Indian news

Now, Modi targets Manmohan on attack on Sikhs in Pak

2009-05-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

Ambala, Haryana: Flagging the attack on Sikhs in Pakistan to target Manmohan Singh, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the prime minister being a Sikh should have done "something" to protect the interests of the minority community in the neighbouring country.
Modi also accused Manmohan Singh of being a "total failure". Despite being a Sikh, the Prime Minister had failed to protect the interest of his community in Pakistan where it was being subjected to torture and forced to pay 'Jazya'--tax-- (by the Taliban), the BJP leader said, adding he should have stepped in.
Modi claimed that several senior UPA leaders including NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and Congress veteran Arjun Singh, were not in favour of Manmohan Singh occupying the post of the Prime Minister again.
"Only the Gandhi family -- Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka -- has been describing Singh as a successful PM " while the fact was that he had failed to deliver as Prime Minister, the BJP star campaigner todl an election rally.
"He (Singh) is a failed Prime Minister," Modi said. Reiterating that Manmohan Singh was the country's weakest-ever Prime Minister, he said it was ironical that the Congress had been hailing him as a hero.
Referring to 26/11, he said the Manmohan Singh government had failed to effectively handle the Mumbai terror attack. Talking about the UPA, he said at present there were half a dozen aspirants for the post of the Prime Minister in the formation.

BJP expresses concern over targeting of Sikhs in Pakistan

2009-05-03T10:46:00.001-07:00

Expressing 'deep concern' over reports of Taliban targeting Sikhs in Pakistan, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday demanded that the Indian government take proactive steps to save the lives of people of Indian origin.
The BJP demanded that the government should take proactive steps to save people of Indian origin living in Pakistan, a party statement said.
'The government utterly failed to protect the people of Indian origin in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and elsewhere. Efforts by the government so far have remained technical only and have not yielded any tangible results,' the statement added.
Quoting sources, Pakistani channel Geo TV had said that Taliban militants had taken over the shops and homes of the 35 Sikh families and arrested community leaders Kalank Singh and Sewa Singh in the Ferozkhel area of Lower Orakzai Agency.
Following this, a local jirga ruled that the Sikh community should annually pay Rs.15 million ($187,000) as jaziya or protection money. Earlier reports had said the Taliban had demanded Rs.50 million but that this had been reduced.
When the Sikh community expressed their inability to pay, the Taliban then auctioned their houses and other belongings, forcing them to migrate from the area. There were reports the militants had demolished the 11 houses of the Sikh community after they failed to pay the jaziya tax.

Kasab will not be tried by juvenile court

2009-05-03T10:45:00.002-07:00

A special court in Mumbai on Saturday held that Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving gunman who rampaged through the city last November, is major and above 18 years of age. The court arrived at this conclusion after examining evidences and witnesses produced by the prosecution.
Defence attorney Abbas Kazmi said that he would not challenge this order in the High Court.

PM, nuclear deal non-negotiable: Rahul Gandhi

2009-05-03T10:45:00.001-07:00

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Sunday said that his party's prime ministerial candidate Manmohan Singh and its commitment to the India-US nuclear deal were not negotiable.
'From my side, I know - and I do know my mother's views on this - that he is the best prime ministerial candidate,' the 38-year-old told CNN-IBN in an interview here.
Gandhi's comments come a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that he was ready to hand over the party's leadership to young people and that Rahul, son of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, was an ideal candidate.
Rahul Gandhi said: 'He (Manmohan Singh) is our candidate and we are going to stick by him. Like we did in the case of the nuclear deal.'
He said he was concerned over the election results but insisted that there 'are some issues in which there can be no compromise'.
He added: 'For instance, we could have said 'forget the nuclear deal'. But we did not take that approach. We persisted with it. Pretty much all of us knew that our government could have fallen if we persisted with it.
'But I am very clear that we need to take a longer-term perspective,' he added.

Congress supporting Quattrocchi and Afzal: BJP

2009-05-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

Attacking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his statement that the case involving Bofors payoff suspect Ottavio Quattrochi was an 'embarrassment' to the government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday said it proved that withdrawal of the Interpol lookout notice for the Italian businessman was a 'political decision' of the UPA government.
It also said that the UPA government wanted to 'save' Afzal Guru, sentenced to death for the 2001 attack on Parliament House, for the sake of 'vote bank' politics.
'The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) wants to save Afzal for vote bank politics and Quattrochi for his connection with the first family of the Congress. Both these decisions have once again proved that 'Congress Ka Hath Quattrochi Aur Afzal Ke Saath' (The Congress' hand - party symbol - is with Quattrochi and Afzal),' said a statement issued by BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.
A decision on Afzal's execution is pending as the mercy petition filed by his family has not been accepted or rejected as yet.
'The BJP deplores the absurd logic of PM Manmohan Singh that India would have been looked down upon by the world community if the Red Corner Notice against Quattrochi was not removed,' the statement added.
In an interview to a news channel, the prime minister had said: 'The Quattrochi case is an embarrassment for the government of India. We have tried to extradite him from Malaysia. We have tried to extradite him from Argentina. We have failed. The court says we do not have a strong case.'
'It's not a good reflection on the Indian legal system that we harass people while the world says we have no case. The Interpol had asked the government of India that why do you want to treat him under the Red Corner notice,' Manmohan Singh added.
Italian businessman Quattrochi is a suspect in the Bofors gun purchase payoff scandal of the late 1980s.
The BJP spokesperson said this was a 'futile attempt to defend the indefensible act' of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) withdrawing the lookout notice.
'This also proves that withdrawal of Red Corner Notice against Quattrochi is not a CBI decision but a political decision of the UPA government. Instead of proceeding with the investigations, the UPA government offered Quattrochi a parting gift,' the statement said.

