Small home loans may cost less

Small home loan borrowers may soon have enough reason to cheer. Bank loans up to Rs. 20 lakh are likely to cost less with Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday favouring a cut in the interest rates.In an interaction with the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), Mr. Chidambaram said: “I shall certainly bear in mind that there is public demand that interest rates for borrowers, who borrow [for housing] up to Rs. 20 lakh, must be lowered.”

He, however, made it clear that it was for banks and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to take a call on this issue. “I made a number of efforts to impress upon the bankers in this regard ...it is a constant effort that I will have to make...the bankers will have to take a call, [the] RBI will have to take a call.”

Nearly 80 per cent of housing loans fell in the category of below Rs. 20 lakh and these loans involved less risk than those above that amount. Therefore, banks had incentives to lend to the borrowers at lower rates of interest.

Mr. Chidambaram pointed to the unenviable position of the RBI Governor in trying to strike a balance between low inflation and high growth. “He [RBI Governor] can never please everyone. It is his judgment call what should be the interest rates in order to contain inflation and promote growth,” he said. From the government’s point of view, it was important to promote growth without stoking inflation.

Home loans comprise about 12-35 per cent of the total loan portfolio of banks. The loans given by banks and housing finance firms add up to about Rs. 2,00,000 crore.

News Source : Samachar

Pardon granted to Indian national Kashmir Singh challenged

A lawyer has challenged the pardon granted by President Pervez Musharraf to Indian national Kashmir Singh, who was freed after spending 35 years on death row in a Pakistani jail, even as the move was criticised by religious leaders and organisations.

Singh was freed after his case was taken up with Musharraf by caretaker Human Rights Minister Ansar Burney. He was reunited with his family in India two days ago.

Lawyer MD Tahir, in his petition filed in the Lahore High Court yesterday, said Attorney General Malik Qayyum had earlier stated that Singh and other Indians in Pakistani jails were not entitled to be released.

Noting that many Pakistanis were languishing in Indian jails, Tahir asked the High Court to declare Singh's release as illegal, unconstitutional and without lawful authority.

Tahir also referred to his plea to PML-Q general secretary Mushahid Hussain Sayed to seek the government's help for the release of Afzal Guru, who has been sentenced to death for his role in the attack on India's parliament.

Religious leaders and organisations too have taken exception to the presidential pardon granted to Singh, saying it was in stark contrast to the apathy shown to a large number of Pakistanis who had suffered worse violations of their fundamental rights.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad said Musharraf had exercised his discretionary powers in favour of "enemies of the state and foreign citizens" though he never treated Pakistanis in a similar manner.

The religious leaders also slammed Musharraf for "not showing mercy" to the militants and other radical elements who were holed up in Islamabad's Lal Masjid, against which the military conducted an operation last year. Over 100 people were killed in that operation.

News Source : Samachar

Friendship with Hrithik explains on-screen chemistry: Ash

Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan made a perfect couple and their on-screen chemistry sizzled in both "Dhoom 2" and "Jodhaa Akbar". The actress attributes the chemistry to their rapport off screen.

"Hrithik has been a special co-star. We've shared a fantastic rapport that gets translated into wonderful chemistry on screen. We're both genuinely committed to our craft. That apart, we share a special friendship from the time we did a commercial together many years ago," Aishwarya said in an interview.

Aishwarya said that she met Hrithik for the first time when she was offered "Mission Kashmir".

"I had been approached for Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 'Mission Kashmir'. That's the first time we met. He was very new then. I was also offered 'Krrish' but had no dates. We never came around to working together in a movie until 'Dhoom 2'. It was a very new genre for me.

"I think part of our comfort level comes from the fact that Abhishek and Hrithik are childhood friends. So, vicariously, I was already a part of that bratpack. I'm so amused when I hear them sharing childhood memories of parties that the two attended together. All three of us had a ball during 'Dhoom 2'."

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: Your life changed completely -- from Ms to Mrs - during the making of "Jodhaa Akbar".

A: Yes, that's true (laughs). I get married while the movie was being made and that makes it very special. Five years ago, I'd have never imagined I'd have got married during the making of a movie. I'd have thought I'd finish a movie, take time off for my wedding, like any other girl getting married. Never did I imagine I'd be working through my marriage.

