INTERNATIONAL

India, Russia agree to double trade in three years

NEW DELHI: India and Russia on Tuesday agreed to more than double their trade to 10 billion dollars by 2010, for which the two countries will consider opening markets by a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement.

"If we grow by 30 per cent per year, we might achieve the trade figure of 10 billion dollars by 2010," Russian Prime Minister Victor A Zubkov said at the meeting of the India-Russia Forum on Trade and Investment (IRFTI) in New Delhi.

Earlier in the day, Zubkov discussed with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the potential to double bilateral trade within the next three years by enhancing cooperation in areas of oil, gas, mining, technology, transport and energy.

Zubkov addressed the forum meeting organised jointly by industry bodies FICCI and CII. (PTI)

Maharashtra jittery over Raj ’s likely arrest

Mumbai/New Delhi: Entire Maharashtra remained on tenterhooks throughout on Tuesday over the probable arrest of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, with security forces on a high alert amid sporadic violence in parts of the state.

State Director General of Police (DGP) P.S. Pasricha said investigations in the case against Raj Thackeray, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's estranged nephew, were "still continuing."

He was referring to the suo moto case filed by the Mumbai police against Raj Thackeray for promoting enmity between two ethnic groups by using invectives and provocative language against north Indians. A similar case was also filed against Samajwadi Party state chief Abu Asim Azmi.

Pasricha reiterated the government's stand that it was the "duty of the police to safeguard and protect the north Indians". (IANS)

Ban on poultry

Kolkata: With the situation in birdflu-hit districts of West Bengal improving, the state government has decided to withdraw the ban on sale and transport of poultry and poultry products from tomorrow even as fresh deaths of chicken was reported from Jalpaiguri district.

It was decided to lift the ban, imposed on February 5, from Wednesday after a high-level meeting, Animal Husbandry minister Anisur Rahaman told reporters on Tuesday. (PTI)

Violence by MNS supporters spreads
Anti-north campaign

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Government on Tuesday appeared edgy in arresting Raj Thackeray as violence spread beyond Mumbai to more cities including Pune and Nashik with his supporters intimidating North Indian migrants and stoning public transport buses.

As tension gripped the State, a day after a FIR was filed against the Leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena(MNS), the Centre took no chances and was rushing more paramilitary forces to the country's commercial capital.

Director General of Police PS Pasricha said incidents of stone pelting were reported from Aurangabad, Latur, Jalna, Beed,Nashik and Pune but described them as ordinary in nature.

Police had registered cases against both Raj and Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi for "inciting" people and "promoting" enmity between groups. Yesterday, a top police official said that once the FIRs have been registered the arrest will have to be carried out some time or other.

In Mumbai, several shops downed shutters in Lower Parel, Worli, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli and Bhandup areas, anticipating trouble in the event of Raj's arrest.

In Nashik, where MNS has some presence,there were reports that some north Indian migrants had left the town by trains after attacks on fruit vendors and stone pelting of buses.

"We have made 82 preventive arrests, most of them are activists of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena," Police Commissioner, S M Sayyad said. He said the situation was now peaceful and under control.

In Mumbai, there was a strong police presence around the Dadar residence of Raj whose spokesman Shishir Shinde told PTI that there was no question of the MNS leader seeking anticipatory bail. Azmi presented himself before the police for them to arrest him but they declined for the moment.

On the issue of arresting the two leaders, DGP Pasricha said, "We cannot work with a foregone conclusion or with prejudice. I can assure that the cases will reach their logical end in a matter of days, not months."

Police said 16 cases were registered across the state (excluding Mumbai) for the fresh violence in which 39 people were arrested.

An additional 143 were detained as a preventive measure, he said.

Tension prevailed in Pune following sporadic incidents of stone-pelting in some parts of the City. (PTI)

Cross donation of kidneys brings smiles to 2 families

Balasore: Two women in Orissa -- one Hindu and another Muslim -- have opted for cross-donation of kidneys to save the lives of each other's husbands, setting an example of communal amity.