Lankan forces poised for final assault on LTTE

2009-05-01T10:34:00.002-07:00

A pre-dawn breakout bid through the high seas by beleaguered Tamil Tigers was foiled by Sri Lankan navy on Friday, who sank their three boats killing 23 sea Tigers as the army appeared poised for a final assault.
The Lankan warships which have blockaded the small coastline off Mullaittivu, still held by the Tigers noticed an attempt by three LTTE boats to take to sea and sank them after challenging them, a naval spokesman said.

This is the second time in less than four days that Sri Lankan navy has thwarted attempts by Tamil Tigers to put their boats to sea. The encounter comes as reports say that the entire LTTE leadership including its supremo V Prabhakaran are holed up in a small stretch of land.

On the land, the army tightened their siege of the last strip of land controlled by the Tigers and appeared poised to launch the final assault.

Military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said, "the Tigers have no land escape route left. We have troops in place to move anytime."

In the battle-front, three Divisions of the Sri Lankan force estimated to number around 22-30,000 have surrounded the Tigers, whose fighting cadres are reported to be around 900-1,200.

Indications that the government forces could be ready to go for the kill also came when the government drop leaflets over the LTTE held areas carrying President Mahinda Rajapaksa's appeal to the Tamil civilians to flee across the front lines.

"Your suffering is prolonged by the LTTE who are holding you as a human shield for their own safety," Rajapaksa said adding that "I appeal to everyone of you who come over to the cleared areas."

The President promised to ensure safety to all civilians.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa rejected the calls for a cease-fire. "We fearlessly stood up to a brand of terrorism that the entire world believed was invincible," he said in a May Day address.

The Tamil Tigers also today took their war into the cyberspace by hacking into the official website of the Sri Lankan army.

The hackers believe to be Tiger computer experts replaced the contents with photographs of civilians killed in military action in the north east.

In a further embarrassment for the rebels 58 child soldiers, including a senior female LTTE leader, gave themselves up to the authorities in Kilinochchi.

India concerned over harassment of Sikhs in Pak

2009-05-01T10:34:00.001-07:00

Taking serious note of Sikhs being driven away from their homes by the Taliban [Images] in Pakistan's northwest region, India on Friday conveyed its concerns to Islamabad [Images] over the treatment meted out to the minorities in that country.
The Ministry of External Affairs summoned a diplomat of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi [Images] to register its unhappiness over the development. The Indian High Commission in Islamabad also conveyed similar views to the Pakistan Foreign Office there.
"On seeing reports about Sikh families in Pakistan being driven out of their homes and being subjected to Jaziya (protection tax imposed on non-Muslims under Shariah law) and other such impositions, the government of India has taken up with Pakistan the question of treatment of minorities with the government of Pakistan," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu [Images] Prakash said.
Reports from Aurakzai said Taliban had imposed Jaziya and destroyed the houses of 11 Sikh families who failed to pay the huge tax of Rs 50 million each till April 29, when the deadline expired.
Sources said that India has conveyed its concerns over the treatment meted out to Sikhs by Taliban in Pakistan's troubled Aurakzai tribal region, saying it was a 'serious matter'. The Pakistan government has the responsibility of ensuring safety and security of Sikhs, who are a minority community in that country, they said.

Avtar Singh Makkar, the president of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee [Images], seeking permission to visit the Taliban-dominated Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, to assess the condition of the Sikh families residing in those areas. Makkar's request comes in the wake of reports about the residences of Sikh families being razed for the non-payment of jazia -- the tax imposed on minority communities.
"We have also written to the Pakistan government to seek permission to visit these areas," Makkar told rediff.com.
He added that Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had also requested Dr Singh and Mukherjee to look into the issue of harassment of Sikh families by the Taliban in Pakistan.
"Badal sahib has requested the PM to give top priority to this matter and take it up with his Pakistan counterpart to ensure that Sikhs are not harassed by the Talibans or any other religious groups," the SGPC chief said.
The Taliban have reportedly levied a hefty tax of Rs 50 million on members of the minority community who are living in areas controlled by them.

