Religious Tourism Picks Up (May
26, 2006)
With 2.5 million temples
dating back several hundred
years (and some several
thousands), religious
tourism in India is turning
out to be a major revenue
earner although most of the
revenues are not really
accounted.<More>
Environmentalists Aghast at
Tribal Rights Bill (May
26, 2006)
A joint committee of Members
of Parliament had submitted a
draft legislation, which will
no doubt pass because it has
the over-enthusiastic support
of the communists, which seeks
to make over valued forest
land over to the tribal
population.
<More>
Traditional Methods to Fight
Naxals (May
26, 2006)
The Chhattisgarh Director-General
(DG) of Police has announced a
slew of measures including using
traditional protection systems,
weapons, more Central Government
troops, use of civilians, and more
aggressive patrolling to fight Mao
inspired terrorism.<More>
Sir Creek Discussions Start
Positive (May
26, 2006)
After the expected collapse of the
Siachen talks, India and Pakistan
have started discussing the Sir
Creek issue and reports indicate
that both countries are agreeing
on some fundamentals even though
there is much disagreement.<More>
Baradei Asks US Congress to
Support Nuke Deal (May
26, 2006)
International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) Chief El Baradei
came out strongly to support
the Indo-US civilian Nuclear
Deal and asked the US Congress
to vote in support of the
“win-win agreement.”<More>
Govt may Scrap AWB Deal (May
25, 2006)
Confronted with sub-quality
wheat arriving from the
Australian Wheat Board (AWB)
and its refusal to supply
human-consumable quality
wheat at the agreed price,
the Government may cancel
the deal and negotiate a new
one in more transparent
terms. <More>
Speaker Blasts Election
Commission (May
25, 2006)
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath
Chatterjee lambasted the
Election Commission (EC)
over s charge that he
occupied an “Office of
Profit” and accused it of
“character assassination”
and “trial by insinuation”
without providing any
proof.<More>
Govt Withdraws Water Tax
(May
25, 2006)
While the stock market was
crashing and burning, the
Government rescinded an
internal note that called for
a 16% tax on water processed
by branded and unbranded water
“manufacturers” as well as
municipal water supply.<More>
India Signs ITER Agreement (May
25, 2006)
India joined 6 other nations to
sign the International
Thermonuclear Experiment Reactor (ITER)
Agreement contributing 10% of
project cost with manufactured
equipment to develop a prototype
reactor that will make atomic
fusion the next major source of
energy.<More>
IAF to get US C-130J Transport
Planes (May
25, 2006)
Ministry of Defense sources say
that the Indian Air Force (IAF)
and Border Security Force (BSF)
are planning to buy 12 C-130J
Transport planes from the US
defense major Lockheed-Martin for
use by its special forces in
anti-terrorist operations.<More>
Hindu Groups Protest in Nepal (May
25, 2006)
Hindu groups in the southern
industrial city Birgunj protested
violently against the reinstated
Parliament’s decision to
clip the King Gnanendra’s powers
and making Nepal a secular state.<More>
US Pledge to Israel over Iran (May
25, 2006)
The US pledged protecting
Israel from Iran should
diplomatic efforts to
negotiate an acceptable end to
that country’s controversial
nuclear program fail and the
situation escalated to a full
fledged conflict.<More>
Organic Farming Growing at
100% (May
24, 2006)
With larger disposable
incomes, expanding
economies, and higher
awareness of health, Indian
organic industry is growing
at 100% with 400 registered
farmers using 30,164 acres.<More>
Speaker Trouble (May
24, 2006)
The Budget-session of the
Parliament ended in a
controversy about an
admonishment motion on a
former Lok Sabha
Secretary-General for his
disparaging remarks on the
Speaker and the Opposition
opposed the propriety of the
motion and the motives for
it.<More>
Nishant Interests People, Army,
Navy, Coast Guard (May
24, 2006)
India’s indigenously designed and
developed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
(UAV) Nishant was successfully
tested off the coast of Kozhikode
in Kerala and the “wheel-less”
manned by a pilot on the ground
navigated the 180 minute flight.<More>
High Hopes on Nuclear Energy (May
24, 2006)
Nuclear Power Corporation Chief S.
