Statesman (India) articles from January 2009

Statesman (India) archives from January 2009

Blood donors available, testing kits scarce.
January 31, 2009... Snehamoy Chakraborty RAMPURHAT, Jan. 30: The blood exchange at Rampurhat SD Hospital has come to a halt due to a scarcity of blood test kits. The relatives of patients are being forced to buy blood instead, despite the availability of donors....

Tata Motors nets Rs 263 cr loss in Q3.
January 31, 2009... MUMBAI/NEWDELHI, Jan. 30: Auto major TataMotors today posted a net loss of Rs263.26 crore for the third quarter ended December 2008, against a net profit of Rs499.05 crore in the corresponding period of the previous financial year. The total...

Fidelity hikes Satyam stake.
January 31, 2009... MUMBAI,Jan. 30: Beleaguered SatyamComputer today said that institutional investor Fidelity had hiked its stake to 6.79 per cent in the IT firm by purchasing an additional 2.43 crore shares through open market transactions. The total stake,...

Maytas moves HC against MMTC unit.
January 31, 2009... NEW DELHI, Jan. 30: MaytasProperties, owned by the kin of disgraced founder chairman of Satyam,Mr B RamalingaRaju,has moved Delhi High Court against Integrated Warehousing KandalaProject Development Ltd (IWKPD),a SPVowned jointly by MMTCand...

World Bank lends $14b.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service NEW DELHI, Jan. 30: The World Bank has unveiled a $14 billion India-specific strategy to fast track development of its much-needed infrastructure and to support the seven poorest states achieve higher standards of...

NEC, Hitachi to cut 27,000 jobs.
January 31, 2009... Agencies TOKYO, Jan. 30: Struggling Japanese electronics giant NECCorptoday said that it was slashing 20,000 jobs worldwide to cope with the economic crisis. About 40 per cent of the job cuts would be in Japan and the rest overseas, NEC...

SPECIAL ARTICLE.
January 31, 2009... In search of learning Bengal In The Also-Ran Category AK Ghosh The National University of Educational Planning and Administration has ranked West Bengal in the 33rdposition among 35 states. It is just ahead of Jharkhand and Bihar.Despite the...

EDITS.
January 31, 2009... Quota unquote Arjun Singh deserved the setback The Prime Ministers Office has placed Mr ArjunSingh on the backfootat a critical juncture and through a decisive move that is clearly intended not to dilute learning merely to buttress the HRD...

British Library Puts Online Testimonies Of Jewish Migrants.
January 31, 2009... London, Jan 30: The British Library has put Online the moving and often disturbing testimonies of Jewish migrants and refugees to the UK, many of whom survived Nazi concentration and labour camps. Over 440 hours of life story recordings...

Congress wants defectors disqualified.
January 31, 2009... KOLKATA, Jan 30: The Congress Legislative Party today wrote to the Speaker Mr HA Halim requesting him to disqualify Mr SudipBandopadhyay and Mr SomenMitraas Congress MLAs. While Mr Bandopadhyayjoined the TrinamulCongress, Mr Mitra floated a...

Briefs.
January 31, 2009... Jallikattu ban NEW DELHI, Jan. 30: The Supreme Court today banned the Tamil Nadugovernment from granting permission for Jallikattu,a bull fight, in the state till 13 February. A bench of Chief Justice KG Balakrishnanand Justice...

Singur: Sens views awaited.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service KOLKATA,Jan 30: The Assembly Standing Committee on Industry and Commerce today decided to seek Mr NirupamSen, state industry and commerce minister's, view on setting up of industry in the acquired land in Singurwhich...

SC holds verdict in Vizhinjam port project case.
January 31, 2009... Legal Correspondent NEW DELHI, Jan. 30: The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on petitions filed by a consortium led by Hyderabad-basedLancoKondapalliPower Ltd, the Keralagovernment and others, challenging the tendering process for the...

SC allows bail to Ansal brothers.
January 31, 2009... NEW DELHI, Jan. 30: The Supreme Court today granted bail to real estate tycoons, Sushiland Gopal Ansal,who were convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment in the Uphaarfire tragedy case but also issued notices to the CBIand the duo on a...

Two Navy employees acquitted in spying case.
January 31, 2009... Press Trust of India New Delhi, Jan 30: Two Navy employees, accused of passing sensitive information to a Pakistani agent in Kathmandu nine years ago, have been acquitted by a Delhi court which slammed the police for carrying out the...

