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O HERALD O
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Goa’s Heartbeat: Zuckerberg named World: Resolve Kashmir tangle 2010 Person of the Year Pg 1 through talks — China Pg 11 Faith in the ability of a leader is of slight service unless it be united with faith in his justice. — George Goethals
(air Surcharge rs 2.00) pages 16 + 4
Sports: Fiery SA reduces Pg 16 India to 136/9
NCP LEADERSHIP FUMES
Rahman once again in race for Oscar
High command tells Jose Philip, Nilkant to quit ministry
Cong leaders brief Hari, CM for Delhi
HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, DEC 16
In what could give rise to new political developments in the State, two Nationalist Congress Party ministers – Jose Philip D’Souza (revenue and civil supplies) and Nilkant Halarnkar (tourism) – in the Congress-led dispensation have been asked to quit their ministerial posts by their party high command. While reliable party sources maintained both were asked to quit citing their meeting in Margao at the residence of Congress General Secretary Vijay Sardesai’s house, political analysts closely monitoring the situation, think otherwise. The present situation comes at a time when speculations are rife that decks are being cleared for NCP legislator’s Mickky Pacheco’s return as min-
Besides political reasons, aren’t we supposed to sit with our coalition partners for anything else? Let us see about the resignation aspect. — Jose Philip D’Souza ister. However, this part could not be confirmed from any of the national leaders including NCP’s Goa desk in-charge Praful Patel. Analysts said it was too harsh a decision to ask the two ministers to resign at one time and
Why this resignation? What wrong have I done? Am I involved in any scandal or corruption? This call for resignation was unwarranted. — Nilkant Halarnkar the reason for such a move doesn’t appear clear for now. Party sources confirmed there was a message sent by the high command which came to the State NCP President Surendra Sirsat asking the two (Continued on page 11)
Mickky silent, watches closely HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 16
While Wednesday’s night meeting of Congress leaders with the NCP ministers at the residence of GPCC general secretary Vijay Sardessai raised many an eyebrow, the development is being closely watched and monitored by former Tourism Minister, Mickky Pacheco.
RBI announces steps to inject Rs 48,000 cr PTI MUMBAI, DEC 16
The Reserve Bank today paused further key policy rate hikes and announced steps to pump in Rs 48,000 crore into the banking system, even as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said this will not add to inflationary pressures. “Reduction of one percentage in SLR combined with the infusion of Rs 48,000 crore in the next one month time has uplifted the investor sentiment. leading brokerage firm IIFL Research Head Amar Ambani said The Central bank reduced reduced the Statutory Liquidity Ratio, portion of deposits that banks must invest in government securities, by one percentage point to 24 per cent. RBI in its mid-quarter credit review refrained from changing them further. It retained the repo at 6.25 per cent and the reverse repo at 5.25 per cent. (Detailed report on pg 13)
While last night meeting was aimed at blocking Pacheco’s return to the Digambar Kamat
ministry, the former tourism minister has declined to comment on the situation, saying that things would be clear in the next few days. Pacheco, however, said that though he had doubts as to who were the leaders responsible for implicating him in false cases in the last six months, last night meeting (Continued on page 11)
HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 16
With the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leadership mulling action against two of its ministers Jose Philip D’Souza and Nilkhant Halarnkar, State Congress leaders have turned to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer for Goa, B Hariprasad on the developments unfolding in the State, even as Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat left for the national capital on Thursday. Sources in the know said the Congress leaders, who had a meeting with the two NCP ministers at the residence of Goa Pradesh Congress Com-
mittee (GPCC) General Secretary Vijay Sardessai got in touch with the AICC observer in charge of Goa and briefed him on the political developments. Herald understands that the State leaders have told Hariprasad that no action should be taken on the fate of Jose Philip and Nilkhant without the meeting of the coordination committee of the coalition partners. While explaining the reasons behind holding last night meeting with the two NCP ministers, the leaders pointed out that the status quo should not be disturbed under any circumstances in the interest of the party. Though the chief minister has headed to Delhi this evening to attend a conference, state Congress leaders have exuded confidence that Kamat would convince the party high command on the need to maintain status quo in the ministry in the interest of the Congress party. Incidentally, these leaders (Continued on page 11)
Probe 2G licences from 2001-07: SC PTI NEW DELHI, DEC 16
The Supreme Court will monitor the probe into the 2G spectrum scam on which it directed today widening its compass to cover the grant of licences by both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regimes between 2001-2007. Holding that prima facie “serious irregularities” have been founding in the issue of 122 licences, the court delivered a seven-point direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) saying it was satisfied that allegations need a thorough and impartial investigation. It referred to the petition
Prima facie “serious irregularities” have been found by the Supreme Court in the issue of 122 licences. A seven-point direction has been issued to the CBI and ED saying it was satisfied that allegations need a thorough and impartial investigation.
