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R E A D T H E N E E D
JKENG/2012/41612
Vol. 2 No: 126
Hilal Rather talks to Student Age in an exclusive in terview(CEO & MD Simula Group of Companies) .page 05
With religious exploiters
having a field day it is trag-
ic to see how sentiments of
people are easily exploited.
With many Swamis already
enshrined in the Hall of
Shame, it was now the turn
of some Molvis to enter the
Hall. In matters of passion,human beings are same, no
matter to which religion one
belongs to. It was heart
rending to see a self styled
religious preacher inKashmir resorting to activi-
ties which put humanity to
shame. With almost 500
girls staying in the centreopened by him, he played
his dirty game to the full. It
was shocking to read the
harrowing tales of lust and
depravation, let loose by thepreacher Syed Gulzar. H e
had named his room
Hujhra-i-Pak meaning
Place of Purity where he
seduced the poor girls. The
word Pak meaning Pure is
used and mis-used.
Sometimes it is used to
name a country and some-
times a place. In the end, we
get Gulzars who play with
our daughters renderingthem emotional wrecks.
The million dollar question,
how the police and the dis-
trict administration did not
suspect the working of sucha center in which 500 inno-
cent and pure girls were
housed. The matter needs to
be investigated thoroughlyotherwise some other
Hujhra-i-Pak will again
crop up somewhere in
which another sex maniac
in garb of religion will dothe same as Syed Gulzar
did.
RANASAHIB
Religious preachers or sex maniacs!ROHIT SINGH RANA
According to reports theTawi Lake will not be a real-ity in near future. The delayis manifold. Civil andmechanical works are yet to
be completed. The beautifi-cation of lake banks is stillincomplete because the landassigned for parks is yet to
be handed over to thetourism department.Whenever a beautificationor a project of such type asthe Tawi Lake is executed, itmust be completed on time.The work culture has to besuch that the funds or other
bottlenecks should not beallowed to hinder the
process of completion. Well,past experience shows thatno project has been complet-ed on time. Be it any Statesector power project or otherones, the delays have costthe State dearly. Even themuch hyped super specialityhospital is yet to be commis-sioned. Delays and costoverruns are routine inJammu and Kashmir. Withno provision to fix accounta-
bility at various levels, it is
unlikely that the situation isgoing to improve in nearfuture. It does not matter tothe State government
because money earned bythe tax payer of the countrykeeps coming in crores, soany delay or cost overrun
will not cause serious heartburn. Some slight reprimandcan be tolerated as the cor-ruption money is a great
balm on all wounds, howdeep they are and here theCentral Government willrebuke mildly. Not a big dealat all. The State is specialand the Government of Indiahas to perform its eternalobligatory duty to cater toevery whim of the State gov-ernment machinery. After allin 1947, the leadership of theState acceded to India. It hasto be kept in mind, that itwas a historical decisionwhose fruits whether welldeserved or not have to bereaped in full. So, noaccountability here, please!We have Anti CorruptionBureau, State AccountabilityCommission and now therecently commissionedChief VigilanceCommissioner. But theyhardly matter in the State.We should have a NonAccountability Commissionin place, then the peoplewill see how much busy theCommission will be. Havingsaid so, which is not alighter side of the situation
but a sad commentary on the
failure of executing machin-ery in the State; it is neverlate to reverse the trend. Butmere words here will notsuffice; a will to punish theguilty and fix responsibilitywill have to be put in placeif we want so called good
governance. Tawi Lake wasdream of many oldJammuites. They had seenvisions of it becoming areality in their life time. Butas reports suggest, the delayon the completion of this
beautiful project, means thatmany aspiring and hopefulsamong the elderly in theentire State will have died
before the lake becomes areality.The sadder part of the story
of Tawi Lake was not that itwas not conceived by anygovernment. It was sheer
pressure of the people whofloated this brilliant ideaabout one and a half decadeago in media. The idea ofhaving a lake, right in theJammu City fascinated oneand all. First, many noiseswere raised, then the Induswater Treaty provisionswere invoked against theidea. But when the Pakistaniside was comfortable withthe lake system, then aloneit was given some thought.But unfortunately, delay inits execution is not a good
prospect for the Jammuites.With Mansar and Surinsarmiles away and still un-developed and not connect-
ed with good roads the TawiLake would have enhancedthe beauty of the City OfTemples. The people can donothing but keep his fingerscrossed and wait for the his-torical moment when it
becomes a reality.
Tawi Lake: A distant dream?
BRIEFLY
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Omar attendsdinner hosted by PM
NEW DELHI: On the
invitation of PrimeMinister, Dr. Manmohan
Singh, Jammu and
Kashmir Chief Minister,
Omar Abdullah thisevening attended the dinner
hosted by the PrimeMinister on the completion
of the 4th year of the sec-ond term of the UPA
Government contd on page 2
Challan against Jan forthrowing shoe on CMSRINAGAR: In a surpris-
ing move PoliceWednesday produced a
Challan against former
policeman Ahan Jan in the
Court of Law for throwing
a shoe on Chief Minister
Omar Abdullh in 2010. The
accused booked under FIR
70/2010 under section
124A contd on page 2
NEW DELHI: Listing out the
achievements of nine years of
UPA government at the Centre,
Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh said
that next year they will report directly to
the people to seek a renewed mandate.
Starting on a philosophical note the PM
said, "UPA government has taken the
country forward but we have many
more miles to travel." Manmohan Singh
while unveiling UPA's report card
began with the achievements of his gov-
ernment on the economic front.
"The country saw an improved per-
formance of economy and inclusive
growth under our government. We are
the one of the fastest growing economy
in the world including the years wherewe saw a slowdown," he said. However,
he added that there was a period of
slowdown but he attributed it to a slow-
down of world economy. "Slowdown
was a global phenomenon," he said. The
PM stressed that inflation was coming
under control and that under UPA gov-
ernment a good record in rural growth
had been witnessed. contd on page 2
UPA Celebrates 4th Anniversary Of Its 2nd Avatar, Vows To Build Better INDIAPrime minister releases four years' report card, 8% growth possible if UPA is voted to power again
J
AMMU : Whilethe UPA counted
its achievements in
the nine years of its rule,Dr Rana said the gov-ernment was "mislead-ing" the people. "Theyare talking aboutachievements which is
actually portraying theirfailure. They talk about MNREGA
(Mahatma Gandhi National RuralEmployment Guarantee Act) without
mentioning that the gov-ernment has reduced
allocations for it and
there is a Rs.120 crorescam," he said.He alsoslammed Congress pres-ident Sonia Gandhi forcalling the opposition"obstructionist"."This is
an insult of parliamen-tary procedure if they call the opposi-
tion obstructionist. They are blamingthe opposition for Contd on page 2
Government misleading people: Dr Rana
JAMMU: On the eve of
fourth anniversary of UPA-
II, the State unit of
Bharatiya Janata Yuva
Morcha (BJYM) on
Wednesday strongly
Protested against the Scams
and the corruption of UPA
government and burnt its
effigy at Kachi-Chawani
Chowk. BJYM State
President Ravinder Raina
said that Congress led UPA
government destroyed the
nation by plundering
Nation's wealth and called
it as worst than the
Britishers. He said
Ministers in UPA govern-
ment and their family mem-
bers are involve d 'neck-
deep in corruption and
alleged that all the Scams
and Contd on page 2
UPA government worst than
Britishers - RAVINDER RAINA
(1)Internal security: (a)Situation in J&K has improved under UPA
(b)Militancy related incidents have witnessed a 10-fold decrease(c)In the last
four years,l ives lost in LWE-related incidents reduced by more than half
(2)NREGA(a)Every fift h rural household in Indiabenefits from the
scheme(b)Wages under NREGA have almost doubled(c)In 2012-13the scheme
provided employment to 4.8crorehouseholds
(3)Food security(a)Three fold increasei n food subsidy during UPA
tenure(b)Record production of foodgrains (c)Agriculture credit has increased
fivefolds(d)Stocks wereat record levels during theyear
(4)Health care:Absence of new endemic polio cases for last two years(b)Indians
areliving longer as lifeexpectancy has increased morethan f iveyears
(5)Social security for special sections :(a)Minorities are benefitting under
PM's 15-point programme(b)Growth rate of North eastern region is higher
than national average
(6)Education(a)Central universities increased from 17 to 44 between 2004
and 2013(b)9IITs added(c)10 crore school students r eceive mid-day
meals(5)Farmer welfare:(a)UPAhas been steadily increasing MSP
(7)IT and telecom:(a)Telephone density in rural areas has increased 25ties
during UPA regime
(8)City welfare and infrastructure:(a)There has been a ten-fold increase in
investment in road construction under UPA.
THE SALIENT FEATURES OF THIS REPORT CARD
SHOPIAN: Chief Minister,
Omar Abdullah Wednesday
predict ed overw helming
victory for his government
in 2014 General Assembly
Elections asking the people
to ensure permanent evic-
tion of the MLAs from
Legislative Assembly who
have remained away from
its proceedings and failed to
highlight public demands at
the right forum.
