MUMBAI, 21 JUNE: State Bank of India (SBI) has written to aviation regulator Director-General of Civil Aviation expressing concern over the grounded Paramount Airways’ plans to re-launch the carrier, saying it has been in default for long.
“Yes, we have written to the  DGCA expressing our concern, as the company has been in default for long. We informed them of the arrears that the airline promoters owe us and other banks,” said SBI Chairman Pratip Chaudhuri. “They have defaulted on around Rs 100-crore loan we have extended to them (since late 2008). Currently, we are in the recovery process,” he said.
Paramount owes around Rs 450 crore to an SBI-led consortium of banks which includes Bank of India, Central Bank of India, IDBI Bank, Indian Bank and Andhra Bank.
However, Mr M Thiagarajan, Promoter and Managing Director of Paramount Airways said that he had cleared the dues to SBI on 22 May 2013, except for some penal interest which he is trying to get waived. pti

KOCHI, 21 JUNE: Public sector Cochin Shipyard is eyeing capital markets to raise Rs 400-500 crore through Initial Public Offering (IPO) for its expansion plans, a top official today said.
“We are starting the process. We are looking forward to raise about Rs 400-500 crore through IPO,” Cochin Shipyard chairman and managing director commodore, Mr K Subramaniam, told reporters here. The plan is yet to be finalised and the yard has tentatively planned to offer 2.22 crore shares, he added. The total investment for the expansion plans is Rs 1,500 crore.
To sustain growth of ship repair and shipbuilding, it is essential that the investment be made for capacity augmentation for which a new large dry dock at the existing Cochin Shipyard estate capable of docking offshore oil rigs, semi submersibles, etc is needed, he said.
There are also plans to develop a world class ship repair facility at Cochin Port and take up offshore fabrication work for ONGC and other operators at a dedicated offshore location. pti

Once the gold is placed with the banks, they would issue appropriate certificates to the depositors concerned. The deposits would carry an interest of about 3.5 per cent
statesman news service
BANGALORE, 21 JUNE: The Union government is examining a proposal under which it may allow the general public to utilise its unused or idle gold and jewellery effectively while earning interest on it.
The move follows the urgent need to check soaring imports and to balance the current account deficit and is aimed at unlocking at least over 1,000 tons of the estimated hidden reserves of over 25,000 tons held by the Indian public in general.
The proposal to this effect was submitted by the All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation at a meeting with the officials of the Union ministries of finance and commerce yesterday. The federation with over six lakh members across the country has been crying foul over the recent government decision to curb gold imports which it claims is hurting the industry besides being counterproductive.
Termed as the Swarna Bachao plan or the Jewellery Deposit Scheme, it envisages a long-term window of three years at least. Under the scheme, the government could consider allowing specified licenced jewellers to attract gold from the public and deposit the same with scheduled banks.
The industry feels that this is a better option than to set up a bullion corporation or to even allow the banks to collect gold directly. The argument being that the jewellers, in comparison to the banks, have the required expertise to test, estimate, melt, purify, certify and guarantee the metal concerned.
Once the gold is placed with the banks, they would issue appropriate certificates to the depositors concerned. The deposits would carry an interest of about 3.5 per cent. As per the proposal, gold would be returned by weight after the specified period though premature withdrawals could also be considered after 18 months.
The suggested scheme also provides for an extension in multiples of six months with the renewals, if any, carrying an additional interest of one per cent.
According to Mr Vinod Hayagriv, past chairman of the federation and former director, World Diamond Council, by the end of 2013 India could be a $2 trillion economy with the gold stock alone representing almost 50 per cent of it. The 25,000 tons of estimated reserves or “dormant savings” at current prices, he said could be around $1.25 trillion.
The industry representatives meanwhile urged the government here today to stop unregistered dealers’ sales of bar gold even by Star Trading Houses if they do not operate in the gold and jewellery sector. Gold, it was argued, was not a dead asset and did not cause a drain on foreign exchange reserves if used for producing value added gems and jewellery.
Also, the industry felt that the high import duty on gold only led to prevalence of unofficial channels.
 

statesman news service
NEW DELHI, 21 JUNE: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved five per cent divestment in Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) to bring back Rs 466 crore to the national exchequer.
The Department of Disinvestment (DoD) had moved the Cabinet seeking to sell over 7.8 crore shares, or five per cent, through an offer for sale (OFS) route in the Tamil Nadu-based coal major.
With the divestment, the government’s holding in the company will come down to 88.56 per cent.
Earlier this month, the CCEA had postponed a decision on the issue, apparently after Tamil Nadu chief minister Miss J Jayalalithaa had written to the Prime Minister Mr Manmohan Singh opposing the stake sale.
Conveying the CCEA decision to the media, finance minister Mr P Chidambaram said the divestment was “absolutely necessary”.
“It is a Navaratna company and its public sector character does not change with this stake sale,” he said.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has set an August 2013 deadline for all listed public sector units to have a minimum 10 per cent public holding. Mr Chidambaram also said the Prime Minister had replied in detail to Miss Jayalalithaa about “why it is absolutely necessary” to sell the stake.

