the hindu imp. news feb. 17th 2012

8/3/2019 The Hindu Imp. News Feb. 17th 2012

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A goal is a dream with a deadline.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/indiancivils/ Page 1

THE HINDU

Imp. News

Feb.17th

2012

Page 1

Diplomatic row brewing over killing of fishermen off Kerala:

The killing on Wednesday by Italian naval personnel stationed on an oil tanker, of two

fishermen who had set out to sea from the Neendakara fishing harbour in Kerala, is threatening

to escalate into a diplomatic row; officials have warned that the shooters could face criminal

prosecution. Even as the threat of piracy in the Indian Ocean has led governments and private

companies to deploy armed guards on board, the latest killings have focussed attention on the

potentially lethal outcomes of the practice. Italian Ambassador Giacomo Sanfelice di

Monteforte was summoned by the MEA on Thursday. Mr. di Monteforte later said his country'sNavy had followed procedures before opening fire, but promised cooperation. What I want to

underline, he said, is that the Italian ship moved voluntarily into the Kochi port. Last year,

Indian naval operations led to more than 100 arrests following a spate of attacks on merchant

ships by Somali pirates. However, the continued threat of pirate attacks has led growing

numbers of governments to allow military and private armed guards been stationed on-board

ships transiting through the Indian Ocean. In January alone, 37 ships were attacked. Ten vessels

and 159 crew-members are currently being held hostage in Somalia.

Switzerland rubbishes Indian black money estimates:

The Embassy of Switzerland, in a Press statement here, sought to make a clarification in view

of unsubstantiated media reports that have been recently published about Switzerland and

Swiss banks. Without referring to, though stung by, the CBI chief's estimates of illegal funds

held by Indians in foreign locations, the statement said: Switzerland is not a tax haven. There

have been several speculations about the amount of wealth held by Indians in Swiss Banks.

Such estimates and statistics lack evidence and are uncorroborated.

Throwing more light on the issue, the Embassy statement said: The Swiss government has

been forthcoming in its cooperation with all foreign governments in cases of tax evasion as well

as cases of tax fraud, that have been presented within the framework of bilateral treaties. The

Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between India and Switzerland, it said, provideda legal framework within which administrative assistance could be sought in particular cases of

tax evasion or tax fraud. While the earlier treaty did not include tax evasion, but only tax fraud,

the revised DTAA that came into force on October 7, 2011 allowed for exchange of information

on tax fraud as well as on tax evasion cases.


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10,000-crore Central funds scam in U.P. now claims fifth life:

The National Rural Health Scheme scam in Uttar Pradesh has turned murkier with another

health official being found murdered at his home the fifth victim in the past one year after

the alleged bungling of over Rs.10,000 crore of Central funds surfaced.

The U.P. Police found the body of Mahendra Sharma, an accountant, with severe injuries on his

head and face, from the Pasgawan health centre area in Lakhimpur Kheri district late on

Wednesday evening.Mahendra Sharma had been reported missing since February 7, the police

said.

EDITORIAL

The Iron Laws of the Earth Sciences:

Going by the form book, Union Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is due for a

promotion. He's just been mangled by the Mumbai High Court, setting some sort of record for a

Minister getting roughed up by the higher judiciary. The apex court had fined Mr. Deshmukh Rs.

10 lakh for stopping a moneylender from being arrested in Vidarbha while he was Chief

Minister of Maharashtra. Unless you see usury at criminal rates of interest as a vital plank of

rural progress, Dr. Singh's logic was hard to follow. And the Maharashtra government even paid

up the fine for Mr. Deshmukh.

In the Adarsh scam, Mr. Deshmukh is one of three former Chief Ministers under a cloud. Last

week, the Mumbai High Court said Vilasrao Deshmukh clearly misused his official position as a

Chief Minister of a State. This was in connection with a deal struck by the Maharashtra Film,

Stage and Cultural Development Corporation while he was Chief Minister. The deal, a jointventure, gave Subhash Ghai's film training institute, Whistling Woods, possession of 20 acres

of prime real estate at rock bottom rates. We clearly disapprove the conduct of Respondent

No. 7 [Vilasrao Deshmukh] , said the court. It rapped him for the role he played in the entire

proceedings leading to the signing of the JV agreement. The whole deal, said the outraged

Court, was illegal, arbitrary and without authority of law. But Mr. Deshmukh's track record

defies the laws of gravity, leave alone those of the nation.

