Think India Foundation

Droughts, floods wake-up call for India: Greenpeace

New Delhi (IBNS): A World Bank commissioned report ‘4° Turn Down the Heat’ highlights the fact that global warming can have a catastrophic effect on monsoon patterns in South Asia.

The report comes at a time when torrential floods are engulfing northern India. 

Environmental organization Greenpeace India, reacting to the report and the flooding in Northern India, calls on the government to take the climate crisis seriously as it would have a staggering impact on India and the South Asian region. Read more

Source : www.indiablooms.com

An IT superpower, India has just 556 cyber security experts

NEW DELHI : India to step up cyber security

The world may acknowledge India as an information technology superpower, but its very own official cyber security workforce comprises a mere 556 experts deployed in various government agencies. How “grossly inadequate” is India’s cyber security manpower can be gauged by the fact that China has 1.25 lakh experts, the U.S. 91,080 and Russia 7,300. “The existing combined strength of cyber security experts in all organisations in the government domain is 556, which is grossly inadequate to handle cyber security activities in a meaningful and effective manner,” says a secret note prepared by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), which is engaged in creating an elaborate ‘cyber security architecture’. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

‘Sadbhavana Yatras’ to tackle extremism in Vizag Agency area

RAJAHMUNDRY : Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, Inspector General of Police, Andhra Region, said that police have their own strategies to tackle extremist activities on the boarders, particularly AOB and ‘Sadbhavana Yatras’ which are going on in Visakhapatnam interior Agency area, are part of it.

IGP Dwaraka Tirumala Rao along with DIG Vikram Singh Maan (Eluru) and SP T.Ravikumar Murthy (Rajahmundry Urban district) holding a review meeting with police officials in Rajahmundry on Sunday. Photo: S. Rambabu

After conducting review meeting with police officials here on Sunday, the IG spoke to the media persons informally. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

India Inc should wake up to the cyber threats

The recent incident of cyber theft at Axis Bank should serve as a wake-up call for Indian industry. We are vulnerable. 

Govt is readying a cyber security framework, a cyber security policy and a NCCC that will monitor metadata on traffic flows.

Dematerialised shares held in electronic accounts, banks and pension funds, power transmission and distribution systems, train signalling systems, health care systems and records, water distribution systems, the Aadhaar database, practically everything is today controlled in cyber space. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Maoists blow up middle school in Bihar

Jhajha (ANI): More than 50 Maoists blasted a state-run middle school in Bihar's Jamui district using dynamite recently, clearly sending out a message they are against education and development. 

The rebels left threatening messages in the school premises after the attack. Posters threatening the ruling government and security forces of dire consequences were left at the premises. Meanwhile, police condemned the rebels for targeting educational institutions to avenge their anger from the government. Read more

Source : www.aninews.in

In dealing with Naxalism, Centre urges states to copy Andhra Pradesh

New Delhi: More than 100 Naxals attacked a train in Bihar on Thursday and killed three people including a soldier of the Railway Protection Force (RPF).

The Bihar attack comes weeks after 25 people, including top leaders of the Congress, were killed in Chhattisgarh when Naxals attacked a convoy headed to a political rally. Read more

Source : www.ndtv.com

Jharkhand to tackle Maoists with iron hand

RANCHI: The state government on Thursday sounded alert in the state after Maoist attack on Dhanbad-Patna Inter City express on Thursday near Jamui in Bihar.

The state government also announced a long-term plan to tackle Left-wing extremism (LWE). Among other security arrangements, the main focus will be on ensuring presence of civil administration in remote areas, even for additional security if demanded by the officials. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

New measures needed to protect rural women: Trinamool MP

Kolkata : 

Observing that there is a need to "think of new measures to ensure the protection of women in rural areas", Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy Wednesday said there is a marked difference in the extent of protests against crimes targeting women in rural and urban areas.

Roy was comparing the country-wide protests following the brutal Delhi gang-rape incident Dec 16 last year to the relatively low scale protest against the June 7 gang-rape case in Barasat (25 km from Kolkata) where a 20-year-old college student was abducted, gang-raped and murdered. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Development in Naxal belt: Funds underutilized across states!

Development funds earmarked for growth in Naxal belt are not being fully utilized by state governments entrusted with the responsibility. 