10 dead in Thane building collapse
THANE, 21 JUNE: At least ten persons, including an infant, were killed and 14 others injured when a three-storey building collapsed here in the wee hours today. The 35-year-old ‘Shakuntala’ building, situated at Bazarpeth in Mumbra area of Thane district, collapsed after midnight when the residents were fast asleep, police said. pti
details on page 4
Pakistan blast
PESHAWAR, 21 JUNE: At least 14 people were killed and over 30 injured today when a suicide bomber blew himself up amidst scores of worshippers attending Friday prayers at a Shia madrassa on the outskirts of this city in Pakistan’s restive northwest. pti
details on page 8
Rutnagur no more
LONDON, 21 JUNE: Dicky Rutnagur, one of the most renowned sports journalists and comm-entators of yore, today passed away in London aged 82. Rutnagur, who was born on 28 February 1931, covered 300 Tests in a fabulous career lasting half-a-century. pti
details on page 12
Rupee recovers
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI, 21 JUNE: The rupee today staged a smart recovery to end 30 paise higher at 59.27 on the back of hefty corporate inflows and dollar selling by banks at the behest of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), amid finance minister P Chidambaram’s assurance that there was no need for panic over the recent currency slide. pti
details on page 9
Deb quizzed
KOLKATA, 21 JUNE: Former state housing minister Gautam Deb appeared today before CID officials for questioning in connection with an alleged land scam. sns   
         details on page 13
Nandigram probe
KOLKATA, 21  JUNE: The state government today told Calcutta High Court that it hadn’t given its nod to the CBI for taking action against government officers involved in the Nandigram carnage because the latter had identified only three such officers, while many more were involved. The court has directed the CBI to give another clarification to the government by 25 July. sns
details on page 5

The Missing Climate Of Discourse ~ swapan mullick
WHILE visiting dignitaries ritualistically eulogise Bengal&’s cultural credentials on the basis of long-standing perceptions, insiders tend to cling to a reputation that has scarcely survived the ravages of time. Diplomatic politeness may still arouse feel-good sentiments about ideas and achievements rooted in the past. But it is nothing short of self-deception to ignore not just the developing evils that have taken a heavy toll on Bengal&’s claim to intellectual leadership but on attachments to the culture that embraces a blend of the mind and heart. That the intellectual claims have suffered and the culture buffeted by declining standards must have been recognised by the chief minister when she implored a group of toppers at Writers’ Buildings not to look for opportunities outside the state. The irony could not have been lost on the prodigies. It was an indirect confession that her government had produced no signs of expanding opportunities in the Sonar Bangla promised two years ago and that the students simply needed to sustain the pride of an illustrious past.
The toppers had no reason to be inspired after having seen teachers being brutally assaulted on the campus and a centre of excellence guided by a mentor group and faculty inducted from institutions abroad being subjected to mob violence. Prominent thinkers who had helped usher in change in 2011 shied away from public expression of dismay when a cartoon was seen to be alarming enough to send an academic to jail and a student wanting a simple answer from the chief minister in a live television encounter was dubbed a Maoist. If Mamata Banerjee had started off with the Tagorean inspiration of a mind “without fear’’ and a head “held high’’, it was soon clear that the new regime had little respect for outspoken dissenters. It became worse when prominent thinkers, poets, painters, playwrights and singers who either became ministers or adorned positions gifted to them made it clear that their social and intellectual concerns were not so much a response to the oppressive tactics of the last regime and the popular demand for change as a garb for either defending the indefensible in the last two years or choosing discreet silence as the most convenient option.
Is this the culture that would encourage the young toppers to seek a future in a soil that is becoming increasingly barren? The boisterous climate in shopping malls and multiplexes covers a section of the affluent but conceals the despair of many more who are compelled to leave the state where industrial growth has been tardy and law and order have become a matter of inter and intra-party politics rather than the responsibility of an unfettered administration.
 There was a time when the thinking class was confined to areas of academic and artistic concern. They often expressed dissent with a Left bias when the Congress was in power. Occasionally they hit the streets as when Utpal Dutt took his theatre directly to the people during election time. The dissent evaporated when the Left came to power in Bengal in 1977 partly because there was virtually no opposition. It was only during the last years of Left rule that the rumbling began to be heard from those who believed that a decadent, devalued and discredited Left needed to be challenged not just at the political level but with an organised show of intellectual resistance.
This must have come as a surprise since dissent was traditionally associated with the Left. The prospect of protesters from the performing world joining forces produced ripples of hope that, if Bengal were to witness a change, it would come not just with renewed energy and enterprise but with a solid core of intellectual support. The last years of Left rule had seen a perverse categorisation of “we’’ and “they’’ that split the cultural fraternity down the middle. The loyalties that existed earlier had been expressed (and rewarded) in subtle ways. Dissent was frowned upon and uncontrollable cadres often sought to stifle voices from the other side. But they were never threatened in the way the Bajrang Dal hounded MF Husain out of the country. More important, no one expected the trend to be extended so brazenly as to cast doubts as to whether the present regime has any respect for a free flow of ideas. But soon the slightest hint that there was a body of opinion beyond the loyalists who had been rewarded with assignments, trophies and titles resulted in “unsympathetic’’ newspapers being removed from state libraries and journalists bearing the brunt of politically protected hooligans ~ conveniently disowned after the damage had been done. Where are the champions of social justice who couldn’t hold back their emotions when Tapasi Malik was brutally raped and killed in Singur but who have gone into a shell when a girl in a village in Barasat suffered a similar fate? Are these prominent minds constructed to respond only in a manner dictated from above? If there were any doubts on this score, they were cleared when veterans from the cultural world descended on the streets to condemn the assault on the chief minister and the state&’s finance minister in Delhi but chose to ignore the monstrous backlash in Kolkata that saw Trinamul stormtroopers reducing a university laboratory immortalised by the presence of those who went on to be intellectual giants to smithereens. That ruling party leaders made desperate attempts at damage control was not as shocking as the silence that underlined the selective display of intellectual concern.
All this has had a crippling impact on overall standards. What is one to make of performers who ought to be serving their Muse but have instead consciously chosen to become political puppets and, to some extent, surrendered the right to think with the freedom they still claim to cherish? What is one to make of regimented noises in the corridors of Writers’ Buildings every other day when an icon is remembered on a birth or death anniversary? What is one to make of party activists being handed out invitations to the inauguration of an international film festival to cheer a Bollywood star and the indoor stadium ~ chosen to match the spirit of the occasion ~ empties out when the screening begins because the political and screen heroes have left by then? What is one to make of Tollygunge starlets being inducted into a protest meeting against the Centre&’s move to allow FDI in the retail sector? The trivialisation of a cultural heritage is justified by a thumping majority. It is the political constituency that needs to be protected more than the legacy to which the rulers pay lip service by creating monuments to Tagore and Nazrul.
The cultural and intellectual identity that has found takers all over the world essentially recalls the climate of discourse that dates back to the literary movement of the 1930s that even targeted Tagore&’s humanism and later developed into the radical (almost subversive) worlds of Utpal Dutt, Salil Chowdhury, Ritwik Ghatak and Debabrata Biswas. If there was an atmosphere of intolerance that hit them, there were also free-wheeling debates that left the people to make their own judgments. That climate lasted enough to sustain the creative excitement. Now ideas and achievements tend to get soaked in emotions rather than sustain the brilliance that is being sought to be revived ~ without much success so far.
The discourses have disappeared because, with exceptions, there are conscious efforts to be politically correct. On the other hand, there are marketing imperatives that put a price on star-studded events at the expense of lasting values. It doesn’t mean that Bengal&’s cultural history needs to be rewritten. It reflects a passing phase where well-established conventions of creative freedom have been replaced by popular choices. The sooner that phase blows over, the better.
The writer is Director, The Statesman Print Journalism School
 

