LeT terrorist killed in Kashmir, commander escapes

May 25 , 2011

JAMMU: A terrorist of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group was killed by security forces in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday morning, but a top commander managed to escape, police said. 

A joint party of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the army raided a hideout of LeT commander Salman in Bharath area of the mountainous Doda district, about 200 km northeast of Jammu. 

One militant was killed in the ensuing gunfight, a police officer told IANS over phone. 

However, the commander managed to escape, he added. 

National Defense College is a target in near future: Headley

May 25 , 2011

WASHINGTON: Mumbai attacks co-accused David Headley on Wednesday testified that New Delhi-based National Defence College is on the hit-list of terrorists as 26/11 mastermind Illiyas Kashmiri believes in this way he can kill more Indian brigadiers than what the Pakistan Army could not do in four wars with India. 

Within a few months of the Mumbai terror attacks, Kashmiri, who has now emerged as mastermind of 26/11, met Headley, and asked him to go to India again to do surveillance of the National Defence College in New Delhi and a number of Chhabad Houses in various cities of India. 

When Headley, accompanied by Pasha, went to see Kashmiri in Waziristan in February 2009, he among the Lashkar-e-Taiba circles had emerged as a "surveillance expert" thus a key element of the planning of the terrorist attack. 

"Kashmiri asked me to return to India. He said that his leadership was very upset about the recent Israeli strike on the Gaza strip and (thus) wanted retaliation," Headley said in response to a question, adding that Kashmiri wanted him to identify the Chhabad houses in India. 

On the way back he was given a list of Chhabad houses in India by Pasha. 

Headley said since he was coming to India again, he was asked by Kashmiri to also visit National Defence College, which he described as a prestigious Indian institution that teaches high level army offices, Colonels and above. 

Pasha told him that if "we were able to conduct" attack on NDC then "we will be able to kill more Brigadiers than Pakistan has done in the four wars" with India. 

Who will now lead AGP?

May 25 , 2011

GUWAHATI : Stung by the recent Assembly poll debacle, the AGP is at its all-time low since its inception in 1985. The party has to hold its general council this year in accordance with the guidelines set by the Election Commission (EC) of India. As if to cap it all, the party is haunted by the question: Who will lead the party from the front in these days of crisis? Party president Chandra Mohan Patowary has already tendered his resignation owning moral responsibility for the recent poll debacle.

The regional party is on the lookout for an able leader to lead it. While a section of its well-wishers feels that almost all the founder leaders of the party are a discarded lot and the need of the hour is a young, energetic and able leader, another section of party well-wishers believes that the image of AGP working president Phani Bhushan Choudhury is still clean and, as such, he can lead the party from the front. Another section still pins hope on the leadership of former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. Those who want the regional party to be led by a young leader see an able leader in Kaliabor MLA Keshab Mahanta whose thinking, they believe, is more pragmatic than that of the rest. There is yet another section that believes that the regional party needs to be revived by bringing in an able leader from outside the party fold.

Some AGP workers and well-wishers think that various committees of the regional party are bulky and these need to be streamlined by reducing the number of members of the steering committee and of general secretaries and vice-presidents of the party’s central committee.       

Meanwhile, the party has called a meeting on May 26 and 27 for the post-mortem of the poll debacle. All the defeated candidates of the party have been called at the meeting. According to sources, the defeated candidates of the party will be asked to explain the reasons behind their defeat. The steering committee of the party will meet on May 29 to decide its future course of action and to take a decision on holding the central executive meeting of the party. 

Gogoi to submit final list to high command

May 25 , 2011
NEW DELHI : Amidst growing anxiety, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday morning and held initial discussions on selection of his new team of ministers. He is likely to again meet the Congress president on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister who has been playing his cards close to his chest, later met Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Bijoy Krishna Handique and PCC president Bhubaneswar Kalita at his Teenmurty Lane House.
Sources said that the Chief Minister met the Congress president with a draft list with number of alternative suggestions. The list is now being finalised in consultation with PCC president and Handique, among others, said sources.
The Chief Minister is again expected to seek an appointment with the Congress president on Wednesday, when he is going to submit a final list for approval of the AICC.
Sources said the AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, who has left for US is also being kept in the loop and a copy of the draft list is going to be emailed to him.
Faced with the problem of plenty, Gogoi has already decided to focus on third and fourth time winners to pick his team. The formula worked out on Tuesday was to retain one minister each from one Parliamentary constituency. Attempt is also on to fit in at least one representative from each of the major communities and select groups. Last time, Gogoi had selected one minister from each of the district.
Speculations were rife over constitution of the next council of ministers particularly among the ministerial aspirants. While some of the aspirants, who are camping in the capital, accompanied by supporters met senior AICC leaders, Gogoi has been avoiding meeting them. With the Chief Minister unwilling to lend an ear, their next port of call are rooms of Himanta Biswa Sarma and Rockibul Hussain, both of whom have lodged themselves in Assam Bhavan.
The media too waiting to get a word from Gogoi did not have much luck, as the Chief Minister has been avoiding them as well.
Some of the aspirants and their supporters are, meanwhile, preparing to leave for Assam, even as some new elected MLAs landed here to lobby. Akon Bora, who arrived on Tuesday reportedly rushed to meet senior AICC leaders. Bora is tipped to be dropped and replaced by Anjan Dutta, who also belongs to Koch Rajbongshi community.
Sources said Handique is pushing for inclusion of Pranab Gogoi and Sarat Borkotoki into the ministry but the Chief Minister is inclined to accept only one. Gogoi also faces the daunting task of dropping some of the senior colleagues and accommodate a few giant killers.