RJD favours united UPA.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service NEW DELHI, Jan. 30: A day after the Congress announced that it would not have a national-level alliance with its UPA partners for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the RJD today said it favoured the ruling combine...

An IPS-turned-drug lord.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service MUMBAI,Jan 30: More skeletons are stumbling out as the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad delves deeper into the past record of arrested IPSofficer SajiMohanwho was picked up on 25 January near Classic Club at Oshiwara in...

Kalyan: SP on sticky ground.
January 31, 2009... NirendraDev NEW DELHI, Jan. 30: An open revolt by a sizeable number of Muslim leaders, including sitting MPs, over roping in former BJPstalwart, Mr KalyanSingh, in the SamajwadiParty has rung alarm bells for the party leadership. It is,...

DMK slams LTTE for not responding to ceasefire.
January 31, 2009... Press Trust of India Chennai, Jan. 30: Against the backdrop of hawkish demands and street protests, the DMK-led government today lashed out at the LTTE for not responding to the two-day ceasefire by the Sri Lankan government in the northern...

BJP attacks govt on cash-for-vote.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service NEW DELHI, Jan. 30: The BJPtoday took exception to the government handing over the cash-for-vote scam case to the Delhi Police for further investigation saying it was a ploy to hide the truth. The LokSabhasecretary...

Burdwan IC gets ultimatum.
January 31, 2009... BURDWAN, Jan 30: The chief judicial magistrate's court in Burdwan today directed the inspector-in-charge of Burdwan police station to initiate a specific case against eight CPI-M leaders, on threat of facing prosecution. Since 21 August,...

Trinamul man bought arms from arrested racketeers.
January 31, 2009... KOLKATA,Jan. 30: Officers of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) raided the residence of a TrinamulCongress panchayatmember at Contaiin MidnaporeEast last night after they learnt that the man had bought arms and ammunition from the...

NREGA: Centre for better healthcare.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service KOLKATA,Jan. 30: The Centre has asked the state to include beneficiaries of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA)in the Rastriya SwasthyaBimaYojanato provide better healthcare services to the job card holders...

Civic body chargesheets former OSD.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service KOLKATA,Jan. 30: The KolkataMunicipal Corporation (KMC)has chargesheetedits former officer on special duty (health), Dr AtanuMukherjee, on charges of purchasing medicines at higher rates and dereliction of duty. Dr...

Cancer: SSKM stops free drugs.
January 31, 2009... Pranesh Sarkar KOLKATA, Jan. 30: Poor cancer patients at SSKM Hospital have been in trouble over the past month, as the hospital has stopped administering anti-cancer drugs for free due to a lack of supply. Senior hospital officials said at...

Briefs.
January 31, 2009... Boy missing Police are yet to ascertain the reason behind the disappearance of the 7-year-old Yash Lakhotia from his school at Liluah in Howrah on Thursday. Police on Friday detained the driver, Mr Bikram Roy and the helper, Mr BiswanathRoy...

Good Grief!
January 31, 2009... Better safe than sorry A hundred-mile journey remains incomplete if rules are not obeyed. Last years attacks on Mumbai have made the police take precautions but are we cooperating with the men on duty? There are drivers who continue to...

Travel agents stir against international airlines.
January 31, 2009... KOLKATA Jan 30: The Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) and Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) have decided to continue their nationwide boycott on the sale of airline tickets to Singapore, the Emirates and Lufthansa until...

In-sync.
January 31, 2009... No looking back Rocker Jeff Beck has ruled out a Jeff Beck Group reunion with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood because he thinks reformation of bands is a bad idea. As his former bandmates plan a Faces reunion, the guitar great insists he won't be...

in the groove.
January 31, 2009... Anthology Peter Green Salvo For many, Peter Green is the finest blues guitarist Britain ever produced. True, Clapton had the more dazzling technique, and there were several who could probably leave him standing in terms of mere...

Net Result.
January 31, 2009... If you need to edit photographs on the fly, there are websites for it. These websites may not allow as many options as Photoshop but the output isn't bad... www.picnik.com: The Picnik team is headquartered in downtown Seattle. 'We love...

Ooh la la' by chance!
January 31, 2009... Katrina Kaif's expressionless gaze and certain trademark mannerisms betray a marked absence of sex appeal. Yet, she has become the heroine most in demand. Derek Bose wonders why Somebody should make a film on Katrina Kaif ~ the British lass...

Everything You Wanted To Know: ... But wish you hadn't asked.
January 31, 2009... Raouf Gangjee If the 'black box' flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole airplane made out of that stuff? Aanusha Ghosh, Kalyani 'That stuff' is steel or titanium. It is often damaged in a crash while the...

