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New US visa norms no bar on Indians, clarifies Blackwill New Delhi, July 30: Outgoing US ambassador to India Robert Blackwill on Wednesday denied that recent strictures on issuing visas were intended to discourage Indians from visiting the US. Talking to reporters hours before his departure back home, Blackwill said the new guidelines imposed by Washington post- September 11 to ensure fool-proof screening of visa applicants were not targeted against India. "Our percentage of issual of visas has not diminished. It's still about 70 percent of all Indians who seek to acquire a visa or get a visa. And that was true before September 11, it's true now. So this is a great example of the extraordinary people-to-people ties that bring together the democratic values of the people of India, the democratic values of the people of United States, the family values of the people of India and the family values of the people of United States," Blackwill said. The American embassy in New Delhi recently announced that henceforth all visa applicants would have to appear in person for consideration of their case. Combined with new strictures like finger-printing of foreigners landing in the US and American concerns about BPO (Business Process Outsourcing), a major source of income for India's emerging IT industry which was, however, contributing to unemployment in the US, the guidelines were being viewed as part of Washington's larger policy on curtailing Indians from visiting the US on work permits or migrating. An Indian IT industry survey, however, says the number of H1-B visas has steadily declined to 79,100 for last year while L-1 visas have trebled since the beginning of 1990 to 112,624 for last year and 69,105 for the current year till April. While H1-B workers can apply for permanent residency in the US or a green card (work permit), those on L-1 can stay for a maximum of seven years. India accounted for 24.4 percent of the total number of visas issued last year, with Japan and the United Kingdom coming in next with about 12 percent. But the study pointed out that L-1 visas comprised only 0.02 percent of 5.8 million visas issued last year by the State Department. Blackwill, who told Indian industrialists in a farewell on Tuesday that "Mother India has changed my life forever," has seen two eventful years during his diplomatic assignment in New Delhi. The September 11, 2001 attack on the US and the December 13 raid on Indian parliament later that year were the two most challenging events during Blackwill's tenure that brought the two countries close in the war against international terrorism. Multi-million dollar antique racket busted (Go to Top) Jaipur, July 30: Police in Rajasthan recently busted a multi-million dollar racket involving illegal selling of antique statues. In one of its biggest operations spanning over a year, the state police recovered a huge cache of antiques, worth five billion rupees, from villages and towns across the princely state. Twenty-one people have been arrested. Police say a larger international network is involved and are hoping to make more arrests in the near future. The recovered antiques included 205 idols, panels of terracotta and statues of Hindu gods and goddesses dating back to 1st century A.D. One of the recovered idols is a 1500-year-old nine feet high statue of the Jain period, estimated to be around 120 million rupees. Unauthorised dealing in antiques is banned under the Antiquity and Art Treasure Act (AATA). Under the Act, no object that is more than 100 years old could be allowed to leave the country. But recently India has become a hub of clandestine dealings in object d'art, with most of the smuggled goods finding their way to the West. Poacher held, three leopard skins recovered (Go to Top)
Dehra Dun, July 30: Uttaranchal police on Tuesday arrested a poacher and recovered three leopard skins from him. However, his accomplice managed to escape. Deputy Director of the Rajaji National Park, Narendra Singh, said that the investigations are on to ascertain whether the accused was part of an international racket. However, the accused, Tehri, denying his involvement, blamed his accomplice for the crime. "I didn't get these skins. The other person left it with me. He left them with me and went away," he said. Singh estimated the price of the recovered skins to be around Rs 10 lakh in the international market. The incidence of poaching in the country has been on the rise in the recent times, particulary in the states of West Bengal and Uttaranchal. Passenger train derails in Karnataka (Go to Top) Bangalore, July 28: A passenger train plying between Guntur and Hubli derailed on Monday near Gadag, about 425 kms from here. Railway sources said that the train's engine and one of its bogies went off the tracks, but added that there were no casualties. They said the derailment took place between the railway stations of Hulkoti and Annigeri at 4 a.m. soon after leaving Gadag station. They blamed the derailment on "joint welding failure". When reports last came in, the tracks were being cleared and buses had been requisitioned to ferry the harassed and shocked passengers to a safe spot. Bus falls into river in Doda, 20 feared killed (Go to Top) Doda, July 25: At least 20 people were feared dead and six injured after a bus plunged into the rain-swollen river in Doda district on Thursday. This occurred when the vehicle, carrying 29 passengers, skidded off the edge of a mountain road while negotiating a turn near Doda, 170 km east of Jammu. Four bodies were recovered. The bus could not be traced as the river is very deep. The bus was going to Kishtwar from Doda. British couple remanded to judicial custody (Go to Top) Amritsar, July 21: A British Muslim couple who entered India illegally from Pakistan last week were on Monday remanded to judicial custody by a court in Punjab till August 4. Nasafar Ali Sheikh and Hasina Sheikh were arrested on Saturday after they slipped into India through the Wagah