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STUdenT aGe
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013
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IN BRIEF
JAMMU: Minister of State for Finance and Planning, Dr. Manohar Lal Sharma today presented on the table of the House a copy of the Economic Survey for the year 2012-13.
tired of giving answers to people on such incidents. Feigning ignorance about the incident details, he questioned the need for firing,
Manipuri activist Irom Sharmila, saying when she can fast for 12 years in support of her demand to repeal AFSPA, he too can continue fighting for his similar demand. A youth, identified as Tahir Sofi, was reportedly killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in Baramulla. The protest was part of separatist groups' Pulwama march call against the mysterious death of a Kashmiri student recently.
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Jammu and Kashmir in its efforts to carry forward development agenda and restore peace. On AFSPA, Omar Abdullah said that he will continue to advocate its gradual removal from the areas where there is no need for it and that of Army. On Model Police Act, Omar Abdullah said that the Supreme Court of India has directed for implementing Model Police Act in the States to make the existing Acts more people-friendly and transparent. He said there was also need to have a reformed contd on page 2
Court acquits Varun Gandhi RSS thinks Katju's views on in hate speech case India, Pak partly correct
PILIBHIT, MAR 5: A local court on Tuesday acquitted Bharatiya Janata Party MP Varun Gandhi in a hate speech case filed against him during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. The order was passed by Chief Judicial Magistrate Abdul Quayyum here. Two hate speech cases were filed against Varun in connection with 2009 elections. While he was acquitted by the same court on February 27 in the case lodged in Kotwali police station, today's order related to the case filed in Barkhera police station. A case of violence outside the district jail against him had been referred to the Sessions court, according to the prosecution. In a statement, 33-year-old Varun expressed his faith in the judiciary contd on page 2 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A leading RSS ideologue on Tuesday backed Press Council of India chairman Justice Markandey Katju's reported observation that "Pakistan is an artificial nation and a failed state" but said it was difficult to accept his entire views on the subject made during a lecture here. "Justice Katju's remark that Pakistan is an artificial nation and a failed state is quite evident from the happenings in Pakistan and Bangladesh," according to P Parameswaran who is author and director of the RSS intellectual and cultural forum Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram. Seizing on Katju's speech at the Institute of Parliamentary Affairs yesterday, he said in a statement that the views voiced by him were bound to raise many an eyebrow among large sections of people in Kerala and rest of the country. "It remains to be seen how the contd on page 2
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DEFENCE/CONTD
HYDERABAD:An Indian Navy chopper crashed off the Visakhapatnam harbour in Andhra Pradesh causing injuries to two persons on Tuesday. While two of the four crew members were rescued, two others were missing. According to officials, the single-engine Chetak helicopter crashed in the Bay of Bengal about 10 km from the coast south of Vizag. Officials said the aircraft used for logistic support and surveillance - was on a routine sortie when it developed some technical problem. The authorities were looking into the matter considering it to be an accidental crash. Coast Guard and Vizag Port Trust were searching for the two missing crew mem-
bers. Navy has pressed into service its helicopters and ships to search for the missing personnel, they said. The Navy has ordered a Board of Inquiry to investigate the reasons behind the crash of the light utility chopper, they said. The Cheetah and Chetak choppers are Indian license built versions of the French Arospatiale Alouette II and Arospatiale Alouette III and are the vintage of the 60s and the 70s. They are the mainstay of the armed forces for ferrying small groups of personnel and light loads. The Navy has already initiated the process for acquiring 56 new light choppers with twin-engines for replacing the vintage choppers.
CM pitches for...
Police Act in force in the State, as such, a Draft Act was formulated. "Government is not tabling this Act in the Legislative Houses at present. It has been put on website for public comments. On aftermath of Afzal Guru's hanging, the Chief Minister said that he had no other option but to impose restrictions in the Valley to safeguard the lives of people. "Imposition of curfew was my compulsion to control the situation and safeguard the lives of people. On Panchayats, Omar Abdullah said that his government is actively working with the Central Government for providing honorarium and group insurance to the Panchayat members adding that the strengthening of security grid, police patrol, identification of vulnerable belts and area domination is being done to ensure safety of Panches and Sarpanches. Omar Abdullah said that the Block Council Elections of Panchayats could not be held despite issuance of date sheet because the issues of reservation for women, schedule caste and schedule tribe arouse and various sections of opinion raised this point vehemently. "We are working to make legislation in this regard", he said adding that Urban Local Body elections were delayed due to heavy tourist turn over and these are also on slate. Listing security, unemployment, corruption and electric supply four important challenges before the government, Omar Abdullah said that his government has concentrated attention on all these issues and each one is being fully attended. The Chief Minister said that in order to address unemployment problem in a comprehensive manner, his government implemented SKEWPY, gave new Employment Policy, provided allowance to unemployed youth under VSA scheme and put in place many initiatives pertaining to enhancing employability and upgrading skills of youth to get
Nasheed to be ...
that prompted him to leave the Indian mission. However, the Maldivian government has repeatedly denied striking any deal with India for enabling Nasheed's exit from the Indian mission. Ministry of External Affairs had on February 23 issued a statement saying, "It is hoped that with this development the former President will again resume his social and political life", and maintained that there was no deal between New Delhi and Male.
supporters of the partition, especially the Muslim league, respond to Katju's prediction that within 20-25 years India and Pakistan will be reunited," he said. Referring to strains among different sections and regions in Pakistan, he said the objective of All India Muslim League under Jinnah of creating an Islamic nation had miserably failed to materialise. In contrast, Muslims in Hindu majority India had co-existed with the majority community in "a harmonious and peaceful atmosphere, barring a few relatively minor and sporadic incidents," he said. "Justice Katju deserves congratulations for his courageous statement that reunion between the two countries alone can bring about lasting peace in this region. But scholars of history will find it difficult to subscribe to his views that India is largely a nation of immigrants," Parameswaran said. The theory of Aryan invasion floated by the imperialist historians in pursuance of their 'Divide and Rule' policy had been totally rejected by various researchers, he said. "It is true that India is a land of diversity but it is not true that the diversity is due to waves of immigration. It is a false reading of history," the Sangh ideologue said. Objecting to justice Katju's view that it was Akbar and Nehru who deserved credit for India's unity, Parameswaran said centuries before Akbar was born, it was the Sankaracharya who established four Mutts in the four corners of India and demonstrated that culturally and spiritually India is one. Mahatma Gandhi also in his book 'Hind Swaraj' had stated the practice of pilgrimage of people from one part of the country to the other was instituted by our ancestors in order to strengthen and preserve the unity of India. Swami Vivekananda was the personification of India`s unity and it was he who inspired even Gandhiji and Nehru to fight for India`s freedom. "It is unfortunate that a person of the standing and understanding of justice Katju should have turned a blind eye to these facts," he added.