Oscar update: The chase continues.
January 31, 2009... Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 81st Academy Awards. Sixty-five films had originally qualified in the category. The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are......

Romancing the rhythm.
January 31, 2009... When Mari Wilson arrived on the music scene in the 1980s with her beehive, there was glamour, crazy choreography and great songs to keep her motivated enough to record songs like Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps and Cry Me A River. She talks to...

TIDBITS.
January 31, 2009... Shooting continues Big Pictures', the motion picture brand of Reliance BIG Entertainment Ltd, Chaloo Movie, directed by Vinod Pande, is 70 per cent ready. It stars Rajpal Yadav, Shekhar Suman, Shiny Ahuja, Nandana Sen, Gulshan Grover,...

good health: That perfect look.
January 31, 2009... Dr Supratim Akaash Paul To sport a perfect look (if there's any), make-up plays an important role. Here are a few tips to remember. Perhaps the most important among 'beauty tips' is proper skin care. Cleansing, moisturizer and avoiding direct...

Bob's your haircut.
January 31, 2009... It's been the trendsetter's choice for 100 years ~ and still it refuses to be brushed aside. Carola Long recalls the highlights of the short, sharp style's glamorous history Michelle Obama, Gwyneth Paltrow, the US Vogue editor Anna Wintour ~...

games people play.
January 31, 2009... A Memory of Light Red Eagle Games announced they have signed a strategic distribution agreement with Electronic Arts Inc. for games based on Robert Jordan's beloved fantasy series, The Wheel of Time. Red Eagle Games will develop and publish a...

Sonic Foundry.
January 31, 2009... Shoma A Chatterji speaks to AR Rahman whose music transcends barriers ~ geographic, age or linguistic. Everyone from 6 to 60, Kashmir to Kanyakumari, is his fan Remember a scene from Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator? It shows Charlie...

Blight-affected spud growers seek aid.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service RAIGANJ, Jan. 30: The potato cultivators of North Dinajpur district find themselves in financial trouble after blight destroyed a huge quantity of their crop this year. The members of Islampur Alu Chashi Samity have...

BJP ruffles feathers.
January 31, 2009... Poll pick angers others Statesman News Service KURSEONG, Jan. 30: The BJP has named former IPS officer Mr Dawa Sherpa as its candidate from Darjeeling constituency for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Mr Sherpa is a resident of Rimbick in...

CPM movement to counter Gorkhaland agitation on.
January 31, 2009... JALPAIGURI, Jan. 30: The CPI-M launched its movement against the GJMM-sponsored Gorkhaland demand in Jalpaiguri district today. Around 6000 CPI-M, DYFI and SFI supporters organised a large procession in Jalpaiguri town and submitted a...

Watchful eye on GJMM hunger strike.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service JALPAIGURI, Jan. 30: The administration is keeping a watchful eye on the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morchas hunger strike programme launched yesterday at Garubathan. The district administration has kept a medical team ready and...

Suspected Maoist activist held in Cooch Behar.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service COOCH BEHAR, Jan. 30: A suspected Maoist activist, Ratan Roy, was arrested in Mansai under Baxirhat police station in Cooch Behar yesterday. Roy uses several pseudonyms, some of them being Sahidul, Prakash and...

BJP man elected to Cong-led board.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service MALDA, Jan. 30: Mr Mohan Tudu, a BJP member of the Malda zilla parishad was elected as saha-sabhadipati today in the Congress-led board. He got 19 out of 34 votes against Mrs Surajmoni Tudu of the CPI-M. The post, which...

Female constables on their way, but where will they stay?
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service MALDA, Jan. 30: Malda BSF officers are still undecided on sending proposals to the authorities concerned for acquisition of land for separate accommodation for female BSF constables along the India-Bangladesh border,...

Child marriage in Malda a concern.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service MALDA, Jan. 30: United Nations Childrens Fund (Unicef) and the state social welfare department will jointly begin in February a study on the early marriage of girls in Malda. The Unicef representative in Kolkata...

Waste at Raiganj hospital a hazard.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service RAIGANJ, Jan. 30: As though the ICU crisis at Raiganj district hospital wasnt bad enough, it has now come to light that undisposed waste at the hospital is causing a grave health hazard. A large quantity of waste...

NBMCH authority takes steps to curb power theft.
January 31, 2009... SILIGURI, Jan. 30: The North Bengal Medical College and Hospital authority is taking steps to stop electricity theft. Informing this, the NBMCH medical superintendent, Dr Samir Ghosh Roy, said that power pilferage at the hospital had assumed...

