The sources said the price for 36 Rafales, as per the UPA tender, keeping the cost escalation and dollar rate in mind, comes to a little over Rs 65,000 crore.

New Delhi, April 17

A high-level team from France is expected to arrive here next month to firm up the order for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft by India as both countries have managed to narrow down their differences over pricing.

The development comes nearly four months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande signed a memorandum of agreement to purchase 36 Rafale combat jets.

The Indian side has been negotiating hard to bring down the price with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar refusing to buckle under pressure even as questions were being raised about the delay in signing the contract.

The deal comes with the clause of 50 per cent offsets, which will be a bonanza for the domestic industry as it will lead to business worth at least 3 billion Euros and creating new jobs in India.

The tough part of the negotiations that began in July 2015 was to get the French side to agree to 50 per cent offsets in the deal.

Initially, Dassault Aviation, makers of Rafale, was willing to agree to reinvest only 30 per cent of the value of its contract in Indian entities to meet the offset obligations.

The French side finally agreed to invest 50 per cent of the value following a phone conversation between Modi and Hollande late last year.

The commercial negotiations, as in the pricing of the planes, equipment and other issues, actually began only in mid-January this year.

“It is correct to say that differences over pricing as more or less being settled. A final deal should take place next month if all matters go as scheduled,” a defence source said.

Government sources said the deal has not been concluded yet but it is in “final stages”.

The sources said the price for 36 Rafales, as per the UPA tender, keeping the cost escalation and dollar rate in mind, comes to a little over Rs 65,000 crore.

This includes the cost involved in making changes India has sought in the aircraft, including Israeli helmet mounted display and some specific weaponry, among others.

“The effort is to bring down the price to less than Euros 8 billion (Rs 59,000 crore),” the sources said.

The expectation is that the final deal will be clinched by May-end.

Under the proposed deal, French companies, apart from Dassault Aviation, will provide several aeronautics, electronics and micro-electronics technologies to comply with the offset obligation.

Companies like Safran and Thales will join Dassault in providing state-of-art technologies in stealth, radar, thrust vectoring for missiles and materials for electronics and micro-electronics. — PTI

A French Rafale fighter aircraft. AFP file photo

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 15

India has finalised the Rafale fighter jet deal to purchase 36 jets from Dassault Aviation of France after negotiating teams from either side narrowed down their differences.

India has agreed to pay 7.89 billion euros (nearly Rs 59,000 crore) for the deal, top sources have confirmed. The Indian team has managed to bring down the deal price by nearly 11 billion euros.

This comes four months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande signed a memorandum of agreement (MoU) to purchase the 36 jets.

It was earlier expected that the final deal would be clinched in another month’s time by the middle of May.

The delivery of first of the jets will be made some 18 to 20 months later. The Indian Air Force (IAF) needs new fighter jets since its fleet of fighter jets is at its lowest in a decade.

The deal comes with the clause of delivering 50 per cent offsets that will create business worth at least Rs 22,000 crore for Indian companies.

French companies will provide several aeronautics, electronics technologies under the offset obligation to Indian companies. French companies Safran and Thales will join Dassault in providing radars, thrust vectoring for missiles and materials for electronics.

Sticking points gone

• 11 bn euros Price brought down by Indian negotiators
• 22,000 cr business for Indian firmsthrough 50% offsets in deal
• Oct 2017 delivery of the firstbatch of jets to start

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Sukhmani

As the temperature rises this summer, so does the cost for cooling your home. So this time, try using the air-conditioner less and cool your homes naturally by following a few simple tips. Fundamentally, the idea is to minimise sources of heat and remove built-up heat from inside.n Keep the sun out. Keep the house closed during the day. Don’t let in unwanted heat and humidity. Ventilate at night, either naturally or with fans.n Install outdoor window drapes and awnings, especially on windows facing the sun (east-facing windows in the morning and west-facing windows in the afternoons). Use insulated window films.n Up to 30 percent of unwanted heat comes from your windows, so utilising shades, curtains and the like can save you up to 7 percent of your bills and lower indoor temperatures by up to 10 degrees.n Install white window shades, drapes or blinds to reflect the heat away from the house.n Get rid of internal heat. The most common sources are appliances, electronic devices and lighting. Be aware from where the heat is coming. Now if you have air-conditioning, use it wisely. Don’t put lamps, televisions or other heat-generating appliances next to your air-conditioning thermostat because the heat from these appliances will cause the air-conditioner to run longer. The heat they produce will make it think your house is warmer than it really is, and your system will run harder than it needs to.n You should also try to avoid heat-generating activities, such as cooking, during the hottest part of the day. If you are cooking, use your range fan to vent the hot air out of your house. By reducing the amount of heat in your home, you will have to use less energy to cool it.n Paint your roofs with a specially formulated reflective white paint. This will help keep the house cool.n Humidity makes the room air feel warmer, so reduce indoor humidity. Minimise mid-day washing and drying clothes, showering, and cooking. And when you must do these things, turn on ventilating fans to help extract warm, moist air.n Along with the ceiling fans, use portable fans as well. Remember that even a mild air movement can make you feel 3 to 4 degrees cooler. Try a simple trick – fill a mixing bowl with ice (or something equally cold, like an ice-pack) and position it at an angle in front of a large fan, so that the air whips off the ice at an extra-chilled, extra-misty temperature. Trust me: it’s magic!n Switch to cotton sheets in your bedroom. Cotton is a smarter move this time of the year, as it breathes easier and stays cooler. And as an added bonus, buy yourself a buckwheat pillow or two. As buckwheat hulls have a naturally occurring air space between them, they won’t hold on to your body heat like conventional pillows do.n Temperature sometimes drops early morning and late evenings. When that happens, open up your windows and let the cool air in.n Ditch the incandescent lights. Incandescent bulbs waste about 90 percent of their energy in the heat they emit, so tossing them out will make a small difference in cooling your home while lowering your electric bill.n Avoid landscaping with lots of un-shaded rock, cement, or asphalt on the south or west sides because it increases the temperature around the house and radiates heat to the house after the sun has set. Plant shade trees around the house.