When I look back I smile at how it all happened. The making of every shot and every frame in "Jodhaa Abkar" has been unique for the team. We worked through changing weather and different circumstances and those don't show up on celluloid. That's quite an accomplishment. We were in Rajasthan for a while and then in Karjat. The whole team worked really hard.

News Source : Samachar

Saga of anti-north Indian tirade continues

A day after Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna carried an editorial against Biharis, Sena Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut said Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh should be thankful to his party for standing up to defend the state's image.

Bihar and Uttar Pradesh parliamentarians had raised the issue of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's anti-north Indian campaign in the Parliament earlier this week. MNS chief Raj Thackeray was criticised by several people, including Janata Dal (U) MP Prabhunath Singh who equated Raj with Punjab militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. "We had one Bhindranwale. Don't create another. It is not good for the unity of the country," said Singh. He also asked that the RBI headquarters be moved from Mumbai to Delhi.

Then the Shiv Sena, in an attempt to recapture the Marathi sons-of-the-soil plan from Raj, targeted Biharis, calling them an "unwanted lot" in all parts of the country. A Saamna editorial said: "They are not wanted in southern India, Assam and also Punjab and Chandigarh. The Biharis have antagonised local population wherever they had settled. The UP-Bihari MPs have shown their ingratitude towards Mumbai and Maharashtra with an anti-Marathi tirade in Parliament."

The editorial also termed Bihar MP Prabhunath Singh a "murderer" and added that "his place is in jail but he is in Parliament"

News Source : Samachar

Harbhajan issue brought us together: Yuvraj

Yuvraj Singh didn't have a memorable tour with the bat in Australia. Dropped from the Test side after failing in the first two matches, he didn't really get into his groove even in the One-Day games but after the win he too is over the moon.

Yuvraj Singh: Ya obviously, three months is a long tour and we were missing home. Actually, this is the first time that it happened to me that I was missing home but coming back with a victory is always fruitful and I am very happy with way the boys played.

Bhupendra Chaubey: What is a big thing that you take from this tour, other than your own good performances?

Yuvraj Singh: I didn't have much of good performances but as a team effort, it was great. I have never played in a team, which was as competitive and as aggressive on the field as this one. Obviously, beating Australia in Australia is a big thing. Not many teams do that and we are very happy with the achievement.

Bhupendra Chaubey: You know Harbhajan Singh more than most other members in the team. Do you think all that was happening - off the field controversies, do you think somewhere down the line it did bring the entire team together?

Yuvraj Singh: Obviously, after Sydney Test, we all stood by Bhajji because we knew he played the game in the right spirit, he is very aggressive. Basically, to handle so much of pressure and abuse from the crowd but he is mentally very strong to face such a huge amount of pressure on his head.

Bhupendra Chaubey: But was that something that was working on the entire team? One bowler being targeted and did that mean that the entire Indian team came together to rally around him?

Yuvraj Singh: Yes, of course. He has been very aggressive and he has always played for the team and we always wanted to support him and he has got a good record against Australia and he has always taken wickets against them. But it is not about performing or not performing, it was about standing by your teammate and we wanted to do that.

News Source : Samachar

Pardon granted to Kashmir Singh challenged

A lawyer has challenged the pardon granted by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to Indian national Kashmir Singh, who was freed after spending 35 years on death row in a Pakistani jail, even as the move was criticised by religious leaders and organisations.

Singh was freed after his case was taken up with Musharraf by caretaker Human Rights Minister Ansar Burney. He was reunited with his family in India two days ago.

Lawyer M D Tahir, in his petition filed in the Lahore High Court on Wednesday, said Attorney General Malik Qayyum had earlier stated that Singh and other Indians in Pakistani jails were not entitled to be released.

Noting that many Pakistanis were languishing in Indian jails, Tahir asked the high court to declare Singh's release as illegal, unconstitutional and without lawful authority.

Tahir also referred to his plea to PML-Q general secretary Mushahid Hussain Sayed to seek the government's help for the release of Afzal Guru, who has been sentenced to death for his role in the attack on India's Parliament.

Religious leaders and organisations too have taken exception to the presidential pardon granted to Singh, saying it was in stark contrast to the apathy shown to a large number of Pakistanis who had suffered worse violations of their fundamental rights.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad said Musharraf had exercised his discretionary powers in favour of ''enemies of the state and foreign citizens'' though he never treated Pakistanis in a similar manner.