termed it as a drama scripted by NC and PDP and called an end to it so that peoples problems are taken up in the House. As the tempers ran high between PDP and NC amid pandemonium, the House was adjourned by the Speaker for half an hour. As the House reassembled, the Speaker said that when Baig will return to the House, the issue of apology would be taken up as NC members continued to press for apology. As Baig entered the House, NC members shouted slogans. It was countered by the PDP members. Then Baig stood up and alleged that Chief Minister termed PDP as "Maut Ke Saudagar" (merchants of death) and said that if CM takes his words back, he will also take back his words. Baig said, "all the politicians are daily wagers-starting from me -- all the members sitting here in the House are daily wagers for six years-- what is wrong in this". However, Saifullah countered the charges by denying the allegations by Baig. He said that Baig has himself accepted that he has used unparliamentary language against the Chief Minister and the issue is now resolved.
District Hospital Udhampur from 16th to 20th March 2013 between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. According to the Director Rotary Eye & ENT Hospital, Dr. S.P Sharma, the Eye, ENT and Dental patients who have been screened for surgical procedure will be operated at Rotary Eye & ENT Hospital, Housing Colony Udhampur. Besides Gynaecology, Orthopaedic and General Surgeries will be done at District Hospital Udhampur. Moreover the Urology and Plastic Surgery patients who have been screened for surgical procedure will be operated at Serv Sidhi Nursing Home Udhampur. Patients suffering with Cardiac, Kidney, Oncology (Cancer), Neurology, Corneal diseases requiring transplant, Retinal Detachment requiring retinal detachment surgery and other serious diseases will be screened at Rotary Eye & ENT Hospital, Housing Colony Udhampur on 23rd & 24th March 2013 and surgery will be operated at PGI Chandigarh.
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STATE
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Rs. 138.74 lakhs incurred on execution of 5 WSS at Karnah
KUPWARA, MARCH 05: An amount of Rs. 138.74 lakhs have been expended on the execution of 5 water supply schemes at Karnah Sub Division of district Kupwara. An amount of Rs. 219.84 lakhs have been sanctioned for execution of these schemes. This was given out in a meeting of engineers and officers of PHE department while reviewing the PHE sector under the Chair of Sub Divisional Magistrate, Karnah, Zahoor Ahmad Mir.It was informed that 2 schemes have been completed while three are in progress, nearing completion. The completed schemes shall provide safe drinking water facility to 8354 souls of the Sub Division. It was also given out that the Chinipora water supply scheme is being carried out under NABARD.
NEWS IN BOX
Sagar reviews implementation of NBA, attaches DPO Udhampur for poor performance
JAMMU, MARCH 5: Taking strong note of poor implementation of the centrally sponsored scheme Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) in Udhampur, the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar today attached the Panchayat Officer of the District to administrative department. The Minister issued the directions while reviewing the achievements recorded in the Jammu region districts in the implementation of centrally sponsored, Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan(NBA)- a scheme aiming at to improve sanitation in the rural and far flung areas by constructing latrines including community, individual household and at the educational Institutions. The scheme works are executed at Panchayat level and is implemented through the district Panchayat officers. Launched in the state in the
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar chairing a meeting at Jammu. year 2009, the Rural Development department has recorded an expenditure of Rs 13.77 crore, till ending February 2013, against this year's total allocations of Rs 26.45 crore. Reviewing the district wise achievements, the Minister constituted a committee headed by Commissioner Secretary, RDD to conduct on the spot inspection of the works done in each district under the scheme. The Committee was asked to furnish the report to the Minister's office soon after completing the inspection in all districts mentioning both physical and financial achievements. The Minister said that the officers of the districts with good performance would be honoured by Nirmal Gram Purskar. The Minister asked the officers to put in best efforts to ensure effective implementation of the scheme so that the targeted lot gets the desired benefits. He warned the officers against any laxity and said that the quality of the work on the ground would be benchmark for assessing their performance. He asked them to give their best or face music as the government would not compromise at the cost of the interest of the general public. However, the Minister lauded the overall working of the department and appreciated the work done by it during the last three years.
Dy. Chief Minister Jenab Tara Chand along with others inaugurating A.K.Vidyamandir and Premier Institute branch at Jammu. involvement of the management of the two institutes in reaching out to all was noted with pride. While complimenting the promoters of A.K.Vidyamandir & Premier Institute in its endeavor to provide a competitive ambience to students of the state the Hon'ble Dy. CM and Hon'ble Minister of State for Higher Education also expressed their satisfaction on the efforts made by A.K.V and Premier Institute in helping students of marginalized communities particularly from far off and backward districts by providing free reading material, scholarship schemes and fee waivers. The scholarship scheme offered by A.K.V was a point of reflection. Almost everybody lauded the work done by A.K.V Jammu & Premier Institute in bettering the educational ambience in the city of temples and also exhorted them to move to smaller areas. They thanked them for all that they had done for the students of Jammu and requested them to keep their efforts moving on in this direction
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Site identified for construction of GDC Sunderbani: Manohar
JAMMU: The Minister of State for Higher Education, Dr. Manohar Lal Sharma informed the House that the concerned authorities of the Revenue department have identified three alternate sites for construction of college at Sunderbani and negotiations are going on with the land owners while 35% slab work has been completed in Government Degree College, Nowshera. The Minister was replying to a question by Ravinder Kumar Sharma. The Minister further informed the House that Government Degree College Nowshera is functioning from Government Higher Secondary School, Nowshera having sufficient furniture, books, other equipment, adding Government Degree College, Sunderbani has also been made functional from make shift accommodation and three posts of Assistant Professors and 16 faculty members have been working on academic arrangements.