NITISH WINS VOTE
Could lose some admirers
DAYS ago Nitish Kumar stood tall for carrying his resentment of Narendra Modi&’s style of functioning ~ and personal animosity, perhaps some rivalry too as aspirants for the prime ministership ~ to its logical conclusion. Even risking his Bihar government and leading the JD(U) out of the NDA, though not all his party colleagues favoured the break-up. Yet after retaining his office in Patna the man does not emerge so upright ~ his flirtation with the Congress has tarnished some of his sheen. The old adage about “supping with the devil” and its contemporary equivalent, “sleeping with the enemy” have come into play. It is perhaps true that the Congress made the “pass” ~ Nitish did not even pretend to play “hard to get”. His expression of gratitude to the Prime Minister for hailing him as “secular” was in some contrast to an earlier comment that he required no such certification from anybody. For those who claim to have been inspired by Ram Manohar Lohia, Raj Narain and Jayaprakash Narayan, compliments from the Congress would once upon a time have been deemed insulting. Not anymore. Nor indeed can Nitish and Co. overdo the “secular” stuff: they contested elections on a common platform with the BJP so some of the votes the JD(U) secured in the last Assembly poll were obviously from BJP supporters, and the other way around. So all talk of “communal” and “secular” rings a trifle hollow, as indeed does Nitish&’s new-found admiration for LK Advani. The situation was clear and simple: Nitish knew he would lose the Muslim vote by maintaining any links with a Modi-propelled BJP. Why try to “justify” doing what he thought was pragmatic?
There is, of course, a bigger picture. Nitish&’s playing ball with the Congress (even if other leaders of the JD(U) are not enthusiastic) virtually completes the dismantling of the anti-Congress forces that had rallied around “JP”. The Jana Sangh element re-expressed itself as the BJP, Lalu Prasad went into an electoral arrangement with the Congress (shattered by Wednesday&’s vote in Patna), and Mulayam Singh props up the UPA at the Centre. Maybe all this confirms Mr Manmohan Singh&’s theory about there being no permanent enemies in politics. Yet the wooing of Nitish also confirms that the so-called “clean” Mr Singh indulges in dirty politics too. The upshot of that being that manipulation is misconstrued as management, which translates into the misgovernance that plagues the nation.

