statesman news service
Gangtok, 2 July
Kabi-Lungchok, the 13th century historic venue where the Treaty of Blood Brotherhood was executed bonding the indigenous Lepcha people with the Bhutias who came from Tibet via Chumbi Valley has turned into a virtual war-zone, as factions opposing and supporting the proposed beautification drive involving the spot have resorted to a war of words, extending to exchange of fists and blows.
Police personnel present at the spot to control the situation had to brandish their service pistols apparently to scare away the agitated crowd.
The crowd later dispersed amidst resistance.
The situation has taken a turn for the worse when both sides opposing and favouring the project were engaged in slanders.
Both sides have blamed each other for the ruckus and filed their own versions of the FIR with the Phodong police station, North Sikkim.
Today, the Rural Management & Development and the Ecclesiastical Affairs departments have organised a joint spot inspection involving both the parties in the wake of the raging controversy over the Rs 8.46 Crore Kabi-Lungchok sacred grove beautification project.
Members of both the factions reached the spot, advocating their versions for and against the said project, forcing the departmental officials to cancel the study.
Protestors, including locals, some Buddhist monks and community leaders, gathered at the gate leading to Kabi-Lungchok and started a demonstration.
Mr Tseten Tashi Bhutia, convenor of Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC), who led the protestors, said the project is poised to hurt the religious and historical sentiments of the Sikkimese people, in general, and the Bhutia and Lepcha communities, in particular.
He also said that the drive is being launched in violation of the ‘Places of Worship Act’ that prohibits reconstruction or developmental activities in sacred and historical places.
“Existence of the Bhutias and the Lepchas would be at stake if Kabi-Lungstok is attacked in any way. We would not tolerate such things. The project should be scrapped immediately,” he said.
Notably, the state notification issued in 1998 that sought to preserve places of worship, prohibits conversion, altercation, new construction of any places of worship.
The protestors claimed that the project implementing agency and the RMDD are flouting the said notification.
Later, an official of RMDD told the newsmen that a fresh DPR, incorporating necessary amendments, will be prepared and the Ecclesiastical department&’s permission will be sought before undertaking the said project.
Firm on going ahead with the project, the official, however, maintained that it has been postponed for now.
The State minister and Kabi-Lungchok MLA, Mr Thinley Tshering Bhutia who had also reached Kabi, however, stayed away from the protestors and situation turned worse immediately after he left the spot.
He had to face slogans, as he was boarding his official vehicle.
Later, terming today&’s incident as ‘unfortunate’, Mr Tseten Tashi Bhutia blamed the local MLA and RMDD officials for triggering tension.
Those supporting the project, however, criticised the protestors for imbuing political colours to a mere beautification project.

statesman news service
Gangtok, 2 July
The Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim (AOSS) has expressed regret over the Sikkimese people, particularly the Nepali community, having been hurt by the use of certain words and phrases in the Writ Petition it had filed in the Supreme Court of India
“The Writ Petition has been filed with a single agenda in mind that is of securing Income Tax exemption for the Old settlers of Sikkim. There have been a few inadvertent mistakes. Amendments will be made accordingly by excluding certain words and phrases which have been unfortunately used but were certainly not intended to hurt anybody in any manner,” a media statement issued in the name of AOSS president, said. According to the old settlers’ body, it would desist from anything that might hurt the sentiments of a section of the Sikkimese society in future.
It is further informed that the association has already deputed one of the petitioners to personally meet the lawyers in Delhi for the said amendment. 
The expression of regret came a day after the Sikkimey Nepali Jatiya Sangharsha Samiti decided to launch a statewide non-cooperation stir against the petitioners for targeting the Sikkimese people.
Meanwhile, Anushuchit Jati Kalyan Sangh (AJKS) has strongly condemned the move to cast aspersions on the nationality of the Sikkimese Nepali community by the association of the Old Settlers. “AJKS welcomes the step taken by the members of AOSS regarding the tax exemption to them and the people of Sikkim support the same, but it is very unfortunate to note that they requested the Supreme Court to repeal the income tax exemption granted to Sikkimese people if exemption is not given to them,” AJKS convener, Mr Binay Gazmer said.