Minister of State for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Ajaz Ahmad Khan chairing a meeting at Jammu. developments to their DCs and Tehsildars regularly. The Minister said he would hold meetings with Numberdars and Chowkidars in every District he visits. He told them that their role in the development of society is critical and they should look beyond the revenue collection function and act as an interface between Government and people. Ajaz assured the deputation that he would look into the issues they raised and promised them appropriate action.
RTA asks to provide adequate mini-bus service from Ganderbal, Kangan: Ramzan
JAMMU: Minister for Transport Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan in replying to a question by Sheikh Ghulam Rasool informed the House that Regional Transport Authority Srinagar and Ganderbal have been instructed to provides adequate mini-bus services from the district headquarter Ganderbal and Kangan to Lal Chowk and Batmaloo to facilitate the commuters of that areas by way of augmentation of route plan in operation. The Minister informed that there is no direct mini-bus service facility available from district headquarters to Lal Chowk and Batmaloo, adding that service shall be operated soon after augmentation of route plan already in operation.
Jora writes to Defence Minister seeking IL sorties for airlifting Leh bound passengers
JAMMU, MARCH 5: Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local bodies, Nawang Rigzin Jora has approached to the Central government to increase the IL sorties to facilitate airlifting of large number of Leh bound passengers stranded in Jammu. Mr Jora in a letter to the Union Defence Minister, Antony has requested for increasing the frequency of Indian Air Force flights to Ladakh region keeping in mind the difficulties being faced by the passengers stranded in Jammu and Srinagar. Mr Jora wrote to the Defence Minister, that since Ladakh region remains cut off from the rest of the world for six months during winter, air connectivity is the only source of transportation available to the people of this far flung area.
Div Com stresses for judicious use of funds, achieving of tangible targets
SRINAGAR, MARCH 05: Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon reviewedsituation, stock and supply position besides progress of developmental works being executed in the Kashmir division with all Deputy Commissioners and Heads of Departments through a Video Conference. Among others Director Social Welfare, Kashmir, Director SKIMS, Director Floriculture, Chief Engineers of Irrigation & Flood Control, PDD, Joint Director Information, Kashmir, officers of CA&PD, Tourism, Agriculture, Floriculture, SRTC, Education officers participated. The Divisional Commissioner was apprised that adequate stocks of essential commodities are available in the valley which include 24516 MT'S of rice, 5173 MT's of wheat, 1996 MT's of sugar besides 4462 kiloliters of K. Oil and 288900 of LPG cylinders.
Reviews situation, stock- supply position, progress of dev works through Video Conference
It was also given out that to streamline the education sector in the valley as many as 181 tuition centres have been registered with the education department. The Commissioner while emphasizing for encouraging the inflow of tourists was informed that the tulip garden shall be opened on March 28 and directed for the beautification and proper landscaping of the garden. Dr Samoon asked CAPD authorities to explore possibilities of decontrolling prices of mutton and ensure availability of all essential commodities as per rate lists adding that rate lists shall be displayed for the information of consumers. The Divisional Commissioner asked transport authorities to provide government transport facilities besides ensure plying of sumo service on all routes to facilitate the people particularly patients. Dr. Samoon also directed all Heads of Departments to maintain their headquarters and ensure their presence in the valley in order to redress the grievances of the people besides facilitating the solution to the problems at the door steps of people. On the occasion, Dr Samoon urged upon all Deputy Commissioners to expedite the execution of developmental works in the district of valley to ensure achievements of tangible targets within the stipulated time besides judicious utilization of funds under various schemes for the welfare of the people.
Govt. will take necessary steps to restore power supply in affected areas: Vikar
JAMMU, MARCH 05: Members of almost all the parties today expressed their concern over the poor power scenario in their areas. The members, especially from District Kathua said that power supply is snapped in Bani and Basohli for the past one to two months and demanded measures to restore the same. Immediately after the Question Hour in the House, the members of other areas also voiced their concern and said that electric transformers which have been damaged months ago have not been repaired with the result the people are facing hardships. Reacting to the concern of the Members, Minister of State for PDD, Vikar Rasool said that Government will look into the issue and ensure restoration of power supply to the affected areas. The Government will take necessary steps to repair the damaged transformers on priority, he added.
Minister for Higher Education Mohammad Akbar Lone speaking at a high level meeting with JU Officials at Jammu. standards of the education. He said Private sector has contributed a lot towards the improvement of Education standards, but at the same time stressed on close monitoring and regulation of such educational institutions in the larger interest of the public. The representatives of Forum of Recognized Colleges (FORCE) apprised the minister about their problems and sought early redressal of the same. The Minister gave a patient hearing and assured them that their genuine demands would be looked into.
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EDITORIAL
he leaders of this ancient nation are using respectable words to describe its tormentors. Those who have been responsible for the death and destruction are named with respect. It was on Monday that Afzal Guru the mastermind who scripted the attack on Indian Parliament was called Guru 'Sahib' by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. As the debate on the post hanging on Guru is gaining all the trappings of a political coup and political parties especially The National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party are busy trading charges on each other over the Guru's hanging. Here is the Chief Minister of the State uttering his name with deference. What can it be called, a silly approach or the heat of the moment that forced the Chief Minister to name Guru with respect. Surely a big no! Because the way Omar handled the situation post Guru hanging and rushed to the valley in a huff and started issuing duplicitous statements it was clear that he intended to counter his detractors with a pro Guru stand and anti Centre posturing. The valley based political parties have been indulging in this opportunistic politics for decades. Omar had many things on his side when he came to hold the Chief Minister ship of the State. From his predecessor Ghulam Nabi Azad he inherited a good and responsive administration which had been galvanized into action by development savvy Azad. His second quality that made him centre of attraction was his youth and energy. But slowly he seems lost somewhere now. Many times we have seen him getting into such situations which raise doubts about his grasp of handling delicate matters. His statement in Parliament in which he said that he would not part even an inch for the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board is still not forgotten. That too was not something that he uttered in the heat of the moment. There was a cool political calculation in his mind to keep intact the valley mass base. But leaders of stature do not wander after petty politics or to gain narrow political mileage. They do not call killers and terrorists as respectable men. Many men in this country have not forgotten that against the wishes of Government of India he met President Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan in 2006. On his return he was given a rousing reception as if he had made spiritual tryst with some great saint or a philosopher. Musharraf was a dictator who planned and executed Kargil. His commitment to the soldiers of his own country was so 'high' that he declined to own their dead bodies! When such trends to name terrorists as respectable men become frequent the common citizen of this country is bewildered. In the same vein some years ago the controversial Digvijay Singh called Osama Bin Laden as Osama ji. Later on, in the usual political and dubious way he said that he was quoted out of context and he actually did not mean what he said. The question is that how come the leaders who are considered eminent take recourse to such things which eventually harm the interests of the country. Either these 'eminences' do not understand the contours of constructive politics or they do not want to own the subtleties of Indian culture. We have to understand that suffix "JI'' cannot be used with both Gandhi Ji and Osama bin Laden. 'Sahib' too is a respectable honorific and cannot be allowed to be used to address killers and terror masterminds. With such a bedlam already witnessed in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly over the execution of Guru there is now time for all the stakeholders to sit together and help de-aggravate the tense situation which has been created by them. They owe the people of the State and the nation an urgent explanation as to why the precious time of the State legislature which should have been used for the benefit of the poor people of the State reeling under a burgeoning officialdom and suffering under the menacing tentacles of corruption. NC and PDP both need to feel the pulse of the times being the largest political parties of the State. The development of the State cannot be held ransom to hanging of Afzal Guru. He as a terror mastermind was to be punished and a long constitutionally empowered judicial process was employed to give him justice. But for now and for the good of the country the politicians have to desist from playing politics with respectable words like 'Sahib' and 'Ji'. Kindly allow them to remain respectable, do not sully their import.