The kidney transplant restored joy to two families by saving the lives of Harekrishna Bhanja (48), a lawyer from Soro near here, and Mohammed Sayed (50), a shopkeeper in Cuttack.

Bhanja was suffering from kidney failure for the past one year and was on dialysis.

He was helpless as doctors found that none of his close family members had the same blood group as his.

The surgeries were performed successfuly in the last week of January at the hospital and Bhanja was discharged from the ICUon Monday, Roy said.

When it became difficult for the patient to get a suitable kidney for his survival, Deepak Sankar Roy, chief nephrologist of Manjulaben Kidney Hospital here, came to his rescue.

Roy persuaded the two couples who were facing the same problem of kidney transplantation.

Sayed's wife Saira donated her kidney to Bhanja, whose wife Kalpana in turn donated her kidney to Sayed, Roy said.

The surgeries were performed successfuly in the last week of January at the hospital and Bhanja was discharged from the ICU Monday, Roy said.

While Bhanja would have to remain in hospital for a few more days, Sayed has already been discharged, hospital sources said adding the patients as well as donors were in good condition.

Roy, who hails from Bhadrak, said "it was due to the grace of the almighty that the lives of two persons could be saved as their problems could be addressed at the right time."

The blood groups of both the donors were found to be matching with the respective recipients, he said. (PTI)

India’s forest cover stable at 20.6 pc

New Delhi: India has not lost much of its forest cover since 2002. It stands at 20.6 percent of the country's total land area, the Forest Survey of India (FSI) said here on Tuesday.

Releasing the latest State of Forest Report (SFR), Director of FSI Devendra Pandey said only 0.11 percent reduction in forest cover has taken place since 2002, "which means India's forest cover has remained more or less stable".

The survey report is dated 2005, and covers changes in forest cover between 2002 and 2004.

The main losses to forest cover, according to Pandey, were due to the December 2004 tsunami that devastated large tracts of forests in the Andamans, and also due to submergence of forest areas when large dams were built in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Pandey said that very dense forests cover 1.66 percent of India's geographical area, moderately dense forests cover 10.12 percent and open forests 8.82 percent.

Very dense forests have a canopy density of over 70 percent, moderately dense forests have 40-70 percent and open forests have less.

According to the 2005 report, Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under forest cover - 7.6 million hectares, which is 11.22 percent of the country's forest cover. Other states with large forest cover are Arunachal Pradesh (10.01 percent), Chhattisgarh (8.25 percent), Orissa (7.15 percent) and Maharashtra (7.01 percent).

The northeastern states have a quarter of the country's forests though they constitute less than seven percent of the country's geographical area, Pandey said.

The report points to one major area of concern - the government's own policy says the country's 124 hill districts should have at least two-thirds of their area under forest cover. However, only 38.85 percent of the area of these districts is under forest cover. Even if one excludes areas at an altitude above 4,000 metres - where trees do not grow - the percentage goes up only to 52.4 percent.

The country's 188 districts with tribal majorities have done better, with 36.81 percent of their areas under forest cover. These districts account for around 60 percent of India's forests.

Pandey said India has 0.44 million hectares covered by mangroves, nearly half in the Sundarbans of West Bengal, followed by 21 percent in Gujarat and 14 percent in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

He expressed concern that the next SFR would show a major decline in forest cover in the northeastern states due to the ongoing flowering of bamboo in parts of the region. Bamboo flowers once every 50 years, after which the existing plant dies.

The report shows that apart from forests, another 9.17 million hectares - 2.8 percent of India's total area - is under tree cover.

The total volume of wood in the country is estimated at 6.22 billion cubic metres, of which 4.6 billion cubic metres falls within the forests. (IANS)

SHILLONG: With barely three weeks left for the elections, Opposition parties and two allies of ruling MDA coalition have declared their opposition to uranium mining in the State.

