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Negotiations over unpaid salaries between an Air India pilots' union and the airline’s management in Mumbai on Wednesday have failed.
This could affect international flights as these pilots were earlier with Air India, when international and domestic flights operated separately. The domestic unit earlier flew under the Indian Airlines brand.
Representatives from eight other unions are scheduled to meet with the aviation secretary and Air India management in New Delhi on Thursday.
The group of eight unions says that employees have not been paid for four months and on Wednesday wrote to the Prime Minister seeking his “urgent intervention” in releasing salaries to employees, failing which they will strike work beginning April 2.
The strike will likely affect Air India's international flights.
“We … appeal to you for your kind and urgent intervention to resolve the situation and appeal to you for justice,” the Joint Forum of Guilds/Unions/Associations of Air India said in a letter sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday.
The Forum includes the Indian Pilots Guild, Air India Aircraft Engineers Association, Air India Engineers Association, All India Service Engineers Association, Air India Employees Union, Air Corporation Employees Union, Air India Officers Union and Air India Cabin Crew Association, representing almost all classes of Air India’s 33,000 employees.
A majority of employees have expressed their inability to work from April 2 due to non-payment of salaries over several months, the Forum claimed.
“Due to non-payment of wages for an extended time period, the employees are unable to meet their financial commitments and family responsibilities,” the letter said, pointing out that a significant number of them came from “humble background and modest means”.
The letter also pointedly said that “unlike Air India, which can turn to the central government for funds, employees have no such option”.
“The respective employees and their families alone have to suffer the humiliation of loan defaults and ensuing stress,” it added.
Noting that employees have been working and enduring hardship for the past year, the letter claimed that they are “no longer able to bear this agony, which has been thrust upon them for no fault of theirs”.
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Seoul: Investment from South Korea is a "priority" for India, visiting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday, adding that the government was taking "proactive" steps to improve the business climate and move forward with the POSCO mega steel plant project in Orissa that has been plagued by farmer protests.
"Investment from Korea is a priority for India. We will take pro-active steps to address investor grievances and improve the business climate in the country. Many states of our Union have been actively encouraging foreign investment and we will support these efforts. I urge Korean industry to have faith in India," Dr Singh said in his address to South Korean CEOs during his two-day official visit to this country.
"I recognise that sometimes our processes can be slow but there are effective mechanisms for resolution of problems and differences and a strong rule of law. The government is keen to move forward with the POSCO project and there is some progress in this regard. I believe that India is a stable and profitable long-term investment opportunity," he told the 20 CEOs, including those of Hyundai and Samsung, who attended the meeting.
The POSCO steel project, India's largest foreign investment project estimated at $12 billion, has been hobbled for years by local protests against land acquisition of over 4,000 acres in Paradip in the eastern coastal state.
The POSCO issue had figured in the joint statement issued after the Summit talks Sunday between Manmohan Singh and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak, which noted that there had been progress forward on issues like land acquisition.
This is the third time in two days that Manmohan Singh has spoken of how much India values South Korean investments.
Noting that many South Korean companies have become a household name in India, Manmohan Singh said on Sunday he hoped to see many more, particularly from the medium and small sectors, setting up shop there.
"I invited Korean firms to invest in India in a big way. Companies such as LG, Hyundai and Samsung are already household names in India. We would like to see small and medium sized Korean companies also making India a base for their manufacturing," the prime minister said at a joint media interaction with President Lee after their Summit.
"I informed President Lee that India is making a huge effort in upgrading our physical infrastructure. We want Korean companies to help us realize this objective and benefit from the opportunities provided by this," Manmohan Singh added.
He again referred to the Korean companies during his speech at a lunch hosted by President Lee.
At the CEO's meeting, to illustrate why India was such an attractive investment destination, Manmohan Singh noted that the country had managed to maintain a 7 percent growth rate in the last few years and listed six fundamentals that would enable it to return to 8-10 percent growth in the coming years:
A domestic savings rate of 33-35 per cent of GDP and growing,A very young population, with half of the working population in its twenties,Heavy investments in education, health and agriculture to give a new deal to rural India. Rural markets are booming and the middle class is growing rapidly.Huge expansion in higher education and skills and development of ports, airports, railways, energy and roads. India is poised to continue to be a frontline player in the global knowledge economy.Ambitious plans for the development of physical infrastructure. Planning to secure investment of almost $1 trillion in the next five years in new projects in highways, power plants, mass transport systems, ports and airports. This will be achieved through both public and private investment and Public-Private Partnerships.Determined to pursue a strategy of green growth. Committed to increasing energy efficiency and the share of renewables, including solar and nuclear power, in the energy mix. There will be large business opportunities and I am aware of Korean capabilities in environmentally friendly technologies. "Korean companies have always recognised these strengths and competitive advantages of the Indian economy. They were among the early investors to look at India as a strategic investment destination," Manmohan Singh said, adding that Hyundai has a 25 percent market share in India's domestic passenger car industry.
Noting that after the implementation of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on January 1, 2010, bilateral trade has surged by roughly 65 percent in two years and reached $20.6 billion in 2011, the prime minister said: "However, it is still below its huge untapped potential."
"Therefore, President Lee and I decided yesterday to revise the bilateral trade target to $40 billion by 2015. This is a challenge as well as an opportunity that we must both seize together," Manmohan Singh added.
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Colombo: India's vote against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council grabbed the headlines here on Friday.
