it intends to allow the import of genetically modified (GM) Soya oil into India if it meets certification criteria to be defined by the Government.<More>

Closer to Agreement (April 20, 2006)
Over the last several months, India and Pakistan have been silent working on a deal to demilitarize Siachen, the world’s highest battlefield. <More>

Worried But No Progress (April 20, 2006)
Visiting Special Envoy Dr. Karan Singh returned from a 2-day tour of Nepal where he met King Gnanendra and major political actors to say, “he is optimistic” that Gnanendra will “make an announcement shortly.”<More>

Auto components Export Grows 28%(April 19, 2006)
Indian auto components exports have grown by 28% last year to USD 1.8 billion from USD 1.4 billion a year ago compared to overall auto component industry value of USD 10 billion with a growth of 15%. <More>

Police Files Charges against Salem (April 19, 2006)
Mumbai police formally charges Portugal-extradited gangster Abu Salem with conspiracy to murder, trespass to commit murder, and murder of Ajit Dewani in addition to violations of the Arms Act.< More>

Iran’s Nuclear Program Not Good for India (April 19, 2006)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told visiting Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid Syed Bukhari that Iran has a secret nuclear program to develop weapons and that this program is not good for India as it does not desire a 3rd nuclear weapons power as a neighbor.< More>

PM Sends Karan Singh to Nepal (April 19, 2006)
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sent former Foreign Minister and former King of erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir, Karan Singh, to meet with Nepal’s embattled King Gnanendra and deliver a stiff message.< More>

China Opposed to India’s UNSC bid (April 19, 2006)
China has said that it is opposed to India’s inclusion in the United Nations Security Council as a so-called permanent member ostensibly because of India’s association with Japan through the G-4 initiative.<More>

Telco Companies Orders worth USD 15b (18/04/2006)
Indian telecommunication majors are placing orders worth USD 15 billion to acquire 150-180 million new lines within the next 12 months. <More>

Govt Capitulates to Poultry Industry (April 18, 2006)
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar capitulated to poultry industry demands to not introduce mandatory bird flu vaccinations of poultry and also promised to upgrade laboratories, a 3-lab verification before declaration of disease, a zone-affected areas.< More>

Good Voting in Naxal Areas in WB (April 18, 2006)
People defied threats from naxal terrorists and stood in long lines for over two hours, endured clinical security screening, and followed intense Election Commission restrictions to vote in large numbers in naxal-infested areas of West Bengal (WB).<More>

US & UK Play Mock Iran Invasion (April 18, 2006)
Despite repeated denials by UK, the US and UK are said to have participated in a paper-based mock invasion of a fictitious country that resembled the Iranian coastline and the intended enemy resembling Iranian positions and targets.<More>

Pakistan Puts Off Wullar Dialog (April 18, 2006)
Pakistan said that it has postponed the upcoming dialogue with India on the Wullar Barrage and Tulbul Navigation Project saying that the Indian Water Resources Secretary was indisposed to attend this crucial meeting because of other business.<More>

India Will not Accept No-Test Option (April 18, 2006)
India said that it had rejected a proposal from the US to amend the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal that would disallow further nuclear testing by India and terminate the contract if India would conduct a nuclear explosion. <More>

Tel Aviv Suicide Attack (April 18, 2006)
In the first ever incident after Hamas took control of the Palestinian Territories (PT), a suicide bomber killed 6 people and injuring 35 others in Israel’s commercial capital Tel Aviv coinciding with the Jewish holiday of Passover. <More>

ONGC Reveals Major Expansion Plans (April 17, 2006)
The State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) announced plans to create a mammoth 45.5 million tons (mt) refining capacity at a cost of USD 12.5 billion that will spur it closer to its vision of being a global player by 2009-10.<More>

SC Says Narmada Work to Continue (April 17, 2006)
The Supreme Court (SC) ordered that the Narmada Dam project to continue as planned but asked the federal Government to institute mechanisms in parallel that will manage proper rehabilitation of affected people.< More>

Naxals Assume Kashmiri Tactics (April 17, 2006)
In typical Kashmiri terrorist style operation, Naxalites dressed in police uniform arrived in a bus at a refugee camp in Chhattisgarh and opened fire indiscriminately with their AK-47s killing several officers and looting weapons and ammunition from the facility.<More>
Sukhoi to Carry BrahMos (April 17, 2006)
The Indian Air Force (IAF) said that it is finalizing a design with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and BrahMos Aerospace Limited to fit the supersonic BrahMos to the Sukhoi strike aircraft.<More>
LTTE Withdraws from Geneva Talks (April 17, 2006)
Accusing the Sri Lankan Government (SLG) of creating many “hurdles” and a lack of “conducive environment,” the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has withdrawn from the ongoing Geneva talks scheduled to restart April 19.<More>
Iran Expands Nuclear Facilities (April 17, 2006)
A US think tank said that new satellite images show that Iran has expanded its facilities at Isfahan and reinforced its Natanz underground facility in preparation for a possible US-led air raid.<More>