Addressing a largely attend-
ed public gathering at
Wathu in Shopian District
of South Kashmir, the Chief
Minister without naming
PDP said that had the Pen-
Inkpot (election symbol of
PDP) party's MLA of the
area advocated the issue of
compensation of land to its
young owner in the
Assembly, the youth would
not have to wait for the visit
of the Chief Minister to his
area to register his griev-
ance.
This, he said, in response to
the demand made by a
youth in the public meeting
in this regard before the
Chief Minister. Omar
Abdullah directed the con-
cerned to immediately
attend to the genuine
demand of the youth and
redress its grievance posi-
tively.
"You have not returned our
nominee from this con-
stituency but we have not
neglected Contd on page 2
KISHTWAR: Former
Minister and MLA
Inderwal Ghulam
Mohammad Saroori during
his 32nd day of continuous
tour to Inderwal
Constituency visited Poora
Chandali area of block
drabshalla.
While addressing general
public at Poora Chandali
area, Mr. Saroori listed var-
ious projects completed in
his constituency beside said
that the development of bad
pockets was being priori-
tized in both central and
state government policies
and several schemes have
been launched under vari-
ous sectors to achieve this
goal.
Mr. Saroori issued direction
to the Border Road
Organisation (BRO) for
early completion of widen-
ing of Thatri-Kishtwar-
Sinthan road at an earliest.
He asked the BRO func-
tionaries to speed up con-
struction of the culverts and
metalling of the road.
During tour, Mr. Saroori
visited various affected res-
idential houses and Govt.
buildings damaged due to
earthquakes and said that in
future professional archi-
tects and earthquake engi-
neers must be consulted to
construct buildings which
will be earthquake resistant.
Later Mr. Saroori listen to
the grievance of the people
residing Contd on page 2
Omar predicts overwhelming
victory in 2014 electionsSays performance of his government speaks louder
Saroori asks People to avail benefits of various govt. schemes
Manmohan Singh isthe Prime Minister, but
(he is) neither a leader
of the country nor the
leader of his wn party.
Singh's colleagues sit
with him in the Cabinet and look
towards the UPA chairperson (Sonia
Gandhi) for directions. Such a split
leadership is the biggest failure of
UPA," (Sushma Swaraj)
Its a black chapter inIndian history. Duringthese four years, nationwitnessed record break-ing corruption, scams,scandals, weak kneed
foreign policy and soft pproach towardsthe anti-nationals The PM should becalled as Mouni Baba as he is keepingeyes, ears and nose closed which isindeed very unfortunate for the coun-try.(Jugal Kishore BJP President JK)
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CONTDSTUDENT AGE
THURSDAY, MAY 23, 20132
UPA CelebratesSounding optimistic he said,
"GDP in 2013-14 will be
better than 2012-13. It could
exceed 6%." "We are target-
ing 12% agricultural
growth," he said, adding, "If
UPA returns to power next
year than it will achieve a
target of 8% growth as pro-
jected in the 12th plan docu-
ment." He further said,
"Government is committed
to food security, food sub-
sidy three times" On the
issue of coal blocks and
spectrum allocation the PM
said, "Root cause of per-
ceived problems in coal
block, spectrum allocations
has been addressed and
more transparent systems is
being put in place."
"Improprieties in coal block,
spectrum allocations are
being investigated and cul-
prits will be punished," h e
added. At the same time he
highlighted the achieve-
ments of UPA like the Right
to Information Act and the
passing of the Lokpal Bill.
Manmohan Singh also said
that that relation with the
world had improved under
the UPA rule. "Relations
with China show our ability
to manage difficult issues,"
he said.
He ended with a promise of
an "India where every citi-
zen can expect to live a life
of security and dignity."
"UPA government working
to realise the dream of an
economically resurgent and
socially just India," said the
PM.
Government mislead-
ingnot having the bills passed,
but who had the Rajya
Sabha adjourned when
Lokpal bill had to be
passed," he said."In the land
acquisition bill, Lok Sabha
leader of opposition Sushma
Swaraj made an extra effort
so that it can be passed, but
the government wants to run
parliament at its own condi-
tions," he said."As far as the
food bill is concerned, many
BJP-ruled states already
have food security bill
which is better than central
draft. They are suddenly
remembering food security
bill when their ministers are
in trouble, when in 2010 the
Supreme Court asked the
government to distribute the
rotting grains, they chose to
give it out to the breweries,
but not the people," he
added.Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh
Wednesday released a report
on the achievements of the
UPA government on the
fourth anniversary of UPA-
II.Speaking at the function,
Gandhi said that crucial leg-
islations could not be passed
in Parliament due to princi-
pal opposition's "obstruc-
tionist approach
Challan against(Sedition), 447A (Trespass
in public premises) 352
(Assault on Government
Official) by police station
Shergari has been sent to
judicial remand till 28th of
this month.The Challan was
produced before Chief
Judicial Magistrate Srinagar.
State was represented by
Chief Prosecuting Officer
Iftikhar Ahmed while
Advocate Mudasir Gulzar
appeared for the
Counsel.State Counsel
informed the Court that
Ahad Jan has already been
in police custody for another
case. CJM Srinagar sent himto judicial Custody till 28th
of this month.The Counsel
for the accused, Advocate
Mudasir Gulzar told that he
was surprised by the move
of State. "Chief Minister
Omar Abdullah as well as
State had forgiven him for
his act in 2010 and still
today Challan was produced
against my counsel in that
case," he said.Pertinently,
Chief Minister had declared
amnesty for the accused
after the accused had plead-
ed for the same.
Saroori asksin the remote hilly area,
MLA conducted an exten-
sive tour of the remote vil-
lages of Kishtwar Tehsil,
where people projected their
demands and grievances
which were related to extend
road upto Nallah Chandali,Opening of PHC at Pora
Chandali, up gradation of
Middle School to High
School, augmentation of
drinking water supply
Pharan, Kakoli and
Chandali Nallah, strength-
ening of power infrastruc-
ture, streamlining of ration
supply, clearance of pending
widow pension and old age
pension cases, Construction
of road from Angara to
Chandali.
Mr. Saroori gave a patient
hearing and informed that
Government of India has
developed Centrally
Sponsored Schemes for all
sections of society particu-
larly BPL and Marginalized
and asked the officers to
expedite its implementation
so that the benefit reaches atgrass root level. He directed
the officers to strictly follow
the guidelines of CSS and
give benefit to people living
actually in far flung areas
beside assured that the
demands would be taken up
with the concerned depart-
ments on priority.
Sarpanches Mohammad
Aslam Saroori, Choudhary
Abdul Karim, Brig Lal,
Mohd Israeil, Panches, civil
society members, People in
large number and officers of
various department accom-
panied Mr. Saroori during
the said tour.
Omar attendsat the Centre. On the occa-
sion, a 'Report to the People'
on the work done by the
Government was also
released.
Omar Abdullah interacted
with the Prime Minister,
UPA Chairperson and vari-
ous leaders and exchanged
good wishes.
Omar predictsyou at all. We have ensured
your development at par
with other parts of the State
as equitable and holistic
development of the State is
benchmark of my govern-
ment", he told the public
gathering substantiating his
statement with facts and fig-
ures of achievements regis-
tered in the constituency and
the district during last four
and a half years of the gov-
ernance of his government.
Omar Abdullah said that
over Rs. 60 crores have been
spent in Shopian on the con-
struction and upgradation of
roads alone while fivebridges are under construc-
tion at a cost of Rs. 34.75
crores. He said three
schemes have been
approved under NABARD
at a cost of Rs. 6.57 crores
and Rs. 3.17 crores have
been released as mobiliza-
tion advance for these
schemes. He said 23 road
projects have been sanc-
tioned in Shopian District,
of which 21 have been com-
pleted and work on two
schemes is in full swing.
The Chief Minister said that
49 schemes have been taken
up under Public Health
Engineering programmes
and 16 have been completed
during the last three years
and eight schemes are tar-
geted for the current finan-
cial year.
Omar Abdullah said that a
modern Fruit Mandi, first ofits kind in Asia, has been
sanctioned for Shopian to
facilitate fruit growers and
traders associated with this
activity. He said Rs. 40
crores have been earmarked
for this market. He said a
modern Mini-Secretariat for
District Shopian is coming
up at an estimated cost of
over Rs. 40 crores. The
Chief Minister announced
Rs. 1.5 crore for the upgra-
dation of LT/HT lines in
Shopian. He also announced
a receiving station in the
area and Rs. 70 lakhs for
playground besides a mod-
ern Primary Health Centre
and PHE augmentation
scheme.