HC REDEFINES MARRIAGE
Sexual union is sufficient
IN a judgment of far-reaching consequence, Justice CS Karnan of the Madras High Court has ruled that if a bachelor aged 21  and a spinster of 18 have “consummated their sexual cravings” it is sufficient to declare them man and wife.  Even if the woman does not become pregnant after having sex with a man but there is strong documentary evidence to show the existence of such a relationship, then also the couple involved would be termed as husband and wife. Formalities such as tying a mangalsutra, the exchange of garlands and rings, or the registration of marriage were only to comply with religious customs for the satisfaction of society. If a married couple is unable to have sexual relationship, such a marriage would be invalid, the judge said, and added that when a couple seeks to separate after being in a sexual relationship, the man cannot marry anyone without getting a divorce from the woman. It is not clear the grounds on which such a union can be dissolved legally. To prove pre-marital sex in a court of law is practically impossible. Medical proof would be possible only if the woman became pregnant and delivered a child, when maternity and paternity tests would be possible. If Justice Karnan&’s ruling is accepted, many men would end up with multiple wives and many women would become polygamists. It opens up the need for a debate on live-in relationships and possible legislation for giving them legal protection. Marriage involves rights and responsibilities and cannot be conferred lightly based on a one-night stand. The sanctity of marriage cannot be reduced to just a means of sexual gratification. The Madras High Court judgment vastly differs from the Delhi High Court judgment in the Alok Kumar case where it was held live-in relationships were more like walk-in and walk-out relationships with no strings attached. Except for the Special Marriage Act, all other marriage laws in India are personal and are governed by the religion to which the spouses belong. Justice Karnan&’s ruling is inappropriate in a plural society like ours. Pre-marital sex is the norm among certain sections of the tribal community. Polygamy and polyandry are legal in several parts of the country. In Tamil Nadu, having multiple wives, particularly among the political class, is a matter of prestige and a passport to Cabinet berths in governments formed by the Dravidian parties. While the Madras High Court ruling was welcomed by several women&’s groups, there is every danger of promiscuous women exploiting it to extract money from well-heeled men after a one-night stand.

OFF THE PEACE TRACK
Karzai&’s spanner in the works
DOHA is a long way from Kabul, and not merely in terms of distance. Hamid Karzai has thrown a spanner in the works, quite obviously driven by national sentiment in the face of negotiations with the Taliban in Doha brokered by Barack Obama. The outlook becomes still more critical both for Afghanistan as much as for Pakistan in the months leading up to the pullout of US troops in 2014. The Afghan President does have a point when he rejects talks with an offshore outpost of the Taliban. Yet the fact that he has pulled out a day ahead of the meeting would suggest that realisation came rather late. Neither he nor his government had any issue with the venue when the peace conference was mooted. Logically enough, the trilateral negotiations between the USA, Afghanistan and the Taliban ~ aimed at bringing the militants on board after the NATO withdrawal ~ ought to have been convened on Afghan soil. It is more than obvious that Mr Karzai has taken umbrage to the fact that militants are using the territory of Qatar for purported peace negotiations. On closer reflection, any Head of State would have objected to the offshore banner ~ Political Office of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ~ at the Doha establishment of the Taliban. It can only be interpreted as a symbol  of a government in exile. From the Af-Pak frontier to the Gulf, it is a measure of the twists and turns of geo-politics that Mr Karzai has taken strong exception to what he calls the “rise of a virtual Taliban embassy in Qatar”. At one stroke, he has called off the critical security talks with the USA and scuttled the despatch of his government&’s peace delegation to the insurgents. Mr Karzai has gone off at a tangent despite his country&’s pivotal role in the overall construct, though the world must concede that he has effected a diplomatic rebuff to Washington as much as to the Taliban leadership. Indeed, Mr Karzai has scuttled two major facets of President Obama&’s long-term perspective on Afghanistan. Chiefly, to talk peace with the Taliban and thereby blunt the edge of the insurgency when the US troops withdraw. The other underpinning was to conclude an agreement that would ensure American military presence beyond 2014. Both President Obama and the Taliban ought now to respond to President Karzai&’s plea that the peace process should be “Afghan-led”.

press trust of india
NEW DELHI, 20 JUNE: Former Coal secretary H C Gupta was today questioned for over seven hours by the CBI over alleged irregularities in the coal blocks allocation from 2006 to 2008 during his tenure.
Mr Gupta faced tough questions for allegedly overlooking the misrepresentation of facts by AMR Iron and Steel Private Limited which was allocated Bander Coal block in Maharashtra.
Mr Gupta, who resigned as member of Competition Commission of India (CCI) after CBI summoned him as an accused in the case, was asked about a Screening Committee meeting chaired by him.
During this meeting, Mr Gupta, a 1971 batch IAS officer of UP cadre, had cleared the coal block in favour of AMR group.
CBI had last year registered a case against AMR directors Devendra Darda, son of Congress MP Vijay Darda, along with Arvind Jayaswal, Manoj Jayaswal and Ramesh Jayaswal.
The CBI claimed AMR had “fraudulently and willfully” concealed the fact that its group of companies have already been allocated five coal blocks with an “object to avoid scrutiny on this count which would have weakened its claim”, they said.
The allegation against the former Coal secretary was that the committee did not follow the mandatory procedures and did not carry out proper background checks while allocating coal blocks to the companies.
The government had initially refused to grant permission to CBI to question Mr Gupta as he was a member of CCI but yielded after the agency decided to inform the Supreme Court about not getting the sanction to proceed against him.
During his period as secretary beginning from June 2006 to November 2008, 68
coal blocks were allotted to 151 companies and files of some of them had gone missing.
The government gave the permission on 11 June and a day later Mr Gupta submitted his resignation from CCI.

