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VOL: 2 ISSUE 44 Feb. 20, 2009
Chennai, Feb. 20 :The i ssue o f
violent clashes between lawyers and police in the Madras High Court rocked Tamil Nadu Assembly today with the entire opposition demanding that the Question Hour be postponed to discuss it, leading to walkout by AIADMK and its allies and en masse eviction of PMK members.
As soon as the proceedings started, the oppos i t i on members d e m a n d e d t h a t t h e Q u e s t i o n H o u r b e postponed to discuss yesterday's clashes in the high court which left scores, including a judge a n d a d v o c a t e s a n d mediapersons injured.
S p e a k e r R Avudiyappan declined to postpone the question hour, saying he would consider the matter later even as the AIADMK m e m b e r s s h o u t e d slogans, saying "the state is burning". As the Speaker stuck to his decision, the AIADMK members staged a walk out, followed by members of MDMK, CPI and CPI-M, shout ing slogans condemning the DMK Government.
T h e P M K members persisted with their demand even as the Speaker proceeded with the question hour. As they
kept on pressing for postponement of the question hour despite his repeated pleas, the Speaker ordered the ward and watch staff to remove the slogan-shouting PMK members. The AIADMK members later returned to the House.
W h e n t h e AIADMK and its allies came back to the house, the question hour ended by that time and the speaker responding to a call attention motion given notice by members of various parties on the court campus violence, asked law minister duraimurugan to make a statement on the issue under rule 110.
Object ing to t h i s , t h e A I A D M K members and their allies were on thei r feet insisting for a debate.
The speaker said no debate could be allowed on rule 110. Noisy scenes prevailed as the opposition stuck to its demand. As the opposition persisted with t h e d e m a n d a n d disrupted the house p r o c e e d i n g s , t h e speaker directed the marshalls to evict them. As the entire Opposition was evicted, members of the Congress party, w h i c h h a d b e e n
p r o v i d i n g o u t s i d e support to the DMK Government, were only present in the House.
M a k i n g t h e s t a t e m e n t , M r Duraimurugan narrated the sequence of the incidents and said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who was recuperating in a hospital following a spine surgery, had already announced that his government would refer the matter for a CBI probe.
T h e C h i e f Minister has given his consent for a CBI probe a n d t h e C e n t r a l Investigation Agency would probe the matter.
Consequent to the Chief Minister's announcement , the investigation into the case would be referred to the CBI. Mr Duraimurugan said various forms of agitation had been taking place in Tamil Nadu over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue over the last few days and the advocates too were o r g a n i s i n g demonstrations to voice their concern for the Tamils.
D u r i n g t h e agitation, effigies and portraits of national leaders were burnt and statues were damaged and defiled and the
government had been taking steps against the culprits.
At a time when the advocates were continuing their agitation for the Lankan cause, some lawyers hurled rotten eggs on Janata P a r t y P r e s i d e n t Subramanian Swamy when he came to the court to implead himself in the case filed against the government take over of the Lord Natraja T e m p l e a t Chidambaram.
M r Duraimurugan said soon after the incident, Mr Karunanidhi deputed senior police officials to meet Ac t ing Ch ie f Justice of Madras High Cour t Just ice S J Mukhopadhaya and a s s u r e d h i m t h a t necessary action would be taken. The Chief Minister also summoned the CB-CID Chief to the hospital, where he was convalescing after a surgery, spoke to Dr Swamy and expressed regret for the incident.
T h e L a w Minister said one person w a s a r r e s t e d i n connection with the assault on Dr Swamy on F e b r u a r y 1 8 a n d remanded in Judicial custody.
At this stage, a
group of advocates involved in the Swamy assault case, filed a complaint against Dr S w a m y u n d e r t h e Protection of Civil Rights Act alleging abuse of a dalit lawyer, using his caste name.
The advocates said they could be arrested a f t e r registering an FIR a g a i n s t D r S w a m y. ''After the FIR was filed at the H i g h C o u r t P o l i c e S t a t i o n , t h e advocates insisted t h a t D r S w a m y should be arrested f i r s t b e f o r e t h e y w e r e arrested''.
A wordy duel ensued between the police and the advocates and it snowballed into a major violence in which J u s t i c e A r u m u g a Perumal Adityan was injured and the police station was torched. People from both sides
(police and advocates) also sustained injuries in the violent clashes, he added.
Following this the Chief Minister deputed the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, DGP and senior police officials to meet Mr Mukhopadhaya , and
police force was withdrawn from the High Court complex at the request of the Acting Chief Justice.
Mr Karunanidhi wrote a letter from his hospital bed to the Acting Chief Justice and also agreed for a CBI probe into t h e c l a s h e s , M r Duraimurugan said.
High Court clash rocks TN Assembly
Chennai, Feb. 20: The clash that
raged between the police and the advocates last evening in Chennai the judiciary is shell shocked. A holiday was declared by the ACJ on Friday to quell the violence.
A s t a t e w i d e p r o t e s t i n c l u d i n g Pondicherry has been lodged at various courts by the advocates and the v i o l e n c e c o n t i n u e s unabated at the district
courts.The joint action
c o m m i t t e e o f t h e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f v a r i o u s A d v o c a t e s a s s o c i a t i o n h a s condemned the police excesses and insisted on the dismissal of the p o l i c e p e r s o n n e l involved in the clash from service.
T h e y h a v e given a strike call till the police personnel are brought to books. It may
be noted that the district courts are already on protest ti l l Feb. 27 condemning the new criminal code.
A road roko was staged at Tirunelveli by t h e a d v o c a t e s demanding the arrest of Tamil Nadu DGP.
Effigy of Dr. Subramaniam Swamy was burnt at Coimbatore. Reports of road roko and violent incidents were pouring in from the
districts condemning the attack on advocates
M e a n w h i l e unconfirmed reports from police said cases have been registered against 200 advocates involved in the clash.
All India Bar Council has convened a meeting tomorrow to discuss .the High Court clash
A g r o u p o f about 200 advocates tried to lay seige to the
Advocates continue their protestShell shocked judiciary in a stand still
Secretariat demanding the arrest of people involved in yesterday's clash. However they were stopped near the War Memorial. Over 100 advocates have be arrested. Security has been beefed up near the Secretariat and traffic has been crippled.
Madras High C o u r t A d v o c a t e s Association President M r . P r a b a k a r a n meanwhile demanded
the arrested of police
- Staff Reporter
personnel involved in the clash, however the director General of Police has said that the Government has o r d e r a p r o b e i n t o Yesterday’s incident and the Government take n e c e s s a r y a c t i o n according to the probe findings.
Times Chennai E-Paper Feb. 20, 2009Page 2
Chennai, Feb. 20 The Madras High
Court Thursday night ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the clash between lawyers and police in the court complex, on Thursday evening.
A c t i n g C h i e f Justice S J Mukhopadhya ordered the CBI probe after t h e T a m i l N a d u government gave i ts consent for it.
M r J u s t i c e Mukhopadhya gave the order acting on a batch of petitions presented before
him by senior advocate Ms Vaigai and 30 others, who sought a CBI probe into the violent incident, in which a judge of the High Court and more than 20 people, including lawyers, police and journalists were injured.
Treat ing the pet i t ions as Publ ic Interest Litigations, the acting CJ asked the Government pleader, whether the government was willing for a CBI probe.
A f t e r t h e government pleader
consu l ted w i th the government and gave the consent, the judge ordered the CBI probe.
E a r l i e r , t h e a c t i n g C J h e l d discussions with state Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Director Genera l o f Po l i ce , d e p u t e d b y C h i e f Minister M Karunanidhi to ascertain the basic causes that led to violence between the police and the lawyers.
-Agencies
HC orders CBI probe into clash between lawyers and police
damage caused in the violence in the court campus, even as the Tamil Nadu government offered to order a CB-CID probe into the incidents.
O n a p l e a moved by a Senior woman advocate Ms Vaigai seeking a CBI probe into the violence, Justice Mukhopadhya formed three committees compr i s i ng a l l t he Registrars of the High Court.
J u s t i c e Mukhopadhya, while s t a t i n g t h a t t h e government has offered for a CB-CID probe, directed Police not to ar rest any lawyers allegedly involved in the
violence.H e a l s o
declared a holiday for all the courts in the State tomorrow, inc luding Tribunals.