India on Thursday voted for a US-backed resolution urging Sri Lanka to probe rights abuses in the war on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Sri Lanka expressed outrage after the resolution won majority support at the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva. The UNHRC adopted the resolution with 24 votes in favour, 15 against and eight abstentions.
The Daily News said: "Only one vote majority for resolution; 24 say 'yes', 23 decline to support".
Calling it "misconceived, unwarranted and ill-timed resolution", the daily said, "Those who live in glass houses are best advised to exercise caution before throwing stones."
"Geneva: Lanka fails to beat the odds," was the headline at infolanka.com
Another website news.lk said that voting at HRC was "determined by strategic alliances and domestic issues".
"It is a matter of great satisfaction to us that 15 countries voted with Sri Lanka, despite the intensity of pressure, in a variety of forms, exerted on them all," it said.
It mentioned that the resolution amended again at India's behest to include key operative words, "in consultation with and with the concurrence of the government of Sri Lanka".
The report noted that although "India succumbed to US pressure to vote for the resolution, key Asian countries, including those representing SAARC and two UN Security Council members voted against it".
"Lanka defiant despite losing vote," said the Sunday Leader.
It said that the Sri Lankan government remained defiant despite losing a key vote at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
External Affairs Minister GL Peiris said that most countries which voted with Sri Lanka were acutely conscious of the danger of setting a precedent which enables ad hoc intervention by powerful countries in the internal affairs of other nations.
"The most distressing feature of this experience is the obvious reality that voting at the Human Rights Council is now determined not by the merits of a particular issue but by strategic alliances and domestic political issues in other countries which have nothing to do with the subject matter of a resolution or the best interests of the country to which the resolution relates.
"This is a cynical negation of the purposes for which the Human Rights Council was established," he said in a statement.
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Geneva: India is among 24 countries that voted against Sri Lanka today at a session of the United Nation Human Rights Council in Geneva. The UN's top human rights body has passed a resolution, sponsored by the US, that Sri Lanka must properly investigate alleged war crimes during its 26-year conflict with the rebel Tamil Tigers.
15 countries including China and Russia backed Sri Lanka, which had rejected the resolution, saying it unduly interfered in the country's domestic affairs and could hinder its reconciliation process. Eight countries abstained from today's vote.
Both the Sri Lanka government and the rebel Tamil Tigers have been accused of atrocities during their country's lengthy civil war. Sri Lanka has rejected the resolution and has said today that the criticism at the level of the United Nations is not justified.
Earlier this week, Dr Manmohan Singh said in Parliament that India "is inclined to vote in favour of the resolution." The Prime Minister had been warned that if India did not vote against Sri Lanka, his key ally, the DMK, would pull out of the government.
Sri Lanka has asked India to reconsider its position. Members of the Sri Lankan delegation to Geneva said today that they understand India's domestic compulsions, but as the super-power in this region, India must recognise that Sri Lanka needs time to investigate the allegations against its defence forces as well as the LTTE, before settling accountability.
Human rights groups say nearly 40,000 civilians were killed in the final months of the war. The Sri Lankan government had created a committee, the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission Process, to study the allegations of war crimes. The US delegation in Geneva today referred to the government's "lack of action to implement the recommendations" of that commission. It described the resolution it has moved as one "that encourages Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations of its own LLRC and to make concerted efforts at achieving the kind of meaningful accountability upon which lasting reconciliation efforts can be built." China has thrown its weight behind Sri Lanka, saying it is against any country putting pressure on others in the name of rights violations. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Sri Lanka and its people were capable of dealing with their own affairs. China, in recent years has made big investments in Sri Lanka besides assisting the island with major projects like building a modern port at Hambanthotta. Earlier this month, Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa visited Beijing to seek its support to stave off the US-led move.
The US delegation's statement on the resolution on Sri Lanka:
"The United States is pleased to introduce draft resolution L.2, on Promoting Reconciliation and Accountability in Sri Lanka for consideration and approval by this Council. This resolution enjoys the broad support of 40 co-sponsors. A copy of the text, including slight revisions, is being circulated in the room today.
It is almost three years since the end of Sri Lanka's long and painful conflict. For the past three years, my government has worked bilaterally, and with like-minded countries, to engage officials at the highest levels of the Sri Lankan government on the steps that are necessary to build a peaceful future for the Sri Lankan people. For those three years Sri Lanka has had the time and space to develop its own roadmap for lasting national reconciliation and accountability. Most recently, we have encouraged Sri Lanka to address actions taken on both sides of the conflict through its domestic Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission Process. We looked forward to the Commission's report, and understood that Sri Lanka would develop its own action plan to implement the LLRC recommendations.
We have also worked bilaterally, and with like-minded countries, to encourage Sri Lanka to take advantage of the resources of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. And we have encouraged Sri Lanka to engage with the Council, and to benefit from the broad range of experiences of Member States that have dealt successfully with their own post-conflict situations.
Mme President and Distinguished delegates, an enduring peace will be unsustainable without meaningful steps to foster national reconciliation and accountability.
Given the lack of action to implement the recommendations of the Sri Lankan government's own LLRC, and the need for additional steps to address accountability issues not covered in the LLRC report, it is appropriate that the UNHRC consider and adopt this moderate and balanced resolution. It is a resolution that encourages Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations of it own LLRC and to make concerted efforts at achieving the kind of meaningful accountability upon which lasting reconciliation efforts can be built.
In addition, this Resolution urges Sri Lanka to work with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and draw from helpful expertise the Office can offer.