MADURAI, 20 JUNE: The BCCI today strongly refuted charges that all its activities are being kept away from the public eye, that it enjoyed tax exemption and that its affairs are being conducted illegally to the detriment of public interest and sought to dismiss a PIL seeking a direction to Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs to take over the body and IPL. Countering the allegations on a PIL filed by advocate V Sankarakumaresan, BCCI Honorary Secretary S Sanjay Patel said the PIL relied purely on news reports and as such without any specific detail which would suggest genuine cause of action.
On complaints against the IPL season, he said, the BCCI had taken action ‘without fear or favour’ against individuals concerned. 
Meanwhile, BCCI official Ratnakar Shetty will discuss with the two judges appointed to inquire into the complaints against Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra, and the owners of CSK and Rajasthan Royals, the “preferred mode of operation” in the IPL-6 spot-fixing and betting scandal. pti

John Kerry&’s visit next week
NEW DELHI, 20 JUNE: The US Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry, will arrive in India on Sunday and co-chair the 4th India-US strategic dialogue on Monday. This was announced by the US State Department in Washington yesterday. “Topics for discussion will include bilateral and regional economic engagement, regional security and Defence, science and technology, climate change, and other global issues such as women’s empowerment, non-proliferation and space cooperation,” said US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki in a statement. Mr Kerry is on a 10-day visit to various Asian nations. Before arriving in the Capital, he will make a stopover in Doha on 23 June. Mr Kerry will co-chair the annual US-India strategic dialogue with external affairs minister Salman Khurshid on 24 June. sns
BJP for early decision on JD-U MPs
NEW DELHI, 20 JUNE: The changed political equations between BJP and JD-U today played out in the open in a Parliamentary panel when the main Opposition demanded an early decision on disqualification of three MPs of its erstwhile ally. The agenda regarding the JD-U petition to disqualify three of its Lok Sabha MPs ~ Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’, Sushil Singh and Mangni Lal Mandal ~ is pending for months with the Privileges Committee of the Lok Sabha. pti
ACB may question Alemao in PWD scam
PANAJI, 20 JUNE: Anti-Corruption Bureau may summon former Goa PWD minister Churchill Alemao for questioning after allegations came up that he was allegedly involved in a scam where tenders were issued for carrying out various works in violation of procedures. The minister, however, has denied the allegations.pti
Trial against Jagan can start: CBI
HYDERABAD, 20 JUNE: The CBI today told a local court that it had completed investigation in the three charge-sheets filed against YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in the case related to ‘quid-pro-quo’ investments and the trial can start. The CBI has filed five charge-sheets and three supplementary charge-sheets against Mr Reddy and others, including three former Andhra Pradesh ministers, so far. pti
Man kills father&’s murderer after 37 yrs
CHANDIGARH, 20 JUNE: A 41-year-old man killed his father’s murderer 37 years after the murder in Punjab district, and after the latter served a life term in the case. A resident of Ralla village under the Joga police station in Mansa district, Jarnail Singh&’s father Harmel Singh was murdered in 1976 by Chotta Singh following some argument. Chotta had returned to the village after serving life imprisonment for the murder of Harmel. But apparently, Jarnail was waiting to take revenge and murdered Chotta with an axe on 18 June. He fled from the spot but was arrested on Wednesday. The axe used in the crime has also been recovered. sns

agence france-presse  
FORTALEZA (Brazil), 20 JUNE: Brazil superstar Neymar (in photo) scored one goal and set up the other to give hosts Brazil a 2-0 win over Mexico in their Group A game and all but assure them of a place in the semifinals of the Confederations Cup in Fortaleza on Wednesday. 
The 21-year-old took his tally to 13 goals in his last 15 games for his country with a superb left-footed volley early in the first-half, and then produced a brilliant shimmy between two Mexican defenders in second-half stoppage time to set up Jo for the second goal. 
While Brazil – who had lost six of their last seven meetings with the Mexicans – are all but in the semis, Mexico’s hopes hang by a thread after two defeats as Japan, who lost 3-0 to Brazil in their opener, must beat Euro 2012 finalists Italy later on Wednesday to give them any hope of reaching the last four. 
For Brazil it was a much cheerier occasion than the last time they played in Fortaleza in 2002 as their celebrations at winning the World Cup in South Korea and Japan fell flat as Mexico beat them 1-0. 
Neymar confirmed Brazil’s early dominance with a stunning left-footed volley in the ninth minute after Mexico defender Francisco Rodriguez’s header fell to him. 
Dani Alves, who had provided the cross which Rodriguez failed to clear properly, then went close with a shot towards the far right corner but Mexico goalkeeper Jose Corona did well to tip it over the bar. 
The signs had been there right from the start that Brazil were intent on sealing their place in the last four as Chelsea star Oscar scored after a flowing move only for it to be ruled out by English referee Howard Webb for offside.  Neymar went close to doubling his tally in the 23rd minute as he chested the ball down outside the area and let fly with his shot going just over the bar.  Brazil went slightly off the boil after that and weren’t helped when Oscar’s Chelsea clubmate David Luiz had to go off for lengthy treatment after injuring his nose in a clash with one of his team-mates. However, not even with the hosts down to 10 men could Mexico press home the advantage, as they produced lots of pretty football, stemming from Mallorca’s Giovanni dos Santos, but failed to round it off with the killer touch. 
The Brazilians had the ball in the net early in the second-half as Thiago Silva headed home, but once again it was ruled out for offside. Brazil had several chances after that as they looked to seal the win but Hulk hit a shot into the side netting, after being set up by Neymar, while the goalscorer also went close. 
Luiz, fully rehabilitated after his nose bleed, produced probably a goal saving clearance on the hour mark as he slid in to turn behind a dangerous ball played across goal with Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez lurking just behind him.
 The pace of the game slowed dramatically in the second-half as the high humidity had an inevitable effect on the players.
However, it didn’t stop Neymar from one last moment of brilliance to set up Jo and send the home fans into ecstasy.