The Chief Minister said that
his government would con-
tinue to focus on redressingpublic grievances and
expanding the orbit of
development in all areas
during next one and a half
years adding that attention is
being paid on creating eco-
nomic activities by bringing
Shopian on tourist map. He
said construction of Mughal
Road has opened new vistas
of development and eco-
nomic welfare for this dis-
trict adding that the road has
helped a lot to fruit growers
to dispatch their produce to
Poonch-Rajouri belt hassle-
free.
Omar Abdullah said that this
all has been possible due to
peaceful atmosphere under-
lining tranquillity and peace
key to all round develop-
ment. He said "we have tried
to reach out all areas on
development front and
deliver positively and pur-posefully. We are not like
those who cover their eyes
with black glasses and
remain devoid of ground
realities. We are fully aware
of public difficulties and
their demands. We are keen-
ly addressing these and
making necessary dent
wherever required". He said
the performance of his gov-
ernment would speak loudly
and clearly for it.
The meetings was addressed
by Minister of State for
Animal Husbandry, Nazir
Ahmad Guraezi, Minister of
State for Technical
Education, Vikar Rasool,
MLA and Provincial
President NC, Kashmir,
Nasir Aslam Wani,
Legislator, Showkat Ahmad
and other local leaders.Earlier, the Chief Minister
inaugurated 50 MVA 132/33
KV Grid Station at Kanipora
with associated 132 KV D/C
L a s s i p o r a - S h o p i a n
Transmission Line involving
estimated cost of Rs. 17.52
crores. The commissioning
of Grid Station has energized
receiving stations at
Batpora, Gargan, Pinjura
and Choudhary Gund.
Another 33 KV Shadimarg
feeder presently under con-
struction will feed receiving
stations at Shadimarg,
Mittergam and Keller.
On reaching Wathu, Omar
Abdullah was welcomed big
enthusiastic crowd raising
slogans in his favour and in
favour of his government.
UPA governmentthe tainted Ministers are
being well guided and
patronized by the UPA
Chairperson Sonia Gandhi
and Congress Vice President
Rahul Gandhi. Mr. Raina
accused UPA-ii as the most
Corrupt government in the
history of independent
India. Expressing anguish
over the large scale
Corruption in the Congress
led UPA government Raina
said that Congress plundered
repeatedly plundered the
Nation through the unending
saga of scams, including 2G,
CWG, chopper deal, coal
report and the rail
Scam.Terming the UPA gov-
ernment as "the most corrupt
since Independence", the
BJYM leader said a series of
scams have surfaced since
UPA government took over
and "each new scam broke
the past record as theCommonwealth Games
scam had caused a loss of Rs
70,000 crore, the 2G spec-
trum scam led to a Rs 1.76
lakh crore loss and the coal
scam resulted in the "loot" of
Rs 1.86 lakh crore. Raina
said the youth of the nation
would never forgive
Congress and the allies of
UPA governmen t and would
through it out of power in
nest general election.
TransferI National Instion of tech-
nology R/O Miran Sahib
sold JK02K-8699 fromGharu Ram S/O Munshi
Ram R/O V.P.O Jassore R.S.Pura Jammu Objection if anyone may be conveyed to RTO
Jammu within 7 days.
TransferFlexij Gregory S/O K JGregory R/O 232 Fd
Regd.C/O 56 APOKaluchak sold JK02AR-
4277 to ASSTT.
COMDT.Rupinder SinghS/O Sohan singh R/O BSFACY T/PUR. Anybody hav-ing any objection may file
within
NEWDELHI: Twenty-two eminent
personali ties, including Jagadguru
Kripalu Parishat (JKP) Education
president Vishakha Tripathi, were
honoured here with the Rajiv Gandhi
Global Excellence Award.
Uttarakhand Governor Aziz Qureshi
Tuesday conferred the awards, insti-
tuted by Rajiv Gandhi Global
Excellence Award Foundation, on the
occasion of the 22nd death anniver-
sary of former prime minister Rajiv
Gandhi.
JKP Education president was hon-
oured for her "unparalleled work" in
the field of girls' education. JKP
claims that it is providing free educa-
tion to more than 4,500 girls from
primary to the doctorate level.
After receiving the award, Tripathi
said JKP Education had embarked on
the mission of opening a new man-
agement college to offer master in
business administ ration (MBA)
degrees.
"Underprivileged and deprived girl
students would get free top class
management education very soon,"
she said at the awards ceremony
organised at India Habitat Centre
here.
Other awardees included Saurabh
Garg whose efforts to create aware-
ness about thalassaemia and social
work was recognised.
Tariq Zafar, vice chancellor of Bhoj
University in Madhya Pradesh, P.C.
Pankaj, chairman of North Eastern
Electric Power Corporation, Keya
Seth, chairman Keya Aromatherapy,
and Syed Faisal Ali, group editor
Sahara Urdu, were among the
awardees.
The award, now in its 15th year,
recognises exceptional contribution
in the field of creative arts, journal-
ism, business, education, public and
social service.
JKP Education gets Rajiv Gandhi
Global Excellence AwardHYDERABAD: Higher education in
the state will change for good with a
massive syllabus overhaul for both
undergraduate and postgraduate courses,
the focus being on modernising educa-
tion in the state with the changing times.
From pure sciences to humanities and
social science subjects, syllabi will
change with effect from the academic
year 2015-16 and the process will begin
in a month's time, top higher education
officials said.
The syllabus change will go on for
around six months and interestingly, the
changes will be made in collaboration
with a team of highly-qualified subject
experts from top institutes in the coun-
try, including the IITs and IIMs, an offi-
cial said.
Officials at the state council said that a
syllabus revision is the need of the hour
as this has not happened in the state dur-
ing the last two decades.
"Our students are losing out on good
quality education as the syllabi had not
been updated since decades. The new
process will help AP students have a bet-
ter edge over those from other states," a
senior official of the Andhra Pradesh
State Council of Higher Education
(APSCHE) said. The syllabi change
process will be inaugurated by higher
education minister Damodar Raja
Narasimha, next month.
Currently, the syllabus does not have
paradigm changes in subjects. For
instance, in modern Indian thought, a
subject in social science section, the
content of most textbooks prescribed till
PG level ends with Mahatma Gandhi's
ideologues.
"After the Mahatma, there are several
political philosophers who had added to
Indian political thought. We need to
have a closer look at the syllabus to
understand the lacunae," said an official,
who is currently fixing subject experts
to look at various processes.
Similarly, in English Language and
Literature, the cutting edge theories of
criticism including structuralism, post-
structuralism and deconstruction are not
part of the syllabus, officials said.
In science subjects, most new scientific
developments after the 1980s are not
included. "There is a severe lack of
newer understandings of their subjects
among students. In states like Kerala
and Tamil Nadu, syllabus revision takes
place once in every five years. We are
way behind the game as far as syllabus
is concerned though our students are
bright," said an official at APSCHE.
In languages including Hindi, no mod-
ern or popular writer makes it to the syl-
labus even at the post-graduate level, an
official rued.
The process is being monitored by
APSCHE, the apex body for higher edu-
cation in the state. As per the new plan,
four subject experts will fix the syllabi
content after one month of deliberation.
The content will be an amalgamation of
most new theories and practices in the
field concerned.
UG, PG syllabus revamp on the anvilMetro construction workprompts Jamia to issue
advisory to applicantsNEW DELHI: Fearing that the Delhi Metro
construction in the area will create problems
and delays for applicants writing the various
entrance exams at Jamia Millia Islamia
University, it has issued an "advisory."
"Applicants must report to their
respectiveExamination Centre at least one
hour ahead of the commencement of their
Entrance Test in view of heavy congestion on
roads leading to the University. The
University will not accommodate late com-
ers," says the advisory. Jamia has also asked
applicants to avoid bringing personal vehi-
cles to the examination centre as there is
acute congestion and no parking facility on
campus. University authorities are also trying
to avoid crowding. "The parents/guardians
should no accompany the candidates to the
venue of the test. The University has many
applicants taking the Entrance Examination
and cannot accommodate parents/guardians,"
says the advisory.
AHMEDABAD: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi is set
to inaugurate Lakulish Yoga University, claimed to be the first
ever such private sector self-financed institution in the coun-
try, on May 23, at Ahmedabad, which has been set up by the
Surendranagar-based Life Mission Trust.
"Ours will be the first ever Yoga University in the country
which will award full fledged degrees after three years'
course," newly appointed vice chancellor of the university
Bansidhar Upadhyay said.
Admissions for six semester, three years' degree course will
begin on the same day of inauguration and academic session
is likely to start from June 15, he said.During the three years, degree course students will be taught
subjects of Ashtang Yoga, karma, knowledge, Bhakti Yoga,
philosophy, psychology, anatomy, ayurveda and naturopathy.
"We have appointed one professor and four lecturers for theo-
ry and two instructors for practicals," he said
First Yoga university in thecountry to come up in Gujarat
CHANDIGARH: Expect the result of Class
XII board exams of the Central Board of
Secondary Education (CBSE) "by the end ofnext week", said CBSE chairman Vineet
Joshi said. Sources, however, said the result
would be out around May 26.