Duminy scripts Mumbai win against Kolkata

2009-05-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

East London: JP Duminy smashed an unbeaten 52 off 37 balls to help Mumbai Indians carve an 11-run victory against a fighting Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League match here today.
Duminy hit four towering sixes and a four to propel Mumbai to 148 for six after skipper Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and elected to bat while Kolkata, despite Brad Hodge's brilliant 73 off 60 balls, could manage only 139 for six in their reply at Buffalo Park.

Duminy also stitched a 35-run partnership with dubutant Ajinkya Rahane (10) to hand Kolkata their second defeat in five days in the tournament.

Kolkata gave a good fightback to come close to achieving the target but fell to the bowling of Zaheer Khan who returned 3 for 31 while Graham Napier and Abhishek Nayar plucked one wicket each.

In their previous match, Mumbai had defeated Kolkata by 92 runs.

Duminy took charge of the proceedings when his team was struggling after star openers Sanath Jayasuriya (6) and Sachin Tendulkar (34) were removed by Knight Riders inside eight overs.

Kolkata pace spearhead Ishant Sharma started by conceding nine runs in the opening over but Ashok Dinda gave Knight Riders a big breakthrough in the fourth over.

IPL 2009 - Match 23: KKR vs MI Images

2009-05-01T10:26:00.001-07:00

Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (R) of Mumbai Indians walks back after getting out during the IPL T20 match against Kolkata Knight Rider at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009. Mumbai Indians have currently 61 runs for the loss of three wickets in ten overs.

Australian cricketer Brad Hodge (C) of the Kolkata Knight Riders celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of unseen Indian batsman Abhishek Nayar of Mumbai Indians during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009. Mumbai Indians are currently 90 runs for the loss of four wickets after fifteen overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first.

South African cricketer Jean-Paul Duminy (R) of the Mumbai Indians plays a shot as Kolkata Knight Riders wicketkeeper Horne Van Wyk(L) looks on during their IPL T20 match at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009.

Indian cricketer Ashok Dinda (C) of Kolkata Knight Riders celebrates after taking the wicket of Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya (L) of Mumbai Indians during their IPL T20 match at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009.

Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (L) of Mumbai Indians runs between the wickets during the IPL T20 match againist Kolkata Knight Riders at the Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009

Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya of Mumbai Indians plays a shot during the IPL T20 match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009.

India's Sourav Ganguly of Kolkata knight Riders looks back at his stumps after being bowled out during the IPL Twenty20 match against the Mumbai Indians at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009.

South African cricketer Horne Van Wyk (L) of the Kolkata knight Riders dives to successfully avoid being run-out by Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh (R) of the Mumbai Indians during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009.

West Indian cricketer Chris Gayle of Kolkata Knight Riders walks back after his dismissal during the IPL T20 match against Mumbai Indians at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009.

Mumbai Indians cheerleaders perform during the IPL Twenty20 match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders are currently 59 runs for the loss of two wickets after ten overs as they chase 149 runs to win

IPL 2009 - Match 21: DD vs DC:Images

2009-05-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist of Deccan Chargers looks to the sky during the IPL Twenty20 match against Delhi Daredevils at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009.

South African cricketer Dirk Nannes of Delhi Daredevils (C) is congratulated by a teammate after his dismissal of unseen Deccan Chargers batsman Australian Adam Gilchrist during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009.

Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma (front) of Deccan Chargers dives to make his ground during the IPL Twenty20 match against Delhi Daredevils at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009

New Zealand cricketer Daniel Vettori (R) of Deccan Chargers celebrates with teammates the dissmissial of Azharuddin Bilakhia of the Deccan Chargers during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. Deccan Chargers have scored 137runs for the loss of five wickets in 16 overs.

Barbados cricketer Dwayne Smith of the Deccan Chargers looks back to see if he is safe as Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik of Delhi Daredevils tries to stump him out during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. Deccan Chargers have scored 139 runs for the loss of five wickets in 16 overs

South African cricketer Dirk Nannes of Delhi Daredevils (R) is congratulated by teammate Sri Lankan Tillekaratne Dilshan (L) after his dismissal of unseen Deccan Chargers batsman Australian Adam Gilchrist during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009.

South African cricketer AB de Villiers of the Delhi Daredevils bats during the IPL Twenty20 match against Deccan Chargers at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009.

Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag of the Delhi Daredevils slams a shot from RP Singh of Deccan Chargers during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009

Tillakaratne Dilshan of Delhi Daredevils plays a shot against Fidel Edwards of the Deccan Chargers during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009.

Indian cricketer RP Singh of Deccan Chargers and teammates celebrate the dismissal of Delhi Daredevils batsman Virender Sehwag (R) during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. Delhi Daredevils won over Deccan Chargers by six wickets.

IPL 2009 - Match 22: RR vs CSK Images

2009-05-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

Indian cricketer Kamran Khan (R) of the Rajasthan Royals celebrates the catching out of Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel of the Chennai Super Kings during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. The Chennai Super Kings are 83 runs for the loss of two wickets in ten overs after the Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first.

