U.S., Iran leaders talk for first time since 1979

Phone call caps a week of seismic shifts in the relationship

The United States and Iran took a historic step toward ending more than three decades of estrangement on Friday when U.S. President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke by phone and agreed to work on resolving global suspicions that Tehran is trying to build a nuclear weapon.

The 15-minute call capped a week of seismic shifts in the relationship that revolved around Mr. Rouhani’s participation in the annual U.N. meeting of world leaders. The night before the two leaders spoke, U.S. and European diplomats hailed a “very significant shift” in Iran’s attitude and tone in the first talks on the nuclear standoff since April.

Mr. Rouhani and Mr. Obama spoke while the Iranian President was in his car and headed to the airport to fly back to Tehran, with Mr. Obama at his desk in the Oval Office. Mr. Rouhani’s aides initially reached out to arrange the conversation, and the White House placed the call. The last direct conversation between the leaders of the two countries was in 1979 before the Iranian Revolution toppled the pro-U.S. shah. Mr. Obama said the long break “underscores the deep mistrust between our countries, but it also indicates the prospect of moving beyond that difficult history.”

Earlier, at a news conference in New York, Mr. Rouhani linked the U.S. and Iran as “great nations,” a remarkable reversal from the anti-American rhetoric of his predecessors, and he expressed hope that at least the governments could stop the escalation of tensions.

“I want it to be the case that this trip will be a first step, and a beginning for better and constructive relations with countries of the world as well as a first step for a better relationship between the two great nations of Iran and the United States of America,” Mr. Rouhani said at the end of his four-day debut on the world stage to attend the annual U.N. General Assembly.

The White House said Mr. Obama told Mr. Rouhani he wanted to see the return of two Americans detained in Iran — former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati and Christian pastor Saeed Abedini as well as retired FBI agent Robert Levinson, who went missing in Iran in 2007.

The news broke on Twitter a couple of minutes before Obama spoke, in an account that people close to Mr. Rouhani say is written by a former campaign aide who remains in close contact with the President’s inner circle. The two men talked through interpreters, but the tweet from @HassanRouhani said they ended by signing off in each other’s language. “In a phone conversation b/w #Iranian & #US Presidents just now- HassanRouhani- ‘Have a Nice Day!’ BarackObama- ‘Thank you. Khodahafez,’” the tweet said.

The White House had reached out to Tehran earlier this month to offer a meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Monday or Tuesday, but Mr. Rouhani declined at the time.

U.S., Iran leaders talk for first time since 1979

Phone call caps a week of seismic shifts in the relationship

The United States and Iran took a historic step toward ending more than three decades of estrangement on Friday when U.S. President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke by phone and agreed to work on resolving global suspicions that Tehran is trying to build a nuclear weapon.

The 15-minute call capped a week of seismic shifts in the relationship that revolved around Mr. Rouhani’s participation in the annual U.N. meeting of world leaders. The night before the two leaders spoke, U.S. and European diplomats hailed a “very significant shift” in Iran’s attitude and tone in the first talks on the nuclear standoff since April.

Mr. Rouhani and Mr. Obama spoke while the Iranian President was in his car and headed to the airport to fly back to Tehran, with Mr. Obama at his desk in the Oval Office. Mr. Rouhani’s aides initially reached out to arrange the conversation, and the White House placed the call. The last direct conversation between the leaders of the two countries was in 1979 before the Iranian Revolution toppled the pro-U.S. shah. Mr. Obama said the long break “underscores the deep mistrust between our countries, but it also indicates the prospect of moving beyond that difficult history.”

Earlier, at a news conference in New York, Mr. Rouhani linked the U.S. and Iran as “great nations,” a remarkable reversal from the anti-American rhetoric of his predecessors, and he expressed hope that at least the governments could stop the escalation of tensions.

“I want it to be the case that this trip will be a first step, and a beginning for better and constructive relations with countries of the world as well as a first step for a better relationship between the two great nations of Iran and the United States of America,” Mr. Rouhani said at the end of his four-day debut on the world stage to attend the annual U.N. General Assembly.

The White House said Mr. Obama told Mr. Rouhani he wanted to see the return of two Americans detained in Iran — former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati and Christian pastor Saeed Abedini as well as retired FBI agent Robert Levinson, who went missing in Iran in 2007.

The news broke on Twitter a couple of minutes before Obama spoke, in an account that people close to Mr. Rouhani say is written by a former campaign aide who remains in close contact with the President’s inner circle. The two men talked through interpreters, but the tweet from @HassanRouhani said they ended by signing off in each other’s language. “In a phone conversation b/w #Iranian & #US Presidents just now- HassanRouhani- ‘Have a Nice Day!’ BarackObama- ‘Thank you. Khodahafez,’” the tweet said.

The White House had reached out to Tehran earlier this month to offer a meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Monday or Tuesday, but Mr. Rouhani declined at the time.