This year nearly 17,500 students from the
Tricity appeared for Class XII board exami-
nations conducted from March 1 till April 17.
About 43% of this batch had skipped the
Class X board exams when given the option
of choosing school exams instead in 2011. As
expected, students are eagerly awaiting their
results.
"I have never felt this tense. I now wish that
had I given boards in Class X, I would havebeen better prepared to handle the results,''
said Ankush Rana, a non-medical student of
Class XII.
"I hope the CBSE declares the date of results
as it has become difficult to handle the anxi-
ety daily," said Rhythm Sharma, a commerce
student of Class XII.
The result is also much awaited by JEE
(main) candidates as for the first time their
admission to top institutes would depend on
their Class XII results.
Though the result for JEE (Mains) was
declared on May 7, no ranks were given as aseparate rank list for it would be declared by
July 7 for admissions to BE/BTech and
BArch/BPlanning in institutes other than
IITs. This list will be based on the J EE main
result with 60% of weightage, while Class
XII results would have 40% weightage.
This rank list would be basis for admission to
undergraduate engineering programmes at
NITs, IITs, centrally and state funded techni-
cal institutes.
"I am waiting for the rank list which will
only be declared after the Class XII results. It
will announce the toppers and thus decide theinstitution you will get admission into," said
Sidhdhant Arora, a non-medical student of
Class XII.
Along with students, their parents too are
tense. "The house was a battleground for my
daughter during examinations as she gave
board exams for the very first time. And now
with result dates nearing, her stress levels are
quite high," said Minakshi Dutta, a mother of
a Class XII student.
Class XII results by May-end: CBSE chairman
KOZHIKODE: Calicut University
is testing the waters in an attempt
for a radical overhaul of its existing
funding pattern by tapping private
donations and endowments to build
varsity infrastructure.
Marking a fundamental shift from
its existing funding mechanism,
where the government remains the
principle provider of funds, the uni-versity intends to open up new
funding channels.
The varsity has come up with three
mega projects worth more than Rs
23 crore for attracting funding from
corporates and philanthropists. The
projects include construction of a
new block for the school of man-
agement studies.
Signaling the first success in its
strategy, the varsity has secured
donation commitments running
over Rs 1 crore from a leading gulf-
based corporate house.
Varsity syndicate member T PAhmed said that a leading gulf
based group has expressed readi-
ness to sponsor one of the three
projects prepared by the varsity in a
meeting held recently. The universi-
ty intends to pursue private dona-
tions and endowments for projects
including setting up a new building
for commerce and management
studies at a cost of Rs 15 crore,
sports hostel at a cost of Rs 5 crore
and renovation of existing sports
facilities at Rs 3 crore.
"The corporate house expressed its
willingness to participate in thedevelopment of a project during a
meeting between top varsity offi-
cials and the corporate firm. Alumni
donations and endowments from
philanthropists and corporates are
areas uncharted for universities in
the state.
Calicut university will be the first
such varsity to take steps to raise
funds for development programmes
through donations, the detailed
framework of which will be final-
ized by the syndicate," syndicate
member T P Ahmed said.
Member of the syndicate R SPanikkar said the varsity should
take care to see that the funding
comes with no strings attached and
that it adopts a high level of trans-
parency in the process.
"There is nothing wrong if the var-
sity accepts donations which are
made as a noble gesture to a public
cause without any profit motive," he
said.
Prof K P Muraleedharan of the
department of commerce and man-
agement studies said though private
donations can be an alternate fund-
ing source for the varsity, the provi-sions of CU statutes and the overall
political climate in the state make it
nearly impossible for the varsity to
reciprocate to the donor with any
benefits.
Calicu t Universit to tap private donations for infrastructure development
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STUDENT AGE
THURSDAY, MAY 23, 20133 FACE TO FACE
FACE TO FACE WITH HILAL RATHER
ROH I T S I NGH RANA :
Mr. Hilal Rather, Tell us about
yourself and how you reached this
milestone in your life?
Hilal Rather: Basically, I am anengineering graduate from one ofthe most prestigious Engineering
colleges of the country-BIITS
Pillani. At BIITS, we were not onlytaught about the engineering but
about the development of manageri-al skills. How to take on the chal-
lenges in life was something that
was given top priority in the training
there. The focus was not on devel-oping table engineers but real prac-tical people who could solve prob-
lems on the spot. Naturally, it wasmy dream to put all I learnt at myAlma Mater into practice, in my
home State so that not only I couldget benefitted but many others too
would get benefit of my training and
skill.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA :
Hilal, You had a readymade field of
politics before you but why you did
not join politics and took to a risky
proposition of business which
could have been a slippery ground
for a novice like you?
Hilal Rather: You are correct, Icould have chosen politics but I didnot because to be fair to my father,
he always encouraged me to dowhat I liked. There was something
passionate in me that goaded me todo something different but notewor-thy. Business was one such field
where I could earn for myself and
help hundreds of unemployed buttalented young people find a
respectful job. There is always anurge in me to live for others so that
I make my life different from many.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA :
Establishing a call centre was like
going on a un- chartered course.
Nobody had done so in the State.
Why you chose in favour of estab-
lishing a Call center in the first
instant?
Hilal Rather: In 2002-2003 Callcentre business was one of the most
flourishing in the whole IT industry.India was at the forefront of this
revolution. Unfortunately, the Stateof Jammu and Kashmir was no wayon the IT revolution map, leave
alone call center or what we callBPO business. Here, I sensed some-
thing was amiss in our State.Having said earlier I have a rebel
instinct in me. I took in the plungeand today, we are running a classyand successful call center in the
entire State named SIMULA. Fromthen on I have never resented my
decision.
Secondly, I wanted to wean awaypeople from government jobs. If a
private business is run professional-ly it will provide a better alternative
to unemployed people from the
State.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA :
There is a widespread belief among
young people regarding call cen-
ters, is that they exploit and do not
offer much in return. What you
say, is it exploitation or employ-
ment?
Hilal Rather: Let me put therecord straight. Call centers orBPOs do not exploit people. In fact,the working hours are odd because
you have to fine tune your workhours with western or other coun-
tries. Call centers pay better andside by side different issues that
crept into BPO industry have beenaddressed.Coming back to your scathing
remark that is it exploitation oremployment, I will say it is an hon-
ourable employment with better
perks. At present there are morethan 700 employees working in
SIMULA. I do not think they areunhappy. You can check with myteam members or managers. We
have tried to make our employeeshappy which is the reason they are
here and enjoying working with us.
One thing that has kept SIMULA onforefront in the State is that weensure that our employees are paidwell and catered to mentally as well.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA :
As far as call centers are con-
cerned the attrition rate is higher,
what about SIMULA?
Hilal Rather: In every industrythere is an attrition rate. As far asBPO or Call centre industry is con-
cerned the national average attrition
rate is 12% but at SIMULA, wehave an attrition rate of only 5%. It
means SIMULA is able to keep itsemployees more than twice thenational average. I hope you will
appreciate it as no mean achieve-ment.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA :
What changes you have perceived
in the young people of J&K?
Hilal Rather; I have seen atremendous change in the young
people of the State. They have taken
to new technologies like a fish takes
to water. They are ready to work inchallenging environments and areinnovative. This has made my heartglad to see young men both male
and females taking on new chal-
lenges and enjoying working in acompetitive environment. Hats off
to them!
ROH I T S I NGH RANA :
What is your vision about the State
is it changing?
Hilal Rather: Definitely, it haschanged and it is now changing at arapid pace. The young men and
women from J&K visualize them-selves as equal partners in nation
building. Their approach is positive
and that is the reason many brightyoung people are qualifying civil
services. In industry, many newcomers are joining in hospitalityand other industries. These young
people have diluted the geographi-cal barrier of the State with rest of
the country. As an optimist ic I have
great future in sight for them.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA :
How have you made possible that
employees stay with you and do not
opt out?
Hilal Rather: As said earlier, Ihave a streak to keep my peoplewith me. They are my limbs and
bones, how can I part with them. At
SIMULA, we have devised a strate-gy of team work. But the leader has
to be one step ahead so that he caninspire. Hence, I am myself on the
productivity radar. I do not spare
myself. Besides your employees arenot machines, they are men in fleshand bone. You have to cater to theiremotional needs. This is precisely
the reason why at SIMULA , we
have a comprehensive recreationalprogrammes which addresses to the
emotional and entertainment needsof our employees.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA : Howdo you see Jammu and Kashmir as
a business platform?
Hilal Rather: Best in the world.If have good perspective, every-thing is virgin in the market. Peopleare best, enthusiastic, and willing to
take on challenges.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA : DoesArticle 370 become a deterrent for
industrialization of the State?