The UPA’s flagship programme—the Integrated Action Plan (IAP)—which has been designed to tackle Left Wing Extremism (LWE) through development projects has reported a 72.70 per cent usage until June 2013. However, some states have reported even less than 65 per cent usage of the central fund. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Around 6.3 bn reports collected from India, says ‘Guardian’

India should strengthen privacy law, enact legislation to protect citizens, say experts

 The National Security Agency’s facility under construction in Utah, US. The 1 million sq. ft data centre, due to open this year, is believed to be intended for storing personal data indefinitely. Photo: George Frey/Bloomberg

Mumbai/Bangalore: The Indian government should strengthen its privacy laws and enact legislation to protect citizens from interception of communication over the phone or the Internet by governments, say cyber security and Internet experts

Simultaneously, Internet users should be proactive in protecting their privacy by using encryption technologies, they said. Read more

Source : www.livemint.com

India next after PRISM: govt can soon legally read your mail

Do you browse civil rights sites? Often enter Niyamgiri or Kudankulam as search words? Call, text or mail friends reminding them about that weekly visit to the local slum to distribute medicines or teach kids? Or blog and tweet angrily about the live skeletons you encountered during a jungle holiday in a tribal belt? You better watch out.

Representational image. Reuters

Yesterday, The Guardian exposed how British agencies used the top-secret American eavesdropping program ‘PRISM’ — that carries out extensive, in-depth surveillance on live communications and stored information of virtually anyone anywhere in the world — to spy on its citizens. While the outrage in the UK already has the David Cameron government on the back foot and there is anxiousness among Indian netizens, few at home notice that India itself is not far behind on this dangerous global trend. Read more

Source : www.firstpost.com

Himachal Pradesh seeks financial assistance from Centre

SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh government has requested the Centre for liberal financial assistance to strengthen police and civil establishments in the borders areas of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur districts keeping in view the development of civil and military infrastructure by China along the India-Tibet border.

The state has requested to enhance financial allocation under Border Area Development Programme and subsidized helicopter services to the strategically-located border districts round the year to improve the maneuverability in these areas. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Maoists find Pune an important, opinion-making city: ATS

Last week, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde specifically mentioned Pune, while making a statement on how Maoists have turned their focus on urban centers. Investigators say Pune has been on their radar for quite a long time now.

According to Amarnath Chandaliya, the founder of Pune-based Kabir Kala Manch (KKM), an alleged Naxal front for urban areas, Anuradha Ghandy, a senior CPI (Maoist) leader, told him that "Pune is an opinion-making city...Opinions formed in Pune are accepted all over Maharashtra...The views of intellectuals in Pune stand out..." Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Wary of GJM bandhs, Sikkim warns Centre against creation of states

Kolkata : The Sikkim government has flagged any decision by the Centre to form smaller states saying that any such step would trigger unrest in the hills of Darjeeling as demand for carving out Gorkhaland from West Bengal would become shriller. The Sikkim government's warning to the Centre was made on Wednesday at the Chief Minister's conference in New Delhi on internal security.

Referring to the growing demand of the formation of separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim's Urban Development Minister DB Thapa said Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) is keeping a close watch on formation of separate states and its formation may lead to agitation for such demands in the hills. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Govt considering hike in FDI cap for defence sector: Rajan

 New Delhi : A hike in the foreign investment limit for the defence sector is amongst the latest set of reform measures that the finance ministry is working on as it hopes to return to an over 6 per cent growth in 2013-14.

"We will soon come out with a policy on FDI caps. The intent is to expand the cap wherever possible, including defence ... The proposal for defence is being examined," the finance ministry's chief economic adviser Raghuram Rajan said on Tuesday. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Nitish urges Centre to end deprivation to combat Maoists

PATNA: Describing Naxalism as a "major challenge" to democracy, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday urged the Centre to generously fund the states on development to bridge regional disparity and end the sense of deprivation of the people. "It is not a case of one incident in Chhattisgarh which killed 28 people including state Congress leaders...Naxalism has engulfed major parts of the country and is posing a major challenge to democracy," Kumar told reporters.