Badal's wife passes away

May 25 ,2011

CHANDIGARH : Bibi Surinder Kaur, wife of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, died on Tuesday at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) here after a prolonged battle with cancer. She was 72.

She is survived by her husband, son Sukhbir Singh, who is the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, and daughter Parneet Kaur.

According to an official release, cremation will take place at the family's native Badal village in Muktsar district on Wednesday. Ms. Kaur was afflicted by cancer more than two years ago.

Twice she was flown to the U.S. for treatment. She was admitted to the PGI about ten days ago.

During the past five years she had been instrumental in organising a series of langars (community kitchens) across the State, especially streamlining the community meals at the langar of Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple complex) in Amritsar.

A direct descendant of the legendary Sikh general Baba Fateh Singh who killed Sirhind Governor Wazid Khan to facilitate Baba Banda Singh Bahadur recapturing Sirhind from Mughals, Surinder Kaur married Mr. Badal in 1959. Despite being a post-graduate, she preferred to be a home-maker and provide stability to the family, especially during the 17 years Mr. Badal spent in jail during various political movements launched by the Akali Dal.

Condolence messages have begun pouring in from various sections of the political, social and administrative spectrum. Governor Shivraj Patil in his message shared the grief of the Badal family. Union Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur, who is an MP from Patiala, Punjab Assembly Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh, Leader of Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, all members of the State Cabinet and senior leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal and alliance partner BJP have sent condolence messages.

Staff Reporter adds from Delhi: In a message, President Pratibha Patil has condoled the death of Ms. Kaur.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and INLD supremo Om Parkash Chautala have also expressed grief over the death.

Keywords: Bibi Surinder Kaur, death

Two NDFB militants arrested

May 25 , 2011
Nagaon (Assam)  : Two National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB anti-talks faction) militants were arrested by the Army in central Assam's Nagaon district on Tuesday.

Army sources said the militants were held from Kalapani Kacharigaon under Samaguri police station area.

The duo were identified as Bharat Boro alias Burha from Dhekiajuli and Ananta Daimary from Nagaon.

While Boro was a self-styled “sergeant major,” Daimary was an active cadre of the outfit. The militants have been handed over to the police.

Keywords: Anti-insurgency operations, NDFB militants

Swiss Timing officials were close to Kalmadi: CBI

May 25 , 2011

New Delhi: The authorised representatives of Swiss Timing, which had bagged the TSR contract for CWG 2010 were close to sacked OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi long before the CWG 2010 and had maneuvered TSR contract in favour of the Swiss firm, CBI has said in its charge sheet.

In its first charge sheet indicting Kalmadi and ten others, CBI has said the two officials Anil Madan and Purushottam Dev Arya of Gem International, the authorised representatives of 'Swiss Timing', which was "fradulently" awarded the TSR contract, were personally known to Kalmadi long before the mega sporting event.

CBI has said Gem International had even obliged Kalmadi as early as October 16, 2008, by going out of the way to make a significant payment on his asking.

OC Secretary General Lalit Bhanot and former Director General V K Verma were also close to them.

"Call records show that there were telephonic contacts between them as early as February 2009," CBI said.

Swiss Timing had been engaged for providing some components of TSR services even during the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG), 2008, when Kalmadi, Bhanot and Verma came in contact with Arya and Madan and other representatives of the Swiss firm.

CBI has in its 50-page charge sheet also said Gem International also paid over Rs 71 lakh to an event management company at the behest of Kalmadi for certain additional services pertaining to the closing ceremony of the CYG, which was authorised personally by Kalmadi over and above the main contract.

This was done without any competitive bidding process or reflection of the same in the official or financial record of the OC.

IIT JEE results to be declared today

May 25 , 2011

New Delhi: The results of the IIT Joint Entrance Examination will be declared on Wednesday. Over 4 lakh candidates had appeared for the examination in over a 1000 centres across India this year.

IIT Kanpur, the nodal agency conducting the exams this year has declared that all candidates will get full marks for two questions that had an error in the mathematics paper.

The institute has also decided to withhold the results of 30 students caught cheating at a centre in Bhatinda.

India's Top Engg College

Ranked first for Placements. Faculty credited with 150 patents
www.amity.edu

Bangalore's top hospital in a shabby state

May 25 , 2011

Bangalore: A shabby state of affairs in one of Bangalore's premier Victoria Hospital came to light after a surprise visit by Karnataka's Medical Education Minister A Ramadas. Much to his surprise, the minister found liquor bottles in toilets and doctors who had not showed up for duty for two months.

