20 September, 2013

Food prices rose 157% between 2004 and 2013

If you were to ask any random aam aadmi anywhere in India what is the single biggest failing of the UPA, the answer would be - price rise. This is so because the most important items of family spending - food items - have relentlessly risen for the past several years despite repeated promises to bring them down by the economic mandarins and policy wonks that run the country's economy. Poorer families have had to stop eating various foods in order to save crumbling family budgets.

Between 2004 and 2013 food prices in general rose by 157%. But when you get into the nuts and bolts the real pain becomes starkly clear. India is the second largest producer of vegetables in the world. Yet chronic supply shortages coupled with serial hoarding has led vegetable prices to shoot up by a deadly 350% in that period.

If you were to ask any random aam aadmi anywhere in India what is the single biggest failing of the UPA, the answer would be - price rise. This is so because the most important items of family spending - food items - have relentlessly risen for the past several years despite repeated promises to bring them down by the economic mandarins and policy wonks that run the country's economy. Poorer families have had to stop eating various foods in order to save crumbling family budgets.

Army seeks probe into actions of Gen V K Singh's intel unit?

The covert warfare in the Army's top echelons continues. The force has now apparently asked the defence Ministry (MoD) to order a high-level probe into the functioning of a top secret intelligence unit set up by previous chief General V K Singh, which was alleged to have carried out illegal phone-tapping of senior MoD officials and other "unauthorised operations" as well as indulged in financial improprieties.

Sources say the Army's inquiry report on the Technical Support Division (TSD), which was ordered to be disbanded after present chief General Bikram Singh took over on May 31, 2012, has been submitted to the MoD with the recommendation of a probe into the functioning of the unit.

Bastar's 'Tiger boy' passes away; had played lead role in Oscar-winning movie

Tribal Bastar's "Tiger Boy", who had shot into international fame as a 10-year-old after starring in an Oscar-winning movie the " Jungle Saga" by Swedish director Arne Suksdorff in the 1960s, passed away at his native village Garh Bengal in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh.

"Chendru Mandavi died after a prolonged illness, triggered out of a paralytic stroke which he had suffered last year. He died on September 18 in Bastar," said his friend Yeshwant Ramteke who posted an appeal on social networking sites last month requesting for the support of the people, saying that his family was struggling for his treatment.

Shot into fame at the age of ten as a 'Tiger Boy' in the 1960 Oscar-winning movie 'Jungle Saga' that depicted his amazing friendship with a tiger in the jungle, Chendru's journey from the remote district of Bastar to international glory and back again to the still remote and backward village in Narayanpur district is a story of short-lived fame. Chendru became more famous when a book "Chendru: The boy and the tiger" was written on him, which eventually became a bestseller

Chidambaram overruled home ministry babus on Bharat Ratna for sports stars

Sportspersons would have continued to be denied India's highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna, if bureaucrats had their way. File notings, accessed through RTI, reveal that the home ministry was initially not in favour of widening the scope of Bharat Ratna fearing that it would open floodgates for sportspersons and other vocations like social work, trade and industry as well.

The government eventually reversed its decision and amended the qualification for the decoration from "exceptional service towards the advancement of art, literature and science, and in recognition of public service of the highest order" to "decoration shall be awarded for exceptional service in any field" in November, 2011.

According to documents — received in response to an RTI filed by activist S C Agrawal — the home ministry officials felt that inclusion of sports as a category may raise the issue of other fields of work to be added. In its note, a ministry official argued for keeping the norms unchanged, "The reason behind inclusion of sports as a field of Bharat Ratna is to honour Shri Sachin Tendulkar. No doubt Shri Tendulkar deserves the highest recognition of the country but there are several other sportsperson who have made the country proud such as Major Dhyan Chand in hockey, Jaspal Rana in shooting, Vishwanathan Anand in chess, P T Usha in athletics and many more."

Later, this view was overruled by senior officials and then home minister P Chidambaram who voiced the opinion that "Bharat Ratna be considered a decoration for advancement in any field instead of a limited number and be qualified to include only exceptional cases." The view was also endorsed by PM Manmohan Singh and President Pratibha Patil.

The issue came up after sports minister Ajay Maken sought conferment of the honour for Tendulkar. In a letter written in April 2011 Maken said that sports acted as a binding force in a pluralistic society and helped nurture national pride. "It has become one of the most potent tools of involving youth and citizen away from divisive tendencies. Hence sports should be included as an area of recognition for the conferment of the Bharat Ratna," he had said. A similar request was sent by MP Madhusudan Yadav. The ministry also received letters against Tendulkar being given the award.

Wily N Srinivasan may be re-elected BCCI chief unopposed

The smug look on N Srinivasan's face at the end of the BCCI's marketing committee meeting in Mumbai on Thursday said it all. That is because Srinivasan is set to be elected president unopposed for an additional one-year term at the BCCI's Annual General Meeting in Chennai on September 29.

Srinivasan is virtually sure of retaining the chair after getting his candidature endorsed by five of the six South Zone units. As per BCCI's constitution, any candidate aspiring for the top post needs a proposer and 'seconder' from the zone whose turn it is to elect the president. And the turn this time is South Zone's.

By securing the backing of Karnataka, Kerala, Hyderabad, Andhra and, of course, his own association, Tamil Nadu, Srinivasan has engineered a technical knock-out of sorts by eliminating any opposition to his candidature. Srinivasan's master stroke has left his rivals in the BCCI red-faced as they need the support of at least one more South Zone unit apart from Goa Cricket Association to put up a candidate against the incumbent president.