Hilal Rather: An emphatic no.It does not in any way effect JK asan Industrial prospect nor does it
stop any outsider to work here. The
State has some unique industriesthat are natural to it. Hospitality and
tourism industry has hugeprospects. Agro based and handi-craft industry is yet another vast
field. Industries do not mean smokespewing tall chimney factories.
There can be clean, silent ecofriendly industries including the ITindustry.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA : What
do you have to say about the cur-
rent education system of the state?
Hilal Rather: I think we need animprovement in the current educa-tional system. It is more theoretical
than practical. We need to increase
the managerial skills of the students,so that they are better equipped to
solve their problems.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA : You
are the son of the Finance
Minister, how does it help you?
Hilal Rather: Increases myresponsibility and makes me moreaccountable. Father has been a great
inspiration. He has allowed me myspace and for that I will be indebtedto him all my life. Being his son
puts me under more glares. Onesmall mistake will be taken to skies
by media persons like you. So beinghis son makes me more responsible.
I cannot risk his reputation.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA :
I remember that as Finance
Minister, Pranab Mukerjee would
ask his daughter what young men
needed most from the budget. This
was done to ascertain the wishes of
young generation in formulating
union budget. Does your father ask
you to give your opinion what the
needs of young people are before
he finalises his budget?
Hilal Rather: He has a good team
to look into every aspect of budget-
ing; besides it is top secret docu-
ment and he keeps silent on it.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA : How
you rate Chief Minister Omar
Abdullah's policy tenor as a ChiefMinister? How do you rate him
from 1 to 10?
Hilal Rather: I will give him
10/10 marks for his many initia-
tives. Given the financial crunch, he
has done a wonderful job. The new
recruitment policy will provide
employment to more than one lack
people in the state. Do you think
that this is an easy task? It's always
easy to criticize policies but difficult
to frame them taking in considera-
tion the larger interest of masses.
His stress on big companies to help
the unemployed in the state has
resulted into ambitious Udaan proj-
ect.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA : Do you
have any plans to join politics in
the near future?
Frankly speaking I don't have any
plans to join politics in future.
Politics has never been my forte.
There are many ways to serve peo-
ple definitely politics is one of the
ways. But for people like me busi-
ness if done with a humane heart is
also one of the ways to serve peo-
ple.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA : Who is
your ideal?
Hilal Rather: My father is my
ideal. He has been not only an inspi-
ration but a pillar of strength.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA : You
are also in the construction field,
buildings flats; tell us more about
SIMULA Constructions.
Hilal Rather: I travel a lot. I
have seen housing projects in
Dubai, London, Singapore etc. So Iwanted to develop an international
standard housing which could be
affordable too. Hence was born
SIMULA Constructions.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA : What
makes your housing projects dif-
ferent to others?
Hilal Rather: These flats are
spread over 2400 sq feet area.
Hence they are spacious. The con-
struction is able to with stand 7.6
Richter scale earthquake as our state
falls in zone 4 intensity earthquake
area. We have spent 440 rupees
more per square feet to make con-
struction safer. Large parking areas,
waste water management using
treated sewerage water for irrigation
and flushing, bio- degradable plant,
smart card system as well as intelli-
gent security are hall marks of the
projects.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA : What
is your goal post in life?
Hilal Rather: I want to see
myself a successful businessman
who makes the lives of his employ-
ees happy and comfortable.
ROH I T S I NGH RANA : What
is your message to the young peo-
ple of the State?
Hilal Rather: I will request
them to look to other avenues of
employment other than government
jobs. They are talented, so have all
the ability to open small scale busi-
nesses. They must become educated
and better equipped to face life. One
more quality that will see them
through is never say die attitude and
honesty. Leave rest in the hands of
God.
ROH I T S I N G H R A N A :
Thanks, Mr. Rather for speaking to
Student Age. We too are like you a
young organization. So we have
same heart beat. It was joy to see
you having great dreams for young
people of the State. I wish you luck
on the behalf of my team.
There is something special in his DNA which makes him restless to do new things which are yet virgin and not tested by the busi-
nessmen in the State. His drooping philosopher's jaw is reflective of his deep philosophical mind which is full of restlessness and
humane qualities. Hilal has one more feather on his cap. Being the son of one of the most powerful politicians of the State who
is also the Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, he did not go for the tailor made script of politics that his father could easily write
for him. A new star, in Hilal Rather is making its presence felt on the sky of the Jammu and Kashmir State. This time the star is not an
attractive Bollywood new comer or a sports person but he is a young industrialist. A mid thirty guy, steeped deep into the soil of state,candidly different in ideology full of enthusiasm Hilal is the representative of new breed of home grown entrepreneurs, who have
already made big in the field of business Here, Hilal made a welcome departure by choosing his own field. That speaks about the guts
this plus thirties men has. His well appointed office tells about his tastes but at the same time conveys about his intrinsic human qual-
ities, sure to strike big in the field of business. Hilal is a success story that others have to follow. At the same time he is representa-
tive of a new breed of honest businessmen who want to do everything possible for his employees. In a frank talk with Student Age
Hilal Rather laid bare his heart and his vision about the future of the State.
J&K Is The Best Business Platform...!
BeingASuccessfulFathers
Son
MakesMeMoreRes
ponsibleAndAccountable..
!
It's alwayseasy to criti-cize policiesbut difficult toframe themtaking in con-sideration thelarger interest
of masses.
Youth mustlook to otheravenues ofemploymentother than gov-ernment jobs.They must
become educat-ed and betterequipped to
face life. Leaverest in thehands of God.
Politics has
never been myforte. There aremany ways toserve peopledefinitely poli-tics is one ofthe ways.
Hilal Rather
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STUDENT AGE
THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013 4EDITORIAL
CRICKET VS HOCKEYDear Editor,
Hats off to the players of our national game, hockey, who have maintained their integrity andhave not succumbed to temptation, despite facing a financial crunch in the game. In contrast,the rapacity of some cricketers playing in the cash-rich Indian Premier League knows no
bounds, as their involvement in spot-fixing has revealed. The latest instance is that of speed-ster S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila, who were recently arrested by DelhiPolice for their wheeling-dealing. The arrest of these three players and a few bookies seemsto be the tip of an iceberg, with allegations of involvement of an international gang doing therounds. Mere suspension of these players by the BCCI will not suffice. The sports body shouldtake stricter action and display more transparency and accountability in its functioning. DelhiPolice too merits praise for successfully cracking the betting syndicate and the player-bookienexus.
Mohan SinghDigiana,Jammu
SPOT FIXING SULLYING CRICKET
Dear Editor,
The spot-fixing scandal involving S. Sreesanth and his teammates in Rajasthan
Royals has brought into the open the huge corruption prevailing in the Indian
Premier League matches. IPL should be banned. One-day matches should also be
banned. Most of those playing IPL matches are very young and can be easily
tempted by the offer of a few lakhs. Bookies can lure them with other inducements
too. The younger generation of cricketers has a bad example before it. As for the
BCCI, it should be dismantled and the government should take it over. Its accountsshould be audited and presented in Parliament.
Yours etc,
Rajan Gupta
Samba
GETTING REALOnly last month, the three-week border stand-off had
cast a shadow over India-China relations. It is, therefore,
remarkable that Li Keqiang's visit to New Delhi ended
with both sides agreeing on the mutual need for greater
engagement. Realism seems to have been the high point
of the discussions that Mr Li had with Manmohan Singh.
After a long time, the top leaders of the two countries
engaged in the kind of hard talk that has been rare inIndia-China exchanges. Contentious issues were not
camouflaged under platitudes, but were faced squarely.
That is why the real significance of the talks lies, not in
the raft of deals that were signed, but in the 'candid'
admissions of problems and concerns that plague the
bilateral ties. The biggest problem rem ains the lack of
mutual trust. And this alone is the biggest factor behind
the slow and unsteady pace of India-China engagement.
The border dispute, a legacy of British rule in India, is
directly linked to peace and mutual trust between the
two countries. The best thing about the talks in New
Delhi is a commitment on both sides to 'settle' the border
dispute, rather than just 'manage' it. And the best way to
do it is what the two nations had done about Sikkim -
arrive at a settlement on the 'as-is-where-is' basis. Such a
solution would be realistic for both the western and the
eastern sectors.
The realism in the New Delhi talks seems to have
been born of a new aw areness of trade and strategic
issues in the region and also in the rest of the world.
China can no longer afford to underestimate India's
importance in regional and global issues. The turmoil in
Western economies has made Asian markets crucial forChina. And, faced with suspicion and hostility from its
neighbours in the South China Sea and the East China
Sea, Beijing can redeem its image with a friendly India.
In New Delhi too, despite the so-called hawks, there is
growing acceptance of the economic and strategic bene-
fits of closer co-operation with China. Some doors have
opened over the past few years, but prejudices and suspi-
cions still stand in the way of Chinese investments in
India. The economies of both countries will benefit from
more Chinese investments in India, especially in infra-
structure projects. The proposal on an economic corridor
between the two countries across Myanmar and
Bangladesh is a welcome step towards economic inte-
gration of the region.