He also found condoms behind windows and dirt in a drinking water sump at the hospital. The minister was on a surprise check and he ended up being more than just surprised.

A Ramadas said, "Regarding maintenance, I've never experienced this sort of a thing anywhere."

He said that he has suspended the kitchen in-charge and nursing in-charge. "I saw more than 63 doctors absent. I'm collecting datas of last three months and I'm cutting the salaries of the doctors," Ramadas said.

What is even more worse is that some rooms and drawers were locked to prevent checks, drug stocks were empty and doctors had even made out prescriptions without maintaining a record.

A judicial inquiry has now been ordered, but the patients do not think things will change.

The Victoria Hospital in Karnataka is almost equivalent to the AIIMS in New Delhi. And while the inspection may have sorted out problems for now or the next 15 days, two months from now, these problems will return. The question remains that for how long can a minister go around to check if toilets and kitchens are clean?

India's Top Engg College

Ranked first for Placements. Faculty credited with 150 patents 

www.amity.edu

India’s State Bank Aims for Top 50 Rank

May 25 , 2011

State Bank of India (SBIN) Chairman Pratip Chaudhuri said last week’s 99 percent drop in earnings represented “a quarter we’d like to forget” as the lender embarks on an expansion plan aimed at making it one of the world’s top 50 lenders by assets.
The bank expects a widening in net interest margins to help turn around its business, supported by the sale of 200 billion rupees ($4.4 billion) of shares to the government and other shareholders by Sept. 30, or end-2011 in a “worst-case” scenario, Chaudhuri, 57, said in an interview at the bank’s Mumbai headquarters yesterday.
State Bank, with more than 13,000 branches, is trying to revive earnings and replenish capital that has declined to just under 12 percent of assets, less than two-thirds the level of ICICI Bank Ltd. (ICICIBC), the second-biggest lender in the South Asian nation. Chaudhuri, who became chairman on April 7, said a focus on credit quality is critical to expanding the balance sheet of the bank, which he said is not ranked among the top 70 lenders by assets worldwide.
“Capital is getting low even by international standards and it will be a constraint on the credit growth,” Brian Hunsaker, an analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods in Hong Kong, said in a May 23 telephone interview. “If the government earmarks the funds for subscribing to the bank’s rights issue, it will allay a lot of concerns.”
The 205-year-old lender is the third-worst performer on Bloomberg Asia Pacific Banks Index this year. Its shares have fallen about 21 percent, compared with a 12 percent decline in India’s benchmark Sensex Index.

‘Lackluster’

The stock slumped 7.7 percent on May 17, when State Bank reported net income of 208.8 million rupees for the quarter ended March 31, from 18.7 billion rupees a year earlier. Profit had been estimated to increase to 30.8 billion rupees, based on the average of 27 estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
The quarter was “lackluster,” with profit weighed down by the need to comply with tougher provisioning requirements from the central bank and to meet pension obligations, Chaudhuri said. Going forward, the lender’s net interest margin should widen to about 3.5 percent after declining to 3.3 percent during the March quarter, he said.
Nine interest rate increases from the Reserve Bank of India since March 2010 and a slowing economy hurt State Bank’s asset quality in the three months through March, forcing a 77 percent increase in provisions. Further defaults are a risk as borrowing costs continue to rise, so the lender will focus on loans that are secured with collateral or cash flows, Chaudhuri said.

‘Very Vigilant’

“We have to be very vigilant,” he said. “If we say all is well, that will amount to complacency.” India is not yet in “negative interest rate territory,” and borrowing costs for companies and individuals will be “slightly higher,” he said.
The government, which owns 59.4 percent of State Bank and wants to maintain its stake, needs to agree on the timing of a rights offer. The bank has more than 200,000 employees and plans to hire about 9,000 in the year ending March 2011, and expanded lending by 20 percent in 2010. Chaudhuri said he wants to continue to grow while maintaining capital equivalent to 12 percent to 13 percent of assets. The Reserve Bank of India said bank credit growth will slow to 19 percent this year.
The bank will continue to raise funds from overseas markets to fund its business outside India, though it has no immediate sale plans, Chaudhuri said. “Our international book is presently at about $34 billion” and is likely to see a 20 percent growth rate annually, he said. That translates into need for additional funds of $7 billion a year, and the lender may fund up to $5 billion of that through bond sales, Chaudhuri estimated.
About 70 percent of State Bank’s overseas lending is to Indian companies and the dollar continues to be their favored currency for borrowing because of its depreciation, he said.
“Our ambition is to become one of the world’s top 50 banks,” Chaudhuri said. “We should have a diversified asset base, diversified liability or funding base and should be present in all segments of banking.”

Kanimozhi's bail plea hearing posted to May 30

May 25 , 2011

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the CBI on the bail petitions of DMK MP Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV director Sharad Kumar, who are in custody in the 2G spectrum allocation case. It also posted the matter for further hearing to May 30.

Justice Ajit Bharihoke issued the notice, after briefly hearing senior counsel R. Shanmugasundaram and counsel V.G. Pragasam, appearing for Ms. Kanimozhi, and senior counsel Altaf Ahmed for Mr. Kumar. The judge asked the CBI to file a status report, detailing the stage of the investigation, the role of the two accused and the judicial proceedings in the case at the next hearing.