statesman news service
Bagdogra, 2 July
A day after the Indian Air Force( IAF) gave its nod to open the Bagdogra airport runway till 10 p.m., the state transport department principal secretary Mr Alapan Bandopadhyay held a meeting with the airlines operators, the airport director Mr K K Bhowmik, the officials of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at Bagdogra airport over the development today. The Darjeeling district magistrate Mr Saumitra Mohan, the Siliguri Metropolitan Police commissioner Mr K Jayaraman, the Siliguri sub-divisional officer (SDO) Ms Rachna Bhagat, were present in the meeting.
"We had a detailed discussion over the development. Mr Bhowmik received a communication from the IAF last evening confirming that the watch hour at the airport has been increased up to 10 p.m,” Mr Bandopadhyay said after the meeting. “Hence, the flight service will be operational till 10 p.m. Following the directive there would be hardly any possibility to cancel the flights. The flights operators become worried over the situation since after the sun set there was no possibility of running the flights. The tourists used to face problems because of this,"   he added.
He said he discussed with the airlines of when they would be able to start flight services in the nights.
"The representatives said the highest levels of the airlines companies operating here would take the corporate decision decision. Among those airlines present, the Druk Air had proposed that they wanted to run the flight service on the Kathmandu-Bagdogra-Paro route. Since it is a matter of two countries so the decision will be taken at the highest level," he added.
When asked whether the security at the airport will be intensified, Mr Bandopadhyay said the CISF officials told following the development that the force needed more manpower. The state government and the airport authority would take necessary steps in this regard.
The representatives of Go Air, Spice Jet, Druk Air, Air India and Jet Airways were present in the meeting.
Mr Bhowmik said the airfield was ready for the operation.

statesman news service
Malda, 2 July
Right after assuming his office after 65 days the Vice-Chancellor (V-C) of the University of Gour Banga (UGB) Achintya Biswas had to face the ire of the students who raised ‘go back’ slogans against him. Though varsity sources said that the Trinamul Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) indirectly encouraged the student-protesters, the district TMCP president Mr Prasenjit Das distanced himself from today&’s agitation. However, he claimed that the students have strong grudge against Prof Biswas.
It may be mentioned that Prof Biswas, who joined the UGB on 14 May, last year and soon become the cynosure of several controversies, went out of the campus from 28 April. Speculations were rife over his prolonged absence. The assumption that Prof Biswas would quit as the V-C was fanned after he in an interview to an electronic channel sternly criticised the ruling party.
Prof Bikash Roy of the UGB was then appointed the acting V-C of the UGB. Today, Mr Biswas assumed his charge again. But soon after he entered his office, hundreds of students sat in front of his office and raised slogans against him including ‘V-C go back.’
They accused Prof Biswas of inaction and held him responsible for the stalemate in the varsity in many departments. “We have no geography laboratory. The examination department has already earned enough ill names for its ridiculous performance. Prof Biswas is a total failure, “said one of the protesters. Some of them claimed themselves to be TMCP supporters.
The district TMCP president, Mr Prasenjit Das, however, said: “We had no organisational programme at the UGB today. I have heard there was a demonstration against Prof Biswas. The students themselves demonstrated. I have heard Prof Biswas in now busy in finding fault with the state government instead of mending follies of the UGB. May be the students protested against his prolonged absence when the students were reeling under uncertainty about their future.”
The district Trinamul Youth Congress president, Mr Amlan Bhaduri, who was found in the UGB today, said: “I went to the varsity for an official work. I found the students were protesting against the V-C. They were even raising ‘go back’ slogans. Perhaps they are not happy with Prof Biswas.”
Though the V-C could not be reached, the acting registrar Mr SS Bairagya, said: “I am in Kolkata. I do not know who demonstrated in the varsity today.”

statesman news service 
Balurghat, 2 July
Sudipto Sen and Debjani Mukherjee, the prime accused in the Saradha scam, left Balurghat last night. 
Before leaving Balurghat, the duo was presented before Balurghat Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court according to the ruling given by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ms Dipali Shribastave Sinha. 
The Chief Judicial Magistrate remanded both in nine days’ jail custody, said government pleader Mr Debasish Mazumder. He said the accused will be produced before the CJM Court again on 10 July. 
On 26 June, the duo was produced before Balurghat CJM Court on 26 June. The Chief Judicial Magistrate then remanded both in 14 days’ police custody, Mr Mazumder said. According to police, as per the ruling of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Kolkata, the duo would be produced before the court concerned in the first week of this month. Several cases ave been pending against them.

