PM directs Shinde to ensure sense of security in Delhi after rape incident

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday directed home minister Sushilkumar Shinde to ensure sense of security in Delhi and see that incidents like last Sunday's gang rape do not recur.

The directive came when Shinde called Singh to brief him on the situation in the aftermath of the gang-rape incident, sources said.

Shinde told the Prime Minister that he was personally monitoring the situation.

Sources said the Prime Minister told Shinde that he should ensure a sense of security in the capital, whose law and order is the direct responsibility of the home minister.

Singh asked Shinde to take all measures to see that there is no recurrence of the incidents like the recent gang rape of 23-year-old girl who was also brutally assaulted by the six accused.

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Astra missile test-fired on 2nd consecutive day from Chandipur in Odisha

BALASORE (ODISHA): A day after a perfect developmental trial of " Astra", India today again successfully test-fired its indigenously developed beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, 15 km from here.

The sophisticated missile was test-fired from a launcher in launch pad-2 of the ITR at about 3.34 PM targeting a flying object being supported by a pilotless target air-craft 'Lakshya', defence sources said.

"The trial was successful. All mission objectives and parameters were met," ITR Director MVKV Prasad said.

Today's successful test-fire was significant as it came a day after a similar trial conducted from the same base yesterday, a defence scientist said.

The single stage, solid fuelled 'Astra' missile is more advanced in its category than the contemporary BVR missiles and is capable of engaging and destroying highly manoeuvrable supersonic aerial targets.

The 3.8 metre long missile, having a diameter of 178 mm with an overall launch weight of 160 kg, can carry a warhead containing conventional explosives weighing 15 kg. It can be fitted to any fighter aircraft.

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Sushma Swaraj calls for special Parliament session for tougher rape law

NEW DELHI: BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Saturday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convene a special session of Parliament for amending the existing law to provide death sentence for heinous crimes against women.

"I have just spoken to Prime Minister. I requested Prime Minister for a special session of Parliament to frame a law to provide for exemplary punishment for crimes against women," Swaraj said on social networking site Twitter.

The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha claimed that the Prime Minister said he will consider this suggestion. She said the people were "genuinely angry" on the recent brutal rape incident of a 23-year-old paramedical student in Delhi and demanded that the perpetrators of such crime be given death sentence.

"I have always maintained that rapist(s) should be punished with death sentence. I have also moved a private members Bill for this," she said. She said she has already demanded in Lok Sabha on December 18 that rapists be given death sentence. Swaraj also spoke to Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath in this regard.

Meanwhile, national spokesperson of BJP, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, said, "BJP supports this agitation which is directed against the Centre and Delhi government."

"People, particularly women, are on agitation path over this 'worst' incident and need is to stop its recurrence in future," he said in Jammu.

When asked whether BJP supports capital punishment, he said the leadership of BJP inside Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, has demanded that Indian Penal Code should be amended to incorporate rape under the provisions of capital punishment.

Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Jagdish Mukhi alleged that Delhi "has become the rape capital of India."

"Delhi has become rape capital of India under the very nose of Union home minister," Mukhi said in Jammu.

"Union home minister controls Delhi and Delhi Police and its Commissioner are directly answerable to him-- they have failed in their duty," he alleged, adding, "the way incidents of rapes have been taking place in moving buses, cars, hospitals and other places-- we condemn it."

"Let us not politicise it-- there is an urgent need to change the law-- this has been raised in the Parliament-- there should be stringent punishment for such crimes and law should be amended to make it stringent," Mukhi said.

"There is an increase in incidents of eve teasing, rapes in Delhi," he said adding for this chief minister of Delhi, Delhi police commissioner and Union home minister are responsible.

"We demand stringent law but at the same time want implementation of the present laws in this connection by the security agencies," he said.

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Pope pardons ex-butler who stole, leaked documents

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI granted his former butler a Christmas pardon on Saturday, forgiving him in person during a jailhouse meeting for stealing and leaking private papers in one of the gravest Vatican security breaches in recent times.

After the 15-minute meeting, Paolo Gabriele was freed and returned to his Vatican City apartment where he lives with his wife and three children. The Vatican said he couldn't continue living or working in the Vatican, but said it would find him housing and a job elsewhere soon.

"This is a paternal gesture toward someone with whom the pope for many years shared daily life," according to a statement from the Vatican secretariat of state.

The pardon closes a painful and embarrassing chapter for the Vatican, capping a sensational, Hollywood-like scandal that exposed power struggles, intrigue and allegations of corruption and homosexual liaisons in the highest levels of the Catholic Church.

Gabriele, 46, was arrested May 23 after Vatican police found what they called an "enormous" stash of papal documents in his Vatican City apartment. He was convicted of aggravated theft by a Vatican tribunal on Oct. 6 and has been serving his 18-month sentence in the Vatican police barracks.

He told Vatican investigators he gave the documents to Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi because he thought the 85-year-old pope wasn't being informed of the "evil and corruption" in the Vatican and thought that exposing it publicly would put the church back on the right track.

The publication of the leaked documents, first on Italian television then in Nuzzi's book "His Holiness: Pope Benedict XVI's Secret Papers" convulsed the Vatican all year, a devastating betrayal of the pope from within his papal family that exposed the unseemly side of the Catholic Church's governance.

The papal pardon had been widely expected before Christmas, and the jailhouse meeting Benedict used to personally deliver it recalled the image of Pope John Paul II visiting Ali Agca, the Turkish gunman who shot him in 1981, while he served his sentence in an Italian prison.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the meeting was "intense" and "personal" and said that during it Benedict "communicated to him in person that he had accepted his request for pardon, commuting his sentence."

None of the documents threatened the papacy. Most were of interest only to Italians, as they concerned relations between Italy and the Vatican and a few local scandals and personalities. Their main aim appeared to be to discredit Benedict's trusted No. 2, the secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.

