India Inc still to suggest ways on dealing with black money -

The government has not received any suggestions from major industry bodies to deal with the menace of black money, even as corporate leaders today said a solution should be found to end corruption.

"We wrote to all the industry bodies and associations inviting suggestions from them on tackling the black money menace, but the Board has not yet received any suggestions from the corporate world," a senior official of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
Industry bodies including Ficci, CII, Assocham, PHD Chamber and Nasscom were asked to suggest administrative and legal steps to check generation of black money by July 15.

CBDT will now send a reminder asking them to submit their suggestions by September 15.
While the chambers have not responded till date, the CBDT has been flooded with suggestions from the general public. It has received over 4,000 suggestions from them.

When contacted, a Ficci spokesperson said it was in the process of collecting responses from members on the issue and would submit it recommendations to the CBDT at the earliest.
Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said the chamber was in process of giving final touches to a detailed study on the matter, including the models being practiced in other countries, and would make a presentation before Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee by month end.
While CII declined to comment, NASSCOM could not be reached.

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'Religious, political, social and criminal are four major causes of terrorism' - The Times of India

Senior IPS officer Sudhansu Sarangi went to England recently to receive PhD from the University of Liverpool for research on terrorism, a global menace that has not spared India by any long shot. He spoke to Rajaram Satapathy to share his views on terrorism and terrorists.

Q- Many must have done research on terrorism. What is special about your study?

A-Research on terrorism is an intricate task, given the kind of horrific crimes terrorists perpetrate and the secretive manner in which they live. Since 9/11 there has been a proliferation of research on terrorism. The Israelis and the Americans have some of the most active research programmes trying to understand how people are drawn into terrorism. But most of the works are based on secondary data, media reports and anecdotal accounts. Mine is a first-hand research carried out through extensive psychological interviews and assessments with 49 terrorists involved in some of the most heinous terror crimes India has witnessed. I met them in different prisons around the country. This is virtually the first such research into Jihadi terrorism in the world.

Q- Are they all Indians?

A- Of the 49, 16 are Pakistanis, rest are Indians. The Pakistanis came to India as Mujahedeens to commit violence and were subsequently arrested. The 49 included 14 surrendered militants in Kashmir. I wanted to meet disengaged militants so that we can understand not merely why people join terrorism, but also how and why some decide to withdraw from terrorism.

Q-Did they know that you were not interrogating them as a policeman?

A- The research was purely of an academic nature and conducted in prisons visited by the international committee of the Red Cross. Only willing persons were interviewed and they were told that they can stop the interview at any point or decline to answer any question. Some, in fact, did not give consent and so interviews could not be conducted with them. Many of them chatted freely and they revealed much more than what was expected.

Q-What did you feel about them?

A- The first thing you realize is that they are normal people, with normal emotions and are capable of normal human relationships. They were polite, though rhetorical and firm. Till now there were many speculations about the psychological process terrorists go through in deciding to join terror outfits. I found many of these surmises wrong and some were rather limited in their ability to explain the current trend of global terrorism.

Q- What made them terrorists?

A-The popular perception is that some vulnerable persons are brainwashed by terrorist leaders through propaganda to join terrorism. But the reality is different. They consciously decided to become terrorists and were not victims of propaganda really. No one sleepwalks into terrorism.

Q- Why? What is so attractive in becoming a terrorist?

A- I found four major influences: religious, political, social and criminal, though for most there is a combination of one or more of these four factors. The religious influence is based on their commitment for a particular interpretation of Islam. Others became terrorists to advance their political grievance, which they thought could be achieved by using terrorism as a tool. Some are even influenced by peer pressure and their understanding of social approval and then there were individuals who strayed from a criminal past to become terrorists to maximize their gains.

Q-Why do terrorists operate under different banners? Violence seemingly being their single goal, why are there so many organizations in circulation?

A- There are many ideological divisions among Jihadi organizations. Also, they keep changing names and mutating to evade legal sanctions. However, with the war on terror, the Afghanistan-Pakistan region has become the epicenter of terrorism and ideological divisions are getting blurred. In 1998 Osama floated an organization called the Global Front for Jihad, which views India as an enemy as much as the Western countries and Israel. Being in such a volatile neighborhood India is affected. Disaffected youth from India have taken the help of the global terror network to carry out attacks in India. The global war on terror has indeed brought a variety of outfits together. They share logistics and support each other in carrying out attacks.

Q-Do you think India's proximity to these two countries has made our country vulnerable to terror attacks.

A-Most of the terrorist outfits operate from Pakistan and Afghanistan, the epicenter of global terrorism. And Kashmir being next to the border, terrorists find it as an easy target to create violence. Amidst all this, what is really creating a danger for us is that some disaffected youth are going to Afghanistan, Pakistan region to get training and support from the global terror network to perpetrate crimes back home. India is mostly vulnerable to attacks by Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and their affiliates.

Q- Do youth from poor families take to terrorism?

A- Not really. Many are educated and come from middle class families. No one among the 49 became a terrorist because of economic reasons.

Q- Do they regret having become terrorists and ending up in jails?