These proposals are reasonable, constructive, and carefully tailored to the needs of the situation. At our informal session on March 8, none of the many delegations present offered proposals for specific textual modifications.
To close, I wish to emphasize that this resolution is intended to help the people of Sri Lanka achieve a lasting and equitable peace that is marked by equality, dignity, justice and self-respect.
Thank you.
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Beijing: China has conducted a massive military exercise in the high altitude Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, close to the disputed borders with India, during which it has for the first time tested the multi-role J-10 fighter jets.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force have conducted ground attack training over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the "first operation of its kind", official media here reported.
According to a report and photos released by PLA Daily yesterday, the ground crew of J-10 regiment fuelled the fighters and loaded ammunition on the 3,500-meter-high plateau at temperatures below -20 C.
The fighters scrambled and attacked the targets with conventional as well as laser-guided bombs. Sorties were made both during the day and at night, the report said.
It was the second time that the official media released photos of the home made J-10 fighter using laser-guided bombs.
The exercises were highlighted today by another official daily - The Global Times.
The rare display of the news about exercises was seen as a message to the Indian side, which is also beefing up its border regions along the Line of Actual Control, (LAC) by deploying its top end fighter aircraft.
The J-10, which was also being sold to Pakistan, took part in exercises in October last year conducted by PLA incorporating air forces and air defence units as well as armour and artillery units in Tibet Autonomous Region.
"The J-10 fighter was initially designed as an air superiority fighter, focusing on air combat and interception capability.
"But with modern sensors, avionics and land attack munitions, it can also perform well in ground attack roles,"
Bai Wei, former deputy chief editor of Aviation World Monthly told the state run Global Times. The J-10's activities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have been relatively frequent in the past months, the newspaper said.
"Operations on the plateau are a routine for the air force. The main obstacles for plateau operation are thin air, complicated weather conditions faced by ground crews and low oxygen density, which makes igniting the engines much harder," Bai noted.
The J-10 fighters made their first flight during the Chinese Lunar New Year on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in January this year with a typical air combat patrol payload, namely two mid-range air-to-air missiles, two short-range air-to-air missiles, and three external fuel tanks.
The J-10's primary air combat weapon, the active radar homing mid-range missile dubbed as the PL-12, is a fourth generation radar-homing air-to-air missile, the daily said.
It is generally comparable to the US AIM-120 missile, which has a good service record in past air combat missions, Daniel Tong, a Chinese military observer and founder of the website Chinese Military Aviation said.
The Chengdu J-10 fighter made its official debut in 2006.
The aircraft has been delivered to the air force in large quantities along with the Shengyang J-11 two-engine heavy fighter, Tong said.
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Colombo/ New Delhi: Sri Lanka has urged India to reconsider voting in favour of a resolution on Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Yesterday, the Prime Minister told Parliament that India is likely to vote in favour of the resolution which has been moved by Norway, the US and France. Dr Manmohan Singh said that while the text of the resolution is not yet known to India, "We do not yet have the final text of the US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka. However, I may assure the House that we are inclined to vote in favour of a resolution that we hope will advance our objective, namely the achievement of a future for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka that is marked by equality, dignity, justice and self-respect."
Sources say Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister called External Affairs Minister SM Krishna today and asked him to reconsider the decision. The government has been under huge pressure from its ally, the DMK, which has warned that it could withdraw its ministers from the cabinet if India either abstained or supported Sri Lanka during the vote. The resolution asks for an inquiry into the alleged war crimes and violation of human rights by the Sri Lankan government as it ended the island's civil war by defeating the LTTE. The reported crimes against Sri Lankan Tamils have provoked an angry response in Tamil Nadu.
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Mirpur:Bangladesh made it to the final of the Asia Cup, defying pre-tournament expectations with consecutive victories against their more fancied neighbours. It was only the second time they had reached the finals of a one-day tournament.
The bowlers restricted Sri Lanka to 232, but rain siphoned off ten overs and reduced the target to 212. The increased asking-rate, 5.30 an over, gave both teams a chance, but enterprising batting by Tamim Iqbal on a spiced-up pitch gave their chase a kickstart. The Bangladesh middle order withstood the pressure and gave the expectant crowd a reason to show up in similar numbers for the final, on Thursday.
Points Table
Nasir Hossain proved once again why he is the find of the season for Bangladesh and Tamim put the farce of his earlier non-selection to rest. Nasir's calm half-century partnership with Mahmudullah ensured Bangladesh did not implode in the rush for a quick finish. The sea of green jerseys in the crowd were rewarded for staying in their seats even as Sri Lanka clawed back. Many clasped their hands in prayer once Bangladesh lost their fifth wicket, Shakib Al Hasan, but the temperament of the sixth-wicket pair showed why Bangladesh could start the finals not as underdogs, but contenders. India, waiting on the result of this game, will be headed home.
Sri Lanka were pegged back at the very beginning, when another Hossain, Nazmul, coming in for the injured Shafiul Islam, nipped out three top-order wickets. The middle order, led by Chamara Kapugedera, gave the innings some respectability, but were not able to post a challenging score on a ground on which two big chases had already been completed in the tournament.
Scorecard
A mid-innings downpour gave the pitch the kind of zip missing during the afternoon. Lasith Malinga tested the top order with bouncers that fizzed past the helmet, while Nuwan Kulasekara got the ball to swerve in to the right-handers to castle Nazimuddin and flummox the captain Mushfiqur Rahim.
