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10 percent of IAF Jaguars unfit for flying: Mukherjee

          New Delhi: Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that around ten percent of the Indian Air Force's Jaguars were currently experiencing problems of low thrust, making them vulnerable at the time of take-off. Replying to questions on reports of technical snags which were cited as the factors for the large number of crashes recently, Mukherjee said that "Low thrust and low power" in the Jaguar's adour engines had been identified as the reason behind the crashes. He further stated that experts from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Directorate General of Quality Assurance and Rolls Royce, had come up with some measures to upgrade the engines. "All these measures have since been implemented and as a result the problem of low thrust in Jaguar engines has been reducded considerably," the Defence Minister was quoted as saying.

NDA decides to boycott all tainted ministers (Go To Top)

         New Delhi: Continuing its political offensive, the Opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Wednesday decided to boycott all the tainted ministers, including Railway Minister Laloo Prasad, even as its MPs took part in the proceedings of both Houses of Parliament. The decision followed the submission of a report by a Sub- Committee constituted at a meeting of NDA MPs on Tuesday, which decided to give up the strategy of stalling parliamentary proceedings, party sources said. The five-member committee, formed to discuss the BJP-led alliance's future mode of protest, suggested that NDA MPs boycott all the four tainted ministers, including Prasad, Taslimuddin, Jai Prakash and MAA Fatmi whenever they rise to make a statement or reply to debate in either House of the Parliament. The ministers would also be boycotted during the Question Hour, the sources said. The Sub-Committee included Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi, SS Ahluwalia besides BJP Deputy Leaders in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, respectively, VK Malhotra and Sushma Swaraj.

Nirupama Rao appointed envoy to Sri Lanka (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Nirupama Rao, the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. She will succeed Nirupam Sen. Rao, who earlier served as MEA spokesperson, is expected to take up her assignment shortly, an official announcement said here Wednesday. Rao, a 1973 batch Indian Foreign Service, was the Ambassador in Lima, besides serving in Moscow, Vienna, Colombo and Washington. Meanwhile, Nirupam Sen, a 1969-batch IFS officer, has been appointed as the Permanent Representative at the UN.

Mirwaiz replaces Ansari as Hurriyat chief (Go To Top)

          Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference Chairman Moulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari on Wednesday stepped down from the post of Chairman and appointed Founder Chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Umer Farooq as interim Chairman. His move is seen as an effort to bring in unity among the various factions. Senior functionaries of the Hurriyat termed the move as an attempt at reunifying the faction. The moderate section of the Hurriyat led by the outgoing Chairman Abbas Ansari was still last month engaged in a parley with the Centre. On assuming charge, the Mirwaiz said: "This responsibility is on me.I will try to bring in unity in the Hurriyat.And the executive council will be restored. God willing I will try. The chairperson's issue will be sorted out later on. My responsibility is to bring in unity which is the need of the time." "A constructive approach is needed for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. The resolution of the Kashmir issue lies in dialogue. We will try to move ahead with talks with both India and Pakistan," he added. This view was also endorsed by senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Bhat. The Hurriyat significantly did not raise its proposed third round of talks with the Centre today.

Five ministers take oath in Maharashtra (Go To Top)

          Mumbai: Prakash Kanappa Awade, Anees Ahmed (Congress), Vimal Mundada, Nawab Malik and Manohar Naik (NCP), took oath of office and secrecy in Maharashtra today. State Governor Mohammed Fazal administered the oath to the five ministers, who were elevated to the cabinet rank on Tuesday following downsizing of the ministry to meet the constitutional bligation. Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil and other some other ministers were also present on the occasion.