checkpost without getting immigration and customs clearance. A local court has fixed July 23 for hearing on their bail application. Kulatar Singh, the Senior Superintendent of Police in Amritsar district, said Nasafar Ali told them that he had misplaced his vehicle documents while he was in Turkey. "They did not have a necessay document required to enter a country. When we interrogated them, they revealed that they did not make a duplicate copy of the document and tried to illegally slip from the checkpost," said Singh. According to police, the couple had travelled to eight countries before entering India and should have been aware of immigration formalities. Ali said they were on their way to Bangladesh to meet their relatives before flying to London. "We were lost there...when we came to Jalandhar we did shopping and had lunch. Later, some people asked for my car keys...When I resisted, I came to know they were customs officials. I checked their credentials and came to know that he was a customs official," said Ali. Meanwhile, the customs officials have impounded their vehicle. Three more pilgrims die on way to Amarnath (Go to Top) Srinagar, July 20: Three more pilgrims, including a sadhu, died of heart attack on Sunday on way to Amarnath, an official spokesman said. Sadhu Harvindar Kumar of Baroda, Jumber Rao Throt of Maharashtra and Safari Dass of Uttar Pradesh died due to cardiac arrest at Baltal, Sheshnag and Panchtarni respectively, the spokesman said in Srinagar. Four pilgrims had died of heart attack on way to the shrine on July 10, 12, and 14. The spokesman said about 82,000 devotees have already had darshan at the cave shrine till Sunday evening. Technical snag forces Alliance Air flight's return (Go to Top) Chennai, July 18: An Alliance Air flight with 70 passengers on board was forced to return to its base here early on Friday morning, after flying for 90 minutes, due to a technical snag in the aircraft. Airport sources said the plane took off at 5. 15 a.m., but when the pilot found one of the engines not working, he decided to return. Passengers have been put up in various city hotels till alternate arrangements are made. Pilgrims resume journey to Amarnath (Go to Top) Jammu, July 17: Thousands of cheerful pilgrims resumed their journey to the Amarnath cave on Thursday after weather conditions improved. The authorities had put a stop to the arduous 48-km trek to the shrine for a day due to heavy landslides in Pahalgam and Baltal areas. The pilgrims move in batches of 3000-3,500 each to the cave shrine from Jammu every day. Security has been tightened as the annual pilgrimage was targetted several times in the past by Islamic separatists Pak agrees to resume air links (Go to Top) Islamabad, July 16: Pakistan on Wednesday agreed to hold talks with India on the resumption of air links between the two countries, the foreign ministry said. Pakistan has agreed to host experts-level talks between the civil aviation authorities of Pakistan and India to consider all aspects for resumption of air links between the two countries, it said. The dates for the meeting would be fixed after mutual consultations in due course, the foreign ministry said in a statement. The proposal has been communicated to the government of India, it added. Man arrested with cartridges at Delhi airport (Go to Top) New Delhi, July 16: A man trying to board a plane with cartridges was arrested at Delhi airport on Wednesday. Mohammed Siddiqui, who hails from Tamil Nadu, was caught during weapons inspection before boarding a plane for Chandigarh at around 9:00 am. Police recovered two live cartridges and ten used cartridges from him. A joint team of police and intelligence agencies is interrogating him. Agartala-Dhaka bus service from August (Go to Top) Dhaka, July 16: India and Bangladesh have decided to start a bus service between Agartala and Dhaka next month. External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said here on Wednesday that an agreement in that regard was reached during the Joint Economic Commission meeting and the service is expected to be launched in the first week of August. "I hope that the Bangladesh Minister for Transport can travel to Agartala to flag off this bus service," Sinha told reporters after the two-day JEC meeting. The Agartala-Dhaka bus comes after nearly four years of successful run of the Kolkata-Dhaka bus service. Bad weather halts pilgrims' progress (Go to Top) Jammu, July 16: At least three thousand pilgrims were stranded en route to a cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday due to bad weather and landslides. Authorities stopped the arduous 48-ko trek to Amarnath cave shrine for a day due to heavy landslides in Pahalgam and Baltal areas. The pilgrims, however, blamed the authorities for not giving them a clear picture. "They (the authorities) are not telling us the right reason. Sometimes they say there are too many people, sometimes they say it is raining. It is not yet clear to us as to why are we stranded here," Rajat Rai, a pilgrim, said in Jammu. "We are here since last night and we have been allowed to go. They told us that there have been landslides so the pilgrimage has been suspended, so there will be no more convoys," said Pawan Sindhi, another pilgrim. Authorities said they hoped to restart the pilgrimage in a day. "We have looked after the pilgrims well. There is full securtiy and these pilgrims have been kept in well-protected areas. Hopefully the pilgrimage will restart tommorow afternoon. All is well here and if things remain O.K, we will send them to Srinagar tommorow," said Sunil Sharma, senior superintendent of police, Jammu. Sharma said pilgrims would be allowed to trek in batches of 3000- 3,500 each to the cave shrine from Jammu every day. Meanwhile, security has been tightened as the annual pilgrimage was targeted several times in the past by Islamic separatists fighting Indian rule in the Himalyan state. Amarnath stands at a height of nearly 12,500 feet above sea level, 141 km from Srinagar. The base