New Zealand cricketer Jacob Oram (R) of the Chennai Super Kings plays a shot from Shane Warne of the Rajasthan Royals as wicketkeeper Mahesh Rawat (L) waits to make a catch during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. The Chennai Super Kings are 148 runs for the loss of four wickets in eighteen overs after the Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first.

Chennai Super Kings Cheerleaders entertain the crowd during the IPL Twenty20 match between the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. The Chennai Super Kings are 110 runs for the loss of four wickets in sixteen overs after the Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first.

Indian cricketer Suresh Raina of the Chennai Super Kings plays a shot against Australian cricketer and Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. The Chennai Super Kings are 93 runs for the loss of four wickets in thirteen overs after the Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first.

Rajasthan Royals team members celebrate the dismissal of Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden of the Chennai Super Kings during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. The Chennai Super Kings are 81 runs for the loss of two wickets in ten overs after the Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first.

Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel of the Chennai Super Kings plays a shot against the Rajasthan Royals during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. The Chennai Super Kings are 81 runs for the loss of two wickets in ten overs after the Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first.

India ill equipped to tackle terror, says US report

2009-05-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Washington: The Mumbai terror attacks have put the spotlight on how India's outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems are hampering the country's counterterrorism efforts, says a US State Department report.
"Although clearly committed to combating violent extremism, the Indian government's counterterrorism efforts remained hampered by its outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems," said the State Department's annual report on global terrorism released Thursday.
The Mumbai attackers appeared to have been well-trained and took advantage of technology, such as Global Positioning System trackers.
But "local and state police proved to be poorly trained and equipped and lacked central control to coordinate an effective response", said the report, exposing the inadequacies in India's counter-terrorism apparatus.
The Mumbai "attack was the most recent in a long list of lethal terrorist incidents" in India in 2008. But "none of the perpetrators of these attacks has yet been prosecuted", the report noted. However, in response to the Mumbai attacks, India's parliament has introduced legislation to restructure counterterrorism laws and proposed creating a National Investigative Agency to build a national-level ability to investigate and prosecute alleged terrorist activity, it noted.
Also in response to the Mumbai attacks, the Indian government amended some existing laws to strengthen the hands of security and law enforcement agencies in fighting terrorism.
Two themes have framed the public debate on the new legislation: states' rights vs. federal power, and civil liberties vs. stronger law enforcement powers, the report noted.

India is not safe for 2011 World Cup: Miandad told ICC

2009-05-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

Former captain Javed Miandad [Images] argued in International Cricket Council's [Images] recent meeting in Dubai [Images] that if Pakistan is unsafe to host 2011 World Cup matches, India is not a safe venue either.
Sources privy to the meeting that took place in Dubai last week said Miandad, now a director-general of the Pakistan Cricket Board, and governing council member Shakil Sheikh made a strong plea that if the ICC [Images] has security concerns about having the World Cup matches in Pakistan, the situation in India and Bangladesh is also not encouraging.
"They argued that the security situation in India had also not been very good in recent times and there was no guarantee it would not deteriorate in coming months while the situation in Bangladesh also remained uncertain," the source said.
The duo claimed that there are also doubts about India hosting the hockey World Cup or the Commonwealth Games [Images] in 2010.
ICC president David Morgan and CEO Haroon Lorgat told the PCB delegation, led by president Ijaz Butt, that apart from the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore [Images], financial reasons also played its part in the decision to move the 2011 World Cup matches from Pakistan.
"Morgan and Lorgat told the PCB delegation that the ICC had already suffered financial losses due to the late relocation of the Champions Trophy [Images] from Pakistan," one source said.
"They made it clear that because of the security situation the ICC was forced to move the Champions Trophy out of Pakistan after considerable delay which had already led to losses in earnings from the tournament," the source added.
The source disclosed that Morgan and Lorgat had told the PCB members that no executive board member is willing to play in Pakistan following the unprecedented attack on the Sri Lankan team.
"Morgan and Lorgat noted that such an incident had never happened in any country to any cricket team and it was a big setback for Pakistan cricket. They insisted the attack had changed the views of many ICC member boards who earlier were undecided about playing in Pakistan," the source said.

Jaguar Land Rover to hit Indian roads in June this year

2009-05-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Tata Motors-owned British luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is set to launch its premium brands in the Indian market next month, the company said in a statement Friday.
"We are delighted to be formally entering the Indian market, an economy which is still growing appreciably, and able to offer our premium products to a whole new group of customers," a JLR statement said.
"It is an important strategic move for Jaguar Land Rover and will enable us to realise our competitive potential in this significant market," JLR chief executive David Smith said in the statement.
In India the JLR's first showroom will open at Mumbai's Ceejay House in Worli in June. The import and sales will be managed by Tata Motors' newly-formed luxury car division.
Jaguar and Land Rover were acquired by India's Tata Motors from American carmaker Ford last March for 1.7 billion pounds (about $2.5 billion) The luxury cars will be imported by Tata Motors, which is also the manufacturer of the world's cheapest car - Nano, and will be sold through its sales and dealership network.
The initial lineup will include the Jaguar XF, Discovery and Range Rover models. The moves comes as a logical step for the automaker to tap into India's growing luxury car market.
"This is a natural move for both businesses and will allow Jaguar and Land Rover to establish a strong and deserved presence in India.
We are very pleased to provide the opportunity for Indian customers to access the premium products for the first time," Tata Motors managing director Ravi Kant said in a statement.
The India debut comes at a time when JLR, with production facilities at Halewood, Solihull and Castle Bromwich in Britain, has been hit by the recession in Europe and is seeking a 800 million pound rescue package from the British government.
The company, which has a workforce of over 15,000, has retrenched 450 workers this year and is looking at 198 voluntary retirements in its managerial team to cut costs.

