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Britain is culturally sexist, says equality watchdog

September 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sep. 6 (ANI): The Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Trevor Phillips, has declared that Britain is ‘culturally sexist,’ and yet to reach a consensus about whether women are equal to men.

According to Phillips, most bosses still operate on the pretext that their workers are male, and even organisations with vast resources into countering discrimination remain biased.

“There is still a huge argument to settle. As a nation, we haven’t quite got a consensus about whether women really are equal or not,” The Times quoted him, as saying.

“We have a culture which produces bias, even when people don’t mean it to, even when they are doing their damnedest to make things change,” he added.hillips said “serious culture change and institutional reform” was needed to put women on an equal footing with men.

His comments coincide with a time when the latest government-commissioned investigation is expected to show pay gaps of up to 60 percent for some women doing the same jobs as men.

Tomorrow’s report is expected to reveal that women are “locked out” of top jobs in the City because employers “massively and preferentially” hire and promote staff between the ages of 25 and 40.

“It’s like Hollywood. There’s no role for women over 40,” Phillips said.

“The fact is, most offices, no matter how enlightened the bosses are, still operate on the premise that the average ‘normal’ worker is male, that someone will look after his children if he has them, that he will be able to work 9am-5pm most days – that’s how we organise things. Doesn’t work for most women,” he added.

He named the BBC and the Metropolitan police as two institutions that had failed to eradicate sexism despite ploughing resources into the problem.

“These organisations have tried very hard. But at some point we are going to need radical cultural change and institutional reform if we’re not going to get stuck at a place where in 20 years’ time we’ll still be saying, ‘why haven’t we got any women on boards?’ (ANI)

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Scientists identify ‘tipping points’ at which sudden shifts to new conditions occur

September 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 3 (ANI): In a new research, scientists have identified ‘tipping points’ at which sudden shifts to new conditions occur in the world.

The research was done by Martin Scheffer of Wageningen University in The Netherlands and co-authors, including William Brock and Stephen Carpenter of the University of Wisconsin at Madison and George Sugihara of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California.

They found that abrupt changes in ocean circulation and Earth’s climate, shifts in wildlife populations and ecosystems, the global finance market and its system-wide crashes, and asthma attacks and epileptic seizures share generic early-warning signals that indicate a critical threshold of change dead ahead.

The team found that similar symptoms occur in many systems as they approach a critical state of transition.

“It’s increasingly clear that many complex systems have critical thresholds – ‘tipping points’ – at which these systems shift abruptly from one state to another,” according to the scientists.

Especially relevant, they discovered, is that “catastrophic bifurcations,” a diverging of the ways, propel a system toward a new state once a certain threshold is exceeded.

A system follows a trail for so long, then often comes to a switchpoint at which it will strike out in a completely new direction.

That system may be as tiny as the alveoli in human lungs or as large as global climate.

“These are compelling insights into the transitions in human and natural systems,” said Henry Gholz, program director in the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s Division of Environmental Biology, which supported the research along with NSF’s Division of Ocean Sciences.

“The information comes at a critical time – a time when Earth’s and, our fragility, have been highlighted by global financial collapses, debates over health care reform, and concern about rapid change in climate and ecological systems,” he added.

It all comes down to what scientists call “squealing,” or “variance amplification near critical points,” when a system moves back and forth between two states.

“A system may shift permanently to an altered state if an underlying slow change in conditions persists, moving it to a new situation,” said Carpenter.

According to scientists, “In systems in which we can observe transitions repeatedly, such as lakes, ranges or fields, and such as human physiology, we may discover where the thresholds are.”

“If we have reason to suspect the possibility of a critical transition, early-warning signals may be a significant step forward in judging whether the probability of an event is increasing,” they added. (ANI)

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US should conduct ‘offshore’ strikes on Afghanistan

September 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep.2 (ANI): A leading conservative columnist, George Will, has called on the Obama administration to pull American troops out of Afghanistan, and instead focus on fighting from “offshore” by means of “intelligence, drones, cruise missiles, air strikes and small, potent Special Forces units.”