The religious leaders also slammed Musharraf for ''not showing mercy'' to the militants and other radical elements who were holed up in Islamabad's Lal Masjid, against which the military conducted an operation last year. Over 100 people were killed in that operation.

News Source : Samachar

I could buy 1000 bikes from IPL money: Dhoni

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni spoke exclusively to NDTV's Anjali Doshi on the recently concluded tour of Australia. Excerpts:

On Dhoni the captain, and his rapport with the team
I am funny, sarcastic and aggressive. Not very vocal but can be if I am angry and I love my teammates. I am a transparent person. Whatever happens on the field, I just repeat it at the press conference. There is nothing confidential about it. More importantly I have a good rapport with my team, they respond well to me and that is why they understand me. After the end of every match I speak to them. I am not really supposed to rate myself as long as everything is fine and we are winning, it's fine. But the problem starts when we don't do well. Then we come under lot of scrutiny. But that's how it is.

On the CB Series win
It is very special beating Australia in Australia. A lot was said about them and how tough they are in big matches like finals. But it was good to see our youngsters taking up the responsibility. I hope we get a few easy outings now but jokes apart nothing is easy in international cricket.

On the upcoming youngsters in the team
Piyush Chawla and Praveen Kumar performed really well, and when a team performs well like this it leads to stability, this is the core team, and will change only little depending on conditions. Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla and Harbhajan Singh were outstanding performers.

On the controversies surrounding Harbhajan
Harbhajan was under pressure and he came and did a great job. He is an aggressive player, but he has not done any wrong. The Aussie newspapers were constantly targeting bhajji and he was always described as controversial off spinner, maybe next time he comes here he should change his name.

On Australia's sledging and the mood in the dressing room
The spirit in the dressing room is great, we try and listen to music and keep it a happy space. The controversy egged us on to do even better. We chose not to report many incidents because I don't believe in a principal standing and watching over everything. These differences are on the field and need to be sorted out there.

On choosing between country and club, and the money in IPL
I am excited about playing in the IPL. I calculated that with the money I earn there I could buy over 1000 bikes! If I ever had to choose between country and a club, I would choose country, because how much money do you need, so far what I have earned is enough for me and my future family. Playing for the country is always most special to me.

News Source : Samachar

Left sets deadline on nuclear deal

In a significant political development, the Left parties on Thursday asked the government to convene a meeting of the UPA-Left joint committee on the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal by March 15.

CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat has sent a letter on behalf of the Left parties to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also the convener of the committee. The Left has demanded the urgent meeting to ascertain what the government wants to do about the nuclear deal. Mr. Karat’s letter cites media reports that the negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency on the draft safeguards agreement have covered considerable ground.

The latest move of the Left parties, on whose support the minority UPA government depends for survival, comes in the wake of visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher reminding India of a stiff May deadline to finalise the deal. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, replying to the debate on motion of thanks to the Presidential address in Parliament, spoke of the government’s efforts to evolve a consensus on the deal. He also appealed to his predecessor, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to “listen to the call of his conscience” and back the nuclear deal by rising above party politics.

In his letter, Mr. Karat also seems to have taken cognisance of Mr. Mukherjee’s March 3 suo moto statement in Parliament. The statement indicated that the government had not given up on the 123 agreement and also that the government’s understanding of the controversial Hyde Act was different from the Left’s view of it.

The agreement between the UPA government and the Left parties is that without initialling the draft IAEA safeguards agreement, the government would come back to the committee, which would take a decision on it. Thus the draft agreement would fall within the purview of the UPA-Left joint committee, which has not met since November 2007.

Left sources believe the next joint committee meeting will be crucial. “If the government wants to still proceed with its course of action on nuclear deal, we will also be free to choose our own course of action”, a senior Left leader told The Hindu.

News Source : Samachar

BIHARIS, MUSLIMS NEED NOT APPLY

Raj Thackeray’s anti-Bhaiya virus seems to be spreading. A BPOs in Noida has reportedly told the HR firm doing its hiring that “candidates from Bihar, UP and those who are Muslims are ineligible”.