Come Sept, Mobile number portability may only cost Rs 300

2009-05-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

Consumers may not have to pay more than Rs 300 to change from one mobile service provider to another while keeping the phone number intact, a facility likely to start from September 20.
"It will be one time cost for subscribers seeking portability but the charge is not yet finalised by the department of telecommunication and the telecom Regulatory Authority of India, on which they are working.
So far, it seems the charges would not be more than Rs 300 but this could be even below Rs 200," sources close to the developments told PTI.
Deliberations by the government is being carried out to keep cost and charges at a level so as not to discourage subscribers willing to change their service provider, an optional facility, and at the same time make the service providers a viable business model, they said.
The charge is directly linked to the number of subscribers, who would seek the change in service provider out of the total mobile user base of about 400 million.
The DoT has offered licence to Syniverse Technologies for north and western region and MNP Interconnection Telecom Ltd for eastern and southern region to rollout number portability across the country.
There is no comparable market in the 50-60 countries which has adopted number portability as the pre-paid subscriber base in the country is almost 90 per cent of the total subscriber base and has low average revenue per user.
"Majority of the countries had initially levied charge to mobile subscribers seeking to switch their service provides but five years later majority of them were forced to waive it and the same is paid by the winning mobile operator," MNP Interconnection Telecom chairman (designate) and president,Interconnection Solutions, Telcordia, Richard Jacowleff said.
Telcordia is a US-based telecom solutions provider and is the 74 per cent stake holder in Indian JV MNP.The combined investment in the first phase by MNP Interconnection Telecom and Syniverse Technologies is estimated to be $20 million for installing and managing number portability clearing house and centralised datacenter.Both the companies hope to launch the service on the same day -- tentatively September 20 for the first phase of launch.
However, that would be possible if telecom operators are also geared with the requisite upgradation of system for the new system, the sources said.In the first phase, the facility would be launched in the telecom cricles of Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Andra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharastra.In second phase, the service would be launched in the rest of the 14 circles would be within a year.Syniverse India operation head Sanjay Kasturia said global average seeking porting in the first year would be 3-4 per cent."We will keep our infrastructure ready for 15-20 per cent of total mobile user base initially and scale it up in accordance to the demand," Jacowleff said.

Dilshan half-century helps Delhi to victory over Deccan

2009-05-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

A half-century by Tillakeratne Dilshan steered the Delhi Daredevils to a six-wicket win over Deccan Chargers at Centurion as they joined them at the top of the Indian Premier League on Thursday.
The previously unbeaten Chargers scored a modest 148 for nine in their 20 overs and Sri Lankan Dilshan, who scored 52 not out off 46 balls, and wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, who made 41 off 30 balls, laid a solid platform for the run-chase.
Their fourth-wicket stand of 79 came from 66 deliveries.
Dilshan hooked West Indian fast bowler Fidel Edwards for six as the Daredevils won with eight balls to spare.
Earlier, Australian Dirk Nannes had hurled down his left-arm fast deliveries to great effect, undermining the Chargers innings from the outset.
The 32-year-old dismissed in-form openers Adam Gilchrist (8) and Herschelle Gibbs (0) in his first two overs to deal the Chargers a severe blow.
The Hyderabad side stuttered to 55 for four at the halfway stage, before West Indian Dwayne Smith provided some momentum with a powerful innings of 48 off 28 balls.
But Indian left-armer Ashish Nehra claimed two wickets in the closing overs, and there were two run outs, as the Chargers innings fell away.
Nannes picked up two for 16 in his four overs and was named man-of-the-match.
CHAMPIONS LOSE
In the second match of the double-header, the Chennai Super Kings beat champions, the Rajasthan Royals, by 38 runs.
Left-hander Suresh Raina ripped into the Rajasthan bowling in a top-class innings of 98 off 56 balls that carried Chennai to an imposing 164 for five.
Off-spinner Yusuf Pathan struck a quick blow when he bowled Super Kings opener Matthew Hayden for a single with his first delivery and finished with impressive figures of two for 17 in three overs. Munaf Patel took two for 25 and leg-spinner Shane Warne one for 24, but the rest of the Rajasthan bowling was unimpressive.
South African all-rounder Albie Morkel took the new ball for Chennai and claimed two for 16 in his first three overs to immediately restrict the Royals.
Ravindra Jadeja (37) and Pathan (20) took the innings forward with their busy innings, but Lakshmipathy Balaji had the dangerous Pathan caught at long-off to reduce the Royals to 86 for four after 13 overs.
Seamer Balaji then wrapped up the tail to finish with four for 21, the Royals being bowled out in the final over for 126 as Kamran Khan did not come out to bat due to an ankle injury.
The victory moved Chennai into fifth position, three points behind Delhi and the Chargers, while the defending champions slipped to sixth place.