Bangladesh were three down for 40, but the passage of play was punctuated by some blistering strokeplay by Tamim. His balance and follow-through were exemplary, especially in his driving through the off side. Mahela Jayawardene tried to plug that gap with a short point, and later with two fielders up close at cover and extra cover, but Tamim was not deterred. He lofted one over the covers and then whipped consecutive boundaries through midwicket, showing his class on both sides of the wicket.
Shakib, after passing a tough test against some short bowling, settled in and crashed Suranga Lakmal for three consecutive boundaries through the off side. Tamim reached his half-century with a clip for four off Farveez Maharoof, and his pleasing strokeplay won the applause of the country's premiere Sheikh Hasina, also in attendance. He was dropped by Sachitra Senanayake, after lobbing a simple chance back to the bowler, but Senanayake finally got his man when an uppish slash was taken at point. Tamim walked back to a hush from the expectant crowd, with their hopes pinned on Shakib.
Shakib's battle with Senanayake was a compelling one. Shakib got on top of him initially with boundaries over extra cover, but once the bowler shortened his length, Shakib looked edgy. Unsure of the bounce, he stabbed at two consecutive deliveries and nearly lobbed both for catches. Senanayake got one to skid through and trapped him in front of leg stump to give Sri Lanka hope, with the hosts still 77 runs adrift.
Sri Lanka were guilty of easing the pressure on the batsmen by feeding them balls full on the pads, which were clipped away to fine leg. Nasir and Mahmudullah kept out the inswinging yorkers, did not panic when they played the ball to the fielders, and calmly picked up singles. Tillakaratne Dilshan was brought on after the quicks failed to take wickets, but the pair didn't change their approach. A firm push by Nasir was parried by mid-on to the boundary, leading to wild celebrations and a victory lap.
The win was set up by Nazmul, who removed the power trio of Jayawardene, Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara. Jayawardene missed a straight one, Dilshan chopped a delivery onto his stumps and Sangakkara spooned a catch to extra cover, bringing an end to an indifferent season with the bat for him.
Bangladesh came out with a sense of purpose, fielding with intent after winning the toss. They were aided by a surface which, though not the same used for the India-Pakistan game, appeared slower and suited their crop of bowlers. The medium-pacers bowled several slower deliveries to tighten the noose on the run-rate.
Kapugedera and Lahiru Thirimanne added 88 for the fourth wicket, but one of them needed to bat through the innings to set a competitive target. Upul Tharanga made a breezy fifty, but not for the first time since his demotion, he had to repair the damage done upfront, again raising questions about the structure of the batting line-up.
Kapugedera, under pressure to keep his place, made good use of his promotion, using his feet to the spinners. A stroke of luck, though, gave Bangladesh the breakthrough when Thirimanne missed a nudge off Abdur Razzak and was stumped after the ball deflected off Mushfiqur's pads onto the stumps.
Tharanga's arrival perked up the scoring, as he punished a wayward Shahadat Hossain for three quick boundaries. Kapugedera managed a face-saving half-century, but his innings was cut short by a sharp reflex-catch by Shakib at extra cover. Shakib struck with the ball soon after, getting two wickets. Boundaries by the lower order pushed Sri Lanka to 232, but one could sense that was always going to be inadequate.
It ended a mixed season for a travel-weary Sri Lanka, following the highs of Australia. Not too long ago, India were at their hotel rooms in Brisbane, hoping for a Sri Lankan defeat to push them into the CB Series finals. This time in a hotel not far from the ground, they were ironically hoping for a Sri Lankan win. There were no back-door entries for a team which has suffered its worst away season in recent history.
Stockholm: India is the world's largest recipient of arms while South Korea is second and Pakistan and China are tied in third place, says the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in a study on international arms transfers.
The volume of worldwide arms transfers in 2007-11 was 24 per cent higher than in 2002-06 and the five largest arms importers in 2007-11 were all Asian states, said a press communique.
The data revealed that Asia and Oceania accounted for a whopping 44 per cent of global arms imports, followed by Europe 19 per cent, the Middle East 17 per cent, and the Americas 11 per cent. Africa was the lowest with 9 per cent.
India was the world's largest recipient of arms, accounting for 10 per cent of global arms imports.
The other large recipients of arms in 2007-11 were South Korea (6 per cent of arms transfers), Pakistan (5 per cent), China (5 per cent) and Singapore (4 per cent).
"Major Asian importing states are seeking to develop their own arms industries and decrease their reliance on external sources of supply," Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme, was quoted as saying.
"A large share of arms deliveries is due to licensed production."
India's neighbour China was the largest recipient of arms exports in 2002-06, but it fell to fourth place in 2007-11.
Between 2002-06 and 2007-11, the volume of Chinese arms exports increased by 95 per cent and now China ranks as the sixth largest supplier of arms in the world.
"While the volume of China's arms exports is increasing, this is largely a result of Pakistan importing more arms from China," said Paul Holtom, director of the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme.
"China has not yet achieved a major breakthrough in any other significant market."
The study said that major suppliers continued to deliver weapons to countries affected by the events of the Arab Spring.
Despite a review in 2011 of its arms transfer policies towards the region, the US remains a major supplier to both Tunisia and Egypt. In 2011, the US delivered 45 M-1A1 tanks to Egypt and agreed to deliver 125 more, the communique said.
"The transfer of arms to states affected by the Arab Spring has provoked public and parliamentary debate in a number of supplier states. However, the impact of these debates on states' arms export policies has, up to now, been limited," said Mark Bromley, senior researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme.