A-Many were a sad lot and some were extremely angry with terrorist leaders who had misled them. They miss their families, children, parents and wives. During the interviews some cried so inconsolably that they had to be repeatedly consoled. Many said given a chance, many would prefer to join the mainstream and lead a normal life. Their family members meet them in jails rarely amidst security restrictions. Some have realized that terrorism is not the answer to problems though they said a lot about the training and strategies planned. They regret becoming terrorists.

Q-Can Maoists be called terrorists?

A-If one goes by the UN definition, then crimes committed by Maoists against government constituted under the law and civilian population will be termed as terrorism. Terrorism is defined in a variety of ways. After 9/11 there is greater consensus in the world not to enter into debate about definition of terrorism. People feel such fine distinctions and debates are no more tenable. Illegitimate use of force by non-state actors and crime against government and civilian populations has to be termed as terrorism irrespective of root causes and lofty goals. The use of such violence as a means is not acceptable in a civilized world.

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IIT Bombay plans to offer MD-PhD programme - Express India

Now, a premier engineering institute like Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), Bombay, is considering the feasibility of offering a MD-PhD programme jointly with an organisation which will be part of the healthcare consortium being initiated by the institute. The primary objective of the consortium is to have joint educational and training programmes and research projects which are mutually beneficial.

Letters of intent to be part of the consortium have been recently sent to organisations including Tata Memorial Hospital, KEM Hospital, National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health (NIRRH), Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer and Strand Life Sciences and Span Diagnostics. Not just this, students of IIT Bombay, who are keen on doing bio-medical research, will soon be able to intern at these organisations.

“Several aspects have been considered. We are exploring the feasibility of a joint MD-PhD programme with one of our partners. It could be on the lines of our dual degree programmes (Btech-MTech or Mtech-PhD) which help save time and assures seamless transition. Since we are a technology institute, starting a medical course is not an easy task. It involves lot of groundwork and permissions from regulatory bodies like Medical Council of India. The primary aim is to look at ways to integrate lifesciences into our engineering programmes,” said the office of the dean of Research and Development (R&D), IIT Bombay.

Currently, IIT Kharagpur has plans to introduce a medical school which will offer MBBS, MS and MD courses, subject to approval.

Joint electives for students is another area which is being considered. The institute is also looking at the possibility of introducing bio-design fellowships. Teaching programmes and refresher courses for practitioners and clinicians, on the lines of continuing/distance medical education programmes, are also being planned.

While bio-medical research and teaching has been a long-term focus at IIT Bombay, the consortium is a step in that direction. Till now, research has been targeted to the treatment of various diseases including cancer, orthopedic conditions, infectious diseases, cardiac, respiratory and neurological disorders. It includes the development of targeted therapies for cancer, new modalities to treat tuberculosis and parasitic diseases, designing novel orthopedic implants, minimally invasive forms of drug delivery among others.

“Several key facilities at the clinical level will be available to us now. The consortium will help translate more technologies into products which are of help to our society. Cancer research and drugs related to cancer treatment will remain a key focus with our partners,” said the R&D office.

A “healthcare innovation centre”, which will primarily look at making products and prototypes, is also on the anvil at IIT Bombay. Funding has been sought for the proposed centre.

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Business Line : Industry & Economy News : Corruption can impact investor confidence, fears chamber

Although bullish about India's growth, the corporate sector is concerned that corruption will affect the confidence of international investors, a survey conducted by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) has revealed.

The survey covered 70 CEOs across sectors and focussed on the business expectations of the industry.

A majority of the respondents expected the real GDP growth rate to remain above 8 per cent during financial year 2012 and within the range of 8 to 10 per cent during 2013-15.

Inflation is expected to remain above 8 per cent during financial year 2012, and between 5 and 8 per cent during financial year 2013-15. The respondents feel that a possible softening in global commodity prices will help in moderating inflation in India.

According to the survey, interest rates (repo rate) will be more than 8 per cent during the current financial year and between 5 and 8 per cent during financial year 2013-15.

A significant percentage felt that gold prices will remain below Rs 30,000 during financial year 2012, and between Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000 during financial year 2013-15. Real estate prices will rise during financial year 2012 but the rise will not be more than 30 per cent.

The BSE Sensex is expected to remain in the 15,000-18,000 range during financial year 2012 and in the 18,000-25,000 range during the financial year 2013-15.

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Press Information Bureau English Releases

The United Nations Academic Impact is an initiative open to universities and other institutions of higher education and research worldwide which undertake activities in support of the mission and mandates of the United Nations. The new initiative aims to promote a culture of intellectual cooperation, serving as a point of contact for ideas and proposals relevant to the United Nations mandate, and foster direct engagement by institutions in programmes, projects and initiatives for the realization of the Millennium Goals and other United Nations objective. About 50 Indian institutions have joined UNAI so far.

UNAI gives active support to 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, literacy, sustainability and conflict resolution, which are based on the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Millennium Development Goals target.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Smt. D. Purandeswari, in a written reply to a question, in the Rajya Sabha today.