Raina powers Super Kings past Rajasthan Royals

2009-05-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

A cracking 98 from Suresh Raina paved the way for Chennai Super Kings' 38-run victory over defending champions Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Centurion Park here Thursday.
The breezy 55-ball knock from Man of the Match Raina guided Super Kings to a challenging 164 for five in 20 overs in what appeared to be the repeat of 2008 IPL final. But this time, Super Kings avenged their loss as they restricted Rajasthan Royals to 126 runs in 19.3 overs with some good performances from bowlers Lakhsmipathy Balaji (4-21), Albie Morkel (2-21) and Jacob Oram (2-27).
The win was Super Kings' first in the IPL against Rajasthan Royals after having lost both their matches last year. The win was also Super Kings' first after three matches.
Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne's decision to field initially proved spot on. The maverick Warne introduced spin in the second over with Yusuf Pathan (2-17), who removed openers Matthew Hayden (1) and Parthiv Patel (3) in quick successions to leave Super Kings in trouble.
Raina and Badrinath (29) then got Super Kings back on track with their 67-run stand for the third wicket. Raina was in no mood to waste time and he set the tone of his innings by hitting Dimitry Mascarenhas for a six and four.
At the other end, Badrinath relieved the pressure off Raina and the duo picked Pathan for some special treatment. While Badrinath rotated the strike, Raina kept up his powerplay and hit 10 fours and five sixes during his stay.
Warne's 'wild thing' Kamran Khan was not in his element as Raina hit the youngster for one six and his captain Mahendra Dhoni (22 not out) hit two more in the same over.
Raina fell short of a deserving century while trying to hit Munaf Patel but scooped the ball to Graeme Smith.
Chasing 165, Rajasthan Royals faltered from the start and failed to get a good partnership. Ravindra Jadeja (37) played a lone hand but that was not good enough to take his team closer to a win.
Super Kings' bowlers were disciplined in their performance and Morkel got some good swing with the new ball. He picked up Graeme Smith (2) and Swapnil Asnodkar (10) while Balaji wrecked the middle-order.

A.R. Rahman, Nandan Nilekani on Time 100 list

2009-05-01T09:12:00.001-07:00

Oscar winning Indian music director A.R. Rahman of 'Slumdog Millionaire' fame, his Sri Lankan co-performer M.I.A. of the hit 'O Saya' song and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani have made it to the Time 100 list of the World's Most Influential People.
The new list to be published in the May 11 annual Time 100 issue is the pick of the magazine's editors and may not be confused with the popular choice in TIME.com's online poll that 'just happened to be' won Monday by 'moot - the mysterious 21-year-old creator of the influential Web message board 4chan.or'.
'In our annual TIME 100 issue, we do the impossible: name the people who most affect our world,' said the editors as they relegated moot to the 35th position and instead chose ailing Democratic senator Edward Kennedy for the top spot.
British premier Gordon Brown makes it to the second spot, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in the eighth place, Pakistan army chief Ashfaq Kayani is sitting pretty at the 19th position, just a spot ahead of President Barack Obama.
A.R. Rahman, who gets the 59th position in the editors list, 'won two Oscars, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for giving Slumdog Millionaire its frenetic sound', notes Padma Lakshmi actress, author and the host of 'Bravo's Top Chef', in an accompanying piece.
'In India, a country of a billion inhabitants, where film and pop music are one, A.R. Rahman, 43, dominates the music industry so totally that he has supplied the sound track for a whole generation,' she writes.
'A veritable Pied Piper, he has shaped modern India's music for more than a decade. Now the 'Mozart of Madras' has the world's foot tapping along with him,' adds Lakshmi, noting the award winning 'Jai Ho' is now the campaign song for India's Congress Party.
Vikas Swarup, the author of the novel 'Q&A' that became the Oscar-winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire', describes Nandan Nilekani, placed 31, 'as a middle-class kid from a small town, (who) rose to become a co-founder and co-chairman of Infosys Technologies and a key player in India's growth story'.
'In a blog post about 'Slumdog Millionaire', Nandan Nilekani alluded to the film's valuable subtext - that it doesn't matter where you come from, only where you are headed,' he writes. 'That could serve equally as an epigraph for Nandan's own life.'
'As the new India, fuelled by its robust democracy and favorable demographics, seeks to make the transition from a developing nation to a developed one, it will need the vision and talent of people like Nandan Nilekani,' Swarup adds.
The great thing about M.I.A., as Maya Arulpragasam placed 43rd is known, 'is that she doesn't have some global plan', writes producer director Spike Jonze.
'She just has things she cares about and is interested in, from all over the world... She reacts to whatever is in front of her: 'Those are booming Indian drums', 'That is a dope producer', 'Those kids are making sick beats'.'
'And she has great taste. Anyone can hear all this stuff, but to be able to
curate it, you have to have taste, and Maya Arulpragasam, 33, has it,' he adds.