In her appeal filed on Monday against the CBI Special Court's order dated May 20, she said she had “no role in the alleged conspiracy in the allocation of the Unified Access Services (UAS) licences, the valuable and scarce spectrum in various telecom circles and other undue favours to M/s. Swan Telecom Pvt. Ltd. [A-6] during 2007-2009. She is only a 20 per cent shareholder of Kalaignar TV and has no active role in its operations, management of offices and operations of the channel.”

Ms. Kanimozhi said she was entitled to merely furnishing bail bonds in terms of Section 87/88 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which she was willing to do. Once the judge applied his mind to the materials available before the court on April 25, took cognisance of the case and decided to issue only summons, the next step (for him) was to proceed as per Section 309 (2) of Cr.PC by accepting bail bonds from the accused and grant bail. “It is well settled that no court has any inherent power of remand of an accused to any custody.”

Keywords: 2G spectrum case, 2G spectrum allocation case, Patiala House court, Delhi High Court, DMK Rajya Sabha MP, Kanimozhi, Sharad Kumar

MK makes no attempt to hide displeasure

May 25 , 2011

NEW DELHI: DMK president M Karunanidhi and his son, M K Stalin, seem to have generally conveyed to the Congress leaders who met him in Delhi that their party continues to be in the UPA alliance because of limited options. Karunanidhi is said to have plainly put it across that he feels that the Congress has not done enough for either the DMK or his daughter.

As a father, he said to be of the firm belief that his youngest daughter is a victim of opposition propaganda and that Kanimozhi has been incarcerated mostly because of “a political witch-hunt” rather than her alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum case.

Azad, of course, tried hard to blow away the air of mistrust that has crept into the alliance, saying the ties between the two parties are “intact” despite the recent electoral debacle in TN and the DMK MP’s arrest.

“They understand it’s a legal process and we’ve no role in it. All that is going on has no impact on the alliance-now or in the future. We’re together,” Azad said, following his meeting with Karunanidhi. Neither Karunanidhi nor Stalin made any attempt to hide their disappointment with the Congress. On being told that the former CM was “looking fine”, he apparently retorted that the “depression is in his heart’’. Having failed to persuade Karunanidhi to meet Sonia, the Congress leaders (P Chidambaram, Azad and Natarajan) did the next best thing: convince him that Sonia, herself, is “very concerned” about Kani’s condition.

“Our leader Sonia Gandhi is concerned about Kanimozhi-it is difficult situation, a woman in jail. It is a matter of grave concern, more so as one cannot do anything about it,” Azad said, harping on the long personal relation that he has had with the DMK patriarch.� The Congress desperately hoped that Karunanidhi would understand. “He is a man of political understanding and he knows that the Supreme Court is monitoring the case and a special court is looking into it,” Azad said, adding that the government was not interfering with the CWG case as well.

Somewhat echoing Azad’s view, Natarajan said the “DMK will fight the case legally.”

Meanwhile, some more members of the dejected DMK first family-ministers Dayanidhi Maran, M K Alagiri, and his wife Kanthi-visited Kanimozhi in the jail on Tuesday.

Mumbai Terror Attack Scout Tells U.S. Jury He Was ‘Pleased’ With Results

May 25 , 2011

David Coleman Headley, a key witness in the U.S. government’s case against alleged planners of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, was “pleased” when he learned they’d been carried out, he told a jury.

He also told the panel of eight women and four men at the Chicago courthouse yesterday about a planned assault upon a Danish newspaper in which victims were to be shot and decapitated by attackers who would then heave the heads from office windows. That plot followed the publication in the newspaper of cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

“Shoot them first and then behead them,” were the instructions Headley testified he was told to relay to the would-be attackers during a meeting in Pakistan’s rugged Waziristan region with a man the U.S. says has ties to al-Qaeda, the Muslim terrorist group formerly led by Osama bin Laden.

Headley’s testimony came on the second day of the U.S. trial of Tahawwur Rana, a Chicago businessman accused of using his immigration business to provide cover for Headley as he scouted the Mumbai sites where more than 160 people, including six Americans, were killed over three days in November 2008.

Rana, 50, is also accused of providing Headley’s pretext for a similar mission to Copenhagen where the never-executed assault on the Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten newspaper would have been carried out. 

Material Support

A Pakistani native and Canadian citizen, Rana is charged with providing material support for the two plots and for Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group believed to have been behind the raids on two Mumbai hotels, a café, a train station and a Jewish center.
He faces a possible life sentence if convicted. Defense attorney Charlie Swift in his opening statement yesterday told jurors his client had been duped by his friend, Headley.
The U.S. government in 2001 labeled Lashkar-e-Taiba, which agitates for the separation from India of the predominantly Muslim state of Jammu and Kashmir, a terrorist organization.
Headley was the first witness called by federal prosecutors in the trial. Last year he pleaded guilty to 12 criminal counts including conspiracy to commit murder and supporting terrorists, and is a cooperating government witness.
“I was pleased,” Headley, 50, told Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Collins yesterday when asked how he reacted to news the Mumbai attack had occurred.
On his reconnaissance missions, Headley said, he’d carried business cards claiming he was an consultant for Rana’s business and had opened a branch office in Mumbai which he said he used as part of his cover.