K. Jain unveiled the country’s
nuclear vision and plans while
inaugurating an indigenously
manufactured nuclear fuelling
machine head, a critical part of
its nuclear program.<More>
Israel Captures Hamas
‘Commander’ (May
24, 2006)
Israel achieved a major
breakthrough in its fight
against terrorism by
capturing Hamas’s West Bank
military-wing ‘commander’
wanted in the death of 78
Israelis and wounding of
several hundred.<More>
Amnesty Accuses US of Human
Rights Violations (May
24, 2006)
In its annual report of
2006, Amnesty International
(AI) accused the US of gross
human rights violations and
double standards in its
fight against terrorism and
depreciated their
credibility for not
demanding more of allies
engaging in abuses in fear
of losing them.<More>
FIEO Calls for More
Attention to Food Processing
(May
23, 2006)
The Federation of Indian
Export Organization (FIEO)
called for more intense
efforts from business
houses, policy makers, and
traders on India’s low share
of food export in the world
even though the country
produces very high
quantities of fruits and
vegetables.<More>
Pastor Accused of Raping
Minor Girl (May
23, 2006)
In yet another shocking case
of a “social worker” taking
advantage of children,
Mumbai police arrested a nun
called Mother Anandi Joseph
for conspiring with a pastor
called John Alexander to
rape a minor child and
physically abusing them
frequently.<More>
Measures to Control AIDS on
Highways (May
23, 2006)
Analysts believe that better
highway facilities could
reduce incidence of AIDS
among high-risk truck
drivers and helpers and that
would consequently bring
down the number of incidence
in non-risky population such
as the wives and children of
this mobile group.<More>
The Begging Elephants of
Assam (May
23, 2006)
A
Supreme Court (SC) order
that stopped rampant
deforestation in North
Eastern India, especially
Assam, has rendered the
1200 domesticated forest
working elephants and their
mahouts jobless reducing
them to street beggars
accepting whatever people
offer.<More>
Legal Dilemma on Handling Kashmir
Massacre Accused (May
23, 2006)
The Army is considering various
options to try 5 officers,
including a Brigadier, for the
alleged murder of 5 Kashmiri
civilians suspected of being
foreign terrorists involved in the
massacre of 36 Sikhs at
Chattingsphora village in Kashmir
on Mar 20, 2000.
<More>
EU Reveals Plan to Placate Iran (May
23, 2006)
The European Union (EU) 3
countries Britain, France, and
Germany revealed a proposal that
offers Iran a new nuclear plant, a
consortium-based guaranteed fuel
supply, warplanes, and recognition
of boundaries.<More>
Montenegro Breaks-off From
Serbia (May
23, 2006)
Montenegro narrowly voted to
sever its ties with Serbia
meeting European Union (EU)
conditions and paving a
smoother path to be absorbed
into the EU. <More>
Freight Corridor on, Speed
Trains No (May
22, 2006)
A high level committee
chaired by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh rejected a
proposal to built a Bullet
Train network in the nation
for passenger traffic but
accepted the plan to built a
dedicated freight train
corridor at a projected cost
estimate of USD 5.06
billion.<More>
Anti-Quota Struggle Expands,
Students Threaten Suicide (May
22, 2006)
Students and doctors
protesting the quota-based
reservation system expanded
their protests to other
cities and intensified them
in New Delhi and Mumbai even
as a group of students wrote
to the President Abdul Kalam
seeking permission to commit
suicide.<More>
China Reports Three Gorges
Dam Completion (May
22, 2006)
In an astounding feat that
took less than 10 years,
China has completed the
Three Gorged Dam (TGD) which
is being labeled the largest
hydroelectric and water
management project in the
world that employed 26,000
people from over 50
countries. <More>
Terrorists Strike Cong Rally on
Anti-Terrorism Day (May
22, 2006)
Two days before the arrival of the
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to
continue his roundtable
discussions with Kashmir
separatists, two terrorists
dressed as policemen attacked a
youth Congress rally in Srinagar.<More>
India to Double Nuclear Power
Capacity (May
22, 2006)
Atomic Energy Commission Chairman
Anil Kakodkar revealed plans that
India will double its nuclear
power capacity from 20,000
megawatts (mw) to 40,000 mw by
2030 and that the Planning
Commission has prepared a 30 year
plan to facilitate this plan. <More>
Suu Kyi May be Released?