Now, Gilani sees "foreign hand" behind Karachi violence

2009-05-01T09:11:00.004-07:00

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the involvement of a foreign hand in the recent spate of violence in Karachi could not be ruled out.
Addressing media persons here, Gilani said the government is committed to take stern action against anybody who challenges the writ of the country and is involved in violation of the law.
"All institutions in the country are strong and working within their constitutional frameworks," The News quoted Gilani, as saying.
At least 27 persons have been killed and over 30 were injured in continuous incidents of violence over the last two days in Karachi.
Several hotels, restaurants and vehicles were also torched in different parts of the city.
The violence and an unending process of firing had erupted in the city after two activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were found shot dead.

Varun unhurt as dais collapses in Pilibhit

2009-05-01T09:11:00.003-07:00

A dais that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi was standing on collapsed Friday in his Pilibhit constituency in Uttar Pradesh, but he did not suffer any injuries, police said.
'The four-feet high dais collapsed just before Varun was about to start his public address in the Bithaura area of Pilibhit,' additional superintendent of police D.K. Chaudhary told IANS on telephone. Pilibhit is about 250 km from Lucknow.
The stage prepared by party workers could not bear the load of around 15 people who had climbed on it, he said. According to police, no one was injured in the incident.
The Supreme Court Friday extended Varun Gandhi's parole till May 14, one day after balloting concludes in India's five-phase general elections.
He was charged under the National Security Act by the Uttar Pradesh government and arrested March 28 for reportedly making communally inflamed remarks. The Supreme Court had released him on two weeks' parole till May 1 after he gave an undertaking that he would not deliver hate speeches.

West Bengal lagging behind due to Left policies: PM

2009-05-01T09:11:00.001-07:00

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said West Bengal was 'lagging behind' in development due to the policies of the state's ruling Left Front.
Addressing a rally in Dumurjala in Howrah, on the outskirts of the city, the prime minister said: 'West Bengal lags behind because of the Left's policies.'
He also said the time for change had come. 'Paschim Bangal mein badlaav ka samay aa gaya hai. Industrialisation zaroori hai. (The time has come for a change in West Bengal. Industrialisation is necessary),' he said, but added that such development should not come up on fertile land.
The prime minister also said incidents like Singur and Nandigram 'should not be repeated'.
He was referring to Tata Motors being forced to shift its Nano plant from Singur in West Bengal to Sanand in Gujarat following sustained protests by anti-land acquisition groups in this state. The state government was also forced to shift the Nandigram SEZ project after massive protests over procuring fertile land for setting up a hub of chemical industries.
Manmohan Singh also charged the Communists with helping the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections by dividing the secular votes.
'Their stand on a lot of issues have not kept pace with time... I advise them to change their thoughts to remain on par with the needs of the time.'
The prime minister regretted that the Left voted along with the BJP against the trust motion in parliament last year.
'In a way they are helping the BJP in these elections by dividing the secular votes,' Manmohan Singh said.
He also said the Third Front, led by the Left parties, had no chance of coming to power. 'The Third Front parties do not have any programme. They don't have any long term vision for the country's development. Their single point programme is to thoughtlessly oppose every work done by the Congress.'
Manmohan Singh was on a day's visit to the state to campaign for alliance partner Trinamool Congress candidates.

SC lifts stay on Gujarat riot cases

2009-05-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

The Supreme Court on Friday lifted a stay on the trial of 2002 Gujarat riots cases and directed the authorities concerned to set up fast track courts and conduct hearings on a day-to-day basis. The apex court ordered the setting up of designated courts for riot cases in Ahmedabad, Anand, Sabarkanta, Mehsana and Gulbarga districts.

Images: Kings XI Punjab Vs Mumbai Indians

2009-04-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

In a low scoring match Kings XI Punjab overcame Mumbai Indians by three runs at Durban.Team Mohali who chose to bat after winning the toss were restricted to 119 but did well to take the fight back to the Mumbai Indians.Take a look.

Indian cricketer Karan Goel of Kings XI Punjab looks back towards his shattered wicket after being stumped by Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper Pinal Shah of India during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009.

Indian cricketer Karan Goel of Kings XI Punjab overbalances in front of his shattered wicket after being stumped by Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper Pinal Shah of India during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009.

England cricketer Ravi Bopara of Kings XI Punjab walks off the ground as Mumbai Indians fielders celebrate his dismissal during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009.

Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya of Mumbai Indians celebrates after taking the wicket of Kings XI Punjab's batsman Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kings XI Punjab scored 119 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their alotted 20 overs.

Yuvraj Singh of Kings XI Punjab watches the ball during the IPL Twenty20 against Mumbai Indians at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kings XI Punjab scored 119 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their alotted 20 overs.