This sort of discrimination in BPOs may have come out in the open in this particular case, but the virus has invaded the industry. People from these states admit to even hiding their origins to escape discrimination.

Even the HR firm was surprised by the pre-condition set by the BPO. “Though we were surprised, the BPO organisation, Netambit, explained that people from UP and Bihar have a problem with their diction, especially with words like insurance where the ‘sh’ sound is pronounced as ‘s’,” said Nadeem Faruqi, director, Connect Global, the HR firm. He was unable to get any logical explanation as to why Muslims were also excluded.

Uma, the HR head for Netambit, said, “We do not prefer people from UP and Bihar because of their strong mother tongue influence.” However, she added that the HR firm was trying to malign them. “It is not at all true that we’ve said they are ineligible. In fact, we also do not prefer candidates from the North-East. Even they have a very strong mother tongue influence.”

But Faruqi was firm. “Why should I want to malign them? For me, this is my business. We have been getting them candidates for the past three months. We have been verbally instructed that they don’t want candidates from UP and Bihar. They also do not want Muslims. I myself am a Muslim, but we didn’t probe much because for us this is business. They are our clients, they have specific needs, we service those needs,” he said.

While this one instance has come out in the open, there are many instances where such discrimination remains undetected.

Keith Rowe, director, HR Solutions, another consultancy, confirmed this. He said, “This kind of pre-conditioning exists in both big and small BPOs. We had many clients telling us categorically that they did not want candidates from a particular state, belonging to a particular caste or creed. In fact, this caste system works in another way in this sector. Looks and gender can also be qualifiers or disqualifiers. We also get requests for good looking.

News Source : Samachar

Victory in Oz as good as T20 win: Robin

Fielding coach Robin Singh on Wednesday rated the Indian cricket team's victory in the tri-series in Australia at par with the triumph in the Twenty20 World Cup last year.

"I think it's probably as good as the T20 World Cup victory," Singh said.

He added that the young talent in the team played brilliantly and stood up to the test.

"It feels pretty good, the guys played brilliantly. Young guys stood up to the test and Sachin (Tendulkar) led from the front," Singh added.

On being asked about the mood in the Indian team, he described it as "brilliant".

He, however, declined to comment whether the team, at any stage, felt the absence of senior players like Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.

"I think we won the series and that is important," he added.

News Source : Samachar

Compulsory ID cards for Indians in U.K.

Citizens of India and other non-European Union countries will be issued compulsory identity cards from later this year as part of the British government’s plans to improve security and prevent identity fraud.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith on Thursday said the non-EU nations would be the first to be required to have the cards. It would then be rolled out to airport baggage handlers. People in other sensitive security roles would get them from 2009. Students would need to have the cards from 2010.

Britain would introduce biometric passports from 2012. People could use either the cards or the biometric passports to prove their identities, Ms. Smith said.

News Source : Samachar

3 Indian women on Forbes richest list

Ahead of the International Women's Day, three Indian women have powered their way to the Forbes list of global billionaires.

The three Indian women include Savitri Jindal (shown in photo) having a net worth of USD 8.2 billion, Bennett, Coleman & Co's chairperson Indu Jain at USD 4.4 billion and Anu Aga of the Thermax group with a net worth of USD 1.1 billion.

France's Lilince Bettencourt is the world's richest woman with a net worth of USD 22.9 billion, placing her at the 17th position on the list led by Warren Buffet, who is worth USD 62 billion.

However, the Indian women featuring on the list are way behind as compared to their male counterparts in terms of the ranking. Savitri Jindal ranks at the 110th place on Forbes Billionaires list that has 1,125 members.

Indu Jain, the 71-year-old chairperson of media powerhouse, has been placed 236th on the list, while Anu Aga ranks 1,014th.

Aga took over as chairperson of Thermax, the maker of energy, environment management systems, in 1996 after the death of her husband Rohinton, stepped down in 2004 in favour of daughter Meher, the magazine said, adding that she is still on board and is involved in social causes.

Besides, Savitri Jindal has been the chairperson of O P Jindal Group since husband Om Prakash's death in 2005.

"Her four sons, Prithviraj, Sajjan, Ratan and Naveen, run the USD 8 billion (sales) steel, power empire. Sajjan, the most ambitious, says he plans to invest USD 15 billion in aluminium, cement and infrastructure over the next three years. Youngest, Naveen, who last July inked a $2.1-billion deal to mine iron ore in Bolivia, is a Member of Parliament," the Forbes magazine added.