Moneylender case

The judgment noted that Mr. Deshmukh's action amounts to bestowing special favour to some

chosen few at the cost of the vast number of poor people who, as farmers, have taken loans

and who have come to the authorities of law and order to register their complaints against

torture and atrocities by the moneylenders. And so Mr. Deshmukh set another record. It is

hard to recall when a Cabinet Minister and former Chief Minister was punished and fined this

way by the highest court of the land. Close to 30,000 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra

during Mr. Deshmukh's eight years as Chief Minister. That is more than half the total of 50,481

farm suicides the State has seen since 1995, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. It


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was in Mr. Deshmukh's time that Maharashtra emerged the worst State in the country for

farmers' suicides. And that, for a decade without a break.

Before his reign began, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh were doing a lot worse in some years.

Today, Karnataka, the State with the second highest number of farm suicides in the country,

has a total that is 15,000 less than that of Maharashtra. In 2006, the height of the Deshmukhraj, his State saw 4,453 farmers take their own lives. No other State has ever logged a more

heart-breaking figure.

He also became the Minister for Earth Sciences (which, as often pointed out, is seen in his

home State as jargon for real estate expertise). Jealous detractors say it is his raising this sector

to the level of a science that makes him priceless to the Congress. But he is useful to them in

many ways beyond this, for few are left in that party who understand the internal dynamics of

its rivals in the State as he does. So where does he head next, now that the Mumbai High Court

has added another decoration to his war record? Chief Minister of Maharashtra? Watch this

space.

A lesser man's career might have ended

long ago. But Vilasrao Deshmukh is not a lesser man. His success mounts in inverse proportion

to his achievements.

Encounter at mid-sea:

In recent years, commercial vessels have been tormented by Somali pirates who have held

ships and crew to ransom, often for months. Merchant ships need to be aware of the risks

involved in sailing in certain regions but there can be no cause for panic at the first sight of anapproaching craft. From available accounts, the Italian personnel on board the Enrica Lexie did

not follow international protocols in dealing with a suspect boat. Warning shots were

apparently fired, but the Italian vessel did not do evasive manoeuvres before deciding that the

fishing boat actually carried pirates, and not fishermen. The Italian ship ought to have changed

course and watched for the boat tailing it before taking drastic measures. Contrary to the

Italian ship's claims, the fishermen were not armed; they were waiting for the ship to pass

before proceeding further. In any case, common sense would suggest that the area, 14 nautical

miles off Alappuzha in Kerala, was not a danger zone. Somali pirates do range over long

distances but are certainly not likely to operate bang off the south-western coast of India. Nine

of the other 11 fishermen in the boat were sleeping, and no matter what the Italian ship's crew

claim to have seen through their binoculars, the boat posed no visible threat.

Paper chase:

In the era of the iPad and Kindle, good old-fashioned paper still holds its own. Each year, the

world consumes more than 300 million tonnes of it, and consumption has grown by 400 per

cent over the past 40 years. But there are issues to address in managing its use and re-use.


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Wasteful use of paper by individuals and the corporate world is one concern, although the

newspaper industry, for instance, has over the years managed to bring down the wastage rate.

A more important issue relates to the optimal recycling of post-consumer,' or used, paper. The

Union government's Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has taken the right

initiative albeit rather belatedly by floating a Discussion Paper on the collection and

recycling of waste paper as a prelude to formulating a national policy. The use of recycledcellulosic fibre for paper-making has been picking up globally. In India, the share of this raw

material has risen from 7 per cent in 1970 to 47 per cent in 2011. This has reduced dependence

on wood from 84 per cent in 1970 to 31 per cent in 2011. Waste paper imports for this purpose

cost India about a billion dollars in 2011; the figure was $5.1 million in 1980. This is because

waste paper recovery here is only 27 per cent currently, as opposed to 73 per cent in Germany,

for example. In India, the collection of waste paper and other paper products such as

corrugated cartons is today an industry in itself, providing income and employment

opportunities to a large workforce of semi-skilled and skilled people in the informal sector. But

this operation requires a better business model to facilitate an integrated system of collection,

source segregation and scientific handling, and a mandated mechanism. Projects launched by

the Bangalore and Hyderabad Municipal Corporations to develop waste collection ventures are

steps in the right direction.