Taiwan to Expand Ties, Investment in India (April 14, 2006)
Taiwan , locked in a political fight with China , is exploring alternatives to its investment and trade portfolio that is uncomfortably tied to China and is seeing India as the choice destination for further investment, trade, and partnership.<More>

Increased Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drug Addiction (April 14, 2006)
A recent study found that peer pressure; surrogate advertisements of cigarette and alcohol companies, and movies are influencing high school and pre-university youth in the 15-18 age group to abuse tobacco, drugs, and alcohol.<More>

Government Finally Wakes Up to Naxal Reality (April 14, 2006)
The Government finally woke up to the Naxal menace in India and said that their superior army style operations, coordination, trained cadres, and planned frontal attacks on large installations, and external links must be fought under a unified command.< More>

Boeing Invites India as Dev Partner (April 14, 2006)
For the first time, Boeing responded directly to an Indian Naval Request for Proposal (RFP) to deliver 8 P-8A long-range maritime anti-submarine aircraft and invited India to be a “development partner” for the aircraft. Other than Boeing, another US Defense major Lockheed Martin had already responded to the Indian RFP.< More>

Tension on Indo-Bangla Border (April 14, 2006)
The Indo-Bangladesh border saw action as the Border Security Force (BSF) fired on Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) positions when they repeatedly opposed the construction of a camp within 150 yards of the Indian border.< More>

Railway Freight Corridor in 11^th Plan (April 13, 2006)
The Indian Railways is negotiating a deal with the Planning Commission to construct an exclusive freight corridor that would cost USD 111 billion in the 11^th (2007-12) financial plan up from a budget of USD 13.33 billion in the 10^th. <More>

Heart Disease Biggest Killer in Rural India Too (April 13, 2006)
Exploding popular myth that cardiovascular disease is strictly an urban rich phenomenon, a Government, Non Government Organization (NGO), University 3 year study said that 32% of deaths in rural India was due to heart disease.< More>

Army Says J&K situation is better (April 13, 2006)
The Indian Army has said that there is a “marked improvement” and “discernable drop” in the infiltration levels leading it to believe that this has “led to the development of an opportunity to move decisively towards resolution of the conflict in the State.” < More>

Canada labels LTTE Terrorists (April 13, 2006)
Canada became the other country after India to label the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist organization making it illegal for anyone in Canada to support, finance, host, or communicate with it.< More>

Iran Joins Select Nuclear Club (April 13, 2006)
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that his country has the much-coveted technology of enrichment and that it would, in defiance of United Nations Security Council ruling, race ahead to enrich more uranium on a large scale.<More>

India Backs US as Observer in SAARC (April 13, 2006)
Much to the chagrin of its communist allies, the Indian Government is enthusiastically supporting the inclusion of the US as an observer of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SSARC) in the 14^th session to be hosted in India.< More>

Indian Exports crosses USD 100 billion (April 12, 2006)
As reported , Indian exports crossed the psychological threshold of USD 100 billion and while trade deficit remains at USD 39 billion most of that is because of oil imports resulting in a non-oil net trade surplus.< More>

Textile to reach USD 40-50B in TN (April 12, 2006)
A Confederation of Indian Industry study predicted that the textile industry in Tamil Nadu (TN) would earn USD 40-50 and employ 5 million new workers by 2015.< More>

Indo-EU Energy Initiative (April 12, 2006)
On the heals of US and India announcing Indian participation in FutureGen project, the European and India are set to explore alternate sources of energy as envisaged by the recently-concluded First India-EU Business Conference on Energy.< More>

3 PHC workers for every 10,000 (April 12, 2006)
A recent World Wealth Organization (WHO) study revealed that India had only 3 Primary Health Care (PHC) workers for every 10,000 of its population, which also predicted a worldwide shortage of 4.3 million workers. <More>

Dawood part of al Qaeda Says Interpol (April 12, 2006)
Interpol issued a new “red corner” notice declaring Dawood Ibrahim, prime accused in the 1994 Mumbai blasts as part of the global al Qaeda organization and listed two addresses in Karachi as his residences.<More>