(May
22, 2006)
For the first time in more than 2
years, the {Myanmar} military
junta allowed UN official Ibrahim
Gambari to meet jailed opposition
political leader and Nobel
Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi for
about an hour spiking hopes that
she may be released soon.
<More>
Stock Market Takes a Beating
(May
19, 2006)
The Indian Stock Market index SENSEX tumbled 826 points or 6.77% in the worst ever correction (in point terms) since 1992 prompted by a slew of international events, ill-informed reporting, Foreign Institutional Investor
(FII) selling, and Government fumbles.<More>
India wants TAPI (May
19, 2006)
With a dead-on-arrival Iran-Pakistan-India
(IPI) pipeline, India signaled strong interest in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India
(TAPI) project that will transport natural gas for a severely energy deficient and rapidly expanding India.<More>
Lower Bar for Teachers
(May
19, 2006)
In a bid to recruit more teachers in colleges, the Human Resources Development
(HRD) Ministry is lowering educational standards further with a proposal to abolish National Entrance Test (NET) requirements for those with MPhil and PhD candidates.<More>
India & China Work on Diabetic Drug (May
19, 2006)
India and China, vying for the dubious distinction of being the diabetes capital of the world, are working together their vast herbal drug knowledge to identify medicine and herbs that can control diabetes.<More>
Naxal Violence Unseats Terrorism in J&K
(May
19, 2006)
Junior Home Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal admitted in Parliament that the Naxal menace in India is more threatening, cause more disruption, and resulted in more deaths that the Pakistan-inspired terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir.<More>
Afghan Taliban Attack Leaves 105 Dead (May
19, 2006)
Afghanistan saw the worst militant attack since 2001 with a large Taliban force attacked Government forces in a small town in Halmand province leaving over 105 dead of which 40 were militants.<More>
Bangladesh Planning Anti-Terror Laws (May
19, 2006)
Bangladesh is planning to enact a new law along the lines of hated Special Powers Act to grant police draconian powers to curb terrorism gripping the country and fast slipping into India.
<More>
Nepal Clips King’s Powers
(May
19, 2006)
The recently reinstated Nepalese Parliament unanimously voted on a resolution to severely curb the rights of the King, make the country a Republic, abrogate his legal immunity, and aggrandize power over the Army, court, and Constitution to itself.<More>
Service Tax Collections Up (May
18, 2006)
The Chief Controller of Accounts reported that Service Tax collection went up 62.83% year on year from USD 3.19 billion to USD 5.19 billion.<More>
Development of Unorganized Sector
(May
18, 2006)
The Government is working on a positive draft that seeks to bring development benefits such as health care, sick benefits, maternity benefits, and life insurance to 362 million workers in the unorganized sector earning less than
Rs. 6500 a month.<More>
Indo-British Naval Exercises
(May
18, 2006)
India and the United Kingdom (UK) fielded their navies in a second exercise that involving an aircraft carrier, nuclear submarines, guided missile frigates, missile destroyers, supply tankers, and 1 embedded French ship off the Konkan coast.