Say it with flowers in Sikkim.
January 31, 2009... GANGTOK, Jan. 30: Floriculture is picking up in Sikkim both in the rural and the urban areas. Many Sikkim residents are now taking to floriculture in the urban areas, growing orchids on terraces, while some are developing nurseries on a...

Briefs.
January 31, 2009... Life imprisonment SILIGURI, Jan. 30: Golap Chand Shaw (72) was sentenced to life imprisonment today in connection with a murder case by the additional district and session judge of the first track, second court, Siliguri, Mrs Justice...

Gatecrashing big cat forces menu change.
January 31, 2009... Subhadeep Saha JALPAIGURI, Jan. 30: An old woman has decided to drop mutton from the menu of her sons upcoming marriage feast after a leopard poached the goat she had purchased. The incident took place last night at Madhya Madarihat in...

Constables threaten fast.
January 31, 2009... BHUBANESWAR, Jan. 30: Constables and havildars today threatened to launch a hunger strike with their families from 9 February if the state government do not pay heed to their demands relating to pay fixation and promotion. Addressing a...

Rly tender procurement goes e-way!
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service BHUBANESWAR, Jan. 30: The e-procurement system, aimed at improving transparency and reducing costs, was inaugurated by railway board chairman Mr KC Jena here recently. The east coast railway stores department...

Briefs.
January 31, 2009... Rail pass for Sudarshan BHUBANESWAR, Jan. 30: Internationally acclaimed sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik has been presented the privilege of the special railway pass enabling free journey in AC second class along with companion from anywhere to...

International.
January 31, 2009... BHUBANESWAR, Jan. 30: The capital city is going to host the two-day international steel conference "Steelrise-200", which will kick off on 2 February. Addressing the Press here today ahead of the seminar, managing director of New Wave Display...

Tournament.
January 31, 2009... MALKANGIRI, Jan. 30: The district-level badminton cup tournament was inaugurated by collector Dr Nitin Bhanudas Jawale and SP Mr Satyabrata Bhoi here recently. As many as 30 doubles pair and 29 singles pair from across the district are taking...

Maoist posters.
January 31, 2009... PURI, Jan. 30: The local police has seized few handbills purportedly written by left wing extremists and put up in different parts of the holy town. We are ascertaining whether it is a prank or not, said senior police officers while...

Chargesheet filed in Saraswati murder case.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service PHULBANI,Jan. 30: The crime branch police submitted a preliminary charge sheet in the sensational Swami LaxmananandaSaraswatimurder case today but skirted details relating to the conspiracy angle and a possible Maoist...

Govt plans school course to combat AIDS.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service DHENKANAL, Jan. 30: The state government plans to introduce life skills education with revised version as a mandatory subject in the high schools, said Mr Parameswar Swain, project director, Orissa state AIDS control...

Satabhaya villagers plan to go on fast-unto-death.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service KENDRAPARA, Jan. 30: Even as chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik today kick-started the geo-filter tube (GFT) technology for the arrest of sea erosion along Pentha coast, villagers of worst-erosion-affected Satabhaya...

Nalco profits show decline.
January 31, 2009... BHUBANESWAR, Jan. 30: National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco) has posted a 33 per cent decline in its net profit at Rs 219.46 crore for the third quarter of the fiscal, which ended in December. In the corresponding quarter of 2007-08...

Hijacked ship hostage comes back home.
January 31, 2009... BALASORE, Jan. 30: This morning was too special for family members of Mr Himansu Kar. It brought tears and laughter at the same time, when the news that Himansu, the lone Oriya crew member of hijacked merchant navy vessel MT Biscagila, has...

Risk reduction camp inaugurated.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service BHUBANESWAR, Jan. 30: A seven day seminar on Building leadership for Disaster Risk Reduction was inaugurated at the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) here yesterday. The event is being organized by the...

Panchayat takes measures to check ticketless travelling.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service JAGATSINGHPUR, Jan. 30: Villagers of Chapada, Eradanga and other panchayats have set an example worth emulating. They have not only shown the way to the rest of the country but also to the railway authorities. Led...

Swain called for talks.
January 31, 2009... MP draws flak for his Birla tyres stance Statesman News Service BALASORE, Jan. 30: The district unit of Congress has criticised local BJP MP Mr Kharabela Swain for his certain remarks regarding the recent developments at the Birla Tyres plant...

