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EC absolves Arjun over code violation

      New Delhi: Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh has been let off by India's three-member Election Commission, but with a veiled warning not to violate the commission's Model Code of Conduct. Singh was accused for violating the Code for his statement made on the issue of proposed OBC quota in government-aided higher education institutions. The Election Commission said it was not sufficient to merely uphold the Model Code ''but the minister and the government should also follow the provisions of the Code.'' Earlier, Arjun Singh had written twice to the Commission denying that he had made any mention about the possible percentage of quota to be provided to OBC students. Last week, Singh met the Commission to extend explanation in this regard. The Centre also supported Singh.

    However, the Commission clearly indicated in its order that it was not fully satisfied with the replies and explanation of the minister. Singh's remarks on the quota had sparked agitation across the country by medical and engineering students, who were against the government's move as it led to compromising on merit. Chief Election Commissioner B.B. Tandon also asked the Government to speed up work on the 22-point electoral reforms agenda to get rid with criminalisation of politics. Criminalisation of politics tops the EC's reforms agenda. He said that the 22 proposals should be implemented in a phased manner. As Tandon is resigning from the office next month, he would be writing to the government to press for its implementation, thereby, cleansing the electoral system of money and muscle power. Other issues like measures to increase security deposit of candidates, restriction on the number of seats from which one may contest and prohibition of surrogate advertisements in print media will also be placed. On the question, whether the Commission feels that the model code of conduct should have legal sanction, Tandon said that it had been thought by political parties and it was a time-tested mechanism. He said that the state funding of elections would only to a minimal extent help cleanse the poll process. Tandon said that electoral reforms were "absolutely necessary" and the political system needed them. He said that the five phased elections in West Bengal had yielded credible results.

65 Indian films to hit screens in Cannes (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Sixty-five Indian films will hit screens in Cannes, France, this year, courtesy the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). This is the fourth consecutive year that a CII-sponsored film extragavanza is taking place at Cannes. The 10-day Cannes Film Market begins on May 17 and will seek to project the development of Indian cinema over the years positively. Apart from the 65 films, there are 35 new projects that are likely to be put on display. Over 80 companies and 18 exhibitors from India will position themselves at Cannes to showcase their product and projects at the India Pavilion, which is back once again on the seafront along the ritzy Croisette. The India Pavilion, organised by CII, at the Village International has representation from across the country and participation include production companies, line producers, post production studios and exporters. Film and TV Guild of India, Film Federation of India, Indian Film Exporters Association and South Indian Film Exporters Association are also part of the India Pavilion.

   The India participation also includes over 40 independent filmmakers and producers across the country looking out for new ventures and collaboration. The agenda for Indian showbiz companies this year is clear focus on business at the world's largest film market. `Cannes is an excellent platform for Indian film industry to selling products, collaborate with global showbiz community and understand international production and distribution market scenarios better,'' said Bobby Bedi, chairman of the CII National Entertainment Committee. CII has brought out India the Big Picture book-- an essential guide to connect with the movie business and this will be released at Cannes on May 17. ``This is the first step in a larger framework of activities designed to get the major entertainment players of India to come together and collaborate with international players by participating in film markets like Cannes, AFM and Berlin,'' said Bedi. The objective this year is to promote India as a shooting and post production hub, facilitate India pavilion members to meet sales agents and producers, promote International Film Festival of India, Goa (November 23 to December 3, 2006) and Goa Film Bazaar (November 24 to 28, 2006). Several roundtables and network meetings are also planned at the India Pavilion. The participant companies at the India pavilion and at Palais include Adlabs Films, Kaleidoscope Entertainment, AP International (biggest exporter of South Indian Movies), Digiquest, a post production company based in Hyderabad UTV Motion Pictures, Sahara One Motion Pictures, EROS Multimedia, Rajtaru - a post production studio from Mumbai, KAS Movie Makers, a Delhi based location provider, Gimmicks, Location provider from Mumbai, NFDC, Celluloid Dreams, iDreams Productions, IFFI and Goa Film Bazaar, Osians, Shemaroo and Sunstone Entertainment. Indian market screenings at Cannes this year include Ali Larter, Salman Khan starring Marigold, UTV's Rang De Basanti, Jagmohan Mundra's Provoked, The Last Monk by Sudipto Sen, Mixed Doubles by Rajat Kapur, Nine Emotions (Navarasa) by Santosh Sivan among others.

NBA protests over Maheshwar dam (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: Activists of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) on Thursday sought withdrawal of clearance given for another hydro-electric project in Madhya Pradesh. The NBA activists, who had demanded the rehabilitation of the oustees of Sardar Sarovar Project on Narmada River in Rajasthan, said the environmental clearance for Maheshwar Dam in Madhya Pradesh was obtained on factually incorrect information and demand the Union Environmental Ministry to withdraw the clearance. "We, the Narmada Bachao Andolan activists, spoke to the members of the Ministry of Environment and a few facts have emerged clearly. The Ministry now knows that the information provided to them on the dam project by the dam officials, especially about the rehabilitation of the displaced people, is incorrect and far from fact. Two inspection teams of the Environmental Ministry have discovered there has been no rehabilitation and that they were misguided with lies. So, now we demand that the clearance given by the Ministry be scrapped as null and void," said Alok Aggarwal, an activist from the NBA. Aggarwal further went on to say that at the meeting with the Environmental Ministry, he was given an assurance that by the end of June, it would have all the relevant files on hand and would come up with their review. "Also, all the files pertaining to the Maheshwar project, being dealt in the Environmental Ministry have been misplaced and a hunt is on to locate them," Aggarwal said. Maheshwar Dam project, planned in 1978 was transferred to the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board (MPEB) and subsequently in 1993, the construction was awarded to the S. Kumars, a textile magnate. The project, which was given a conditional environmental clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, is the first privately financed hydroelectric dam in India and is expected to displace around 35,000 people. The dam is part of the Narmada Valley Development Project that entails the construction of 30 large and 135 medium-sized dams in the Narmada Valley. Maheshwar is one of the planned large hydel power projects and is slated to generate 400 Megawatts in energy, to bring relief to power-crunched India. But the construction of large dams on the River Narmada in central India and its impact on millions of people living in the river valley has become a sensitive issue with NBA taking up a protracted fight on behalf of the affected villagers.

Kalam for research missions (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: President APJ Abdul Kalam on Thursday suggested four research missions for Indian scientists and technologists to achieve excellence in the fields of science and technology. Addressing the nation on the occasion of "Technology Day", Kalam said that as a first step, scientists and technologists could increase solar photovoltaic cell efficiency from the existing 12 to 14 percent to 45 to 50 percent using carbon nano tube-based solar photovoltaic cells with a silicon base. Secondly, he said steps should be taken to raise Jatropha plant oil content from 28 to 45 percent. Third, he urged the country's scientific community to carry out further research into the reasons for earthquakes, using multiple parameters, and finally, research needed to be conducted on convergence of bio-nano-info technologies, leading to innovations in healthcare products, electronic systems, material technology and bio-science. Reiterating the technology empowers the nation, Kalam described it as a "non-linear" tool " which can effect fundamental changes in economic competitiveness." The observance of Technology Day, he said, reminds all about India's efforts to achieve self-reliance in critical areas to ensure its position among the "Developed Nations". Highlighting the technological achievements of the last year, Kalam said: "There is a need to encourage creative minds and in converting their inventions into commercial products, using technology.