U n d e r t h e instructions from the State Government, the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and the DGP met Mr Mukhopadhya in h i s C h a m b e r a n d summoned the Chennai C i t y P o l i c e C o m m i s s i o n e r K Radhakrishnan.
After the arrival of Mr Radhakrishnan, detailed discussions were held about the incidents. The meeting, in which several judges participated, lasted for two hours.
- Agencies
Chennai, Feb. 20 : The Acting Chief
Justice(ACJ) of Madras H i g h C o u r t S J
M u k h o p a d h y a o n Thursday night appointed th ree commi t tees to assess the extent of
ACJ appoints 3 committees to assess damage in violence
Chennai, Feb. 20 :Ta m i l N a d u
C h i e f M i n i s t e r M Karunanidhi on Thursday sought the cooperation of
acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court to ascertain the basic r e a s o n f o r t h e unprecedented violence in the court campus.
In a letter to J u s t i c e S J
Mukhopadhya, the Chief M i n i s t e r , w h o i s recuperating in a hospital after a spine surgery, said he had deputed the Chief
Secretary, Home Secretary and the DGP to find out who was at fault, the advocates or the police and a s c e r t a i n t h e bas ic causes , which led to the situation.
Pointing out that unprecedented v i o l e n c e h a d taken place, Mr Karunanidhi said, ''Your cooperation is very essential to me and for this Government. I am expecting your v a l u a b l e
suggestions to contain this violence and ensure justice is done and peace i s r e s t o r e d . ' ' M r Karunanidhi said though he was in hospital, he was prepared to meet the acting Chief Justice by
travelling in an ambulance if Mr Mukhopadhya wished to see him.
Mr Karunanidhi also held discussions with h i s s e n i o r c a b i n e t colleagues at the Hospital about the violent incidents that took place in Madras High Court and its Bench in Madurai. Among those who were present in the discussions were finance minister K Anbazhagan, electricity minister Arcot N V e e r a s a m y , L o c a l Administration Minister M K Stalin and law minister Duraimurugan.
M r Duraimurugan, who was away in Vellore, was summoned by the Chief Minister for discussions.
A statement about the incident and the Government's views is likely to be tabled in the state Assembly tomorrow, official sources said.
- Agencies
Karunanidhi seeks CJ's cooperation to ascertain facts
Chennai, Feb. 20 :O p p o s i t i o n
parties in Tamil Nadu demanded that the Centre must dismiss the ruling DMK government by invok ing Ar t i c le 356 alleging breakdown of law and order in the wake of large-scale violence in the M a d r a s H i g h C o u r t complex on Thursday.
In a statement here, Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK Genera l Secretary J Jayalalithaa alleged that unprecedented violence had taken place in the High Court complex and blamed police for the violent incidents.
''There cannot be any other classic example for the breakdown of law and order than the violent incidents in the High court complex today. There is no safety for judges, political p a r t y l e a d e r s a n d advocates in the state'', she added.
''If the place of Justice can become a
place for violence, where will the general public go to seek justice'', she asked.
The public were dumb-founded as the c o u r t s w e r e b e i n g attacked, the police station, which protects the law and order was set on fire and the media, which disseminates the news to the public were also attacked, she said.
''This showed that jungle rule prevails in Tamil Nadu and there is enough ground for the Centre to invoke Article 356 and dismiss the r u l i n g D M K ' ' , s h e charged.
AIADMK's ally, MDMK also condemned the violence in the High Cour t complex and demanded that Chief Minister M Karunanidhi should step down owning moral responsibility.
In a statement here, MDMK General S e c r e t a r y V a i k o d e m a n d e d t h e
suspension of the state Chief Secretary, Home S e c r e t a r y a n d t h e Director General of Police as they should own the responsbility for the violence.
Demanding a judicial inquiry into the incidents, he said ''the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court himself should head the probe'', he added.
C o n d e m n i n g the incidents, CPI(M) S t a t e S e c r e t a r y N Varadharajan demanded legal action against the police personnel who were responsible for the incident.
L e a d e r s o f other political parties also condemned the violence and demanded action a g a i n s t t h e p o l i c e personnel.
The All India Lawyers Forum also condemned the violence in the High court campus.
- Agencies
Dismiss DMK government: Opposition parties demand
Page 3Times Chennai E-PaperFeb. 20, 2009
Chennai, Feb. 20 A judge of the Madras High Court was among several persons injured while a police station was set ablaze as stone-pelting lawyers and the police, who resorted to
lathicharge, clashed on Thursday inside the court premises which turned into a virtual battlefield. Justice A C Arumugaperumal Adityan, one of the judges deputed by the Acting Chief Justice S J Mukhopadhaya to help restore order, was injured in the stone throwing
inside the historic century-old premises and admitted to hospital. Police resorted to lathicharge to quell the violence in which an unspecified number of police personnel and advocates including some women were injured, some of
them seriously. Some injured lawyers had blood streaming over their faces.
Four-wheelers parked inside the High Court premises were damaged while some two-wheelers and bicycles set ablaze in the clashes. A police outpost located in the premises was also targeted and set on fire.
Police arrested some 13 lawyers in connection with the attack on Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy in the court on Tuesday. This sparked off the protest by the advocates who resented the police action.
A large number of advocates started pelting stones at the police prompting the police to wield their batons. Anticipating violent protests, the police turned up in large strength. Stones were also hurled at the advocates.
The lawyers rushed to the chambers of the Acting Chief Justice and demanded that action be taken against police. A group of advocates injured in the clashes were paraded before Justice Mukhopdhayaya following which he deputed some judges to inspect the area. Advocates shouted slogans in his chambers demanding immediate action against the policemen.
Some media personnel were also injured in the clashes. Around the time when the lawyers were meeting Justice Mukhopdhayaya another bout of clashes broke out between the advocates and police. Several advocates and policemen were injured, some seriously, eyewitnesses said.
The deputed judges had to wade through protesting lawyers, some of whom pelted stones. In the melee, Justice Adityan was injured while Justice Mukhopdhayaya made a vain attempt to restore order.
The torching of the police outpost provoked the police to retaliate with lathicharge and they lobbed tear gas shells. The Swift Action Group, Rapid Action Force and Commando force were requisitioned to restore normalcy. City Police Chief K Radhakrishnan rushed to the court. Some order was restored after a three-hour pitched battle between the advocates and police.
Mayhem in High Court complex
Advocates, police clash at Madras HC; Judge among injured
Times Chennai E-Paper Feb. 20, 2009Page 4
Jhajjar, Feb. 20 There are a total
of 22 fake universities functioning across the country with Uttar Pradesh having as many as nine of such institutions and Delhi running a close second with six, says a UGC report.
The University Grant Commission (UGC) recently released a list of 22 fake universities that have reportedly been f u n c t i o n i n g i n contravention of the UGC Act in different parts of the country.
Uttar Pradesh led the chart with nine fake universities followed by national capital Delhi that has six. One each in Bihar, K a r n a t a k a , K e r a l a , M a d h y a P r a d e s h , Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bangal have also been declared fake by the UGC.
B e s i d e s , recognition of degrees like B Ed/ M Ed awarded by the B h a r t i y a S h i k s h a Parishad, Lucknow is still sub judice.
A s f a k e institutions are not created through legislation, many of them could be registered as societies under the Societies Registration Act with the object of running educational programmes and conferring degrees,
sources said. According to
the UGC Act, only those universities that have been established under an Act of Parliament or state legis lature or g ran ted a deemed university status under Section 3 of the UGC Act are enti t led to cal l themselves universities and confer degrees.
Contravention of these provisions of Section 22 and 23 of the UGC Act attract penalty under Section 24 of the Act.
The universities that have been declared fake in Uttar Pradesh are M a h i l a G r a m Vidyapith/Vishwavidyalaya, Prayag (Allahabad); Indian Education Council of UP (Lucknow); Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith, Prayag (Allahabad); National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy ( K a n p u r ) ; N e t a j i Subhash Chandra Bose U n i v e r s i t y ( O p e n University), Achaltal ( A l i g a r h ) ; Vishwavidyalaya, Kosi K a l a n ( M a t h u r a ) ; M a h a r a n a P r a t a p S h i k s h a N i k e t a n V i s h w a v i d y a l a y a ( P r a t a p g a r h ) ; Indraprastha Shiksha Parishad, Institutional Area Khoda, Makanpur
(Noida) and Gurukul V i s h w a v i d y a l a (Vridanvan).