He said one effective way to deal with the problem was to spend more on development. "The Centre needs to open its purse a bit more," he said. "The sense of deprivation of the people should be ended bridging regional disparity," he said. With this in view they were seeking special category status for the state to help all states grow equally, he said. "Today, developed states are becoming more prosperous while backward states like Bihar are ignored. For inclusive growth all the states need to grow equally," he said. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Google, Facebook refuse to grant Indian agencies' access to private content

NEW DELHI: The US has expressed "inability" to push internet giants like Google and Facebook to meet Indian agencies' requests for access to private content uploaded on their sites to track criminals and mischief-mongers. 

During the recent India-US Homeland Security Dialogue, US representatives reportedly cited strict domestic laws on privacy and freedom of speech to refuse the intervention sought by the home ministry to access real-time sharing of suspicious internet activity routed through US-based internet sites. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

35 station house officers in Jaipur to be transferred for non-performance

JAIPUR: Unhappy with the sudden spurt in crimes including chain-snatching, burglary and robberies at public places, senior officials of the Jaipur commissionerate have sought transfer of over 35 SHOs from the city for non-performance. As the state government has lifted the ban from transfers, shifting of these SHOs may take place by the end of this month, sources said.

According to sources, most of these SHOs include those who had either been transferred within Jaipur city or from outside, a year ago. The transfers had taken place following a tiff between senior officials of the Jaipur commissionerate and the police headquarters. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Andhra cops on alert after Chhattisgarh attack

HYDERABAD - In the wake of the Chhattisgarh massacre, the Andhra Pradesh police was put on alert and an extensive combing operation launched in the Nallamala forest region, spread across five districts, which was once a stronghold of Maoists. 

The intelligence reports suggested that the Naxalites were making desperate attempts to regroup themselves in the area and also planning to attack high-profile targets in urban areas as well. Read more

Source : www.khaleejtimes.com

Border no bar for people to people ties: Arunchal Governor

Itanagar : 

The border is no bar for people to people to relations when living on the basis of a global village concept, Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt. General (Retired) Nirbhay Sharma has said.

He further said that boundaries between nations are drawn on maps for political reasons, which shoud in no way be a hindrance to improving relations between the people of two countries. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

DRDO has tech to fight Reds

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh has suffered enough from terrorism and Naxalism, and now threats loom large over urban locations, reportedly leaving the hinterland and conventional boundaries or rules of warfare.

Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Missile Man and Padma Shri Avinash Chander, DRDO chief controller R&D (missiles and strategic systems), while speaking to this newspaper, revealed how the DRDO has a wide array of products or tailor-made technologies which can be of immense use to states and forces while handling such sub-conventional or asymmetric warfare and low intensity conflict operations. Read more

Source : www.deccanchronicle.com

Maoists making urban bases: Shinde

New Delhi : In his first interaction with the media after the recent Naxal attack on Congress leadership in Chhattisgarh, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde revealed that the rebels were making cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Pune their urban bases.

With reports of a large number of Maoists being caught in these cities, Shinde said on Thursday: "We are aware that Naxals have been using urban centres, and Pune has been one of their targets. They are trying to spread their presence in other cities. There have been reports regarding their strong presence in parts of Rajasthan." Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Lurking threat: Why Assam is fertile ground for Maoists

Decades of militancy have pushed Assam back by ages, economically and otherwise. Now as the state finds a semblance of normalcy, there’s a new menace threatening to undo all the good work over the years. It’s the Maoists. While no incident of violence by the Left ultras has been registered so far, there are clear indications that the Communist Party of India (Maoist) is making a serious effort to strengthen its base in the state. The broader aim is to make it part of the zones under their control.

Shadow of the gun. AFP

However, not many think it’s a new threat. “Assam has many Maoist sympathisers since the 1970s, when the Naxalbari movement gained momentum in West Bengal. But Maoism was never considered a force to reckon with in the state with nationalist issues always dominating the popular public discourse. However, with the strength of the separatist Ulfa on the wane, and large scale resentment on the state of development in the region as articulated in several popular movements, the Maoists now seem to be looking for some foothold in the state,” Chandan Kumar Sharma, professor at the Department of Sociology, Tezpur University told Firstpost from Tezpur. Read more

Source : www.firstpost.com

PMC to spend Rs 75 lakh on security and maintenance of new FoBs, subways

To enable safe road crossing for pedestrians, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has proposed to spend Rs 75 lakh on security, safety and cleanliness of foot overbridges (FoB) and subways constructed by the civic body on the roads as part of the BRTS project.