BJP on paddy MSP: The BJP urged the Centre in New Delhito review its plan to hike MSP of paddy by a meagre Rs 60 per quintal, saying such an amount “cannot even buy a litre of petrol”on Tuesday.  SNS
Charge-sheet filed: Almost two months since Pakistani prisoner died after being attacked in a prison, police have filed a charge-sheet against an inmate in a local court in Jammu on Tuesday. PTI
Advani praises Patel: BJP leader L K Advani in New Delhi on Tuesday praised the country’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for integrating Hyderabad into the Indian Union through the use of force. SNS
Journalist detained: A German woman journalist and her colleague have been detained for trying to proceed to Idinthakarai, the hub of protests against KNPP, and record the views of  locals, police said. pti
Unjust raid: A senior IAS officer from MP filed a complaint at the MP Nagar police station on Tuesday demanding registration of an FIR against IT department officials for allegedly carrying out raids against him. pti
Soldiers’ graveyard: A two-day Indo-Bangla district collector level meeting will begin tomorrow to discuss identification of cemeteries of the soldiers of the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war, sources said on Tuesday. pti
Warrants: A city court on Tuesday held in abeyance non-bailable warrants against the Editor and the Printer-Publisher of a leading English daily for a defamation case filed by the state govt. pti
Maoist violence: Sustained intelligence based anti-extremist operations led to decline in Maoist violence to the tune of 57 per cent in Andhra in the past six months, a top police officer said here on Tuesday. pti
Sooraj walks free: Three weeks after his arrest in the Jiah Khan suicide case, Suraj Pancholi, son of Bollywood actor Aditya Pancholi, was released from prison today after  Bombay High Court granted him bail. pti
CITU slams govt: CITU general secretary said the government had doubled the price of domestic natural gas overruling objections from almost all quarters of society in New Delhi on Tuesday. SNS
JD-U withdraws plea: The Janata Dal-United has withdrawn its application, seeking termination of membership of its three rebel Lok Sabha members under the anti-defection law in Patna on Tuesday. pti
Robbers kill, loot: Armed robbers shot dead a bank manager and wounded two others before looting money from a vehicle carrying cash of a nationalised bank in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district on Tuesday. pti
Adarsh society plea: Refusing to transfer a plea by the Adarsh society, Bombay High Court on Tuesday said environment violation cannot be dealt separately from other allegations against the society. pti
AP ‘breakthrough’: AP police on Tuesday claimed a “breakthrough” in the 21 February Dilsukhnagar twin bomb blasts case here and said in Hyderabad they were close to nabbing the accused with NIA&’s help. pti
Fraud caller held: A college student, Sunkari Sai Charan Teja, who allegedly made ransom calls to families of three missing Uttarakhand flood victims was arrested in Hyderabad on Tuesday,  police said. pti

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
New Delhi, 2 July
The base price for government’s 4.01 per cent stake sale in Hindustan Copper tomorrow has been fixed at Rs 70 apiece which will garner a minimum of Rs 260 crore to the exchequer.
The base price is at a discount of 3.65 per cent to the current market price of Rs 72.65 a share. HCL shares today slumped 6.62 per cent to settle at Rs 72.65 on the Bombay Stock Exchange over yesterday’s close.
“The floor price for the stake sale in terms of the offer for sale (OFS) guidelines shall be Rs 70 per share of Hindustan Copper Ltd,” the company said in a filing to the BSE. Earlier in the day, the empowered group of ministers (EGoM) on disinvestment, headed by finance minister P Chidambaram, cleared the stake sale in Hindustan Copper.
“The EGoM has cleared 4.01 per cent stake sale in HCL. The issue will hit markets tomorrow,” disinvestment secretary Ravi Mathur told reporters after the the EGoM meeting.
The government holds 94.01 per cent stake in Hindustan Copper. The stake sale would make the company compliant to the minimum 10 per cent public holding norm of market regulator the Securities and Exchange Board of India.
The sale of 4.01 per cent stake or over 3.71 crore shares through offer for sale (OFS) route at Rs 70 per share will fetch around Rs 260 crore to the exchequer.
The government had in November last year sold 5.58 per cent stake in HCL through OFS route at an average price of Rs 156.56 apiece. The stake sale fetched Rs 808 crore to the exchequer.
In September 2012, the Cabinet had approved 9.5 per cent stake sale of HCL. The government had then decided to go ahead with only one tranche of the issue.