By Ashok V. Desai he Indian economy is in the midst of its biggest crisis since 1991. It has been on the horizon. The political masters' public attitude towards it was to brush it off and exude mindless optimism. Surprisingly, the finance minister eased his official grin as he presented the budget last week; he tried various tricks to make India more attractive to foreign investment. He is even trying to strike a deal with Vodafone over its purchase into the Ruias' telecommunications company. He should ask himself why. The Vodafone purchase was made abroad, and not on Indian soil, and was therefore not taxable here. If he thinks that is wrong, he should amend the law; but it is entirely wrong to try and screw Vodafone illegally. Even if he amends the law, it must not be applied retrospectively. If he thinks someone should pay tax on his gains in the transaction, it is the Ruias he should be pursuing. They sold their stake and made a profit; they should pay tax on it. What is the reason for letting them off scot-free and pursuing Vodafone? Is it because they are Indian and Vodafone is foreign? Or because they are politically influential and Vodafone is not? The Economic Survey does not normally fudge facts, although it may varnish them. The chapter on the balance of payments is in the official style of mechanically reporting the rise and fall of figures. It is full of grammatical errors.
But it did teach me new jargon. For instance, when investors in industrial countries get scared by events in their own economies, such as a credit downgrade of the United States of America or a crisis in a European Union economy, they liquidate their investments abroad and take money home; capital then flows out of India. The Survey calls this a risk-off event. Conversely, an improvement in investor sentiment in industrial countries is called a risk-on event. The risk of the EU disintegrating is a tail-risk; the Survey does not say what a hornrisk would be. India depends heavily on capital inflows; if they stopped or were reversed, exchange reserves would fall rapidly. So the Survey favours allowing in capital more freely, which is what the finance minister has also been pushing. Its idea of liberalization is to allow more investment into defence industries. But India is an insignificant producer of military equipment. Selling it to the government is so risky and requires such expertise in bribery that even Indian companies stay out of it; it is unrealistic to think that allowing foreign companies in would make much difference. The Survey makes a case for relaxing the 26 per cent limit. The government still cannot think of junking the 26, 49 and 74 per cent restrictions and simplifying foreign investment controls. It does not matter whether shareholders of companies have Indian or foreign passports; all that matters is,
how much is produced on Indian territory, how many people are employed, and how competitive Indian industries and markets are. But if equity restrictions were abolished, that would leave the commerce ministry without lucrative policy instruments. The finance minister did promise to simplify the Securities and Exchange Board of India's definition of direct and portfolio investment; but even he cannot tell us why the government has to distinguish between them. The government wants foreigners to invest in Indian companies, but not to manage them. But foreign portfolio capital in itself has no virtue; if foreigners take controlling shares in equity and manage companies, they may improve management. Contestable management is one aspect of competition. But whatever he thinks, P. Chidambaram can do little to attract foreign capital; the main repellent for foreign investment is not Sebi, but the commerce ministry. It would have been illuminating if the Survey had explained the government's exchange rate policy; it only describes it in the Reserve Bank of India's mindless prose. For the first time, the Survey gives figures of transactional and valuation changes in reserves. They are positively correlated except in 2011-12; that suggests that the RBI generally acts to stabilize the exchange rate, but not fast enough. It lets the exchange rate drift, and if it thinks it is going too far up or down, it intervenes. In recent months, it has been
selling foreign currency, which suggests that it has been trying to 'moderate' rupee depreciation. The real effective exchange rate has been stable most of the time, except for a sharp fall in the third quarter of 2011. This is surely wrong policy; if the government wants to improve the balance of payments, it should depreciate real effective exchange rate. The balance of payments is hugely adverse, and exchange rate policy is the only major instrument to correct it; quantitative restrictions were abandoned 12 years ago, except for those on agricultural goods, and tariffs are low and cannot be raised without breaching international treaties. So the government should be devaluing the rupee. The argument against it is that devaluation raises rupee prices of imports and exports and stokes inflation; but that is an argument for following other anti-inflationary policies. The government should modify its foodgrain pricing policy. India has a food surplus; it can afford to give up supporting agricultural prices. If the government wants to support them for political reasons, it should do so in such a way that agricultural prices remain internationally competitive: pricing should be coordinated with exchange rate policy. And the overall fiscal deficit, including the states', should be brought down much further. The government should cure itself of its inflation addiction, and make absolute price stability an overriding objective of policy. The only metrics the RBI uses in
its exchange rate policy are reserves, which it likes to hoard, and gold imports, which it likes to hate. The share of machinery and equipment in India's exports has gone up enormously in the past decade; but the ratio of export credit to exports has fallen from 19 to 11 per cent. Presumably, export credit has always been available, but has been little used. Indian interest rates are high; although the RBI orders banks to charge less on export credit, they have no incentive to do so, and they avoid giving it. As a result, we have failed to emerge as exporters of turnkey plants. India is the world's biggest user of anti-dumping punishments; it places protection of its producers above cheaper imports for investors and consumers. Barter terms of trade improved by more than 100 per cent between 2001-02 and 201011 - an indicator of possible loss of competitiveness. The trend was reversed in the past year, but it is too late. India is going to pay an enormous price for this mistake. It is ironic that Manmohan Singh, who is reputed to have rescued India from the crisis of 1991, should preside over the crisis of 2013. He is in extremely good shape, and may be in politics for much longer since Rahul is so hesitant to take the reins. But even Manmohan Singh's reign will end sooner rather than later; even if he is not worried about his reputation, he should surely leave the Indian economy in a better shape than it was when he assumed control 22 years ago.