BJP welcomes order, but insists on JPC - Pg7 and the affidavits filed by an NGO and said these were supported by documents and also the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) report and the findings by the Comptroller and
Caste bias exists across Britain PTI LONDON, DEC 16
Caste-based discrimination exists across Britain, a new research commissioned by the United Kingdom government has found, prompting further calls to outlaw the malpractice that blights the lives of many people with origins in the Indian sub-continent. The research, commissioned as part of the debate over the Equalities Bill 2010 that received royal assent in April, was conducted by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), which published its findings today. Now termed The Equalities Act 2010, the bill specifically mentions caste under the section Race. India’s position at international fora has always been that caste is not an aspect of race. It had succeeded in keeping caste out of the resolution adopted at the 2001 Durban conference on racism organised by the United Nations. The Act says in Part 2, Chapter 1: “A minister of the Crown may by order—(a) amend this section so as to provide for caste to be an aspect of race; (b) amend this Act so as to provide for an exception to a provision of this Act to apply, or not to apply, to caste or to apply, or not to apply, to caste in specified circumstances.” The main provisions of the Act came into force in October, according to the Government Equalities Office. The latest research presents
several examples of caste-based discrimination in schools, workplaces, markets, services, politics, places of worship, health and social care. It discussed the claims of groups that insisted on the existence of the practice as well as those who denied it existed in Britain. The report recommended that “extending the definition of race to include caste would provide further, explicit protection”. It adds that legislations would be the most effective way to tackle it because, “relying on the Indian community to take action to reduce caste discrimination and harassment is problematic.” The report says: “Caste awareness in Britain is concentrated amongst people with roots in the Indian sub-continent (who comprise five per cent of the population). It is not religion specific and is subscribed to by (and affects) members of any or no religion.” The study identified evidence suggesting caste discrimination and harassment of the type covered by the Equality Act 2010 in relation to: work (bullying, recruitment, promotion, task allocation); provision of services; and education (pupil on pupil bullying). The caste discrimination and harassment identified in the study was by higher castes against the lowest castes, the report says and adds that there is no clear evidence on whether the extent of caste discrimination and harassment is changing.
Auditor General (CAG) in the performance audit report pointing to a presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore. A bench of justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly asked
both the probe agencies to conduct a comprehensive and coordinated investigation by sharing information “without being influenced by any functionary, agency or instrumentality of the State and irrespective of the position, rank or status of the person to be investigated/probed” and submit reports in sealed covers on February 10, 2011. It asked the director general, income tax (investigation) to hand over the transcripts of the recording made pursuant to the approval accorded by the home secretary, to CBI to facilitate further investigation into the FIR (first information report) already registered or which may (Continued on page 11)
PTI LOS ANGELES, DEC 16
After bagging a Golden Globe nomination, music maestro A R Rahman is once again in Oscar race with his song ‘If I Rise’ from ‘127 Hours’ making it to the academy shortlist for the Original Song category. A total of 41 tunes, including the number that Rahman wrote for Danny Boyle’s film, will be judged for Oscar considerations by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Clips featuring the songs will be viewed by the members of the music branch, who will vote to determine the final nominees on January 6, Academy’s official website said unveiling the list today. It is a happy coincidence for Rahman, who had a similar golden run in the award circuits in 2009. The 44-year-old singercomposer won his first Golden Globe in 2009 in the Best Original Score category for Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, which also went on to fetch him two Oscar statuettes later. Rahman has already received rave reviews for his music in ‘127 Hours’, starring James Franco as real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston, who cut off his arm to escape from beneath a boulder after being trapped for more than five days.
Can you please tell us, which Bollywood heroines you want to sign for your forthcoming birthday bash, sir?