<More>
Vacancies & Exodus Plague Defense
(May
18, 2006)
Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Parliament that 27% of the Army's strength below the rank of Lt. Colonel was vacant due to shortage of suitable candidates.<More>
No Siachen Pullout, Troop Reduction in J&K
(May
18, 2006)
Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee told Parliament that India would not pullout of Siachen as it did not get ironclad guarantees from Pakistan and that the threat perception has not changed to warrant a troop reduction.<More>
Iran Ridicules EU Offer
(May
18, 2006)
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ridiculed the European Union
(EU) proposal that offers incentives for Iran to give up ambitions to enrich uranium fuel likening the offer of "candy for gold."<More>
India-US to Meet on Nuke Deal; US No to Pak (May
18, 2006)
Even as Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran and US Under-Secretary of Political Affairs Nicholas Burns plan to meet to try iron out last minute hurdles in the Indo-US Civilian Nuclear deal, the US firmly spurned Pakistan's request for a similar deal.<More>
Textiles Gearing Up, Cotton Bear Hugged (May
17, 2006)
In a proactive move, the Government is preparing a series of measures that will benefit the Textiles industry and remove clogs to increase its competitive against the Chinese when trade restrictions on China will be lifted by 2008.<More>
Steel Projects Suffer as Govt Plans Ore Export
(May
17, 2006)
Major steel projects announced largest year with much publicity have reportedly not started because of administrative difficulties and iron ore supply issues while the Government plans to export high quality Iron Ore to China and Japan.<More>
Rape Victim's Testimony Enough for Conviction
(May
17, 2006)
In a landmark judgment that could have a large impact on male behavior in India, the Supreme Court said that just the testimony of a rape victim without supporting documents or evidence is enough to gain conviction.<More>
Indian Political Perceptions on Religion (May
17, 2006)
Information & Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi said that he has asked the board that certifies films not to approve the Da Vinci Code movie before he gets a nod from the Catholic Church.<More>
Bird Flu Spreads in Indonesia (May
17, 2006)
Indonesia said that it found the H5N1 virus in its easternmost province Papua among fighting cocks possibly imported from neighboring Sulawesei Island.<More>
US and Libya Establish Ties
(May
17, 2006)
After decades of hostility, the United States and Libya reestablished diplomatic ties and the US announced that it would take Libya off its countries that support terrorism and open an Embassy in Tripoli in the near future.<More>
No Price Reduction Proposal from Cement Manufacturers (May
16, 2006)
Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath announced that cement manufacturers will supply cement for Government projects at a 5% discount and increase production but did not say what proposals the manufacturers had to keep the price down.
<More>
Govt Softens & Threatens on Quota, Protests Spread (May
16, 2006)
The Government seemed to soften its stand a bit inviting striking students and doctors for talks even as Health Minister Anbumani Ramdoss vainly threatened to dismiss striking doctors even though there is a shortage of doctors in the country.<More>
Ayurvedic Drug Labeling Made Compulsory (May
16, 2006)
The Health Ministry has made all
Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddha, and Herbal medicine labeling compulsory and has extended the deadline to July 1 of this year.<More>
Rural Maharashtra a Terror Safe Haven (May
16, 2006)
An anti-terror squad (ATS) of the Mumbai police raided a safe house of Lashkar-e-Toiba
(LeT) in Nashik and seized dreaded ammunitions and weapons and literature that talked about bombing the millenniums old Ellora Caves near
Aurangabad.<More>
Pakistan Admits to Nuclear Bomb Exports
(May
16, 2006)
After consistently denying any official knowledge of export of nuclear bomb proliferation by disgraced scientist
A.Q. Khan, Pakistan finally admitted that such proliferation did take place to North Korea, Iran, Libya, and Syria.<More>
Anti-King Resolution Stalls (May
16, 2006)
Nepal’s bid to pass an anti-King resolution stalled as disagreements within the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) on what should be included and what excluded.<More>
France Promises to Lobby for India in NSG (May
16, 2006)
Even as the US Congress deliberates the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, France has promised that it will pitch for India at the plenary session of the 44-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group
(NSG) meeting in Rio de Janeiro later this month.<More>
Agricultural Work Plan with Israel (May
16, 2006)
India and Israel will sign a first-of-its kind work plan for a 3 year engagement that would cover joint research, development of businesses, and technology transfer regimes.<More>
500% Growth Projection for Insurance
(May
