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Left Assault on EC
(August
31, 2006)
Bruised from stricter
enforcement of electoral
norms by the Election
Commission in the recently
concluded elections in
West Bengal (WB), the
Communist Party of India
(Marxist) have launched
a campaign aimed at culling
the EC’s authority and
control.<More>
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SC Panel to Examine
Extra-Constitutional
Legislation
(August
31, 2006)
The
Supreme Court (SC) said
that a 9-judge panel will
examine extra-constitutional
legislation through
legislation under the Ninth
Schedule of the Constitution
which makes these laws
beyond judicial scrutiny and
convenient politically
motivated policies.<More>
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Security Concerns Bar
Chinese Investment
(August
31, 2006)
After a year of internal
discussions, India
intelligence agencies
rightly barred Chinese
investments in ports and
handling thus rejecting 14
port construction and
management projects valued
at Rs. 61,000 crore (USD
13.26 billion) citing
security threats.<More>
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India, EU Exploring CECA
(August
30, 2006)
India and the EU have set up
a high level group to study
possibilities of a
Comprehensive Economic
Cooperation Agreement (CECA)
that would cover trade in
goods, services, and
investments and submit a
proposal during the Helsinki
summit in October.
<More>
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TN to Also Get a Mega Power
Plant
(August
30, 2006)
The Federal Minister for
Power Sushil Kumar Shinde
revealed that he has in
concept agreed to grant one
mega power project capable of
producing 4000 megawatt (MW)
to
Tamil Nadu (TN) in
addition to the other 7
states.<More>
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BSF, BDR Exploring Better Inter-working
(August
30, 2006)
Border Security Force (BSF)
and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR)
are meeting in Assam to find ways to work better
together and are considering a range of initiatives that
would better confidence between the two forces bickering
over one issue or the other.<More>
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Baloach Leader Bugti Suspiciously Killed
(August
30, 2006)
Rebel Baloach leader and popular face of opposition
against Pakistan military in the tribal areas, Nawab
Akhbar Bugti, has been killed in suspicious manner
leading to widespread protests against
President Pervez Musharraf’s dictatorial rule.<More>
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Nathu-La Not as Spectacular As Expected
(August
30, 2006)
With the hype over the reopened Nathu-La Pass dying
down, India and China now understand that the modern
trade potential on ancient silk route now replaced by a
56 kilometer stretch connecting the two nations is not
spectacular as expected.<More>
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Iranian Official Visits India
(August
30, 2006)
Iran’s deputy foreign minister Asia, Oceania
and Commonwealth, Dr Mehdi Safari is
visiting India to appraise India of its
position over the nuclear stand-off with the
West reiterating that it is open to
negotiations and diplomatic solution.
<More>
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HC Says No to Yatra Subsidies
(August
29, 2006)
The Allahabad High Court (Lucknow
Bench) has restrained the
Federal and State Governments
from subsidizing Yatra
expenses for the Haj and other
pilgrimages leaving
politicians using these sops
as ways to create and retain
vote banks in quandary.
<More>
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US Seeks Tariff cut on
Environment Products
(August
29, 2006)
As a co-member of the
Asia-Pacific Partnership
(APP), the US wants
India to reduce its
tariffs on imported
environmental goods and
services from the
current 15% to allow
free flow of technology
to reduce green house
gases (GHG) emission.<More>
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Is Project Tiger a Failure?
(August
29, 2006)
An investigation into the effectiveness of the
federally funded Project Tiger, launched in 1973 to
protect tigers in the 15 Tiger sanctuaries to ensure
a viable population, concluded that the program is a
failure because of insufficient training and
inadequate methods.<More>
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Nepal Has a New Draft Constitution
(August
29, 2006)
A team of legal and political experts in Nepal have
drafted a new lob-sided Constitution that will withdraw
many privileges of the King and retaining the right of
the Maoist terrorists that does not necessarily create
stability to one of the world’s poorest nations.<More>
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Israel & Lebanon Welcome EU Plan
(August
29, 2006)
Israel & Lebanon welcomed the EU plan to
dispatch 7000 peacekeeping troops, to be led
initially by France and later by Italy, in
Southern Lebanon that is capable of
maintaining a buffer between the two nations
with stronger defensive capabilities.
<More>
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Iran Expands Heavy Water Project
(August
29, 2006)
A defiant yet indulgent Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated a new phase
in the Arak heavy-water reactor project
dismissing global concerns of its
controversial program but asserting that
“Iran is not a threat to anybody."