Vatican officials have said the theft shattered the confidentiality that typically governs correspondence with the pope. Cardinals, bishops and everyday laymen write to him about spiritual and practical matters assuming that their words will be treated with the discretion for which the Holy See is known.

As a result, it prompted a remarkable reaction, with the pope naming a commission of three cardinals to investigate alongside Vatican prosecutors. Italian news reports have said new security measures and personnel checks have been put in place to prevent a repeat offense.

Gabriele insisted he acted alone, with no accomplices, but it remains an open question whether any other heads will roll. Technically the criminal investigation remains open, and few in the Vatican believe Gabriele could have construed such a plot without at least the endorsement if not the outright help of others.

A Vatican computer expert, Claudio Sciarpelletti, was convicted Nov. 10 of aiding and abetting Gabriele by changing his testimony to Vatican investigators about the origins of an envelope with Gabriele's name on it that was found in his desk. His two-month sentence was suspended.

Benedict met this past week with the cardinals who investigated the origins of the leaks, but it wasn't known if they provided him with any further updates or were merely meeting ahead of the expected pardon for Gabriele.

As supreme executive, legislator and judge in Vatican City, the pope had the power to pardon Gabriele even before he went to trial. The only question was when it would come.

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Suicide bomber kills 6 at Peshawar political meet in Pakistan

PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber blew himself up Saturday at a meeting of the political party that rules Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing six people and wounding 21, officials said.

The Awami National Party meeting in Peshawar was attended by provincial leaders. There were "reports of injuries to the senior minister of the provincial government, Bashir Bilour," police official Asif Iqbal told AFP.

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Job market to see modest hiring, 10-15% pay hike next year

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Dec 21, 2012, 01.11PM IST

NEW DELHI: After remaining mostly stagnant in 2012 due to global economic slowdown, Indian job market is expected to grow only at a modest pace next year, although still better than other countries, while high-performers can look forward to pay hikes of 10-15 per cent in 2013.

The public sector could emerge as the major ground for any large-scale hirings, especially banks, even as recruitment activities in human capital intensive sectors like technology, as also for functions like sales and marketing in other sectors, would track the macro-economic developments.

The hiring numbers for public sector banks are expected in the range of 50,000 to 70,000 people in 2013, while the private sector banking space could also see a fair amount of such activities if licenses are given to new players.

Retail sector is also expected to see large-scale hirings after the entry of foreign players into this business.

When it comes to salary hikes, the average for most of the sectors is expected in single digits as part of cost-saving efforts, even though companies would be doling out 10-15 per cent pay increments to good performers, experts say.

At the same time, the companies may not hesitate to lay off non-performers and carry out restructuring exercises to do away with non-performing business units.

Manpower India Managing Director A G Rao said that the companies would not hesitate to pay a salary hike of 10-15 per cent to performers, but at the same time some will remain very objective and cost cautious due to the economic scenario.

"We also see a growing trend of organisations using new age tools like work from home, flexi working and performance linked bonus, ESOP's, Global opportunity etc. as tools of retention / compensation of employees," Rao said.

The year 2012 has proved to be a mixed bag for the Indian job market as most sectors were slow on their business and employment outlook, but the coming year holds promise driven by the government's reform push.

Hiring took a hit this year largely on the back of global slowdown as well as slower growth rate of Indian economy.

"The year 2012 began with a lot of promise as the job market in India was estimated to grow at 15 per cent. But the sharp economic downturn in India and the impact of the European crisis adversely affected hiring across sectors like IT, telecom, hospitality, retail and infrastructure," Randstad India MD and CEO E Balaji said.

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Delhi gang rape: Parliamentary standing panel to meet on December 27

HYDERABAD: Taking serious note of the gruesome gang rape of a girl in a moving bus at Delhi, the parliamentary standing committee on home affairs has convened a meeting on December 27 to discuss the issue.

The meeting would deliberate on issues concerning the incidents of rape, the changes, if any, to be made to the statute and the suggestions for the government, committee's chairman M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters today.

The police commissioner of Delhi and union home secretary would also attend the meeting, he said.

The standing committee comprises 30 members representing various political parties.

"All members, cutting across party lines, expressed concern when this issue was discussed in Parliament. There are four important issues. There is a need to sensitise police system to take expeditious action on these issues.

Political will and administrative preparedness is necessary," he said.

The panel would also discuss the changes to be made to the laws and the suggestions that can be made to the government, Naidu said.

"Some changes need to be made in the laws as well. Fast track courts should be set up and Evidence Act can be changed. There is a suggestion that in-camera trial should be conducted in such cases. Also, there is a opinion that death sentence should be awarded to the convicts. We will take the views of officials and give our recommendations to the government," he said.

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CBI files charges against Bharti, Vodafone in telecom case

CBI pegs the loss to exchequer at Rs 846 crore on spectrum issue during NDA regime.

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Dec 21, 2012, 03.04PM IST

NEW DELHI: The CBI on Friday filed a chargesheet in connection with alleged irregularities in spectrum allocation during the NDA regime involving three telecom companies, including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone India, while pegging the loss at Rs 846 crore.

The CBI in its chargesheet filed before Special CBI Judge O P Saini named as accused Bharti Airtel Ltd, Vodafone India Ltd and Hutchison Max and Sterling Cellular, retired IAS and former Telecom Secretary Shyamal Ghosh for alleged irregularities in grant of additional spectrum.

J R Gupta, former Deputy Director General (VAS) cell of DoT and former Director of BSNL, who was named in the FIR as one of the accused, has been made as one of the 73 witnesses in the case, the CBI told the court.

The agency said no action has been taken against former telecom minister Pramod Mahajan and no charges have been found against the promoters of Airtel and Vodafone.

The court has fixed January 14 for consideration of the chargesheet.