15, 2006)An Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry (ASSOCHAM) study projected a 500% growth in value of insurance policies from USD 10 billion to USD 60 billion by 2010 with rural and semi-urban communities contributing to most of the growth.<More>
Industrial Growth
Slow Down (May
15, 2006)
Government data suggested that industrial growth slowed to 8% from 8.4 because of steep fall in mining and slower year-on-year growth in electrical and manufacturing sectors.<More>
Quota Reservation Protests Intensifies
(May
15, 2006)
Undeterred by widespread protests against his retrograde suggestions on quota-based reservations in premier institutions and private sector, Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh dismissed criticisms and refused to review his proposals.<More>
Another Toxic Ship Story
(May
15, 2006)
The Supreme Court (SC) demanded an answer from the Federal Government on information and advice on whether the largest ocean liner SS Norway should be allowed to be dismantled at Gujarat’s Alang Ship breaking Yard within 15 days.<More>
Super-Advanced Weapons Systems in Pipeline
(May
15, 2006)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced that India would be soon begin production of super-advanced weapons systems using remote-controlled sensors, robotics, and propulsion systems and develop new precision-guided munitions and unmanned vehicles.<More>
Nepal’s Unstable Roadmap to Peace
(May
15, 2006)
Nepal’s Maoist terrorist leader “Pachanda” announced that he
would lead his group in negotiations with the other members of the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) in a roadmap that that has disaster written on every bit of it.<More>
UNHRC Calls for Israel, Palestinian Restraint
(May
15, 2006)
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbours said that the Israel and Palestine region is on the verge of a major humanitarian disaster and called on authorities of both groups to respect internationally recognized rights standards.<More>
Chinese Counterfeit Indian Brands (May
12, 2006)
Chinese counterfeit manufacturers have managed to duplicate several well-known Indian brands to close perfection and selling them all over the world including India.<More>
States Vote Leftists to Power (May
12, 2006)
West
Bengal, Tamil
Nadu, and Kerala returned a strong contingent of ultra leftists to power creating a large uncertainty for the Federal Government as it depends heavily on their support for survival. <More>
More Powers for Project Tiger (May 12, 2006)
In a positive move, the Federal Cabinet approved a plan to grant administrative and statutory powers for Project
Tiger so it can handle most cases by itself rather than depend on the over-burdened administrative system for action.<More>
AP is AIDS Capital of India (May 12, 2006)
Bad sexual practices, low condom usage, and lack of awareness has earned
Andhra Pradesh
(AP) the dubious distinction of being India’s AIDS capital with over 20% the country’s 5.1 million.
<More>
Bhutto Claims She Stopped Attack on US (May 12, 2006)
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said that she stopped several Army Generals from ganging up with al Qaeda elements to launch an attack on the US and that invited assassination and regime change attempts by Osama bin Laden.
<More>
SLMM Says Lanka Army behind Civilian Killings (May
12, 2006)
For the first time, the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) has acknowledged that the Sri Lankan Army
(SLA), sponsored militia, and rebel factions of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) have been behind civilian disappearances and extra-judicial killings.<More>
Commies Say No to Oil Price Hike
(May
11, 2006)
Buoyed by the exit polls that predicted an ultra-left victory in state elections, the communists vowed to stop the Government from hiking oil prices that could force oil companies to absorb a loss of over USD 16.5 billion or $13.5 billion for the exchequer.<More>
Tea Production Falls in NE
(May
11, 2006)
After the euphoria over lower Kenyan output in tea, its largest international competitor, the Indian Tea Association (ITA) said loss of rainfall in the North East, which produces 75% of Indian tea, has resulted is lower output.<More>
National Knowledge Commission Proposes Reforms
(May
11, 2006)
The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) created by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to propose ways to scale to a knowledge-driven economy has recommended 10 steps that entail overhauling Government processes and creation of systems.<More>
Bill to Skirt Office of Profit
(May
11, 2006)
The Government is planning on a Bill that will amend the Prevention of Disqualification of the MPs Act 1959—commonly known as the Office of Profit act, to enable many communist allies and
Congress politicians to hold on to their offices of profit.<More>
Sharp Increase in Wind Power Generation
(May
11, 2006)
Turbine manufacturers in India say that they registered a 45% rise in installed wind power capacity grew to 5,200 megawatt (MW) from 3,595 MW with
Tamil