Ultimately, though, trade is not the best guarantee for
mutual trust between nations. Trade between India and
China has grown remarkably over the past decade
despite the unresolved issues. Political will and popular
perceptions play an important role in building trust. The
real test for New Delhi and Beijing is to narrow the trust
gap.
Nine longyearsNine uninterrupted years in office cannot be made light
of. After all, the last government to reach this milestone
bowed out of power 36 years ago. Besides, history has
held that feat to be dubious because Indira Gandhi,
whose first stint lasted 11 years, from 1966 to 1977,
imposed the Emergency in 1975. In the event, the United
Progressive Alliance government cannot be faulted for
feeling a sense of achievement in staying the course, and
that too in an environment rendered unpredictable and
difficult by coalitional politics. Yet what ought to have
been a champagne-popping moment for Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi
has turned into a mere statistic thanks to the regime's
track-record of misgovernance, corruption and worse. If
anything, there is astonishment over the government's
durability in the face of unceasing scams and scandals.
UPA-II's biggest accomplishment would appear to be
that it is hanging in there - and thinking up ever new
ways to fend off the next crisis.
It is not that things went swimmingly for UPA-I, one
of whose low points came in July 2008, when the gov-
ernment was accused of purchasing support to pass a
crucial vote of confidence. But the unedifying drama did
not in anyway detract from Dr. Singh's image as a man
of unimpeachable integrity. UPA-I's shortcomings were
more than offset by the overriding advantage it derived
from pushing the envelope on social welfare. The 2009
mandate was for a largely progressive government that
combined a string of landmark rights-based legislation
with measures such as the farm loan waiver. By contrast,
UPA-II's balance-sheet is a story of overwhelming nega-
tives. From misused and wasted funds in the
Commonwealth Games to massive irregularities in the
allocation of precious natural resources such as coal and
spectrum, the scams have unspooled one after another,
revealing brazen execution and complete disregard for
norms of governance. But rather than learn from its mis-
adventures, the government sought to clumsily cover up
its tracks, bringing not just further ignominy on itself but
earning the wrath of the Supreme Court which was hear-
ing the coal block allocation case. Team Manmohan has
attempted to salvage its reputation by sacking Pawan
Kumar Bansal and Ashwani Kumar from the Union cab-
inet. But that is unlikely to change adverse perceptions
about a government seen to hold institutions in con-
tempt, be that the office of Comptroller and Auditor-General or the apex court itself. As the UPA enters the
final year of its second term, it will surely also reflect on
the damage the scams have done to the image of the
Prime Minister himself.
It was a report in one editionof this paper on sexualassault on a law student.Though the report refrainedfrom naming the victim, agood practice not to doubly
penalise the victim, as identi-fying the victim can lead tounwarranted stigma, it didgive away some other detailsthat can be construed asidentifying clues.Early this year, on January 6,there was a signed notefrom the Editor: "As someof you may know, a foreignnewspaper has published thename of the 23-year-old rapevictim, apparently with theapproval of her father.Section 228A of the IndianPenal Code, which prohibits
publication of the name of adeceased rape victim withoutthe permission of her next ofkin, lays down a specific
procedure by which this per-mission is to be accorded: itmust be given in writing to awelfare organisation or insti-tution recognised by theCentral or State govern-
ments. To the best of myknowledge, this procedure,which was introduced intolaw as an added layer of pro-tection for the victim and herfamily, has not yet been fol-lowed. We respect the
father's wish to go public, ifthat is indeed what he wants,
but unless he states the samein writing in the manner pre-scribed by statute, TheHindu will continue with-holding the name of the vic-tim."The Editor's note and mycolumn were published in all
editions of the paper in aprominent m anner, and oneassumed that the import ofits content would reach boththe general readers as well as
journalists w orking for thispublication in an unambigu-
ous manner. It seems that themessage has reached thereaders but not all the jour-nalists. A report fromTirupati last week titled"Public outrage over rape
and murder of student"(May 14, 2013) committedthe cardinal mistake of nam-ing the victim. Readers were
alert. There were messages.Within hours, the mistakewas rectified in the "Today'sPaper" section on theInternet site; the cache wasfully deleted to prevent deepcrawling search enginesfrom locating the earlieroffensive versions of thestory.
How did this unacceptablemistake happen? Accordingto the Editor, it was a failureat multiple levels. He said:"First, the reporter has no
business to name the victim.Second, if he had slipped inthe name either inadvertentlyor due to the fact that someothers have done so, it wasthe duty of the gatekeepers to
be alert. They too havefailed." He hopes that thiscolumn may act as a deter-rent.Guide for journalistsI recommend that all journal-ists, including those whohandle the desk, read, absorband internalise KalpanaSharma's edited volumeMissing: Half the Story:Journalism as if GenderMatters (Zubaan Books,Delhi). This book is not a
theoretical treatise on gen-der, but a practical guide. AsMs Sharma points out in herintroduction, "it has been puttogether by professionals,
journalists who have been inthe rough and tumble of thetrade, who have reported andcommented on a vast rangeof subjects for several
decades, managed and editedindependent publicationsand sections in mainstreammedia, headed news bureaus,taught in journalism schoolsand who have emerged fromthis experience with the
belief that there is a missingangle to much of reporting."After posing many questionsthat confront a journalist, MsSharma and her co-authorsanswer each one of them in amanner that is both eruditeand accessible. She writes:"Does gender-sensitivityapply only to feature writ-ing? Can it apply to the waynews is covered, to the senseconveyed in headlines, to thechoice of photographs used,to what news story is fol-lowed through and which isdropped, to the choice of
people quoted in stories? We
believe that such a perspec-tive is not a stressful, artifi-cial add-on, something thatyou do only if you have a
boss who insists, or if as astudent you are asked to doan exercise that incorporatesgender sensitivity. Our ownexperience over severaldecades as journalists hastaught us that this is how youcan be a more effective,credible and serious journal-ist."
Sensitive reporting, especial-
ly in this era of the 24x7
news cycle, cannot be taken
for granted even in newspa-
pers like The Hindu.
It is a virtue that comes from
training and a news culture
that inculcates value-based
journalism in its daily prac-
tice. This paper has an induc-
tion programme for young
journalists where various dos
and don'ts are explained;
legal and ethical issues
expounded, giving them a
firm anchor for best prac-
tices. A refresher programme
for mid-career journalists
may be an answer.
For Delhi's chat-
terati, the ultimate
status symbol isgetting the prime
minister to attendthe weddings of their sons or
daughters. Luckily forManmohan Singh, theSpecial Protection Group,
which guards him round theclock, has been a handy
excuse whenever he truly
believes that his time is betterspent on something else than
being at a wedding reception.The SPG takes a look at the
venue and certifies that it is
not safe enough for the pres-ence of one of the most
intensely guarded leaders inthe world since the assassina-tions of Indira Gandhi and
her son, Rajiv. Quite often,Gursharan Kaur, the prime
minister's wife, then puts inan appearance in place of her
husband.
I have wondered on morethan one such occasion how
it is safe in the SPG's assess-ment to let Gursharan Kaur
be at a venue which the prime
minister's protectors havedeemed unsafe for
Manmohan Singh. Until theSPG pointed out to me that
Gursharan Kaur often moves
around the capital withoutpolice escort, in unmarked
cars that do not even sport ared beacon on top.
She goes to wedding recep-tions and other functionsalmost unnoticed. Sometimes
no one other than the hostsand a few people standing
around them are even aware
of her presence, a rare exam-
ple of common sense gettingthe better of increasinglyintrusive security that incon-
veniences both hosts and
guests, not to mention thegeneral public.
Come next week, one Indiancouple will have the rare
privilege in this scenario of
hosting the prime ministerand Gursharan Kaur not once
but twice within a span offour days. The occasion will
not be a wedding or anythingremotely similar, but a work-ing visit by the prime minis-
ter that will have long-termimplications for India's east-
ern states, especially the
often neglected Northeast,unlike any effort undertaken
by any of Singh's predeces-sors with the notable excep-
tion of Jawaharlal Nehru.
The couple, who will host theprime minister and his wife
in quick succession fromMay 27 to 31, are Deepa
Gopalan Wadhwa, India's
ambassador in Tokyo, andAnil Wadhwa, the ambassa-dor in Bangkok. Normally,the Wadhwas would have
taken Singh and Gursharan
Kaur to their homes in thesecapitals for receptions to
meet the Indian communitylike previous ambassadors intheir situations have done.
