Bangalore, Microsoft today announced an innovative programme to aid ten early stage start ups by hosting them on Windows Azure and help their businesses that take advantage of the Cloud. Announcing the programme, Microsoft India (R&D) Managing Directoir Amit Chatterjee said Microsoft will neither have any stake or share IP with these ten start ups who would be provided technical and business guidance besides mentoring and connecting them with prospective investors and venture capitalists. He said these start ups who would be selected through a rigorous screening process would also have the benefit of working out of Microsoft R and D office here for four months, using resources of Microsoft's BizSpark programme and USD 60,000 in Azure credit. He said they would leverage the unlimited possibilities enabled by an open and flexible cloud platform, the metro user interface on Windows 8 and Windows phne, besides other technical inputs of Microsoft. He said over the next three years Indian tech smart entrepreneurs have a major play in the 'connected network and continued services' arena as business will flourish in the cloud environment. The start ups could be from ...
Read Full Story

New Delhi, The government on Wednesday claimed that political parties were in the know of the move to refer the Lokpal bill to a select committee and that leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley was consulted on its composition. "The committee was drawn up after consultation," parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Bansal said. The government claimed that there might have been a gap in communication within BJP as party MPs protested the move while Jaitley sat without intervening. Jaitley contested the government's suggestion that he was on board, saying that he had only been informed about the move to refer the bill to a select committee. "I was not consulted, the ministers merely told me about the government's plan," he said. He also said that when Bansal met him, he had told the minister that he intended to "raise objections with relation to the incompetent amendment to refer the bill to a select committee". He pointed out that in the House, he had asked the government to be upfront about its intent rather than getting a Samajwadi Party MP to move the amendment. Speaking to the media, Bansal said all parties were consulted over the composition of the ...
Read Full Story

New Delhi, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader P.A. Sangma, whose name has been proposed for president by the AIADMK and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Tuesday said he would urge parties to "respond to the call of conscience" and choose a tribal for the post. Sangma, who met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to thank him for backing his presidential candidature, told reporters: "We hope that other political parties, including those in the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) and the NDA (National Democratic Alliance), respond to the call of conscience in the nation by the tribal people and support us in the coming presidential election." Marching ahead in the presidential race after being backed by BJD leader Patnaik and AIADMK chief J. Jayalalithaa, Sangma is making attempts to get support from major parties. Sangma, who was accompanied by other tribal lead­ers from different political parties, said: "We belong from different political parties but we are fighting a common cause of projecting a tribal as a presidential candidate." Thanking Patnaik and Jayalalithaa, he said: "Indeed it is time, a distinguished tribal leader needs to be the 'rashtrapati' of this great ...
Read Full Story

New Delhi, With the government sending the controversial Lokpal Bill to a Rajya Sabha select committee for further scrutiny and discussion on Monday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has accused the former of not being sincere in its efforts to pass anti-graft proposal. "This has become quiet clear, that the intentions of the government over bringing the Ombudsman (Bill) were not correct since the very beginning. The government has once again exposed its corrupt face protecting corrupt people," Naqvi told media here. Expressing displeasure over sending the bill to a select committee, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "Any search proposal for select committee can come only and only by the minister in charge who is in possession of the entire proposal. It could not have come from anyone else." "This kind of procedure was most unwarranted. We deeply regret it, and also condemn it. The present consideration is also permissible in terms of Article 252 of the Constitution, where such considerations are permissible only when two state assemblies empower the Rajya Sabha to consider such a proposal," he added. Communist Party of India (CPI) ...
Read Full Story

Washington, In a rebuff to Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari, US president Barack Obama did not meet him on the margins of the NATO Summit in Chicago as the two countries failed to strike a deal on reopening the NATO supply lines to Afghanistan. Zardari, who flew to Chicago with hopes of lifting his stature with a meeting with Obama, was preparing to leave empty-handed as the two countries continued to feel the repercussions of a NATO air strike last November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, an incident for which the US President has offered condolences but no apology. As the two-day NATO summit opened in Chicago last evening, Obama remained at loggerheads with Zardari, refusing even to meet him without a deal on the supply routes, which officials in both sides acknowledged would not be coming soon, US media reported on Monday. But White House deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes said that Obama could not meet Zardari as he had a "full slate of summit meetings to attend." "The two bilateral meetings, really, that he did, or President (Hamid) Karzai for obvious reasons given the focus on Afghanistan here, and the Secretary General of NATO given that it's ...
Read Full Story

