Congress decides to hold all-party meet on Lokpal issue

NEW DELHI: With the issue of bringing the Prime Minister within the ambit of the Lokpal remaining a controversial issue, the government is expected to soon call an all-party meeting to seek views across the political spectrum.

This became clear on Saturday after a meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had with top party leaders favouring such parleys against the backdrop of widening differences between the government and the civil society representatives led by Anna Hazare on the issue.

Grappling with the issue and other sensitive matters like Telangana, the Congress core group headed by Sonia Gandhi met fon Saturday, the second meeting coming just after its two-hour long deliberations on Friday night. Today's meeting also discussed Telangana problem. .

The Hazare camp is pitching for inclusion of Prime Minister and the higher judiciary in the proposed Lokpal Bill during meetings of the Joint Committee to draft the measure. The committee will now be meeting on June 20 and 21.

Government is prima facie opposed to the inclusion of Prime Minister within the ambit of Lokpal but was open to the idea of covering him once he demits office.

HRD minister Sibal said,"within the government, we feel prima facie, the Prime Minister should not be covered (under the Lokpal). But at the same time we want to make sure that if he demits office, he should not be exonerated from prosecution."

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Rs 10,000 fine imposed on 'Traffic' Ramaswamy

CHENNAI: Social activist 'Traffic' Ramaswamy has been asked to pay Rs 10,000 by the Madras high court for making a false statement in an affidavit submitted to the court in support of his writ petition.

In the petition, filed as a public interest litigation, Ramaswamy had sought appropriate action to be taken on a fax representation, dated April 21, 2011, sent by him to the President, asking for the inclusion of a member from the southern states in the Lokpal committee.

Passing orders, the first bench noted that a copy of the representation sent by fax was submitted to the court. To its "dismay" , the bench found that the representation had been sent by one Stella, who claimed to be 'Traffic' Ramaswamy's personal assistant. Deprecating the manner in which the petitioner had approached the court, the bench said it was a false statement made by the petitioner that he had sent a representation. TNN

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GSLV to launch GSAT–14 during mid-2012

The Indian Space Research Organisation, which has planned to put three satellites into the orbit with its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle before end of this year, will send its GSAT -14 with its indigenously developed Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle D-5 during mid-2012, Chairman, ISRO, K. Radhakrishnan has informed.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating the two-day national conference on ‘Expanding frontiers in propulsion technology' at Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Mahendragiri in the district on Friday, Dr. Radhakrishnan said the ISRO, which had learnt a lot of highly valuable lessons from the unsuccessful flight of GSLV D-3 in April 2010, was working hard on the rectifying the problems to make the GSLV D-5 flight a resounding victory. GSAT–14 satellite would have C-band communication transponders.

Towards achieving self-reliance in the development of the Mark III engine for GSLV, the S-200 solid propellant motor would be subjected to static test, which would be the repeat of the successful test that was conducted in January 2010.

Moreover, the ISRO has planned to launch GSAT – 12, which will have extended C-band transponders, with its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle during next month.

After launching Meghatropique satellite, an Indo – French joint venture, in September 2011, the ISRO will be concentrating on the launching of Microwave Remote Sensing Satellite – RISAT – 1 – during December this year.

“Our PSLVs will launch these satellites that will provide us clear and excellent pictures even though the sky is overcast,” Dr. Radhakrishnan said.

According to the ISRO chief, his prestigious testing centre at Mahendragiri had been adorned with one more most-modern facility – Thrust Chamber Test Facility – for testing the GSLV Mark III engine's cryogenic stage. “It will be ready for commissioning within next 60 days”.

Inaugurating the conference, Dr. Radhakrishnan stressed the need for engaging more private firms with adequate and state-of-the-art research and development facilities in ISRO's missions and the leading educational institutions as is being done in the United States and Russia.

He stressed the need for developing non-chemical, electro and ionic propellants, “which will have longer life and propel the satellite in its orbit for more period.”

Releasing the conference proceedings, Sathish Dhawan Space Centre Director M.C. Dathan hoped that the ISRO, with its highly committed and enthusiastic young workforce, would scale greater heights in the days to come.

Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director P.S. Veeraraghavan said due importance should be given for developing eco-friendly ‘green propellants' and for launching a payload with nuclear fission.

LPSC Director S. Ramakrishnan delivered the keynote address on ‘Expanding frontiers in propulsion technology'. Former LPSC director AE. Muthunayagam and Aeronautical Society of India secretary general Ashok Bhushan offered felicitations.

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Identical twins score identical marks in class XII exams

Mumbai:  Competition between the twin brothers started at the time of their birth, with one seeing the light of the world two minutes before the other.

After 16 years the race is still on, but this time it ended in a tie with both the siblings scoring the same percentage 90.73 in the SSC exams.

Family, friends and teachers of Pratik and Purvik Gohil, residents of Kandivli, could not believe their ears when they were told that the twins had scored the same marks.

According to family members, the twins who were classmates since childhood, were born competitors as they defeated each other almost alternatively. But this time in the board and pre-board exams, they ended up in a tie.

Purvik and Pratik studied at Shivram Singh Sanman Singh English High School in Bhandup.

Pratik Gohil (16), said, "I used to study for around four hours daily, but started spending more time with books in the last three months of the exam. I always kept my cool and never panicked.

"As I am a diehard cricket fan, I watched all the World Cup matches and even the IPL. I think we did better in the exam because our parents did not burden us with their dreams and demands."

He added, "I was expecting more then 95 per cent, but 90 per cent is not bad either. It's just a coincidence that Purvik and I scored the same.

"I think the best-five system has proved helpful for SSC students. I think oral exams and internal assignments, in which examinees invariably score well, have helped reduce students' stress."

Purvik had an interesting story to share about their oral exams. "When I reached school to give the exam, the teacher refused to let me do it saying I had already appeared for it. This is where our identical looks and similar voice play spoilsport. After I convinced her that the one who gave the exam was my twin, she finally allowed me to take the exam. I am happy with the marks we have got. We both wish to do engineering but in different subjects. As of now, we have decided to take admission in Thakur College."

Nikesh Gohil, father of Purvik and Pratik said, "We were surprised to know their percentage. It's a coincidence and it is by God's grace that they scored so well. Their mother burst into tears seeing their percentage. I am very proud of them today."

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/identical-twins-score-identical-marks-in-class-xii-exams-113158?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NdtvNews-Cities+%28NDTV+News+-+Cities%29&utm_content=Google+International&cp

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