Newsemail

Pune farmers plan a mall of their own
Traders and middlemen can’t dictate terms to formers and consumers. Prior to amendments to the APMC Act, farmers were obliged to sell their produce to APMCs. The middlemen who form the link between APMCs and the market will be no more.
Times of India 2nd Jan 08 Page-04

Change of Mid-Day Meal style leads to contempt of court
Supreme Court appointed special commissioners have slammed the lobbying by Members of Parliament (Thirty odd MPs) on behalf of biscuit manufacturers association to replace hot cooked meals with their 100 grams biscuit packs for more than 12 crore children in 9.5 lakh schools under the central government’s mid-day meal scheme.
The court in 2001, had ordered that all states should provide cooked meals instead of dry rations. In 2004 the court had reemphasized its earlier ruling stating “It is the constitutional duty of every state and union territory to implement in letter and spirit of 2001 ruling”
Times of India 2nd Jan 08 Page-07

Tamil Nadu court rules Muslim couples can divorce by mutual consent
A Chennai family court has granted divorce to Muslim couple after observing that Muslims on par with Hindus and other religions are entitled to divorce by mutual consent of spouses if they fail to carry out marital obligations.
Times of India 2nd Jan 08 Page-11

ISCE (Indian School Certificate Examination) syllabus changed
To make ICSE students better equipped for competitive exams and to acquire adequate skills, the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations has revised the syllabus from class IX (ICSE) to XII (ISC). The new syllabus will be implemented in 1500 schools across the country from the academic year 2008-09. The students of ICSE and ISC will face the 2010 March examination in the new syllabus.
Times of India 1st Jan 08 Page-05

Government of India is venturing to make film with Bollywood producer
The government of India has signed up with Bollywood producer for making a film on legendary freedom fighter Tatya Tope. The Rs.50 crore film, Tatya will be produced by Bollywood producer Feroz Nadiadwala and National Films Development Corporation on 50:50 partnership basis. P R Dasmunsi I&B minister said that the commercial release of the film on Tatya Tope was better than making a historical documentary which does not usually attract enough audience. The film will be directed by Vinay Shukla and is expected to be ready by Aug 15, 2008.
Times of India 1st Jan 08 Page-12

Communist leader Kerala Chief Minister and V S Achuthanandan trek to sabarimalai
The eighty five years old Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan trekked 3hours and 40 minute to reach the abode of Ayyappa the deity of Sabarimalai. Clad in his characteristic white kurta and dhoti, he trek to sannidhanam without a break.In the guise to monitor the situation he performed the pilgrimage successfully compromising the communist principle.
Times of India January 1st 2008 Page-11

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee changes the left order
Buddhadeb on 3rd day January 2008 made out a strong case for capitalist industrialization while speaking at the 42nd anniversary of the CPM’s Bengali mouthpiece Ganashakti. He says that left goal is to give human face to the market driven path. He said “so what is leftism to us? It is land reforms, compensation and rehabilitation for land losers”. He further declared much more is awaited in the coming Party Congress.
Times of India 4th January 2008 Page-11

All is not well in CPM politburo
Reacting to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb’s remarks on capitalist industrialization senior CPM leader Jyoti Basu said “Where is the confusion? I can’t understand. Our government is a provincial Government working in capitalist system our Party’s goal is thus to achieve socialism. But that is a distance goal.”
Then what is left for socialism and communist party, it is a Singur, Nandigram question and West Bengal ruling question?
Times of India 6th January 2008 Page-07

SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee) declares killers of former PM Indira Gandhi as martyrs
SGPC paid homage to Satwant Sing and Kehar Singh who assassinated former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on Oct 31st1984, at safdarjung road residence months after Operation Bluestar. Satwant Sing and Kehar Singh hanged to death on January 6th 1989. SGPC media manager Ram Singh said the SGPC had been remembering both Satwant Sing and Kehar Singh as martyrs of the Sikh nation. The SGPC is paying homage since the very first anniversary of their death. Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti said Sikhs never tolerate disrespect to their Gurdwaras.
Times of India January 7th 2008.Page-08

