I dare PM to resign, says Narendra Modi on 2G verdict

Mandvi:  Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had no right to continue in the office in view of the Supreme Court's ruling in the 2G spectrum case.

"When the Supreme Court has given a clear verdict, Manmohan Singh has no right to stay in the post even for a minute," Modi said, addressing a Sadbhavna fast meeting here.

"I dare the Prime Minister to give up his silence and resign," he said.

Modi also targeted Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, saying that "the court has established charges against Chidambaram. The Supreme Court has directed the lower court to hold a trial".

"After the apex court's directives, Congress has come out in the open to save him," Modi said.

"This raises a suspicion that entire Manmohan Singh-led government is making all these efforts not to save Chidambaram but all those people who are behind him and whose names have still not cropped up," Modi said.

"In the history of the country, we have not seen such a scam where the country's exchequer was looted to the tune of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore."

The apex court today cancelled 122 telecom licenses granted during the tenure of former telecom minister A Raja, saying that first-come-first-served policy was wrong. As to Chidambaram, the Court left it to the trial court to decide on the demand for investigation of his alleged role in the 2G scam. 

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Raja's first year in jail includes badminton, canteen snacks

New Delhi:  Having spent a year behind bars for his alleged involvement in the 2G scam, former communications minister A Raja seems to have adapted to life in Tihar Jail, officials said on Thursday.

"After a few weeks of initial sullenness and shock, Raja seems to have adapted to jail life. He was not talkative or interacting with other inmates, but now he seems to have become friendly with others in his ward," a jail official told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Raja was arrested February 2 last year, taken into Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody and then brought to Tihar Jail on February 17.

Jail sources said Raja has never thrown any tantrum at any point of time.

"Raja is lodged in a 15 by 10 feet cell, ventilated with a grated iron aperture near the ceiling at jail number one, ward number six. He spends most of the time reading books, newspapers and prepares notes on his court hearings. He sticks to the routine," the official said.

Apart from watching television, Raja also plays badminton with other inmates in the evening.

"He usually takes a one-hour walk from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. inside the ward premises. Initially, he used to talk only to jail guards from the Tamil Nadu battalion, but now he speaks with everyone in broken Hindi," the jail official said.

Raja is also much more disciplined as compared to other high-profile prisoners.

"The only special demand he made was for some Tamil newspapers, which have been provided to him," the official added.

Sources added that his ward is changed every two days for security purposes, as he is a former minister.

Raja, who was initially getting home-cooked food, is now eating meals prepared in the jail.

"He is eating jail food and two times a week, he gets home-made south Indian dishes and shares it with other inmates," the official told IANS.

Raja seems hooked to snacks from the Tihar canteen, which he shares with fellow inmates as well.

"He usually gets omelette, biscuits and namkeens from the canteen," the official said.

Raja became the communications minister in 2007. He is accused of cheating, criminal conspiracy and corruption in the selling of scarce second generation (2G) telecom airwaves to favoured companies at a fraction of their actual cost, causing huge losses to the exchequer. 

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Telcos get approval to share spectrum but with conditions

NEW DELHI: The Telecom Commission, the apex decision-making body of the communications ministry, has decided to allow mobile phone companies to share spectrum, but has limited this facility to 2G airwaves alone. Second generation (2G) spectrum is largely used for offering vanilla voice services.

This means, telcos cannot share 3G spectrums. Incumbents such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Aircel and Idea Cellular, who have taken the government to court, after the telecom department asked these companies to terminate their 3G roaming deals, had hoped that policy changes permitting the sharing of airwaves, would put an end to this controversy. These companies have signed up 3G customers across the country riding on bilateral roaming agreements that allow these firms to use each other's airwaves and offer high-end data services even in regions where they do not have thirdgeneration spectrum.

Leading operators said they were not aware of the TC decision, as the government had not announced it.

