Doordarshan News

Indian Peacekeepers Dispatched to Afghanistan

Over 1,000 peacekeepers have been dispatched to Afghanistan. It is believed that they will not perform combat roles, but will be involved in rebuilding and humanitarian work. It is thought that they will only serve in the north of the country.

It is thought that the military top brass was not entirely favourable given the risks involved. However, General Vij who is leading the deployment said, "In the military we take orders and we go there and do the best job we can. It is not for us to decide if troops should be sent or not."

A representative of the Indian Muslim Association, Sayiid Iqbal denounced the government. He said, "This is a grave betrayal of Muslims by the Congress government. They are supporting America's imperialism in Afghanistan. Even the BJP government did not participate in the wars against the Muslim World."

RBI Governor to step down at the end of the month




The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Mr.Venugopal Reddy has announced that he will step down by the end of the month. His term was due to expire this year, however no specific date had been set. As is the general practise these days, he will not be considered for reappointment.

He has presided over a strengthening Rupee, which now stands at just over 40 to the US Dollar. His tenure was also marked by rising inflation which at one point reached over 6.5%. However, under him foreign currency reserves have mounted, and they now stand at just under 200 billion dollars. All memories of the balance of payments crisis have been wiped clean. The 1000 rupee note was issues during his tenure and bears his signature.

He said:

The Government has begun the search for his successor. An announcement may be forthcoming in the next week or so.

This post has been edited by Nehru on May 24 2007, 07:39 PM

BJP in Agreement with Samajwadi Party
Coalition government formed in Uttar Pradesh


Leader of the Samajwadi Party and Chief Minister Mr.Yadav at a Press Conference.

The BJP and the Samajwadi Party have formed a coalition government in Uttar Pradesh following extensive talks. The leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party, the other major regional party in Uttar Pradesh has termed it a "rag bag coalition of casteist forces." A few months ago, talks between her party and the Congress over a possible alliance broke down following policy disagreements.

Mr.Yadav has also agreed to work closely with the BJP in Parliament. In a Press Conference Mr.Yadav said, "We are both working against the Congress Government which has produced the most anti-people policies resulting in high inflation. Deepa Prabhu is a visionary leader whose policies will take this country forward." This takes their joint tally to 224, 7 seats more than the coalition led by the Congress. With the Communists not backing the government, it is in danger of coming down anytime. It remains to be seen if Sir Tyler will seek a fresh mandate after the budget in any case.

This post has been edited by Nehru on May 25 2007, 01:13 AM

Rekha Majumdar Appointed RBI Governor



Rekha Majumdar has been appointed Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. She has been appointed for a five year renewable term. She was serving as India's Representative at the World Bank prior to her appointment. She has said that tackling inflation would be her first priority.

This post has been edited by Nehru on May 27 2007, 11:10 PM

CII wants Corporation Tax Relief

The Confederation of Indian Industry has asked the government to reduce the tax burden on companies. Spokesperson Mr.Ghosh said, "We have seen the benefits of low taxation. The tax burden went up last year, we hope the trend does not continue."

Earlier today, their spokesperson, Mr.Ghosh presented a set of proposals that he would like to see implemented in the budget.

Asked how the government could afford these, Mr.Ghosh advocated privatisation. The government has unproductive public sector industries with assets worth close to 10 trillion. The economy will see the benefits if these are turned over to the private sector.