Zubin Mehta wants to give India a world class school of western music
Zubin Mehta, the greatest music conductor of our times. He has been the music director of some of the greatest symphony orchestras in Montreal, Los Angeles, Tel Aviv and Florence and has received numerous awards. Mehta’s initial music training came from his father Mehli Mehta who was the founder of the Bombay Symphony.”My dream is to set up a school of western music in the name of my father. We will bring musicians and teachers from abroad initially. We will then train our own set of teachers” Mehta told in an interview. He will perform four concerts while leading the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Mumbai in October to raise funds for the school.
Times of India January 1st 08 Page-13

Sweeping reforms and uniform curriculum in all universities in India: UGC
UGC is preparing to bring B and C grade universities on a par with A grade universities. It will be a joint effort of center, state and respective institution. The idea of common curriculum suggested by the UGC dates back to the NDA regime it further clarified. UGC has asked the curriculum review committee (headed by former UGC chair man Yashpal) to submit the report. Another major reform that the UGC is going in for is creating new universities from existing big once.
The academic and administrative reforms committee will look into matters of:
· Methodology for admission
· Credit/grading system
· Semester system
· Teacher assessment
· Examination/evaluation reforms
· Composition of university academic bodies like senate, syndicate and executive council
It is also looking into the appointment of vice chancellors and nominations to these academic bodies. It launches special drive to establish 370 educationally backward districts in the country. Looking for public-private partnership in higher education where private sector will finance higher education.
Times of India January 4th 08 Front page

Kiran Bedi’s NGO launches website
Kiran Bedi the first woman IPS officer of our country, who quit police service on January 3rd2008 by opting for voluntary retirement, launched a new website, http://www.saferindia.com/ The website is aimed at extending help to those who went to police stations but their complaints went unheard, unacknowledged or not registered.
India Vision Foundation an NGO started by Bedi along with her friends launched the project “Mission Safer India” will act as a bridge between complainants and police services to seek appropriate redress. It is expected to work as a pressure group to make the voice of the aggrieved heard. People can log on to the website and e-mail their complaint to the group which will forward it to the State police headquarters.
Times of India 4th January 2008 Page-11

After Queen Ahalya Bai now it is UP Chief Mayawathi renovating of Kashi temple
Ahalya Bai built famous Kashi Viswanath Temple in the year 1770-1780; the temple complex was measuring 2700 square then. Now after the lapse of 228 years the renovation and expansion work of the temple is initiated by U P Chie Minister Mayavathi.The renovation work of Tarakeswara temple which is adjacent to Kashi Viswanatha temple is also taken up and the two temples will be combined to form the expanding temple complex measuring 8500 square feet said Kashi Viswanath Temple Trust President and also Commissioner of Varanasi Division Sri Nitin Ganesh Gokarna.This expansion of temple complex allows the devotes to have more space for Kashi Viswanath darshan.
Vijaya Karnataka 14 January 2008&31 January 2008.

The first Governor of Indian origin in US
Bobby Jindal (36-years) was sworn in as the first (Louisiana state Governor in US) governor of Indian origin and youngest governor in the US on 14th Monday 2008. The sworn in ceremony was witnessed by his parents; immigrants from Haryana and his New Delhi born wife Supriya.
Most American media noted that he is the first governor of Indian origin in the US, but there was little commentary on his ultra-conservative political leaning and his conversion to Catholicism (he was a Catholic convert in his teens).
Louisiana’s principal newspaper the Times Picayune linked his inauguration to Makara Sankranti, the Indian harvest festival “representing a fresh start and the ascent of the sun in the celestial sphere” while hoping that it would provide an economic boost to the relatively poor state Louisiana.
One of the blogs head line that read “Does Louisiana’s new catholic governor spell hope for his Hindu homeland?” Most political commentaries lay in the prospects of Louisiana revival which Jindal has promised.
Jindal who became Louisiana’s health and hospital secretary when he was 24 years and was reported producing impressive results before he was appointed by president Bush to a federal position as an assistant secretary
Times of India 16th January 2008 Times global