F a k e institutions in Delhi are Varanaseya Sanskrit V i s h w a v i d y a l a y a , Varanasi , Jagatpur i (Delhi); Indian Institute of S c i e n c e a n d E n g i n e e r i n g ( N e w Delh i ) ; Commerc ia l U n i v e r s i t y L t d , D a r y a g a n j ( D e l h i ) ; U n i t e d N a t i o n s U n i v e r s i t y ( D e l h i ) ; Vocational University (Delhi) and ADR-Centric Juridical University, Rajendra Place (New Delhi).
B e s i d e s , M a i t h i l i University/Vishwavidyalaya, Darbhanga (Bihar); Badaganvi Sarkar World O p e n U n i v e r s i t y Educa t ion Soc ie ty, G o k a k , B e l g a u m (Karnataka); St John's University, Kishanattam (Kerala); Kesarwani Vidyapi th, Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh); Raja A r a b i c U n i v e r s i t y, Nagpur (Maharashtra); DDB Sanskrit University, Putur, Trichi (Tamil N a d u ) a n d I n d i a n Institute of Alternative Medicine (Kolkata) have also been declared fake.
- Agencies
22 universities across India fake, UP tops at 9: UGC
New Delhi, Feb 20 The government
would declare Nagpur as the country's first city where a part of power demand wi l l be met t h r o u g h r e n e w a b l e sources of energy like solar e n e r g y u n d e r a programme, which was unveiled on Thursday.
" N a g p u r i n Maharashtra became the first solar city in the country, under a programme of development of solar cities
be ing launched on thursday" an official statement said.
The Ministry of New and Renewable E n e r g y ( M N R E ) proposed to develop 60 such cities during the current Plan period (2007-12). At least one city in each state to a maximum of five cities in a state will be supported by MNRE, it said.
N a g p u r w i l l become model solar city
by 2012 under the scheme. Up to 10 per cent of the city's power consumption is targeted to be met through r e n e w a b l e e n e r g y efficiency measures.
F i n a n c i a l support up to a maximum of Rs 9.50 crore will be made available to each of the model cities, which would be developed to set an example for others to follow.
- Agencies
Nagpur to be country's first solar city
New Delhi:, Feb. 20 Sustaining a
high standard of living is no ground for seeking maintenance from an estranged spouse. This is what a Delhi court told a woman who had sought a maintenance of Rs 1 lakh per month from her husband after the couple separated within a year of their marriage.
The woman, who has a permanent job, had sought the allowance "to maintain the same standard of life". Dismissing her plea, the court said that her i n c o m e c a n n o t b e termed insufficient for maintaining herself.
"The provision (of maintenance) cannot be resorted to by one of the litigating parties to enrich itself at the cost of the other.... The applicant
was doing the same job during the golden days of their matrimonial life, hence it cannot be concluded that her status i s r e d u c e d n o w , " additional district judge Rajender Kumar Shastri said.
In her petition, the woman said her husband earned Rs 78,396 per month while she, as a government school teacher, had a salary of Rs 19,000. Seeking maintenance under Section 24 of the Hindu marriage act, the woman claimed that she was entitled to lead a life of similar standard and status as she was l e a d i n g i n t h e m a t r i m o n i a l h o u s e before separation. The woman also demanded Rs 55,000 as litigation expenses f rom her
husband. The court took a
strong view on the demand for dividing the income of both parties equally, saying that though the provision obliged the court to do so, it doesn't mean "that income of both parties is to be equalized by applying an electronic scale".
ADJ Shastri said, "The object of the provision (Section 24 of Hindu marriage act) to provide maintenance to one of the litigating spouses...is to p r o v i d e f i n a n c i a l assistance to the indigent spouse to maintain herself during the pendency of the proceedings and also to have sufficient funds to carry on the litigation."
T h e c o u r t directed the man to give his estranged wife Rs 20,000 as cost of litigation.
- TNN
Sustaining high living standard no cause for maintenance: Court
Mumbai, Feb. 20 Minor children are
entitled to maintenance from either or both of their parents, the Bombay high court has ruled. A division bench of Justices B H Marlapalle and D G Karnik recently asked a leading Pune-based surgeon who is involved in a matrimonial dispute with his estranged
wife to shell out the money that was spent on the maintenance of their two daughters.
"A H indu i s bound to maintain his legitimate or illegitimate children and a child may claim maintenance from his or her father or mother so long as the child is a minor," said the
j u d g e s q u o t i n g provisions in the Hindu A d o p t i o n s a n d Maintenance Act. Under the law, a person has to maintain a girl child until she gets married or is able to maintain herself out of her own earnings or property.
- TNN
Parents must pay maintenance to minors: Bombay HC
Paris, Feb. 20 Of the 6,900
languages spoken in the world including those spoken in India, some 2,500 are endangered, the UN's cultural agency UNESCO sa id on Thursday as it released its latest atlas of world languages.
That represents a multi-fold increase from the last atlas compiled in 2001 which listed 900 languages threatened with extinction.
India tops the list of countries with the
greatest number of endangered languages, 196 in all, followed by the United States which stands to lose 192 and Indonesia, where 147 are in peril.
A u s t r a l i a n l inguis t Chr is topher Moseley, who headed the atlas' team of 25 experts, noted that countries with rich linguistic diversity like India and the United States are also facing the g r e a t e s t t h r e a t o f language extinction.
The world has lost Manx in the Isle of
Man, Ubykh in Turkey and last year Alaska's last native speaker of Eyak, Marie Smith Jones, died, taking the aboriginal language with her.
S t i l l t he re i s disheartening news. There are 199 languages in the world spoken by fewer than a dozen people, including Karaim which has six speakers in Ukraine and Wichita, spoken by 10 people in the US state of Oklahoma.
- Agencies
2,500 languages threatened with extinction: UNESCO
Times Chennai E-PaperFeb. 20, 2009 Page 5
New Delhi, Feb 20: Senior leader
Ghulam Nabi Azad was on Thursday night brought back as Congress General Secretary, V Kishore Chandra Deo dropped f r o m t h e p o s t a n d K a r n a t a k a l e a d e r M a l l i k a r j u n K h a r g e inducted into CWC in a major reshuffle of AICC as party chief Sonia Gandhi readied her "war team" ahead of Lok Sabha polls.
G a n d h i g a v e Azad the charge o f Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Orissa and Puducherry and retained M Veerappa Moily in charge of Andhra Pradesh and Assam while Digvijay Singh in charge of Uttar Pradesh.
I n t h e reconstituted AICC, youth leader Rahul Gandhi continued with his charge of Youth Congress and NSUI.
Mohsina Kidwai, the only woman General Secretary, has been given the charge of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, C h a n d i g a r h , Lakshadweep and Mahila Congress while Mukul Wasnik will be in-charge of party affairs in Delhi, Rajasthan and also Sewa Dal.
Prithviraj Chavan will continue to be AICC General Secretary in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, he has been made the party in-charge of Haryana.
J a n a r d a n Dwivedi will continue to look after Organisation. He also gets new charges like organisational election, training and programme co-ordination.
B K Hariprasad will be the new party in-c h a r g e o f M a d h y a
Pradesh. He will continue t o l o o k a f t e r h i s assignment of Gujarat.
D r o p p e d a s party in-charges are Ajay Maken, who was looking after Jharkhand and Orissa, Arun Kumar, in charge of Tamil Nadu, and Kishore Chandra Deo who was in charge of programme monitoring. Deo, Kumar and Maken will be contesting Lok Sabha polls and AICC sources made it clear that their responsibilities have been to enable them to focus on polls.
Deo, however, was re ta ined as a member of CWC. Former Chief Ministers Vilasrao D e s h m u k h o f M a h a r a s h t r a a n d Luizinho Faleiro of Goa and fo rmer Andhra Pradesh PCC Chief K Keshav Rao have been made permanent invitees to CWC.
T h e n e w l y constituted AICC has as many as 38 secretaries, apart from 9 general secretaries. There are 22 members in CWC and 17 permanent invitees and 4 special invitees in CWC.
Mot i l a l Vora continues to be the t r e a s u r e r b u t g e t s another responsibility as p a r t y i n - c h a r g e o f administration.
V Narayansamy will continue to be the AICC General Secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh along with Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Tripura.
A K A n t o n y remains in-charge of Maharash t ra where Sharad Pawar-led NCP is posing problems in seat-sharing talks.
Senior leader R
K Dhawan has been made i n - cha rge o f Uttarakhand while Oscar Fernandes will be in-charge of AICC meetings and sessions.