READERS SPACE
Railway Budget
Dear Sir The railway budget has made an honest endeavour to rescue the Indian railways from its precarious financial condition. The Rs 6,600 crore from the hike in fares announced in January has been neutralized by the rise in fuel prices that has put an additional annual burden of Rs 3,300 crore on the railways' coffers. The marginal increase in reservation charges would add 483 crore to the revenue but that will be of very little help to the railways. Bansal has selected only 347 projects out of the ones announced by his predecessors. This shows his sense of pragmatism. Bansal also said that five mainline electrical multiple units are being introduced this year, apart from eight diesel electric multiple units. He has also proposed to extend the routes of 57 trains and increase the frequency of 24 trains. The introduction of weekly services of such express
trains as the Hazrat Nizamuddin-Mumbai express via Bhopal, Khandwa and Bhusawal and a similar venture between Bikaner and Chennai are welcome measures. As part of providing greater connectivity to Vaishno Devi, a New Delhi-Katra express train is being introduced, which would run six days a week. The Katra stretch connecting the holy town to Udhampur, which is expected to be commissioned by May, would be helpful to pilgrims. The assurance of enhanced security for women is a good step. But only concrete measures - instead of mere announcements - can help heighten safety standards in the railways. Yours etc., Ravi Shan, Kishtwar
Police Bill
Dear Sir Jammu and Kashmir Draft Police Bill, absurd and draconian as it is, is not yet a law until debated and passed by
the state legislature. It is still open for debate, discussions and suggestions from civil society members and subject to suitable modifications. So, technically, it shouldn't yet be time to press the panic button. But in a state, where the elected representatives have the curious record of sleepily saying their 'ayes' to bills of public importance and then distancing from it, as happened in the J&K Permanent Disqualification (Women's) Bill; and where suggestions of civil society are never accommodated, as happened in the Right to Information Bill, and if they are, they can be withdrawn later, it may be wishful expecting some good to come out of the exercise eventually. The need for police reforms in the country has been recognized for long. Yours Etc. Indu Rajput Subash Nagar, Jammu
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AP govt to hand over Hyderabad blast case to NIA
name as the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader for the impressive wins in the Garo Hills region, considered the stronghold of her bete noire, former Lok Sabha speaker Purno A. Sangma. The Congress has won 13 of the 24 seats in Garo Hills districts, while the tribal-centric National People's Party (NPP) founded by Purno Sangma managed only two.
candidates who managed to win. In 2008, the Congress won seven seats in the Garo Hills, while the NCP, under Purno Sangma's leadership, won 15 seats in the state, including 13 in the Garo Hills. Mukul Sangma took oath as the state's 26th chief minister in the presence of hundreds of Congress legislators, leaders of other political groupings
...Every week they are raising prices of petrol and diesel. This is against the common people," BJP's Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde said. Asked if Parliament will function, Munde said, "We will raise the issue but the proceedings of the House will continue." Munde said, "In Bangladesh, Hindu temples were broken and Hindus beaten up. This is a serious matter and we will raise this issue in Parliament
he said. Another issue that the BJP Parliamentary Party decided to raise in Parliament is that of Ram Setu. "We will oppose. We will not allow breaking of Ram Setu. There can be another alignment. Governmentappointed Committee's report is there and that Committee has not recommended breaking of old Ram Setu," the BJP leader said.
HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to hand over Hyderabad Bomb blasts case to NIA. A decision to this effect was taken during a high level review meeting chaired by CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy at the Secretariat. Briefing newsmen after the meeting, state Home Minister Ms Sabitha Indra Reddy said, this decision was taken considering that the NIA had been probing similar terror attacks elsewhere in the country. The Minister said, the state police will extend full cooperation to pace up the investigation into the bomb blasts. Union Ministry of Home Affairs had earlier written a letter to the AP Govt. to hand over the bomb blasts case to the NIA.
tained that their stand against Modi is based on facts and human rights records in Gujarat. In a bid to mark their protest against the cancellation of Modi's address, Shiv Sena leader Suresh Prabhu and Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani also canceled their scheduled addresses at the prestigious forum. Suresh Prabhu, who is a member of the India Economic Forum at Wharton, said he considers the university's U-turn on Modi an insult to the country.