According to the Washington Post, there seems to be some merit in waging an “offshore” war, given the success that has been achieved in neighbouring Pakistan against the Taliban with the help of Predator drone strikes, minimum troop deployment and contractors. The acknowledged U.S. toll: zero dead. That’s in stark contrast to the 813 Americans killed so far in Afghanistan.

Obama faces a key decision in coming weeks on Afghanistan. He has already sent 21,000 additional troops there this year, boosting the U.S. total there to 68,000, along with some 40,000 NATO allies.

US commander in Afghanistan General Stanley McChrystal is likely to ask him for more – most likely 10,000 to 20,000 – just as the President wrestles with health-care reform and a still-feeble economy.

Stephen Biddle of the Council on Foreign Relations, who has been advising General McChrystal, says that drones don’t work everywhere. They can be easily shot down by even a “third-rate air force,” he says.

He also says using drones to eliminate enemy personnel needs good intelligence from sources on the ground, something that would melt away should the Taliban reclaim power.

Biddle isn’t overly concerned about Afghanistan falling, again, into the hands of the Taliban. But he is concerned about its nuclear-armed neighbor.

“At some level, the loss of Afghanistan could be tolerated,” he says. “There’s nothing especially unique about Afghanistan as a haven for striking the U.S. Yemen, Djibouti or Somalia could play that role – there are lots of ill-governed spaces around the world that could. But Afghanistan is unique in its proximity to Pakistan, and its potential role in destabilizing Pakistan if Kabul falls under a Taliban government,” he says.

Andrew Bacevich, a retired Army colonel, says the drone strikes are paying off in Pakistan because of that nation’s “quasi-legitimate government and reasonably effective army” – neither of which Afghanistan has.

But he does call the war “misguided and unnecessary,” and argues the U.S. should work with the country’s tribal chiefs to ensure stability in their respective valleys.

And offshore spy-and-strike capabilities could, at a minimum, keep al-Qaeda off-balance in the region “and optimally destroy whatever entity is engaged in a plot,” Bacevich says. (ANI)

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Obama’s health care reform less popular than Bill Clinton’s ’94 proposal

August 28, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Aug. 28 (ANI): Americans are more sceptical about President Barack Obama’s health care reform than they were about Bill Clinton’s health care proposals in 1994, a survey conducted by a Republican polling firm has found.

Thirty seven percent of Americans are opposed to the Obama plan compared with 25 percent who favor it, a poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies shows.

In June of 1994 – just a few months before a White House-led health care reform push effectively died on Capitol Hill – 35 percent of Americans said they opposed the Clinton administration’s plan while 23 percent favored it, Politico cited a survey conducted by the same firm, as saying.

But in 1994 as well as now, the polls showed that large numbers of Americans remain undecided about health care reform.

At that time, 42 percent of those surveyed said they had no opinion about Clinton’s plan and this August, 37 percent also had no opinion about Obama’s proposal.

The recent Public Opinion Strategies Poll surveyed 800 registered voters Aug. 11-13 and has a 3.5 percentage point margin of error.

The poll asked about Obama’s plan, but in reality, there are several versions of health care reform currently working their way through Congress.

Bill McInturff, a partner at the firm who poll-tested the “Harry and Louise” advertising campaign that played a key role in the defeat of the Clinton administration’s health care reform efforts in the 1990s, said that opposition to the Obama plan has been fuelled, in part, by the notion that “government has gotten way too big and is going way too far.”

McInturff also predicted that the death of Senator Ted Kennedy would not have much of a practical impact on the health care debate.

“Individual members will make those votes based on their own calculus, for their own situation and not as a memorial to his long and distinguished career,” McInturff said. (ANI)

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Conference of Secretaries of Administrative reforms tomorrow

August 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Aug 20 (ANI): A conference of Secretaries of Administrative Reforms will be held here tomorrow.