India, Hungry to co-operate in traditional medicines

India and Hungry are all prepared to ink a pact to enhance co-operation in the field of traditional Indian medicines and will sign an memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard during the visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, which begins today (Wednesday).

The signing of the MoU is seen as a major boost to exports of Indian traditional medicines as at present India is facing a lot of regulatory issues in the European Union (EU) markets. Co-operation with Hungry, which is an EU member, could possibly facilitate market access for this sector to the 27-nation EU bloc.

India-Hungary joint commission on economic co-operation on Tuesday signed an agreement between the two countries in the field of traditional medicine. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) Secretary Saurabh Chandra and Hungary State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Peter Szijjarto attended the joint commission meeting.

The proposed MoU will seek to strengthen bilateral co-operation in this field by enhancing the use of traditional system of medicine, promoting mutual exchange of information, experts, scientists, practitioners and students.

India has also suggested setting up of AYUSH (ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy) academic chairs in Hungarian Universities. The EU’s Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive makes it compulsory for traditional medicine companies to show 30 years of traditional uses, including 15 years in EU. India has, in the past, raised concerns over restrictions in the European Union to traditional medicines and chemical industries.

For co-operation in science and technology, both sides agreed to establish a new Indo-Hungarian Strategic Research Fund with contribution of 2 million euro a year each. As per estimates, India exports about $1 billion of traditional medicines, which is a small fraction of more than $80 billion of exports taking place worldwide.

FIR against Birla unfortunate: Anand Sharma

CBI should not play to the galleries and create a atmosphere of sensation and shock, said the Commerce Minister

Sharing the concern of India Inc., which is very upset with leading industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla being made an accused in coalgate case, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma on Wednesday said CBI should not play to the galleries and create an atmosphere of sensation and shock.

Talking to The Hindu, Mr. Sharma warned that at a time when the country was facing an economic slowdown and government was working round the clock to boost growth, if every decision is questioned and every person is questioned, it will create a fear psychosis and the country will suffer.

Mr. Sharma was reacting to the registering of an FIR on Tuesday against Mr. Birla, the 46-year-old head of the Aditya Birla group charging him with cheating and conspiracy. The agency has alleged that undue favour was shown in allocation of coal blocks in 2005 to Mr. Birla's company, Hindalco.

The Commerce Minister said there was nothing wrong in the leading industrialists pleading their case before Ministers. “It is their right,” he said referring to the meeting Mr. Birla had with the Prime Minister in 2005 to present his case on why his company should be given a mining licence.

He said it was unfortunate that such a situation has occurred and this could affect the investor confidence in the country. “The larger question is whether we have an environment which is conducive to decision making and also which gives confidence to the investors,” he said.

Describing the development as “unfortunate,” he said: We have a system which is transparent and open. We have a due process which is followed in decision making. The institutions or the various authorities who have some constitutional duties to discharge should not go for overreach or play to the gallery and create an environment of sensation and shock,” he remarked.

“Irrespective of what the specific issues are, there is no denial of the fact that the corporate leaders, including Kumar Mangalam Birla, are held in very high esteem in India and abroad and they have made their own notable contribution,” he said.

Alleging threat, RTI activist consumes poison; dies

An RTI activist and freelance journalist Rajendra Kumar succumbed to poison he ingested at Hamidia Hospital here on Wednesday. He took tablets in front of the Chief Secretary’s office on Tuesday and fell unconscious, after which he was admitted to intensive care.

In a complaint to the Director General of Police, submitted at the Govindpura Police Station on October 10, Mr. Kumar had threatened to kill himself if the police did not arrest 31 persons who were allegedly harassing him. The persons he has named in his complaint are those against whom he has filed a public interest litigation in the High Court, in Jabalpur, alleging that they have used fake caste certificates to get government jobs. The case has been pending since 2009.

In July, Kumar had also filed a complaint at the Cyber Cell that one Shailendra Khambra of Sonepat in Haryana had threatened to kill him by posting a comment of Opposition Leader Ajay Singh’s Facebook wall. DGP Nandan Dube said facebook.com, which is based in the United States, has still not responded to requests for information from the Madhya Pradesh Police.

In 2006, the Scheduled Tribes State Level Investigation Committee had recommended the revocation of Khambra’s Beldar caste certificate.

“We are investigating, but we can ascertain the identity of those threatening him once Facebook responds. This man was also facing four cases including that of 420 (cheating),” said Mr. Dube. Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Kantilal Bhuria has demanded a job for a kin of Mr. Kumar and has asked the government to hand over the case to the CBI.

Advani lavishes praise on Modi

Endorsing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as BJP’s prime ministerial candidate for the first time, party patriarch L.K. Advani on Wednesday said he would be happy to see him as the Prime Minister.

A visibly placated Mr. Advani also lavished praise on Mr. Modi for the work done in Gujarat which had brought him accolades not only in the country but also abroad.

“If we get the chance to form next government, we will be happy to see Narendrabhai as our Prime Minister,” Mr. Advani said at an event here to mark the inauguration of Institute of Infrastructure, Technology, Research and Management.