OP ED

Not this kind of closure, CBI:

The Hari Masjid incident, like the Gulberg Society incident, took place when communal violence

was raging in Mumbai in January 1993, in the second phase of rioting after the Babri Masjid

demolition. As in the Gulberg incident, a large number of Muslims were inside a single

structure, the Hari Masjid, at Wadala, central Mumbai. Locals living around the mosque, theyhad come there for their 1 p.m. namaz . But, as it happened with Muslims across the city that

week, these namazis found their own place of worship unsafe. Even before the prayers could

begin, six of them were shot dead, four inside the mosque. One was shot at point-blank range

as he emerged from the masjid. Another, last seen loading bodies into a police vehicle, simply

disappeared. As many as 50 Muslims were arrested from the spot, for rioting and attempt to

murder. The firing and arrests took place despite no Hindu in the vicinity being attacked, or any

Hindu property destroyed.

Amnesty International investigated the incident soon after, took photographs of the blood-

stained interiors of the masjid, and indicted Sub Inspector Nikhil Kapse who led the police

action. Five years later, Justice B.N. Srikrishna reached the same conclusion. Unlike Amnesty,

the judge, as a one-man Commission of Inquiry into the riots, heard all the policemen involved,

and not just the namazis . He issued notice under Sec 8 B of the Commissions of Inquiry Act to

PSI Kapse so that he could defend himself. As with the other policeman to whom the

commission issued a similar notice, Kapse chose not to reply. The commission indicted him for

brutal and inhuman behaviour as well as unjustified firing which killed six Muslims.


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Nearly two decades after the incident, the country's premier investigative agency has

exonerated Kapse. This is the third time he has been exonerated since the commission indicted

him. The Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) filed a closure report on the incident in

December 2011 in the Bhoiwada magistrate's court the area where the incident took place

falls in its jurisdiction exactly three years after being asked to investigate it by the Bombay

High Court. The STF exonerated Kapse without even meeting his victims. All they heard wasKapse's version, and that of the policemen who acted on his orders. The STF investigation was

no different from the departmental inquiry that had led to Kapse's first exoneration.

When the Srikrishna Commission Report was published, all those whose family members had

been killed in the Hari Masjid firing vowed to see Kapse punished. But Mapkar alone had the

determination to take up the fight, helped by a tiny group of activists and lawyers, Muslim and

Hindu. The same group continues to support him as he challenges the CBI's closure report. The

courts haven't failed Mapkar, the State has.

Asked by the courts to investigate the infamous Hari Masjid incident of the 1993 Mumbai

riots, the country's premier investigation agency has closed the case saying it can find no

neutral' witnesses.

Elements of a possible way forward in the Maldives:

I. Aims

There exists an opportunity for all relevant parties and actors to come together in order to

ensure:

Stability, safety and security for all in the Maldives;

Continuity in the process of democratic reform;

Governance in accordance with human rights and the rule of law, and maintenance of the

established constitutional order;

Prevention of a serious disruption of economic development that would jeopardise the

viability of the state and its future prospects.

II. Immediate Action

The following immediate action shall be taken:

All sides will ensure that a period of calm can prevail, to ensure space for further discussions

among the relevant parties. All leaders will call upon their followers to pursue political aims

exclusively through dialogue and peaceful aims.


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The authorities are committed to human rights and the exercise of public authority fully in

accordance with human rights and the rule of law.

While the right to peaceful assembly will be respected, there will be no incitement to violence

against people and property.

The government and relevant agencies will ensure that the police and security services will

exercise restraint and not resort to excessive measures, putting at risk the lives and well being

of members of the public, including peaceful demonstrators.

Immediate steps will be taken to ensure due process for anyone detained and full access to

their families and lawyers. No one shall be detained through extra legal processes and for

political reasons.

There will be no vengeance or politically motivated prosecutions.

The Human Rights Commission will accelerate its monitoring role, along with the Police

Integrity Commission. The U.N. High Commissioner of Human Rights is invited to help

strengthen the relevant institutions to ensure their effective functioning and to add further

transparency to the situation.