Nadu contributing a bulk of this capacity addition of 870 MW.<More>
Major Opposition to AIDS Patent Application
(May
11, 2006)
Several groups opposed the patent application by Gilded Sciences to patent the
AIDS cocktail Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate (TDF) and accused the company of filing a “frivolous claim” on the drug without actually enhancing it.<More>
Singapore Allowed to Train in India
(May
11, 2006)
In a major policy departure, India will allow Singapore to station its troops in India for an extended period of time to train them independent of the Indian Army.<More>
US to Arm Pakistan
(May 11, 2006)
After accusing it of not doing enough on terror and illegally exporting nuclear technology to Iran, Libya, and North Korea, the United States will arm Pakistan with the latest conventional weapons apart from the pre-announced F-16 fighter aircraft.<More>
Japan Warns of Civil War
(May
11, 2006)
Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akasi said that Sri Lanka is at the lowest ebb since his involvement in 2002 and on the verge of resumption of civil war among reports that more people have died in April than during several periods of times when “war” was declared.<More>
Maoist terrorists Break Ceasefire (May
11, 2006)
Violating their own ceasefire, the Maoist terrorists in {Nepal} broke their own ceasefire by kidnapping 5 security and 2 civilians from different parts of the country.<More>
Kenyan Crisis Boosts Indian Tea Prospects
(May
10, 2006)
A major drought in Kenya that is decimating its population has also created a shortfall of 30 million kilograms (mkgs) of tea in the world market that will soon be filled by Indian tea exporters from domestic production of 928
mkgs.<More>
India Top Retail Destination
(May
10, 2006)
A T Kearney's Global Retail Development Index 2006 ranked India as the most attractive destination for mass merchant and food retailing when compared to 30 peer emerging markets.<More>
ISRO & NASA in Moon Tie-up
(May
10, 2006)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) & US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) so NASA can send 2 instruments on the Chandraayan-1 mission to the
Moon.
<More>
Key Varanasi Blast Suspect Killed
(May 10,
2006)
Acting on a tip from the Uttar
Pradesh police, a joint team of the Army and the
Jammu &
Kashmir police raided a safe house on the border town Handwara and killed the key suspect in the
Varanasi serial bombing.<More>
Growing Importance of Navy
(May 10,
2006)
Reviewing the Naval exercises of the Western Fleet, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "All great powers have also been great trading nations, and we cannot be a great trading nation without a strong maritime capability."<More>
Indo-Bangla Meet on Customs & Water
(May
10, 2006)
India and Bangladesh officials met to iron out differences in inter-state customs levies, issues, and protocol to boost bilateral trade and the implementation of the Ganga
Water Accord of 1996.<More>
Pawar Fortifies to Defend his Wheat Policy
(May 9,
2006)
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Minister Sharad Pawar would be under immense pressure in the forthcoming Parliamentary session over the country's broken-down wheat management policy.<More>
With and Without Degree Quacks
(May 9,
2006)
With failing investments in Health care, lack of awareness of the population, bad sanitary facilities, unhygienic conditions, lack of enforcement, poor educational training, and lack of proper and constant certification are generating conditions for quacks.<More>
US Says Pak Not Doing Enough on Terrorism
(May
9, 2006)
Pakistan reacted angrily to comments of US State Department Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism Henry Crumpton in Kabul that Pakistan was not doing enough to curb terrorism spilling into Afghanistan and Kashmir.<More>
Non-Military Purge in Nepal
(May
9, 2006)
In an apparent move to assert
himself and the the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) he belongs to, the Nepal Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala went on a large-scale purge of political appointees in Embassies, industry, and state organs.<More>
Lanka Seeks Indian Help to Resume Talks
(May
9, 2006)
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and opposition leaders asking for their support to influence the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to resume negotiations again.<More>
Singapore Stunted Democracy
(May
9, 2006)
In the latest election, Singapore's ruling People's Action Party (PAP) came back to power winning 82 of the 84 seats with 37 seats unopposed.<More>
US-Russia Oil Moves in C Asia
(May
9, 2006)
The US is actively promoting oil routes that does not depend on Russia in Central Asia is prompting Russia to make counter-moves that may create a "second Cold War."<More>
Abbas Wants to Resume Dialogue
(May
9, 2006)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that he was willing to resume talks with Israel even his Government run by the terrorist group Hamas is not recognized by most countries in the world.