camp for the pilgrimage, Pahalgam, is 96 km south of Srinagar. The pilgrimage leads devotees through monsoon rain-swollen streams and past a glacier-fed lake to the cave where they worship an ice stalagmite, believed to be a phallic symbol representing the regenerative powers of Lord Shiva. Foreigners throng Jodhpur in search of spirituality (Go to Top) Jodhpur, July 14: A small village Jadan in Jodhpur is attracting foreign tourists. They go there not only for sight-seeing but also for attaining spiritual knowledge. Swami Maheshranand is the centre of attraction. They seek his words of wisdom. The widely travelled Swami says that it is the Indian culture that shows the way to peace. "For years I have travelled all over the world. Everywhere our centres are running with the only aim to promote Indian culture. It's through this that we can attain peace. Everyone in the world is now hoping that the Indian culture will pull them through," said Swami Maheshranand. The foreigners are so much attracted to Indian culture that many of them have changed their names. Many even plan to settle down here. They chant the prayers and sing Kirtan along with other disciples of the Swami. 22 killed in a bus-van collision in Doda (Go to Top) Jammu, July 13: Twenty-two people were killed and 19 others injured in a head-on collision between a passenger bus and a van in Doda district of Jammu and Kashnir on Sunday. The bus after collision fell into the Chenab river. Nine of the passengers who were seriously injured were flown to government hospital in Jammu, whereas the rest were admitted to a nearby hospital. New aviation policy within six months: Rudy (Go to Top) Mumbai, July 12: A new civil aviation policy will provide world-class services at affordable prices, Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said on Saturday. A task force has been appointed for the purpose and it will submit a report within a month. Comments on the old policy and suggestions by the National Council for Applied Economic Research were being considered for evolving the new policy, which is expected to be announced within six months. The new policy, he said, will enable the Indian aviation sector to face the challenges of the 21st century. ''We want to make the sector more vibrant, competitive and accessible.'' No work after 50, SC tells AI air-hostesses (Go to Top) New Delhi, July 11: Air-India air-hostesses will have to quit on-board duties when they hit 50. The Supreme Court passed this verdict on Friday, setting aside the Bombay High Court's order that had raised the age limit to 58. A Bench comprising Justice B N Agarwal, Justice D Raju and Justice D M Dharmadhikari also rejected the High Court's directive to merge the male and female cabin crew cadres. According to A-I officials, the management has already started shortlisting new candidates for crew members under the new low- cost airline wing - Air-India Charters Ltd. The new members would be hired on contract basis. Bus leaves for Lahore, one from the other side reaches Wagah (Go to Top) New Delhi, July 11: Horn blaring, the luxury Indian bus with passengers anxious to see relatives across the border - in many cases for the first time in years - was accompanied by a fleet of security vehicles and blaring sirens as it left on its 12-hour journey to Lahore early on Friday. A Delhi-bound bus left Lahore soon afterwords. Among its passengers is a two-year-old girl, Noor Fatima, who has holes in her heart. She is coming to India for treatment. The bus entered Indian territory via the Wagah border in Amritsar city. Passengers here in Delhi boarded the vehicle amid tight security as guards searched bags by candlelight after heavy rains knocked out power at the bus station.
"It a very good thing that the service is being restarted. This will definitely help improve relations. It is an initiative towards peace process," said Mohammad, a youth from Kashmir, the territory at the heart of hostilities between India and Pakistan. Mehroon, a young mother taking her new-born child to Lahore for the first time, said she was ecstatic at the prospect of a reunion with her husband after nearly eight months. "It's a very good feeling. I have been here for the last eight months. My child was born here, my husband has not even seen him. It's a wonderful feeling," said Mehroon. Only about 13 of the roughly 40 people on board were members of the public. The rest were journalists. The resumption of the trans-border bus is a result of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's declaration in April that he wanted to make one last push for peace in his lifetime. Officials of the Delhi transport Corporation, which is running the service, said all measures had been taken to ensure a safe journey. "We have made all arrangements for a comfortable journey. The interior has been done up to provide safety and comfort to the passengers. Food arrangements are also there. Our good wishes for this journey," DTC chariman A.J. Swahney told reporters. The buses have been completely overhauled by the manufacturers, Ashok Leyland, including their engines, tyres and gearboxes. The bus will run from New Delhi four days a week. The fare would be Rs 800 ($17 approx) for one side journey. The 536-km (332-mile) journey from New Delhi to Lahore takes nearly 14 hours, crossing into Pakistani territory at the Wagah border, which is the only road crossing linking the two countries. The Pakistani bus, adorned with flowers and a banner hailing resumption of the "friendship" service is expected to take about 10 hours to reach the Indian capital after completion of Customs formalities. A total of 28 passengers - nine of them journalists - two drivers and a liaison officer are in the bus. Qazi Mohammed Sayeed, one of the bus drivers who is almost a celebrity taking the famed bus on its maiden journey, said more such facilities should be provided. "The bus service is one of the best ways of communicating, it is cheap and takes less time. We want such facilities to be provided," he added.