Masood Azhar

New Delhi, April 8

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Mohali today issued arrest warrants against Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar and three others wanted in January’s Pathankot air base attack case.“In the Pathankot terror attack case, the judge of the NIA special court issued arrest warrants against the accused wanted in the case — Maulana Masood Azhar, Abdul Rauf, Kashif Jan and Shahid Latif,” said SK Singh, Inspector General, NIA, who is heading the probe into the attack.On March 28, when the talks between the NIA and the Pakistan Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on the probe began, the Indian agency had shown the JIT evidence of the Pakistan link, including the involvement of the JeM in the attack. — TNS

In touch with India on JeM chief: China

• China says it is in “contact” with India over Beijing’s decision to block New Delhi’s move to ban Pathankot mastermind Masood Azhar. A Chinese official said: “China remains in contact with all relevant parties, including India on this matter… China opposes all forms ofterrorism.” PTI
• 

Navy’s all-women team concludes trek to PindariNew Delhi, April 5An all-women high-altitude trek to the Pindari river in Bageshwar district, organised by the Indian Navy to introduce women officers to the adventure sport of mountaineering, successfully concluded in New Delhi. The team, flagged off from New Delhi on March 22, reached Loharkhet on March 26 from where they commenced its high- altitude trek to the glacier through Dhakuri, Khati and Dwali. The team reached the Pindari glacier zero point (3,353 m) on March 30. — PTI

Chandigarh, March 29

A lawsuit brought by three Sikh American soldiers was filed in a US federal court on Tuesday against the Department of Defence. Specialist Kanwar Singh, Specialist Harpal Singh and Private Arjan Singh Ghotra have sought the right to serve their country without being forced to compromise their religion.The lawsuit, filed by the Sikh Coalition, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, and McDermott Will & Emery, has demanded that the Army accommodate their religious articles of faith so that they can begin Basic Combat Training with their various units in May. The lawsuit was filed after the US Department of Defence ignored a letter that was sent on March 23.The new lawsuit follows the March 4 federal court ruling that the Army was prohibited from subjecting a decorated Sikh American soldier, Captain Simratpal Singh, to unprecedented, discriminatory testing. A final Army decision regarding Capt Singh’s landmark religious accommodation request is due by March 31.“We had hoped that we would not have to file a second lawsuit on behalf of three more Sikh soldiers, who simply want to practise their faith freely while serving their nation,” said Sikh Coalition’s legal director Harsimran Kaur. “However, the defence department has remained unresponsive.” Last year, 27 retired US Generals had called on the Department of Defence to lift the ban on practising Sikhs. — TNS

1. जिस राजा का चक्र राष्ट्रीय ध्वज में है।

2. जिस राजा के चार सिंह मुखी के चिन्ह को राष्टीय मुद्रा माना जाता है।

3. जिस राजा को दुनिया का सर्वोत्तम राजा माना गया।

4. जिस राजा के कारण भारत का नाम पूरी दुनिया में उज्ज्वल हुआ।

5. जिसके नाम से सर्वोच्च पुरुस्कार अशोक चक्र दिया जाता है।

6. जिस राजा का साम्राज्य अफगानिस्तान और ईरान तक फैला था।

7. भारत का पहला प्राणी चिकित्सालय जिसके शासन में खुला।

8. पर्यावरण के प्रति जागरूकता अभियान का सर्व प्रथम जिस राजा ने शुरू किया।

9. जिस राजा के कारण बौद्ध धम्म विश्वव्यापी हुआ।

उस महान चक्रवर्ती राजा को प्रियदर्शी सम्राट अशोक के नाम से पूरी दुनिया मानती है।

उस महान अशोक की जयंती भारत में नही मनाई जाती ?