The civic body has constructed eight subways and seven FoBs with lift facility under the JNNURM scheme. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Maharashtra for special law to deal with urban sympathisers of Naxals

Mumbai : Maharashtra had already requested the Centre to enact a special law.

Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil on Monday said a special law was needed to tackle the Naxals, especially their "frontal" organisations and urban supporters.

"Police forces in Naxal-affected states have to operate in their own jurisdictions. But Naxals have no jurisdiction. Even though they operate in the forests, they have a large number of sympathisers and frontal organisations in the cities. It is difficult to nail them under provisions of the present laws and hence the sympathisers get off easily," Patil said talking to reporters here. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

Centre,states should jointly draw strategy to end Naxal menace

Seoni/Chhindwara(MP) : Union Minister for Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs,Kamal Nath, said here today that both the Centre and the states should jointly draw a strategy to end the Naxal menace in the country. 

"Both the Centre and the State should jointly draw a solid strategy to end the menace of Naxalism in the country," Nath told reporters at village Barra where he had come to take part in the death rituals of senior Congress leader Harvansh Singh. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

West Bengal Election Commissioner receives threat letters

KOLKATA : Amidst preparations for holding rural polls in 17-districts of West Bengal, the State Election Commissioner Mira Pande has received threat letters, officials of the Commission said here on Saturday.

“She [Ms. Pande] has received threat letters. We have informed the State Home Department about it,” an official of the Commission said. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

Jobs boom ahead in cyber security

New Delhi : The proliferation of information technology across sectors is generating demand for a new kind of specialist: the cyber security expert.
 
The national cyber security policy sees India needing as many as 500,000 professionals in the field in five years. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Public hearing on MP's Chukta nuclear power project cancelled

Bhopal : Led by Ramon Magsaysay award winner Dr Sandeep Pandey and others prominent activists of the state, locals of as many as 38 villages restricted Mandla district administration to organise a public hearing on controversial Chutka nuclear power project.

According to activists, more than 4,000 villagers reached the hearing site at Chutka and stalled the process before it could take place. "The public hearing meeting has been cancelled today," said a government spokesperson but refused to give details on next schedule. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

To fight Naxalism, govt drafts GOALS project for 3 states

New Delhi : As part of an effort to tackle Naxalism and enhance livelihood opportunities, the Rural Development Ministry is planning a Governance and Accelerated Livelihoods Security project, or GOALS, in 12 districts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa which are "most severely affected by Left Wing Extremism" .

The government had earlier launched the Integrated Action Plan to address development issues in 82 districts affected by Naxalism, and recently tweaked some guidelines for its rural schemes to make them more effective in these areas. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Information security firm and Manipal come together to bolster India's e-defence

New Delhi (ANI): In today's networked world, to bolster India's e-defence, a leading information technology firm has tied up with one of the leading universities of India to train young minds about different kinds of security solutions, and strengthen the nation in a different manner.

In the age of computers, there have been regular reports of information security being compromised, and there is a view that offering information security as a core teaching tool will go a long way in securing networks. Read more

Source : www.newstrackindia.com

Panjim wastes food enough to feed a lakh

PANJIM: As India debates whether the Food Security Bill is the most effective way to feed its starving millions, it has come to light that around 12 tonnes of leftover food is collected as waste daily from nearly 250 hotels and restaurants located in the capital city, nearly half of which is fit for consumption. 

Considering that an average person consumes about 300 grams of food per day, the leftover food from Panjim’s favoured joints can feed about 100,000 hungry and or underfed Goans each day. Read more

Source : oheraldo.in

Kolkata locale gets advanced surveillance system

Kolkata (IBNS): Ensuring high safety and security of Alipore area, the West Bengal Urban Development Minister, Firhad Hakim inaugurated the multi surveillance camera system here on Wednesday.

In a pioneering move the Smart Video Management System (SVMS) comprising more than 100 high end megapixel IP cameras, was deployed to beef up the security in the high crime prone zone. Read more

Source : www.indiablooms.com

Centre should bear food security scheme cost: Modi

PATNA: Lambasting the central government for not including the recommendations of Bihar government in the National Food Security Bill (FSB), deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi reiterated that the Centre should bear the cost of the scheme's implementation without capping "priority households".