Nepal Stalemate Sours Further (April 12, 2006)
With continued protests and increased police brutality, the stalemate in Nepal soured further strengthening the hands of the terrorists who continue to hold the nation hostage and inspire Naxalite terrorism in India.< More>

EU, Canada , US Suspend Aid to PA (April 12, 2006)
The largest donor to Palestinian Territories (PT), the European Union (EU), suspended its USD 300 million aid citing the Hamas’s continued recalcitrance in refusing to recognize Israel , give up violence, and recognize international commitments.< More>

BSNL profit down 20% (April 11, 2006)
State-owned telephone company, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) announced that its profit margin dropped by 20% due to lower access deficit charge (ADC) from private operators and lower reimbursement of licensing fee. BSNL earned USD 1.8 billion.< More>

Salman Khan Jailed—Long Live Justice (April 11, 2006)
Justice in India is delayed, lumpy, and selective but it works—Salman Khan the actor accused of shooting endangered animals to please girlfriends and killing roadside dwellers in inebriated state has been sentenced to 5 years by a trial court in Rajasthan.< More>

Natwar’s kin Detained (April 11, 2006)
Vipin Khanna, a kin of disgraced former Foreign Minister Natwar Singh was detained by officials and refused permission to travel abroad although his son and suspect in the oil-for-food scam, Aditya Khanna has escaped to London.<More>

Sea Level to Rise (April 11, 2006)
Increased use of fossil fuels leading to more greenhouse gases, reduction in forest cover, high development activity will eventually cause intense rain in the North East, drought and desertification in the North West, and inundation of coastal areas.<More>

India Refuses to Define “Credible Minimum Deterrence” (April 11, 2006)
India refused to accede to visiting US Undersecretary of State Richard Boucher’s request to define “credible minimum deterrence” and repeated in essence what his boss said during the Congressional briefings that it is self-explanatory and is relative.<More>

Karzai Visits India (April 11, 2006)
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai is visiting India for the first time after his country was proposed by India to join the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and both countries promised to fight terrorism together. <More>

India will be World’s Refinery Hub (April 10, 2006)
Rising demand for energy, high price of oil, lack of US & EU investments in refinery has created a space for India , much like the business process outsourcing sector, to become the world’s choice destination for refining crude oil.<More>

Indian Altruism Helps China Master Software (April 10, 2006)
A first of its kind, an Indo-Sino software research, training, and education facility to replicate the success of Bangalore in China has been launched near Chengdu, provincial capital of Sichuan.<More>

BJP-Congress Alliance? (April 10, 2006)
As election fever rages in Eastern and Southern states, there is increased speculation on the outcomes and its consequences.<More>

EC Blocks Arjun’s Mediocrity (April 10, 2006)
Driven by political greed, Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh embarrassed the Government that Other Backward Classes (OBC) will be entitled to a 27% reservation in premier Central educational institutions also.<More>

Salem Assassin Escapes (April 10, 2006)
Seriously jeopardizing the case against Portugal extradited gangster Abu Salem, the co-prime accused assassin charged with the murder of Ajit Dewani escaped under mysterious circumstances when he was in control of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) police.<More>

Naxals Blast Track & Station (April 10, 2006)
Responding to recent arrests of senior leaders of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) blasted railway tracks, kidnapped railway employees, destroyed electricity feeder lines, and railway station, near Gaya .<More>

“Indefinite Strike” in Nepal (April 10, 2006)
Nepal went into deeper crisis as police arrested, assaulted, killed, and broke demonstrators literally and figuratively to curb strikes against an increasingly unpopular and violent royal regime.<More>

US Plans to Attack Iran (April 10, 2006)
Noted journalist of The New York Times quoted unnamed sources to claim that the US has stepped up plans to use conventional and tactical nuclear weapons to destroy Iran’s underground nuclear “research” facility at Natanz. <More>

ADB Says India ’s Growth Rate to be 7.6% (April 7, 2006)
An Asian Development Bank (ADB) report said that India will grow at a robust 7.6% but warned against the 3% fiscal deficit and 6.1% inflation that will force higher interest rates. <More>

India Refuses To Budge on WTO (April 7, 2006)
While World Trade Organization (WTO) warned India not to miss out on benefits of the Doha round and concede key tariffs to provide greater market access; India asserted that its 30% import rate sufficiently proved its market access credentials.<More>