With not much time at hand, Gandhi also c o n s t i t u t e d t h e Screening Committees of all the states to select the party candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.
External Affairs M i n i s t e r P r a n a b Mukherjee will be the C h a i r m a n o f t h e Screening Committee of Andhra Pradesh and Assam.
Former Home Minister Shivraj Patil will be the Chairman of the Screening Committee of Arunachal Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Nagaland and Tripura.
Senior leader Janardhana Poojary will b e t h e S c r e e n i n g Commitee Chairman of Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
S a t y a v r a t Chaturvedi, who was d r o p p e d a s A I C C spokesman last month in the wake of his remarks against SP leader Amar Singh, continues to be a permanent invitee to CWC and has also been made head o f t he Departments and Cells of AICC apart from being in-charge of the Screening Committee for Delhi.
M a k e n w a s made a member of the Screening Committee for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh headed by Union Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.
Arun Kumar, in-charge of Tamil Nadu, is also not in the list of new in-charges of states.
-Agencies
Sonia's poll war team: Azad back as GS, K C Deo dropped
Washington, Feb. 20The Mumbai
police has obtained "crucial evidences" from the FBI that points that the plot to execute the 26/11 terror attack was hatched in Pakistan.
T h e t h r e e -member team led by Mumbai Police Deputy Inspector General Deven Bhart i received the evidences that also include the information collected by the FBI, which it had gathered by sending its team to Pakistan.
T h e s e evidences, ranging from details of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), satellite phones used by terrorists, exchange of emails, intercepts and forensic examination of bullets used by attackers and others substantiates the links between the terror ists and their
handlers in Pakistan. The evidences
a l s o i n c l u d e t h e information collected by the FBI, which it had gathered by sending its team to Pakistan.
The Mumbai police team left for India yesterday. It had come to Washington to hand over a Let ters Rogatory issued by a Mumbai court and vetted by the Ministry of External A f f a i r s t o t h e U S Department of Justice in Washington.
FBI's help had been sought in sharing the proofs like call details made through VoIP and from the satellite phone besides gett ing the documents related to G l o b a l P o s i t i o n i n g System used by the terrorists while sailing from Karachi.
Backed up by its state of the art
technological equipments, the FBI is believed to have got minute details of the voice over internet protocol services and satellite p h o n e s , w h i c h t h e terrorists used to call up their bosses in Pakistan.
T h e f o r e n s i c examination of the bullets used by the terrorists in Mumbai was also a part of the evidence gathered from FBI by Mumbai Police.
The ev idence from FBI is expected to make the case water-tight as this kind of proof would further nail Pakistan's claims that the conspiracy behind 26/11 was not hatched in that country alone.
India and the United States share a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) which came into effect on December 3, 2005.
-Agencies
Mumbai police gets 26/11 evidence from FBI
New Delhi, Feb 20: A t e s t
identification parade (TIP) of an accused is not required in cases in which he or she is known to witnesses, the Supreme Court has held.
T h e b e n c h passed the observation while setting aside the acquittal order passed by the Allahabad High Court against Sukhpal Singh and four others accused of a double murder whi le committing dacoity in September 1979 in Aligarh.
"The High Court failed to appreciate that in t h i s c a s e , t h e t e s t
identification parade (TIP) was not required as t h e a c c u s e d w e r e otherwise known to the witnesses.
"The conduct of test identification parade depends on the facts and circumstances of each case , " a bench o f J u s t i c e s D a l v e e r Bhandari and Harjit Singh Bedi observed.
The accused armed with firearms while looting houses killed two persons Hiralal and Aidal Singh and in jured two others, Longshree and Chandan Gir. The injured later
gave witnesses accounts and the sessions court convicted and sentenced the accused to l i fe imprisonment.
However, the Allahabad High Court rejected the testimony of the two injured victims and held that no test identification parade was conducted and, hence, the accused should be let off.
Aggrieved by the acquittal, the State Government filed the appeal in the apex court.
-Agencies
Identification parade futile if accused known to witness: SC
New Delhi, Feb.20 The Supreme
Court on Thursday asked Tamil Nadu lawyers why they were striking work at the drop of a hat on issues ranging from changes in criminal laws to the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
A bench of Chief J u s t i c e K . G . Balakrishnan issued notices to the Madras High Court and various advocates' bodies in the state, including the Madras Bar Association and the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu.
T h e b e n c h which also included Justices J.M. Panchal a n d A s o k K u m a r Ganguly, issued notices on a lawsuit by R. Murlidharan, a professor of the Indian Institute of Managemen t ( I IM ) , B a n g a l o r e , w h o approached the apex court questioning the advocates' commitment to their profession.
A former law p r o f e s s o r o f t h e B a n g a l o r e - b a s e d National Law School, Murlidharan also alleged t h a t T a m i l N a d u advocates have allowed the courts in the state to function for only nine days this year so far.
T h e b e n c h issued notices hours b e f o r e l a w y e r s i n C h e n n a i p r o t e s t e d violently and clashed with police following arrest of
13 lawyers. The arrests came after a group of lawyers threw rotten eggs on Janata Party president Subramanian S w a m y i n s i d e t h e Madras High Cour t where he had gone to argue on his lawsuit.
The advocates thrashed Swamy after s h o u t i n g m a n y derogatory slogans, said a Madras High Court order, a copy of which was also sent to the Chief Justice of India.
M u r l i d h a r a n had come to the apex court invoking his right to move it directly in case of v i o l a t i o n o f o n e ' s fundamental right, which includes his right to fair t r i a l a n d c o u r t proceedings.
Like Swamy, the IIM professor too was not allowed to argue his case in a lower court of Chennai earlier during the lawyers' strike in the state.
"There have b e e n i n s t a n c e s o f individual lawyers having b e e n t o n s u r e d f o r appearing in courts during the strike against the dictates by the lawyers' bodies," he said.
M u r l i d h a r a n listed some of the dates on which the advocates called for the strike in the state - the Madras Bar Association called for state-wide strike for one day to several days from Jan 29, Feb 9, and Feb
10 among other dates. " A d v o c a t e s
increasingly and frequently go on strike in Tamil Nadu and the work is repeatedly paralysed at the Madras High Court and its Madurai bench besides lower courts all through the state," said Murlidharan.
He also pleaded to the apex court to call for a report from the Madras High Court on the number of judicial days lost due to lawyers' strikes.
" T h e r e i s a n i n c r e a s i n g t r e n d o f politicisation of bar in the state accompanied with violent tendencies," said Murlidharan.
For example, he m e n t i o n e d , s e v e r a l advocates ransacked shops around the Madras High court while in another incident they highjacked a bus and took it to the Shastri Bhawan to protest against the self-immolation by a youth to demand welfare of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
-Agencies
Why TN lawyers strike frequently, asks Supreme Court
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Business
New Delhi, Feb. 20 The government
could soon get its hands on almost Rs 9,000 crore at a time when any extra money for the exchequer is like manna from heaven. The bonanza will come its way thanks to a move to track unaccounted money started in 2006.
The money in question is Rs 8,800 crore frozen in at least 6.50 lakh demat accounts after all e f fo r t s to t race the beneficiaries have failed. All these demat accounts have been frozen since 2006, when Sebi had set a deadline of December that year for all account holders trading in shares to give details of their PAN.
Initially, the total number of demat accounts frozen was as high as 40 lakh having deposits of more than Rs 638,318 c r o r e . H o w e v e r, b y
January 31 this year, the authorities were able to trace most of them e x c e p t 6 . 5 0 l a k h individuals and entities who have refused to claim their deposits.
T h e I - T department has been investigating many of these unknown entities having more than Rs 10 crore each in their account. A senior I-T official said thousands of such accounts have been identified and the probe m a y l e a d t o t h e i r i n v o l v e m e n t i n irregularities or simply a case of tax evasion.
M e a n w h i l e , r e s p o n d i n g t o a parliamentary question, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said that the government is considering a proposal to "declare all frozen accounts as unclaimed,
s o a s t o c o n s i d e r f o r f e i t u r e o f t h e unclaimed securities".
The 2005 initial public offering scam unearthed in Ahmedabad had revealed that more t h a n 6 , 0 0 0 d e m a t accounts were used by the kingpin of the scam to transfer shares meant for p u b l i c i n f i c t i t i o u s a c c o u n t s . T h e Enforcement Directorate (ED) had attached shares worth Rs 30 crore in May 2008 in Ahmedabad and other places in the multi-crore scam.