It will be inaugurated by Prithviraj Chavan, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

First of its kind, the day-long conference is being organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.

Secretaries of Departments of Administrative Reforms of the States/Union Territories will take part in the Conference.

The conference aims to create a national platform to share experiences of the States in the field of reforms/initiatives undertaken by the department of Administrative Reforms in the States with a view to improve public service delivery, make the administration effective, transparent and accountable.

The conference will provide a forum for the various states to highlight the issues being faced by them in the area of administrative reforms.

The conference will deliberate on the role of Department of Administrative Reforms in the States and Union Territories.

The focus will be on the organizational structure of the administrative departments in the states, budget allocation and reform activities, challenges faced by them in the execution of reforms activities and assistance required by them from the Centre.

The conference will also focus on the implementation of second ARC recommendations pertaining to the states. (ANI)

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Recession triggering boom in cybercrime

August 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Aug 19 (ANI): The economic slowdown is adding to a boom in cybercrime because computer-literate criminals in developing countries are increasingly trying their hands at electronic scams, according to British researchers.

The study by The University of Brighton team also found that the growth of social networking websites were offering cybercriminals with fresh areas to exploit as well as new areas for recruitment.

Led by Professor Howard Rush, the researchers said that detection and prevention had been boosted, but continuous data breaches, mainly due to human error, were exposing personal information on a large scale.

They also said that the UK needed urgent action to crack down on cybercrime to avert what they said was the potential for “international embarrassment” ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.

Rush said that the growth in credit card fraud and identity theft was due to communications technology reaching parts of the world, where many unemployed people with IT skills lived.

“Criminals there can take advantage of cybercrime opportunities, and the current global recession will likely increase this trend still further,” the Telegraph quoted Rush as saying.

And they warned that the capabilities of cybercriminals, especially without a global counter-strategy, will likely increase in the future.

The report stated: “Law enforcement agencies are struggling to respond, especially in places where legislative frameworks are weak or non-existent.”

“The growth of cybercrime in Russia, India, China and Brazil is of particular concern.

“As cyberspace develops further, so new opportunities will open up for organised crime groups. Crimes such as electronic theft and fraud will occur more rapidly, reducing the likelihood of offenders being caught in the act.

“Information about how to compromise a system will be available more quickly and to more people, which means that opportunistic criminals linked into networks of organised criminals will come to dominate and define the world of cybercrime.

“The ability of criminals to use new technology will also have a major impact on the sort of crime we see. In cyberspace, we can expect this to be further magnified,” it added.

However, the researchers urged a plan of action, saying: “Given that so many cybercrime operations take place in developing countries, aid agencies need to be persuaded to build on their policy reform work to help address cybercrime.” (ANI)

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It happens only in the US: Armed riflemen attend Obama’s speech

August 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Aug.18 (ANI): A dozen people carrying guns, including at least two with assault rifles, were spotted mingling among protesters outside a convention centre in Arizona where President Barack Obama was speaking. he Telegraph quoted Phoenix police as saying that the men who were carrying guns at Monday’s event did not need permits, as the state of Arizona has an “open carry” law.

One of the men carrying a rifle declined to be identified but told The Arizona Republic that he was carrying the assault weapon because he could. “In Arizona, I still have some freedoms,” he said.

The presence of armed men among protesters has raised fears that the heated debate over Obama’s reform agenda could lead to deadly violence.

Obama was speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars about improving benefits for veterans, and thanking the armed services for their sacrifice.

It was the latest incident where gun-carriers have been spotted outside events where the president has appeared, usually to tout his health care reform plans on an increasingly dubious public.

Last week, during a town hall meeting on health care in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a man carrying a sign reading “It is time to water the tree of liberty” stood outside with a pistol strapped to his leg. (ANI)

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China’s carbon emissions may peak around 2030

August 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, August 18 (ANI): A panel of experts have determined that China’s carbon emissions output could peak around 2030 if the government continues to be serious about “strengthened measures” to improve energy efficiency and if it accelerates exploration of renewable energy.