III. Governance

The political parties are invited to come together to form a Government of National Unity

under the leadership of the President over the period leading up to the scheduled Presidential

elections:

The government of National Unity will be fully inclusive and will offer appropriate

representation to all political parties. This includes posts of Ministers and State Secretaries and

other political appointments.

Significant representation in the government will be offered to representatives of the MDP.

While it is now necessary to appoint a Cabinet in order to security the uninterrupted

functioning of government, spaces will be reserved for MDP representation should

participation not be immediately forthcoming from among its membership. Increase in the

numbers of ministries may be contemplated to ensure a fully inclusive and balanced Cabinet.

Appropriate representation of women will be ensured in the Government of National Unity.

The Government of National Unity will seek to operate with maximum consensus, focusing its

efforts on the agreed priority tasks listed below.


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IV. Priority Tasks of the Government of National Unity

The Government of National Unity will focus its efforts on a number of priority tasks in the

interest of the nation and shall collaborate with other branches of government in order to

address the following issues:

The Government of National Unity remains committed to the advancement of the democratic

transformations of the country. It will focus on the completion of important legislative projects,

the establishment or enhancement of institutions that were foreseen, and well-run,

professional branches of government.

The government of National Unity will ensure the uninterrupted provision of public services. It

will continue to pay special attention to the rights of women and children, and to the needs and

interests of the vulnerable, as is required by the constitution.

The Government of National Unity will establish an independent mechanism to investigate the

recent developments, including the circumstances of the transfer of power. This investigation

shall also extend to the events leading up to these developments and offer lessons to be learnt

for them, including steps that may be taken to prevent instability in the future.

The Government of National Unity will continue the process of strengthening constitutional

governance, including the Judiciary and other independent commission and the judiciary

through ensuring the effective functioning of the Judicial Service Commission. The Government

of National Unity will establish a national round table to discuss steps that may be taken in

support of that work. The U.N. High Commissioner of Human Rights in cooperation with other

U.N. agencies and the Commonwealth Secretariat are invited to provide support.

The Government of National Unity will review civilian control, good practice and accountability

in the conduct of the police, the military and security services according to international

standards of best practice, accountability and human rights.

The Government of National Unity will ensure full budgetary transparency during the period of

its operation and adopt appropriate procedures and practices towards that end.

The Government of National Unity will actively encourage reconciliation in the country and

take additional steps to generate a climate of tolerance, forgiveness and accountability.

In addition, in the interests of national reconciliation and to encourage harmony between our

citizens, the Government of National Unity will hold discussions with all relevant parties to

conduct elections by an early date. The Government of National Unity will work towards the

conditions that will permit such elections to take place including any necessary constitutional

amendments.


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In Australia, a memorial to a common humanity:

In 2001, Prime Minister John Howard seemed to be in deep political trouble as elections

approached. On August 24, a 20-metre wooden fishing boat loaded with 438 Afghans seeking

asylum in Australia became stranded in international waters less than 150 km from the

Australian-owned Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. On August 24, Rescue CoordinationCentre (Australia) sent out a message asking ships in the vicinity to come to the assistance of

the boat. The Norwegian-owned mv Tampa, en route to Singapore from Fremantle in Western

Australia, being the closest to the site, proceeded to the assistance of the boat in difficulty.

Instead of sailing to Indonesia with the rescued passengers, Tampa sailed to Christmas Island.

The government refused to give it permission to enter Australian territorial waters, threatening

to arrest and prosecute the captain as a people smuggler if he did. On August 29, the captain,

seriously concerned about the health and safety of the passengers, sailed defiantly into

Australian waters. Canberra sent troops to board the Tampa and instruct its captain to return to

the high seas. He refused, complaining that when he asked for food and medicines for the

refugees, the Australians sent commandos instead. He was awarded Norway's highest civilian

honour for his handling of the situation.

The controversy gravely dented Australia's reputation in Norway and Europe but harvested

huge political dividends domestically when Howard declared that the Australian government

will decide who comes to Australia and under what circumstances. The terrorist attacks of 9/11

played into the hands of a government exploiting popular fears of Muslim foreigners. Howard

campaigned loudly on his border protection policy and handily won re-election.