“When I came here, I asked an institute official if there is any other educational institution in the country where infrastructure is taught as a subject and the answer was no,” Mr. Advani said commending Mr. Modi’s pursuit of novelty.

“Narendrabhai is always thinking what new he can do, what new initiative he can take,” he said.

“The work done in Gujarat under Narendrabhai is not only praised in the country but all over the world,” Mr. Advani said at the event, the third during the day where the two leaders were present together, indicating a thaw in their relations.

Mr. Advani, 85, who represents Gandhinagar in the Lok Sabha, was seen at a public function with Mr. Modi in Gujarat for the first time after 2011.

Though the two BJP heavyweights had shared a public platform in Bhopal on September 25 with the top party brass for the first time after Mr. Modi’s elevation as party’s prime ministerial candidate, the warmth between them was missing.

Mr. Advani had lauded Mr. Modi for the work done by him in Gujarat, but also showered liberal praise on Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Raman Singh, BJP Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

However, in marked contrast today, both appeared more relaxed in each other’s company.

Opposing the elevation of Mr. Modi, his one-time protege, as BJP’s election campaign committee chief, Mr. Advani had resigned from all party posts in June this year but later withdrew his resignation after RSS intervened.

He had also not attended the party’s Parliamentary Board meeting last month where Modi was declared BJP’s prime ministerial contender.

Earlier, in the day they attended a function where Mr. Advani inaugurated a garden built by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation along the Sabarmati river under the Riverfront Development Project and also a meeting of Somnath Temple Trust.

Goa to withdraw controversial RTI circular

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday blamed bureaucratic error for a controversial government order which made it mandatory for RTI applicants to prove their Indian nationality. He said it would be withdrawn.

Mr. Parrikar’s comments come a day after the Goa government Tuesday issued the circular which made it mandatory for Right to Information (RTI) applicants to furnish an affidavit swearing their Indian nationality.

“Any document like an election ID card, which can prove your nationality, can be attached if the PIO (public information officer) asks for it. The officer while listening to me only used the last paragraph about the affidavit and issued the circular yesterday (Tuesday),” Mr. Parrikar told reporters after both the Opposition as well as RTI activists called the circular “draconian” and against transparency in government functioning.

“Goa is the only state where RTI applicants have to now unnecessarily bear extra financial costs of swearing an affidavit on citizenship. This skewed move of the Goa government is contrary to the very intent and objectives of the RTI Act of ensuring that information was easily available to any citizen,” said Aires Rodrigues, a prolific information activist.

The circular, according to Director of Information and Publicity Swapnil Naik, was sent to all public information officers (PIOs).

Congress legislator Vishwajeet Rane said he was “shocked” by the action of the Goa government.

“It is trying to make it difficult for common man to get information under RTI. This government came to power promising transparency and this move of making RTI difficult shows the true intention of the government,” said Mr. Rane, who called it a black day for every Goan.

Mr. Parrikar, seeking to put an end to the controversy, said that a fresh circular was being issued, with which the insistence on an affidavit with every RTI application would be dropped.

Astrology, vaastu, 100-feet long stage for Modi’s UP rally

A vaastu compliant stage that is 100-feet long, astrologers propitiating the gods and invitations sent through social networking sites -- the BJP has pulled out all stops to make its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s maiden rally in Uttar Pradesh at Kanpur October 19 a success.

And the spade work, party sources say, has been “unprecedented”.

Astrologers have been roped in to propitiate the gods to ensure a hassle-free rally and vaastu experts have been enrolled to “give the right direction” on the stage formation.

The 100-feet long and 30 feet wide main stage will hold the national leadership of the BJP including Mr. Modi and party president Rajnath Singh, while two side stages are being erected to accommodate the state leadership and other office bearers, BJP city chief Surendra Maithani toldIANS.

Despite hassles in finalisation of the venue, getting necessary permissions from the district administration and working on security, the state unit of the BJP is working overtime to ensure that detractors take note of Mr. Modi’s popularity.

Special teams have been formed to rope in a large number of youngsters and party workers have fanned out in educational and technical institutions including the Chatrapati Sahuji Maharaj university, its affiliates and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) to invite students to hear Mr. Modi and his plans for a vibrant India.

Over the last week, party workers visited Ram Leela venues and Puja pandals during the Durga Puja celebrations, where they distributed invites and pamphlets informing them of Mr. Modi’s rally.

The entire city has been splashed with posters, hoardings, bunting and banners giving details of the rally and its venue -- the social welfare department ground opposite Gautam Buddha Park in Indiranagar.

Teams have been formed to work out guest and crowd management, food and water for rallyists, parking of vehicles, media management and sanitation, a local office bearer said.

Hundreds of buses have been requisitioned to ferry people to the rally site from nearby areas.

Mr. Modi will land on a chopper at around 1 p.m. near the rally venue October 19 after a brief stopover at Lucknow’s Amausi airport.