Regulators and enforcement agencies have now installed a software that scans common addresses of demat accoun ts to identify if someone is trying to trade through front entities.
-Agencies
Govt may forfeit 6.5 L frozen demat accounts
New Delhi, Feb 20:M i r r o r i n g
slowdown in the economy, India's fuel demand grew by just 2.3 per cent in January with domestic L P G c o n s u m p t i o n recording a negat ive growth rate, the first in many years.
Fuel consumption rose 2.3 per cent to 11.7 million tonnes in January compared with 11.44 million tonnes a year ago, according to the data available from the Oil Ministry.
L P G d e m a n d slipped 1.5 per cent to 1.05 million tonnes against 1.07 million tonnes in January
2008 while diesel, the most consumed fuel in the country, recorded a 2.1 per cent expansion at 4.39 million tonnes.
Transporters ' strike and petrol pumps keeping low inventory in anticipation of a fuel price cut were the main reasons for lower diesel demand growth, an official said, adding, that this also led to lower LPG sales.
Jet fuel or ATF sales declined 9.5 per cent to 3, 80,700 tonnes, and reflecting slowdown in the aviation sector.
O i l p r o d u c t exports, that now are the
single largest foreign exchange grosser for the nation, saw a massive 27.8 per cent drop at 3.02 mi l l ion tonnes wi th naphtha and jet fuel shipments falling 67.8 and 28 .7 per cent respectively.
C r u d e o i l imports climbed 4.5 per cent to 10.48 million tonnes. But oil product imports slowed 20 per cent to 1.4 million tonnes even though diesel inward shipments almost doubled to 4, 02,600 tonnes.
-Agencies
Country's fuel demand up merely 2% in Jan; LPG consumption dips
New Delhi, Feb 20: E x p o r t
organisation FIEO has s o u g h t g o v e r n m e n t intervention for amicable settlement of thousands of crore of losses suffered by exporters on account of derivatives trade.
"The government needs to instruct banks through RBI to solve this issue on the basis of no-profit no-loss basis," it said adding, "Wherein the exporters would be made to pay back whatever profits, if any, accrued to them through the forward contract and further the banks should
not claim any loss out of it".
This could be made valid f o r t h o s e f o r w a r d contracts entered into between April 2007 and June 2008, Federation of I n d i a n E x p o r t Organisations (FIEO) said in a letter to Finance M i n i s t e r P r a n a b Mukherjee.
Many exporters lost s u b s t a n t i a l l y i n derivatives products offered by f inancial inst i tut ions as they hedged their risk in the wake of appreciation of
rupee, it said.
"The loss suffered by s m a l l a n d m e d i u m enterprises itself is over Rs 2,000 crore," it said adding many exporters are on the verge of closing their businesses.
Exporters had booked f o r w a r d c o n t r a c t expecting that rupee would appreciate in 2008, as economists, political leaders and everyone were of the view that the domestic unit would touch Rs 38 a dollar by the end of December 2007, it said.
FIEO seeks govt intervention to settle losses
New Delhi, Feb 20 :Government on
Thursday said SEBI has not found any abuse of Participatory Notes, an instrument used by overseas investors to invest in Indian stock market through the Foreign Institutional Investors.
Replying to the d e b a t e o n T h e Prevention of Money Laundering Bill in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State
for F inance Pawan Bansal said "SEBI has not come across a single case where PNs were misused or abused."
He said the while the ambit of the Money Laundering Bill has expanded, PNs have been kept out of the jurisdiction of the Bill as they are issued by the FIIs regulated by SEBI. They are issued outside the country.
Rajya Sabha on
Thursday passed the Bill which is aimed at keeping a tab on the inflow and outflow of funds to terrorist organisat ions, among others.
The Government had ear l ie r imposed restrictions on issuance of P-Notes which were later lifted in view of the global economic meltdown and slowing in flow of foreign funds.
-Agencies
No abuse of Participatory Notes: Govt
New Delhi, Feb 20: Making it easier
for taxpayers to prepare their tax returns, the Income Tax Department has widened the scope of work of Tax Return Preparers (TRPs), as they can now prepare and furnish TDS and Service Tax returns as well apart from normal income tax returns.
T h e C e n t r a l Board of Excise and Customs has already amended its Service Tax Act to enable TRPs to prepare and furnish service tax returns on behalf of the tax payers.
The training programme for TRPs will be started by the Central Board of Direct Taxes, CBDT said in a release.
While the first batch of income tax and TDS training module for t h e T R P s w i l l b e conducted from March 4 to 9 and the second batch from March 13 to 18, training for TRPs on Service Tax will be completed by April 10, it said.
A f t e r t h e training completed by April 10, TRPs can prepare and file Service Tax returns due on April
25 this year, it added. T h e m o v e t o
authorise TRPs to prepare for TDS and service tax returns will increase their area and scope of work, their remuneration and a l s o h e l p i n c r e a s e compliance to tax laws, CBDT said.
T a x R e t u r n Preparer Scheme was launched in 2006 to help small tax payers and HUF (Hindu Undivided Family) in filing income tax return and a lso to prov ide e m p l o y m e n t t o unemployed graduates by providing them training.
-Agencies
TRPs authorised to prepare TDS: IT Dept
Chennai, Feb 19: The Industrial
Finance Corporation of India, which has stake in Maytas Infrastructure promoted by the kin of scanda l -h i t Satyam Computers founder B Ramalinga Raju, on Thursday said Maytas b o a r d s h o u l d b e reconstituted and should not have any links with Satyam Computer.
"IFCI has 17.4 per cent of stake of Maytas Infrastructure a n d a t p r e s e n t
reconstitution of the board is essential," IFCI Chairman and Managing Director Atul Kumar Rai told reporters af ter i n a u g u r a t i n g I F C I subsidiary IFIN Financial Services Ltd here on Thursday.
H e s a i d : "Reconst i tu t ing the Maytas Infrastructure board would help clear its l i n k s w i t h S a t y a m Computer so that Maytas does not suffer the crisis what it suffers today".
At this point of
time the credibility of the management has to get restored, he added.
On Tuesday, the C e n t r e m o v e d t h e Company Law Board to sack the boards of the two Maytas firms.
Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta had said they had a p p r o a c h e d C L B t o remove directors of Maytas I n f r a a n d M a y t a s Propert ies from their respective boards.
-Agencies
Maytas board should be reconstituted: IFCI
Mumbai, Feb. 20 Four un ions
a n d a s s o c i a t i o n s represent ing near ly 22,000 RBI employees went on mass casual leave on Friday to protest against a policy that could reduce monthly pensions of ret i red employees by Rs 1,000-6 ,000.
Services and trading operations like c h e q u e c l e a r a n c e , RTGS, forex and debt market transactions, repo operations and some other banking services were paralysed.
The Reserve Bank of India said that the call by its employee
unions to apply for mass casual leave on February 20 is likely to cause some disruption of normal work.
" A g i t a t i o n a l p rog ramme caused some d isrupt ion of normal work of the Reserve Bank today, including the payment and settlement system," the apex bank said in a statement.
The four major unions said it would also conduct a 3-day LAF on Saturday between 9:30-10.30 am.
The LAF's were in addition to the 5-day LAF's conducted on Thursday.
T h e U n i t e d Forum of Reserve Bank Officers and Employees has given a call to its members to apply for mass casual leave to press for restoration of updated pension scheme and other issues.
The main reason for the strike is an internal circular issued by the apex bank at the behest of the F i n a n c e M i n i s t r y t o withdraw an updated pension scheme to pre-November 1997 retirees, All India Reserve Bank Employee Association Secretary K K Sharma said.
-Agencies
22,000 RBI staff to go on strike; work disrupted
Times Chennai E-PaperFeb. 20, 2009 Page 7
St John`s, Feb 20: England captain
Andrew Strauss, in charge of his first tour, is learning the lessons of captaincy the hard way after suffering two hard-to-take results against West Indies in his opening Tests.
A f t e r a n innings and 23 run defeat in the first Test in Kingston, when his team collapsed to 51 all out, came a 10-b a l l a b a n d o n e d match at the Sir V i v i an R i cha rds Stadium, followed by a b i t t e r l y disappointing draw in the hastily arranged third Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
England had the upper hand for all five days of an enthralling Test match, Strauss`s 169 helping them to 566 for nine declared in their first innings. They sat in command after setting Wes t I nd ies a nea r impossible target of 503 to win.