but of the entire country," Prabhu said. "The university should be a place where divergent views are debated. Such a decision, that too by a varsity in the US, is unfathomable," he said. Later, Adani Group, however, said its chairman Gautam Adani had decided to pull out of Wharton India Economic Forum almost a fortnight back, in an apparent reference that his absence is not related to the cancellation of Modi's address. "Adani has conveyed his inability to join Wharton
to technological advancement as undesirable people were finding ways to evade security arrangements. He said India, in cooperation with global partners, been implementing various cooperation programmes in the field of aviation security. Henry Steingass, Regional Director for South and Southeast Asia of US Trade and Development Agency
sue medicine. She had just graduated from a physiotherapy program when her life was cut short," said the State Department. "In the wake of her death just two weeks after the attack, India's civil society began advocating heavily for legislation and social programs to stem gender-based violence in all its forms and to ensure higher rape con-
the State Department said. The paramedical student was gangraped, beaten and thrown out of a moving bus along with a male friend in Delhi in December 2012, which generated widespread protests and was condemned by various women groups, both in India and abroad. The Secretary of State's International Women of Courage
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Japan eager to mend US lawmakers push for tougher North Korea sanctions ties with South Korea
WA S H I N G T O N : Lawmakers are pushing for tougher US financial restrictions on North Korea even as the UN Security Council moves closer to a new resolution tightening international sanctions in response to Pyongyang's latest nuclear test. UN diplomats said late that the US has reached agreement with China on a draft resolution that will be presented to the council. The agreement follows three weeks of deliberations on how to respond to North Korea's third atomic test. It's a sign of Beijing's disapproval of its troublesome ally's behavior and will be welcomed in Washington. The text of the resolution has not been made public, but there has been speculation the UN's most powerful body could move to toughen financial restrictions and cargo inspections, as well as blacklisting more companies and individuals. In the meantime, the foreign affairs panels of both houses of Congress this week will consider the Obama administration's next policy options to impede Pyongyang's development of missiles and nuclear weapons that are increasingly viewed as a direct threat to the United States. North Korea long has been believed to have derived hundreds of millions of dollars a year from criminal activities such as counterfeiting of cigarettes and US currency, drug trafficking and insurance scams. Its sales of missiles and conventional weaponry are also outlawed under existing UN resolutions. The new North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has adopted a confrontational approach toward Washington, although he did deign to meet last week with former American professional basketball star Dennis Rodman. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce said that since President Bill Clinton's administration, US policy toward North Korea has been a ``bipartisan failure'' based on the hope that Pyongyang would do the right thing. The Obama administration has apparently not decided on this approach, but the political climate is conducive to trying something like it,'' Lee said. The North's improved financial standing could help explain its recent provocative behavior in conducting rocket and nuclear tests. The 2005 action caused a ripple effect among other banks worried about being shutout of the international financial system. Yet the sanction annoyed Beijing as well as enraging Pyongyang _ and proved complicated to undo when nuclear negotiations with North Korea finally got back on track. The US could also target the North's shipping by declaring the country a criminal enterprise, making vessels carrying its goods difficult to insure and subject to search and seizure, Noland said. TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe revealed on Tuesday said that he was preparing to hold telephone talks with South Korean President Park Geunhye to mend their soured bilateral relations. Abe said that he will take advantage of the launches of the new governments in the two countries to build "future-oriented" relations with South Korea, Xinhua said. On Monday, during a meeting with Japan's former finance MinisterFukushiro Nukaga, Abe said he wants to improve Tokyo-Seoul relations that soured due to territorial dispute. Japan and South Korea claim sovereignty over two islands, which are called as Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan, in the Sea of Japan. The islets are controlled by South Korea. Japan reiterated several times its willingness to mend ties with South Korea since Abe returned to power last December. But both sides
members threw the cocaine into the water and one of them jumped into the sea. "A search and rescue operation was begun immediately, with no results so far." The boat was taken to the port of Cartagena, where the authorities found 63 sacks containing 1,540 packages of cocaine, which would reportedly have a street value of approximately $40 million.
seemingly adopted little tangible actions to mend ties and sparkled more verbal attacks. Despite South Korean opposition, Japan recently held the annual "Takeshima Day" to commemorate the disputed islets. The government sent Aiko Shimajiri, a parliamentary secretary with the cabinet office, to the event, marking the first occupant of one of the top three posts for lawmakers in a government ministry to attend the event. The event triggered strong opposition in Seoul immediately as many South Koreans gathered in front of Japan's embassy in Seoul to protest against the event.
10 days later on the understanding that he would be able to conduct "peaceful political activity". The Maldives' first democratically elected leader resigned last year in contested circumstances. Nasheed and his supporters say he was forced to quit
last February in a coup in the tropical Indian Ocean resort archipelago, a major tourist destination. If Nasheed is found guilty in the case, he could be barred from standing in a presidential election on September 7. His party says the trial is
ECONOMY
High inflation prompting more 14.08 million Job losses in farm Coffee exports up 5 pc at 59,288 tonnes in Jan-Feb sector in 5 years to FY'10 gold buys, says D Subbarao
PUNE: Reserve Bank of India Governor Duvvuri Subbarao expressed concern that high inflation was forcing people to indulge in buying gold rather than depositing funds with banks. The government has announced several measures to discourage people from buying gold and prodding them to invest in financial instruments. Deposits were up 11.2 per cent in the first 10 months of financial year 2012-13, compared with 11.5 per cent in the same period a year ago. Subbarao was speaking at the convocation ceremony of a banking and finance institute in Pune. The government on Monday said it is not considering any proposal to reduce cy. In January, the government had hiked the import duty on gold and platinum to 6 per cent, from 4 per cent -- a move aimed at curbing imports of the precious metals to check the widening current account deficit. In an attempt to curb investment in gold, Finance Minister P Chidambaram during his Budget speech announced three measures that aimed at encouraging the common man to invest in other avenues. While he announced making Rajiv Gandhi Equity Saving Scheme (RGESS) more liberalised, Chidambaram also proposed introducing inflation indexed bonds. NEW DELHI: As many as 14.08 million jobs were lost in the five-year period ended in 2009-10 in the agriculture sector which engages almost 60 per cent of the workforce in the country. The job losses in the manufacturing sector during the five year period from 200405 to 2009-10 was 5.03 million as per the draft 12th Five-Year Plan approved by the country's apex policy making body National Development Council (NDC) in December last year. According to the data analysed in document, employment in the agriculture sector in absolute terms was 237.67 million in 19992000 which increased to 258.93 million in 2004-05 and then fell to 244.85 million in 2009-10. Similarly the workforce engaged in manufacturing sector was 44.05 million in 1999-2000, which increased to 55.77 million in 2004-05 and then came down to 50.74 million in 2009-10. However, the employment in non-manufacturing sector increased from 20.84 million in 1999-2000 to 29.96 million and 48.28 million in 2004-05 and 2009-10 respectively. The workforce in electricity, gas and water supply also saw a decline from 1.30 million in 2004-05 to 1.25 million in 2009-10. The other sector broadly in services sector saw a surge in employment. The overall employment in the country has jumped from 396.76 million in 19992000 and 457.46 million in 2004-05 and it was 460.22 million in 2009-10. The document has suggested a host of measures including improving the outreach of the skill development, putting in place institutional mechanism for skill development, skill loans for poor students and others to improve abilities of the country's workforce and their employability. NEW DELHI: The country's coffee exports rose by five per cent to 59,288 tonnes in the first two months of the current calendar year on higher demand, according to the Coffee Board. Of which, 37,731 tonnes was exported in February, slighly higher than 36,423 tonnes shipped in the same period last year, it said. According to the Board, coffee exports increased to 59,287 tonnes during January-February period of 2013 from Rs 56,535 tonnes in the year-ago period. In value terms, coffee exports during JanuaryFebruary of 2013 improved to Rs 891 crore from Rs 857 crore in the same period corresponding year. But the export value realisation continued to remain lower at Rs 1,50,312 per tonne. Much of the coffee was shipped to Italy (14,054 tonnes), followed by Germany (5,985 tonnes) and Russian Federation (5,136), it added.
