Housework and raising children are jobs that have no end.

Innovative mother... Garbage collector Lakshmi pulls her garbage collection tricycle along with some schoolchildren as she transports her daughter Mounica to school in Hyderabad . Lakshmi earns Rs 2,000 a month, a chunk of which goes towards her daughter's education, who studies in an English medium school.

Pakistan should co-operate with India in 26/11 trial

With the filing of the chargesheet in a Mumbai court in the November 26 terrorist attack case, the legal process of fixing responsibility and dispensing justice in the country’s one of the most heinous and well-planned crimes with international ramifications has started. The nature of the chargesheet, in which the surviving Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab and 35 other Pakistani nationals and two Indians have been named as accused, underlines the trans-border roots of the crime.The document, which runs into 11,280 pages with details of how the action was planned and executed, supported with evidence and witness statements, is the result of meticulous investigation. The investigating team deserves credit for putting it together and presenting a case, working against difficult odds. Only Kasab, among the Pakistanis, will be on trial in person and the fact that the 32 Pakistanis are yet to be apprehended, shows the challenging task of bringing to book all those involved in the crime. The names of even two serving officers of the Pakistan army figure in the chargesheet though it stops short of pointing to the involvement of any Pakistani official agency. A fair and speedy trial would strengthen India’s case, and it is still not late to ensure that Kasab is legally represented in the court.

While the judicial process has started in India, it is still not known at what stage the investigations that the Pakistan government has claimed to have started in that country are. Pakistan had admitted, probably under international pressure, that the conspiracy was hatched in that country, but it has not disclosed whether it has launched criminal proceedings against those involved, who include senior leaders of the Lashkar-e-Toiba. Some of the clarifications it has sought from India create doubts that the Pakistani authorities are deliberately resorting to delaying tactics or trying to bring in extraneous issues within the purview of the investigation. The internal political situation in Pakistan and the government’s dubious policy on militancy might limit its ability to pursue the case and therefore there is the need for continued efforts to prod Islamabad in the matter.


The full extent of the conspiracy will be known and retributive action possible only if there is unreserved co-operation from Pakistan, the investigations on both sides complement each other and the judicial processes proceed simultaneously. It is more a matter of Pakistan’s will and sincerity than India’s readiness.

The Kashmir Issue-Views

Former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri's said that most of the negotiations on Kashmir were successfully completed during his tenure as foreign minister under Pervez Musharraf and draft agreements were ready to be signed. They were to have been signed during the visit of the Indian PM to Pakistan which did not take place, according to Kasuri, because of elections in India.

There is another view that the Indian government backed off at the last moment. Some informed observers in India maintain that developments in Pakistan came in the way of the agreement being finalised.

Is this the Honour given for our Military Personnels

Rashtrapati Bhavan, the august premises where the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces awards highly coveted medals to select members of the military, witnessed an unusual, unprecedented and ignominious scene recently. An anguished delegation of military veterans returned over 2,000 gallantry and distinguished service medals to the president to register their protest over the government's stubborn denial of the long-promised one-rank-one-pension (OROP) dispensation for retired faujis.

More than the status of the serving community, it is the plight of the retired military personnel that has triggered the unseemly returning of medals by the veterans. As per current pension norms, all military personnel receive different pensions for different ranks depending on when they retire. This, incidentally, is true for the civilians also and only those who attain the pay scale of secretaries to the government of India have the benefit of OROP.

But given the fact that military personnel retire at a very early age harmonisation was sought and successive governments since the days of Rajiv Gandhi have promised to do so, but never delivered on the promise. Consequently many pension asymmetries prevail. For instance, a sepoy who retired before 1996 gets a pension that is 82 per cent less than a post-2006 retiree.

Are you all aware of Rule 49-O ?

Rule 49-O is a rule in The Conduct of Elections Rules.It describes the procedure to be followed when a valid voter decides not to cast his vote.Well,I invite you all to the different angles of this.

Text of Rule 49-O says If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.

Current scenario implies Since the ballot paper / Electronic voting machine (EVM) contains only the list of candidates, a voter cannot record his vote under Section 49-O directly. He must inform the presiding officer at the election booth. This violates the secrecy of the ballot. However, with paper ballot a different method is used to "waste" ones vote, which is stamping on multiple candidates.

Negative / Neutral Voting is there in the proposals of the Election Commission of India.

Satyam to exercise cost-cutting, relocate onsite staff

Satyam Computer on Thursday announced cost-cutting measures including relocating onsite support staff to tide over the current financial crisis in the company and meet the challenges posed by the global economic slowdown.

The company has also put a freeze on expenses relating to internal issues. "All capital expenditures, unless required to meet customer deliveries, are being suspended till further notice. This includes renewal of laptops, office renovation.

The company has suspended external training as well as the advertising and marketing co-lateral expenses for the time being.

Azharuddin to join Congress

Former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin is all set to join the Congress party.
He wants the Congress to come back to power.

Gold touched a record high above Rs.15,000 per 10 gm in Mumbai

Taliban plan to target India

After Pakistan agreed to enforce Islamic law in large areas of its restive North West Frontier Province (NWFP), including Swat Valley, in a concession to buy peace in the region, intelligence sources confirmed the threat that Taliban actually poses to India which is not far from the Indian boundary.

Government may ban FDI in cigarettes

The commerce ministry is considering a proposal to ban foreign direct investment in the manufacture of cigarettes for sale in the country.

A proposal to prohibit FDI in the manufacture of cigarettes, where it is manufactured for domestic consumption, has, accordingly, been initiated by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and is under consideration of the government.