The agency alleged in the charge sheet that the DoT had increased the base spectrum for telecom companies from 4.4 MHz to 6.2 MHz during Mahajan's tenure and also allocated extra spectrum on subscriber-based criteria.

It alleged that Mahajan had allotted addition spectrum to these companies in a hurried manner and in contravention with the then telecom policy.

The accused have been charge sheeted under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act relating to misconduct by public servant by accepting illegal gratification by abusing his official position.

"Investigation has revealed that Shyamal Ghosh, then chairman of Telecom Commission and Secretary DoT, in conspiracy with late Pramod Mahajan, then telecom minister and the accused beneficiary companies i.e Hutchison Max and Sterling Cellular and Bharti Airtel Ltd through their representatives, abused his official position as public person and showed undue favour which caused loss of Rs 846.44 crores to the government exchequer and corresponding undue gain to the aforesaid telecom companies," it said.

The agency said this included incidental gains to other telecom companies by charging additional one per cent of AGR instead of charging the required additional two per cent of AGR for allocation of additional spectrum from 6.2 MHz upto 10 MHz.".

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Private hospital offers free intestinal transplant to Delhi rape victim

NEW DELHI: As the young student battles for life bravely five days after the brutal gang-rape, a leading private hospital here today offered free intestinal transplantation and subsequent treatment to her.

Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has communicated this offer to Dr B D Nathani, Medical Superintendent of Safdurjung Hospital where the victim is being treated currently, Dr R S Rana, Chairman, Board of Management SGRH, said.

The 23-year-old student has undergone a surgery to remove her gangrenous intestine. The doctors treating her had said that she is "stable, alert and conscious" but she remained on ventilator support.

"Intestinal failure occurs when most of the intestine has to be removed surgically as in this case. Intestinal transplant is the only chance of survival with a normal functioning intestine for the victim," Dr Samiran Nundy Chairman, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology and Organ Transplantation said.

The private hospital has performed India's first and only living donor intestinal transplant which has been reported in peer reviewed journal this year, Rana said.

According to Dr Naimish Mehta Transplant Surgeon SGRH, who was involved in India's first Living Donor Intestinal Transplant Surgery, "there are two ways by which intestinal graft can be obtained, either from a brain dead donor or from a living related donor. Both these options could be available for the victim once her condition stabilises."

According to Dr Mehta, "in a normal individual, the length of small intestine is approximately 600 cms, of which, 200 cms of intestine can be removed for transplantation without any adverse effect on the living donor while whole intestine from the brain dead donor can be used for intestinal transplantation."

Dr Mehta said that intestinal failure occurs when most of the intestine has to be removed surgically because of blockage of its blood supply or major injury to the intestine.

Intestinal failure is normally treated by giving parenteral nutrition.

However intravenous feeding has to be given through a central venous line (an intravenous catheter placed into one of the large veins of the body) and complications develop over a period of time, Dr Mehta said.

"The central venous catheter tends to get infected over a period of time. These infections can be life-threatening. Over a period of time parenteral nutrition damages the liver. Too long a delay at this point will result in liver failure. Intestinal transplant is recommended before the liver is permanently damaged," he added.

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BJP activists protest Sanjay Nirupam's remarks against Smriti Irani

MUMBSI: BJP workers on Friday staged a protest against Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam for his reported derogatory remarks against TV actor and BJP member Smriti Irani.

Activists of BJP's youth and women's wings took out a morcha and demanded an apology from Nirupam for his remarks against Irani, who is also a Member of Parliament.

Around 300 BJP cadres participated in the procession which concluded at Nirupam's office in suburban Borivili.

Nirupam made an irresponsible statement at a time when crimes against women are rising and there is anger among people, a BJP functionary said.

He made the controversial remarks yesterday during a debate on a news channel on the Gujarat Assembly election results. The Congress MP questioned the credentials of Irani to analyse poll results given her background as a TV actress.

He reportedly said "till some time ago you were dancing on the TV screens and now you have become a psephologist."

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Sonia Gandhi to decide party's CM in Himachal: Virbhadra Singh

SHIMLA: As initial trends indicated a Congress victory in Himachal Pradesh, party veteran Virbhadra Singh today said that he had put in his "best efforts" in the polls and it was for Sonia Gandhi to decide the party's chief minister.

"I had been given the brief to bring the party back to power and for that I had put in my best efforts. It is for our national leader Sonia Gandhi to decide who will become the chief minister," Singh said while speaking to reporters here.

A five-time chief minister, Singh said the initial trends indicate that the Congress would form its government in the hill state.

Singh said there was no possibility of the Congress high command nominating an outsider for the chief minister's post.

"I can only say I don't expect this will happen," he had said yesterday when asked if a person from outside could lead the Congress government if the party comes to power.

Singh had yesterday also dismissed suggestions that Union minister Anand Sharma, his known detractor in state politics, stands a chance to become the chief minister.

"Whether he (Sharma) is a contender or not, I don't know, but he will not be there," he had said.

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Gujarat election proves it is not open skies for Modi: Congress

NEW DELHI: Congress leaders today conceded defeat in Gujarat, but said it was "not open skies" for chief minister Narendra Modi, nursing national ambitions.

"This Gujarat election proves that it's not open skies for Narendra Modi," external affairs minister Salman Khurshid told reporters apparently seeking to underline that the chief minister will not have an easy task ahead.
When asked why Congress is unable to defeat Modi in Gujarat, Khurshid said, "Why is Modi not able to defeat us in the country."

His remarks came in the backdrop of a section of the BJP projecting Modi as the most prominent prime ministerial candidate of the party in the next Lok Sabha polls.

Parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath sought to project the trends in Gujarat as an indication of improving popularity of Congress in the BJP-ruled state.