According to the panel from the National Development and Reform Commission and the Development Research Center of the State Council, with the right policies, emissions growth could slow after 2020, with a peak around 2030.

This is the first time a Chinese think-tank has officially announced when it thinks China’s carbon emissions will peak.

The international community has closely watched the country’s carbon emissions curve because China and the US are the top two carbon emissions countries in the world.

The panel has advised China to invest significantly in low-carbon technology research and development, saying the strategy of developing such technology is “a stone killing two birds”.

“Only by using advanced low-carbon technologies can China’s greenhouse gas emissions peak around 2030; otherwise, the peak will be delayed and we don’t want to see the latter scenario,” said Jiang Kejun, a leading economist of the panel.

If the peak happens around 2030, the huge investment in low-carbon technologies could keep China’s economy growing at a fast pace and make China a global leader in cutting-edge technologies.

“I think China will become a major supplier of nuclear, wind and hydropower technologies and electricity transmission by 2030,” said Jiang. “And that should be a strategic goal for the Chinese government to pursue,” he added.

If China can achieve these goals, by 2050, its carbon emissions from fossil fuel “could fall to the same emissions levels as in 2005 or even lower”, the report said.

Jiang said that the Chinese government has been “on the right track” in making policy decisions to develop low-carbon technologies as new economic growth engines while countries worldwide are working on a plan by October to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which is set to expire in 2012. (ANI)

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Obama’s job approval rating goes down: CBS Poll

July 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 14 (ANI): Amid rising questions about US President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy, his job approval rating has gone six points down in the past month, a new CBS News poll has found.

Obama’s current approval rating is 57 percent, down by 11 points from its peak of 68 percent in April, and six points from last month’s 63 percent.

Meanwhile, his disapproval rating has risen from 23 percent in April to 32 percent today.

Surprisingly, the decline in support is not coming from Republicans – whose support for the president has actually risen – but from Democrats and independents.

A total of 82 percent Democrats still approve of the job Obama is doing, this number is down ten points from last month.

His support among independents has fallen eight points to 50 percent, while 30 percent of Republicans back Obama, that’s up from 23 percent in June.

The prime issue behind the Obama’s decline in approval appears to be the economy. His approval rating on handling the economy is now 48 percent, while 44 percent disapprove.

Last month, Americans approved of his handling of this issue by a margin of 22 points.

Half of all Americans expect the recession to go on at least two more years. Fifty-seven percent say the country is on the “wrong track,” up from 50 percent last month. And 44 percent describe the economy as “very bad,” up from 36 percent in June.

On the implementation of the stimulus package, just 21 percent say it has had a positive impact on the economy, while a whopping 60 percent said it has had no impact. Fifteen percent say the stimulus has made the economy worse.

Perceptions of the Obama’s handling of health care reform have improved five points since last month, and his approval rating on the issue now stands at 49 percent.

That same percentage says that America must fix health care because of the bad economy. But nearly 46 percent – say the country cannot now afford to reform health care. (ANI)

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Reform of Education system on anvil

July 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, July 13 (ANI): In a bid to check the drop out rate in higher education, the Centre would launch Madhyam Shiksha Abhiyan programme as part of the proposed education reforms.

“We want to take Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan forward as Madhyam Shiksha Abhiyan as the drop out rate increases in higher education,” Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said during Question Hour in the parliament.

Sibal also said that the government has no policy to introduce “uniform syllabus” in all the universities.

“Let there be creativity. Let there be competition among universities. So this is not government’s policy to introduce uniform syllabus in universities,” he said.

There may be a university focussing on bio-science and another on humanities, he said adding that let the student choose the university based on his or her preference.

He, however, said there should be a CBSE (class 10th or 12th) degree for skilled education as children want jobs immediately after completing school rather than pursuing professional courses.

On the issue of complaints regarding diversion of funds by states under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, Sibal said there were lakhs of schools across the country, it was not possible to carry out audit of each and every school and the CAG takes a sample audit.