Advani Asks Muslims to Facilitate Mandir (April 7, 2006)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) former Chief and former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani touring the nation called on Muslims to facilitate the creation of a temple to Lord Rama in place of the decrypt and destroyed Babri Masjid. <More>

UP Polices Arrests Varanasi Terrorists (April 7, 2006)
The Uttar Pradesh Police claimed to have arrested 6 terrorists responsible for the bomb explosions last month in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi and said that they had plans to blow up the two Hanuman temples in the city on Ramanavami.<More>

CBI Arrests Navy War Room Leak Suspects (April 7, 2006)
After more than month of receiving a report from the Defense Ministry, the Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested 5 people including 3 former naval personnel and 1 kin of Navy Chief. The CBI raised 17 places simultaneously across the country to arrest the accused.<More>

UK Laws Makes Outsourcing Expensive (April 6, 2006)
In a move that could cost Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) companies a huge packet, United Kingdom is introducing a law that will require BPOs to safeguard the rights of worked made redundant because of outsourcing.<More>

Health Tourism is Big Business (April 6, 2006)
A joint study by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and McKinsey report said that health tourism to India will be large business and will reach USD 12 billon by 2012.<More>

ITBP Protects BRO in Afghanistan (April 6, 2006)
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will provide the Army’s Border Roads Organization (BRO) security from Taliban and al Qaeda while they construct the crucial road linking Zalranj to Delaram to link Iran with Afghanistan.< More>

Nepal under Curfew (April 6, 2006)
In a massive overnight operation aimed at breaking the Anti-King Gnanendra strike, Royal Nepal Army and police swooped down and picked up politicians, human rights activists, journalists, students, and individuals opposed to the royal regime.<More>

Hamas Proposes “Two-State Solution” (April 6, 2006)
In a letter to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, the Hamas Government of the Palestinian Territories (PT) has proposed a “two-state solution” where it can live in “freedom and independence side-by-side with our neighbors.”<More>

Rice Pitches Deal in Congress (April 6, 2006)
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice presented a rosy picture of the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee but faced harsh words on Indian relations with Iran and unfair comparisons with North Korea.<More>

SC Empowers TRAI (April 5, 2006)
The Supreme Court (SC) has empowered the watchdog Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) with powers to penalize unscrupulous telecom operators who induce subscribers with carrots only to withdraw them later.<More>

More IPOs from India this Year (April 5, 2006)
With changing economic landscape, higher Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and reforms, India will field more Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2006 along with West Asia, Brazil, and South Korea.< More>

BJP-Cong Alliance if there is no “minorityism” (April 5, 2006)
In a major departure from traditional hostility the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that it would be happy to work with the Congress Party to spur reforms in economy, democracy, and society if it should give up its agenda of “minorityism.” <More>

India & US in Futuristic Energy Project (April 5, 2006)
The United States has invited India to participate in a futuristic private-public project, called the FutureGen that will build a coal-based power generation plant that will have zero carbon emissions at a cost of USD 950 million.<More>

Iran Tests 2^nd Radar Avoiding Missile (April 5, 2006)
As part of its military exercises called “The Great Prophet,” Iran unveiled another indigenously built missile that can avoid radar detection, be remote controlled, and contain sophisticated searching mechanisms.<More>

India Wants “Southern Consensus” in Lanka (April 5, 2006)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told former Sri Lankan Prime Minister and current Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe that Lanka needs a “southern consensus” between the two major parties to deal with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).<More>

Nepal Tightens Terrorism Laws (April 5, 2006)
Ahead of a four-day strike called by a 7-party political alliance to mount pressure on King Gnanendra to bring back democracy in Nepal, the Government has tightened terrorism laws through a Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Ordinance (TADO).<More>

India has Very Low Debt to GNP Ratio (April 4, 2006)
In another verification of how well the Indian economy is performing, an economic survey has highlighted that India has one of the lowest Gross Domestic Product to external debt ratio next only to China.<More>

SC Stays EC Hand (April 4, 2006)
The Supreme Court restrained the Election Commission to hold elections for the 10 Lok Sabha seats held by the disgraced Parliamentarians who took money on camera to ask questions in the Parliament. <More>

LTTE Break-off Faction Threatens Supporters (April 4, 2006)
A break off faction of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has threatened its supporters of dire consequences if they did not vacate homes and businesses seized by the mainline group from the Muslims of the island in 1990. <More>

Baloachistan War Scorches Pak Army (April 4, 2006)
Under the cover of official denials from Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, his army has fielded 23,000 troops; supported by combat planes, helicopter gun ships, and artillery to crush a serious uprising in Baloachistan.< More>