The TC has also decided to introduce a slew of riders to govern spectrum sharing. First, only those operators that have airwaves in a particular region can share it. For instance, Uninor or Tata Teleservices which does not have 2G spectrum in Delhi, cannot share airwaves with any other operator that has radio frequencies here and launch GSM-based cellular services. "Spectrum can be shared only between two spectrum holders.... In other words, a non-licensee or licensee who has not been assigned spectrum as yet cannot be party to spectrum trading," said the minutes of the latest TC meeting.

It also adds that two companies can share airwaves only if their combined holdings do not exceed the limits prescribed in the M&A norms. The TC had recently approved sector regulator Trai's recommendation that during mergers, the combined entity be allowed to have up to 25% of the total airwaves in the region. Spectrum sharing deals will also have to be renewed every five years.

When operators share spectrum, both companies will have to pay usage charges on the total airwaves held jointly, the TC said. Currently, operators share between 2% and 6% of their annual revenues based on the quantity of airwaves they hold. For instance, an operator that has only 4.4 MHz of airwaves in a circle shares 2% of its annual revenues towards spectrum usage charge. Now, if two telcos that have 4.4 MHz each of 2G airwaves in a region were to share them, both operators will have to share 6% of their annual sales towards this levy.

The TC also said that telcos sharing spectrum must pay the government the commercial value of the airwaves it is using. This means, an operator that has 4.4 MHz of airwaves, and is sharing radio frequencies with another telco that has the same amount, must pay 'current prices' for additional 4.4 units of spectrum it is using.

"In order that payment of current price does not act a disincentive, licensees may be permitted to pay the current price applicable on the date of permission, on an annual basis, instead of for five years at a time, and this payment will cease if the sharing agreement is annulled midway," the minutes of the TC meet added.

Saif-Kareena Engaged: Saif Ali Khan & Kareena Kapoor To Engaged On 10 February?

Even though Kareena Kapoor has denied her impending marriage to Saif Ali Khan, rumours are abuzz that the couple will be getting engaged on 10 February.
While earlier sources close to the couple had said that they would be getting married right after the release of their film ‘Agent Vinod’ in March, seems like the hot jodi wants to speed up its wedding and hence getting engaged on the Valentine month.
Speaking to DNA, a source said, “Both Saif and Bebo have been going steady for several years and are now ready to take

that relationship to another level with a wedding. And the first step towards the grand wedding may take off with an engagement on 10th February. They have deliberately avoided having their engagement on Valentine’s Day, instead they have planned the event around the day. Though Saif is extremely busy with post production work of ‘Agent Vinod’ and Kareena travelling for the film promotion of ‘Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’, they are quite excited about the engagement.” That also probably explains why Kareena recently bought a royal necklace worth Rs 40 lakhs. Friends of the couple say that the venue of the engagement hasn’t been finalized yet but it would either take place in Mumbai or in Saif’s Delhi residence. “Wherever it happens, the engagement is going to be a big event. Both their family members are gearing up for a big celebration and are busy with the preparations around the ring ceremony. Bebo is currently in London along with Karisma, but has ensured that all her close friends be there for the special day in her life. She may wear an ethnic outfit designed by (fashion designer) Vikram Phadnis,” added the source.
With Riteish-Genelia all set to tie the knot on Friday and Saifeena getting engaged the next week, it looks like Bollywood is all set for the wedding season.

DSP Balraj Singh Dead: Mogadsp Balraj Singh Found Murdered At Farmhouse In Ludhiana

A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and an unidentified young girl were found murdered in mysterious circumstances at a farmhouse on the outskirts of Ludhiana this morning.
The bodies of the Moga DSP Balraj Singh and the girl were found in the farm house of an industrialist on Hambran road, Police Commissioner Ishwar Chand Sharma said.
Sharma, who was one of the senior officers who reached the spot, said both were murdered with sharped-edged weapons. Their bodies were lying on the sofa set in a room, he added.
He said the police was trying to get some clues with the help of the mobile telephone of the deceased.

Sports Illustrated Model 2012: 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Short List Revealed!