<More>
Two More Mega Power Projects (May
8, 2006)
Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that India would add two more 4000-megawatt (MW) mega power projects one each for Andhra Pradesh and Orissa each costing about USD 3.6 billion using a private-public investment vehicle.<More>
Sustaining Economic Growth (May
8, 2006)
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board meeting at Hyderabad provided a unique opportunity for India to listen and share ideas with Asian peers on global fiscal, foreign exchange, trade, and financial issues.<More>
Change Quota-Reservation Policy (May
8, 2006)
The Supreme Court (SC) reversed its own verdict recognizing the complexity involved to provide mandatory allocation of the 10% reservation for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) in national level Post Graduate (PG) medical colleges.<More>
Russia
Upgrades Nuclear Arsenal (May
8, 2006)
In the continuing military
rift reminiscent of the Cold
War, Russia says that it is
vastly upgrading its
offensive nuclear arsenal
capable of penetrating
“star wars” missile
shield being developed in
the US that will warn the
enemy of a Mutually Assured
Destruction.<More>
US,
Japan in Supersonic Jet
Project (May
8, 2006)
The United States National
Aeronautical Space Agency
(NASA) and Japanese
Aerospace Exploration Agency
(JAXA) are tying up to
develop a fuel-efficient,
low-noise, supersonic jet
that will fill space vacated
in 2003 by the Anglo-French
Concorde.<More>
End of Child Labor in Sight (May
5, 2006)
The International Labor Organization (ILO) said that the number of child laborers world over fell by 11% from 246 million in 2000 to 218 million in 2004 leading it predict that "the end of child labor is within our reach."
<More>
SC Stays Vadodara Demolition (May
5, 2006)
The Supreme Court (SC) accepted a Federal Government writ and stayed the Gujarat High Court (GHC) verdict that sanctioned the demolition of scores of Hindu Temples and Muslim Mosques illegally constructed on public land.<More>
9/11 Terrorist Gets Life
(May
5, 2006)
An American jury spurned a death penalty plea by the US Government to grant life sentence to the only plotter of the September 11 terrorist incident to be caught alive.<More>
Nepal Maoist Terrorist Agree to Talk
(May
5, 2006)
Nepal’s violent Maoist terrorists termed measures taken by the newly installed Government as “positive” and said that they would be ready for negotiated settlement.<More>
US-Russia Rift Widening
(May
5, 2006)
In a series of issues, the diplomatic, military, economic, and political rift between the US and Russia are widening debunking chances of closer cooperation and threatening to retreat to the Cold War days.<More>
Tata Wants Spectrum Policy Review (May
4, 2006)
Rata Tata, Chairman of the Tata Group and an important player in the Telecommunication space, has appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to review the spectrum allocation plan that treats the scarce resource inefficiently.<More>
Reneging Huwawei Bids for BSNL (May
4, 2006)
Chinese networking vendor Huwawei Technologies said that it will bid for a major Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) GSM contract even though it had reneged on its earlier CDMA contract after winning the bid by quoting the lowest price.<More>
Affirmative Action Replaces Job Quotas? (May
4, 2006)
Indian industry and the Government seemed to have arrived at an agreement where an affirmative action policy and a training of disadvantaged population are seen as an effective substitute to the dreaded quota system.<More>
India wants tighter US IPR Regime
(May
4, 2006)
Citing numerous instances of US companies trying to patent and monopolize traditional knowledge, India asked the US to tighten its Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime and institute better verification and compliance norms.<More>
India’s Moon Mission on Track
(May
4, 2006)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) announced that India’s moon mission Chandrayaan-1 scheduled for launch in 2007-2008 is on track with increased interest from foreign space organizations to participate.<More>
US May ‘Amend’ Nuke Deal
(May
4, 2006)
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the US may propose some amendments to the Indo-US Nuclear Deal within the “spirit” of the July 2005 agreement that India should be prepared to accept.<More>