Furthermore, he informed the parliament that the Government is in favour of bringing about a regulatory body to monitor the functioning of foreign universities as it is determined to prevent the exploitation of Indian students.

“We will not allow our students to be exploited by any one. We have our eyes firmly on setting up several world-class educational institutions which could make our children compete with others anywhere,” Sibal said. (ANI)

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PM says will focus on global issues relating to economic crisis at G8-G5 summit

July 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, July 7 (ANI): Hours before his departure for the G8-G5 summit in Italy, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today said he would project India’s views on major global issues relating to the world economic and financial crisis.

“During my visit, I will discuss several issues relating to the world economic and financial crisis and its impact on development, food and energy security, climate change, international trade negotiations and reform of international with G-8 leaders and those from outreach countries like China, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa,” Dr. Singh said.

“I will also participate in the meetings of the Major Economies Forum on trade matters and climate change, as well as a meeting on food security being organized by Italy with the participation of several African nations,” he added.

“The global financial and economic slowdown that we are witnessing is particularly detrimental for the development objectives of developing countries such as India. This has not been a crisis of our making, but we have had to bear its consequences. The slowdown in the advanced economies has affected our exports, strengthened protectionists sentiments and impacted credit and capital flows,” he said.

“We would, therefore, like to see a concerted and well-coordinated global response to address systemic failures and to stimulate the real economy. In the longer run, we would like to see a much higher level of stability and sustainability in the growth patterns of the developed world, and in international financial governance.” he said.

“The issues of food and energy security and climate change are closely interlinked. They have to be approached as a single undertaking if we are to give meaning to the concept of sustainable development,” he added.

About climate change, Dr. Singh said, “India will actively participate in the international negotiations on climate change within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change and the Bali Action Plan.”

During his four-day visit, Dr. Singh is expected to meet US President Barack Obama and other world leaders.

Prior to the G-8 leaders meeting, he will attend a meeting of the G-5 group China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.

The summit will primarily focus on winding down expensive stimulus packages for recession-hit financial systems.

Besides the financial crisis, the summit will also discuss the issue of protectionism, food and energy security. (ANI)

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Patil calls for inclusive and positive changes in live of people

July 4, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Mussoorie, July 4 (ANI): President Pratibha Patil on Saturday said the UPA Government is keen to create more growth opportunities to ensure inclusive growth and bring positive changes in the lives of people.

Launching the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration here, President Pail said the Centre has chalked out a programme that will pave the y way for an equitable society.

Stating that India had made rapid progress in different sectors due to the reform process initiated in the early 80′s, Patil said the world looks towards the country with great expectation.

“As the government moves to do more for the people, its civil servants need to play a more dynamic and creative role to ensure that the government schemes reach the people,” she added.

Expressing serious concern over corruption, she described it as is a cancer to be eliminated from the administrative machinery.

“People expect good governance and for that civil servants have to be accountable and make it clear to the people that the administration is working for the people,” she said.

Calling for taking administration to the door steps of people, Patil advocated the need for establishing more convenient systems to deal with the public. She also pleaded for a fast track mechanism to address public grievances.

President Patil is on a three-day visit to Uttarakhand.

The President will attend a dinner hosted by Uttarakhand Governor B L Joshi in her honour this evening.

On Sunday, Patil is scheduled to visit the Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines before returning to New Delhi. (ANI)

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India, Japan agree to fast track work on freight, industrial corridors

July 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Tokyo, July 3 (ANI): India and Japan on Friday agreed to take steps to fast track work on the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) and the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project.

The decision was announced at a joint press conference by the Foreign Ministers of the two countries-Hirofumi Nakasone and S.M. Krishna-after the conclusion of the two-day Third Japan-India Strategic Dialogue here.

Foreign Minister Nakasone also confirmed bilateral collaboration on the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad.