Special galleries are being made for women, journalists and intellectuals. Taking no chances in the run up to the maiden rally of the Gujarat chief minister after he was anointed the prime ministerial candidate, party general secretary in-charge of UP, Amit Shah, as well as leaders like Vinay Katiyar, Mukhtaar Abbas Naqvi, Ramapati Ram Tripathi and state president Laxmikant Bajpayi have visited Kanpur to oversee arrangements of the rally.

Mr. Bajpayi says the rally “would not only be historic but would also rout political adversaries involved in petty politics”.

The party’s minority wing is also working hard to ensure that a sizeable chunk from the Muslim localities attend the rally and to do so a booklet listing welfare schemes for Muslims undertaken by the Gujarat government is being distributed in Muslim-dominated areas of the city.

Rumana Siddiqui, state president of the BJP’s minority wing, is also touring the city.

“The rally would prove to prophets of doom sitting in opposition parties that Mr. Modi is anti-anybody. The myth that Muslims are wary of Mr. Modi will be shattered in the rally,” said Vijay Bahadur Pathak, state spokesman of the BJP.

Prem Panjwaani, a local who is a tarot card reader, admits that the preparations have “impressed him” and that he had “sure shot plans to go and hear Mr. Modi speak”.

Imran Abbas, 24, a resident of Jajmau and a marketing executive with a tannery, however says that he will see Modi on television rather than go to the rally.

“See, you cannot deny the prominence of Mr. Modi in the national political space but it is too early for the BJP to estimate his acceptance among us,” he mused.

The BJP is also giving special attention to media and separate stands are being made to accommodate local, regional, national and international media which is likely to swarm the city to cover Modi’s maiden foray into Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 MP’s to the Lok Sabha.

The BJP’s national media in-charge Srikant Sharma is visiting Kanpur to take stock of the preparations for the media.

With general elections scheduled for 2014, the party is specially eyeing the rally for Lok Sabha seats like Farrukhabad, Fatehpur, Kannauj Kanpur, Akbarpur, and Etawah -- seats held by either the Congress or the SP.

With the area being a Mulayam Singh Yadav bastion, the party is also doing a reality check on the ruling Samajwadi Party amid reports that it was faced with a strong anti-incumbency.

The BJP has set itself a target of 40 plus seats from UP. It currently holds 10 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats

Odisha seeks Rs. 1,523 cr. for relief, restoration work

Hit by twin disasters of cyclone Phailin and subsequent floods, Odisha government on Wednesday sought immediate release of Rs. 1,523 crore from the Centre to expedite relief and restoration works even as the flood situation eased a bit.

“In order to take up relief and restoration work of an immediate nature, I would request you to release an advance of Rs. 1,000 crore over and above the corpus of Rs. 523 crore available in the State Disaster Response Fund for the year 2013-14,” Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Stating that this would help the state government in meeting the immediate requirement for relief and restoration work, Mr. Patnaik said a detailed report in the form of a memorandum will be presented soon after assessment of the damage.

“An early response in the matter will be highly appreciated,” Mr. Patnaik said in the letter.

Highlighting the “extensive” damage caused to the power systems in Ganjam district which alone will require Rs. 900 crore to be fully restored, the Chief Minister said a major grid station has been devastated. Electrical infrastructure right from the extra high tension transmission stage to the consumer level has been severely damaged throughout the district.

“This requires immediate restoration for which I have already sought the support of the Government of India, particularly the PSUs under the Ministry of Power such as PGCIL, NTPC and NHPC,” Mr. Patnaik said.

With the situation triggered by the cyclone and floods almost under control, Chief Secretary J.K. Mohapatra said restoration of power was essential as it was severely affecting suply of drinking water in villages and urban centres of 17 districts.

More than 300 experts are being hired by the Union Power Ministry for restoration of electric supply in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Vice-chairman of National Disaster Management Authority M. Shashidhar Reddy said 300 electrical experts are being arranged and being deployed immediately in cyclone-affected areas in Odisha where there is no power since the cyclone hit the two states on Saturday.

A total of 647 villages remained marooned in Odisha even though flood situation in Odisha’s five northen districts of Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Keonjhar slightly improved on Wednesday.

Misbah lifts Pakistan to 429-8

Captain Misbah-ul-Haq ended his two-year century drought in test cricket as Pakistan grabbed a formidable lead of 193 runs against No. 1-ranked South Africa on Wednesday in the first cricket test.

Misbah’s 100 off 187 balls anchored Pakistan to 442 before it was bowled out shortly after tea on the third day.

Misbah’s first hundred since scoring an unbeaten 102 against the West Indies in May 2011 in St. Kitts was well supported by opening batsmen Khurram Manzoor (146) and Asad Shafiq (54).

Vernon Philander, who removed Manzoor in the first session after Pakistan resumed at 263-3, ended up with 3-84.

Top-ranked test bowler Dale Steyn went wicketless until his 24th over when he had Misbah trapped leg before wicket to finish with 3-88.