New Delhi, The government Monday released the much-awaited white paper on black money, which makes a strong pitch for setting up the Lokpal and Lokayuktas but carries no official estimate of the illicit money stashed by Indians abroad. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee tabled the white paper in the Lok Sabha. The paper carries no estimates on the quantum of money stashed abroad, but quotes figures released by different agencies. "There are no reliable estimates of black money generation or accumulation, neither is there an accurate well-accepted methodology for making such estimation," the paper said. It pointed out that among the estimates made so far, there is no uniformity, unanimity, or consensus about the best methodology or approach to be used for this purpose. "There have also been wide variations in the figures reported, which further serves to highlight the limitations of the different methods adopted." The paper made a strong pitch for setting up the Lokpal and Lokayuktas to effectively deal with the menace of black money and other corrupt practices. In the foreword to the report, Mukherjee pointed out that in this past year the government has ...
Read Full Story

New Delhi, Asserting that the Central Government is not serious about passing a strong Lokpal Bill, social activist Arvind Kejriwal has said Team Anna would decide its future course of action after the budget session of parliament ends. "We are waiting for the parliament session to get over. Our future strategy and agitation will be announced after that," Kejriwal told media here. "We do doubt their (government) intentions. When the budget session was so big then why did they not get the bill earlier? Why on the last day? They could have got it 15-30 days earlier, so defiantly there is a doubt over their intentions," he added. Earlier, former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and Team Anna member Kiran Bedi has said the Central Government is not serious about endorsing an effective Lokpal Bill, since it would be like sounding the death knell for corrupt politicians. "The Lokpal Bill is a very tough law for people who are corrupt and they also happen to be in power. They also know that there is enough proof against them. It will be very difficult for them as they will be investigated and like former telecom minister A Raja they will go to jail because whistleblowers ...
Read Full Story

New Delhi, With the Budget session set to conclude on Tuesday, the much-debated Lokpal Bill, instead of being brought in the Rajya Sabha, could be referred to a Joint Select Committee amid lack of consensus on its key provisions. "A decision will be taken tomorrow", a Union minister involved in the process said when asked whether the bill would go to a Joint Select Committee or Select Committee. When a Bill comes up before a House for discussion, it may be referred to a Select Committee of the House or a Joint Committee of the two Houses. The Select or the Joint Select Committee considers the Bill clause by clause just as the two Houses do. A senior Congress leader, who declined to be identified, said the possibility of the bill being referred to a Joint Select Committee, cannot be ruled out. Reports said that in the absence of consensus on key provisions of the legislation including the one dealing with Lokpal's superintendence over CBI appears to be deterring the government from bringing the bill in the Rajya Sabha this week. The bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha. Uncertainty hung over the bill coming up in the Upper House in the current session with ...
Read Full Story

New Delhi, Law minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday came out in strong defence of Manmohan Singh, rubbishing criticism of him being a weak prime minister. Khurshid, who admitted that administering the country today was getting tougher, said Singh was the best person for the job and had provided "thoughtful, philosophical" leadership in uncertain times. Admitting that the coalition government was facing a tough ride, the minister said Congress was prepared for all options, including being in opposition, after the general elections in 2014. "I don't think we could have had a better person in these times when we have been under stress... that we have had a lot of questions raised about how India should be governed and how it is being governed," Khurshid said in a TV interview. He maintained that Singh had provided leadership at a time when there were "dark clouds" about the Indian economy, the monsoon, and on how the country moved forward with important economic changes. Asked about the alleged policy paralysis and differences with allies on issues like FDI in retail, the minister said, "Administering this country in our present times is very, very tough but our ...
Read Full Story

Chennai, AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Sunday stepped up her lobbying for the candidature of NCP leader and former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma for the upcoming Presidential elections. She spoke to several non UPA leaders including BJP leader LK Advani, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat, CPI leader AB Bardhan, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu in an effort to build consensus in Sangma's favour. . "As part of her campaign for Sangma, Jayalalithaa has spoken to the leaders over the phone and asked them to support Sangma who is also a tribal leader from north east and capable person for the presidential post," a statement issued by the AIADMK headquarters here stated. It also recalled Sangma's meeting with Jayalalithaa on May 15 at the state secretariat in Chennai. Jayalalithaa officially announced her support for Sangma on May 17. Jayalalithaa's latest initiative comes two days after she asked all parties to "rise above political considerations," and support the tribal leader for the top constitutional post. . In a coordinated move, Jayalalithaa and her ...
Read Full Story