Addressing the media after his Janata ke darbar mein upmukhyamantri programme on Tuesday, Modi said, "The provisions of FSB categorize 75% of rural households and 50% urban households as 'priority households'. But, almost 90% of Bihar's population is rural and the Centre should not limit the benefits of the FSB to some people." Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

IPL's spot-fixing scandal and IOA suspension must speed up reforms in Indian sport

The IPL spot-fixing scandal and recent efforts to rehabilitate the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in the Olympic movement suggest that Indian sport stands at a crucial juncture. If the spot-fixing saga has exposed a deep-rooted malaise in Indian cricket that can no longer be ignored, the IOA's suspension last year exemplifies a serious decay in the country's sporting infrastructure. Both incidents, however, also represent a golden opportunity to effect a much-needed revamp of Indian sport.

While the BCCI needs to be credited for making Indian cricket a veritable powerhouse, its inability to put in place transparent mechanisms and hone a culture of accountability has reached a point where it is threatening the very future of the game. Apart from a zero-tolerance policy towards fixing of any kind, the board needs to put in place a mentoring and counselling process for young players, which will help them deal with the temptations they are exposed to. And adequate security needs to be provided to them too. The latest reports that D Company gangsters have been able to get through to young players and attempt to coerce them into joining fixing rackets are alarming. Reporting such threat calls should be made mandatory by the board. And the government must move legislation to legalise betting in sport forthwith, which will help rescue betting from the clutches of organised crime syndicates. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Indians more willing to share personal information than others: Study

Mumbai: Even as cases of financial fraud are dotting cyber space across the world, Indians seem more forthcoming in giving out their personal information for personalised services and simplification of finance management than their global counterparts, a study by Cisco has said.

According to the Cisco report, 72 percent of respondents from India said they would provide more personal information to simplify management of finances compared to 56 percent participants agreeing globally. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Naxals strong in non-Congress-ruled states: Jairam Ramesh

INDORE: Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday that naxalism is strong wherever Congress party has become weak.

"Wherever there is a Congress government naxals have not been able to spread their influence," Ramesh said.

Ramesh said naxalism is strong in those stated where Congress is not in power like Jharkhand have not seen Congress rule for the past 13 years, Chhatisgarh for 10 years and Orissa for 12 years. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Maoist expansion plan targets poor villages in northeast

New Delhi : Adhering to Mao Tse-Tung’s guerrilla warfare style of surrounding urban centres from the countryside, Communist Party of India (Maoist) has unleashed a long-term grand plan of expansion. Their target is the restive northeast where they plan to build their presence steadily in villages.

“The plan is five-pronged and is centred on building up support networks in the villages of Assam and Tripura as of now. Then it will move up to the block level, district level and then the urban centres,” Dr L Bishnoi, IGP, (Central Western Region), Assam Police told HT. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Airport Metro, govt lock horns over CISF payment

NEW DELHI : The Delhi Airport Metro Express has locked horns with the central government over payment of dues to CISF which has been deployed at the facility to secure it from possible terrorist attacks or sabotage.

According to CISF sources, the force during this shut down period had thinned its deployment but armed security was in place 24X7

The Central Industrial Security Force had some time ago raised a bill of about Rs 12 crore for securing the airport metro line facility for the six months’ period when it was shut for repairs in the civil infrastructure. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

'Govt nod must for study on sensitive issues by WB, others'

New Delhi: Multilateral lending agencies such as World Bank and ADB will have to get concurrence of the government before publishing research reports on sensitive areas like security.

Also, formal clearance is required for studies where survey, primary data collection or field research in the country is involved. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Infra build-up along China border to go on

Dabolim , Goa : New Delhi has no plans to slam the brakes on infrastructure development and building up of military capacity along the disputed border with China, defence minister AK Antony said on Saturday.

File photo of defence minister AK Antony at Palam Airport in New Delhi. HT/Arvind Yadav

Six days after the territorial standoff with the Communist neighbor in eastern Ladakh ended, the minister said India had the right to develop infrastructure “on its soil” just the way China was entitled to ramp up capacities on its land. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Government approves National Cyber Security Policy

NEW DELHI: The government approved the National Cyber Security Policy that aims to create a secure computing environment in the country and build capacities to strengthen the current set up with focus on manpower training.

