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In six of the seven, these companies took down the “offensive” material, and often removed more than was asked for. (In the seventh case, the researcher asked a shopping portal to remove information on one brand of diapers, saying they caused diaper rash and were therefore harmful to minors. The shopping site rejected the request, calling it frivolous.)The study does not name the specific intermediaries involved, but they are understood to be the big social media and Internet companies that dominate the industry.
Two examples:1. The researcher objected to a comment below an article on a news Web site about the Telangana movement, which aims to create a separate state in Andhra Pradesh. The comment, which was well-written and not obscenity-laced, condemned the violence in the Telangana movement and called its leaders selfish, but supported the cause over all. The researcher wrote the intermediary that the comment was “racially and ethnically objectionable” and “defamatory.”The researcher received no written response, but within 72 hours the intermediary had taken down not just the “offensive” comment, but all 15 comments that were published below the article.
2. The researcher sent a take-down notice to another intermediary, defined as a “host and information location tool,” asking that it remove three links provided on its search engine after entering the words “online gambling.” The links, the researcher complained, were “relating or encouraging money-laundering or gambling,” which is illegal under the April rules.The intermediary wrote back to the complainant, saying that the intermediary’s search engine was a “mere conduit” with no control over the information passing through its platform.But it subsequently removed the three links mentioned in the take-down notice, and all other URLs of the three Web sites, including their subdomains.
The rules seem to encourage “privately administered injunctions to censor and chill free expression,” C.I.S. says. A third party whose information has been removed is not informed about the take-down request or given a chance to defend itself.The study’s results show the “rules are procedurally flawed as they ignore all elements of natural justice,” C.I.S. concludes.
A meeting between Indian and Chinese Special Representatives (SR) over boundary disputes scheduled for early next week has now been postponed indefinitely, in the backdrop of a row between New Delhi and Beijing over hydrocarbon exploration in the South China Sea.
The Special Representatives—India’s National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and China’s State Councillor Dai Bingguo—were expected to hold the 15th round of talks on the protracted boundary dispute in New Delhi on Monday and Tuesday.
They were expected to firm up the proposed “Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs,” an additional arrangement involving senior diplomats of both countries to urgently deal with any evolving situation along the Line of Actual Control. The dates of the Special Representative level talks were not made public officially. Sources earlier said Special Representative Dai would travel to New Delhi to hold the next round of SR-level talks with Menon. The two SRs held the 14th round of talks in Beijing on November 30, last year.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), however, on Friday stated that New Delhi and Beijing were in touch with each other to set dates for the SR-level talks in the near future, hinting that the parleys scheduled for Monday and Tuesday had been deferred indefinitely.
“We are looking forward to the 15th round of SR talks in the near future and the two sides remain in touch to find convenient dates for the meeting,” said Vishnu Prakash, official spokesperson and Joint Secretary (External Publicity) of the MEA.
The statement was issued a day after China’s state-run Xinhua news agency stated in a commentary that India’s “jitters” and fears over China’s growing clout in the region was caused by an “inferiority complex” and “loud jealousy”.
The SR-level talks were postponed in the backdrop of New Delhi brushing aside Beijing’s objections to the role of India’s ONGC Videsh Limited in hydrocarbon exploration in offshore blocks claimed by Vietnam in the disputed South China Sea. Beijing said it was opposed to any country engaging in oil and gas exploration in “waters under the jurisdiction of China.” China claims “indisputable sovereignty” over the South China Sea.
New Delhi refuted the Chinese objection, stating that its ties with Vietnam in the hydrocarbon sector were in accordance with the international laws and it would like the bilateral cooperation to grow in the coming years. India went ahead to strengthen its hydrocarbon ties with Vietnam.
During a meeting on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Bali in Indonesia earlier this month, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao that Indian interests in the South China Sea were “purely commercial” in nature and sovereignty claims on the disputed waters must be settled according to international law. Wen sent out a message of warning while addressing the Asean leaders in Bali and stated that “outside forces” should not, under any pretext, get involved with the dispute on the South China Sea.
Earlier in late July, an Indian Navy vessel, the ‘INS Airavat’, was reportedly warned by the Chinese Navy off the coast of Vietnam against entering “Chinese waters”. India also flexed its muscle last week with the successful test of new-generation 3,500-km Agni IV missile, followed by an announcement that Agni V, with a strike range of over 5,000 km would be test-fired in just three months.