Brief scores:

Pakistan 442 (Khurrarm Manzoor 146, Misbah—ul—Haq 100, Shan Masood 75, Asad Shafiq 54; Vernon Philander 3-84, Dale Steyn 3-88) leads South Africa 249 and 72-4 (Graeme Smith 32; Zulfiqar Babar 1-0)

KXIP duped of Rs. 14 crore by title sponsor

KPH Dream Cricket Pvt. Ltd, the owners and promoter of the IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab, has filed a criminal complaint against its title sponsor, NVD Solar Ltd and its officials, for “cheating and duping” them of around Rs. 14 crore which they were supposed to pay as per the contract.

The KXIP has also issued a legal notice to the company, one of India’s leading solar equipment makers, for bouncing four cheques of Rs. 25 lakh each tendered by NVD India to KPH.

Kings XI Punjab’s co-owner and noted industrialist Ness Wadia told PTI that they have been left with no other option but to take a legal recourse against NVD Solar Ltd and its Managing Director Saibal Hazra.

“It’s a full blown scam. They cheated us of our hard-earned money. They gave us fake accounts of Deutsche Bank London, Wells Fargo Bank New York, Common Suisse Bank Limited, fake swift message, fake names of officials, even sent us mails from fake IP addresses. It’s crazy. They always said we will pay you on a certain date but what we got is only fake assurances,” said Mr. Wadia.

“A sponsorship deal was struck between NVD Group and Kings XI Punjab in March for Rs. 14.30 crore. So far, we have only received a sum of Rs. 42 lakh (Rs. 32 lakh via electronic funds transfer and Rs. 10 lakh through a cheque). That means, they owe us Rs. 13.88 crore. They are actually thug no.1,” added Mr. Wadia.

NVD Group officials could not be reached for their comments on the issue.

A three-year sponsorship deal was struck between NVD Group and Kings XI Punjab on March 1, 2013, till 2015 to replace DTH operator Videocon as the lead sponsor. The deal comprised of the NVD group taking up the title sponsorship as well as the right chest sponsorship of the team for a sum of Rs. 14.30 crores for IPL 6. KXIP has signed NVD Solar as title partner for three years till 2015 to status for last year’s IPL.

Australian batsmen set new ODI record in Jaipur

Australian batsmen, who made mincemeat of the listless Indian bowling attack at Jaipur in the second ODI to post a massive 359 for 5 on Wednesday, also set a new world record in the process with their top five compiling individual half centuries.

For the first time in ODIs, the top five Australian batsmen — Aaron Finch (50), Phil Hughes (83), Shane Watson (59), captain George Bailey (92 not out) and Glen Maxwell (53) — scored fifties which is a world record, according to statistician H.R. Gopalakrishna.

It’s also only the second occasion of five batsmen scoring fifties in an ODI game.

Pakistan’s Nasir Jamshed (61), Younis Khan (79), Mohammad Yousuf (72), Shoaib Malik (63) and Misbah-ul-Haq (55) - batting at positions two to six - had scored fifties against Zimbabwe in an ODI at Karachi on January 21, 2008.

Agarkar calls time on his career

Ajit Agarkar, whose finest moments were scoring an unbeaten century at the Lord’s Test in 2002 and a taking a match-winning second-innings six for 41 at Adelaide in 2003, announced his retirement from all forms of the game here on Wednesday.

His retirement was announced by both the Mumbai Cricket Association and the BCCI. The 35-year-old, who led Mumbai to its 40th Ranji Trophy triumph in the 2012-13 season, played 26 Tests and took 58 wickets at 47.33, and 191 ODIs and took 288 wickets at 27.85.

He did not meet with much success in Test cricket, but Australia’s coach John Buchannan picked him out as the best Indian seamer in the first Test India lost inside three days at the Wankhede stadium in 2001. Plagued by injury right through his career, Agarkar surprised batsmen with his ability to generate pace and swing, and getting nip off the wicket. He turned out to be exceptional whenever he turned out for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy competition.

Talking to The Hindu, Agarkar said: “I have been thinking about this (retirement) since the Ranji Trophy final. I pushed myself hard in the off season to get fit, but it was getting difficult.

“Some people told me to stretch it for one more year. I was in the (list of) Ranji probables, and they were probably going to name me captain too, but I did not want to play just for the sake of playing.”

Bowling averages

Tests: Mat: 26, Wkts: 58, Average: 47.32, BB: Six for 41

ODIs: 191, 288, 27.85, Six for 42

Batting averages

Tests: Mat: 26, Runs: 571, Highest: 109 n.o., Average: 16.79

Yet another addition to India’s batting triumphs

India’s awesome batting lit up the Sawai Man Singh Stadium on a brilliant night as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan buried the Australian attack with momentous performances that set up a memorable nine-wicket victory in the second ODI of the seven-match series.

The pedestrian show by the Indian bowlers, who had earlier conceded 359 runs, was joyfully forgotten in the flush of an exhilarating victory that had its roots in some superb work by the openers.

In accepting the challenge and crafting a well-paced chase, the Indians added a new chapter to their storied list of batting exploits.

