1400 HRS
28th September, 2013
THE HEADLINES :
- India and the US agree to identify joint Defence projects in the next one year; Obama promises Prime Minister to take up with Nawaz Sharif the issue of terror directed against India.
- Center convenes a State Food Ministers meet on Tuesday to discuss implementation of National Food security Act.
- In Madhya Pradesh, IAS officer Shashi Karnawat gets 5 years imprisonment in a corruption case.
- India to clash with Malayasia in final of Sultan of Johor Cup Under-21 hockey tournament in Malayasia.
As part of their effort to enhance defence engagements, India and the US have agreed to identify areas of cooperative and collaborative projects in advance defence technologies and systems in the next one year. Applauding bilateral defence cooperation and expressing satisfaction with the progress achieved to date in defence relations, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President Barack Obama in a joint statement yesterday emphasised the need for more intensive defence cooperation on both sides. The statement said, the two countries share common security interests and place each other at the same level as their closest partners.
Dr. Singh said that India wants America to stand by its side in its basic task of improving the standard of living of its people.
I explained to the President that India is a poor country. Our Basic task is to improve the standard of living of our people, to get rid of mass poverty, ignorance and disease which still afflict millions and millions of our people. And in that struggle, we want America to stand by our side. And in the President , the United states has a leader who realizes and recognizes the contribution that a resurgent India can make not only to fighting poverty, but also to global peace and prosperity.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the full and timely implementation of the India-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.
The Singh-Obama summit called upon Pakistan to work towards bringing the perpetrators of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks to justice. The two leaders strongly condemned the September 26 terrorist attack in Samba in Jammu and Kashmir. In the joint statement issued after the meeting both the leaders reiterated their condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and reaffirmed their commitment to eliminate terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, and disrupting terrorist networks including Al-Qaeda and the Lashkar-e-Toiba, LeT.
I explained to President Obama the difficulties that we face given the fact that the epicentre of terror still remains focussed in Pakistan, I look forward to the meeting with President Nawaz Sharif even though the expectations have to be toned down given the terror arm which is still active in our subcontinent.
The President Obama promised to take up with Nawaz Sharif in a frank manner the issue of continued Pakistan-based terror directed against India as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told him that progress in dialogue will depend on action on this front.
In a rarest of the rare gesture, US President Barack Obama personally walked down to the White House portico to see off Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after a meeting with him at the Oval Office. Those familiar with the strict White House protocol said that this was the rarest of the rare gesture by the President, which they have not seen in the recent past.
Addressing a meeting of Business Leaders of United States in New York Prime Minister sent a clear message to the US business community to invest in India saying that New Delhi is committed to continue the economic reforms and bring the economy back on the track.
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Prime Minister will address the 68th session of United Nations General Assembly today. Our correspondent reports, during his address Dr. Singh will lay stress on terrorism, expansion of United Nations Security Council, disarmament and development.
Prime Minister will take the opportunity to stake India's claim for the permanent membership of Security Council. Besides this, Dr. Singh will raise the issue of recent terror attacks by militants in Sambha of Jammu & Kashmir and continuing menace of terrorism emanating from the across the border. India's claim for permanent seat in the Security Council is sure to get the backing of African countries. With Veena Jain, this is R.K Raina, AIR News, New York.
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The News Services Division of All India Radio will broadcast a special programme on the Prime Minister's address to the United Nations General Assembly. The half an hour programme can be heard from 9.30 p.m. on FM Gold and other channels.
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The Congress has hailed the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for convincing the United States that Lashkar-e-Taiba, LeT, is a global terror threat. In a tweet, Party General Secretary Digvijay Singh hoped that Pakistan will take a note of that and act decisively against terrorism.
His comments came after US President Barack Obama promised to take up with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a frank manner the issue of continued Pakistan-based terror directed against India after talks with Dr. Singh.
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Acting on and input about the presence of terrorists in the area, security forces today launched a massive search operation in Dyalchack area of Kathua district in Jammu & Kashmir. The Jammu - Pathankot national highway has been temporarily sealed and high alert has been sounded in Kathua and Sambha districts. However, the presence of the ultras is yet to be ascertained. On Thursday the terrorists attacked Kathua and Sambha districts in which ten peoples were killed.
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The Center has convened State and Union Territories Food Ministers meet on Tuesday to discuss implementation of National Food security Act. Prior to the meet, State Food Secretaries will meet on Monday to set the agenda for the Ministers' conference. The States have been given one year time for the implementation of the historic Act which will ensure heavily subsidized foodgrains to about 82 crore people as their legal right. Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Mizoram and Delhi have already started its implementation.
The meeting to be inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar will discuss criteria to be adopted for inclusion and actual identification of beneficiaries by the States.
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Area under kharif crops has increased by five per cent to over 1,047 lakh hectare so far this season as compared to nearly 994 lakh hectare last year on account of good monsoon. According to the Agriculture Ministry data, the acreage of paddy, a major kharif crop, rose marginally by 2 per cent to 376.51 lakh hectare from 368.81 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.