Mumbai Assault

Headley began testifying May 23, telling the court how he’d met with agents of the Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba, as well as a man he said worked for that nation’s Inter-Services Intelligence Agency. Headley also said he told Rana about their preparations for the Mumbai assault.
Yesterday, the American-born Headley described preparations for the planned strike at Jyllands-Posten. In 2005, the paper published caricatures of Muhammad, including one depicting him with a bomb in his turban.
The cartoons touched off protests in Muslim communities worldwide.
“Discussion on this matter has been long overdue,” Headley said Rana told him when apprised of the Danish plot. In e-mails shown to jurors yesterday, Headley referred to the revenge attack as the “Mickey Mouse” project.

Newspaper Attack

Ilyas Kashmiri, one of eight men charged in connection with the Headley-Rana case, led the newspaper attack planning and allegedly told Headley it would be carried out by operatives living in the U.K.
Kashmiri commands Harakat-ul Jihad Islami, a Pakistan-based terrorist group with ties to al-Qaeda, according to the U.S. Another defendant, Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed, is allegedly a retired Pakistani army officer, while a third -- identified only as “Major Iqbal” -- also reportedly helped plan the Mumbai assault. None of the three are in U.S. custody.
Nine of the 10 Mumbai attackers died in firefights with responding Indian authorities.
Headley and Collins yesterday took turns reading from the transcript of a telephone conversation between one of Headley’s Lashkar handlers and two of the attackers of the Chabad House, a Jewish hostel in Mumbai, on Nov. 27, 2008, regarding the disposition of two hostages there.
“Get rid of them now,” handler Sajid Mir reportedly told the attackers. “Place the barrel on the backside of their heads and fire.”
Mir is charged with 12 counts in the U.S. case, including the murder of U.S. nationals in India. He isn’t in custody.
The trial may last into mid-June, U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber has said.
The case is U.S. v. Kashmiri, 09-cr-00830, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Chicago).

Pakistan: militants attack police station

May 25 , 2011 

The police station, where the office of the Criminal Investigation Department, which also investigates militancy, is located, was destroyed in the blast, a Reuters witness said.

Residents said the explosion rattled windows throughout town. Television showed police and soldiers cordoning off the affected district.

Two police officers were killed and 19 were wounded in the early morning attack, hospital officials said.

"The car was packed with explosives, it hit the gate of the police station," said senior superintendent of police Ejaz Khan.

Rescue officials said death toll could rise as several people were believed to be trapped in the rubble.  

HSLC/AHM exam results on May 27

May 24 , 2011
GUWAHATI : The results of the HSLC/AHM examination 2011 will be declared at 11 am on May 27 throughout the State.

HS results declared

May 24 ,2011

GUWAHATI : Shekhar Kumar Yadav (460 marks) of Salt Brook Academy, Dibrugarh, Kashmiri Das (446 marks) of Cotton College, Guwahati and Shalaka Jain (439 marks) of Gauhati Commerce College secured the top position in the Science, Arts and Commerce streams respectively of the Higher Secondary Examination-2011 conducted by the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council, the results of which were announced today.

All the three streams recorded an impressive pass percentage, marking a noticeable increase over that of last year. The pass percentage for the Science, Arts and Commerce streams stood at 87.32, 73.14 and 79.81 respectively. 

Girl students fared much better than boy students in Science and Commerce streams, while boys did marginally better in the Arts stream.

In the Arts stream, 21 candidates found place in the list of top ten, with Anundaram Borooah Academy, Bajali, having five toppers, followed by Cotton College and Salt Brook sharing three rank-holders each. 

The second and third positions were bagged by Sabah Qamri (445 marks), an institutional private candidate from Sorbhog, and Urvashi Chetia (444 marks) of Krishna Guru Mahavidyalaya, Sarthebari, respectively. 

In the Science stream — where 18 candidates shared the top ten ranks — Bishal Saha (458 marks) of Cotton College and Kunja Kanan Nath of Salt Brook Academy (456 marks) secured the second and third positions respectively. Salt Brook had four toppers, followed by Cotton College with three positions. 

Seventeen candidates were among the top ten position holders in the Commerce stream, where Nikita More (438 marks) of KC Das Commerce College, Guwahati, and Sanket Agarwal (433 marks) of Gauhati Commerce College came second and third respectively.

Gauhati Commerce College had nine rank-holders while KC Das Commerce College and Darrang College produced two toppers each. 

The Arts stream had the maximum of 1,86,688 candidates of whom 1,36,548 emerged successful, with the break-up for first, second and third divisions being 15,572, 43,379 and 1,36,548 respectively. Boys (76.61 pc) fared marginally better than girls (75.55 pc) in the overall pass percentage.

In the Science stream, of the total 17,535 candidates, 15,312 passed with the break-up for first, second and third divisions being 8,450, 6,030 and 832 respectively. Girls (93.48 pc) outshone boys (88.29 pc) in the overall pass percentage. 