<More>
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No Ore Exports Say CMs
(August
28, 2006)
The Chief Ministers (CMs) of
Karnataka,
Chhattisgarh, and
West Bengal (WB),
have written to Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh
opposing proposals to
liberalize iron ore exports
warning disastrous effects
on the
fast growing Steel industry.
<More>
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ASEAN Unified Market by 2015
(August
28, 2006)
To stave off competition
from India and China,
Economic Ministers of the
Association of South East
Asian Nations (ASEAN)
adopted urgent measures and
advanced deadlines to
develop a unified and
integrated market by 2015.<More>
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ONGC Proposes to Buyout
Sakhalin-I
(August
28, 2006)
With the Iran-Pakistan-India
and Myanmar-Bangladesh-India
pipelines not making
progress, the
Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)
is proposing to buy the
entire gas supply from the
Russian Sakhalin-I field and
import the gas as in
liquefied form.<More>
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Grid Synchronized with Power
from Bhutan
(August
28, 2006)
Power Grid Corporation of
India Ltd (PGIL) announced
that it has successfully
synchronized the north,
east, north-east, and
western grids to allow free
flow of electricity across
one of the largest power
grids in the world including
carrying power from Bhutan. <More>
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Iran Proposes Talks to Resolve Stalemate
(August
28, 2006)
Iran once again reiterated its willingness to negotiate
a way out of the impasse over its controversial nuclear
program but the US said that while it would study the
Iranian counter proposal to the EU offer, it is prepared
to move with or without the UN.<More>
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First Indo-Russian Joint Study Group on
Trade
(August
28, 2006)
Indian and Russian trade experts are meeting
this week to explore and discuss options
that will remove bilateral trade blocks to
achieve a USD 10 billion trade and lead to a
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement
(CECA).
<More>
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Corp Expansion despite
Stalled Reforms
(August
24, 2006)
Despite a stalled
disinvestment process and
halt to reforms, several
positive factors in the
Indian economy, perhaps not
to the optimal level, have
emerged encouraging targeted
overseas mergers and
acquisitions (M&A) by many
Indian companies.
<More>
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ONGC Unveils Massive
Investments
(August
24, 2006)
To fund expected growth,
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) unveiled
plans to invest Rs. 130,000
crore (USD 28.2 billion)
from 2007-2012 in oil and
gas exploration, overseas
acquisition of captive
resource assets, and
expansion of infrastructure. <More>
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OOP Signed and Challenged in SC
(August
24, 2006)
The political parties’ collusion to resend the exact same Office of Profit
(OOP) bill back to the President despite it being returned for
reconsideration has been challenged by the
Trinamool Congress
through a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court.
<More>
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Hindu Group Wants Army
to Help Reclaim Land
(August
24, 2006)
A Hindu Vasihavaite
sect in Assam says that
illegal migrants from
Bangladesh
have usurped over 400
religious places owned
by the Asom Sattra
Mahasava with
administrative and
political connivance
and has petitioned the
Army for help.
<More>
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India Holds Pak Responsible for Terror
(August
24, 2006)
India says it has evidence of Pakistan’s
continued support for terrorism and the
involvement of
Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT)
in the 7/11 serial blasts after
anti-terrorism squad (ATS) killed a Pakistani in
Mumbai and captured another in Jammu & Kashmir
(J&K).
<More> -
Naxals Strike Mangalore Forest Office
(August
24, 2006)
In typical military style, Naxal terrorists
attacked the Range Forest Office in
Karnataka
damaging the building, burnt official
records, wirless set, computer equipment, and a
jeep after destroying a local telephone exchange
ahead of the raid.
<More> -
US Arrests 13 for Trying to Buy Missiles for LTTE
(August
24, 2006)
In a major sting operation spanning several cities, the
US said that it had arrested 13 people for trying to buy
surface-to-air missiles and other weapons in the black
market for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
seen as a “dangerous terrorist group."
<More> -
Japan Investment Bank Opens
India Operations
(August
23, 2006)
Japan’s leading global
investment bank Daiwa
Securities SMBC has started
operations in India to
market various investment
banking products for
prospective Indian investors
and also as a vehicle for
Indian companies to seek
funding from Japan.
<More>
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Controversial Provision in Religious Bill Withdrawn
(August
23, 2006)
After facing <
initial defeat in the Supreme Court (SC), the
Tamil Nadu (TN) Government withdrew controversial provisions on appointment of priests in Hindu temples by the state irrespective of caste, religion, or parameters
for qualification.
<More>
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‘Cash-for-query’ MPs
Pardoned? (August
23, 2006)
Rendering its ire over
corruption a sham, the
Parliament is planning
to pardon the 11
Members of Parliament
(MP) suspended for
taking cash to asking
questions in the
Parliament.
