Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has declared several times that left wing extremism or Maoist terrorism is India’s number one internal security threat. Yet, the central and state governments have not been able to launch a coordinated campaign to come to grips with the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Naxalite dominated areas that encompass 35 percent of India’s population.

The weaponry, equipment, training standards and levels of junior leadership
of the state and central police forces must be upgraded by an order of magnitude to enable them to face the growing challenges with professional competence and rising confidence. The Mumbai terror attacks [Images] of November 2008 added a new dimension to the threat of urban terrorism. While many decisions have been taken to enhance intelligence and post-strike investigative capabilities and it has been decided to gradually establish
hubs for NSG commandos in various metros to increase responsiveness to terror attacks, the UPA government must work towards bringing about substantive improvement in counter-terrorism capabilities.

Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor make a super glamorous couple. Even when they’re ready to bite off each others’ heads, call each other names and scream like a double-banshee delight at a horror festival, there is just no way the compatibility of the combo can be repeated … even by them.

Indeed if the supreme silliness of the plot in “Kambakkht Ishq” works it’s because of Akshay and Kareena’s glorious goofiness. The lead pair, never in better form, gets into the grandly caricaturish groove effortlessly and convincingly.

For Akshay and Kareena it’s hate at first sight. They pass sexist remarks
about the opposite sex loud enough for the other to hear. They continuously carp about the vices of being of the opposite sex in a world polluted by bigotry and gender bias. Goodness, these two despicable creatures deserve each other!

The decision to strengthen relations between India and Africa is not a new phenomenon. We have a common colonial past and in the post-colonial period we have worked together. India did not want to impose any pattern on Africa and it was for Africa to choose its own pattern of development.

However, India would be privileged to be a partner in that process, headed. India’s decision to expand unilateral duty free and preferential market access for exports from all the 50 Least Developed Countries, 34 of which are in Africa, and its offer of lines of credit amounting to $5.4 billion are steps in this direction in making the bond stronger. The enhancement of India’s budget, for technical assistance and training programmes and, greater opportunities for African students to pursue studies in India reflect the priority India attach to human resource development and capacity building. India also offered its assistance in ushering in a Green Revolution in Africa through holistic capacity building in agricultural production, storage and transportation.

DIRECT TAXES

TAX RATES

Personal income tax exemption limit to be enhanced by Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 for senior citizens and other individuals, respectively. Surcharge to be removed for all non-corporate assesses.

• No change in corporate tax rates.
• MAT rate to be increased to 15% of book profits from 10%.
• Threshold limit for payment of wealth tax to be increased to Rs 30 lakh

EXTENSION OF SUNSET CLAUSE FOR STPI/EOUS

• Benefit of tax holiday to export oriented units (EoUs) under Section 10A and Section 10B extended by one year. It would now be available up to assessment year 2011-12.
• Tax holiday for SEZ units

The government seeks to achieve threefold objectives by issuing the UID cards: 1. Enhance national security; 2. Check illegal immigration, particularly from Bangladesh; 3.Ensure that the benefits of government welfare schemes reach the targeted sections. Regarding the first objective, government thinks that UID will ensure identification of terrorists and thus curb the menace. But is cross-border terrorism growing just because we don’t have a UID?

The failure of the intelligence machinery in India, absence of a well-trained antiterror force, lack of aggressiveness in India’s policy towards Pakistan and, above all, the overt support received by terror outfits from the Pakistani regime are some of the reasons why terrorism is growing? All these factors were as clear as daylight in the recent Mumbai attacks. How can UID curb terrorism if these factors are not addressed by the government?

She is first Indian woman to win the Indonesian Open Super Series.

Previously coached by S. M. Arif, a Dronacharya Award winner, Saina is the
reigning Indian national junior champion and is currently coached by Indonesian badminton legend Atik Jauhari since August 2008.

Her professional career is managed by GloboSport. Saina was born in Hisar,
Haryana, India and spent her complete life in city of Hyderabad. Her foray into the world of badminton was influenced by her father Dr. Harvir Singh, a scientist at the Directorate of Oilseeds Research, Hyderabad and her mother Usha Nehwal, both of whom were former badminton champions in Haryana.

“This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the formation of GOPIO – 20 years of remarkable and unprecedented achievements by GOPIO representing the interests and concerns of over 25 million people living outside of India. We encourage all of you to be part of this wonderful event at GOPIO’s 20th Anniversary Convention, to know about it, its significance and how it matters to every one of us in the Indian Diaspora, to feel connected with a sense of belonging and to participate fully,” said Ramsaran.

GOPIO Chairman in his remarks said that GOPIO was formed at the First Global Convention of People of Indian Origin in New York in August 1989 when there were widespread violations of civic and human rights of NRIs/PIOs as well as the issue of Indians being outside the political mainstream. “In the last 20 years, there have been substantial improvements in civic and human rights violations, although we have seen violence against Indian students in Australia recently, which GOPIO has condemn and call upon Australian Government to take immediate action,” said Dr. Abraham.

The American publication has said that Singh first as Finance Minister and then as Prime Minister since 2004 has made the world’s largest democracy one of the fastest growing economies through radical economic reforms.

“… he won the vote and then a sweeping victory in India’s general elections this year. It is not Singh’s speeches that win him followers; it’s the fact that first as Finance Minister and since 2004 as Prime Minister, he has led India through a series of radical economic reforms that have made the world’s largest democracy also one of its fastestgrowing economies — and protected
the poor too.

“It is Singh’s actions that have changed tens of millions of lives for the better, not his words,” Time said in an article published online.

Singh-led United Progressive Alliance was voted back to power in the general elections earlier this year. Singh is also credited with the economic reforms which he kicked off as Finance Minister in the early 1990s.