During the campaign, another leaky and rickety boat, measuring 19.5x4 metres where even 150

people would be overcrowded, set sail for Christmas Island from Indonesia on October 18 with421 passengers, mostly refugees from Saddam Hussein's Iraq. It soon sank in stormy seas in the

internationally designated Indonesian search and rescue zone but also within an Australian

border protection surveillance area. An estimated 65 men, 142 women and 146 children died.

An Indonesian boat rescued 44 survivors on October 20 and another was picked up 12 hours

later.

The boat was described by Australian authorities as a Suspected Illegal Entry Vehicle (SIEV).

Retired Australian ambassador Tony Kevin, who investigated the incident on his own, added X'

in March 2002 and it has been known since as SIEV X.

A design competition involving 500 schools was won by Mitchel Donaldson, a 14-year-old

Brisbane schoolboy. The memorial, spread over 400 metres of parkland along the lakeshore and

nestled against Canberra's iconic hills, is made up of 353 white poles. (Poles to memorialise

people and communities are part of Aboriginal culture, as can be seen in a display at the

wonderful National Gallery of Art in Canberra.) Each pole represents one victim, with half-sized

poles for the child victims who drowned. Every victim who could be identified has a pole

bearing his or her name. The poles were individually hand decorated by schools, churches and


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community groups across the land. Some have touching messages from the schoolchildren,

imagining, for example, what life in Australia would have been like for the child if only she had

survived. The memorial was erected temporarily on October 15, 2006 when 600 people raised

their own and others' poles in the presence of a 2,000-strong crowd and national media. The

permanent memorial was dedicated a year later with more than a thousand student and

community artists. The Australian Capital Territory is ruled by the Labor Party which stronglysupports the SIEV X Memorial and has committed to its location in Weston Park

appropriately, within sight of the waters of Lake Burley-Griffin. The Liberal Party is hostile both

federally and in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

INTERNATIONAL

Plan was to attack Israelis, says Thailand-

Three Iranians detained after accidentally setting off explosives in Bangkok were planning to

attack Israeli diplomats, said Thailand's top policeman on Thursday in the first confirmation by

local officials that the group was plotting attacks in Thailand. The allegation came after days of

strong accusations by Israel that Iran was behind the botched plot as well as two others in India

and the former Soviet republic of Georgia this week. Iran has denied the charges. Iran has

blamed the Jewish state for the recent killings of Iranian atomic scientists and has denied

responsibility for all three bomb plots, including an explosion on Monday in New Delhi that tore

through an Israeli diplomatic vehicle, wounding the driver and a diplomat's wife, and a foiled

attempt the same day in Georgia.

Pakistan central to Afghan peace process, says Karzai:

Ahead of the third Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran trilateral summit on regional cooperation here onFriday, the two visiting Presidents held bilateral level engagements with the Pakistani

leadership on Thursday. While Afghan President Hamid Karzai stressed the centrality of

Pakistan to the Afghan-owned-and-led reconciliation process, the focus of the Iranian President

Mahmoud Ahmedinejad was on energy cooperation to ensure that Islamabad does not wilt

under U.S. pressure to pull out of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project and other areas of

planned cooperation.

According to Mr. Zardari's spokesperson, rail and road links between Iran and Pakistan, energy

projects, early realisation of the IP gas pipeline and other projects of regional connectivity were

discussed during the meeting with the Iranian President. Mr. Zardari reiterated Pakistan's

commitment for expeditious implementation of Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project, 1000 MW

electricity transmission line and 100 MW Gwadar power supply in order to meet the country's

growing demand for energy and power.


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Pakistan: aware of WTO obligations:

After disappointing India and the Pakistani business community by deferring the switchover to

the negative list approach for bilateral trade, Pakistan for the second consecutive day said it

was aware of its obligation under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to accord non-

discriminatory treatment to all member countries. Addressing SAARC Commerce Ministers whocalled on him after the meeting on the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), Prime

Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said: We are also cognizant of the fact that the WTO trading

arrangement is based on the principle of Most Favoured Nation, which implies non-

discriminatory treatment among the member countries in terms of tariff as well as the number

of tariff lines traded between the countries. Pakistan being the signatory to WTO is obliged to

observe this principle.''