News Source : Samachar

Left swallows Russia bitter pill

Dmitry Medvedev’s landslide win in the Russian presidential election has pitched the Indian Left on the horns of a dialectical dilemma — it’s downcast at the thrashing the communists have got but it isn’t prepared to damn the election as a “Kremlin-controlled and rigged” affair because the West is doing so vociferously.

Medvedev, 43, became the youngest leader of the world’s largest country earlier this week, sweeping an election widely seen as a command performance effected by his mentor and Russian strongman Vladimir Putin.

A lawyer and Putin protégé since his days as a KGB operative in Leningrad (St Petersburg) 25 years ago, Medvedev secured an unprecedented 71 per cent of the vote. His communist rival, Gennadi Zyuganov, ran a far second with barely 17 per cent, a 13 per cent drop since the last election.

Senior leaders of the Indian Left are despondent about the dwindling fortunes of their Russian comrades and privately concede that the Putin regime is, in part, responsible.

“His determination to stay in power and his vice-grip over the Russian economy and state machinery made Medvedev’s election a foregone conclusion,” said one. “Nobody was in doubt that Putin will do everything to consolidate himself, Medvedev’s election means just that.”

It is perhaps of some significance that for a country that has been intrinsic to their consciousness, neither the CPM nor the CPI has chosen to make any official comment on the Russian elections.

However, in the global context, the Left appears to be making a distinction between Putin and Russia; it won’t participate in western condemnation of the elections.

“The West must accept the democratic verdict,” CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury told The Telegraph. “It cannot choose who the Russian people should elect, that is just like saying they won’t accept Hamas even though they had been elected by the Palestinian people.”

D. Raja of the CPI was even shorter with allegations of widespread rigging. “How can we decide sitting in Delhi or wherever that rigging happened?”

International and Russian observer groups had criticised the elections as “unacceptably heavily Kremlin-orchestrated to transfer power to Putin’s handpicked successor while opening a path for Putin to retain power”.

Apart from being a trusted Putin crony, Medvedev also controls Gazprom, the powerful energy company that Russia has often used as a battering arm of diplomacy, especially with nations like Ukraine and Georgia that have challenged Russian hegemony in the region.

But Left leaders and academics are advising against “toeing the western line” on the elections. Indeed, they appear worried by New Delhi’s low-key response to Medvedev’s election and view it as part of the “increasing pro-US tilt” in India’s foreign policy.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did send out a congratulatory letter to Medvedev, but it was dispatched three days after his victory was announced and without any of the publicity that usually accompanies such missives.

“Such a reaction does not reflect the enthusiasm we have traditionally had in relations with Russia,” said Anuradha Chenoy, a Russian studies scholar at JNU. “It is obvious that Indian foreign policy is trying to attune itself to western positions on major global issues. Whether it is Palestine or Iran or even Kosovo, India seems to be dangerously abandoning its traditional friends and policies in favour of western positions.”

CPM MP Nilotpal Basu said the Indian reaction was “confirmation” of “apprehensions that India is not acting out of national self-interest” in foreign policy matters.

“We know it is becoming a unipolar world but there are multipolarities in it,” he said. “To look at what the West is saying on the Russian election before deciding on your own response is indication of just the kind of things we have been warning against. The minimum required from India was an immediate message of congratulation to the new Russian president.”

News Source : Samachar

Ishant’s family denied entry to Kotla

In a shocking turn of events, promising India pacer Ishant Sharma’s family was denied entry into the Kotla on Thursday during team India’s felicitation ceremony due to unavailability of a valid invitation.

The DDCA has long been in the news for such happenings in the past during international matches, but this happened on a day the galleries were opened for public for free, and that too during a public function.

The Delhi and District Cricket Association did not even find it necessary to send an invite to Ishant’s family for the function, although the pacer was being awarded a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh by the association for his swashbuckling performances on the Australian soil.

The Delhi lad’s family only managed to enter th Kotla as the ceremony was nearing it’s end. They were not available for comment.

DDCA played the blame game thereafter despite being the hosts of the function.

"The whole ceremony was being organised by the BCCI, it’s their responsibility, not ours," said DDCA vice president C.K. Khanna.