India and Pakistan cut road, rail and air links after a December 2001 attack on the Indain Parliament that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants. The raid triggered a 10-month military standoff and almost brought the neighbours to a fourth war. The stoppage meant thousands of Indians and Pakistanis, separated during the bloody partition in 1947, could no longer visit one another an weddings, funerals and other occasions. Meanwhile, Hindu right-wing groups have stepped up protests against the resumption of ties saying Pakistan could not be trusted. Minutes after the bus left New Delhi, protestors of the Shiv Sena party shouted anti-Pakistan slogans and tried to break police barricades. No date has been set for restoration of air and rail services. The buses, which will run twice a week from either side, are hugely popular among Indians and Pakistanis. A one-way ticket costs about Rs 800. The buses from New Delhi and Lahore will pass each other on their 536-km route along the Grand Trunk Road through the wheat bowl of Punjab. Vajpayee inaugurated the service in February, 1999, when he visited Lahore for a peace summit during which he signed the most substantive accord between the two countries in 30 years. But the mood soured just months later when fierce fighting erupted along the icy Kargil heights in north Kashmir as Indian soldiers repelled Pakistani-backed invaders. Personal interviews now
mandatory to qualify for US visas (Go
to Top) New Delhi, July 10: Those aspiring to go to the US will have to appear for personal interview at their respective American consulates for getting visas, a senior US embassy official announced here on Thursday. The new procedure will be applied uniformaly world-wide. The latest measure, he explained, is meant to ensure security of the US. It takes effect in India from July 14. However, senior citizens, children under 14 years, persons renewing a valid visa of the same category, and Central government officials going on official tours are not subject to this regulation. Visas will be granted within five days following the interviews. "The new procedures are being implemented by US embassies and consulates around the world following an extensive and ongoing review of visa issuing practices since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001," he said while addressing a select gathering of mediapersons. The visa applications can be put in the drop boxes available in eight different locations across the country. The official observed: "We welcome foreign travel, especially the Indian friends. The new procedures are not aimed at bringing down the number of people visiting the US, but to facilitate travel." He replied in the negative when asked if getting visas will be more difficult from now onwards. Downplaying the general impression that it is a tough task to get a US visa, a statement issued by the official said, "this is not the case. Far more people are issued visas than are refused. The basic criteria for qualifying have not changed in the post-9/11 era." In order to make the new procedure work smoothly, new staff, both Indians and Americans, would be recruited. "We have established priority lines so as to facilitate a section of society and students in particular, so that they can reach the US in time before their respective schools reopen," he added. US consular operations in India are among the largest in the world. Last year as many as 275,000 temporary visas and 23,000 immigrant visas were granted. Over the past four years, more than 1.2 million Indians have been issued visas for business tours, pleasure trips and temporary work. India tops the list as far the number of students studying in US universities is concerned. The total number is about 66,800, the embassy official informed. Over the past two years, the number of Indian students in the US has grown by almost 58 per cent, according to him. The official further said that last year India surpassed China as far as the total number of visas issued is concerned. Waste treatment in Himachal with Norwegian help (Go to Top) Kullu, July 10: The lush-green valley of Kullu surrounded by the scenic Himalayan mountains in Himachal Pradesh is a major tourist attraction for travellers from across the globe. But the onslaught of tourists leaves a maze of waste all around the picturesque valley, badly damaging its environment. To prevent excessive pollution, the state government has joined hands with a Norwegion development agency representing the government of Norway in a project on waste management. The Rs 1.6-crore project has been set up to collect and segregate nearly 11 tonnes of garbage daily from Kullu and the nearby areas. The waste will be separately kept in plastic glass and paper, and stored in 240 smaller pits for further treatment. The treated waste is converted into an odourless, black manure rich in nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sodium and calcium within a span of 80 days and then used as manure. "This manure is very useful for the farmers since it has no side-effects for the crops. The manure also helps in controlling the pollution levels," said Ishu Mala, a resident of the valley. -ANI |
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