The triumph was shaped hugely by Kohli’s 16th ODI century, the fastest by an Indian — Kohli took ten balls fewer than Mohammad Azharuddin who brought up his in 62 deliveries against New Zealand in 1988.

There challenge posed by the pitch — or the Aussie attack — was negligible, but the target was intimidating. Rohit, who hit his third ODI century, and Dhawan decimated the Aussies hopes with an amazing assault.

Costly let-off

Dhawan, reprieved on 18 by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin who grassed the skier off Clint McKay, rekindled some memories of his Test debut at Mohali, when timing and his wide range of strokes took the wind out of Australia’s sails.

After the ‘life’, Dhawan tore into the attack. So did Rohit, with a controlled charge initially and then with a flurry of shots that showed his character when faced with pressure. There was pressure, no doubt, but Dhawan and Rohit left nothing to chance and blazed their way to glory.

Australia was flattened by Rohit’s innovative dominance, some of his piercing shots leaving the field standing. He grew in stature over the course of the innings, even as Kohli played his part to perfection as India scaled the peak of 360 to win — the same target it was confronted with in the 2003 World Cup final.

But, then, that was a different Australia. This team is a mere shadow of it.

It was a pity that the sections either side of the pavilion featured a sizeable number of empty seats. This certainly was not a performance to be missed for fans of this youthful team.

India was ragged and indolent when it bowled, and short of confidence too, as Australia packed punch and purpose in its batting.

Having elected to bat, captain George Bailey led the plunder of runs as the hapless Indians conceded runs to all possible corners of the field.

The pitch played true, and so did the Australians, taking the attack by the scruff of the neck and leaving M.S. Dhoni exasperated and frustrated.

Nothing worked for the Indians, nothing at all. The bowling was awful, to say the least, and the fielding an embarrassment on a few occasions.

Ishant Sharma, Vinay Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja felt the impact of the Australian charge that saw the first five batsmen notch up a half century each — a first in an ODI.

It was also the Aussies’ highest total on Indian soil. There was a pattern they stuck to diligently with some savage and some skilfully placed shots.

The promising start by Ishant, pitching it up, belied for the mayhem that followed, as India looked mediocre as an outfit, unable to arrest Australia’s rampage.

The contest appeared under control for the first 10 overs. The next five were not too dramatic either, but then the wickets were not coming India’s way.

The Australians did not fluster at any stage as they waited initially and then later created some wonderful scoring opportunities.

Aaron Finch batted with lot of flourish. Phil Hughes had the measure of the attack with his canny placements as he played second fiddle to Finch.

A run out, effected by Suresh Raina, gave India the breakthrough as the dangerous Finch gave way to the more dangerous Shane Watson.

Their good work, however, paled in comparison to India’s batting riches.

This was the second highest successful run-chase in the history of ODIs after South Africa made a stupendous 438, chasing down Australia’s 434 in 2006.

Even as Rohit and Kohli rejoiced on the turf, the crestfallen Aussie bowlers reflected the deteriorating standards of international bowling.

Govt mulls renaming of PDS after Indira Gandhi

The government is considering a proposal to rename the public distribution system after Indira Gandhi to prevent opposition parties from taking credit for implementing the National Food Security Act.

“There is a proposal to rename the existing Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS),” Food Minister K.V. Thomas told PTI. “There are many suggestions like Indiramma Anna Yojana and Annapurna Scheme. We are considering Indiramma Anna Yojana and a final decision on it has not been taken yet.”

With Lok Sabha elections not far away, the thinking in the Congress-led UPA government is that late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s name would help it electorally in view of her pro-poor image.

The food security law, a brainchild of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, could be projected as the unfinished task of Indira Gandhi’s ‘Garibi Hatao’ campaign launched in the 1971 elections.

The minister said the name of the food law would not be changed because that would require an amendment.

“We are going to change the name of the scheme and not the law,” Mr. Thomas said, adding that he is discussing the issue with Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh.

Apart from renaming the PDS, Mr. Thomas said the government is considering having a logo for the scheme for better reach.

Last month, Parliament passed the food law to give 67 per cent of the population the right to subsidised foodgrains.

Each eligible person would get five kilograms of foodgrains per month at Rs. 3 per kg of rice, Rs. 2 per kg of wheat and Re. 1 per kg of coarse cereals through the state government under the TPDS.

Congress leaders want the government to ensure that non-Congress parties don’t take credit for schemes run and funded by the Centre. They have complained about BJP-ruled states such as Chhattisgarh taking credit for the food law.

Congress-ruled Delhi, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh have already announced the launch of the food law. Other states preparing to roll it out.

GoM on Telangana seeks feedback on terms and reference

The Group of Ministers (GoM), set up to look into the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, has sought feedback from general public on its terms of reference.

The Home Ministry said the feedback should be related to the terms of reference and should be mailed to feedbacktogom-mha@nic.in

The GoM, headed by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, was constituted to address all the issues that need resolution at the central and state government levels in the matter.

Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas M. Veerappa Moily and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh are the members of the GoM.

Minister of State for Personnel and Prime Minister’s Office, V. Narayanasamy, is the Special Invitee on the panel.

The terms of reference for the GoM are:

Determine the boundaries of the new state of Telangana and the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh with reference to the electoral constituencies, judicial and statutory bodies, and other administrative units;

Look into the legal and administrative measures required to ensure that both the state governments can function efficiently from Hyderabad as the common capital for 10 years;

Take into account the legal, financial and administrative measures that may be required for transition to a new capital of the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh;

Look into the special needs of the backward regions and districts of both the states and recommend measures.

Look into issues relating to law and order, safety and security of all residents and ensure peace and harmony in all regions and districts consequent to the formation of the state of Telangana and the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh, and the long term internal security implications arising out of the move and make suitable recommendations;

Look into the sharing of river water, irrigation resources and other natural resources (especially coal, water, oil and gas) between the two states and also inter-se with other states, including the declaration of Polavaram Irrigation Project as a National Project,

Look into issues related to power generation, transmission and distribution between the two states;

Look into the issues arising on account of distribution of assets, public finance, public corporations and liabilities thereof between the two states;

Look into the issues relating to the distribution of the employees in the subordinate as well as All India Services between the two states;

Look into the issues arising out of the Presidential Order issued under Article 371D of the Constitution consequent to the bifurcation and examine any other matter that may arise on account of bifurcation of the state of Andhra Pradesh and make suitable recommendations.

The GoM met for the first time on October 11 and gave assurance that the concerns of Andhra Pradesh would be addressed with "fairness and objectivity". The next meeting of the GOM will be held on October 19. RT

Planning Commission yet to take view on Rajan report on States: Montek

Planning Commission will soon take a view on the controversial report of the Raghuram Rajan panel, which made a case for ending the special category status for poorer states, Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has said.

“The (Rajan Committee) report has been recently received and Planning Commission is yet to take a view. We have not actually done that. We have received it and obviously we will be looking at it,” he added, when asked whether there is difference on opinion on the report within the Commission.

“We have not taken a view (on the report). There has been a misleading commentary in some newspapers that some officials in the Planning Commission have commented on it,” he said.

There were reports that some Commission officials were against the Rajan panel’s suggestion to replace Gadgil-Mukherjee formula with Rajan Committee’s Multi Dimensial Index (MDI) for allocation funds to states.

As per the Gadgil-Mukherjee formula for devolution of central assistance for state plans, 30 per cent of the total funds are earmarked for Special Category States.

As against the composition of Central assistance of 30 per cent grant and 70 per cent loan for major states, special category states receive 90 per cent plan assistance as grant and just 10 per cent as loan.

Similarly, the special category states receive favoured treatment from the Finance Commission in respect of devolution of central tax revenues.

The special category status to various states in accorded by the National Development Council (NDC) based on consideration of a set of criteria.

The set of criteria include hilly and difficult terrain; low population density and or sizeable share of tribal population; strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries; economic and infrastructure backwardness and non-viable nature of state finances.

The 11 special category status states are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Nagaland, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Sikkim.

The Rajan Committee, which suggested a new formula for providing assistance to the states on the basis of MDI, evoked divergent reactions from the states.

The report is likely to be implemented from the next financial year, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had said. While Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar welcomed the recommendations of the Rajan Committee, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa rejected the report saying it was ‘skewed’

According to Ms. Jayalalithaa, the report was a “thinly disguised attempt to provide an intellectual justification to deliver resources to a potential political ally”.

The committee was set up earlier this year under Mr. Rajan, the Chief Economic Advisor in the ministry at that time and now the Reserve Bank Governor, amid demand from various states for a special category status for grant of additional assistance from the central pool.

The committee has recommended that each state may get a fixed basic allocation of 0.3 per cent of overall funds, to which will be added its share stemming from need and performance to get its overall share. It also suggests splitting states into three categories -- least developed, less developed and relatively developed.

The committee has categorised 10 states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh -- as least developed.

Goa, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Haryana have been categorised as relatively developed states. While Manipur, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka are amongst the less developed states.

Fine can’t be more than twice the amount in bounced cheque: SC

Courts cannot impose a fine of more than twice the amount in bounced cheques, the Supreme Court has held, stressing that the limit is inviolable and should be respected.

“First and foremost is the fact that the power to levy fine is circumscribed under the statute to twice the cheque amount.

“Even in a case where the court may be taking a lenient view in favour of the accused by not sending him to prison, it cannot impose a fine more than twice the cheque amount. That statutory limit is inviolable and must be respected,” a bench of justices T.S. Thakur and Vikramajit Sen said.

It set aside the Calcutta High Court order which had directed a person to pay Rs. 1,49,500 as against the cheque amount of Rs. 69,500.

In this case a trial court had sentenced a person to six months imprisonment and directed him to pay compensation amounting to Rs. 80,000 in a cheque bounce case.