Big Bang scientist in Kendrapara.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service KENDRAPARA, Jan. 30: From the dusty and potholed lanes of little known Kamarakhandi village in Kendrapara district to European nuclear research organisation in Geneva in Switzerland ~ the journey of Mr Prafulla Behera...

Tributes paid to Mahatma.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service KENDRAPARA,Jan 30: People of Jagulaipadavillage are proud of the fact that Late RaghunathNayak,a local, had tried to save the father of the nation from the assassins bullets. He had grappled with NathuramGodseon the...

Vengsarkar in Shiv Sena?
January 31, 2009... MUMBAI, Jan 30: Former cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar will contest the next General Elections as a Shiv Sena candidate from Mumbai, a party office-bearer said. Yes, he will be our candidate from Mumbai North-Central constituency, party Rajya...

HHI files case against Citu leaders.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service KOLKATA,Jan. 30: The management of Hotel Hindusthan International has filed a contempt petition in Calcutta High Court against the working president and president of the hotel's Citu-affiliatedworkers union along with...

Obama strikes another blow for equality.
January 31, 2009... Leonard Doyle WASHINGTON, Jan 30: Lilly Ledbetteris about half Mr BarackObama'sheight, but she makes up in determination what she lacks in stature. This was clear when the President stooped to embrace her yesterday after signing his first...

Games Biman plays.
January 31, 2009... KOLKATA, Jan. 30: There isnt anything quite like cricket, they used to say in the good old days, to bring out the real competitor in every individual. Times have changed ~ not necessarily for the worse ~ showing how, in vastly altered...

Respond officially, India to Pak.
January 31, 2009... SNS & PTI NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD,Jan. 30: Amidst reports emanating from Pakistan that the Mumbaiterror attacks were not planned there, India said it expected Islamabad to send a formal response on the dossier of evidence related to the attacks...

State cuts bus & taxi fares.
January 31, 2009... Statesman News Service KOLKATA,Jan. 30: Widespread criticism and resentment, as well as electoral considerations, today prompted the state government to reduce sales tax on diesel by 29 paise and to announce a roll-back in bus and taxi fares...

Briefs.
January 31, 2009... IAEA pact MUMBAI, Jan. 30: India will sign a key inspection agreement, a pre-condition for the Indo-US deal, with UN nuclear watchdog IAEA in Vienna on Monday. n PTI GDP growth NEW DELHI, Jan. 30: The economy in 2007-08 grew by 9 per cent,...

ON RECORD.
January 31, 2009... I am ready. ~ Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh before being taken to the operation theatre. H After what happened last year, I am happy that the Book Fair could be organised this year. ~ Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee after...

100 YEARS AGO TODAY.
January 31, 2009... Editorial Note Speculation has long been rife as to who would be selected to fill the impending vacancy in the Chief Justiceship of the Calcutta High Court, and all doubt is now set at rest by the announcement that Sir Lawrence Jenkins has...

Even stranger.
January 31, 2009... Amiya K Samanta WITH Gandhi having spoken at considerable lengths on various issues, I said I very much regretted what Id had to hear and asked who he would suggest was guilty of such a heinous offence could it be the Governor or Sir Hugh...

IPL bans dope cheat Asif for one year.
January 31, 2009... Agencies KARACHI, Jan. 30: Mohammed Asif (in photo) was today banned for one year by the Indian Premier League for a positive dope test. Asif's agent Salman Ahmed confirmed the ban and said Asif would now concentrate on his training in a bid...

Simmons, Barath slam centuries.
January 31, 2009... Agencies BASSETERRE, (St KITTS), Jan. 30: West Indies A's Lendl Simmons and Adrian Barath cracked attractive centuries to make England's cricketers toil on the first day of its last warm-up match at Warner Park. The young Caribbean pair...

Sania-Bhupathi in final again.
January 31, 2009... Agencies MELBOURNE, Jan. 30: SaniaMirzaand Mahesh Bhupathiovercame a sluggish start to sail into the Australian Open mixed doubles final for the second consecutive year as they beat Czechs IvetaBenesovaand Lukas Dlouhy in straight sets today....

Modis rival hits back.
January 31, 2009... JAIPUR, Jan. 30: A power struggle in the Rajasthan Cricket Association has intensified with its secretary, Mr Subhash Joshi, announcing that elections would be held on 22 February after the organisation's president, Mr Lalit Modi, had...

Briefs.
January 31, 2009... Heena wins HeenaSidhuwon the gold medal in the first match of the junior women's 10m air pistol event in the International Shooting Competition at Munich. Archery camp A two-week national archery camp will be held at SAIwith Australian coach...