(सम्राट अशोक जयंती -26 मार्च 2016)

सभी साथियों को भारत की शान अशोक महान के जन्म दिन की बहुत बहुत शुभकामनाएं ।

WAR PPT

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http://www.powershow.com/view4/4387c1-Nzk3N/Ashoka_The_Great_powerpoint_ppt_presentation

Youths at Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village in Khatkar Kalan, Nawanshahr. Tribune Photo: Malkiat Singh

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 22

How did Bhagat Singh and BR Ambedkar perceive each other?This question has been asked to chroniclers of the freedom movement a thousand times. But the finding of a piece written by Ambedkar, which was published after Bhagat Singh and his comrades’ execution, gives a new dimension to the whole issue.In an editorial by Ambedkar published in Janata on April 13, 1931, he had argued that Bhagat Singh and his comrades were hanged in deference to public opinion in England.Prof Chaman Lal, a former teacher at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said the journey to find this editorial started in 2006 during a private visit to Chennai where he found a wonderful editorial written on the hangings by freedom fighter Periyar on March 29.“I started browsing Ambedkar’s writings to ascertain whether the latter had written something on Bhagat Singh and his comrades. I could also not find anything in 25 volumes of collected works,” he said.Then on January 30, Subodh More, a grandson of RB More, sent me the original Marathi version of the editorial. “I requested Anand Teltumbde to translate it in English,” Prof Lal said. The editorial was published in English early this month.He said, “The editorial has great value when the youth is in an uproar and the way ahead lies in the combination of the ideas of Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar.”Teltumbde, the English translator of the editorial and Mumbai-based social activist in his introduction to the translation says, “The relevance of the ideas of Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar is growing. How did they perceive each other? There is no evidence of either of them saying anything about the other. However, we do know that Bhagat Singh had grappled with the Dalit question. He had written an article titled Achoot Samasya (Problem of Untouchability) at the age of 16, but it still has freshness and reflects the amazing maturity of thought to be relevant for the struggle of Dalits. Ambedkar did not write on the revolutionary movement of Bhagat Singh but has written an editorial note — Three Victims — when they were hanged. Though it does not speak about their struggle, much less politics, it explains how their execution was influenced by political expediency back home.”Ludhiana-based nephew of martyr Prof Jagmohan Singh, says, “This editorial answers several questions. Both of them were very important figures of the freedom struggle. It has historical significance due to two reasons, one is that when a law luminary like Ambedkar says that the three youngsters were sacrificed to please public opinion, it holds a great meaning,” said Singh.The second significance, he says, is that Bhagat Singh and his compatriots his never appealed for mercy from the court.

Extract from editorial

• “In sum, merely not to incur anger of the conservatives in England, they sacrificed Bhagat Singh and his comrades ignoring public opinion and not minding what would happen to the Gandhi-Irwin pact. The government must remember, howsoever it tries to cover it up or polish it; it will never be able to hide this fact.” —BR Ambedkar

Airport yet to be named after martyr

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 22

Even as the state BJP leadership had claimed last week that the international airport at Chandigarh would be named after Bhagat Singh before his martyrdom day, no official declaration for the same came till this evening, a day before the commemorative event.BJP state president Kamal Sharma, who had issued the statement after a meeting with Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Dr Mahesh Sharma, said, “I am hopeful it will be done in a day or so. It has probably taken time since the issue involves the Centre and two state governments. In any case, the Central government has agreed in principle. I will take an update from Dr Sharma again.”“The work on installation of Amar Jawan Jyoti at Hussainiwala is being done,” said Sharma.The district administration will ply special buses from Rahon, Nawanshahr, Mukandpur, Banga and Garhshankar to facilitate participation of the people of the area in the rally tomorrow, he said. Deputy CMSukhbir Badal will hold a rally at the site tomorrow.

This Yamunanagar village has martyrs’ temple

Students pay tributes to Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru at the martyrs’ temple in Rao village of Yamunanagar district. Tribune photo

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, March 22

Heroes of freedom struggle, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, are remembered on March 23 every year, but in Rao village of the district, they are paid homage and saluted every day.The villagers, under the banner of the Anti Corruption Society (ACS), have raised a martyrs’ temple in the village, elevating them to a status of demigod. In the Inquilab Temple are installed statues of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Udham Singh and Lala Lajpat Rai. Here, villagers assemble daily to pay them their respects.“Besides holding special programme on the occasion of the Martyrs’ Day, we pay homage to the great heroes of our nation every day,” said Waryam Singh, state president of ACS. It was he who rooted the idea of constructing a temple in the memory of the freedom fighters.Waryam Singh said, “When I was studying in Class X in 2000, I watched the movie, ‘Shahid’ at a cinema. The movie impressed me so much that I decided to do something in the memory of our martyrs. We started the construction work of the temple at Rao village in 2007. The construction work of the temple is still going on”Surinder Sharma, member, ACS, said, “Members of the society and villagers clean the idols every evening before paying them homage.”