"In Gujarat, BJP had made tall claims that it will get 150 seats and that there will be a wave in its favour. But it has now been proved that Congress has emerged stronger and BJP is weak now," he told reporters outside Parliament House.

To a question on claims by Congress that BJP will be routed in the assembly election in Gujarat, he said, "We knew victory is difficult, but we were sure that we would emerge stronger."

Referring to the Himachal Pradesh assembly poll result, Nath claimed, "The defeat of BJP shows the direction in which the wind is blowing."

Congress is winner in Gujarat as it has improved its tally and contained BJP below 117, finance minister P Chidambaram said.

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Gujarat Parivartan Party leader Keshubhai Patel wins

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) leader and former chief minister Keshubhai Patel Thursday won from Visavadar constituency in Saurashtra region, officials said.
Patel won by about 20,000 votes against his nearest Bharatiya Janata Party rival Kanubhai Bhalala. The Congress had no candidate in Visavadar.
Patel, 83, was hoping to prevent Modi from securing a third term as chief minister. Modi has ruled Gujaratsince he replaced Patel as chief minister in October 2001.

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Samajwadi Party MP expresses regret over bill snatching incident: Speaker

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party member Yashvir Singh, who had stunned the Lok Sabha yesterday by snatching a copy of the quota bill from minister V Narayanasamy, today expressed regret over the incident.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said the member had expressed regret over the unfortunate incident which had shaken the foundation of democracy.

Kumar said the untoward incident had led to abrupt adjournment of the House yesterday.

"It had shaken the foundation of democracy. Issues should be discussed in the House," the Speaker observed.

Kumar said the member has expressed regret and expected all members to discuss issues in the House.

Singh had snatched the copy of the Constitution (117th Amendment) Bill Narayanasamy.

The incident led to commotion in the House and triggered a war of words outside between the Congress and its ally SP, which is strongly opposed to reservation in promotion for SCs and STs in government jobs.

Parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath had said he would urge the Speaker to take action against the SP member.

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Protesters block Jammu-Pathankote NH over Delhi gang rape case

JAMMU: Angry protesters, mostly students, on Thursday blocked the Jammu-Pathankote national highway demanding capital punishment for the accused involved in the gang rape of a young woman in New Delhi.

Traffic remained suspended on Jammu-Pathankote National Highway (NH 1A) at Kathua district as over 1,000 students of various schools and colleges blocked the route for over three hours, police said.

They prayed for the recovery of the 23-year-old, who is battling for her life in a Delhi hospital, and shouted slogans demanding hanging of the culprits involved in the crime.

Students of GGM Science College, MAM College, Parade Women College, Samba college and Jammu University held separate protests demanding the punishment.

No untoward incident was reported from anywhere during these protests, police officials said.

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UP government to bear treatment cost of rape victim; offers jobs

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh would bear the medical expenses of the woman who was raped in a moving bus in New Delhi Sunday night and will give a government job to her, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said here Wednesday.

In a statement, the chief minister said he was pained at the barbaric act and said the state government would not only bear her medical expenses but it would also give jobs to both the young woman and her male friend, who was with her when the dastardly act was committed.

The young woman, who belongs to Ballia in Uttar Pradesh, was interning at a hospital in Delhi for some months. She lives in Mahavir Enclave in west Delhi.

Seeking early justice for the victim, Yadav said the need of the hour was to stand with her and to also ensure that such incidents do not recur in future.

The woman, gang-raped by half-a-dozen men in a moving bus in New Delhi Sunday night, is now battling for life in a Delhi hospital.

The men also tortured her before dumping her on the road. Her male friend was also thrashed and thrown out of the bus along with her.

Five people have so far been arrested for the crime.

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UP government to bear treatment cost of rape victim; offers jobs

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh would bear the medical expenses of the woman who was raped in a moving bus in New Delhi Sunday night and will give a government job to her, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said here Wednesday.

In a statement, the chief minister said he was pained at the barbaric act and said the state government would not only bear her medical expenses but it would also give jobs to both the young woman and her male friend, who was with her when the dastardly act was committed.

The young woman, who belongs to Ballia in Uttar Pradesh, was interning at a hospital in Delhi for some months. She lives in Mahavir Enclave in west Delhi.

Seeking early justice for the victim, Yadav said the need of the hour was to stand with her and to also ensure that such incidents do not recur in future.

The woman, gang-raped by half-a-dozen men in a moving bus in New Delhi Sunday night, is now battling for life in a Delhi hospital.

The men also tortured her before dumping her on the road. Her male friend was also thrashed and thrown out of the bus along with her.

Five people have so far been arrested for the crime.

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Charges framed against Malkhan Singh Bishnoi in Bhanwari murder case

JODHPUR: A local court, hearing the Bhanwari Devi murder case, today finally framed charges against one of the key accused Malkhan Singh Bishnoi.

Bishnoi, who has not been appearing in the ACJM (SC/ST Cases) court on health grounds, was brought from Ajmer Central Jail this morning in an ambulance to the court.

"He has been charged with murder (302), Criminal Conspiracy (120- B), abduction with an intent of murder (364) and causing disappearance of evidence of offence (201) of IPC besides sections of SC/ST Act," Senior Special Counsel for CBI, Ashok Joshi said.

It may be recalled that the ACJM (SC/ST Cases) Court had framed the charges against all the accused on October 4, but both Bishnoi and Mahipal Maderna were not present in the court on that day on grounds of ill-health and mother's death respectively.

However, Maderna had appeared in the court in its next hearing on October 15 to hear the charges.

36-year-old Bhanwari, who was an auxiliary nurse, had gone missing from Jodhpur's Bilara area on September 1.

During the CBI probe, it was found that she was allegedly abducted and killed and her body burnt at Jaloda. Her remains and belongings were later dumped in the Rajiv Gandhi Lift Canal, which were recovered by the CBI.

