Summary: 22 to 28 May 2010

National Summary:
Manmohan Singh answered all repeatedly asked questions about his legacy, retirement, relationship with Sonia Gandhi and any succession plan involving Rahul Gandhi, at his first press conference as executive head of UPA’s second tenure in government. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dismissed notions of any gaps in his equation with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, saying they met every week to discuss major issues. .” He said Rahul Gandhi was “very qualified” to join the Cabinet and said he had requested him on a number of occasions to do so but the young MP had declined saying he wanted to give his attention to party-building.
The Supreme Court of India has said in a verdict that it is the fundamental right of minorities to establish educational institutions without the government imposing any unreasonable restrictions. The apex court passed the judgment while upholding an appeal filed by Cannanore District Muslim Educational Association challenging a Kerala High Court decision that the association had no statutory right to run a higher secondary course in the Sir Syed College run by it.
79 persons killed and nearly 150 people injured in a train crash in West Bengal on Friday, West Bengal government suspected the involvement of Maoists in accident.
Bilateral trade between Indonesia and India, which saw a sharp increase at $10 billion in 2009 against $4 billion in 2005, is set to grow further following the aggressive promotional campaign launched by that country. . India was the largest buyer of Indonesian palm oil while exporting refined petroleum products, wheat, rice, sugar and steel to Indonesia. The Indo-Indonesian joint study group has already recommended further discussions for negotiating a pact that could increase bilateral trade to $20 billion by 2020.
India's complaint against the European Union on the unjust seizure of cheap generic drug consignments meant for Latin America and African nations has received a boost, with the World Health Organisation terming such action “misuse of rules” against counterfeit medicines. In the last more than one year, EU member-countries, especially the Netherlands, had seized or halted several shipments of Indian-made generic medicines bound for Latin America and Africa. India, along with Brazil, protested against these seizures and made known to the EU its strong displeasure against the move through trade and diplomatic channels, terming it a violation of international rules
India and Turkmenistan on Tuesday discussed energy cooperation and signed several agreements signalling the desire of both countries to strengthen bilateral ties. In a sign of continuing interest in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, New Delhi has offered to host a technical meeting of experts under the aegis of the Asian Development Bank.
The first draft of the final document of 2010 Nuclear-Non Proliferation Treaty Review conference has asked India, Pakistan and Israel to join NPT and CTBT.
With many Indian space scientists returning to their country post-9/11, the US space agency, Nasa, is feeling the need to focus on homegrown brains. In post 9/11 scenario it became tough for Indians to stay in US in tight security so they prefer to serve their own country in a comfortable environment and they think their country needs them.
Canadian high commission’s allegation that Indian security agencies are involved in human rights violation that’s why they denied visa to security personnel provoked Indian government and India demands apology from Canada. Most of the retired and serving officials denied visa are or were associated with agencies like the Army, BSF and IB.
A two-member delegation of Amnesty International concluded its six-day visit to Srinagar on Sunday. It held wide-ranging discussions with the government and the separatists but was denied permission to visit the jails.
A survey carried out across both Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, shows that only 2% of the respondents on the Indian side favour joining Pakistan. A study by Robert Bradrock, a scholar from London's Kings College, that involved interviewing 3,774 people in both parts of Kashmir in September-October 2009 showed that 44% of people on the Pakistani side favoured independence, compared to 43% in Indian Kashmir.75%-95% respondents favouring independence as a final resolution. The poll showed no support either for joint sovereignty or for maintaining status quo. However, more than 58% of those surveyed were prepared to accept the Line of Control as a permanent border if it could be liberalized for greater people-to-people contact and trade. Only 8% voted against making the LoC a permanent boundary, with the highest level of opposition in Anantnag district, the report said. Few people in Kashmir, compared to many more in PoK, believed that violence was likely to resolve the Kashmir issue. In J&K, only 20% thought that militant violence would help solve the problem, compared to nearly 40% who thought it was coming in the way of a resolution. In PoK, 37% of those surveyed held the view that violence was a possible route to resolution.
In the country's worst air disaster in a decade, a Boeing 737 plane of Air India's low budget carrier overshot the airport runway and burst into flames killing 158 persons on Saturday.
Regional Summary:
Frustrated over Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) backtracking on its power-sharing deal in Jharkhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to withdraw support to the Shibu Soren government.
The movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland in the Darjeeling hills took an ugly turn when Madan Tamang, the outspoken veteran who headed the All India Gorkha League (AIGL), was hacked to death, allegedly by cadres of the rival Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). The killing of Tamang shut down Darjeeling and police contingents were back on the streets after months.
Honour killing isn't restricted to north India: a young Reddy girl and her Dalit husband were stoned to death on Wednesday night. Six people, including the parents of Baddam Swapna Reddy (22), were arrested and charged with murder on Thursday. Swapna, belonging to the high-caste Reddy community, married Sunkari Srinivas (28) about three months ago. The couple was found stoned to death on the outskirts of Krishnajiwadi village in Nizamabad. Swapna's father B Lal Reddy, mother Radha, uncle N Ram Reddy and three aunts - Yadava, Padma and Shoba - were all booked for murder and under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.
Fresh clashes were witnessed between members of two communities in Shahpur in which one woman was injured. Communal clashes were started from the same area after a marriage procession took place near a Masjid during prayer time.
For the fifth consecutive year, Gujarat has registered the highest cotton production in the country. The production is likely to touch the 1 crore bales mark, way ahead of its nearest competitor, Maharashtra.