U.N. urged to get India to close Andaman Trunk Road

British rights activists on Thursday urged the United Nations to press India to close the

Andaman Trunk Road that runs through the Jarawa tribal reserve in order to end human

safaris in the Andaman Islands. All eyes are on India and what it will do next. Closing the road

is not about isolating the Jarawa, but upholding their right to control their own land and choose

if, and how, they interact with outsiders. Far from meddling in India's affairs, Britain, Europe

and the U.N.'s concern shows the gravity of the situation, and the need to respect human rights

by closing the road, said SI Director Stephen Corry.

Amnesty attacks IOC decision:

Amnesty International has attacked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for rejecting the

Indian Olympic Associations' call to terminate Dow Chemicals' sponsorship deal for theupcoming London Olympics because of its links with the Bhopal gas tragedy.

It is extremely disappointing that the Olympic organisers continue to side with Dow Chemical

Company while refusing to listen to legitimate concerns over the company's sponsorship of the

London games,'' it said in a statement. The human rights body said it was shocking that the

IOC believed Dow was committed to good corporate governance. It is shocking when you

consider all the facts and that the company refuses liability for a corporate disaster the scale of

Bhopal, creating a toxic legacy for London 2012, said Seema Joshi, Amnesty's Head of Business

and Human Rights. Calling the IOC's approach one-sided, she said: London Olympic

Organisers have failed to make a fair assessment of the issues surrounding Dow's responsibility

to the victims of Bhopal. They have repeatedly refused our requests to a meeting.

Attack on Iran not far off, says Russian General:

As tensions continue to build up over Iran's nuclear programme, the Russian military is bracing

itself for a possible spillover of a large-scale conflict into Russia's southern regions. Russia's

highest ranking military officer has warned of a possible attack against Iran in the next few


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months. Admiral Komoyedov, who heads the Defence Committee in the State Duma Lower

House, told foreign military attaches in Moscow that the U.S. could attack Iran any time now

with a simultaneous launch of 450 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the warships deployed in the

region. Russia is concerned that a conflict in the Persian Gulf may spill over into the Caucasus.

Sarkozy hits the campaign trail:

Mr. Sarkozy and Francois Hollande, the right-wing President's Socialist rival and the frontrunner

in the opinion polls, have been sparring for months, but Wednesday's official declaration

marked the start of the campaign proper.

The French leader's campaign website, emblazoned with the slogan A strong France, went

online on Thursday as he took to the campaign trail with a public meeting and visit to a cheese-

making plant in the French Alps. The French people must understand that if France is strong,

they will be protected. France is a shield for each of us, said Mr. Sarkozy on Wednesday, saying

he felt it was his duty to stand and see France through.

Nearly 11 million viewers had seen his declaration on France's main evening news broadcast,

shortly after Mr. Hollande had staged a televised rally for 10,000 cheering supporters.

Fire final toll 355:

A total of 355 inmates died in the horrific fire which consumed a prison in Comayagua,

Honduras, said a spokesman for the public prosecutor's office on Thursday. That is the total

brought from the facility, and there were no more, said Melvin Duarte. The toll included 115

bodies brought to the morgue in Tegucigalpa overnight, another 238 brought in the morning,

and two more prisoners who died in hospital.

U.S. passes payroll tax cut:

After months of haggling the Congress has agreed a proposal for extending President Barack

Obama's payroll tax extension and unemployment benefits package for the rest of the calendar

year, handing the administration an election-year victory and bringing relief to over 160 million

middle-class Americans. While Republicans have secured a partial success in the negotiations

by not compromising on Mr. Obama's request to end tax breaks for millionaires, the

breakthrough is likely to buoy the President's prospects . Speaking earlier this week Mr. Obama

had pressed Congress to agree the stimulus-like package saying, When a plane is finally lifting

off the ground, you don't ease up on the throttle. You keep the throttle on full. You keep going.

And our plane is up there, but we're not at cruising altitude yet.

Xi: recognise one-state policy:

Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping, on a high-profile tour of the United States has had a slew of

unprecedented honours heaped upon him by Washington. Yet he has stood firm in articulating


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some of China's positions on its core national interests most significantly its insistence that

the U.S. respect its one-state policy regarding the territories of Taiwan and Tibet. Linking the

one-state policy question to the U.S. military's stated pivot towards the Asia-Pacific region,

he was noted to have said, China welcomes the U.S. playing a constructive role in promoting

the peace, stability and prosperity.