But in four-and-a-half sessions of bowling, England could only get nine West Indian wickets as the last pair of Fidel Edwards and Daren Powell hung on for 10 agonising overs.
"Clearly when you get so close in a Test and you don`t make it over that
final hurdle it is very hard to take," said Strauss.
"In some ways it does feel like a defeat, but once the emotion subsides and we realise there`s a lot of positives to come out of the Test.”
Exceptional bowling
" T h e w a y w e batted after Jamaica was the way to respond, the way Graeme S w a n n bowled was exceptional and Stuart Broad as well
bowled very well.”"Hopefully we
h a v e s h i f t e d t h e momentum away from West Indies and if we can get better as the tour goes on there`s no reason why we can`t win the series."
"Test wins don`t come easily, especially on a wicket like this even against numbers 10 and 11 it`s hard to force the issue.”
"I can`t fault the bowlers, they did as well as they could in those conditions. It was just one of those things, it wasn`t meant to be," he added.
Crit ics might p o i n t t o S t r a u s s ` s decision not to enforce
the follow-on or his s e n d i n g i n J a m e s Anderson as a night watchman at the end of the third day, which slowed down England on the morning of the next session.
But the England s k i p p e r w a s a l s o restricted by Andrew Flintoff`s hip injury and S t e v e H a r m i s o n ` s stomach upset.
"We had a few problems, Harmison was on his death bed with a towel over his and there was Freddie`s injury. Graeme Swann woke up on the fourth day with an elbow he thought might stop him bowling at all.”
" P l e n t y o f problems to ponder and it meant the bowlers we did have had as much rest as possible. I certainly have no regrets about not enforcing," he said.
"We hoped the wicket would deteriorate on day five but it didn`t really, if anything it died a little and got flatter.”
"The efforts of t h e b o w l e r s w e r e exceptional. We did everything we could do. Sometimes a ball goes to hand and sometimes it doesn`t, it`s those small margins between winning and drawing a Test match".
- Agencies
Skipper Strauss gets another bitter pill to swallow
New Delhii, Feb. 20 H e d o e s n ` t
receive letters written in blood any more, but Sachin Tendulkar says that he does not feel comfortable when a fan touches his feet and tells him he is God.
T e n d u l k a r , whose achievements with the bat have won him fans worldwide, says the
adulation never ceases to surprise him.
“ I u s e d t o receive letters written in blood...but not any more. It feels strange when a fan comes and touches your feet and says you are God. I don`t feel comfortable with it, but it is the way they feel about you.. . that happened again just a couple of weeks ago actually,” he
says.In a l i gh t -
h e a r t e d i n t e r v i e w published in celebrity m a g a z i n e ' O K ! ' , Tendulkar spoke about his love for Ferrari cars, his post-retirement plans and how he handles criticism.
Tendulkar said retirement thoughts were far away from his mind at
the moment but he may start a business when he stops playing competitive cricket.
“That`s a big question. I don`t know...I will definitely be involved with the game. When I retire, that is when the d o o r s t o o t h e r opportunities will open. As of now, other than just p r o m o t i n g v a r i o u s products, I haven`t opened the door to anything else. Maybe I`ll start a business,” he said.
“I don`t know when that would be yet, but that will be the time I will focus my energy in different directions. Right now it`s only focussed in one direction that is cricket,” Tendulkar said.
Asked when was the last time he r e c e i v e d s o m e constructive criticism, the batting maestro said, “criticism is hardly ever constructive. I try and s t a y a w a y f r o m newspapers when I am playing. You get to read so many things that are not constructive, but somehow the guy who is writing it all seems to t h i n k t h a t i t ` s constructive.”
Tendulkar said his celebrity status has helped him wriggle out of situations that would be difficult to handle for a commoner. “There`s one time that I remember clearly.. .we were in Australia playing some exhibition games it was
around 1994. I was out with two other players and when we got back to the hotel, the rest of the team had already left for the airport. They had packed my bags and gone and there were no mobiles or anything. We had no way of reaching them,” he recalled.
“We were to fly from Sydney to Melbourne
we had no t ickets, no passpo r t s , nothing. I got t o t h e counter at the airport a n d e x p l a i n e d the situation. The guy at the counter recognised me and he g a v e u s t h r e e b o a r d i n g passes from Sydney to Melbourne...w i t h o u t passpo r t s , w i t h o u t
tickets. I felt that I was truly special,” he said.
Asked when was the last time he spent an entire day without watching any sport, the 35-year-old batsman replied, “On December 31 last year. I spent time with my family in Mussoorie about 7,000 feet above sea level looking at the snow-capped mountains. It was freezing and we went for a long walk. I was a fantastic feeling. That was the day when I didn`t watch sports at all.”
O n t h e o n e moment he felt proud of, Tendulkar said, “I was truly proud of our performance during the Chennai Test. We won against England on the last day.”
Asked about the most recent prank he had played on a teammate, Tendulkar said, “I am always doing that...a while ago, we had gone to a restaurant and we actually fooled Yuvraj Singh. We put wasabi on a toast and told him it was a delicious spread that he must try. He almost ate it. We stopped him at the last minute.”
When was the last time he did something which he wished he hadn`t?
“Probably the last innings I batted in Mohali. I felt that I shouldn`t have played that shot. I got out on it. (Smiles) That`s what I feel every time I get out,” he quipped.
- Agencies
Tendulkar uncomfortable with fans touching feet
Pacific Palisades, Feb 20: Tiger Woods will
return to the PGA Tour at next week's WGC-Match Play Championship in A r i z o n a a f t e r b e i n g sidelined by knee injury since his US Open victory last year.
"I'm now ready to play again," the American world number one said on his official website.
Woods, whose wife Elin gave birth to the couple's second child earlier this month, clinched his 14th major title at Torrey Pines in June before having r e c o n s t r u c t i v e k n e e surgery.
He has not played competitive golf since his astonishing US Open
playoff v ictory over Rocco Mediate.
D e f y i n g stabbing knee pain and a double stress fracture of his left tibia, Woods held off a late challenge by Mediate to triumph after 19 holes and claim his 65th PGA Tour title.
After recovering from knee surgery, he began hitting full shots m i d w a y t h r o u g h December and has made his top priority the April 9-12 US Masters, the opening major of the year.
"Elin and our new son Charlie are doing great," Woods, 33, said. "I've enjoyed my time at home with the family and appreciate everyone's support and kind wishes."
W o o d s ' s absence from the game for the second half of last year led to a predictable drop in television ratings in the US and the PGA Tour celebrated the news of his comeback.
" W e a r e delighted that Tiger is returning to competition and look forward to
watching him compete n e x t w e e k , " To u r C o m m i s s i o n e r T i m Finchem said in a statement. Biggest Question
The timing of Woods's return had posed t he b i gges t question mark in golf this year and many insiders speculated the likeliest comeback would be the March 12-15 WGC-CA Championship on the flat Doral layout in Miami.
However, his c l o s e f r i e n d M a r k O'Meara, who recently played a practice round with Woods, hinted at las t week 's A l l ianz Championship on the Champions Tour that Woods would return in Arizona.
"He hasn't told me personally when he's going to start back but I know he's pretty much almost ready to start back, so I wouldn't be surprised," O'Meara told reporters.
W o o d s ' s management team have consistently said the game's leading player would return the minute
he felt capable of winning a tournament. According to double major champion O'Meara, he has already reached that stage.
“He's hitting the ball really well," O'Meara said. "I would say he's better than ever. I think the break was probably the best thing that ever happened to him. I think he's going to come back better than ever."
W o o d s i s defending champion at next week's Match Play Championship in Marana, having romped to victory by a record 8&7 margin over fellow American Stewart Cink in last year's final.
H e h a d previously won the title in 2003 and 2004.
W o o d s i s seeded to face 64th-r a n k e d A u s t r a l i a n Brendan Jones in the opening round at Dove Mountain's Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, but that could change if any player pulls out before the official draw is announced late Sunday.