Nepal Terrorists Announce Ceasefire (April 4, 2006)
In response from the 7-party political alliance to cease violent activities, Nepal Maoist terrorists announced an indefinite unilateral ceasefire to facilitate a national strike.<More>

France Support Stops with Lobby in NSG (April 4, 2006)
France says that it vehemently supports the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal and said it will lobby for India with the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) but will not supply nuclear fuel till the NSG has approved the deal.< More>

No Solutions for Thai Political Dilemma (April 4, 2006)
Thailand’s 44 million voters went to the polls in 80,000 booths to elect the only person in the race—Thai Prime Minister Thakshin Shinawatra back to power but 40% of the people voted “No” against him causing him to call for political “reconstruction.”<More>

India to Dominate BPO, off shoring (April 3, 2006)
An AT Kearney study predicted a continued 9% growth in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and 47% growth in outsourcing netting an estimated USD 28 billion and said India will reap most of this business.<More>

SC to Control Hostile Witnesses (April 3, 2006)
The Supreme Court (SC) has called for strong action against prosecution witnesses who turn hostile because of inducement, threat, or coercion.<More>

AP Messes up Naxal Fight (April 3, 2006)
Even as 5 Maoist terrorists, including 3 women, were killed by the Andhra Pradesh (AP) police, there is increased concern that the AP Government and the Federal Home Ministry are not taking the fight seriously.<More>

Indo-French Naval Exercise (April 3, 2006)
Seventh in a series of joint exercises, Indian and French navies are fielding an awesome array of naval weaponry to achieve better compatibility, improve communication, and testing dissimilar equipment. <More>

Iran Tests 2 Advanced Missiles (April 3, 2006)
After the United Nations Security Council announced that Iran has 30 days to stop nuclear enrichment, it announced tests of 2 advanced missiles and promised to make any thought of air raids or military attacks that much harder.<More>

Indian Encourages US Not to Alter Deal (April 3, 2006)
The Russian shipment of “limited” supply of uranium for Tarapur on “safety” grounds reached India, even as India encouraged US policy makers not to alter the “very, very delicate balance” in the Indo-US nuclear deal. Emphasizing that the deal has gone through “extraordinary complex and difficult negotiations,” Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran winding up his sales tour in the US said that there were two issues that are worrying fence-sitting policy makers. <More>

UN Says 8% Sustained GDP Growth Possible (April 1, 2006)
A United Nation Economic and Social Commission for Asia & Pacific study reported that India has all the ingredients in the economy for a sustained 8% growth rate in 2006-2008.<More>

Governments approves Iron Ore Exports (April 1, 2006)
In a shortsighted move, the Federal Cabinet announced its decision to allow state-owned MMTC Corp to export high quality iron ore to China, Japan, and Korea; the only good news of the order is that it reduced the quantity of iron ore that it can export.<More>

Court allows Lesbian Cohabitation (April 1, 2006)
In the first ruling of its kind, a municipal court in Mumbai allowed the cohabitation of lesbian couples as it did not violate outdated Indian laws that prohibit “intercourse against the order of nature.”<More>

Police Registers Success against Terrorism (April 1, 2006)
Police in different parts of the country reported successes in trapping terrorists from different religions and different groups. <More>

ISI Targeting anti-Mush Jihadis (April 1, 2006)
There is increased speculation based on several recent attacks on Jihadi leaders that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is targeting individuals who oppose Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. <More>

CCS Approves Defense Purchases (April 1, 2006)
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved several indigenous products for the defense forces including 20 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) called Dhruv and 7 radar systems.<More>

UNSC Gives Iran 30 Days (April 1, 2006)
After three weeks of backroom haggling, the 5 so-called permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) gave Iran 30 days to fulfill International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) requirements and suspend all uranium enrichment without stating consequences for non-compliance. <More>

LTTE Wants Safe Passage (April 1, 2006)
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have demanded a safe passage from the Sri Lankan Government (Lanka) to fly out of the only international airport in Colombo to attend April 19-21 negotiations in Switzerland.<More>

US Seeks Iran’s help in Iraq (April 1, 2006)
The United States (US) is seeking Iran’s help to prevail on Shia elements in Iraq to form a national Government that will bring peace to the hapless nations and extract the US out of a quagmire born out of unilateralism.<More>

Hamas Rule Begins (April 1, 2006)
Amid increasing international isolation, the terrorist group Hamas that won Palestinian elections beating Fattah, the infighting-ridden party of Yaseer Arafat, was sworn into office moderate President Mahmoud Abbas<More>

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