However, DDCA secretary S.P. Bansal tried to douse fires, saying lack of time was the real culprit behind the fiasco.

"The whole function had to be organised at such a short notice. We had less than 24 hours to manage the event. I do agree things were messed up," Bansal said.

Asked whether the Delhi player’s family had been sent an invitation for the event, Bansal replied: "We had send the invitation passes to the families of all Delhi players, I do not know how they did not get one. But it’s for all to see that managing so many luminaries and almost a 35,000 crowd is no easy task."

News Source : Samachar

Team wants complaint lodged against Crowe

The Indian cricket team management has urged the BCCI to take up the matter of match referee Jeff Crowe's investigation into the false media charge — of Harbhajan Singh making monkey gestures at the crowd during the tri-series finals in Sydney — with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"It's atrocious. How could the match referee decide on intervening in the matter, that too on the basis of media reports. There was no word to the Indian team management and the next day the match referee said he found nothing wrong and that he had cleared Harbahajan," said a fuming team manager Bimal Soni while departing from Melbourne.

"This is totally baseless. We have asked the BCCI to look into the matter and secretary Niranjan Shah has written to the ICC seeking an explanation in the matter," added Soni.

Even Harbhajan was more than surprised. "If the media had its way, they would have not allowed me to even move my hands except when bowling. That the media back home also bought the story is what baffles me more," said the player.

TOI has learnt that match referee Crowe even objected to Harbhajan wearing a red skin (inner wear) to keep himself warm.

"He cannot wear white for sure but now the referee insists that he wear blue," a source said just ahead of the second final in Brisbane.

News Source : Samachar

N-deal: India misses date with IAEA

The nuclear deal, now a veteran of several near-death experiences, is beset with deadlines. It's not merely the US giving a July deadline or a March deadline by the IAEA, or even the Left parties giving their own deadline for a meeting of the UPA-Left committee.

There is one deadline that India has already missed. The IAEA board of governors started its meeting this week, and would have worked on the Indian agreement. It will now need an extraordinary meeting for the Indian safeguards pact.

Given the nature of the agreement, the board will ideally need a month to consider it, unless it gets railroaded into a quicker decision.

The NSG will be no walkover either. The NSG plenary is scheduled for May 19 in South Africa, and the expectation is that the Indian dossier will be on the table by then.

Then there is the consideration of whether the international community would want to take up the Indian case if the UPA government falls. The US may not particularly care, and neither will the other major nuclear trading nations. But the deal sceptics may make this a reason to delay giving India a clearance in nuclear commerce.

News Source : Samachar

'Army Chief's remark on LAC unnecessary'

The government feels that the controversy over Army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor's remarks with regard to "incursions" across the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh was quite avoidable even as it did not publicly suggest that the Army chief should have been more discreet.

Top government sources said the Army chief's remarks that China had a differing perception of the LAC and that "when we come up to their perception, we call it incursion, and likewise, they do" might have been unnecessary.

"Serving officers must be careful while speaking on sensitive issues," said a member of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

On Friday, the issue had figured in Rajya Sabha where Leader of the Opposition Jaswant Singh had been critical of the Army chief. Referring to an interview of Gen Kapoor, he had said that borders were not a question of perception but determination.

"He (Army chief) has no authority to comment on these matters," Singh had said, adding that Gen Kapoor was lowering the dignity of his post. The government has not conceded the Opposition leader's criticism, but the view seems to be that the Army chief's office had best be shielded from any sort of controversy, particularly relating to matters that have a bearing on politics. Relations with China and Pakistan — Gen Kapoor also spoke of polls in the neighbouring country — are politically sensitive.

While Gen Kapoor was not saying anything that is not self evident — the government hopes that polls in Pakistan will lead to stable politics and both China and India often accuse one another of incursions — such issues were best left to the political authority. Heads of the armed forces were not expected to offer an assessment which had clear political overtones.

The armed forces are a critical part of the geo-political view that government takes on various matters. Gen Kapoor's view that Pakistan army will be too heavily engaged in domestic issues to embark on any adventurist enterprise could very well be the government's assessment, but can be seen to be over-stepping the line demarcating political authority and army matters.