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Bank official gets three years in jail for Rs 20,000 bribe

NEW DELHI: An official of Indian Overseas Bank was sentenced to three years in jail by a Visakhaptnam court for demanding a bribe of Rs 20,000 from another employee to help him get a transfer.

The Special Judge for CBI cases in Visakhaptnam sentenced V M M V Nagendra Rao, Special Cadre Assistant with the bank's Seetharampuram Branch in Vijayawada, to three years of simple imprisonment and also slapped a fine Rs 20,000.

According to the CBI chargesheet against Rao, the accused had demanded a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a Clerk-cum-Cashier when he requested for a transfer to Kothagudem Branch on personal grounds, a CBI release said here today.

Rao, who was also Assistant General Secretary, All Indian Overseas Bank's Employees Union Vijayawada Region told the person that he can get it done by using his influence and demanded the bribe, the CBI said.

The complainant got a transfer to Kothagudem Branch in the second week of December 2007 after which Rao again demanded the bribe and warned that if he didn't get the money then he will get him transfred to a remote place, it said.

CBI laid a trap and allegedly caught the accused red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 from the complainant.

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Lokayuktha raid: Archaeology director owns assets more than his legal income

MYSORE: Department of Archeology, Mysore, director R Gopal, owns assets 129 pc more than his legal source of income.

Mysore Lokayuktha officials, who carried out a raid on his residence on Wednesday, have estimated his total value of his assets at Rs 2,58,80,600 including 290 grm of gold, 1.75 kg of silver and bank balances. His expenditure since 1991 stands at Rs 63,94,670. Lokayuktha officials also checked house of his contractor-friend Anantha Raju in the same locality.

Gopal's legal source of income is Rs 1,40,50,000 but owned assets worth Rs 3,22,75,270 including expenditure, which means, 129 pc more than his income.

Lokayuktha SP S M Jagadish Prasad said Gopal owns a house in Siddarathalayout and has ancestral property in Kollegal and his dentist-wife Dr Shobha owns a house in Basaveshwaranagar in Bangalore. The property in Mysore was purchased and then first floor construction was completed and it has been given on rent. The couple had purchased a site in Dattagalli and later it was sold. They also have taken housing loans.

Gopal owns Rs 1.82 cr worth assets disproportionate to known source of income, the SP disclosed.

The raid commenced at his residence in Siddaratha layout around 6.15 am and completed it at 4 pm on Wednesday. A team led by DSP Parashuram and inspector Dharmendra carried out search at Gopal's residence while another team led by DSP Rashmi and inspectors Mathew Thomas and Victor Simon searched documents at his friend Anantha Raju's house nearby Gopal's residence.

SP Jagadish said Anantha Raju is an excavation contractor and was working with Archeology department since long time. Lokayuktha police however didn't get any assets or documents belonging to Gopal.

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India lost $123 billion in black money in a decade

WASHINGTON: The Indian economy suffered $1.6 billion in illicit financial outflows in 2010, capping-off a decade in which it experienced black money losses of $123 billion, according to a new report.

India is ranked as the decade's 8th largest victim of illicit capital flight behind China, Mexico, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the Philippines, and Nigeria, respectively in the report by Global Financial Integrity, a Washington-based research and advocacy organization.

Titled "Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries: 2001-2010," the report found that all developing and emerging economies suffered $858.8 billion in illicit outflows in 2010, just below the all-time high of $871.3 billion set in 2008-the year preceding the global financial crisis.

"While progress has been made in recent years, India continues to lose a large amount of wealth in illicit financial outflows," said GFI director Raymond Baker.

"Much focus has been paid in the media on recovering the Indian black money that has already been lost," he said suggesting policymakers should instead make curtailing the ongoing outflow of money priority number one.

"$123 billion is a massive amount of money for the Indian economy to lose," said Dev Kar, GFI lead economist and co-author of the report with GFI economist Sarah Freitas.

"It has very real consequences for Indian citizens. This is more than $100 billion dollars which could have been used to invest in education, healthcare, and upgrade the nation's infrastructure," he said.

A Nov 2010 GFI report, "The Drivers and Dynamics of Illicit Financial Flows from India: 1948-2008," found that the Indian economy lost $462 billion to illicit financial outflows from 1948 through 2008.

Authored by Kar, the report measured India's underground economy as 50 percent of GDP, with cumulative illicit outflows accounting for an increasing share of the total underground economy.

The new GFI study also estimates the developing world lost a total of $5.86 trillion to illicit outflows over the decade spanning 2001 through 2010.

The $858.8 billion of illicit outflows lost to all developing countries in 2010 is a significant uptick from 2009, which saw developing nations lose $776.0 billion.

GFI advocated that world leaders increase the transparency in the international financial system as a means to curtail the illicit flow of money highlighted by Kar and Freitas' research.

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Fire at Goa medical college, no casualties reported

PANAJI: Consultations at the Out patient department (OPD) of Goa medical college and hospital - state's premier government hospital at Bambolim - had to be cancelled for the day due to a fire in the building Tuesday morning.

The fire gutted the pharmacy of government-run Goa anti-biotic pharmaceutical Ltd (GAPL) on the ground floor of the OPD block. There were no casualties official sources said.

"The fire started at GAPL pharmacy store room in the morning and we immediately called the fire tenders. But the smoke filled the OPD section disrupting OPD services. Hence we had to cancel the OPD for today", Dean of GMC Dr V N Jindal told TOI.

Fire services officials said that they rushed to the hospital and doused the fire before it could spread to the other wings. The cause of fire is being ascertained.

The dean also said that Goa infrastructure development corporation (GSIDC) will be asked to check the building whether it is safe to resume with the OPD. He said if the report is negative, then the OPD will be held in the nearby Yatri Niwas building from Thursday, tomorrow being a public holiday in Goa.