The think-tank also noted that in 2011 Saudi Arabia placed an order with the US for 154 F-15SA combat aircraft, which was not only the most significant order placed by any state in 2011 but also the largest arms deal for at least two decades.
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New Delhi: The Prime Minister said today in Parliament that India is inclined to vote against Sri Lanka at a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. A resolution against the Sri Lankan government for alleged war crimes and human rights violations has been moved by the US, Norway and France. "We do not yet have the final text of the US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka. However, I may assure the House that we are inclined to vote in favour of a resolution that we hope will advance our objective, namely the achievement of a future for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka that is marked by equality, dignity, justice and self-respect." Sources say that the resolution, to be balanced, could include criticism of the LTTE too.
Dr Manmohan Singh's comments have placated his ally, the DMK, which has threatened to pull out of the coalition at the centre if India either abstained or supported Sri Lanka at the vote. The DMK has 18 Lok Sabha MPs and is needed for the government's survival. "We welcome the announcement if it's true," said the party's president, M Karunanidhi, adding "(but) we will wait for the final decision."
All parties from Tamil Nadu have been urging the Centre to take a strong stand on the atrocities allegedly committed by the Sri Lankan government in ending the country's civil war and extinguishing the LTTE. The deaths of Sri Lanka Tamils - 40,000 according to some reports - has been an emotional issue in Tamil Nadu.
In a statement today, the Ministry of External Affairs stressed that Foreign Affairs Minister SM Krishna is "giving great importance to views expressed by MPs from Tamil Nadu" and that India will study the draft of the resolution against Sri Lanka and then take a call on its vote.
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If India had beaten Bangladesh, their match against Pakistan would have been a preview to the final. Thanks to their inept bowling in the dying stages of their previous match, and some fearless Bangladesh batting, this tournament is still open. No team has bowed out of the tournament yet, including Sri Lanka, who are yet to open their account. If India and Bangladesh win their remaining games with bonus points, it will leave three teams tied on nine points, meaning the finalists will be decided on net run-rate. If the same two teams win without bonus points, then Bangladesh will go through because they beat India in the head-to-head. A win, tie, no-result, or even a loss without conceding a bonus point, for Pakistan tomorrow will guarantee them a place in the final.
Bangladesh's stunning turnaround has given tomorrow's clash greater context. The encounter promises to live up to the tournament's top-billing because these teams have hardly played each other, due to political reasons. India trumped Pakistan in the semi-final of the World Cup, so Pakistan have a score to settle. Despite being drubbed by England in the one-day series in the UAE, they still look a far more settled unit than India.
The gulf between the two teams lies in the bowling. Both attacks are spin-heavy, but Pakistan's is a league ahead in terms of experience and penetration, with the likes of Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi. Ajmal's doosras derailed Sri Lanka in the batting Powerplay and from that point on Sri Lanka were playing catch-up. India failed to run through the Bangladesh batting but they were still well-placed to defend 290. Swinging yorkers from Praveen Kumar and Irfan Pathan gave India a sniff, but the consistency was lacking. Yorkers made way for length deliveries and full tosses, which were either muscled over the ropes or sliced over point.
India's top order looks more reliable than Pakistan's, with their top three each having scored a century in the tournament. Sachin Tendulkar may well play with the kind of freedom missing over the last 12 months, after getting the monkey off his back. The Pakistan top order didn't look fluent against Sri Lanka, and the slow run-rate early led them to throw away their wickets.
Form Guide
(most recent first) Pakistan WWLLL India LWWLL
In the spotlight
Ravindra Jadeja is yet to justify the US$2million contract he earned from Chennai Super Kings with performances on the field. He underperformed in the Commonwealth Bank series with both bat and ball, though his fielding remains an asset. He was not used much as a bowler and failed to convert his opportunities with the bat, struggling to clear the bigger Australian grounds. There have been calls for the big-hitting Yusuf Pathan to replace him. However, Jadeja offers the variety of left-arm spin, to go with three offspinners.
Fifteen, 5, 12, 2 - scores you would not normally associate with Younis Khan. His last ODI half-century came against Afghanistan, and he has struggled against quality opposition. His shot-selection against Sri Lanka was poor; he attempted an extravagant flick to midwicket and ended up chipping it to mid-on. With Asad Shafiq in the reserves, Younis will have to justify his place with a big score. He is too experienced to endure a prolonged slump.
Misbah-ul-Haq's calm presence is the reason for Pakistan's upswing, and they would not want to lose his services for a crucial game because of a slow over-rate. The Pakistan captain will be suspended for one game if his side makes another transgression in the next 12 months after the team fell two overs short of the target against Sri Lanka. For tips on how to ensure a quick over-rate, Misbah would rather not consult his counterpart MS Dhoni, who has already been banned for a Test and ODI in recent months for the same offence.
Pitch and conditions
It rained in Mirpur the evening before the game but the forecast for Sunday suggests a full game should be possible. Should weather intervene, there is a reserve-day on Monday, and if the game cannot be held at all both sides will take two points.
Bat first or field? Going by the mixed results, it's hard to tell. Opinions on whether the pitches get slower or better for batting in the evening have varied. The team defending a target will also have to watch out for possible dew. After Bangladesh's heist, the captains may back their teams to chase down any target.
