Wednesday, January 20, 2010

NE has potential to be food sufficient: ICAR

Shillong, Jan 20 (PTI) Immense potential coupled with technology can boost crop production to make North-east self-sufficient in foodgrain by the year 2025, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has said.

"The foodgrain production deficit in the region is 13 per cent. By 2025, the region will need 11,326 million tonnes of foodgrain annually and the technology developed by ICAR can increase the production up to 11,315 million tonnes," ICAR's North East director S V Ngachan said.

The deficit in fruit production is 79 per cent, while that of vegetables is 73 per cent in the region, an ICAR assessment said.

Cautioning that the problem of deficit production of rice in North-east is going to be alarming if the current low productivity scenario continues, Ngachan said the research achievements and innovative technologies developed by ICAR need to be taken to the farmer's doorsteps.

US Defense Secretary travelling to India in `run-down'' military aircraft

Washington, Jan.19 (ANI): US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who is arriving in New Delhi tonight, is travelling in a military plane that has a run-down feel about it.



According to media accompanying the CIA and White House veteran who has served seven presidents and is regarded as "very big fish" in Washington and well beyond, the military aircraft though fitted with all the accoutrements, has something of the feel of a run-down hospital ward.



According to a Financial Times report,the plane undertaking the 15-hour-long journey, has carpets that are shabby, grimy knobs and dials aplenty and the decor could have been put together by a late-period Soviet interior designer..



Gates has an enviable record of working for President George W. Bush, during which time he presided over the successful surge in Iraq. This has given him massive clout in the Obama administration, and his support for sending 30,000 more troops may well have been decisive in the recent debate over Afghanistan.



Himself a low-key guy, Gates slipped into jeans as soon as he was on board the airplane. He is known to deal with problems with a common sense approach.



Though, there is no mistaking America''s might, a second aircraft is also making the trip to India as a back-up. (ANI)

Indian Air Force appeals for public cooperation ahead of Republic Day

New Delhi, Jan.19 (ANI): Ahead of the Republic Day function for which rehearsals are to be carried out each year, the Indian Air Force has appealed for public cooperation to avoid any untoward incident.



As birds pose a serious threat to aircraft flying at low levels and eatables thrown out in the open attract birds, the Indian Air Force has appealed all citizens in Delhi and neighbourhood to keep the areas clean, avoid throwing eatables, garbage, dead animals, or animal carcasses in the open.



In case of noticing any carcasses, the people have been requested to report to the nearest Air Force unit or police station.



The Indian Air Force will carry out a fly past on January 26, as part of Republic Day celebrations. A total of 28 aircraft flying at heights varying from 60 meters to 500 meters above ground-level will take part in the fly past.



The rehearsals of the fly past for the Republic Day parade and final Fly Past will be held from January 20 to 26 and on Jan 10 (between 0930 hrs to 1230 hrs).



The areas over which aircraft will be flying at low level -- Palam-Point North - Najafgarh drains - Tihar Jail - War Cemetery - Rastrapati Bhavan. (ANI)

Gates appreciates India’s role in Afghanistan

New Delhi, Jan 20 (ANI): Visiting U S Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday praised India’s humanitarian and reconstruction work in war torn Afghanistan.

Speaking to the media here, Gates said: “The President''s strategy represents a long term commitment to the Afghan people and the people of all South Asia. I express my appreciation for India''s contributions to the mission and I believe India''s ongoing economic development support in Afghanistan is vital.”

“The scale of what we are trying to do requires many nations working in concert. Going forward, India can be an anchor for regional and global security," he added.

With Pakistan time and again raising the questions over India’s role in Afghanistan, Gates felt that it was necessary for both countries to maintain transparency in each other’s activities in that country.

India is the largest regional investor in Afghanistan, having committed more than 2.2 billion US dollars for reconstruction purposes.

Earlier, the Afghan Foreign Ministry had described India as a brother country.

India''s support and collaboration extends to rebuilding of air links, power plants and investing in health and education sectors as well as helping to train Afghan civil servants, diplomats and police.

India also seeks to development of supply lines of electricity, oil and natural gas. (ANI)

Grenade attack near Manipur police chief's house, 3 hurt

At least three people were injured, one of them critically, in a grenade attack on Tuesday near the Manipur police chief's residence here, officials said.

A police spokesperson said unidentified militants on a motorcycle lobbed a grenade near a bridge barely 100 meters away from the residence of the police chief.

"Three people - a pedestrian and two riding on a motorcycle - were injured in the attack," the official said.

The injured, all of them civilians, were shifted to a hospital. One of them was said to be in a critical condition.

"The militants sped away soon after the attack," the official said.

It was not immediately known which militant group was behind the grenade attack.

The attack is seen as an attempt by militant groups in Manipur to stage violent strikes ahead of the Republic Day (January 26).

"A massive hunt is on to nab the attackers," the official said.