Indian cricketer Wilkin Mota of Kings XI Punjab is clean bowled by Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga of Mumbai Indians during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009.

Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga of Mumbai Indians celebrates his wicket of Indian cricketer Piyush Chawla of Kings XI Punjab during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009.

Irfan Pathan of Kings XI Punjab shouts in joy with teammates after dismissing the Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya of Mumbai Indians during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009.

Sachin Tendulkar of Mumbai Indians leaves the ground after losing his wicket off bowler Vikramjeet Malik of Kings XI Punjab during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009.

Royal Challengers vs Knight Riders: Images

2009-04-30T11:09:00.000-07:00

New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum (C) of Kolkata Knight Riders and South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher of Royal Challengers Bangalore (R) watch the ball after playing a stroke off the bowling off England bowler Kevin Pietersen (L) of Royal Challengers Bangalore during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kolkota Knight Riders are 59 runs for the loss of three wickets in ten overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.

New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum of Kolkata Knight Riders walks off the field after his dismissal during the IPL Twenty20 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kolkota Knight Riders are 59 runs for the loss of three wickets in ten overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.

West Indian cricketer Chris Gayle of Kolkata Knight Riders hits a ball to the boundary during the IPL Twenty20 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders are 62 runs for the loss of three wickets in ten overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.

England cricketer Kevin Pietersen (L) of Royal Challengers Bangalore delivers a ball to an unseen West Indian batsman Chris Gayle of Kolkata Knight Riders during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders are 59 runs for the loss of three wickets in ten overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.

Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly of Kolkata Knight Riders walks off the field after his dismissal during the IPL Twenty20 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders are 71 runs for the loss of four wickets in twelve overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.

Australian cricketer Brad Hodge of Kolkata Knight Riders (L) watches a ball delivered by Indian bowler Pankaj Singh of Royal Challengers Bangalore during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders are 96 runs for the loss of four wickets in 15 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.

South African cricketer Mark Boucher (C) of Royal Challengers Bangalore plays a shot against Knight Riders during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Royal Challengers Bangalore won by five wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders.

South African cricketer Mark Boucher (C) of Royal Challengers Bangalore hugs team captain Kevin Pietersen of Britian to celeberate victory after hitting a winning shot off West Indies spinner Chris Gayle of Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Royal Challengers Bangalore won by five wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders.

South African cricketer Roelof van der Merwe of Royal Challengers Bangalore plays a shot against Knight Riders during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Royal Challengers Bangalore won by five wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders.

South African cricketer Mark Boucher (C) of Royal Challengers Bangalore hugs teammate Manish Pandey of India as they celebrate victory after hitting a winning shot off West Indies spinner Chris Gayle (R) of Kolkata Knight Riders during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Royal Challengers Bangalore won by five wickets.

India Inc freezes hiring but no layoffs amid downturn: PwC

2009-04-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

New Delhi: Grappling with the economic downturn, most Indian companies have frozen their hiring plans for the short term, even as majority of them still rule out layoffs as a way of controlling costs, a PwC survey released on Thursday said.
Over three-fourth (76%) of the respondents are reviewing their recruitment strategy to manage their costs in these unprecedented times, the survey by global consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed. The report stated that most companies have frozen or deferred hiring and are adopting a "wait-and-watch" policy.
However, most companies are shying away from employee layoffs as a way of controlling costs, with as much as 84% of the respondents voting against it. The survey, carried out across 12 sectors and over 100 respondent companies, found that the IT/ITes sector is severely conservative in its hiring plans, with 84 per cent firms stating they have put a freeze on recruitment.
Moreover, about one-third of Indian companies (35%) revealed they have frozen salary increments for the coming year and are reducing bonus or variable pays.
"Most companies in India are gearing up for tough times but are avoiding knee-jerk reactions, employers are uncertain about the extent, duration and depth of economic slowdown and the timing of a recovery," PwC India leader (People and Change Practice) Sankar Ramamurthy said.The Banking, Financial services and Insurance sector (BFSI) is among the worst hit, with more than half of the respondents focusing on recruitment freezes in the wake of the economic downturn.
Interestingly, a smaller number of companies, about 21% in the financial services sector, have also admitted to considering layoffs, even as 43% mentioned selective hiring plans.
Other sectors which have put a freeze on their recruitment plans include FMCG (70%), Manufacturing (63%), BFSI (57%). Meanwhile, retail is another sector which has been badly hit by the slowdown with the major growth plans witnessing a setback and respondents from the sector were not averse to resorting to layoffs if other actions proved insufficient.
Further, smaller firms with employee strength of less than 100 are focusing on selective hiring for critical positions only.
As per the PwC report, the top three focus areas which are being addressed by most companies during the downturn are recruitment, employee policies and compensation.
The PwC survey also revealed that about 70 per cent of the companies were making changes to their compensation policy and the same percentage have revised their employee policies and practices.
A significant majority of companies plan to re-deloy their workforce to businesses that are relatively better off.