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What is India News Service, Wednesday, May 11, 2005 1730hrs IST

PM wants all to respect EC

Distancing from Laloo Prasad Yadav's accusation of the Election Commission, the PM asked all to respect the institution. He said that India is on the verge of being a global leader and these sort of politicking will only hamper its image as a stable and mature democracy.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has issued a showcause notice on Mr. Saptarishi whose report was the basis on which Mr. Yadav kicked up a huge uproar. Other leaders from Yadav's own party and now part of the Federal Cabinet disowned his remarks on the Election Commission.

As editorials and political columnists continue to attack Yadav for his tactics to attract attention to him as a victim, other continue to charge him with incompetence, corruption, and being the icon of political sludge of India.

Focus

Laloo vs EC


Weapons of Mass Destruction and Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Bill in the Lok Sabha.  This Bill aims to tighten the laws relating to illicit trafficking of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons-related material and technology. The passage of this bill will also be used as a framework in broadening civilian nuclear co-operation with Russia and the United States.


"India still sending child jockeys"
India has been named one of the seven countries sending under-aged children to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as camel jockeys, a banned practice.

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Mayawati questioned in assets case The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday questioned Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati in a disproportionate assets case registered two years ago.

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SC notice to Centre on a dying person's right The Supreme Court (SC) today issued notice to the Centre on a petition seeking the right of a dying person to refuse life-support system to prolong his life.

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States

Hit by an unprecedented power shortage and pressure from the Centre, the Congress-led government in Maharashtra today decided to pull the plug on the free power scheme. The scheme of providing free electricity to 25 lakh farmers in the state was a major political sop in the run-up to the last Assembly polls. Instead, in a calibrated move, it announced a subsidized power supply scheme for the farmers. The Chief Minister said that the withdrawal of this scheme would save the state Rs. 500 crores annually. He also observed that the excessive usage of free electricity by the farmers was draining power availability in the state and had depleted the ground water reserves. Last year, another Congress-led Government in Andhra Pradesh had also withdrawn a similar scheme citing a similar reason.

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Neighbors

 

India would resume arms aid to Nepal. The Himalayan Kingdom fell out with India after its King citing inefficiency and Maoist uprising to suspend the fledgling democracy in the land-locked country.  India responded by canceling a South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) summit to be held a week thereafter and also to suspending economic and defense aid. American and European Governments followed the Indian example.

A couple of weeks ago, the Indian Prime Minister met the Nepalese King during the New Asia Africa Partnership (NAAP) summit in Indonesia and agreed to resume aid when the Nepalese regime promised progress on democracy.

Also, the Nepal Government has been courting Pakistani and Chinese Governments for assistance. Reports indicate a substantial increase in those engagements. The resumption of aid to Nepal is viewed by some as a means by India to reclaim influence in the country. Others have argued that the Maoist movement in Nepal has overflowed into Indian border states affecting its internal security and hence immediate help from India is necessary to stop this rot. Maoist rebels attacked a major Army camp in Nepal overnight. Yesterday, coincidentally, Indian naxalities (Maoists) attacked a unit of India's largest Aluminum and Copper producing company in Chattisgarh.

India seems to have concluded that the resumption of aid is paramount. To appease the communist allies in the Government, the Prime Minister has characterization the equipment being donated as "non-lethal."

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Bangla ruling party defeated in City civic polll Prime Minster Khaleda Zia’s ruling party suffered a miserable defeat in Monday’s most publicised and talked-about mayoral election in the south-eastern port city of Chittagong which turned out to be a prestige issue for both the government and the Opposit

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Pak Air Force to manufacture Boeing parts Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has said it would start manufacturing parts for US-based aircraft giant Boeing from next month which would enable it to formally join the club of aviation parts makers.
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Water war: India saves Pak from running dry The World Bank on Tuesday named Raymond Lafitte, a Swiss professor, to mediate in a dispute between India and Pakistan over a dam India is building in Kashmir.
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World Bank names neutral expert on Baglihar The World Bank, which was approached by Pakistan for arbitration in the issue of the construction of the Baglihar hydro-power project by India in Jammu and Kashmir, has named a Swiss national as a neutral expert to resolve the dam issue.
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International
Indian global balancing act India will explore new areas of co-operation with the US in the forthcoming visit of the Prime Minister to Washington DC, while also engaging other world powers -- especially Russia and China - in a trilateral cooperation to challenge the unipolar world order.
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US must support India’s aspirations: Manmohan Even as the situation in Nepal is being continuously monitored and whatever arms supplies are in the pipeline cannot be held back for long, there is no point in counting the chickens before they are hatched with regard to the US remaining silent on extending support to India in its quest for a permanent seat in an expanded United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
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Summary

Prime Minster Manmohan Singh supports the Election Commission, asks everyone to respect the EC

Maharastra discontinued its scheme to provide free electricity to farmers. It cited budget overruns, shortage of electricity production, and ground water depletion as reasons for its volte face.

India resumes arms aid to Nepal after Maoist insurgents launch series of attacks in Nepal

The Government of India tabled a Weapons of Mass Destruction Bill to tighten the laws relating to illicit trafficking of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons-related material and technology

World Bank names neutral expert on Baglihar

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