Teams
Ashok Dinda was all over the place against Bangladesh, going for 38 off 5.2 overs, so India could consider bringing back Vinay Kumar, if he recovers from injury. There's still no indication that Manoj Tiwary, who has warmed the bench for so long he may have set it on fire, will get a game.
With Shahid Afridi not in the best of form with the bat, Pakistan are likely to play an extra batsman, with Umar Akmal taking the wicketkeeping gloves.
Pakistan 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Nasir Jamshed, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Umar Akmal (wk), 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Hammad Azam, 8 Shahid Afridi, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Aizaz Cheema
London: Responding to concerns of British citizens holding the status of 'Overseas Citizen of India' (OCI), the UK Foreign Office has clarified that when such citizens are in India, they will continue to be treated as British citizens and offered consular assistance if required.
A large number of people of Indian-origin have acquired OCI status after being naturalized as British citizens in the UK. The scheme launched by the Indian government in December 2005 has been welcomed by the Indian diaspora.
The Foreign Office has confirmed in a letter to a London-based solicitors company, Freemans Solicitors, that when OCI holders are in India, they will continue to be treated as British citizens and will be entitled to consular assistance. The letter by Louse Edwards from the Consulate Directorate of the Foreign Office says that the OCI status does not affect a person's nationality under international law.
"Our understanding is that the Indian authorities would not consider a British citizen holding OCI to be a dual national, although this is a matter for the Indian authorities.
Therefore, for the purposes of consular assistance, they would be treated as a British national and would be eligible for the consular assistance," Edwards writes in the letter available online.
Registration as OCI entitles them to several benefits, such as multipurpose lifelong visa, exemption from registration with the police and parity with non-resident Indians in financial and economic matters.
However, many OCI holders were not clear about their status while in India, and were concerned whether they would be treated as British citizens in India and extended consular assistance if required.
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Industry is struggling to see some positive in it. Allies have nothing to crib about. The Opposition sounds stretched to slam it with much enthusiasm. The biggest criticism of Pranab Mukherjee’s Budget 2012-13 comes from Dalal Street. India's benchmark Sensex closed 210 points lower as corporates said the higher excise duty and service tax proposed in the Budget would hurt growth. The Nifty too closed lower.
The finance minister has also proposed to retrospectively change the tax law as far as the Vodafone case is concerned and this will not go down well with foreign investors, analysts say.
A disappointed India Inc, which had been looking to Pranab Mukherjee to set things right, says the budget is a "missed opportunity", would have a cascading impact on inflation and consumer demand and is unlikely to boost growth.
NDTV’s experts have a quick list of the best and worst of Pranab Mukherjee’s Budget 2012-13:
Five best:
Negative list for services; Subsidies at 2% of GDP; Tax free infra bonds; Foreign borrowings for low-cost housing; Expansion of venture capital
Five worst:
Fiscal deficit at 5.1% of the GDP; Allocation of divestment proceeds; Growth projection at 7.6%; Subsidy payment by cash vouchers; Increase in agricultural credit
The government says that in a tough year it has put its best foot forward. The budget, said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was about inclusive growth. “When the time comes, we have to bite the bullet on controlling subsidies,” he said after his finance minster Pranab Mukherjee presented the Union Budget 2012-13, his seventh.
At the very beginning of his speech Mr Mukherjee said that a “year of recovery interrupted” meant that it was time to take tough decisions. He pegged GDP growth for the next year at 7.6 %, promised that inflation would be down and said fiscal consolidation called for big efforts. The idea ahead of the budget was that fiscal deficit needed to be controlled by cutting subsidies and raising taxes. The finance minister has raised taxes and promised cuts in subsidies. He said central subsidies would be kept under 2% of the GDP in the next financial year. And brought lower to 1.7 per cent thereafter.
After the Budget had been read, many lauded the announcement but also wanted to see the roadmap for how the government intended to do this. The past performance of the government does not really say much on this front. Last year’s budget estimates said the subsidies bill would be Rs 1,34,209 crore. The revised estimates say it would be Rs 2,08,502 crore, way beyond the target set. The finance minister has set the target for this year at Rs 1,79,554 crore.
Government borrowing too is expected to be Rs 4,80,000 crore against the market expectation of Rs 4,30,000 crore. According to bankers like Uday Kotak, this does not leave any significant room for interest rate cuts. “Rate cuts would not be too many as many expect,” he said.
The industry has expressed disappointment.
"Not a great budget as I hoped it to be," B Muthuraman, vice chairman Tata Steel said. Pawan Goenka of Mahindra & Mahindra said that he was disappointed and did not see the finance minister announce things he said at the beginning of his speech.
Pranab Mukherjee has not chosen to not make many tall promises. The government missed its disinvestment target and also did not meet the deadline for implementation of tax reforms like direct tax code and goods and services tax or GST.
The government plans to raise Rs 30,000 crore through disinvestment, assuring the House that at least 51 per cent control remains with the government. He has not made any significant announcement on the implementation schedule of both DTC and GST. The idea of introducing the two was to widen the tax base and boost growth.
On black money, the government has not been able to unearth any significant wealth. But Mr Mukherjee has promised a white paper on black money.
Aam Aadmi
For the ‘aam aadmi’, there is some reason to smile with personal tax exemptions, but in the raising of service tax and excise duty there lurk higher prices. Mr Mukherjee has raised the income tax exemption limit to Rs 2 lakhs for all individual tax payers. This will result in savings of a minimum Rs 22,000 for all tax payers. Also, the upper limit for the 20% tax slab has been raised - from incomes up to 8 lakhs to incomes up to 10 lakhs.