In the Commerce stream, of the total 16,776 candidates 13,389 emerged successful with the break-up for first, second and third divisions being 3,442, 5,120 and 4,827 respectively. Girls (86.10 pc) again outscored boys (79.67 pc) in the overall pass percentage. 

An analysis of the results since 2002 shows a huge jump in the pass percentage of all the streams. The Arts stream which had a pass percentage of 45.98 in 2002 recorded an increasing trend every year to reach 73.14 per cent in 2011. The Science stream too had a similar trend as its pass percentage reached 87.32 this year from 58.61 in 2002. The Commerce stream, which saw a pass percentage of 57.95 in 2002, reached 79.81 per cent this year. 

The district-wise performance list (Arts) had Dhemaji emerging first with a pass percentage of 90.80 per cent, followed by Lakhimpur with 85.49 per cent, Darrang 85.05 per cent, and Nalbari with 82.83 per cent. 

In the Science stream, Nalbari with 95.44 per cent was the best performer, followed by Dibrugarh with 94.83 per cent, Sivasagar with 93.84 per cent, Baksa with 93.58 per cent, and Lakhimpur with 92.53 per cent. 

In the Commerce stream, Dhemaji with 98.56 per cent was the topper, followed by Darrang with 94.17 per cent, Baksa with 93.17, Nalbari with 92.21 per cent, Morigaon with 91.94 per cent, and Barpeta with 91.47 per cent.

Ministers’ list not yet ready, says Gogoi

May 24 , 2011

NEW DELHI : May 23 – Nervousness among aspirants for ministerial berths continued even as Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi asserted that the list of council of ministers is not yet ready.

As the guessing game continues, a relaxed Gogoi dispelled rumours that a list has been prepared and pending clearance of the High Command. AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh has gone out of town as also Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, who was on a day-long tour of Jammu.

Gogoi told newsmen that he is still waiting for an appointment with the Congress president. But he added that the list should be ready within a week.

Replying to questions, he said though the AICC has left it to him to select his team, he would still like to finalise the council of ministers in consultations with AICC. “Even after I submit my list, AICC may decide to change it,” he argued.

Yesterday, Digvijay Singh had said that this time AICC has no suggestions to offer to Gogoi on constitution of his new team.

Meanwhile, sources said that the new-look Gogoi ministry may not have many debutants, as only five-six new faces are expected to be inducted. As reported only third-fourth time MLAs are being considered for ministerial positions, leaving out the first and second term legislators.

While most of the old faces of Gogoi Government – II like Himanta Biswa Sarma, Rockybul Hussain, Pradyut Bordoloi, Ajanta Neog and Gautam Roy among others are likely to be retained, the new faces may include G C Langthasa, Anjan Dutta, Sumitra Patir, Nilamani Sen Deka, Sukur Ali, Nazrul Islam, Ajit Singh, Tanka Bahadur Rai, Dr Ardhendu Dey, Bhupen Bora among others. Bora is being backed by PCC president, Bhubaneswar Kalita.

Those who might face the axe include Dr Bhumidhar Barman, Akon Bora, Gautam Bora, Khor Singh Ingti, among others. Fate of Pranab Gogoi, reportedly hangs in balance as despite being backed by Union Minister, Bijoy Krishna Handique, he fails the age criterion, as does Dr Barman.

Anjan Dutta is being considered as a representative of Koch Rajbongshi community in place of Akon Bora, while G C Langthasa is replacement for Khor Singh Ingti.

The Chief Minister is also considering at the option of appointing Dr Barman, Abdul Muhib Mazumdar or Pranati Phukan as Speaker and Deputy Speaker, sources close to Gogoi said.

HC posts case against CM, family to May 30

May 24 , 2011

Bangalore : 

Karnataka High Court today posted to May 30 hearing of interim application praying for vacating the stay on criminal proceedings against Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and his family members in a corruption case.

Justice Keshav Narayan adjourned to May 30, the hearing of the interim application filed by city-based advocate Sirajin Basha and who along with his associate K N Balaraj has filed a private complaint against Yeddyurappa and his family members.

Earlier the defence sought time for arguments citing unavailability of senior counsel Ravi B Naik till May 26.

The Supreme court had on April 29 refused to quash a Karnataka High Court order which stayed criminal proceedings against Yeddurappa and his family members in the case.

A division bench comprising Justice V S Sirpurkar and Justice T S Thakur dismissed the petition filed by the two advocates challenging the stay granted by the High Court against a trial court order which had taken cognisance of the complaint.

While dismissing the petition, the bench, however, asked the High Court to consider the application moved by the complainant, if any, for vacation of stay not later than six weeks.

6 die as lightning strikes in Malda

May 24 , 2011

Malda : Six persons, including five teenagers, have died and five others injuredafter being struck by lightning in several blocks of Malda district, police said today.

Four of them, including a woman, died after being hit by thunderbolt in Baisnabnagar, Manikchak, Englishbazar and Kaliachak blocks yesterday, they said.

