Today's Hot Stories - February 19, 2013 - PT education

Today's Hot Stories - February 19, 2013

10 Headlines for Today

(1) British Prime Minister David Cameron announces same day Visa for Indians.
(2) Beyond Afzal Guru: Centre has lost the plot in Kashmir.
(3) Sycophancy at its best! Despite several warnings, senior Cong leaders defy gag order to join Rahul-as-PM chorus.
(4) Hugo Chavez back to Venezuela after two months in Cuba.
(5) BJP Likely to target Shinde, Kurien; Parliamentary party meets to discuss budget.
(6) Deoband’s Modi Tune brings smile to BJP
(7) Telecom Commission clears way for Mukesh Ambani's re-entry into mobile.
(8) ONGC creates World record for drilling well in deepest water depths.
(9) ‘A’ team gives blueprint to beat Aussies, Will India follow it?
(10) Shahid Afridi likely to be recalled to Pak ODI Squad for SA series.

5 Stories for Today

(1) Govt divided over move to cancel VVIP chopper deal
(2) Nagaland Home Minister resigns
(3) Govt cancels Rs 12K crore bond issue to contain fiscal deficit
(4) Wipro Infotech bags 10-yr contract from Mumbai International Airport
(5) Google doodle does circles around Copernicus' birthday

(1) Govt divided over move to cancel VVIP chopper deal


New Delhi: The UPA government’s trepidation over the fate of the Rs 3,546 crore contract to buy 12 AugustaWestland VVIP helicopters is out in the open after Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid expressed his reservation on the defence ministry’s plan to scrap the deal.

Khurshid is of the view that caution must be exercised against overreaction as what is of primary importance is that the issue should not affect India’s defence preparedness.

Khurshid also stressed that the final decision would be taken when the issue would be brought before the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the highest decision-making body on defence-related matters.

Khurshid’s view on the issue comes at a time when indications suggest that Defence Minister AK Antony may not flinch from taking the extreme step of cancelling the deal. Antony had so far been seen as acting on his own, and had chosen not to run his decisions past either the CCS or the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Meanwhile, a CBI team left for Italy yesterday night to probe the allegations of kickbacks in the deal.

A Defence Ministry official told reporters that a lawyer is likely to be engaged in Italy to help the team understand the Italian law, represent India's case with the local courts, and expedite the process of getting documents.

The defence ministry is also sending a senior joint secretary to Italy "to gather as much evidence as possible" relating to the allegations of corruption in the acquisition of the helicopters for the VVIP use by the Indian Air Force.

The Indian government has already put on hold the deal and launched the process to cancel it amid allegations that kickbacks of 51 million euro (approx USD 68 mn) were paid to clinch the deal.

It has also issued a show cause notice to AgustaWestland as to why the contract should not be scrapped in view of the corruption allegations. The notice is seen as a precursor to scrapping the deal as the defence ministry holds that bribery would be violative of the integrity pact that all defence suppliers are subject to and violations of which are liable to be punished by cancellation, fines and blacklisting of firms.

AgustaWestland has said it was preparing to clarify the points raised by the Indian government.

The helicopters were for the IAF's elite Communication Squadron, which ferries the President, the Prime Minister and other VVIPs.

Source : Zee News

(2) Nagaland Home Minister resigns


Nagaland Home Minister Imkong L. Imchen has resigned from the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) government, a party official said on Tuesday.

Mr. Imchen put in his papers after the Election Commission authorities seized cash amounting to more than Rs.1 crore and weapons from his vehicle on Monday by troopers of Assam Rifles.

“I felt imperative to tender my resignation from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect, owning moral responsibility while holding public office, even though I have committed no wrong over the incident under the law,” Mr. Imchen said in his resignation letter, which he submitted to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.

On the other hand, the opposition Congress has sought disqualification of Mr. Imchen from contesting the assembly election for violating the model code of conduct.

The offence committed by Mr. Imchen is a very serious crime under Arms Act and the case should be investigated by the National Investigation Agency.

On Monday, troopers of the Assam Rifles seized Rs. 1.10 crore in cash, five pistols, two 7.65 mm calibre rifles and 140 round of 303 rifle ammunition from Mr. Imchen’s vehicle at Sathupang area in Wokha district while he was on his way to his Koridanga constituency in Mokokchung district.

This is the second big cash seizure in poll-bound Nagaland.

On Saturday, election officials seized Rs. 1 crore in cash from NPF candidate H. Nyemli Phom after his helicopter landed at the Assam Rifles helipad in Longleng district.

Mr. Phom, who is seeking re-election from Tamlu constituency, later claimed that the money was given to him by the party and was part of NPF funds.

Source : The Hindu

(3) Govt cancels Rs.12 K crore bond issue to contain fiscal deficit


New Delhi: The government has cancelled Rs 12,000 crore bond auctions, lowering its market borrowing programme for the current financial year in its bid to contain the fiscal deficit at 5.3 percent.