- Agencies
Woods to make comeback next week
Times Chennai E-Paper Feb. 20, 2009Page 8
Bangalore: Feb. 19 : ‘No problem is so
great or grave that cannot be diminished by a nice cup of tea' so goes an adage and no one better understands this than the
'tea tasters' who sip through 500 to 1000 cups of tea on a single day to find the right leaves that would make that perfectly brewed cup of tea to add cheer to a sunny morning. "Tea Tasting is an art", said V G Dhanakumar, Director, I n d i a n I n s t i t u t e o f Plantation Mangement (IIPM), which runs a module on tea tasting at its institute judging a tea by colour, shape and size of its leaves, predicting if the leaves would brew up the right golden liquor (liquid) when it's brewing in a pot of
hot water and ensuring that the liquor when mixed with white milk gives just the right colour,taste and strength, is what a taster job is about.
A taster is one w h o h a s honed all his five senses and who can judge and put a value to tea and grade it a f t e r sampling the dry leaves, infusion (wet leaves) and l i q u o r. H e must have e x c e l l e n t sensory skills and be quick at decision making, M C A p p a i a h , C O O ,
Duncans Tea Limited, said.
"Tea tas t i ng comes through years of experience and on the job training.One learns to be taster often by working closely with a veteran tea taster on the job",he said apart from those who take up a professional tea tasting course.
It takes nearly three years to pick up the art and several years to become seasoned at the job, Appaiah said.
Before a Taster begins his job, the tea
must be potted, explains Appaiah, an expert tea taster.The samples of tea are brought to the cupping table, which is a round table with a lazy Susan top.Clean white procelain tea pots and cups are laid out to help detect the colour and kettles of steaming water kept ready,he said.
D r y l e a f i s placed in the bowl and examined carefully. The taster checks out the leaves for their size, e v e n e s s , d r y n e s s , twistedness. With his sense of touch he detects whether the leaves are crisp and well dried and n o t s p o n g y , w h i c h indicates moisture that could cut down on the longevity of the tea.
A taster checks out for well twisted leaves and rejects the flaky ones, a tea taster said. A taster starts his day early morning with a cup of tea and ends his day doing just that.
To check out the taste, the dry leaves are placed in the bowl and boiling water added and the lid is placed on the cup to retain the heat. The leaves are left in water for around six minutes before the liquor or liquid is decanted from the lidded cup to the bowl. The infusion (wet leaves) from the cup is turned upside down for the leaves to drop into the
Looking for a career in a tea cuplid. A taster using his well t ra ined senses and professional knowledge examines the wet leaves for its colour, uniformity and brightness and check the colour of the liquor for i t s g o l d e n e s s a n d brightness and checks out the aroma.
The tea taster uses a special spoon to taste the liquid with a loud sucking sound.Though not a very aesthetic sight, the slurping sound helps the tea to travel to back of the tongue and helps a taster to register how strong and brisk it is. He then spits it out into a s p i t o o n b e f o r e proceeding to the next batch of leaves.
"A tea taster has just a few seconds to judge and value a tea and grade it, because he would have sip umpteen cups of tea with numbers being very high during the seasons", said Appaiah. In his report the tea taster refers to the leaf style, b r i g h t n e s s , c o l o u r, flavour. "He is also able to detect any flaws in production or improper plucking of leaves and g i v e s h i s recommendations and s u g g e s t i o n s f o r improvement".
A tea taster works with tea estate managers and producers to help guide them and rectify detects. "A good tea taster must be in sync
w i t h t h e m a r k e t demands", said A Kurien, a tea expert. Tea tasters are employed by tea estate managers, tea marketing firms and broking houses.
The head of a tea firm bemoans that many of the tea tasters are in sync with domestic demand but exposure to international market was still one that needed to be honed.
"Many of the professional tea tasters are still unable to predict the international market demand", he said and c a l l e d f o r m o r e professional courses in tea tasting.
In keeping with d e m a n d f o r m o r e professional tea tasters, the IIPM is planning a special course on it and is waiting for the approval, Dhanakumar said. The course would be one that would certify a candidate and soon become the o n l y r e c o g n i s e d certification if all went through.
"The sector is growing and there is a m p l e e m p l o y m e n t oppor tun i t ies" , sa id Krishnendu of Duncans.
The knowledge of tea tasting should not b e l i m i t e d t o j u s t professional tea tasters, even those involved in marketing, tea estate managements, brokers, blenders need to have a
knowledge of tea tasting to s h a r p e n t t h e i r o w n b u s i n e s s a c u m e n , Krishnendu said. A tea taster should himself also be in the know of all the process of tea growing, manufacturing, blending and sale and marketing.
"A good tea taster is one who can predict what will sell in a particular market and which market would love that leaves he has sampled", Kurien said. He must be able to grade the leaves and compare them to the others he has tasted. A blender, who ensures that the quality of a tea brand is constant, also depends a lot on a tea taster's decision.
Currently a lot of training is imparted by the brokers themselves but this actually works out as an obligation to their clients and hence there was a need for quality well cer t i f ied professional courses, said Kurien.
"A course could help in cutting down years spent on learning on the job. A course could help in enhancing the taster's professional skills to meet global demands",Kurien said.
A lot has been done by the Coffee Board to enhance the skills of their tasters and a similar a p p r o a c h c o u l d b e followed in tea.
There are lot of opportunities brewing in the tea tasting sector and
Chennai, Feb 19 : Laugh du r i ng
difficult times, said the Tamil poet Tiruvalluvar. And that is what the Tamil s a t e l l i t e c h a n n e l companies are helping people to do in these days of economic slowdown, by l a u n c h i n g c o m e d y channels.
After general , news and music channels, it is now the time for the launch of pure comedy channels on the Tamil satellite channel scene.
Following Sun TV Network Limited's Adithya, rival Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd will launch its comedy channel Siripolli Feb 22.
While Kalaignar TV officials were not available for a comment on the proposed launch, a Sun TV official told IANS t h a t t h e c o m p a n y converted its existing T e l u g u g e n e r a l entertainment channel Adithya into a comedy
channel. The Rs.8.61
billion revenue media conglomerate Sun TV filled a gap in its channel bouquet with Adithya leveraging i ts huge library.
Though all the Tami l channe ls a i r comedy programmes - mainly airing comedy clips from Tamil movies and mimicry - Sun TV decided to have a full fledged channel Comedy Thirai first on its direct-to-home (DTH) platform.
Sun TV has now Tamil news (Sun News), g e n e r a l ( S u n T V ) , children (Chutti TV), music (Sun Music) and movie (KTV) channels and Adithya will fill the comedy slot.
In terest ing ly, the second largest Tamil channel network, the Rs.586 million (Rs.58.6 crore) Raj Television Network Limited has no
plans to launch a comedy channel.
A n i n d u s t r y official on the condition of anonymity told IANS: "For the time being comedy channels may be a growth driver for the entertainment companies that is affected by the economic slowdown."
It was Vijay TV tha t f i r s t l aunched mimicry programme Kalakka Poovadu Yaaru. Soon the format was copied by Sun TV which later hired the former's programming team.
O t h e r Ta m i l channels too started similar programme but were not able to match the industry leader Sun TV.
W i t h p e o p l e started watching the comedy programmes, Sun TV saw the niche opportunity and launched Adithya.
-Agencies
One more Tamil comedy channel to be launched soon
Page 9Feb. 20, 2009 Times Chennai E-Paper
Shoulder injuries are often the result of accidents, lifting of heavy weights or post-repetitive over-head activities vis-a-vis bowling (cricket) and serv ing ( tenn is) . On e x p e r i e n c i n g pain/discomfort during over-head act ivi ty or restriction of movement in the shoulder joints like difficulty in scratching the back it is wise to consult a doctor. If overlooked, this condition can quickly p rog ress t o ch ron i c shoulder pain which is difficult to treat. Symptoms
Pain/discomfort during over-head activity. P a i n d u r i n g s l e e p . Restriction/ limitation of shou lde r movemen t . Recurrent pain/tenderness in the shoulder joint associated with weakness in the arm.
Acute shoulder pain is usually treated with rest for a short period of time in a sling. The vital aspect of treatment is initiating exercises as soon as possible and not to procrast inate t i l l the shoulder starts hurting. In the present scenario physical activity is advised as soon as pa in i s al leviated to prevent muscle wasting thereby facilitating motion in the shoulder joint. Causes for shoulder injury
T e c h n i q u e Injuries to sportsmen are generally caused due to w r o n g / i n c o r r e c t
technique/swing while bowling/throwing/serving, etc. Correcting the technique and repeated practice is the key to overcoming the defect in the game through the coach/video recording, etc.