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
New Delhi, 2 July
India’s leather exports are expected to touch the $14 billion level by 2017 and may double jobs in the sector to five million, Council for Leather Exports (CLE) today said.
At present, the sector employs 2.5 million people mainly in leather hubs, including Agra, Kanpur, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore and Puducherry.
“We expect leather exports to touch $14 billion by the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2017). In the last fiscal, leather exports grew by three per cent to $5 billion,” CLE executive director, Mr R Ramesh Kumar said.
There has been a sluggish demand in the US and European markets, Mr Kumar  added.
He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function organised by Italy-based Riva del Garda which organises leather items fair named ‘Expo Riva Schuh India’.
The USA and Europe together account for over 65 per cent of the country’s total leather exports.
“We expect that jobs would be doubled to five million in the sector by 2017,” he added.

New Delhi, 2 July: India, current Chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) and Mauritius will be co-hosting a trade ministerial level Economic and Business Conference (EBC) on ‘Deepening Economic Linkages for Balanced, Inclusive and Sustainable Growth’ in Mauritius on 4 and 5 July.  
The conference is supported by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci). 
The Indian delegation will be led by Mr Anand Sharma, minister for commerce and industry, who will be accompanied by a high-powered business delegation comprising Ficci president, Ms Naina Lal Kidwai, and vice president, Ms Jyotsna Suri.     SNS

STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
Mumbai, 2 July
Jet Airways stock crashed more that nine per cent in early trade today on both the Bombay and the National Stock Exchanges on reports that the Prime Minister’s Office has asked the Cabinet secretary to examine whether the joint venture deal between Mr Naresh Goyal-controlled Jet and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways may jeopardise national security as is being perceived in certain quarters.
The sensitive deal, first of its kind under the relaxed FDI or foreign direct investment regime, involving 24 per cent stake purchase by Etihad for $380 million, market sources claim may face turbulence irrespective of staunch defence put up by the civil aviation minister Ajit Singh. 
Jet Airways share plunged more than nine per cent to Rs 438 on the BSE and Rs 435.15 on the NSE. It recovered following the aviation minister’s assurance that the deal is in the interest of domestic aviation sector. 
The stock closed at Rs 455.55, down 2.12 per cent on the BSE and at Rs 454.90, down 2.08 per cent on the NSE. 
Doubts, however, linger about the survival of Jet-Etihad agreement in the markets as well as in the aviation sector.
Market sources tend to link Jet Airways’ future with the success of the FDI deal as its losses have been mounting with every passing quarter. For the fourth quarter ended 31 March 2013, its loss stood at Rs 495.53 crore.
Mr Goyal, who holds 79.99 per cent controlling shares in Jet Airways via Cayman Island-registered Tailwinds Limited, was earlier asked by market regulator the Securities and Exchange Board of India to establish that Jet is wholly domestic airline before clearing the sale of 24 per cent stake to Etihad Airways using FDI route.
Aviation experts say the deal ran into problem after the Opposition politicians Mr Subramaniam Swamy of Janata Party and Mr Jaswant Singh, a BJP MP, wrote to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh raising concern over “massive” allocation of weekly seats to Etihad Airways on its flights from Abu Dhabi to various domestic destinations. 
Mr Swamy, in a letter to the PM on 29 May, requested Mr Singh to investigate potential threat to the national security as he also alleged quid pro quo facilitated the signing of a deal between India and Abu Dhabi in April 2013 under which the Etihad Airways was offered 36,670 seats on its weekly flights to India. The Abu Dhabi’s airline agreed to buy 24 per cent shares in Jet Airways immediately after the seat allocation agreement in April.