Two others, from Gajole and Manickchak blocks, who were admitted to hospital with serious burn injuries succumbed this morning, police said, adding that the injured were treated at different health centres in the blocks.

The thunderstorm damaged mango orchards, spread over an area of 2250 hectares, in the district, a horticulture officer said.

The total loss in mango cultivation was estimated at Rs 2.41 crore, the officer added.

Woman, child die after consuming poison

May 24 , 2011

Maharajganj : A woman and his son died while another child fell seriously ill after they consumed poison in Hargawa village in Nilchaul area here, police said today.

Maya (30) consumed poison after giving it to her sons Deependra (3) and Upendra (5) last night, they said.

All of them were rushed to a hospital, where Maya and Deependra died while condition of Upendra was stated to be stable.

The police could not ascertain the motive behind the act.

Two students commit suicide

May 24 , 2011

Ghaziabad : 

Two students, who failed to pass their class 12th CBSE board examination, allegedly committed suicide in the district here, police said today.

18-year-old Abdul committed suicide by hanging himself from a roof in Muradnagar last evening, they said.

In a separate incident, Somaya Singh (19), daughter of M P Singh, a jailer in Dasna jail, committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan.

In Hapur city, Arvind attempted suicide by consuming poison but timely help from his family saved his life.

CBSE had declared its class 12th board results yesterday.

Pakistan media ridicules military after attack on naval air base

May 24 , 2011

 ISLAMABAD : May 24 (Reuters) - Pakistan's military was ridiculed and accused of complicity in the media on Tuesday after a small group of militants laid siege to a naval air base, holding out for 16 hours against hundreds of commandos and rangers.

As few as six militants infiltrated the PNS Mehran naval base in Karachi, the headquarters of Pakistan's naval air wing, on Sunday night, killing 10 security forces and wounding 20.

"Our mujahideen who conducted this operation were equipped with faith as well as with sophisticated weapons and that's why they fought with hundreds of security forces and inflicted heavy losses on them," Pakistan Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told Reuters from an undisclosed location.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Monday three militants were killed in the gunbattle while the body of a fourth was believed to be buried under the rubble of a collapsed wall. Two suspects were believed to have fled the scene, he added.

Pakistan's military has been on the back foot since U.S. special forces killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on May 2, unable to explain either why they had been unable to catch the world's most wanted man themselves or why the Americans could launch a raid deep into their territory undetected.

Two P-3C Orion aircraft from the United States -- crucial assets for Pakistan's anti-submarine and maritime surveillance capability -- were destroyed in Monday's raid, and the Pakistan military's reputation as a defender of the country and of Islam was left in tatters.

Reaction to the raid from the generally pro-military Pakistani media was harsh.

"Political rhetoric and a Cabinet Defence Committee meeting are not going to solve this one," read an editorial in the English-language daily, The News. "This is an epic failure exposing an existential threat that will need epic leadership to countervail."

An editorial in the Urdu-language Jang, one of nuclear-armed Pakistan's biggest and most pro-military newspapers, said the attacks illustrated "a weakness of security measures".

"In very polite words, it can be called worrisome negligence."

Others went beyond incompetence and suggested that the attackers had help from within the military.

"Did the Taliban raiders have information inside the naval base?" wrote Dawn, another English-language daily. "Such a possibility cannot be ruled out, because the involvement of serving personnel in several previous attacks has been well-established."

In October 2009, a similarly small raiding party attacked the Army's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, taking 42 people hostage, including several officers. By the end of the day-long ordeal, nine gunmen, 11 soldiers and three hostages were dead.

Later investigations found several low-ranking soldiers and officers were involved in helping the attackers.

Ehsan declined to confirm whether the militants had help in the military.

"Our 'local friends' from Karachi helped us in yesterday's operation but I would not say whether we had friends on the base or not," Ehsan said.

Amir Rana, director of the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies and author of a book on jihadi groups in Pakistan, doubts the Taliban was directly involved, but more likely worked through other, Punjab-based groups affiliated with al Qaeda.

"There are militant groups which have training and capabilities for these kind of attacks and they also are in direct contact with al Qaeda," he said.

He thought groups attached to Ilyas Kashmiri, who reportedly commands the "313 Brigade", al Qaeda's operational arm, more likely staged the raid, given its sophistication.

He identified three groups active in Karachi -- Jundullah, Arshad Wahid group and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen-Al-Alami, which he said could also have been be involved.

The military launched operations against the Pakistan Taliban in South Waziristan in 2009, scattering the leadership and racking up some victories.

Last year was relatively quiet, but the Pakistan Taliban appears to have built up its connections, giving militants a new strike capacity in Pakistan's economic hub.

The death of bin Laden was the spark, and the Pakistan Taliban have been on a roll ever since, promising to sow chaos and attack Pakistan's military and government.

"Now Pakistani rulers, President (Asif Ali) Zardari and the army will be our first targets. America will be our second target," Ehsan told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location on May 2, hours after bin Laden was killed.