The tax slabs proposed by Mr Mukherjee today are: • Income up to Rs 2 lakh-- nil • Income between Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh - 10% • Rs 5-10 lakh - 20% • Above Rs 10 lakh - 30 %
Also interest of up to Rs 10,000 from saving accounts will be tax-deductible. And deduction of up to Rs 5,000 has been allowed for health checkups.
At the outset, Mr Mukherjee outlined five objectives of his budget:
• Focus on domestic demand driven growth recovery • Creating conditions for growth • Addressing supply bottlenecks, energy transport, road, power and civil aviation • Decisively tackling malnutrition • And expediting decision-making for better governance and address black money problem
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It is now more than a year since Sachin Tendulkar scored his 99th international hundred. On that day in the World Cup when he made South Africa look clueless for 40 overs in Nagpur, it seemed the 100th was imminent. At 37, he had just had his most productive year of a decorated career, and had made two masterly centuries against top opposition in the World Cup. (Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar's new look for Asia Cup)
Now, after 33 century-less innings, one less than his longest barren spell ever, and the disappointments of England and Australia, even the usually reverential media are raising questions about his place in the side, at least in one-dayers. Is the burden of the 100th weighing him down? The man himself hasn't said much. But would someone who has shouldered surreal amounts of pressure all through his cricketing career buckle when faced with a milestone that many have argued is a made-up one?
Tendulkar made his debut in 1989; in Tuesday's game against Sri Lanka, the team-mate with the next longest career span was Gautam Gambhir, who entered international cricket nearly 14 years after him. Was Tendulkar losing his appetite for the game, especially as the more familiar faces in the dressing room are starting to disappear? Not on the evidence of Wednesday's training session.
It was an optional session, and it was expected that on the day after the win against Sri Lanka, only the reserve players would turn up. Only three members of the 15-man squad showed up; Tendulkar was one of them.
A meticulous 70-minute batting session followed, as he faced Yusuf Pathan and Rahul Sharma, besides some sharp medium-pace from new bowling coach Joe Dawes, more mild medium from the computer analyst and throwdowns from fielding coach Trevor Penney. There was plenty of chat with the bowlers, and Fletcher kept a close eye on the batsman, providing the stray bit of advice. After the session, Tendulkar had a long conversation with Fletcher.
Till then, there had been a few laughs but the training had been mostly business-like, bearing the hallmarks of a batsman short of runs trying to iron out problems. He rarely bowls these days, and his practice for the day could have ended there, and he could have retired to the shade.
Instead, he stuck around and immensely enjoyed himself with a cat-and-mouse spell of legspin bowling to Rahul Sharma. First, he tested each of the bats Rahul had carried out, and picked out the best one for Rahul to use. He sent down a ripping legbreak that Rahul tried to clobber from the nets to the main Shere Bangla ground, only to be beaten by a long way, to Tendulkar's amusement. The next legbreak was solidly defended, prompting Tendulkar to jokingly ask why he didn't try to slam that one as well. There were googlies that thudded into Rahul's thigh, a straighter one which fizzed on to middle stump, and many times when the batsman struck the ball, Tendulkar would signal that it would have been caught at mid-on or midwicket. The session ended with Tendulkar giving Rahul some batting tips.
Tendulkar has already played more Tests and one-day matches than anybody else. Surely the relentless grind of international cricket would have bored him by now? Whenever asked why he continues to play, Tendulkar invariably says he does because he still loves the game and enjoys it.
Hyderabad: The Boeing Co. has agreed to compensate Air India $500 million for the delay in the delivery of 50 aircraft, but the state-run carrier is pushing for more, a senior official said.
Air India has sought $1 billion as compensation for the three-year delay in the delivery of 50 long-range Boeing jets worth about $6 billion.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of India Aviation 2012, which began here Wednesday, Prashant Sukul, joint secretary in the civil aviation ministry, said Boeing had agreed to pay $500 million. He, however, said the talks were still on with the aircraft maker.
The aircraft include 27 Boeing 787 Dreamliner that is being showcased at India Aviation.
Earlier, replying to a query at the news conference, Ajit Singh said the negotiations about compensation were on with the Boeing. He did not elaborate.
Dinesh A Keskar, president, Boeing India and senior vice president, sales, Asia Pacific and India, refused to comment. "We don't discuss such issues in public," was all he said when asked about the official's comment that the company has agreed to pay compensation.
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India's move to strip German drugmaker Bayer of its exclusive rights to a cancer drug has set a precedent that could extend to other treatments, including modern HIV/AIDS drugs, in a major blow to global pharmaceutical firms, experts say.
On Monday, the Indian Patent Office effectively ended Bayer's monopoly for its Nexavar drug and issued its first-ever compulsory license allowing local generic maker Natco Pharma to make and sell the drug cheaply in India.
It is only the second time a nation has issued a compulsory license for a cancer drug after Thailand did so on four drugs between 2006 and 2008, also on affordability grounds. Thailand also issued licenses for HIV/AIDS and heart disease treatments.
"This could well be the first of many compulsory rulings here," said Gopakumar G. Nair, head of patent law firm Gopakumar Nair Associates and former president of the Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association.
"Global pharmaceutical manufacturers are likely to be worried as a result ... given that the wording in India's Patent Act that had been amended from 'reasonably priced' to 'reasonably affordable priced' has come into play now."