import duty on gold in view of the impact it will have on the country's Current Account Deficit (CAD). The government has taken a number of measures to reduce imports of gold to arrest the widening of CAD, which represents the difference between inflows and outflows of foreign curren-
Fuel subsidy benefiting the rich not the poor: IMF official
WASHINGTON: The massive amount of fuel subsidy, which is taking a toll on government expenditure, is mainly benefiting the rich and not the poor, an IMF official said on Tuesday. It will take 1/10th of the current expenditure on subsidy to benefit the bottom 40 per cent of the population, according to Laura Papi, Assistant Director, Asia and Pacific Department at the International Monetary Fund. "They are not poor who are benefiting from the (fuel) subsidy," Papi told a Washington audience referring to a recent study in this regard. "If the government were to target and say we will keep the benefits for the 40 per cent bottom of the population that would mean spending only 10th of what they spend now," Papi said. Participating in a panel discussion on "The State of the Indian Economy: The Budget and Beyond" organised by the Brookings Institute, an eminent American think-tank, the IMF official said India needs to initiate a series of structural and fiscal reforms to boost up the country's growth. "The recovery is not going to be a quick one. After the global financial crisis, the Indian economy bounced back very quickly, but this time things are very different and we expect that recovery will be much more subdued," she said. Noting that there is quite a bit of lag between the investment and GDP cycle, she said there has been some movement on the reform front. Noting that reforms in the infrastructure sector - power, roads, transport and ports - is needs, she said more needs to be done and the next set of reforms should focus on key areas like labour market, land reform, tax reforms, and reforms in the legal sector. Diane Farrell, executive vice president of US-India Business Council (USIBC) said it was an honest endeavour on the part of the Finance Minister P Chidambaram to recognise the pressures that any election year brings but also recognising the equal pressure coming from rating agencies who were threatening to downgrade India to junk status. It looks like the Finance Minister has crafted a budget that would avoid that phase, she added. In his remarks, Ejaz Ghani, Economic Advisor, South Asia to the World Bank said that the latest budget is trying to go beyond growth.
The rise in overall coffee exports was on account of higher shipment of premium arabica variety besides reexports, but some drop was seen in overseas sale of robusta variety. Arabica shipments jumped to 14,962 tonnes in the first 2 months of the current calendar year from Rs 12,959 tonnes in the year-ago period. Whereas coffee reexports rose to 12,037 tonnes from 9,955 tonnes in the review period. Robusta comprises maximum volumes in the total coffee exports. But export of robusta variety showed a decline to Rs 27,645 tonnes from 28,351 tonnes, while overseas sale of instant coffee too fell to 4,613 tonnes from 5,244 tonnes in the review period. The Board has pegged coffee production at 3,15,500 tonne in the 2012-13 crop year (OctoberSeptember), a marginal increase of 1,500 tonne over the final estimate of 314,000 tonnes in 2011-12.
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MISC
Pak-India snooker series postponed Wrestler Sujjan wins over security fears in Karachi bronze for J&K
KARACHI: Pakistan and India on Tuesday postponed their snooker series planned for this week over security fears in host city Karachi, following a bomb attack that killed 48 people. The four-day series the first between the arch-rivals in almost eight years was due to start on Thursday but the visitors voiced concerns after Sunday's blast and asked for the series to be played later. Pakistan Snooker and Billiards Association president Alamgeer Shaikh said it was a mutual decision to postpone the clash.The neighbors have not played a snooker series since 2005, when India visited. All sporting ties were frozen after the deadly attacks on Mumbai in 2008, which were blamed on Pakistan-based militants. Cricketing ties were revived after a gap of five years when Pakistan toured India in December-January for a short limited-overs series. Despite the interruption, Shaikh praised India for agreeing to the series. . Snooker and billiards are fast-growing sports in the sub-continent, and Pakistan's Mohammad Asif won the world amateur snooker title last year. JAMMU: Wrestler Sujjan Ali brought laurels to the state by winning a bronze medal in the just concluded Mahan Bharat Kesari and All India Invitational Indian Style Wrestling Championship at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. Sujjan, who contested in 96 kg weight category, lost to Sukh Bir of NCR in the semifinals to secure a bronze medal. Earlier, during the preliminary round, he defeated Majahuddin Qureshi of Madhya Pradesh, followed by the second round win against Abhishek Solanki of Gujarat. To reach the semifinals, Sujjan trounced T Puran Singh of Andhra Pradesh. Other wrestlers from the state also performed well but could not make it to the medals tally. Sachin Singh (51 kg) and Rakesh Kumar (74 kg) won two rounds each while Shammi Kumar and Anayat Ali could only make it to the second round. Meanwhile, president of the J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association, Shiv Kumar Sharma congratulated the bronze winning Sujjan Ali and appreciated the performance of other wrestlers. He said that the medal winner will be honored suitably by the Association in near future. Shiv Sharma, who also accompanied the sevenmember state team in the championship, was all praise for the budding wrestlers. Rakesh Khajuria, Bansi Lal Tidyal, Mulkh Raj Sharma and Prem Kumar were part of the team as officials.