On China, too, the Army chief's views essentially underline that the border dispute was a political issue that needed to be resolved at the level of the two governments.

Till that happened, China would insist on viewing Indian armed presence along the LAC and in areas like Tawang as a "violation".

This is hardly surprising as China has consistently refused to issue visas to Arunachalese on the ground that they did not need such documentation to visit "their own country".

News Source : Samachar

Former Mrs Sarkozy to wed event planner in New York

The Versace fashion house said that French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s ex-wife will wed event planner Richard Attias this month in a Versace gown.

Cecilia Ciganer-Albeniz and Attias “have chosen to wear Versace for the happy occasion of their wedding, which will take place in New York later this month,” the company said in an e-mailed statement yesterday.

Versace said the former French first lady would wear an Atelier Versace dress and Attias a classic Versace two-button tailored suit.

“All of the immediate wedding party has also chosen to wear Versace,” the company said.

Cristina Colli, a Versace spokeswoman in Milan, said she could not provide a date or location for the wedding. The French magazine Point de Vue reported on Wednesday that the marriage would take place on March 22.

A call to Attias was not immediately returned. Ciganer-Albeniz left Sarkozy, the then-presidential hopeful, in May 2005 to live with Moroccan-born Attias, but returned to Sarkozy’s side in the run-up to the French vote in May of last year. Ciganer-Albeniz and Sarkozy divorced in October, and he married Italian-born model-turned-singer Carla Bruni on Feb 2.

Bruni’s previous romantic liaisons included Donald Trump and Mick Jagger.

News Source : Samachar

Identity cards for Indians in UK made mandatory

Foreign nationals, including Indians, will have to have Identity Cards in the UK with effect from November this year, it was officially announced on Thursday.

However, for British citizens, the ID will be introduced from next year.

Fingerprints will be collected from foreign nationals before they are issued with a card, which will show details of the holder's immigration status and entitlements - whether they are allowed to work or access benefits, and how long they can stay in the UK.

Within three years all foreign nationals applying for leave to enter or remain in the UK will be required to have a card, as about 90 per cent of foreign nationals in Britain will covered by the scheme by 2014/15, the announcement said.

From 2009, the scheme will be extended to UK citizens. The first ID cards will be issued to people working in specific sensitive roles or locations where verification of identity will enhance the protection of the public.

This will start in the second half of 2009, with the issuing of identity cards to those working in the country's airports.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly will jointly chair a meeting of industry representatives to ensure the smooth introduction of these new measures.

From 2010, young people will be able, on a voluntary basis, to get an identity card, which will assist them in proving their identity as they open their first bank account, take out a student loan or start employment. Later that year the scheme will be opened to voluntary applicants of any age.

From 2011/12, all passport applicants will also be registered on the scheme as they apply for the new biometric passports containing fingerprints.

British citizens enrolled on the National Identity Register will be able to choose whether to have a passport or an ID card or both.

This will enable an accelerated roll-out of the scheme and, alongside nationals will be issued with identity cards by 2009/10. Fifty per cent will receive identity cards by 2011/12 with 90 per cent coverage by 2014/15.

News Source : Samachar

India Asia's biggest source of billionaires

The wealth amassed by Indian billionaires is more than 3.5 times those in China, even as the world's most populous nation saw the highest number of newcomers joining the billionaire club over the past one year.

Despite China seeing a maximum 28 people joining the ranks of those with at least one billion dollar, India has managed to retain its position as Asia's biggest source of billionaires.

With 19 newcomers, India has 53 billionaires with a combined wealth of $340.9 billion, according to the Forbes list of world's billionaires released on Thursday.

In comparison, China has 42 billionaires - second highest in Asia - with a combined wealth of $95 billion.

India and China are followed by Hong Kong (26), Japan (24) and Australia (14) in terms of number of billionaires.

Last year, India had overtaken Japan as the biggest Asian nation in terms of number of billionaires. Japan has slipped even below China and Hong Kong this year.

Besides, India also holds the honour of having the largest number of four billionaires in top ten - NRI steel baron Lakshmi Mittal (4th), Mukesh Ambani (5th), Anil Ambani (6th) and KP Singh (8th).

In the top ten, there are two Americans - Warren Buffet at the top and Bill Gates at third - and one each from Mexico (Carlos Slim Helu at second), Sweden (Ingvar Kamprad at 7th), Russia (Oleg Deripaska at 9th) and Germany (Karl Albrecht).