Jute Exports Increase (May
3, 2006)
The Textiles Ministry reported increased jute exports valued at USD 266 million even as exporters complained of sparse Government support while Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) said India’s export actually dropped from 34% to 26% from 2003 to 2004. <More>
Mega LNG Deal with Iran is dead (May
3, 2006)
Visiting Iran’s Deputy Oil Minister Hadi Nejad Hosseinian informed stunned Government officials that the much-publicized and anticipated USD 22 billion-mega deal to bring Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from Iran is dead.<More>
Anti-Reservation Protests Spread (May
3, 2006)
More students from medical, engineering, and non-professional colleges marched in many parts of the country protesting purported moves by the Federal Government to double reservation in all colleges—even backward classes students joined these protests.<More>
India’s Malnourished Children
(May 3, 2006)
Dampening the euphoria on economic growth, stock market performance, and increased foreign direct investment, a United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) report on nutrition said India has the most number of malnourished under-five children in the world.<More>
Army Worried about Siachen Demilitarization
(May
3, 2006)
With India and Pakistan almost on the verge of agreement to demilitarize the 75 km Siachen glacier, the Army has asked for clear delineation of the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) using satellite photos that would enable “iron clad” guarantees.<More>
Pak Test Fires Long Range Missile
(May
3, 2006)
A Pakistan Inter-Services Public Relations note claimed that Pakistan has successfully test-fired “its long-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Hatf VI (Shaheen II)” that is a two-staged solid fuel accurate nuclear capable missile with a range of 2000 kilometers.<More>
Lanka Teeters on the Brink of Civil War
(May
3, 2006)
Sri Lanka appeared slowly drifting towards civil war even as last ditch attempts by Norway to negotiate a seaplane transport arrangement for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) negotiators to go to Geneva for the peace talks.<More>
Pak in Top 10 Failed State List
(May
3, 2006)
A Foreign Policy report that annually rates 146 countries on their effectiveness in maintaining control of its territories, running a Government, and providing basic public services rated Pakistan 9th most likely to fail ahead of Afghanistan, Nepal, and Lanka.<More>
Indian Pharma Companies Lead M&A Numbers (May
2, 2006)
According to a Goldman Sachs study, Indian pharmaceutical companies are leading in the number of Mergers & Acquisitions of generic industries figuring as buyers in 4 of the 7 deals worldwide.<More>
More Conflict of Interest Reports on Maran
(May
2, 2006)
Another report in the New Indian Express (NIE) revealed broad based and deeper instances of Telecommunications Minister Dayanidhi Maran’s conflict of interest in dealing with wireless spectrums, cable television, and voice technologies for personal gain. <More>
US Bans LeT Fronts as LeT Kills Hindus
(May
2, 2006)
On the 3rd anniversary of invasion and occupation of Iraq from the al Qaeda over the weekend, Ayman al-Zawahiri accused the US of giving a “strong impetus to the Indian nuclear programme, while doling out orders to Pakistan.”
<More>
Naxals Execute 13 Villagers
(May
2, 2006)
Naxal terrorists killed 13 of the 52 villagers they abducted in a gruesome fashion for opposing their ideology and daring to speak against their methods and means.<More>
Farewell to Mig-25
(May
2, 2006)
The Indian Air Force (IAF) bid an emotional farewell to the enigmatic Mig-25 strategic reconnaissance plane capable of flying 30 kilometers near the stratosphere at mach 3 speeds and takes centimeter resolution photographs.<More>
China Joins Nuclear Waste Convention
(May
2, 2006)
After years of waffling, China’s legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, voted to join the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on Safety of Radioactive Waste Management.<More>
IAEA Reports Non-Compliance, Iran Defiant
(May
2, 2006)
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported back to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that Iran has not complied with its earlier diktat to suspend nuclear enrichment and Iran has publicly sworn that it will resist the
UNSC.<More>