<More>
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SC Demands Identity of
Person Withholding Pay (August
23, 2006)
The Supreme Court (SC)
rebuked the Federal
Government in harshest
terms over the
non-payment of salaries
to doctors who went on
strike over the
reservation quota issue
and demand that the
name of the individual
stopping the payment be
disclosed.
<More>
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Diluted Wildlife Bill
Passed (August
23, 2006)
After promising major
reforms, the Federal
Government greatly
diluted the Wildlife
Bill in a bid to appease
the tribal lobby and
passed the Wildlife Bill
in great hurry that
could greatly affect
conservation efforts and
endangered species.<More>
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Ramdoss Absolves Cola Companies (August
23, 2006)
Expectedly, Federal Health Minister Anbumani Ramdoss
absolved the cola companies in the Lok Sabha that
pesticide levels in their products were “within the
permissible levels” and called an independent report
“inconclusive."<More>
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7 Nation Futuristic Nuclear Reactor (August
23, 2006)
Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR)
Director at Kalpakkam Baldev Raj has been elected
Chairman of a 7 nation collaborative project to
define a futuristic fast reactor with closed nuclear
fuel cycle capable of generating 300-500 GWe nuclear
energy.
<More>
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Mush Wants to Share Intelligence
(August
23, 2006)
In a recent interview to an Indian magazine, Pakistan
President <
Pervez Musharraf
said that the intelligence
agencies of the two nations were “operating against each
other” and should agree “to stop interference in each
other's internal affairs."
<More>
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No End to Wheat Shortages (August
22, 2006)
Delays in arrival of 3.5
million tons (mt) of
imported wheat for the
public distribution system
in South India and the lack
of traction from importers
to import wheat at
discounted 5% customs duty
is resulting in higher
prices in the open market.
<More>
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Govt Plans to Sell Residual
Maruti Interest (August
22, 2006)
Faced with increasingly
recalcitrant and belligerent
opposition from communist
allies to disinvestment
plans, the Government is
apparently proposing to sell
all its residual 10.24%
stake in Maruti Udyog
Limited (MUL) to net Rs.
2500 crore (USD 543
million).
<More>
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Afghan Widows Prefer
Suicide (August
22, 2006)
A recent survey by the
United Nations
Development Fund for
Women (UNIFEM) found
that 50,000 Afghan
windows in Kabul prefer
suicide to overcome the
hardships they continue
to face.
<More>
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Activists Trying to
Coerce a Tribal Bill
(August
22, 2006)
Tasting success with
stopping the
Government’s plan to
rightfully amend the
Right to Information
Act, activists are now
targeting the Scheduled
Tribes (Recognition of
Forest Rights) Bill
2005, also known as the
Tribal Bill (TB), to
bulldoze through
Parliament.<More>
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Contrarian HIV Estimates in New Survey (August
22, 2006)
A study of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) has
proposed a contrarian view that the number of those
living with this infection may be a third lower than
current estimates of 5.2 million but warned that a
nation-wide survey is required for a more accurate
estimate.<More>
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India, Singapore for Air Force Cooperation (August
22, 2006)
In the first ever Air Force-level dialogue,
India and Singapore agreed to focus on “mutually
supportive roles,” including “interoperability”
between respective air forces for disaster
management and humanitarian relief in South East
Asia.
<More>
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Scores of Taliban Terrorists Killed (August
21, 2006)
Afghani officials say that their forces assisted
by North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
aircraft and artillery killed 71 Taliban
terrorists in Southern Afghanistan where there
is a resurgence of Taliban activity and
bloodiest clashes since their ouster in 2001.
<More>
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Iran Test-Fires Short-Range Missiles (August
21, 2006)
A day after large-scale military exercises
across the nation, an Iranian Foreign Ministry
spokesperson confirmed that Iran has
successfully test-fired 10 short-range
surface-to-surface Saegheh missiles.
<More>
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PM Convinces Commies of Nuke Deal (August
21, 2006)
Facing intense pressure from communists allies
for ideological reasons and
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
for political reasons, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh eloquently defended the Indo-US
civilian nuclear deal outlying ways it could
help India.
<More>
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SLA Claims Military Successes as TN Censures It
(August
21, 2006)
The Sri Lankan Army has claimed several major successes
against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) even
as the Tamil Nadu Assembly unanimously passed a
resolution censuring the Government for the death of
scores of children by air attacks.
<More>
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Israeli Commando Operation Tests Ceasefire
(August
21, 2006)
Even as thousands of Lebanese troops and
French engineers started to occupy areas
vacated by Israeli Army to strengthen the
ceasefire that p | |