BUSINESS

Views differ on participants for 2G spectrum auction:

Old mobile operators and new players have differed in their views on the proposed auction of

2G spectrum. The former has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to keep

the proposed auction open to all. On the other hand, Uninor, whose licence has been cancelled

following the Supreme Court order, said the right of first refusal' for allotment of spectrum

should be provided to an operator in a service area where the player had already rolled out its

services. Interestingly, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represents all

GSM players, has also sided with old players and has written to the TRAI stating that all existing

players should be allowed to participate in the spectrum auction. It has termed the demand of

new players that they be allowed to participate in the bidding process as totally irrational.

World Bank chief Zoellick decides to step down:

World Bank President Robert Zoellick has announced to step down from at the end of his five-

year-term in June, giving rise to speculation that the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, may be

headed to replace him, which was immediately denied by her side.

Assam tea output crosses 500 m kg:

After three years, production of Assam tea has once again crossed the 500-million kg mark. The

State has recorded a total production of 508.74 million kg for the year 2011. The figures for last

three years were: 480.28 million kg in 2010, 499.99 million kg in 2009 and 487.49 million kg in

2008. This is for the third time production of Assam tea has crossed the 500-million kg mark

over the past 11 years. Total tea production in the country for 2011 is 988.32 million kg, which

is the highest over the past 11 years.

The Brahmaputra Valley is the single largest tea growing area in the world. Out of the total area

under tea in the Brahmaputra Valley, 31 per cent are owned by small growers. According to a

survey by the Assam Government, there are 68,465 small tea gardens in 14 districts of the

Brahmaputra Valley. Tea is grown in almost all the 27 districts of the State. There are 825 large

tea gardens in the State. There are about 1.58 lakh small tea gardens (size below 10.12

hectares) in India, cultivating tea on around 1.62 lakh hectares and producing nearly 260 million

kg annually at 440 bought leaf factories. which account for about 26 per cent of the total tea

produced in India (according to Tea Board statistics), Mr. Barkakoty said.


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China to be top gold consumer in 2012:

China could well displace India as the country with the greatest appetite for gold in 2012. Its

jewellery and investment demand reached 769.8 tonnes in 2011, representing 82 per cent of

India's level of demand for gold which was at 933.4 tonnes, according to World Gold Council

(WGC). The WGC report said that the Chinese figure ``has only recently risen above the 50 percent mark, reflecting the strength of China's presence in the gold market.'' Commenting on the

Gold Demand Trends in 2011, Marcus Grubb, Managing Director, Investment, WGC, said,

Looking particularly at Asia, there was a major boost to the overall figures from the increase in

Chinese demand, which is a trend that we see continuing over the next year. It is likely that

China will emerge as the largest gold market in the world for the first time in 2012.

India's importance in the gold market will not diminish, even if demand growth softens. Not

only is India a key player in the global gold maket, but the domestic drivers of gold demand are

largely independent of outside forces, firmly supporting gold's diversified demand base.

Page 3

Visually-impaired Haryana man all set to become IAS officer:

At the age of five, he lost his vision due to acute diarrhoea but that did not stop him from living

his dream of becoming an IAS officer.

The journey has been far from smooth for 32-year-old gritty Ajit Kumar from nondescript Kheri

village in south Haryana's Mahendergarh district, over 150 km from Delhi who has cracked the

Civil Services Exam.

I am very happy today. My dream has been fulfilled. I am packing my bags and will be off to

Mussorie this week where I will undergo training from February 19, Kumar, who is only the

second in the country with total loss of vision to get into IAS, told PTI on Thursday.

His life-journey bears striking resemblance with 26-year-old Sukhsohit Singh, a Panchkula

resident who became the first thalassemic in the country to make it to the UPSC examinations

in 2008. Like Kumar, Sukhsohit also had to fight not only the odds he faced on health grounds

but also had to fight the system after he was declared unfit by a medical board due to his blood

disorder condition.

the hindu imp. news feb. 17th 2012

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