Panel formed to implement suggestions on DRDO revamp

October 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The National Commission for Women (NCW) Monday formed a panel to probe the charges of assault levelled by an Air India air hostess against two pilots who were allegedly involved in a mid-air scuffle with her during a flight. The air hostess had filed a formal complaint with the women's panel.

October 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal has agreed to meet a federation of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) teachers, who are protesting the government's rejection of their demand for pay parity with the scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In reply to the IIT faculty's telegram seeking an appointment with Sibal, the minister had agreed to meet them Friday, a HRD ministry official said.

September 30th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Wednesday said he would call a meeting next month to sort out hassles in the sanctioning of land for the second phase of development activities of Brahmos Aerospace, a joint venture between India and Russia to develop what is being claimed to be the world's fastest cruise missile.

September 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Old grenades are proving to be a problem area for the Indian Army, the officer responsible for maintaining quality assurance admitted Thursday. "They (the grenades) are very old.

September 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan on Sunday described the former DRDO scientist K Santhanam's claim on Pokhran-II nuclear tests as "unfortunate" and asserted that India has thermonuclear capabilities.

July 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Allaying fears of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientists that the production of the Arjun main battle tank will be stopped, the government has decided to continue with its manufacture, and added that a second regiment of the indigenously built combat vehicle will be raised soon. The Army had made it clear that it would buy no more than the 124 Arjun tanks that it has contracted for because it was unhappy with the tank on various counts.

June 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Saying the government was committed to improve education standards in India, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said Wednesday a new apex panel on higher education will be formed soon. The National Commission for Higher Education and Research, which will encompass in itself the existing professional councils and regulatory agencies, including the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Medical Council of India and the AICTE, is likely to be formed within the first 100 days of the new government, Sibal told reporters.

June 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Defence Minister A.K. Antony Monday asked the top scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to desist from taking up too many projects and to ensure they provide special attention to the quality of products and their timely delivery.

April 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A panel formed by the Supreme Court to probe the ragging and subsequent death of a Himachal Pradesh medical college student Monday blamed 'rampant alcoholism' for the spurt of ragging in educational institutions. 'One of main reasons for violence (ragging) on the campus is rampant alcoholism, and it is recommended that that de-addiction measures be introduced in educational institutions,' Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium told a bench of Justice Arijit Pasayat.

March 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR - Registering a hat-trick, India Friday successfully test-fired an indigenous interceptor to neutralize an 'enemy' ballistic missile at an altitude of 75 km and demonstrate its capability to defend itself against Chinese and Pakistani missiles, an official said. The test was a key element in the efforts of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to put in place a missile defence shield to protect populated areas and vital installations like nuclear power plants.

March 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI -India will Friday test launch its indigenous interceptor missile that will destroy an incoming ballistic 'enemy' missile at an altitude of 80 km and will provide defence against Pakistani and Chinese missiles, an official said. 'All the preparations have been made and all the scientists are working to make the test successful,' a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official said.

March 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court Monday denied a copy of the special enquiry report on the post-Godhra carnage to the National Human Right Commission (NHRC), on whose plea the apex court had last year formed an investigative panel to probe the 2001 Gujarat communal riots. A bench of Justice Arijit Pasayat summarily brushed aside the NHRC counsel Sanjay Parekh's plea for a copy of the report.

February 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Saying it was 'high time' reforms were brought in the armed forces to address 'undesirable discriminatory practices' based on rank and gender bias, a parliamentary panel has also urged an 'attitudinal change' in the mindset of the higher echelons of the military in view of socio-economic changes in society. In a series of far-reaching recommendations, parliament's standing committee on defence has also asked the defence ministry to also 'devise an effective training strategy' to meet the long term requirements of the armed forces and said it was 'perturbed' that the measures taken to address the staggering shortage of officers 'have not proved efficacious enough'.

January 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian Army will conduct head-to-head 'comparative trials' of the indigenous Arjun main battle tank (MBT), under development for over three decades, and the Russian-built T-90 tanks in June. This is seen as a last desperate bid to save the Arjun project that has already cost the exchequer Rs.3.5 billion ($71.7 million).

January 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The armed forces were Wednesday asked for their suggestions on a separate pay panel that the Prime Minister's Office has cleared for them, an official said. 'The service headquarters have received a note from the defence ministry seeking suggestions on how to go about constituting a separate pay panel for the defence forces,' the official added, requesting anonymity.