The accused, Somnath Sarkar, then approached the High Court which directed him to pay an additional Rs. 69,500 to the complainant and his jail term was waived.

Sarkar then moved a mercy plea before the Supreme Court saying that he was not capable of paying the amount.

The court after hearing his plea set aside the High Court order and reduced the amount of Rs. 69,500 to Rs. 20,000.

“The High Court has, in the case at hand, obviously overlooked the statutory limitation on its power to levy a fine,” the bench said.

Parakh’s integrity unquestionable, says former senior CAG official

“CBI trying to deflect investigations from real persons”

The registration of an FIR against the former Coal Secretary, P. C. Parakh, for alleged wrong-doing in allocation of coal blocks is being seen as an attempt to deflect the investigations from the real persons involved in the coal scam.

“This is nothing but an attempt to deflect the focus from the real persons involved and this can hardly be the case. It was Mr. Parakh who pushed for the entire transparency drive in coal allocation after observing volatile prices and possibility of windfall gains,’’ a former senior CAG official, who wished not to be named, said. Mr. Parakh has been named in the FIR along with Aditya Birla Group chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla.

``The Prime Minister took a decision regarding the pending amendments to the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973 thereby allocations continues through the same procedure. The Parakh-Aditya Birla nexus is baseless. Mr. Parakh’s integrity is undoubtedly supreme,’’ the former official said.

The Hindu on March 28, 2012 first reported that Mr. Parakh had told the government that flawed policies that allotted captive coal blocks would give unearned “windfall gains” to private parties. He favoured auctioning.

In a comprehensive note on “Competitive Bidding for Allocation of Coal Blocks” placed before then Minister of State for Coal and Mines Dasari Narayana Rao on July 16, 2004, Mr. Parakh had pointed out that there was a “substantial difference” between the price of coal supplied by the Coal India Limited and the cost of coal produced through captive mining. ``There would be a windfall gain to the party who was allocated a captive block,’’ Mr. Parakh's note had warned. The note was prepared after a stakeholder's meeting the previous month had highlighted the concept of competitive bidding.

On July 28, 2004, the Minister of State sought clarifications on the proposal for allocation, the likely opposition from the power sector, the impact of competitive bidding on price hike, and the government's liability and obligations. By the end of that month, the Coal Secretary had furnished the clarifications and repeated his warning that allocation was not a transparent process. “The present system of allocation in the changed scenario, even with modifications, would not be able to achieve the objectives of transparency and objectivity,” wrote Mr. Parakh on July 30.

Despite the warning, the entire file was then sent to the next level of Cabinet Minister. Shibu Soren, who was the Cabinet Minister in-charge of Coal when the discussions on competitive bidding started had been forced to resign owing to an arrest warrant issued against him in the Chirudih massacre case on July 24. Accordingly, the file landed up on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's desk. On August 20, Dr. Singh directed that a Cabinet note be drafted to consider and decide on the competitive bidding proposal. However, this was met with objections from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

When he submitted the draft Cabinet note in September, the Coal Secretary said in his remarks that there was hardly any merit in the objections raised in the PMO's note.

Mr. Parakh had also highlighted the different kinds of “pulls and pressure” experienced by the Screening Committee responsible for making allotment decisions, and again stressed that it was desirable that all pending applications were decided on the basis of competitive bidding.

Dutch diplomat beaten in Moscow

A Dutch diplomat was beaten up by two unidentified men who barged into his apartment in central Moscow, authorities said on Wednesday, in an attack that follows the arrest of a Russian diplomat in the Netherlands that caused outrage in Russia.

The incidents involving the Russian and Dutch diplomats come at a time of growing tensions between the two countries over Russia’s seizure of a Dutch-flagged Greenpeace ship and Russia’s anti-gay laws.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said on Wednesday in a statement that it was investigating the attack on the diplomat, who it said was pushed to the floor and tied up with tape.

Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said in a post on his Facebook page that the diplomat was slightly injured in the assault on Tuesday night. Mr. Timmermans said he had summoned the Russian ambassador for an explanation. “Our people have to be able to work safely and I want guarantees that the Russian authorities will accept their responsibilities on that point,” the minister wrote.

The diplomat’s name was not released by either the Dutch Foreign Ministry or the Russian investigators.

Russia was angered by the arrest of Russian diplomat Dmitry Borodin in The Hague on Oct. 5. Timmerman later apologized to Russia, but he also defended the actions of the police who had arrested him. Police have declined to comment on the incident. Dutch state broadcaster NOS reported that police had traced a car involved in an accident that day to Borodin’s home, and neighbours told police they were worried for the safety of the children inside.

Relations were already tested by Russia’s seizure last month of the Greenpeace ship, which was protesting oil drilling in the Arctic. Russia has charged all 30 people on board with piracy, which carries a maximum 15-year sentence.

The Netherlands and Russia chose 2013 as a year to celebrate historical ties, but it has been filled with tension instead.

The new Dutch king, Willem-Alexander, is due to visit Russia and meet with Mr. Putin in November.