Bangalore, Continuing to distance himself from his 40-year old party, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Saturday said he will not be attending the BJP's national executive committee meeting scheduled to be held next week. I am unhappy with the way the central leadership has handled the Karnataka BJP's issue. All these days I was asking the party bosses to make me either the CM or state party president. Henceforth, I will not make any demands,'' Yeddyurappa told reporters at his new public contact office started by him. Giving examples of BJP leaders such as Jaswant Singh, who were marginalised by the party, Yeddyurappa blamed party's national general secretary Ananth Kumar for keeping him out. Even in Parliament, its just Kumar or of his supporter MPs who get a chance to speak in the House,'' he added. Dismissing reports of his joining Congress, Yeddyurappa said he will tour the state for the time being. At an appropriate time, I will take an appropriate decision, but will not join any national party,'' he ...
Read Full Story

Islamabad, A brawl occurred between Pakistan International Airlines crew members and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's son Ali Musa on a flight from Lahore to Karachi, according to a media report on Friday. Ali Musa, a parliamentarian, insisted that his guard, who had an economy class ticket, would sit with him in the business class, The Express Tribune reported. The matter was resolved when the captain of the flight intervened and told the premier's son that he would turn the aircraft back to Lahore if he persisted with his demand, which was against the rules. The threat by the captain worked and Ali Musa gave up his demand, following which the flight continued and landed at Karachi, the report said. The report did not say when the incident had ...
Read Full Story

Ahmedabad/ Ghaziabad, Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and Team Anna member Kiran Bedi has said the Central Government is not serious about endorsing an effective Lokpal Bill, since it would be like sounding the death knell for corrupt politicians. "The Lokpal Bill is a very tough law for people who are corrupt and they also happen to be in power. They also know that there is enough proof against them. It will be very difficult for them as they will be investigated and like former telecom minister A Raja they will go to jail because whistleblowers will gather enough proof against them. So this will not be enacted easily," Bedi told media here. "It will be enacted when all of us stand together with Anna Hazare because these politicians count the number of people," she added. Echoing similar sentiment, Team Anna member Manish Sisodia has said that an effective and strong Lokpal Bill couldn't be expected from a cabinet that has corrupt ministers. "How can a country hope for a tough anti-graft law from a cabinet which has 16 ministers who have charges of corruption against them? We have absolutely no hope from this cabinet," said Sisodia. He also said that ...
Read Full Story

New Delhi, The achievements of the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal on Thursday came in for question with key ally Congress asking it to "talk less and work more", saying it was not known as to which of the promises had been implemented by it so far. "Till now, we don't know which project has been converted into ground reality because things are at promise and announcement level only. A large number of farmers have been committing suicide in West Bengal and unemployment is also on the rise. I want to say that they should talk less and work more," Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told reporters here. He was asked to comment on the performance of the state government on completion of one year next week. Reacting to the comments of Chowdhury, Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said, "I do not know who has said this but we don't rate any Tom, Dick and Harry to comment on our leader because Mamata Banerjee is beyond criticism of these small fries who can't even prove themselves during elections." ,Dastidar said the mismanagement of the Congress in addressing the Air India issue could be seen by everyone. "Pilots are going on strikes. Some are ...
Read Full Story

Chandigarh, The Punjab government today honoured flamboyant left-hander Yuvraj Singh with a cash prize of Rs one crore for his 'outstanding contribution' in India's World Cup victory last year. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal presented the all-rounder a cheque for Rs one crore in recognition of his sterling performance during the ICC Cricket World Cup-2011. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Punjab Olympic Association (POA) President Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa were also present on the occasion. Yuvraj, who recently returned from the US after successful treatment of germ cell cancer of lung, has been away from the game for quite some time. He had a meeting with the Chief Minister recently where Mr Badal had also offered him land somewhere in Chandigarh to establish a sports academy. Mr Badal also honoured Ms Shabnam Singh, mother of Yuvraj Singh during the function held at the Punjab Bhawan ...
Read Full Story