However, India still remains way below the US in terms of total number of such people, which has as many as 469 billionaires worth a total of $1.6 trillion.

There are 656 non-US billionaires worth a total of $2.8 trillion. Among BRIC countries, Russia has the highest number of billionaires (88) with a combined wealth of over $470 billion. Brazil boasts of 18 billionaires worth $65.1 billion.

News Source : Samachar

Indian English will conquer globe: Expert

English will fragment into "global dialects", forcing speakers routinely to learn two varieties of the language — one spoken in their home country and a new kind of Standard English with pronounced Indian characteristics, a leading expert on English has said.

The new Standard English, which will be understood globally, would be necessary if the growing ranks of English-speakers around the world are to understand each other, said Professor David Crystal, one of the world's foremost experts and author of the Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language.

The new Standard English's likely Indian characteristics would signify the end of the primacy of American English. Future users of global Standard English might routinely say "I am thinking it's going to rain" rather than the British "I think it's going to rain", said Crystal.

"In language, numbers count. There are more people speaking English in India than in the rest of the native English-speaking world. Even now, if you ring a call centre, often it's an Indian voice you hear at the end of the phone. As the Indian economy grows, so might the influence of Indian English," he explained.

Because Indians tend to "use the present continuous where we would use the present simple (with an Indian saying) 'I am thinking, I am feeling, I am seeing' rather than 'I think, I feel, I see'... this way of speaking could easily become sexy and part of global Standard English," said the professor, who has written more than 100 books.

News Source : Samachar

I'm learning from youngsters: Sachin

Sachin Tendulkar played the leading role in helping India beat Australia in the CB Series finals. Upon the team's arrival in India, he spoke to NDTV on a host of topics, like being the oldest member of a very young Indian side. Excerpts:

Looking back at his career
Eighteen years have been a fantastic journey. I have enjoyed every moment of it. It was my dream to play for India. After my debut (in 1989), every day has been special. I am still living my dream.

On the team atmosphere
There are plenty of youngsters in the team. The dressing room atmosphere is very lively. I like the atmosphere. It is fantastic to be around such good players. They're very talented. The team has a good blend of seniors and juniors... perfect combo.

On how the young players will shape up
All the youngsters are very talented. All they need now is the right direction and to focus energies in right direction to become better. They've worked hard. All I can say is the future looks good. But don't put too much pressure on them and let them play their own game. I've been part of terrific sides and this is one of the top sides I've been a part of.

The progress since the World Cup
After the World Cup, the team that played in Ireland, England and in India against Pakistan has been changed slightly. I hate comparing that team to this one. To get to this level takes a lot of hard work, sacrifices and dedication and family support, a combination of a lot of things. When someone has gone through so many tough times, it's not fair to compare them. We need to respect both teams just as much. It has been fantastic to be a part of both.

On the Australian tour
This series has been very satisfying. I wanted to do well here. The reception I got here was fabulous. This will always be something special for me. It was overwhelming and I will always remember it. We played very competitive cricket. We were competitive in Tests and won the ODIs, which makes it a very special tour.

On his personal form, and thoughts of the future
I am not thinking of retirement. I have heard lots of rumours about it. I don't know who is starting them. If you know I'm retiring let me know, so I'm not caught off guard. People have their own agenda and ways of judging things. I don't read articles. They don't help me in any way. People who help me, I'm regularly in touch with them. And if they think there is anything I need to work on, they tell me about it. Someone who writes needs to have the credibility. After playing for so many years I know what is expected of me and what is right and wrong. I focus my energies in the right direction

On learning from the new generation
When I started dealing with (my children) Sara and Arjun I learned to be more patient and now I'm getting to learn lots of lessons from the youngsters in team. They're young but all chalu guys. They're good-humoured and keep dressing room lively.

News Source : Samachar

Haryana deputy chief minister's son passes away

The 14-year-old son of Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan died in Chandigarh on Thursday.

Mohit was suffering from prolonged illness and breathed his last at the Fortis super-specialty hospital at Mohali near Chandigarh.

Mohit was the grandson of former Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda condoled the death of Mohit and expressed his condolences to the bereaved family.

News Source : Samachar