The Mehran navy base raid shows the militants making good on that promise. (Additional reporting by Saud Mehsud, Augustine Anthony, Sahar Ahmed, Zeeshain Haider and Kamran Haider; Editing by Nick Macfie)      

France says China backs Lagarde for IMF chief

May 24 , 2011

PARIS : China would back France's Finance Minister Christine Lagarde to head the International Monetary Fund, chief French government spokesman Francois Baroin said Tuesday.

"The Chinese are favorable to the candidacy of Christine Lagarde," Baroin, who is also France's budget minister, told Europe 1 radio, adding that it was too soon to know whether Lagarde would be a candidate.

China's backing would give a significant boost to Lagarde's possible candidacy, which has been opposed by some emerging nations in protest at the tradition of a European always heading the global emergency lender.

Germany, Britain and other European powers have backed Lagarde to take over as managing director of the International Monetary Fund after her countryman Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned following his arrest on sex assault charges.

"What is being drawn up is a European consensus," Baroin said.

"But you will easily understand, given the circumstances of the IMF director's resignation, and given that it is not a point of national pride, that it is not for France to take a position first."

Under a long-standing arrangement between Europe and the United States, a European has always held the top IMF job while an American leads its sister institution, the World Bank.

However some emerging economies have called for a chance to get the post.

Mexico promoted its central bank governor Agustin Carstens against Lagarde as the race to become the next head of the International Monetary Fund got under way Monday.

Mexico's Finance Minister Ernesto Cordero lobbied for Carstens as a viable emerging economy candidate for the position, which has been monopolized by Europeans since 1946.

"We're promoting an appointment based on merit so that the IMF has the legitimacy and credibility it needs to deal with the international situation," Cordero said at a joint news conference with Carstens.

Carstens, a 52-year-old former finance minister, played up his experience with the international lender, where he worked as executive director from 1999-2000 and deputy managing director from 2000-2003.

"We do not want to make any gesture that could be interpreted as a form of contempt for emerging countries nor any sign of arrogance, given the circumstances," Baroin said.

Lagarde is widely tipped as favourite but has not said whether she will run.

Asked on US news channel CNBC on Monday what she would say if offered the post, she replied: "I'd say what an interesting question, but clearly premature. It's for others to decide, my dear."

An EU source said Friday that Lagarde, 55, was "practically a shoo-in" to become Europe's candidate, although she has been dogged by a French judicial probe into allegations of abuse of power.

A prosecutor called last week for a probe targeting Lagarde in connection with her handling of a high-profile scandal involving tycoon Bernard Tapie, amid allegations that she exceeded her authority in the case.

Nifty moves up; banks, capital goods gain

May 24, 2011

The NSE Nifty was trading marginally higher and held its 5400 mark very strongly. Some keen buying was seen in banks, capital goods and oil & gas stocks while realty, metals and FMCG stocks were major laggards to the Sensex.

Vibhav Kapoor of IL&FS, said that breaking of the 5,200-5,700 range on the downside will be a negative signal for the market in the medium term. He feels that with the oil prices coming 10% down from their peaks and commodity prices softening, the range would not break and the Nifty will continue to trade in the 5,200-5,700 range.

At 12.45 hrs IST, the Sensex was up 70.20 points or 0.39% at 18063.53, and the Nifty was up 27.90 points or 0.52% at 5414.45.

About 1234 shares advanced, 1296 shares declined, and 1112 shares remained unchanged

Top gainers on the Sensex were L&T at Rs 1,643.45 up 1.90%, ICICI Bank at Rs 1,022.50 up 1.58%, NTPC at Rs 170.25 up 1.28%, HDFC at Rs 654.85 up 1.12% and Cipla at Rs 312.90 up 1.08%.

Tech major Infosys was trading at Rs 2,860.00 up 0.86% from its previous close of Rs 2,835.70.

Top losers on the Sensex were DLF at Rs 216.95 down 2.73%, Hindalco at Rs 184 down 2.39%, Reliance Infra at Rs 538.30 down 1.8%, HUL at Rs 300.10 down 1.36% and Reliance Comm at Rs 81.10 down 1.04%.

FMCG major Hindustan Lever was trading at Rs 300.70 down 1.17% from its previous close of Rs 304.25.

Refinery major HPCL was trading at Rs 362.50 down 1% from its previous close of Rs 366.15.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) will acquire JB Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals' OTC brands for USD 260 million, reports CNBC-TV18. JB Chemicals has touched an intraday high of Rs 150 and an intraday low of Rs 118.55. The share was quoting at Rs 126.70, down Rs 18.40, or 12.68%.

Top gainers on the BSE Midcap - TTK Prestige, eClerx Services, KGN Industries, Hathway Cable and S Kumars Nation were up 4-12%.

Top losers on the BSE Midcap - DB Realty, Mcleod, Aurobindo Pharma, GTL Infra and Guj NRE Coke were down 3-5%.

Top gainers on the BSE Smallcap - Smartlink Net, Hawkins Cooker, Shristi Infra, VasconEngg and TTK Healthcare were up 6-18%.

Top losers on the BSE Smallcap - JB Chemicals, Kalyani Invest, R M Mohite Ind, Shasun Pharma and Kewal Kiran were up 5-13%.

Tags: Sensex, Nifty