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Bombay HC tells husband to pay wife despite his unemployment, illness

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court has dismissed an appeal of a man to waive off interim monthly maintenance of Rs 5000 to his wife as he was sick and unemployed, ruling that the payment should be made regularly until the divorce petition was disposed of.

"Pending the petition, the interim maintenance would have to be paid. No case for any alteration or modification of the impugned order is made out," said Justice Roshan Dalvi.

The HC gave this order while dismissing a petition filed by Suryakant Tiwari challenging an order of a lower court to grant revised maintenance of Rs 5,000 per month instead of Rs 8,000 granted earlier.

The petitioner had not paid any maintenance and was in arrears. He claimed that his employment was terminated because he was so ill that he could not stand. He produced various certificates and pathological reports which showed that he had HIV+ status, arthritis and TB susceptibility.

Tiwari said that he is suffering from all diseases and hence the order asking him to pay maintenance to wife may be quashed.

However, the court said that this aspect of illness would have to be seen at the trial when the petitioner submits himself to cross examination and seeks to prove various illness certificates.

The petitioner further claimed that he spends Rs 3900 per month for his HIV treatment. To this claim, the Court noted that this also would have to be separately proved.

"Mere producing of petitioner's bills do not show that they refer to the petitioner or that the monies are paid by him. The prescriptions for these medicines would also have to be proved," Justice Dalvi said.

The petitioner is an engineer. He was working and earning a salary of Rs 19,000 per month. That has been discontinued after his termination. He claimed to have got another job which is also terminated.

The court noted that the petitioner had completely thrown his hands up without giving any positive evidence about his job or illness. In the interest of justice, he should pay interim maintenance until the petition is decided, the judge ruled.

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Grenade attack at Pakistan army facility wounds 10

PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Pakistani Police say two men on a motorcycle threw hand grenades at the main gate of an army recruiting center in the country's northwest, wounding 10 people.

Senior police official Ghulam Mohammed says Tuesday's attack took place in the garrison town of Risalpur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He says the injured included civilians and security personnel. The attackers fled the scene.

The attack comes days after suicide bombers struck a Pakistani air force base in the same province. Four people died in Saturday's attack on the base in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is located on the edge of Pakistan's tribal region, the main sanctuary for al-Qaida and Taliban in the country.

The province has witnessed scores of attacks, most of them blamed on Taliban.

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International court acquits Congo militia leader of crimes against humanity

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS: The International Criminal Court on Tuesday acquitted a Congolese militia leader of all charges of leading fighters who destroyed a strategic village in eastern Congo in 2003, hacking to death and raping some 200 people including women and children.

The acquittal of Mathieu Ngudjolo on charges including rape and murder is only the second verdict in the court's 10-year history and the first time it has cleared a suspect.

Judges said that the testimony of three key prosecution witnesses was unreliable and could not prove definitively that Ngudjolo led the rebel attack on the village of Bogoro, but they emphasized that Ngudjolo's acquittal did not mean no crimes occurred in the village.

"If an allegation has not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt ... this does not necessarily mean that the alleged fact did not occur," Presiding Judge Bruno Cotte of France said.

Prosecutors say villagers were hacked to death with machetes and many of them raped by rebel fighters.

Rights organizations immediately called on the court to explain the acquittal to victims and survivors in the village of Bogoro, in Congo's eastern Ituri region, and improve its investigations.

"The acquittal of Ngudjolo leaves the victims of Bogoro and other massacres by his forces without justice for their suffering," said Geraldine Mattioli-Zeltner, international justice advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "The ICC prosecutor needs to strengthen its investigations of those responsible for grave crimes in Ituri, including high-ranking officials in Congo, Rwanda and Uganda who supported the armed groups fighting there."

Judges ordered Ngudjolo's immediate release, but the court's Chief Prosecutor, Fatou Besnouda, said she would appeal the verdicts and asked for Ngudjolo to be kept in custody. The court scheduled a hearing for later Tuesday to consider the request.

Ngudjolo showed no emotion as Cotte acquitted him.

Parts of eastern Congo remain virtual war zones even today, with rebel fighters believed to be backed by Rwanda locked in conflict with government forces.

While Ngudjolo was the first defendant cleared by the ICC, other war crimes tribunals based in The Hague and elsewhere have in the past acquitted other suspects from conflicts in war zones such as the former Yugoslavia.

Judges are still considering the evidence against another militia leader who stood trial with Ngudjolo, Germain Katanga, and are expected to deliver verdicts next year.

The only other ICC verdict, handed down earlier this year, convicted another Congolese rebel leader, Thomas Lubanga, of using child soldiers in battles in Ituri. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

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Kate Middleton makes first appearance since hospitalization

LONDON: The pregnant Duchess of Cambridge made her first public appearance on Sunday night since her hospitalization for acute morning sickness.

Looking healthy and strong, the former Kate Middleton presented awards at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year prizes, which were broadcast throughout Britain.

She wore a dark green outfit and seemed composed and comfortable, showing no signs of the acute morning sickness that had led to her recent hospitalization.

She had not been seen in public since leaving King Edward VII Hospital in London on Dec. 6. At the time, officials said the duchess would be resting.

At the conclusion of the gala show, she presented the lifetime achievement award to Sebastian Coe, the newly elected chairman of the British Olympic Association and a two-time Olympic middle-distance champion, and the sports personality of the year award, won by Tour de France and Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins.

Palace officials have said the Duchess is in the first 12 weeks of her pregnancy. It would be the first child for her and her husband, Prince William.

It was also her first public appearance since the apparent suicide of a nurse at King Edward VII Hospital who was the victim of a prank call by two DJs from an Australian radio show. She and William have said they were deeply saddened by the nurse's death.

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Blast in Pakistani market kills at least 15 people

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN: A blast in a market in northwest Pakistan on Monday killed at least 15 people, a security official said.