But Singh is popular and wellrespected in both Japan and
Thailand. So the Wadhwasgracefully yielded to compe-
tition from others for the time
and presence socially of boththe prime minister and his
wife. In Tokyo, DeepaWadhwa gave up the recep-
tion she could have hosted so
that the Japan-IndiaAssociation, which is cele-
brating the 110th anniversary
of its existence this year,could welcome Singh andGursharan Kaur to its func-
tion instead.In the end, it may be more
rewarding in diplomatic
terms to have done sobecause the chairman of JIAis the former prime minister,Yoshiro Mori, who re-
launched Japan's relations
with India two years after the1998 nuclear tests by visiting
the then prime minister, AtalBihari Vajpayee, in a historic
turnaround. That visit by
Mori was a landmark becauseuntil then Indo-Japanese rela-tions were centred on devel-opment assistance to India.
Mori and Vajpayee together
established a "GlobalPartnership in the 21st centu-
ry", which eventuallyreshaped bilateral ties intowhat they are today.
When Deepa Wadhwaarrived in Tokyo last year to
head the Indian mission, thefirst woman envoy from New
Delhi in 61 years of diplo-
matic relations, the very firstformal welcome for her was a
JIA reception. It is a yard-stick of the esteem in which
India is held in Japan that two
former prime ministers, Moriand Yasuo Fukuda, president
of the Japan-India
Parliamentary FriendshipLeague, attended this func-tion. There are few other
countries where an event likethis would draw a galaxy of
such eminent and influential
people from the host estab-lishment.Anil Wadhwa also gave up anopportunity to host the cus-
tomary reception for
Manmohan Singh andGursharan Kaur at his
embassy residence inBangkok because he had
worthy competition from
Thailand's prime minister,Yingluck Shinawatra, for theonly evening that the IndianVVIP visitors will have in
Bangkok next week.
Young Shinawatra, whomade no secret that she looks
up to Singh as an elder states-man during her trip to NewDelhi last year as chief guest
for Republic Day, made asecond trip to India within
less than 12 months. So inplace of the ambassador's
reception, she will host a
banquet for Singh andGursharan Kaur, to which a
number of Thai Indians arebeing invited as a consola-
tion.
The prime minister's visit toThailand is in anticipation of
an Asean Economic
Community by 2015, whichoffers tantalizing prospectsfor India's eastern region that
are not to be missed. If allgoes well, a trilateral high-
way will connect Moreh in
Manipur to Bagan inMyanmar and further to MaeSot in Thailand by 2016,
physically opening up India's
east to the Asian "Tiger"
economies in time for thesebig changes.
The road is part of a vision-ary scheme that could, ifimplemented with imagina-
tion and dedication in equalmeasure, create a new, poten-
tially prosperous, economiczone stretching all the way
from Calcutta to Ho ChiMinh City by the time Asiadoubles its share of global
gross domestic product to 52
per cent by 2050 and regains"the dominant economic
position it held some 300years ago, before the indus-
trial revolution," according tothe Asian Development
Bank.
The more enterprising sec-tions of India's private sector
are preparing for such oppor-tunities and in Bangkok signs
of such preparations are alltoo visible already. About1.16 million Indians now
visit Thailand annually: theseinclude a very large number
of people who are scouting
for business opportunities inThailand - its geographymakes it an ideal location as aregional operating base for
the Asean when its common
market is realized. Scores ofIndian companies are open-
ing offices in Thailand,which is already connected toIndia by 156 flights every
week.
Progress in the construction
of the trilateral highway is
evidence that for once gov-
ernment agencies are keepingpace with the demands of ris-
ing economic expectations.
Work is proceeding apace on
the 183-kilometre stretch of
the four-lane road that Indiais constructing into
Myanmar. For its part,
Myanmar has earmarked one
fifth of a $500-million creditline extended by India for
this road project. Similarly,
Thailand is building 83 km,
which is its share of the road
into Myanmar.A fortnight after the primeminister reviews progress on
all this with his Thai counter-
part, Paban Singh Ghatowar,the minister for development
of North Eastern Region, willtravel to Bangkok with sever-al chief ministers from the
Northeast for a follow up onwhat Singh has discussed.
If India's private sector isrediscovering Thailand, the
reverse is true for Japan,
which is what makes Singh'scombined trip to Thailand
and Japan part of chain eco-nomic thrust. Recent statis-
tics show that on an average
10 Japanese companies aremaking forays into India
every month with the inten-tion of doing business in thelong term with a physical
presence of some kind in thecountry. The process has
acquired urgency because ofJapan's continuing stand-off
with China in the disputeover the Senkaku islands,called Diaoyu by the
Chinese. The virulence ofrecent attacks on Japanese
businesses in China will
inevitably result in secondthoughts in Japan on newinvestments in that country. Itis estimated that one third of
all foreign investment in
China has come from Japan.In the wake of concerns over
anti-Japanese violence, Indiacould well be the beneficiaryof what is known as
"China+1" strategy byJapanese companies. This
envisages supplementing andexpanding a company's cur-
rent operations in China by
diversifying into a thirdAsian nation. The currentfavourites in this plan areThailand and Vietnam, but
India could be a part of it as
well. This is certain to be ontop of the prime minister's
mind when he talks toJapanese businessmen inTokyo next week.
Telling the truth: Let caution be the byword
PM's visits to Japan and Thailand spell hope for the Northeast
A.S.
PANNEERSELVAN.
K.P. NAYAR
How did this unacceptable mistake hap-
pen? According to the Editor, it was a
failure at multiple levels. He said: "First,
the reporter has no business to name the
victim. Second, if he had slipped in t he
name either inadvertently or due to the
fact that some others have done so, it
was the duty of the gatekeepers to be
alert. They too have failed." He hopes that
this column
may act as a deterrent.
In the end, it may be more rewarding in diplomat-
ic terms to have done so because the chairman of
JIA is the former prime minister, Yoshiro Mori,
who re-launched Japan's relations with India two
years after the 1998 nuclear tests by visiting the
then prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in a his-
toric turnaround. That visit by Mori was a land-
mark because until then Indo-Japanese relations
were centred on development assistance to India.
Mori and Vajpayee together established a "Global
Partnership in the 21st century", which eventually
reshaped bilateral ties
into what they are today.
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THURSDAY, MAY 23, 2013 5STATE
JAMMU: Divisional Commissioner,Jammu, Mr. Pardeep Gupta onWednesday sought budgetary supportfrom all line departments like JMC,JDA J&K Housing Board, PWD andERA to Urban Forestry Division fortaking up afforestation works inJammu Municipal areas and its vicin-ity so that objective of "GreeningJammu" is achieved.The Div Com asked the departmentslike PDD, PWD, JDA, JMC, BSNLto avoid cutting, lopping or pollard-ing tree for taking up developmentactivities without consulting urbanforestry division so that double thenumber of trees cut are planted by theurban forestry division in comingmonsoon season after recovering costunder CAMPA, to maintain the eco-logical balance and contain pollution.Gupta was chairing a meeting of offi-
cers of Forest Department, PDD,JMC, JDA, housing board, PWD heldto review greening Jammu mission.He asked the concerned agencies tosensitize people and involve public inthe drive to make Jammu green. Hesaid citizens' cooperation is impera-tive for implementation of the proj-ect.The Divisional Commissionerstressed the need of coordination
between all the line departments with
urban forestry division in this regard.He stressed upon the DFO UrbanForestry Division to continue theongoing drive of plantation and takeall the available area in housingcolonies and road sides for raisingsaplings in coming monsoon season.He asked the urban forestry depart-ment to intensify the plantation drivesin the existing parks, residential areasand take up institutional plantations.He directed the concerned agencies to
ensure there is no dumping of mulbaand garbage near the forest parks and
plantations.Other issues deliberated upon in themeeting included identification ofareas in Jammu city for taking upavenue plantation for greening and
beautification of Jammu city by allstake holders in consultation with for-est department, taking up of planta-tion activity by Urban ForestryDivision in Jammu urban areas,maintenance and upkeep of existingassets of different departments e.gtree guards, fencing etc, constitutionof coordination committee of offi-cers/representative from all linedepartments to coordinate and dealwith all issues pertaining to the sub-
ject matter for resolving any issue infuture etc.VC, JDA, Satesh Nehru, DeputyCommissioner, Jammu, Ajeet KumarSahu, Chief Conservator Forest, RaviKumar Kesar besides senior officersof forest department, PHE, PWD,PDD and other line departments werealso present in the meeting.
JAMMU: Minister forUrban Development andLocal Bodies Mr. NawangRigzin Jora today conductedextensive tour of Jammu cityand its suburbs and inspect-ed various sites where theJammu Development
Authority (JDA) and JammuMunicipal Corporation(JMC) have proposed andstarted new projects.The Minister visited pro-
posed site Chambh Bus standand was apprised about the
pace of progress on the saidproject. The proposedChambh Bus Stand will beconstructed over an area of205 kanal at GurhaBrahmana.The Minister directed theconcerned officers to expe-dite land acquisition andcompensation disbursement
process to ensure early startof work.Mr. Jora also visited the pro-
posed Solid WasteManagement site at KotBhalwal Jammu being devel-oped over an area of 361kanals and 15 marlas. He wasapprised that the land acqui-sition and compensation dis-
bursement process was underprogress and the same wouldbe completed soon.At Muthi, the Ministerinspected the site for pro-
posed vegetable marketbeing constricted over anarea of 2.5 kanals. TheVegetable market will have40 sheds and would be com-
pleted at an estimated cost ofRs. 56 lakh.The Minister also inspectedthe pace of progress on theupcoming Accounts andTreasury Building beingconstructed at a cost of Rs.