SHILLONG: Come elections and the issue of dual voters along the Assam--Meghalaya border rarely fails to escape any political party's attention. This time round the BJP has come out with a serious allegation against alleged attempts by "subversive elements," possibly backed by the Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan, to use dual voters to disturb the electoral processes in three northeastern states.

Shillong: UDP candidate from Sutnga-Shangpung constituency Richard Sing Lyngdoh was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly coercing voters to vote in his favour in the coming Assembly poll. Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Mukesh K Singh said Mr Lyngdoh was arrested after an FIR was lodged against him and his brother for criminal intimidation. Police also arrested Mr Lyngdoh's brother, Denial Lyngdoh, on Monday for assaulting one Jesban Chyrmang after he raised question on his voting rights. Mr Lyngdoh along with his brother allegedly coerced voters of Sutnga village to cast their votes in his favour on February 9 last.

Shillong: The NCP Shillong City Youth Wing in its emergency meeting here on Tuesday appointed Pynjanai S Warjri as its new vice president in place of Emlang Shabong who resigned from the party recently. The meeting also appointed two new executive members - Samlang Warjri and Bankitbok Diengdoh to the party's city young wing.

Shillong: "Ka Jingkhawai Ki Jingrwai Shem Mynsiem Volume-1", a collection of selected hymns from the hymnal of the Church of God (Meghalaya & Assam) was produced by the Jingiaseng Samla of the Church of God, Nongthymmai-Pohkseh in the form of DVD and VCD.

India used to pride itself on the abundance of human talent in the country, which made it go great guns in the information technology industry. But that, alas, is no longer the case. With rising wages and a shallow pool of skilled labour, information technology and business process outsourcing (BPO) are not so well placed any longer. The IT industry, which was booming, is for the first time retrenching employees. IT companies report that they have to interview an average of 14-15 candidates before they find someone who fills the bill. Previously, they had to screen just two or three before selecting the right person. Fresh talent is tapering out. Doubts have arisen about whether India can grow into a knowledge hub during this century. HRD managers in the industry blame it on the stagnation of higher education in the country. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has responded to the challenge by throwing up the idea of forming Social Development Zones (SDZs). The concept had, of course, been mooted by experts earlier. The SDZs will focus on education, health and social uplift. The 11th Five Year Plan has on the drawing board 30 new Central Universities , eight IITs and seven IIMs. Investment from the private sector is obligatory. The project is by no means adequate. The government has first to create an enabling atmosphere for higher education throughout the country. Official and bureaucratic controls have to be curtailed.

The National Knowledge Commission had suggested that India ’s unwieldy higher education system should be decentralised. Autonomy should be granted to colleges and universities. An Independent Regulatory Authority for Higher Education (IRAHE) should be set up on the lines of TRAI for the telecom sector. If the government were committed to big bang reform of education, these proposals would have been implemented. Besides, it is imperative that western institutions should be invited to supplement the national effort. Totalitarian China has done it in a big way. Globalisation in education should be easier in democratic India . But the snag remains in India ’s politics with its coalition problems. Add to that the vested interests crippling the higher reaches of academe. In such a context, one has to make do with marginal changes. SDZs are welcome even if they do not come up to the mark. At least, the brain drain will be largely reversed. A talented student will not have to go abroad to improve his skills. SDZs at home will meet the requirement significantly.

GUWAHATI: Panic has gripped the employees and their families of the 275 MW Kopili power project of NEEPCO located near Umrangshu in insurgency-ravaged North Cachar Hill district of Assam in the wake of Monday's militant attack on the convoy of employees of the power plant that left four dead and two injured.

Imphal: Five officials, including two Deputy Directors, of Minority and Other Backward Classes (MOBC) Department of Manipur were suspended for alleged misappropriation of funds meant for development of minority communities, official sources said on Tuesday.

Kohima: Police arrested four extortionists including a NSCN (K) cadre and seized an AK-47 rifle and ammunition from their possession at Dimapur.