Voltas AC price: Tata group  firm Voltas today said that it has increased the price of its air conditioners by up to five per cent to offset rising input cost due to rupee depreciation against US dollar.     pti
ONGC’s loss: India’s ONGC has lost the giant Kashagan oilfield to the Chinese after Kazakhstan blocked its $5-billion deal to buy US energy major ConocoPhillips’ stake in the Caspian Sea oilfield.     pti
Audi launch: German luxury car maker Audi, which launched RS 5 Coupe today, said it will soon increase prices of its models by up to three per cent to protect its margins in view of steep fall in the rupee.     pti
Gitanjali stake: Macquarie Finance (India) has acquired 5.43 per cent stake of Gitanjali Gems through invocation of 50 lakh pledged shares, worth Rs 106 crore at current market price, Gitanjali said to the BSE.     pti
Bajaj sales: Bajaj Auto today reported a 14 per cent decline in vehicles sale for the month of June  this year at 29,5749 units compared with 34,5162 units sold  during the corresponding  month of the previous year.     sns
Banking awards: Indian Overseas Bank has been awarded three awards in IPE BSFI Awards 2013 in three categories. Those are ~ Best Bank in PSU Sector, Best Bank in Rural Outreach and Best CSR Practices.     sns

Press Trust of India

NEW DELHI, 2 JULY: AirAsia top brass and Mr Ratan Tata, their advisor, today met several ministers here in an effort to speed up clearances for their proposed low-cost airline venture, saying they aimed to launch it by October.
Besides Mr Tata, who is the Advisor to AirAsia India, AirAsia Group chief Tony Fernandes and AirAsia India’s newly appointed CEO Mittu Chandilya held separate meetings with Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma through the day.
The series of meetings came over three months after AirAsia got the FIPB nod to establish the joint venture for the proposed airline. The company is a 49:30:21 joint venture partnership between Malaysian carrier AirAsia, the Tata Group and Arun Bhatia of Telestra TradePlace.
As per procedures, the joint venture has applied for a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from Civil Aviation Ministry and submitted documents, including names of the new airline’s Board, its CEO and other top officers, which were now being scrutinised for security clearance by the home ministry.
“They came here for security clearance for Air Asia. We will examine (their application) and take a call as soon as possible,” Mr Shinde told reporters after his meeting.
Mr Fernandes briefed all the ministers about the new appointments and other developments in the proposed airline, with the civil aviation minister saying that his ministry would give NOC as soon as the home mnistry clears the names. “They are working on that. When they get security clearance, they will apply to the DGCA (for flying permit). I don’t expect that it will take too long,” Mr Ajit Singh said.
Exuding confidence that Civil Aviation Ministry’s NOC “isn’t far away”, the AirAsia chief said: “Once we get that, the Scheduled Operator’s Permit (flying licence) application moves fairly forward and we have to just submit it. I keep repeating that in October I hope that would be the time we would like to start.”

Press Trust of India
WASHINGTON, 2 JULY: American whistle-blower Edward Snowden, currently sheltered in the transit zone of Moscow airport, has sought asylum in 20 countries, including India.
These asylum requests have been filed by Sarah Harrison, legal advisor of Wikileaks in the matter of Mr Snowden, the whistle-blower website said today, adding that the first two requests were made to Ecuador, followed by Iceland.
“On 30 June 2013 WikiLeaks’ legal advisor in the Edward Snowden matter, Sarah Harrison, submitted by hand a number of requests for asylum and asylum assistance on behalf of Edward J Snowden,” Wikileaks said in a statement.
“The requests were delivered to an official at the Russian consulate at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow late in the evening,” it said, adding the documents outline the risks of persecution Mr Snowden faces in the USA and have started to be delivered by the Russian consulate to the relevant embassies in Moscow.
The requests were made to a number of countries including Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italian, Ireland, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, Spain, Swiss Confederation, Venezuela.
The Obama Administration has warned countries not to give asylum to Snowden arguing that he is wanted in the USA on charges of espionage and leaking classified information.
The USA yesterday said Mr Snowden, whose passport has been revoked, would be given a fair trial and enjoys all the rights of an American citizen.
“We’re prepared to issue one-entry travel documents. He’s still a US citizen. He still enjoys the rights of his US citizenship, which include the right to a free and fair trial for the crimes he’s been accused of,” state department spokesperson Patrick Ventrell told reporters.
“He (Snowden) enjoys the rights and responsibilities of any US citizen, including the right to a free and fair trial under our Constitution,” he said, adding that “He has a country to return to, which is the USA.”
Mr Snowden worked for the NSA before he fled to Hong Kong last month with laptops full of confidential information. He is believed to be currently holed up in the Moscow airport’s transit zone since his arrival from Hong Kong on 23 June.
He is wanted in the USA on the charges of espionage and leaking classified documents. Documents leaked by him last month exposed a systematic and large-scale surveillance of phone and internet communications by the NSA around the world.
According to his leaks, the Indian Embassy in the USA is among the list of 38 diplomatic missions which were being spied upon by American intelligence agencies.
 