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue will be unveiled soon and the office has been a buzz with which smoking hot model will appear on the cover.
We don’t mean to brag and we don’t mean to boast, but our predictions are like butter on your breakfast toast.
Last year, we picked Irina Shayk and sure enough the red hot Rookies landed it.
In 2009, we were leaning towards Brooklyn Decker and though we were off by a year, you have to admit the bikini force is strong with us.
Check out the pics and give us your prediction in the comments.

Genevieve Morton

Hometown: Cape Town, South Africa
| Age: 26 | Rookie year: 2010

Why?: Because she has had a ton
of buzz in 2011 and
was featured in Esquire.

Brooklyn Decker

Hometown: Kettering, Ohio |
Age: 24 | Rookie year: 2006

Why?: Because she has 2 movies
coming out in 2012 and would be the first person to appear on the cover twice.

Cintia Dicker

Hometown: Campo Bom, Brazil |
Age: 25 | Rookie year: 2009

Why?: We’re calling it – 2012 is
the year of the Ginger and
this is why.

Esti Ginzburg

Hometown: Tel Aviv, Israel |
Age: 21 | Rookie year: 2009

Why?: Israel is so hot right now
–
500+ COED Facebook Fans can’t be wrong.

Julie Henderson

Hometown: Houston, Texas |
Age: 25 | Rookie year: 2007

Why?: We’ve been saying this is
her year since 2009 so maybe it finally is.

Jessica White

Hometown: Buffalo, New York |
Age: 27 | Rookie year: 2003

Why?: Longest standing alumni may
get the nod this year.

Hilary Rhoda

Hometown: Chevy Chase, Maryland |
Age: 24 | Rookie year: 2009

Why?: She is the darkhorse of the
race but this dark haired beauty might be the American girl they’re looking for.

Jessica Perez

Hometown: San José, Costa Rica |
Age: 25 | Rookie year: 2011

Why?: Won the 2011 model search,
so it would make sense, right?

Kate Upton

Hometown: St. Joseph, Michigan |
Age: 19 | Rookie year: 2011

Why?: Come on! Do you think
anyone else beyond Kate will actually get the cover? I think not.

Uttar Pradesh polls: Congress manifesto counters BJP's promise of building temple in Ayodhya

Lucknow:  An accent on youth and technology, with a big Rahul Gandhi poster dominating a crowded stage. A focus on education and health, minority quota, better law and order. A counter to the BJP's promise of building a Ram temple in Ayodhya by saying "stick to the court order on the Babri Masjid." So where are the freebies in the Congress' UP manifesto ? Union Minister Kapil Sibal put it succinctly when he said in Lucknow today, "Just vote us back after this 23-year exile. You'll get everything."

The Congress promises a school in every village, one intermediate college for every 2,500 families, residential schools for the very backward, and 500 model schools.  The 20 lakh jobs that its vision statement released last week envisaged. It also promises doctors available at walking distance for all, upgraded district hospitals, a health lokpal (ombudsman) at the state level to ensure implementation of health schemes.

In fact, there will be focus on full and timely implementation of the UPA government's policies - that includes the 4.5 per cent sub-quota for backward minorities that the Centre has pushed through. The party also promises to explore the idea of having a sub quota for very backward Dalits.

Clean UP is the mantra and the Congress says that does not only mean physical cleanliness. It promises action against the corrupt and says it will bring the Chief Minister under the Lokayukta.

So no free or cheap laptops for UP's students, a la the BJP or Samajwadi Party? No, says Mr Sibal, "we would rather provide the information highway." Fittingly, the Congress pulled out technology man Sam Pitroda to accompany Mr Sibal at the party's UP manifesto launch.

"We are a nation of a connected billion. We are now making connected universities and are connecting 250,000 panchayats. Technology will play an important part in UP too," said Sam Pitroda, who is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's technology and innovation adviser and was a prominent part of the team that gave shape to Rajiv Gandhi's technology dreams.

Minister and the man in charge of the party's manifesto drafting committee Salman Khurshid came late, blamed his helicopter and said the right men - Mr Pitroda and Mr Sibal - were there as the manifesto is focused on education.