Spain face Tahiti
World champions Spain are likely to make massive changes to the team that won against Uruguay 2-1 on Sunday, with Victor Valdes, Fernando Torres and striker David Villa all expected to start. Defender Cesar Azpilicueta could win his third cap for the seniorside, while the likes of David Silva and Jesus Navas are also setto make their first appearances of the tournament.
In another development, Brazilian police are investigating the case of robbery involving Spanish national football team players at their hotel in the northern city of Recife. FIFA confirmed the investigation after Spanish media said players had money stolen from their rooms while in Recife for a Confederations Cup match against Uruguay on Sunday. agencies

agence france-presse
RECIFE (Brazil): Italy booked their place in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup on Wednesday with a thrilling come-from-behind 4-3 win over Japan that also sent Brazil into the last four. 
The Italians looked to be heading for a shock defeat after going 2-0 down to Japan midway through the first half, with Keisuke Honda slotting a 21st-minute penalty before Manchester United star Shinji Kagawa doubled the lead for the Asian champions. 
However Italy fought back with a three-goal blast either side of half-time, courtesy of strikes from Daniele De Rossi, an own-goal from Atsuto Uchida and a Mario Balotelli spot-kick to make it 3-2. 
Japan levelled at 3-3 courtesy of a thumping header from Shinji Okazaki on 69 minutes as the momentum shifted again before Italy substitute Sebastian Giovinco sealed a dramatic encounter with the winner four minutes from time.
The result saw Japan eliminated along with Mexico, while Brazil and Italy will now face each other in the final round of matches to determine who qualifies as group winners. 
It was an agonising exit from Japan, whose coach Alberto Zaccheroni had challenged his team to take the game to his Italian countrymen after a lacklustre display in their opening defeat to Brazil. 
For 40 minutes they looked a team transformed with a swashbuckling display that ought to have given them a first ever success over the Azzurri, as goals by Honda and Kagawa put them in the driving seat. 
Ryoichi Maeda had almost opened a hugely entertaining game with a header on seven minutes but Gianluigi Buffon made a smart stop from an effort placed too close to the Italian shot-stopper. 
At the other end, Balotelli, whose late goal against Mexico gave the Italians a winning start at the tournament, raced down the right flank and whipped over a speculative cross but Eiji Kawashima palmed away and no Italian followed up. 
Kagawa fired a left foot effort goalwards in the 19th minute that Buffon parried to safety. 
But two minutes later, Japan took the lead from the spot as Buffon clattered into a 50-50 challenge with Okazaki and referee Diego Abal of Agentina ruled the Italian veteran had impeded his rival. Honda, whose penalty-taking exploits earlier this month had ensured qualification for next year’s World Cup in Brazil, drilled his kick low to Buffon’s left and just inside the post.  Thereafter, Japan enjoyed a purple patch and after 33 minutes it was 2-0, Kagawa swivelling in the box to plant a left-foot shot low past Buffon.  Italian midfielder De Rossi then picked up a booking for tripping Honda as the Japanese, their confidence suddenly sky-high and playing neat one-touch football that brought shouts of ‘ole’ from the crowd, looked to go for the kill. 
Against an Italian side that had before Wednesday lost only one of 23 competitive games under Cesare Prandelli, they failed to find the coup de grace. 
And Andrea Pirlo gave Italy hope when he arrowed in a corner that was met by a powerful De Rossi header just before half-time for 2-1. 
In what was turning into a superlative advert for attacking football Emanuele Giaccherini then saw a low drive come back off the base of the post with almost the last kick of the first half. 
The second half was no less action packed and soon after the restart Giaccherini beat Maya Yoshida and saw his low cross turned into his own net by a Uchida. 
Italy had already made a change before the breakchange, midfielder Alberto Aquilani giving way to striker Giovinco. 
Three minutes after Uchida’s faux pas Balotelli scored from the spot after Makoto Hasebe handballed in the box. 
But Japanese heads did not drop and they made it 3-3 in the 69th minute when Yasuhito Endo crossed for Okazaki to head in. 
Honda then went off on a surging run and fired in a drive which Buffon beat down before Hasebe drove over. 
In an astonishing finale Okazaki hit the post and, with Buffon stranded, Kagawa saw his header bounce onto the bar when it seemed he must score. 
With four minutes left of a pulsating match Giovinco netted from close range from Claudio Marchisio’s cross.