Flexibility Lack of flexibility in shoulder muscles can also lead to restricted movement and shou lder in ju ry. To improve flexibility, the fo l lowing s t re tch ing e x e r c i s e s h e l p tremendously:
Inferior capsular stretch: Holding the involved arm overhead with a bent elbow and arm straight ahead. Using the uninvolved arm, stretch the arm further overhead. On feel ing a stretching sensation, hold it for five seconds and repeat the same.
P o s t e r i o r capsular stretch: With the unaffected arm, grasping the elbow of the affected arm. Pulling the affected arm across the chest, stretching the back of the affected shoulder. Hold on at the end point for five seconds.
A n t e r i o r c a p s u l a r s t r e t c h : Standing in a doorway, hold on the doorframe, keep ing t he e l bow straight, walking through the doorway until a stretching is felt at the front of the shoulder. Hold for five seconds and repeat.
Ro ta to r cu f f s t r e n g t h e n i n g : Strengthening of rotator cuff muscles is extremely important to effectively improve the stability of the shoulder joint. The rotator cuff exercises are crucial for rehabilitation.
Lying on the bed on the stomach, hang the arm holding a weight. Keeping the elbow bent slowly, raise your hand till it reaches the level of the shoulder. Then lower the hand slowly, repeat this till tired.
Lying in the side on position, keeping the affected arm at the side with the elbow bent at 90 degrees and the forearm resting against the chest. Lifting the forearm till it reaches the shoulder level. Lower slowly and repeat it till tired.
While standing, hold a weight and raise the affected arm to about 45 degrees. Slowly return to the original position. Repeat it 10 to 15 times.
I n d i v i d u a l s suffering from shoulder pain should not depend on medicines alone, but rather focus on initiating rehabilitation exercises to improve flexibility, enhance strengthening and improve the range of motion early in the course of the problem. This would go a long way in alleviating pain.
- Dr Ravinder Chadha
Early rehabilitation prevents chronic shoulder pain
The need for b l o o d s a f e t y a n d prevention of transfusion associated infections in the country has come to the fore following the detection of Hepatitis B virus in donated samples at a blood bank and research centre in the city.
It was found, that three blood donations were tested negative on the mandatory HbsAg test, but were found positive on NAT for Hepatitis B. These three uni ts were therefore discarded.
“By finding and eliminating these samples we have potentially saved nine patients from being infected with Hepatitis B,
as each unit of blood d o n a t e d c a n b e potentially used on three patients if it is divided into components , ” Dr P Srinivasan, managing trustee of the Jeevan B l o o d B a n k a n d Research Centre, told r e p o r t e r s h e r e o n Thursday.
H e s a i d between August 2008 and February 2009, the Centre tested 3,602 c o n s e c u t i v e b l o o d d o n a t i o n u n i t s f o r Hepatitis B, C and HIV. Both the ELISA test ( s t a n d a r d t e s t i n g p r o c e d u r e recommended by the government) and Nucleic
Acid Testing (NAT the current most sensitive form of testing available) were performed on the blood donations.
It was found, t h a t t h r e e b l o o d donations that tested n e g a t i v e o n t h e mandatory HbsAg test were found positive on NAT for Hepatitis B. These three units were therefore discarded.
Doctors said with the collection of blood still dependent on 'replacement donors' in hospitals across the country.
- Agencies
Hepatitis B, a risk factor in blood banks
Z e r o p o w e r “When you look through it, the image that you see on the other side of the lens should not move or change like a blur when you move the glasses up and down or sideways,” s a y s D r M a h i p a l S a c h d e v , Opthalmologist,
G l a s s o r plastic? “There is no difference between glass or plastic lenses, both work fine,” says Dr Sachdev. For children, it is advisable to wear plastic glasses for easy handling. Also, look at the lens closely for impurities and scratches.
UV filters, a must The right pair of sunglasses will give your corneas protection from the sun's ultraviolet rays.
S c i e n t i f i c
research has clearly linked cataract, macular degeneration, snow-blindness, pterygium and sk in cancer to the corneas' and retinas' o v e r - e x p o s u r e t o ultraviolet rays. There can be an onset of early cataract and macular de generation if the eyes are not p ro tec ted. Buy branded glasses to be sure of the UV protection.
F i t t i n g a n d c l e a n i n g Y o u r sunglasses should sit comfortably on the nose bridge. Keep the lens clean, an oi ly coat causes diffraction of light and may strain the eyes.
C h o o s i n g colours Grey, brown or dark green shades are suited for blocking light, other colours like blue, purple and pink are just
fashion statements. It is also not good to have a gradation (light to dark) in sunglasses.
M i r r o r f i n i s h glasses An anti-reflective coating helps throw light away. When you are in high contrast conditions (sunny afternoons or at the beach), it makes sense to use anti-reflective glasses. They don't work well in poor contrast conditions.
P laces where sunglasses are a must Hills, especially if snow-covered, reflect light. Higher altitudes (aviation) and looking at the sea (water bodies reflect light) ca l l f o r t he use o f sunglasses. Also in traffic, one must use sun glasses, as here, they not just fend off UV rays but also act protect against pollutants.
- Agencies
Buy your new pair of sunglasses with care
Feb. 20, 2009Page 10 Times Chennai E-Paper
Feb. 20, 2009 Page 11Times Chennai E-Paper
Chennai: : Tourists opting for
conducted tours to the s c e n i c t o w n o f Mamallapuram need no longer go by the clock as they can now "hop on and
hop off" coaches at their convenience, thanks to a new scheme introduced by the Tamil Nadu Tourism D e v e l o p m e n t Corporation(TTDC).
Under the new venture titled 'Hop on, Hop off', tourists can board any of the four airconditioned coaches from Chennai to Mamallapuram, about 70 km from here, through the day covering 13 tourist spots along the route.
The tickets are
valid for all the four 18-seater comfy coaches and tourists can get down from one coach at any of these places and board another, TTDC officials told PTI.
Tourists opting for the scheme are given boarding passes and travel coupons along with a detailed itinerary. They are shown a video presentation of all places listed while travelling in the buses, he said.
This morning 4 18 seater air conditioned luxu ry buses were flagged off by Local Administration Minister M K Stalin. Transport M i n i s t e r K N e h r u ,
Tourism MInister Suresh Rajan and Information M i n i s t e r P a r i t h i Ilamvazhuthi
The first bus will start and 9.00 am from T T D C C o m p l e x a t
Walajah Road in Chennai and the last bus will leave from Chennai at 4.00 pm In the return direction the f i rst bus wi l l leave Mamallapuram at 10.40 am and the last bus will be at 5.40 pm.
The fare will be Rs.250 per person and the tickets will be available at all TTDC counters in the city and also at leading hotel counters says a press release from TTDC.
Hop on hop off" tour for tourists launched in Chennai Chennai, Feb. 20 :
The Yamaha Music Square, a first of itskind music store was inaugurated by world-renowned musicians,
jazz artist Louis
B a n k s a n d a c e percussionist Sivamani along with MrKozaburo K u m e , M a n a g i n g Director of Yamaha Music India Private
L i m i t e d , i n C h e n n a i , o n Thursday.This store specially designed with music in mind on Sterling Road is a virtual treasure trove and a haven for the
music lover.F r o m g r a n d
pianos to the latest digital pianos, not to mention upright pianos everything is available under one roof. Then there are the
elegant wind instruments such as saxophones and trumpets, a fantastic range of guitars, violins, keyboards, drum kits and many more are available for a Professional as well as novice to choose his pick.
Y a m a h a ' s wor ld- famous home theatre and professional audio systems are also
on display at the music square. The price range is from Rs.5,000 to Rs. 25 Lakhs.
According to Mr. J. P. Acharya, Nippon Group, "The Nippon Group has been predominantly engaged in the imaging business. We took up the
m a r k e t i n g o f Yamaha Home Theatre equipment three years ago on an experimental basis and made a stunning success of the project.
Impressed by the performance of the Nippon Group in the marketing of Yamaha Home Theatre products like amplifiers, speakers, etc. YamahaMusic India Pvt. Ltd. requested Nippon Group to set up an exclus ive Yamaha Store cal led "Yamaha Music Square".
To expand the music business, we intend to start Yamaha School of Music in collaboration with Yamaha India Limited and plan to open Yamaha Music Square in other cities of like Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, etc. in Tamilnadu, shortly.”
-Staff Reporter
Yamaha Music Square opens in in Chennai
Feb. 20, 2009Page 12 Times Chennai E-Paper
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