Normal
0

Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI, 2 JULY: The Supreme Court today expressed concern over the sale of adulterated milk in the country, saying it is a serious issue and action needs to be taken by the state governments to curb it.
“It is a very serious issue. There is no doubt that it is happening all over the country. What action is being taken by the government?” a Bench of Mr Justice K S Radhakrishnan and Mr Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose asked.
The Bench directed the governments of Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi to file their response stating what action they are taking to put an end to the menace of milk adulteration, after the Centre submitted that it is for the state governments to take action on the issue.
The court said that it would later on expand the ambit of the PIL to include all the states in the country on the issue.
The Bench posted the matter for hearing on 31 July and made it clear that no further time will be given to the states to file their submissions.
The court also observed that the adulteration is because of gaps in demand and supply of milk.
It was hearing a PIL filed by a group of citizens, led by Swami Achyutanand Tirth of Uttarakhand, who have alleged that synthetic and adulterated milk and milk products are prepared using urea, detergent, refined oil, caustic soda and white paint, which, according to studies, are “very hazardous” to human life and can cause diseases like cancer.
Apart from a check on the sale of synthetic and adulterated milk and various dairy products, the PIL has also sought framing of a “comprehensive” policy on the production, supply and sale of healthy, hygienic and natural milk.
On 21 October, last year, the Centre had informed the apex court that over 68 per cent of milk in the country does not conform to the standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). 
The Centre, in its submission, had referred to a survey conducted by FSSAI, which had found that over 68 per cent of the “non-conforming” milk was found in urban areas, 66 per cent of which was loose milk.
According to the FSSAI’s 2011 survey, the most common way of adulteration was found to be the addition of water, and the main reason for deviation from the standards was addition of glucose and skimmed milk powder. It had also found that some samples contained detergent.
The Centre’s affidavit had also stated that over 83 per cent of the non-conforming milk in rural areas was found to be loose milk.
The affidavit was filed in response to the notice issued by the apex court on 9 May, 2012.

Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI, 2 JULY: Mrs Sujata Singh, currently envoy to Germany, will be India’s next foreign secretary following an approval of her appointment by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, ending months of speculation on who will head the foreign services.
59-year-old Mrs Singh, a 1976 batch IFS officer, was a close contender for the top job along with India’s Ambassador to China S Jaishankar, who is a batch junior to her. His name was doing the rounds because of his excellent service record particularly as envoy to China.
Due to retire in July next year, Mrs Singh will now have a two year extension and will succeed Ranjan Mathai who is set to retire on 31 July.
Mrs Singh, who will be the third woman to head the services after Chokila Iyer and Nirupama Rao, is the daughter of T V Rajeshwar, the former Intelligence Bureau Chief known to be close to the top brass of the Congress.
Mrs Singh is the wife of former secretary (East) Sanjay Singh, who retired in April this year.
There were reports that she along with other diplomats who are senior to Mr Jaishankar were contemplating resignation in case of his elevation. Finally, the Prime Minister plumped for seniority.
Her name was cleared after the Prime Minister returned from his Kashmir visit last week. Though Mrs Sujata Singh has not done any diplomatic stint in India’s neighbourhood, she was undersecretary looking after Nepal from 1982-1985 before her postings in Europe including Italy and France.
 