With this, the total market borrowing by the government in the current fiscal would come down to Rs 5.58 lakh crore from Rs 5.70 lakh crore as envisaged in the 2012-13 Budget.

"On review of the government's cash position and funding requirement, it has been decided, in consultation with Reserve Bank of India (RBI), to reduce the government market borrowing through dated securities by Rs 12,000 crore for the current financial year," the Finance Ministry said in a statement.

The auction for dated securities, worth Rs 12,000 crore, scheduled on February 22 has been cancelled, it added.

The Government has already borrowed Rs 3.7 lakh crore in the first half ending September 30, which is 65 percent of the total planned borrowing.

The front-loading of borrowing was done as part of its strategy to make available capital to the private sector in the last six months of 2012-13.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram had in November 2012 raised the fiscal deficit projection for the current financial year to 5.3 percent, from 5.1 percent estimated in Budget.

The government has already asked the Ministries to curtail their non-plan expenditure and avoid spending rush in the January-March quarter.

Its cash position has improved with flow of over Rs 14,000 crore through disinvestments alone in February. Uptil now the government has collected around Rs 21,500 crore from PSU stake sales as against a fiscal target of Rs 30,000 crore.

Chidambaram plans to bring down fiscal deficit to 4.8 percent of GDP in 2013-14 fiscal.

Source : Zeebiz.com

(4) Wipro Infotech bags 10-yr contract from Mumbai International Airport


Wipro Infotech, the India and Middle East IT arm of Wipro, on Monday said it has bagged a 10-year contract from Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) for providing IT services for the new integrated terminal T2.

This partnership will significantly enhance customer experience and satisfaction through the use of IT, Wipro said in a statement.

Wipro will be responsible for providing managed services across the entire IT landscape at MIAL and delivering high availability and operational efficiency across all the critical airport processes, it added.

"This engagement with MIAL adds strength to our existing Airport and Infrastructure Practice and positions Wipro uniquely in delivering value to our clients globally in this major emerging sector," Wipro Infotech Senior Vice-President and Global Infrastructure Services Anand Sankaran said.

MIAL, which operates Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) in Mumbai, is a joint venture between GVK-led consortium and Airports Authority of India. It was awarded the mandate of modernising and expanding the airport in May 2006.

MIAL will leverage Wipro's expertise in airport operations and technology innovations to deliver newer services, seamless processes and enhanced experience to passengers and airlines.

Although initially envisaged for T2, Wipro will begin the transition with a takeover of the IT services in the current terminals at CSIA which is expected to commence from April 1, 2013.

As regards to T2, Wipro will assist in the preparation of IT-related Standard Operating Procedures and also work closely with MIAL during the testing and trial phase of the IT systems prior to managing all the IT services for the new terminal.

Wipro will be responsible for complete IT management for T2 for a period of 10 years, it said.

MIAL is currently implementing a master plan to build an integrated terminal, T2, designed to cater to 40 million passengers annually.

When completed, it will be a four-level integrated terminal with an area of about 4.39 lakh sq mts and include new taxiways and apron areas for aircraft parking.

"Our vision is to make T2 a global showcase and IT will play the role of a significant business driver. The changes that this exercise will bring to CSIA will help raise it to global standards, equipping it with technology that is currently present at top airports across the world," MIAL CEO Rajeev Jain said.

Source : Business Today

(5) Google doodle does circles around Copernicus' birthday


Web giant celebrates the 540th birthday of the astronomer best known for his theory that the sun -- and not the Earth -- was at the center of our universe.

Google is invoking the name Copernicus again, but this time it's not a joke.

The Web giant is celebrating the 540th birthday of the Renaissance mathematician and astronomer who changed the way people look at the universe with a doodle. Nicolaus Copernicus, who was born in 1473, is perhaps best known his heliocentric theory, which asserted that the sun, and not the Earth, was at the center of our universe.

The doodle is a representation of Copernicus' model for the solar system -- a golden sun encircled by six planets on stylized plane.

In an effort to improve the calendar, the Catholic church appealed to Copernicus in 1514. His heliocentric theory was central to "De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium" ("On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres"), which Copernicus finished in 1530. The theory challenged the long-held belief that the Earth was the stationary center of the universe with other planets, including the sun and moon, rotating around it.

De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium" was published in 1543, shortly before Copernicus died on May 24 at age 70. (Legend has it the first copy was placed in his hands the day he died.) After centuries of searching, his grave was located in 2005, allowing his remains to be re-interred under a tombstone that bears a representation of Copernicus' model of the solar system.

In what is widely regarded as one of the greatest Internet hoaxes, Google borrowed the great astronomer's name in 2004 in a recruiting effort for the Copernicus Center -- its new "lunar hosting and research center." The Google Copernicus Hosting Environment and Experiment in Search Engineering (G.C.H.E.E.S.E.) was described as a research center for high-density high-delivery hosting (HiDeHiDeHo).

Source : CNET

Disclaimer: All news stories and content sourced from freely available material on the internet. All sources are acknowledged.