agence france-presse
SALVADOR (Brazil), 20 JUNE: Diego Forlan spoke of his "great pride" on Wednesday as he contemplated the prospect of becoming the first player to make 100 international appearances for Uruguay. 
The 34-year-old striker will reach the landmark in Thursday’s Confederations Cup encounter with Nigeria, 11 years after pulling on the light blue shirt for the first time against Saudi Arabia in March 2002. 
"It’s a matter of pride, being the first player to play all these matches for the Uruguay team," said the former Manchester United and Atletico Madrid striker. 
"I saw an article today, and I said the same thing yesterday — through all the things I’ve experienced in my career, I never imagined I’d be playing my 100th match at the Confederations Cup. 
"And the match tomorrow (Thursday) means a lot. Obviously it’s 100 matches for me, but it’s a key game and we have to win in order to reach the next phase.
"It’s a matter of great pride to wear the light blue shirt so many times, and I hope I can continue doing this." 
The Brazilian city of Salvador will provide a fitting setting for Forlan’s milestone moment. 
His father, Pablo, played for Brazilian clubs Sao Paulo and Cruzeiro during his professional career, and Forlan followed in his footsteps by signing for Porto Alegre side Internacional last year. 
"For me to play here in this Confederations Cup is an award that was given to me by the national team," Forlan said.  "I’ve been in Brazil for one year, so I’m very happy to be in a place where my father played. The reception I got in Recife (where Uruguay lost to Spain) was spectacular."  Since spearheading Uruguay to success at the 2011 Copa America, a year after they reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, Forlan’s form has dipped, and he joined Internacional after an unhappy stint at Inter Milan.  Uruguay are also going through a difficult period, currently lying fifth in South American qualifying for next year’s World Cup, but coach Oscar Tabarez said it was unfair to attach blame to Forlan. 
"There are too many factors in football to say that a team depends exclusively on one player," he said. 
"That’s not the case. He’s a player who has more influence than normal players, which we know.
But footballers are human beings. Sometimes the level of their performances oscillates."  Forlan also expressed support for the protests that have swept Brazil, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to denounce the lavish amounts of public money that have been spent on the organisation of the Confederations Cup and next year’s World Cup.  "I think each person has their reasons for making a protest," he said.  "I believe that this is a moment where everyone is focusing on the World Cup and looking at Brazil, so it’s a moment for people to speak up and express their opinions about what is wrong. But who am I to talk about it?" 
The game against Nigeria will present Forlan with an opportunity to reclaim Uruguay’s outright goal-scoring record, after Luis Suarez drew level with him on 33 goals by scoring a late consolation against Spain.  

terri judd

LONDON, 19 JUNE: The UK&’s top judge has criticised the lack of ethnic minorities in the senior judiciary, describing it as ‘almost monolithic’.
Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court, said the legal profession needed to do more to improve diversity in a speech at the Institute for Government last night.
Some progress had been made in addressing gender inequality, he said, acknowledging the three recent female appointments to the Court of Appeal. There are now seven women among the 38 Lord Justices of Appeal.
But he added: ‘A lot more work needs to be done in other respects: the ethnic minority representation among the senior judiciary is very low, and the socio-economic background of the senior judiciary is almost monolithic.’
The problem, Lord Neuberger, added, was that the judiciary was drawn from senior members of a legal profession where only 11 per cent of the leading QCs and partners in top firms were women.
‘The duty on the judiciary to improve diversity also applies to the legal profession,’ he said. ‘Lawyers occupy a special place in society, but that carries with it responsibilities as well as rights. The legal profession must do more to improve diversity. More broadly, if we really want to increase diversity, the problem has to be tackled throughout society, in our universities, schools and at home.’
Of the 12 Supreme Court justices, only one is a woman, while none are from ethnic minorities.
The majority are white, public school and Oxbridge educated. The appointment of three new justices in March did nothing to change the balance.
All five of the senior appointments in England and Wales ~ the Lord Chief Justice, Master of the Rolls, and heads of the three High Court divisions ~ are white men.
While women now represent 18 per cent of judges in the Court of Appeal, there are no black or ethnic-minority justices. In the High Court, women make up 15 per cent of the 110 judges while only 5 per cent are non-white.
the independent

The limits of judicial activism
SIR, ~ This is with reference to the letter, ‘Between judicial activism and over-reach’ by Sukumar Mukhopadhyay (4 June). The dividing line between judicial activism and over-reach is rather thin. Over the years, the judiciary has crossed the line in a number of cases. Some years ago, two former Chief Justices ~ JS Verma and AS Anand ~ had expressed their anguish over the manner in which the judiciary crossed the lakhsman rekha to virtually snap the fine thread that separates the three organs of democracy ~ legislature, executive and judiciary.
The Supreme Court has listed certain cases where the judiciary strayed into the executive&’s domain. These cases related to nursery admissions in Delhi; the legality of constructions and identifying buildings to be demolished in Delhi; overcharging by Delhi auto-rickshaws; increasing number of road accidents, free beds in hospitals etc. In 2005, the judiciary overstretched its limit by directing the Speaker of the Jharkhand Assembly to conduct a trust-vote under the glare of CCTV.
Justices AK Mathur and Markendey Katju of the Supreme Court once cautioned against judicial activism and observed: “They (judges) must remember that judicial activism is not an unguided missile, failure to bear this in mind would lead to chaos. Public adulation must not sway the judges and personal aggrandisement must be eschewed”.
The judiciary ought not to harbour the illusion that it can function as a substitute for the two other organs of democracy. Judicial activism may be described as chemotherapy for a carcinogenic public body. Obviously, a patient is sometimes in need of chemotherapy, but overdose can turn out to be fatal.
yours, etc., jaydev jana, kolkata, 4 june.
Technical, lucid, brilliant
SIR, ~ Mr Bimal Kumar Chatterjee, Advocate-General of West Bengal deserves to be congratulated for his two-part article, “Judicial activism”, published on 31 May and 1 June . He has dealt with a technical subject with remarkable lucidity. The piece was as interesting as it was instructive and could only have been written by a person with considerable command over judicial affairs.
  One particular sentence sums up his contention ~ “While judicial activism is a boon, judicial over-activism is a bane”. He has been able to convey his message to the lay reader, and bereft of technicalities. Even practitioners of law have something to learn.
  Comparisons are odious; nevertheless as a regular reader of The Statesman I feel proud to state that such excellent articles are not to be seen in your contemporaries.
yours, etc., pradip kumar das, kolkata, 4 june.
Minor muddles
SIR, ~ It was most interesting to read Mr Rajinder Puri&’s article “God save America” in The Sunday Statesman today. Mr Puri is a distinguished journalist who has gifted the readers of our newspaper with so many brilliant articles. Therefore, I am a little hesitant to point out that he has made a few minor (and yet important) mistakes in his latest piece. He has muddled up some dates. He writes, “China consented to sign the WTO agreement on 17/11 2001 that would bring its industry under international purview. Six days earlier on 9/11 2001 China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Afghanistan&’s Taliban government headed by Mullah Omar….On that very same day the terrorist 9/11 attack on the twin towers of the WTO in New York was launched.” The 9/11 attack was on the WTC (World Trade Center) twin towers in New York which is not the same as the WTO which is headquartered in Geneva.
yours, etc., nileen putatunda, kolkata, 9 june.