We’ll rebuild Uttarakhand: Chidambaram
A Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority will be constituted
Authority will look into planning and development 
Blanket ban on construction along river-banks
Electricity and water bills to be waived in flood ravaged areas
Employment in the state under NREGA hiked to 150 days
Norms for relief and rehabilitation to be revised
press trust of india
New Delhi, 1 July
Government will seek financial aid from multilateral bodies like World Bank and Asian Development Bank for reconstruction and rehabilitation in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said today.
He said funds will not be a constraint for rebuilding the mountainous state which had witnessed the worst ever floods last month that killed several hundreds and destroyed properties worth crores.
“We are trying to develop a (financial) package for rehabilitation and reconstruction for which we will go to multilateral bodies, like we did in Tsunami case,” Chidambaram told PTI.
“Prime Minister has already announced Rs 1,000 crore. Different ministries are using their own funds. Tourism has announced Rs 100 crore. Funds will not be a constraint. I have said it on the first day,” the minister said.
Besides seeking aid from these multilateral agencies, the government will soon send a joint team of Finance Ministry and Home Ministry to discuss with Uttarakhand state officials the redevelopment plan for the calamity-hit state.
“What I have approved is that a team from the Finance Ministry and Home Ministry will go to Uttarakhand to sit (and discuss) with Uttarakhand Government officers,” Chidambaram said.
In view of the gravity of the situation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had last month announced financial support of Rs 1,000 crore to Uttarakhand for disaster relief, of which Rs 145 crore was released immediately.
Singh had also announced ex-gratia assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to families of those who had lost their lives and Rs 50,000 each to the injured, from the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
The government had also decided to provide from the PMNRF, an ex-gratia assistance of Rs 1 lakh each to those whose houses have been completely destroyed and Rs 50,000 each to those whose houses have been damaged.
Meanwhile, a total of 1,350 people have been evacuated from Badrinath while over 3,500 remain untraced in the flood-hit state even as a UN agency estimated that the number of missing could be over 11,000.
“There are some locals too like shopkeepers and ashram dwellers who also are being evacuated,” NDMA Vice Chairman M Shashidhar Reddy told reporters here today. The number of dead stands at 580 while the NDRF has rescued 8,634 people from Kedarnath taking the overall evacuation to 1,08,253 people, he said.
He said maximum deaths have occurred in the Kedarnath and Rambada areas while the number of injured registered so far has risen to is 3,119 compared to the figures of 436 on Saturday.
He said the total number of affected villages has risen from 2,000 to above 4,000.

statesman news service
Koraput, 1July
Union minister for human resources development (HRD), Dr MM Palam Raju expressed concern over quality of education in the country, while stressing on urgent steps to ensure improvement.
“Though there were many degree awarding institutions in the country, a number of meritorious students prefer foreign institutions for their higher studies due to lack of good quality of education here. Further, there was no Indian university amongst the top 200 universities in the world,” he said.
While addressing the third convocation of Central University of Odisha (CUO) here today, Dr Raju noted that increase in accessibility to higher education will improve the enrollment rate and also enhance of quality of graduates produced by the system.
“Necessary steps are being taken to revive the lost glory of India&’s higher education system and take at least a few of the universities into global top league,” he said.
The Union minister laid stress on students having knowledge on human values, self-awareness, creative thinking, problem solving, effective communication and inter-personal relationship.
“These skills were important for a healthy development of an individual and should find due place in the academic curriculum,” he added. 
Stressing on greater access to higher education, especially in remote areas, he listed out the initiates launched by the government which included scholarships, student loans and self-help schemes etc.
“Expansion of higher education has been made extensive with a projection to increase the enrollment of students to more than 3.6 crore by the end of Twelfth Plan period,” he informed.
In his Presidential address, Prof Dr K Srinath Reddy, chancellor, CUO described the nature of modern education as “problem solving education” and opined that education should pass through stages of knowledge and information and enable transformation. In this context he mentioned stalwarts like Goethe & Alfred Knaughthead.
Dr Raju conferred Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) on well-known social activist Ms Tulasi Munda. He also honoured eight meritorious students with gold medals for their achievement in the university. Post graduate degrees were conferred upon 143 passed out students across eight departments.
Among others, vice chancellor of CUO Prof Dr Surabhi Banerjee addressed the occasion.