10.65 crore. The Ministerwas informed that Rs. 4.47crore have been expended onthe construction work tillending April. The Ministerdirected the executing agen-cies to accelerate the pace ofwork to avoid cost escala-tion.The Minister also visited sitefor shopping Mall at EWSColony RoopNagar proposedto be developed by JDA overa plot area of 7.9 kanals. The
project cost of the ShoppingMall is estimated to be Rs.20.33 crores. Mr. Jora wasinformed that the Mall would
be constructed on modernlines and will have lift andescalator facilities. TheMinister enjoined upon theofficers to complete the for-malities so that the work onthe project would be startedsoon.Mr. Jora also visited the pro-
posed sites for constructionof residential flats at Muthi.The flatted accommodationat the proposed site would beavailable with 3 bedroomand 2 Bed Room sets. Thetotal cost of the project isestimated at Rs. 74.32 crore.The Minister also visited theSite -II where JDA has a
plan to construct 272 two bedroom sets, including 176 two
bed room sets for people of
Economically WeakerSection (EWS) at an esti-mated cost of Rs. 39.10crore.At Roop Nagar Colony, theMinister directed the JDAauthority to convert all thevacant land into plots.He also visited the proposedshopping Mall site at TalliMorh. The Mall would becompleted at an estimatedcost of Rs.24.42 crore overan area of 8.7 kanal compris-es of Basement and fivefloor.While interacting with peo-
ple at Ram Vihar ParkJanipur, the Minister directedthe JDA authorities to startthe repair and renovation ofthe park and complete thesame in a stipulated timeframe for the convenience ofthe local people.Among others, ViceChairman JammuDevelopment Authority,Satesh Nehru, CommissionerJMC K. L Khajuria, DirectorLand Management JDAJatinder Singh, SE JDA P. L.Bhushan, Chief TownPlanner Joginder Singh,XEN JDA Balbir Singh,Chief Khilafwarzi Officer,Ashok Sharma, other seniorofficers of JDA and otherconcerned departments alsoaccompanied the Minister.
Jora inspects JDA, JMC upcomingworks, sites for new projects
Public cooperation imperativefor greening Jammu: Div ComStresses on postplantation care
SRINAGAR: In order tostreamline the functioning ofDepartment of Law, Justice
and Parliamentary Affairsand to encourage the func-tionaries of senior and juniorlevels, Government todayissued orders of promotionand adjustment of 32 offi-cers and officials.Subject to confirmation byPSC/DPC, officiating pro-motion orders have beenissued in favour of twoSenior Law Officers asAdditional Secretaries, theseincluded Mr. Nazir AhmedThakur and Mrs Renu
Mahajan. Similarly threePublic Law Officers have
been promoted as Senior
Law Officers whichincludes, Mr. Altaf Hussain,Mr. Javeed Ahmed and Mr.Mohammad Akbar Dar.While as Senior ScaleStenographer, Mr. KhazirMohammad Shah has been
promoted as PrivateSecretary in the StateHuman Right Commission.As many as Six LegalAssistant have also been
promoted as Public LawOfficers.Promotion has also been
accorded to two AssistantLegal Remembrancers as DyLegal Remembrancers.
Government also accordedpromotion to two JuniorScale Stenographers asSenior Scale Stenographers.Ten Junior Legal Assistantshave been accorded promo-tion as Legal Assistants andfour senior assistants have
been promoted as JuniorLegal Assistants, while asfour senior Assistant have
been promoted as HeadAssistant/ Reader-cum-Record Keeper in theDepartment.
Deptt of Law issues promotion orders
A
NANTNAG: BJP Mahila Morcha State
President Priya Sethi on Wednesday strongly
Criticized the act of sexual harassment of four
minor girls who were reading in an instituteclaiming religious preaching headed by Gulzar
Ahmed Bhat of Khan Sahib, Budgam. Addressi ng the
Mahila Morcha activists at Anantnag Priya Sethi strongly
criticized the act of sexual harassment by the religious
preacher and said that "the incident of sexual harassment of
four minor girls in Budgam is indeed very painful and is
against our culture and tradition. She said it is something
which cannot be tolerated at any cast and demanded
through investigation of this incident and sought stern action
against all the culprits to check this menace in future. She
said no civilised soc iety can tolerate such an inhuman act
and demanded immediate arrest of all other culprits involved
and associated with that institution. She said the Budgam
incident has proved that Law and order mechanism in J&K
has completely failed to provide security to women as is evi-
dent from this shocking incident and said that "We always
took pride in the fact that women enjoyed a better status in
J&K but recent incidents have been a blot on our society.She
appealed to the people from all sections of society to protest
against this shameful incident so that such act should not
happen in the future.
Jugal terms 4-year UPA rule as black chapter
JAMMU: BJP State President Jugal Kishore
Sharma was given a warm reception by the party's
local leadership on his arrival at Sunderbani,
Nowshera and Kalakote on the first day of 2-day
visit to Rajouri district. He was accompanied by
State Vice-President Vibodh Gupta, Jammu-Poonch
Parliamentary Constituency Incharge Yudhvir Sethi and State
Treasurer Chander Mohan Gupta.
Jugal Kishore Sharma, later while addressing a massive
gathering of over 500 people at Kalakote, termed the four
year rule of Congress-led UPA at the centre as a black chap-
ter in Indian history. During these four years, the nation wit-
nessed record breaking corruption, scams, scandals, weak
kneed foreign policy and soft approach towards the anti-
national elements. He said that Pakistan and China indulged
in intrusions, cease-fire violations. He said that during these
four years, there was total insecurity and resentment among
the masses against the mis-governance of Manmohan Singh
government. Similarly, the state of Jammu & Kashmir also
witnessed developments of government's soft approach
towards anti-national elements and appeasement of sepa-
ratists. He said that the State Chief Minister made repeated
utterances against the accession, Armed Forces Special
Powers Act and mercy for even convicted elements. He also
took strong exception to the reports that the government is
harassing the poor people in the name of collecting electric
tariff. He said that even a family using single bulb is forced
to pay 300 to 400 rupees per month. The consumers want
electric meters to be installed but the department do not care
for the same and is working in a dictatorial manner. He said
that the BJP has been opposing the anti-people and anti-
national policies of the UPA and state's coalition government
and shall continue its crusade against these governments till
they do not take action against corrupt elements and shed the
soft policy towards anti-national elements.
Vibodh Gupta said that the twin districts of Rajouri and
Poonch have been continuously subjected to discrimination
by the successive state governments. He said that Kalakote
coal mine is on the verge of closing and the government is
least bothered to ensure that it works properly as livelihood
of a large number of families is dependent on it.
Yudhvir Sethi said that the Prime Minister has now been
called Mouni Baba as he is keeping eyes, ears and nose
closed to display as if he do not have any knowledge and
concern for what has been happening under his stewardship,
which is indeed very unfortunate for the country.
Chander Mohan Gupta stressed on strengthening of polling
booth committees so that desirable results are achieved dur-
ing the elections. He said that in the coming days the party
will put more efforts to ensure support of masses.
Nowshera District President Dr. Ashok Sharma spoke on thenumber of programmes being undertaken from time to time
during the last three months in different areas and said that
the people are looking towards BJP with high hopes.
The gathering was also addressed by Capt. Ramesh Lal,
Vinod Sharma, Bodh Raj, Sushil Sudan and others.
Budgam incident is a blot on our society-BJP
SRINAGAR: To enhancepolice-public interface, theJammu and Kashmir Policehas introduced new telepho-ny scheme Close User Group(CUG), covering the policeorganization from field levelto the police headquarters.The scheme will facilitate the
people to have quick policeaccessibility in the hour ofneed.This was disclosed byDirector General of Police(DGP), Mr. Ashok Prasadwhile commissioning thenew scheme at PoliceHeadquarters this afternoon.He said that there would be a
fixed permanent telephonenumber of each police post,
police station and senior offi-cer so that general public cancontact in emergency any ofthe police stations and police
posts. Their mobile numbersshall not change even withthe transfer of officers as it isa permanent system."The scheme envisages allot-ment of dedicated mobile
phone numbers to eachpolice post, police station,police wing and senior offi-cers which shall remain per-manently attached with thedesignated officer even if theincumbents keep changing
on transfers", the DGP added.Prasad said general
publ