The official said at least 20 people had been wounded in the blast in the market in the Khyber region, near the border with Afghanistan, and the death toll could rise.

Pakistani television news channels broadcast pictures of wrecked cars and pick-up trucks damaged in the blast, which took place near rows of shops.

The attack occurred near the office of a senior government official but it was unclear if he was the target of the attack, the news channels reported.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but militants fighting the Pakistani state have launched numerous attacks in ethnic Pashtun areas along the Afghan border.

They have frequently targeted government and security officials and forces.

The security official said it was not clear if the blast had been caused by a suicide attacker or a planted bomb.

On Saturday, a team of suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the airport in the region's main city of Peshawar.

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Anti-quota protest in UP threatening to turn violent

LUCKNOW: The protest against the constitutional amendment bill providing reservation to scheduled castes and tribes in promotions in government services is now threatening to turn violent. On Monday, employees opposing the bill set afire posters and banners outside the offices of UP Congress and UP BJP units. They also created a ruckus outside BSP chief Mayawati's house.

The employees opposing the bill also blocked the busy road in front of the state assembly and held demonstration at many places in the city. Effigies of the leaders of BSP, Congress and BJP were burnt at many places. Similar reports poured in from other parts of the state. Even clashes between anti and pro-reservation employees was also reported from some places.

Of 22 lakh state government employees, around 18 lakh are already on an indefinite strike for the last five days. The four lakh scheduled caste employees who are supporting the bill also staged demonstration alleging that anti-reservation group has put locks in the offices and are not allowing them to work. Police has been deployed at many places in view of the tension.

While the ruling SP is supporting the agitation, the BSP is backing the pro reservation employees. Though the BJP is supporting the bill, voices of dissent were heard with some youth wing leading asking party MPs to vote as per their conscience and not as per the whip. The UP Congress leaders, however, avoided public appearance or any comment on the issue.

The bill is to be placed for voting in the Rajya Sabha. The SP has announced to vote against the bill. Describing the bill as anti-national, SP leader, Ram Gopal Yadav, said that the majority in the country is opposing reservation in promotions for scheduled castes/tribes. He said that SP wants the people of India to see the stand taken by various parties over the issue.

Shailendra Dubey, leader of the anti-reservation employees, said that the agitation has received massive public support. "Over 80% people are against the bill. All the political parties supporting the bill should consider the majority public sentiment, otherwise they all will face the consequences in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections," he said. The bill, he said, is unconstitutional.

The anti-reservation employees denied reports of violence but warned that they will also be forced to stall emergency services, if their demand is not met. The employees in favour of the reservation said that those opposing the bill have distorted facts and misguided people on the issue. The reservation in promotion is to check discrimination against Dalits.

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Three killed in firing after group clash in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district

HYDERABAD: Three villagers were killed and five others, including two policemen, injured in firing after a clash between members of two communities at Jillela village in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, police said on Monday.

Three persons, including one Ganni Mian, have been taken in custody in connection with the case, police said.

Ganni Mian, who was convicted earlier in a murder case, allegedly fired at the villagers last evening in which three persons were killed and five others sustained injuries, including a police sub-inspector and a constable, a senior police officer from Kurnool said.

The situation in the village is now under control and additional forces have been deployed since yesterday as a precautionary step, he said.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh BJP unit president G Kishan Reddy alleged that failed to prevent the clash and demanded a judicial inquiry into it.

Reddy claimed before mediapersons here that the accused opened 53 rounds of firing. Police recovered 26 bullets from the spot, but failed to take action against the accused, he alleged.

Though members of two communities were at loggerheads on the issue of a land for sometime, police did not take any preventive measure to resolve the problem, he further alleged.

"It was a pre-planned attack on the villagers of a particular family," he said.

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Shettar government has lost majority: Governor H R Bharadwaj

MYSORE: Governor H R Bharadwaj on Monday said he is aware of the fact that that the Shettar government has lost majority in the assembly, but he was not in a position to intervene.

Speaking to reporters here Bhardwaj said: My hands are tied by the Bommai case verdict as far as testing the strength of BJP government in the state is concerned. The assembly is the only forum where the government's strength can be tested.''

On the Congress party's memorandum submitted to him last week seeking his intervention on their charge that chief minister Jagadish Shettar was heading a minority government, the governor said they should demand this on the floor of the House. He said his earlier attempts on this issue (when he had recommended imposition of President's rule during Yeddyurappa's tenure as CM) had proved futile.

" However I have kept a vigil on the political uncertainty in the state , but I cannot intervene without valid legal ground to do so, as I am doubly cautious on the issue this time," he maintained.
Eshwarappa's case: On the dossier submitted to him by former legislator A K Subbaiah and other activists seeking his permission to prosecute deputy CM K S Eshwarappa for allegedly possessing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income, the governor said: I have received a voluminous file in this regard and yet to study it in detail. After studying the contents of this file , " I can take a decision.''

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ISRO to visit Leh to examine mysterious luminous objects

NEW DELHI: A team of scientists from Indian space research organisation will soon arrive in Leh to further corroborate that the mysterious luminous objects seen on the horizon over a lake in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir are actually "Chinese lanterns".

Official sources said today that after getting the preliminary report that the luminous objects flying over the horizon of Pangong lake, located 160km from Leh township, could be Chinese lanterns, the security agencies wanted an assessment of experts from another organisation for confirmation.

Therefore, it was decided to request Isro to send a team of scientists to examine the flying objects and give its report, the sources said.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police(ITBP) had written to the government in October this year about sighting of some orange-yellow luminous flying objects on the horizon over the Pangong Lake. Besides, Leh-based 14-Corps was also alerted by the ITBP which reported to its Udhampur-based Northern Command.