On the issue of disarmament and non-proliferation, the Japanese Minister revealed that he had shared Tokyo’s ’11 benchmarks’ for promoting the same, and added that Krishna and he had agreed that both countries should work together to commence negotiations on the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) at the earliest.

It was also agreed that there was a need to enhance bilateral exchange of views between Japan and India, on the regional situation in South Asia, international challenges and regional situations.

Both ministers shared the view that the nuclear and missile development by North Korea is a threat to the international community, and that there was a need to implement the measures set out in the UN Security resolution 1874 and make North Korea to take this very seriously.

Endorsing the views of Nakasone, Krishna said New Delhi attached high importance to its bilateral relations with Tokyo.

“We thoroughly reviewed our bilateral relations since my Prime Minister’s visit to Tokyo in October 2008. We agreed that the Strategic and Global Partnership between us is an important factor in furthering our ties, as well as in promoting peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and the world,” said Krishna.

“We are making progress in our negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Foreign Minister Nakasone and I agreed on the necessity of concluding a high quality and mutually beneficial agreement,” he added.

Krishna also revealed that Japan’s Official Development Assistance to India was reviewed and New Delhi appreciated Tokyo’s contribution to “our economic development”.

He also said that both ministers reviewed the follow-up on the implementation of the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation.

Other issues taken up were UN reform and the important global challenge of climate change.

Krishna said that he would be calling on Prime Minister Taro Aso before returning to New Delhi. (ANI)

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Ex-smoker Obama confesses having occasional ciggies

June 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New York, June 24 (ANI): US President Barack Obama has confessed that he constantly struggles giving up smoking and sometimes ‘messes up’ by giving into occasional cigarettes.

The popular leader, who has been trying to kick the habit completely, made the revelation at a White House news conference in between talks on health care reform, a new energy policy and a halt to Iranian repression of dissent.

“As a former smoker, I constantly struggle with it,” the New York Daily News quoted him as saying.

He added: “Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes. Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No.”

Obama, who recently inked the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act on, further insisted he made it a point not to give in to his “weak moments” in front of his family.

He said: “I don’t do it in front of my kids. I don’t do it in front of my family. I would say that I am 95 percent cured. But there are times … where I mess up.” (ANI)

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Education panel wants UGC, AICTE scrapped

June 23, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

NEW DELHI: In an ambitious blueprint for reform of the education sector, the high-powered Yashpal Committee has recommended scrapping a whole lot of powerful bodies — University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education, National Council for Teacher Education and Distance Education Council.

The committee, whose report is expected to serve as a template for measures to clean up the mess in higher education
, has also recommended that IITs/IIMs be turned into universities and a GRE like test be evolved for university education.

The committee said a plethora of regulatory bodies like UGC should be replaced by a super regulator: a seven-member Commission for Higher Education and Research (CHER) under an Act of Parliament. It has also recommended, obviously with a view to buffer the new regulator against political and other pressures, that the position of chairperson of the proposed commission should be analogous to that of election commissioners.

The high-powered committee was set up under renowned scientist Yashpal, a former UGC chairman, with the mandate to suggest measures for “renovation and rejuvenation” of higher education in the country.

It also said the jurisdiction of other regulators — Medical Council of India, Bar Council of India and others — be confined to administrative matters, with universities taking up their academic responsibilities.

Finalised on Monday and to be given to HRD minister Kapil Sibal on Wednesday, the report said that IITs and IIMs should be encouraged to diversify and expand their scope to work as full-fledged universities.

The panel also proposed a national testing scheme for university admissions on the lines of GRE which would be open to all aspirants and would be held more than once a year.

The proposed CHER, the report said, should first identify India’s 1,500 top colleges to upgrade them as universities and then create clusters of potentially good colleges to evolve as universities. Also, all levels of teacher education should be brought under the purview of higher education.

Expressing concern on the mushrooming of engineering and management colleges, that had “largely become business entities dispensing very poor quality education”, Yashpal committee lamented the growth of deemed universities and called for a complete ban on further grant of such status. Existing ones, the committee said, should be given three years to develop as a university and fulfil the prescribed accreditation norms.