Sowing of kharif (summer) crops begins with the onset of southwest monsoon in June which accounted for the country's 98 per cent rainfall between June and August and is expected to continue the momentum this month as it enters its last phase.
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In Madhya Pradesh, a special court of Mandla district convicted IAS officer Shashi Karnawat in a corruption case and sentenced her to five years in jail and a fine of 50 lakh rupees. The court also sentenced three others in the case. Mrs. Karnawat had allegedly misused her official position to benefit a company for purchase of stationary worth about 35 lakh rupees. Meanwhile, the Special Task Force Police has arrested former exam controller of State Professional Examination Board Pankaj Trivedi for his alleged role in the pre-medical exam-PMT scam. Mr. Trivedi was posted as director and controller of exam when the scam took place. Several other people including two senior officers of Professional Examination Board have already been arrested in the case. It is suspected that hundreds of students have passed and got admission in MBBS course in the state through unfair means.
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Finance Minister P Chidambaram has said that the banks should not insist on land surety for issuing education loans. Speaking at a function in Tiruvannamalai today, he said that highest number of educational loans is disbursed in Tamil Nadu. The Minister said that in the last ten years 55,000 crore rupees were disbursed as education loan to 28 lakh students all over the country. He urged the people to encourage the habit of saving in banks.
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The death toll in the building collapse in Mumbai in Mazgaon Dockyard area has risen to 29. Thirty injured people are currently being treated at J. J hospital. More from our correspondent:
The rescue operation has been going on for more than 30 hours to find any possible survivor in the building collapse mishap. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation sources said that 18 people have been safely rescued till now still some people are feared to be trapped under the debris. Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan visited the spot late last night and announced compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to the kin of deceased and Rs 50 thousand to seriously injured persons. Meanwhile Shwree police has today arrested decorator Ashok Mehta, owner of mamamiya Decorators for illegal renovation affecting the stability of the building. Radhika Aghor, AIR News, Mumbai.
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The Nation is celebrating the 106th birth anniversary of the great son of the soil, Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, today. People from all walks of life are paying tribute at his statue erected in the museum situated at his ancestoral village Khatkar Kalan of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar in Punjab. Many NGOs and other institutions have organised functions to remember the Martyr. A blood donation camp is organised at the memorial of the trio - Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev in Hussainiwala in Ferozepur. Youngsters wearing Bhagat Singh like turbans are participating in it after taking out a march in his memory. Plays depicting his life were also staged at various places.
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In Uttar Pradesh, the number of dengue patients continues to rise as nearly 650 positive cases have been reported till date. According to the health department, Lucknow is the worst affected district with 213 positive cases and two deaths. More from our correspondent:
Spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, dengue has grown rapidly in the length and breadth of Uttar Pradesh in recent times. The government has started taking the menace of dengue seriously. It has ordered to arrange ten extra beds to treat dengue infected patients in all the district hospitals. The state capital Lucknow is the worst affected district with 213 positive cases and two deaths. While Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Bareilly, Agra, Basti and Sitapur are other districts where large numbers of patients with symptoms of dengue are reaching the hospitals. However the health department claims that the situation is under control. Merajuddin, AIR News, Lucknow.
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Trial runs for the first ever export of power from India to Bangladesh are going on. 175 MW of electricity was successfully supplied to Bangladesh Power Grid through the Baharampur substation in West Bengal today. The inauguration of the commercial supply of 250 MW will take place on 5th October when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will switch on the power supply from New Delhi and Bheramara through tele-conferencing. A 125 km 400 KV transmission line has been constructed between Baharampur in West Bengal to Bheramara in Bangladesh, out of which 40 kms lie in Bangladesh.
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Afghanistan and China have agreed to continue and strengthen cooperation in political, economic and cultural fields as well as in regional and international affairs to further develop their strategic relationship. A press release issued by the Afghan President's office in Kabul last night said, President Hamid Karzai during his visit to China had a separate meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Kequiang in which the two sides discussed issues relating to the regional situation and bilateral cooperation. According to the press release the Chinese leaders assured Afghanistan of their support to Afghan led and Afghan owned peace and reconciliation process in the country.
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India will today clash with hosts Malayasia in the final of the Sultan of Johor Cup Under-21 hockey tournament in Johor Baru, Malayasia. The visitors defeated Korea 6-1 in their fourth round-robin match on Thursday to reach the final. The win leaves India unbeaten in the tournament so far and they are on the top of the table with 12 points from four games.
In another match today, Argentina will take on Pakistan. Earlier, Argentina routed England 3-Nil to register their first win in the tournament.
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In the 17th Asian Senior Men's Vollyball championship in Dubai, the opening match between India and Uzbekistan has been cancelled. The organizers told that the match has been cancelled because of the rearrangements in the groups since four team from Pakistan, Indonesia, Jordan and Libya dropped out of the tournament. India now take on Quater in its opening match tomorrow. If India win it will enter into quarter final of the tournament
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