After the incident, scientists from various organisations in consultation with experts of the IAF, whose radars were also unable to pick up any signal due to the flying of the unidentified objects on the horizon of the lake, came to a conclusion that it was Chinese lanterns.

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Isro to visit Leh to examine mysterious luminous objects

NEW DELHI: A team of scientists from Indian space research organisation will soon arrive in Leh to further corroborate that the mysterious luminous objects seen on the horizon over a lake in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir are actually "Chinese lanterns".

Official sources said today that after getting the preliminary report that the luminous objects flying over the horizon of Pangong lake, located 160km from Leh township, could be Chinese lanterns, the security agencies wanted an assessment of experts from another organisation for confirmation.

Therefore, it was decided to request Isro to send a team of scientists to examine the flying objects and give its report, the sources said.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police(ITBP) had written to the government in October this year about sighting of some orange-yellow luminous flying objects on the horizon over the Pangong Lake. Besides, Leh-based 14-Corps was also alerted by the ITBP which reported to its Udhampur-based Northern Command.

After the incident, scientists from various organisations in consultation with experts of the IAF, whose radars were also unable to pick up any signal due to the flying of the unidentified objects on the horizon of the lake, came to a conclusion that it was Chinese lanterns.

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13 public and private sector banks blacklisted in Bihar for poor lending

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Dec 16, 2012, 07.53PM IST

PATNA: Penalising for non-performance in loan disbursal in priority and agriculture sectors, Bihar government has cracked whips against 13 public and private sectors banks and decided against depositing its cash with these banks, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said today.

"Disbursement of loans in priority and agriculture sectors and Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) has been found to be poor by 13 banks as they failed to obtain a minimum of 25 marks out of 100 on the basis of performance on four parameters - priority sector, agriculture credit, KCC and credit-deposit ratio", Modi said.

It was decided that the state government would not keep its cash with these 13 non-performing banking institutions till further orders, the said.

The black listed banks are Punjab National Bank, ICICI Bank, Andhra Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Punjab and Sindh Bank, Vijaya Bank, Federal Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank, South Indian Bank, ING Vaishya Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bombay Merchandile Cooperative Bank and Tapeshwar Urban Cooperative Bank.

Modi, who holds the finance portfolio said the largest public sector bank SBI had been asked to improve disbursal of credit in the designated sectors as it had just made the cut by obtaining 28 marks out of 100 following review of its performance.

The deputy chief minister, however, lauded five banks - Bank of India, Allahabad Bank, HDFC Bank, UCO Bank and Canara Bank - for its overall performance in disbursal of loans in designated sectors, but said these banks must further improve their lending rate in all four sectors being assessed by the state government on half-yearly basis.

The next review of the banks' performance about loan disbursal will be done in April 2013, he said.

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Gajraj Corps in Assam pays homage to 1971 War Army martyrs

TEZPUR: Army's Gajraj Corps in Assam today paid homage to the martyrs of the 1971 war with Pakistan, remembering the sacrifices of the brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice.

Today marks the day in 1971 when the Indian Army spearheaded by Gajraj Corps had brought about the capitulation of East Pakistan leading to the birth of a new nation Bangladesh, said its Chief of Staff Maj Gen D K Purohit addressing the army veterans.

Maj Gen Purohit also emphasised on the re-employment opportunities for retired soldiers, including information on Defence Security Corps expansion and assistance facilitated by the Army Welfare Placement Organisation (AWPOs).

Officers and men of Gajraj Corps laid wreaths at the War Memorial to remember the sacrifices of the soldiers.

The wreath laying was followed by a Veteran's Mela attended by over 500 ex-servicemen, including Veer Naries ( women) and their families from nine Divisional Ex-Servicemen Associations of Sonitpur District where Gajraj Corps is situated.

The year 2012 has been declared as the 'Year of Veterans' to honour Ex-servicemen who have served the nation with dedication for an entire lifetime and today's Veteran Mela and Rally was to commemorate the occasion, defence sources here said.

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Telecom companies' average revenue per user down by 24% in 2008-11: Study

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Dec 16, 2012, 08.18PM IST

NEW DELHI: The average revenue per user of mobile operators have declined by up to 24 per cent during the period between 2008 and 2011 due to increased cost to support customer service, said a study.

"ARPU (average revenue per user) for GSM operators declined at an average CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of about 24 per cent between 2008 and 2011, while for CDMA operators ARPU fell at a CAGR of 13 per cent during the same period," said a report 'Envisioning the Next Telecom Revolution' by Ficci, DoT and AT Kearney.

It attributed the decline in ARPU to "rapidly evolving technology environment and increased cost to support improved customer service offerings".

It added that competition in the Indian wireless market is amongst the highest globally. Compared to other emerging markets, the number of wireless network operators in the country far exceeds that of China, Brazil, Russia or Korea, the study said.

The largest Indian operator has 20 per cent of subscriber market share and the top three operators cumulatively have less than 50 per cent market share, said the report. In contrast, other emerging markets have at least 80 per cent of the market share cornered by the top three operators, it added.

"While the stiff competition has been of advantage to Indian consumers making wireless services more affordable, it has made the ROI (return on investment) task challenging for operators," the report said.

The Indian telecom sector witnessed revenue stagnation in FY 2010 and FY 2011 due to high intense competition, it said.

"The situation improved partially in FY 2012, and revenue growth continues to be strong in the current financial year," it said.

The report said non-voice revenues of mobile operators will increase to 27 per cent by 2015 from 14 per cent in 2011, of which about 15-20 per cent will come from mobile data, which is expected to grow at 126 per cent.

The voice revenues will decrease to 73 per cent from 86 per cent during the same period.

"Proliferation of smart devices is accelerating this shift towards data. In 2008, only 3.8 per cent of handsets sold in India were smart phones. By 2011, this had increased to 8.1 per cent and is further expected to grow to 25 per cent by 2016," the report said.

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