Raising doubts about the source of funding of private education providers, the committee said mostly it was either “unaccounted wealth from business and political enterprises or from capitation fees”. It said the system of conferring academic designations as chancellors and vice-chancellors to members of the promoter’s family should be done away with. They should submit to a national accreditation system. However, the committee underlined the need for private investment in higher education.

Recommending curricular reform, the committee said teachers should have the freedom to design courses and students should be able to study subjects outside their courses.

Of the seven members of the proposed CHER, one would be an eminent professional from the world of industry. Chairperson and members will be selected by a committee headed by the PM, Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India. Commission will have five divisions dealing with future directions, accreditation management, funding and development and new institutions. An eminent individual will head each division for five years.

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Meet Barack Obama, the comedian!

June 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New York, June 20 (ANI): US President Barack Obama sent the crowd into stitches with his jokes at the 65th Annual Radio and Television Correspondents Association Dinner.

The popular leader made other politicians, the economy, health care reform, his own White House team and other problems facing the nation the butt of his jokes during the Washington, D.C. affair.

Obama scored enough laughs while referring to a picture of Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel riding a camel in Egypt.

“I admit, I was a little nervous about the whole situation. I said at the time, “This is a wild animal known to bite, kick and spit. And who knows what the camel could do?” the New York Daily News quoted him as saying.

Speaking about the attempts to reform health care, he said: “I have gained the support of the American Medical Association.”

He then added, “It proves true the old expression that it’s easier to catch flies with honey. And if honey doesn’t work, feel free to use an open palm and a swift, downward wrist motion.”

Obama then told those present that efforts were being made to help restore financial institutions and auto companies gain back their strength.

He added: “But you probably wouldn’t understand the concept of troubled industries, working as you do in radio and television.”

And when he realised, that may stir a commotion, the President grinned and said: “W-h-a-a-t! I can’t joke about that.”

He later declared: “I have no ambition to run an auto company.”

Obama did not even spare Secretary of State Clinton’s fractured broken elbow, saying the “Secret Service spotted Richard Holbrooke spraying WD40″ all over the driveway where she fell.

He joked: “Now on top of the cost of health care and the recovery plan we have another fiscal problem. Fortunately, the lawyers tell me Hillary is ready to settle.” (ANI)

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CIA launches ambitious program to improve agency’s foreign language proficiency

May 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 30(ANI): The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has launched an ambitious program to double the number of analysts proficient in languages, which it deems critical in the fight against America’s enemies.

It was done five years after 9/11 Commission faulted inadequate language skills among its employees.

CIA Director Leon Panetta, announced the new initiative in an acknowledgement of the agency’s slow progress in adding employees fluent in languages such as Arabic, Farsi and Urdu.

“To gather intelligence and understand a complex world, the CIA must have more officers who read, speak, and understand foreign languages,” Panetta said.

Panetta unveiled plans for recruiting more officers fluent in foreign languages and for retraining thousands of current employees, using the agency’s in-house “CIA University.

“The agency will offer night classes and online training, and will enable new recruits to study languages while awaiting security clearance. In addition to doubling the number of officers competent in certain “mission-critical” languages, the agency seeks to increase by 50 percent the number of analysts fluent in the dialect of the culture or region to which they are assigned,” Panetta said.

The CIA had recently reported that a small fraction of its overall workforce, about 13 percent, is fluent in a second language.

Among officers of the agency’s National Clandestine Service, to which most foreign-deployed officers are assigned, the figure is about 30 percent.

The 9/11 Commission had identified lack of skilled translators as a factor in the U.S. government’s failure to prevent the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The commission found that, had the intercepted communications been translated on time, the U.S. officials could have been alerted.