The new wording is seen as a lower threshold for compulsory licenses, which can be issued under world trade rules by nations that deem major life-saving drugs to be too costly. The licenses allow them to authorise the local manufacture or importation of much cheaper, generic versions.
Global drugmakers see emerging markets such as India as key growth opportunities, but remain concerned over intellectual property protection. Nair said HIV-related medicines were likely to be the most at risk by compulsory licenses in the future.
India has one of the world's fastest-growing rates of HIV and heart disease is also the country's biggest killer, but widespread poverty in Asia's third-largest economy makes many non-generic drugs unaffordable for millions.
Currently, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline sell a modern HIV/AIDS drug known as Selzentry through their joint venture firm ViiV Healthcare. The treatment costs more than Rs 60,000 for one month's dosage in India.
Bayer's Nexavar cancer drug costs around $5,500 a month in India, making it "not available to the public at a reasonably affordable price", the patent office ruled. About 40 percent of Indians live below the poverty line, government data shows.
A provision of the Indian Patents Act allows for a compulsory license to be awarded after three years of the grant of patent on drugs that are deemed to be too costly.
MORE TO COME?
Other patent rulings are imminent. A long-running case involving the granting of an Indian patent for Swiss drugmaker Novartis' cancer drug Glivec is expected to be heard in the country's Supreme Court this month.
The case does not involve the issue of compulsory license, but it has also pitted advocates of free trade and intellectual property rights against pro-generics campaigners who say a ruling in favour of Novartis could see other drugs in India priced outside of the reach of most of the population.
"This (Bayer) case might become a trend-setter, wherein generic players can make copies of patented products," said Siddhant Khandekar, analyst at ICICI Direct.
"While global giants might not like this, generic companies will benefit along with common people," he said, adding that the cancer treatment market in India was worth up to 30 billion rupees.
The Bayer case underscores the still fractious relationship between global pharmaceutical firms and India.
Companies like Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis are eyeing India and other emerging markets, notably China, as a growth opportunity but worry about property protection in a country that is also a leading source of cheap copycat medicines.
"Big Pharma" has recently struck some alliances with Indian drugmakers to tap into their generics expertise, but these have also not always run smoothly, with Pfizer on Tuesday scrapping a partnership with India's Biocon Ltd.
In cancer treatments, India's Cipla Ltd, which has the second largest share of the local drugs market, may also benefit from the Bayer case. Cipla is fighting a Bayer suit for patent infringement after the Indian drugmaker launched a generic version of Nexavar in India in April 2010.
BAYER CONSIDERS OPTIONS
Natco's finance chief, Baskara Narayana, told Reuters that sales of the generic version of Nexavar, whose chemical name is sorafenib, were expected to be about 250 million to 300 million rupees a year once it is launched.
Bayer, which developed Nexavar with US biotech firm Onyx Pharmaceuticals, said it was evaluating its options.
"We are disappointed by the decision of the Patent Controller in India to grant a compulsory license for Nexavar," Bayer said in a statement.
Tapan Ray, director general of the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India, an industry group of multi-national drugmakers, said the Bayer ruling was disappointing.
"The solution to helping patients with innovative medicines does not lie in breaking patents or denying patent rights to the innovators," Ray said.
Pfizer has questioned the issue of affordability, saying many Indians are well off and can afford Western medicines.
"There is huge wealth in India," Pfizer CEO Ian Read told Reuters in London on Monday. "There are maybe 100 million people in India who have wealth equivalent to or greater than the average European or American, who don't pay for innovation. So this is going to have to be a discussion at some point."
But groups that campaign for cheap access to drugs in poor countries have welcomed the Bayer ruling.
Medecins Sans Frontieres said the ruling means that new medicines in India that are still under patent, including some of the latest treatments for HIV/AIDS, could potentially have generic versions produced for a fraction of the cost.
"It's a bold move by the government and it's a good judgment ... which will benefit people," said Dara Patel, secretary general of the Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association, an industry body of Indian companies.
"Drugs to treat heart-related diseases and HIV are costly," said Patel. "Compulsory licensing will make them available at one-fourth or one-fifth of the price, which is good."
Copyright@ Thomson Reuters 2012
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London:Sahara Force India team principal Vijay Mallya has pumped in $32 million into his Formula One team ahead of the season opener in Melbourne on Sunday.
Watson, the personal investment company used by the liquor baron, has loaned Force India nearly $10 million while Mallya's Kinghfisher Airlines and his beer and spirit arm has generated the remaining $22 million through sponsorship, The Scotsman reported Monday.
The Silverstone-based team is eying to better its last year's sixth place finish in the 2012 Constructors' Championship.
Force India found a co-owner Subrata Roy led Sahara Group last year when the Indian company bought a 42.5 percent stake in the F1 team. Sahara said that it would invest a further $100 million into the mid-field outfit.
Bangladesh made it to the final of the Asia Cup, defying pre-tournament expectations with consecutive victories against their more fancied neighbours. It was only the second time they had reached the finals of a one-day tournament.
Big Picture
It is now more than a year since Sachin Tendulkar scored his 99th international hundred. On that day in the World Cup when he made South Africa look clueless for 40 overs in Nagpur, it seemed the 100th was imminent. At 37, he had just had his most productive year of a decorated career, and had made two masterly centuries against top opposition in the World Cup. (Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar's new look for Asia Cup)
Sahara Force India team principal Vijay Mallya has pumped in $32 million into his Formula One team ahead of the season opener in Melbourne on Sunday.