2 Rajinder Puri adds: Error admitted, correction welcomed. Sometimes haste makes careless waste. ~ Ed. S.
Oil import
SIR, ~ The USA has eventually lifted what can be described as an unofficial embargo on India in terms of importing oil from Iran.
  In fact, this was a form of American hegemony over India. We were asked to cut oil imports  from Iran and Delhi bowed to US pressure and abided by the directive. It needs to be emphasised that Iran had been supplying oil to India at a very reasonable price, so very unlike the oil import from Arab countries.
yours, etc., baniprasanna datta, kolkata, 7 june.
 

associated press
MILAN, 19 JUNE: The former head of Italian aerospace and defense giant Finmeccanica, accused by prosecutors of making bribery part of the company culture, went on trial today for his alleged role in the payment of bribes to secure a crucial 560 million euro (US$ 670 million) helicopter contract in India.
Giuseppe Orsi, who resigned in February, faces charges of fraud and corruption in a case that has tarnished the international image of the state-controlled company and jeopardised the defense contractor’s attempts to expand into the lucrative Indian military market.
Also on trial is Bruno Spagnolini, the former chief executive of AgustaWestland, the defense contractor’s helicopter division.
Prosecutor Eugenio Fusco allege that two men presided oversaw a system of bribery and corruption that was part “of the company philosophy,” according to his arrest warrant for the men.
Mr Orsi was head of AgustaWestland
at the time the contract was signed in 2010, and became CEO of Finmeccanica in
2011 when a separate corruption probe led to the ouster of his predecessor. Mr Spagnolini replaced Mr Orsi at AgustaWestland.
The court on the first day of trial admitted both the government of India and the Italian tax office as injured parties in the case. This allows them to participate in questioning witnesses and to seek damages in the event of a guilty verdict.
Mr Orsi has denied wrongdoing, while Mr Spagnolini has not commented publicly. Defendants in Italy are not required to appear in their own trials nor attend the opening session.
Both Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland deny any wrongdoing and have said they are cooperating with investigators. Mr Orsi’s lawyer, Ennio Amodio, said his client intends to attend future hearings to prove there was no illegal dealings for the helicopter contract. Mr Amodio has said in the past that Mr Orsi was in the process of bringing more transparency to the company.
“He is convinced he can demonstrate that those helicopters were purchased because they are the best,” Mr Amodio said.
Mr Orsi was jailed for some 80 days during the investigation before being released pending trial in early May. Mr Spagnolini was released from house arrest at the same time.

statesman news service
KOLKATA, 19 JUNE: Although huge import of gold is often cited as the basic reason for the recent high level of current account deficit (CAD), deleberations at a panel discussion on ‘Modified Exim Policy 2013’ organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce & Industry here today revealed that decline in exports was basically responsible for the widening CAD.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sanjiv Kejriwal, member, Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, Kolkata explained that decline in exports contributed more to the poor export performance than import of gold.
Mr Suranjan Gupta, additional executive director, Engineering Export Promotion Council said that corruption and lack of infrastructure affected export of engineering exports in recent years. He said that there are 20-25 steps involved in exporting a consignment. It takes about six months to complete all these formalities involving about a 100 signatories. These hassles need to be removed to increase exports, Mr Gupta said.
Dr K Rangarajan, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Kolkata and Mr Mritiunjoy Mohanty, Indian Institute of Management said that the current CAD was unprecedented. Although imports had stabilised to some extent, the present problem was of declining exports.
Dr Rangarajan said that the annual exim policy had only cosmetic changes. Time has come to think of the next policy post-2014.
However, Mr Dipankar Sinha, Director General of Commercial Intelligence and Statics, Kolkata, maintained that import of gold and petroleum goods accounted for 50 per cent of the deficit. This month, nevertheless, import of such items have started to come down, he added.
Mr Tapan Chattopadhyaya, executive director, said though we have reached the terminal year of the exim policy, not much success has been achieved so far.