“The foreign-language deficit is a government-wide problem that reflects flaws in the security-clearance process. Often, CIA job applicants who are fluent in key languages have been turned away because they have relatives living in countries where terrorists are known to operate,” said Amy Zegart, an expert on intelligence reform and an associate professor at the University of alifornia. (ANI)

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India reiterates demand to expand UN Security Council

May 28, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New York, May 28 (ANI): India has demanded intensification of efforts by the United Nations General Assembly to expand the Security Council to reflect current realities of the world.

In his maiden address to an informal session of the 192-member Assembly on reform of the 15-member Council, Indian ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri said, a small group of countries is trying to scuttle the process by insisting that expansion be limited to non-permanent category.

Though Puri did not name the small group of countries, he was apparently referring to “Uniting for Consensus” (UFC), a group of “like-minded” countries including Pakistan, South Korea and Spain among others.

In the event of an expansion, India, Japan, Germany and Brazil are strong contenders for permanent Council seats.

Making a strong case for moving towards reform, Puri said: “If the status quo were representative, effective, responsive or fair, we could have lived with it”.

“But as is clear to all, this is not the case, and the Council is in urgent need for reform to gain credibility and reflect the modern day realities,” Puri added. (ANI)

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India wants speedy negotiations in Indo-US nuke deal

May 22, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 22 (ANI): In a bid to move forward the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, India has sought speedy negotiations of reprocessing arrangements as well as liberalization of the export licensing procedures.

India’s newly appointed Ambassador to the United States Meera Shankar said that New Delhi would like to move forward in a concrete way with agreements for building nuclear reactors with US assistance in the country.

Addressing a reception hosted in her honour by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) in Washington, she expresses satisfaction in the growth of ties between India and the US.

This was Shankar’s maiden public engagement after presenting her credentials to President Barack Obama.

The USIBC, which comprises some 300 American and Indian companies, is the largest Indo-US trade body and had played a key role in the passage of the civilian nuclear deal.

Shankar said unlike in the past when one looked with skepticism at the country, India no longer has a credibility problem of economic reform process. (ANI)

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Australia must engage India more in wake of Singh’s enhanced authority

May 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Melbourne, May 21 (ANI): There can hardly be a friend of India anywhere who does not rejoice at the electoral success of Dr. Manmohan Singh, the former Cambridge economics don.

The Kevin Rudd Government must swiftly take advantage of the new situation in India, reports The Australian.

Singh’s Government will be stronger on economic reform, though it is unlikely to move at dizzying speed. But Singh has identified energy and education as the two great blocks to Indian development. The nuclear deal addresses energy, but there will be much more liberalisation in the energy sector to come. It’s also likely that foreign universities will ultimately be allowed to establish campuses in India, both of which are obvious opportunities for Australia.

Rudd had planned to go to India in January, but Singh had a heart attack. Both Rudd and Foreign Minister Stephen Smith are determined to put India in the front rank of Australia’s foreign relations. Rudd is sure to visit India soon, says the paper.

Meanwhile, Indian and US intelligence agencies have concluded that a part of the Pakistani state that lent some support to the terrorists who attacked Mumbai last November, did so for a very specific reason, internal to Pakistan.

The Pakistani military was so desperate to escape US pressure to fight the Taliban in their northwest that they wanted to provoke a limited Indian military reaction. This would have justified abandoning the fight against the Taliban and rushing troops back to the Indian border.

The relevant intelligence agencies, including our own, further conclude that a further Pakistan-originated terrorist outrage after Mumbai would have virtually forced an Indian military response of some kind, even just a strike at terrorist training facilities in Pakistan.

Only the measured, moderate, mature leadership of Singh and his senior colleagues kept India calm in the face of the Mumbai outrage.

Now that Singh’s authority is massively enhanced, the dynamics have changed. One of the few good elements in the regional geo-strategic equation that we can rely on is steadiness in Indian policy, The Australian claims.

According to the paper, Singh stands now as one of the greatest statesmen in Asian history. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to serve a full term and win re-election since 1961. He has brilliantly expanded India’s centre, marginalizing both its Left and its Right. (ANI)

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