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Actress gets letter for security guard interview -

Goa's state employment agency 'wants' a film actress doing her PhD and computer science graduates to appear for job interviews for security guards.

Priyanka Bidaye, who has acted in two regional films and is studying for her PhD in Physical Chemistry, is one of the several dozen people who were sent call letters earlier this month for interview and physical test for the post of a security guard at the state industries department.

'I got a call letter for the post of Industrial Security guard Aug 8. I have done my MSc in Physical Chemistry and currently doing PhD. Are the people eligible for the post getting call letters at all? This needs to be investigated,' Bidaye told IANS.

She has acted in two films, 'Saanwariya.com' and 'Alisha', which were screened at the International Film Festival of India in the festivals' last two editions.

The call letter, issued by the under secretary in the personnel department which oversees the functioning of the state employment exchange, also asks the interviewees to assemble at the sports complex in Ponda, 30 km from here, Aug 18 for a 'physical test'.

'It is ridiculous. Considering my qualification how can they send me a call letter for the said post. This means that they don't update their data. If they don't update data, how will it benefit the youth in terms of employment,' she said.

Ranjita Naik, a computer science graduate from Ponda, who also received a call letter for the security guard's post, is equally flummoxed.

'I understand the concept of dignity of labour. But I am shocked because there has simply been no posting from the employment exchange vis-a-vis jobs which fit my profile,' Naik said.

'Why will a computer science graduate answer a call for the post of security guard,' he asked.

A senior personnel department official admitted the faux pas but said the call letters were sent across erroneously. 'It was a human error because of which these call letters were sent.'

©Indo-Asian News Service

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Official's callousness leaves Indian players red-faced at WUG - Hindustan Times

There seems to be no respite for the Indian contingent at the World University Games (WUG) in Shenzhen, China. After chef-de-mission, Gurdeep Singh, became a source of embarrassment when he insisted on becoming the flag-bearer at the opening ceremony, the players are again in the midst of an

unwanted controversy.

The kit provided by the Association of India Universities (AIU) has been rendered useless as the T-shirts don't have 'India' embossed on them. As per the rules, participants are not allowed to compete without the country's name on their shirts.

Appalling attitude
"It was a shock when the organisers told us that we could not compete with these T-shirts, as they did not have 'India' on the back. Eventually, we were allowed to participate after 'India' stickers were procured and stuck on the shirts," an athlete told HT from Shenzhen. "Twelve of us (athletes) and eight tennis players got stickers made at a cost of 27 yuan (Rs 200 each) from our pockets," said another athlete.

"It was a struggle to get the job done as none of the officials helped us. It seems most of them are on a picnic," he added.

Out of the six disciplines - shooting, swimming, tennis, athletics, archery and badminton - only the shuttlers have proper kits as their coach got them sponsors during the coaching camp in India.

"The swimming squad and some of the tennis players have borrowed T-shirts from the badminton players as they have got four sets," said an official.

No DA for players
The sports ministry has sanctioned a daily allowance of $25 (Rs 1132) for the players, but even after a week in Shenzhen, Gurdeep Singh, the chef-de-mission, is yet to disburse the money.

"When we asked him to give the money to the players, Gurdeep Singh said he would not give it as the players would spend it on shopping and that the money was for refreshments.

"One can ask him what the players will do with refreshments once the tournament is over," said an official

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Mobile school helps India towards its educational goals — SOS Children

According to Government of India data, net enrolment for primary schools is already at 98.6 per cent. And targets for equity in the enrolment of girls are reported as being achieved. However, there are still some poor families who fail to sign up their children for primary education or keep them in school till the age of 14.

IRIN reports on a bus scheme being run in Delhi to improve school attendance among children of low-income families. A converted bus acts as a mobile school. Equipped with educational materials such as books, DVDS, computers and toys, the vehicle travels round poor districts of Dehli and picks up around 300 children. The bus then stops and teachers provide the children with two hours of lessons from Monday to Friday.

A short film made by IRIN as part of its ‘Kids in the City’ series follows the bus on a typical day. One of the teachers in the mobile school explains that having surveyed their area, they pick up children who are not in any kind of formal education. She explains that the parents of these children are not educated themselves and therefore place a higher priority on work or domestic chores. After the children have attended daily lessons on the bus for a while, the teachers visit the families to encourage parents to enrol their children into government schools. If necessary, they help with this process.

The film follows one of the pupils collected by the bus. Nisha is 10 years old and lives in Nala Camp. She tells IRIN that before the bus came, she used to see children of her own age going to school and “felt sad”. Sometimes she would even join them on their walk. Now Nisha is glad to be collected by the bus each weekday morning after she’s finished her household chores. Nisha particularly likes the teacher on the bus, saying ‘she loves us a lot’.

Nisha’s mother is shown meeting with the teacher and promising to enrol her at a full-time school. For Nisha, this is not only the chance to study, which she enjoys, but also to bring honour to her family. The ten year-old says she doesn’t want to be told she is ‘illiterate’ or that she doesn’t know anything, because she believes such statements bring shame on her parents. So she is therefore eager to get an education and for her parents to be proud of her.

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