Kolkata, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today accused the Centre of not helping her government at all to overcome its financial crisis. "The biggest hurdle being faced by us is that the UPA government, which we are supporting, has not at all helped us though we have been repeatedly telling them for the last one year and despite giving a commitment before the assembly elections," Banerjee told PTI at the Writers Building, the state secretariat, here. "We are waiting ... eagerly waiting to get a reply from the Centre," Banerjee who had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on May four and sought a three-year moratorium on central loan interest repayment, said. While accusing the Centre of not helping her government financially, she said "the Centre directly or indirectly helped the previous Left Front government a lot. I am not against that. You can help all state governments. "But why did they allow the Left Front government to borrow funds? Without their permission, they could not have done so. It is their (Centre's) fault also," she said. Questioning why the Centre did not force the ersthwhile Left Front government to introduce Fiscal Responsibility ...
Read Full Story

Bangalore, The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday filed an FIR against former Karnataka CM BS Yeddyurappa, his two sons and a son-in-law in connection with the payments made by a mine operator to firms run by the BJP strongman's kin. The FIR was filed in the office of the special CBI (XXI city and sessions) court judge Venkata Sudarshan. Mine operator Praveen Chandra had allegedly paid Rs 2.5 crore and Rs 3.5 crore to firms run by BSY's son-in-law, R Sohan Kumar, and sons Raghavendra and Vijayendra, respectively, in return for obtaining lease. The FIR follows a directive from the Supreme Court to the CBI to probe the allegation and will mark the commencement of the central agency's investigation into the issue. Praveen Chandra, too, has been named in the FIR filed under the Mines and Minerals (Development and. Regulation) Act, 2010, besides Sections 210, 409, 419 and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and various clauses of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The SC has ordered the CBI to look into the payments made to a trust run by BSY's sons by South West Mining Company in return of favours. The CBI is expected to file an FIR in this regard ...
Read Full Story

Dharamshala, The Tibetan government-in-exile on Monday pointed its finger towards a splinter community among Tibetans - the around 5000-strong Dorje Shugden community - after the Dalai Lama had raised an alarm on Sunday over threat to his life. The Dalai Lama has not recognized this community - members of which live underground - and had put a ban on them in 1996, saying they do not conform to the principles of Buddhism, sources said. Members of the community are also not allowed to vote in the elections of the Tibetan government. The Dalai Lama told the New Delhi correspondent of UK's Sunday Telegraph that he had received reports from inside Tibet warning that Chinese agents had trained Tibetan women for a mission to poison him while posing as devotees. "There is a threat perception from this community as the Chinese may use their anger against the Dalai Lama to cause harm to the spiritual leader," said religion and culture minister of the government-in-exile Pema Chinjor. What has made doubts stronger is an anonymous letter, of which TOI has a copy, allegedly written by Dorje Shugden administration to the Tibetan administration, saying that the Dalai Lama should ...
Read Full Story

New Delhi, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday slammed the Centre for its anti-federal approach in the planning process, accusing the UPA government of reducing state governments to "dignified municipal corporations". During a meeting at the Planning Commission, Badal blamed the Centre for forcing states to implement plans framed at the top, leading to failure of government schemes. Upset with the plan panel's criticism of the state's deteriorating fiscal health, the CM told the panel's top brass that the Centre was adopting a "unitary form" of governance and the current model of planning had evident pitfalls, which had failed to address problems such as poverty even after 65 years of independence. According to a source present in the meeting, Badal went to the extent of saying that Punjab continued to suffer in central preferences even as all three key functionaries involved in the planning process - prime minister Manmohan Singh, plan panel deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and MoS planning Ashwani Kumar -- hailed from the state. The meeting finalized Rs 14,000 crore plan outlay for Punjab for the current fiscal, which is an increase of 22% ...
Read Full Story

Patna, Having stayed away from the rough and tumble of Bihar politics for more than one-and-a-half years, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad says he will focus on the state to expose the reality behind Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's so-called good governance. "Now I will stay in Bihar and march to villages across the state to expose the real face of Nitish Kumar. I am here to stay," Lalu Prasad, who has been based in New Delhi for a while, told IANS at his residence here. "I have chalked out a strategy to launch an agitation against the failures of Nitish Kumar's government by visiting villages along with RJD workers. I will now be in direct touch with common people," he said. Lalu Prasad said he would undertake a march from Motihari district to Gaya, about 200 km away, to reach out to the 'aam admi' and gauge the people's mood. "I will not sit silent," said the former chief minister. "Anger against Nitish's so-called good governance and development is increasing in Bihar. It was visible with the protests against the chief minister when he visited some districts during his sewa yatra last month and this month," claimed Lalu Prasad. Lalu Prasad also said ...
Read Full Story