The government has approved the National Cyber Security Policy.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the policy which stresses on augmenting India's indigenous capabilities in terms of developing the cyber security set up. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

West Bengal for social security scheme for investors

Kolkata: West Bengal is planning to start a social security scheme for depositors and investors to ensure proper return of public money following the Saradha chit fund mess, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in Kolkata on Wednesday. "In the wake of growing financial insecurity, we are thinking of a social security scheme. It will ensure proper safety of public money and ensure safe and proper return. We will shortly put out a proposal on the website of the finance department to seek public comments," Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata.

Mamata said that after seeking public opinion, the government will finalise the scheme and subsequently pass a law.

She said that after seeking public opinion, the government will finalise the scheme and subsequently pass a law. "When there is a people's government, it has accountability towards them. People have been subjected to atrocities by these chit funds," she said. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Indian Supreme Court gives green signal to Kudankulam plant

The court cautioned the Indian government and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd to find safe areas to dispose of the nuclear waste which the plant would be generating.

The court observed that nuclear energy is extremely important for the country's growth and a balance has to be struck between the right to life and sustainable development. Source: Press Photo

The Indian Supreme Court on Monday gave its much-awaited clearance for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant project (KNPP) in THE southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu being built with Russian help.  Today’s judgment has come on the 630th day of Protests over the alleged not-up-to-the-mark safety features of the plant.

However, the court, while disposing of a public suit which sought the court’s direction to halt the commissioning of the plant on safety concerns, attached a rider. The court cautioned the Indian government and the KNPP’s operator Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) to find safe areas to dispose of the nuclear waste which the plant would be generating. “Don’t commission the plant before final report on safety aspect is out,” the Supreme Court expressly directed in its judgment. Read more

Source : indrus.in

After Chinese pullout, India to step up infrastructure development

NEW DELHI: After the pullout by Chinese troops from Daulat beg Oldi area of Ladakh,infrastructure development programme along the Line of Actual Control is expected to be stepped up besides beefing up of the presence of Indian army there. 

Frenquency of patrolling along the LAC is also expected to be enhanced as per the new measures being contemplated by the government, sources said here today. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

A clean energy strategy for India

Renewable energy resources can provide India a degree of energy security, provide a cheaper alternative to fossil fuels

In 2012 India was the world’s fourth-largest market for new wind power projects. Photo: Bloomberg

At the Clean Energy Ministerial hosted in New Delhi recently, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged to double India’s renewable energy capacity by 2017. This target adds to India’s already significant clean energy plans: In 2012 India was the world’s fourth-largest market for new wind power projects, it has ambitious solar energy and state-level targets, and it has significant government programmes on energy efficiency. Read more

Source : www.livemint.com

Bihar to bring social security plan for traders: Nitish

Patna : The Bihar government is going to implement a social security plan for traders as part of which those paying regular taxes would be given a Rs 2 lakh assistance in the event of death in accident, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said today. 

Kumar underlined importance of trading community in development of a society and said he has always taken up demands of the trading community seriously. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

5 lakh jobs by 2015 in cyber security

BANGALORE: India will require five lakh cyber security professionals by 2015 to support its fast growing internet economy as per an estimate by the Union ministry of information technology. These jobs will come up across industries. The financial sector alone is expected to hire over 2 lakh people while telcos, utility sectors, power, oil & gas, airlines, government (law & order and egovernance ) will hire the rest. 

A large number of these jobs will be around cyber policing and ethical hacking, to check for network vulnerabilities . The need for cyber experts has grown exponentially as the country is heading towards an internet explosion mostly fuelled by e-commerce, e-banking , egovernance and the social media. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Memo to UN envoy airs agonies

Imphal : Leaders of civil society organisations, human right defenders, victim families and advocates interacted with UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women Rashida Manjoo and submitted memorandums.

The consultative meeting held today at Classic Hotel was participated by around 200 delegates during which the UN envoy was apprised about violence against women witnessed in North East India, particularly Manipur. Read more

Source : e-pao.net

Development given the go-by in Karnataka: PM

HUBLI : Taking on the BJP Government in Karnataka, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today charged that “bad governance” and “corruption” had slackened the State’s progress and a sense of insecurity was prevalent among the minorities.

Hitting the campaign trail for the May 5 Assembly polls here, Singh said the BJP had changed three Chief Ministers in the last five years and a probe had been ordered against several of its politicians on charges of corruption. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com