Test defeat in a row and their fifth lowest innings total in a Test in India. Australia started the day on 74/2 and lost all remaining 8 wickets adding only 57
runs to their overnight score. It was unlike Australia to go down without a fight but their inability to play spin was exposed when once again 8 of the second inning
Pujara, Ashwin rise Mohun Bagan beat Pune FC 3-0 in IFA opener in ICC rankings
KOLKATA: Pune FC went down 0-3 to Mohun Bagan in their IFA Shield Group A opener at the Kalyani Stadium on Tuesday. Striker C.S. Sabeeth's brace (fourth and 53rd minute) along with skipper Odafa Okolie's (30th) goal from a free-kick were enough to give Mohun Bagan the win. The loss to Mohun Bagan was Pune FC's second in the IFA Shield and third in five matches played here. In a game of a physical nature, Pune FC went close couple of times in the opening minutes. Midfielder Velington Rocha's attempt from the edge of the box went over after Douhou Pierre slid back the ball from the left. A minute later, striker James Moga's overhead kick went just wide after he did well to connect the ball. At the other end, some sloppy defending cost Pune FC as Mohun Bagan took the lead. Medio Quinton Jacobs' cross in from the left was headed into the box by Odafa to Sabeeth on the run, who controlled it with his chest and volleyed home. Midway through the half, Pune FC went close from another freekick. Douhou's crisp kick, once again from the left, was missed by all players
DUBAI: India players have reaped the rewards for an innings and 135 runs win over Australia in the second cricket Test in Hyderabad by making a charge on the latest ICC Test Player Rankings released on Tuesday. The biggest gains have been made by batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who have achieved their careerbest rankings in batting and bowling, respectively. Pujara, named Player of the Match for his double-century in the second Test, has jumped 12 places to a careerbest 11th position while Ashwin, who had match figures of 6/104, is now at a best-ever eighth spot, having jumped three positions.
In the rankings for Test batsmen, second-ranked Australia captain Michael Clarke has dropped three ratings points and now trails No.1 ranked Hashim Amla by 13 ratings points. Murali Vijay, the other Test centurion in Hyderabad, has jumped 27 places to 60th. In the rankings for Test bowlers, Australia's fast bowler James Pattinson has broken into the top 20 in 20th (up by one) while other bowlers to improve their rankings include Harbhajan Singh in 25th (up by one), Ravindra Jadeja in 40th (up by 23) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in 97th (up by 28). The bowlers' table is still headed by South Africa's Dale Steyn.
rushing into the box only for an alert 'keeper Shilton Paul to clear off the goal line. At the half hour mark, another moment of madness cost Pune FC. As Odafa set on a counter, three Pune FC defenders tried to stop him giving away a cheap foul. The Nigerian scored directly from the freekick to double Mohun Bagan's lead. Two minutes later, Moga was brought down by Anyiche after he tried to connect Khanthang Paite's low cross into the box. Substitute Subash Singh, on for Shanmugam Venkatesh, too was denied after his attempt was blocked. Pune FC went into the break trailing 0-2. The second half began with Pune FC taking charge, however, finishing in the final third let them down. But it was Mohun Bagan who scored again after poorer defending by Pune. At the other end, Subash's powerful drive from the left was blocked by the keeper and the rebound was too quick for Rocha to handle. Pune FC then had striker Moga go close twice in a space of five minutes. Minutes past the hour mark, Moga's free-kick from 30-yards was saved by keeper Shilton.
LAHORE: The Pakistan hockey team will play five Test matches in India next month as part of a bilateral series details of which were worked out between officials of both the countries in Malaysia. The Pakistan Hockey Federation said in that the matches will be played from April 5 to 15 at Ranchi, Jalandhar, New Delhi, Lucknow and Mohali. The Hockey Federation said the final itinerary of the series will be released after consul-
tation with media partners. It came after PHF President Qasim Zia and Secretary Asif Bajwa, who went to Malaysia for the Asian Hockey Federation meeting, met top officials of Hockey India on the sidelines of the meeting. Narendra Batra, the secretary of Hockey India, had also visited Lahore in late December and signed an agreement with the PHF regarding the resumption of bilateral hockey series after nearly six years.
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MUMBAI: Sharmila Nicollet put forth a commendable round of two under 63 to lead at the close of Round 1 of the fourth leg of the Rs.5,00,000 Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour being held at the Willingdon Sports Club. Sharmila, who is fresh from her win in the third leg last week, continued with her good form to stay two shots clear of second placed Pallavi Jain. Sharmila played a steady first round with birdies on the first, seventh and 14th holes and a solitary bogey on the fifth to lead the field on Day 1. Pallavi, was leading the field on the front nine with a onestroke advantage over Sharmila. However, a double bogey on the 17th ruined her chances forcing her to settle for the second position at the close of Round 1. She carded three
birdies on the sixth, ninth and 11th and a bogey on the 12th. Smriti Mehra, since her victory in the second leg, has struggled and her disappointment continued as she started with two bogeys followed by further bogeys on the seventh and 13th. Her birdies on the ninth and 17th helped her finish at the third position with a score of 2 over 67. Neha Tripathi finished fourth with a score of 5 over 70, followed by Preetinder Kaur (71) and Alexandra Dhayar (72)
BEIJING: Football superstar David Beckham has been named an ambassador for the Chinese Super League, the country's football association said, a move that has been widely anticipated but also criticized. The former England captain will visit three times during the season from March to November to promote the sport in China and attract the global spotlight, the China Football Association said. State media, however, cast doubt on whether Beckham, currently with French club Paris Saint-
Germain, could repair the image of a sport scarred by match-fixing and bribery scandals. A three-year inquiry resulted last month in 33 people receiving lifetime bans and the former club of Didier Drogba, Shanghai Shenhua, being stripped of its 2003 league title. The arrival last year of the Ivory Coast striker along with Nicolas Anelka, his former team-mate at English Premier League side Chelsea, signaled to some observers that Chinese football had turned a corner.
CHIEF-EDITOR, PUBLISHER, OWNER: Rohit Singh Rana, C.E.O.:Pawan Rathore, DY. CHIEF EDITOR : Vikram Singh Shan, Administrative Head Jammu: Vikram Singh Bhandari, Bureau Chief Kashmir: Allayee Faizan, LEGAL ADVISOR: Advocate Ashok Parihar PRINTED AT JK PRINTING & PUBLICATIONS, SUJWAN, JAMMU TAWI. For Contributing articles mail us at callme.ranasahib@gmail.com, editor.studentage@gmail.com. For Complaints, Querries or Advertisement Contact us: 0191-2580342.. Address: Sector-12, H.No-12 Nanak Nagar, Jammu (All disputes are subjected to the exclusive jursisdiction of Jammu District courts only.)