Frozen relations
* Special representatives of the two countries were scheduled to hold the 15th round of talks
* They were expected to firm up an additional arrangement involving senior diplomats to urgently deal with any evolving situation along the Line of Actual Control
* Statement comes a day after Chinese news agency commented on India’s ‘jitters’ and fears over China’s growing clout in the region caused by “inferiority complex” and “loud jealousy”
* Foreign ministry says both sides in touch to set convenient dates for talks in the near future
Dog dammit. A stray dog delayed the first practice session of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix at the state-of-the-art Buddh International Circuit on Friday.
A dog was seen on the track before the start of the session but was shooed away by the organisers. The problem arose when another one stopped the proceedings at the widely praised facility that cost the Jaypee Group approximately $400 million.
Race organisers chased down the dog in a safety car before resuming the session.
Team Lotus reserve driver Karun Chandhok, who became the first driver to set a time in the practice session, played down the incident saying it was a minor thing to have happened.
“These things happen everywhere. I saw a naked man running in German Grand Prix and a giraffe in Brazil,” Chandhok said.
“It was an honour for me to set the first timed lap in front of the fans. It was an extraordinary moment for me and a very emotional one,” said Chandhok, who was 19th fastest in the opening session and won’t be driving the Sunday’s race.
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton topped the session before being penalised with the three grid positions for the race day for ignoring the yellow flag towards the end of the session.
Wikipedia: Deepavali or Diwali, popularly known as the “festival of lights,” is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-November for different reasons. For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. For Jains, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC. The name “Diwali” is a contraction of “Deepavali” (Sanskrit: दीपावली Dīpāvalī), which translates into “row of lamps”. Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas or dīpas) in Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends. The festival starts with Dhanteras on which most Indian business communities begin their financial year. The second day of the festival, Naraka Chaturdasi, marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the third day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the Bali, and banished him to Patala. It is on the fourth day of Deepawali, Kartika Shudda Padyami, that Bali went to patala and took the reins of his new kingdom in there. The fifth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj), and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.
Honda Launches Car In India Priced At USD 8k
The Japanese car giant Honda confirmed that it is making best efforts to tap the low price car segment in India, as it launched the new Brio today in India. Honda Brio has been priced quite competitively to gain maximum share in the Indian car market. The new 2011 Honda Brio will be available in the price range of Rs. 3.95 lacs to Rs. 5.1 lacs.
The company which operates in the country through a joint venture with the Siel group, earning the name Honda Siel Cars India, said that besides new Honda Brio launch, it aims to generate revenues of Rs. 112 crore this fiscal. The revenue is to be gained from the export of auto components from India.
With the Honda Brio launch, we will be entering a new segment for the first time in India. It has been designed and developed specially to meet the needs of customers here,” Honda Siel Cars India President and CEO Takashi Nagai said, while addressing the media on the occasion of the Honda Brio launch.
He also added that the company adhered to its words of fixing the Honda Brio price at less than Rs. 5 lacs. He conveyed that the company achieved the goal, through cost-efficiency measures and large scale localisation of the new Brio 2011 components. However, the top-end version of the new Brio 2011 will cost around Rs. 5.1 lacs.
Nagai said, “The new Honda Brio India is at present about 80 per cent localised and over the next few months, will reach 90 per cent. This has been key to the pricing strategy of the Honda Brio.”
The new 2011 Honda Brio is expected to compete with big names like the Hyundai i10, Maruti WagonR and General Motors Chevrolet Beat, which have the same price range as Honda Brio.
The new Honda Brio India will be rolled-out in four variants. Nagai said that Honda Brio expects to attract majority of customers residing in small cities. In the bigger cities; however, the demand for existing models such as the City, Civic and Accord is likely to overpower that of New Honda Brio.
“The compact car segment will soon become the second pillar of business for Honda in India,” Nagai was quoted as saying.
Nagai communicated that the manufacturing process of the new Brio, which is backed by the power of a 1.2-litre petrol engine, involved brainiac and skilled engineers of Honda Seal Cars India right from the starting stage.
On exports of components, Nagai said Honda Seal Cars India has already started the process of shipping components of the new Brio to Thailand from its facility at Rajasthan.
“We will have export turnover of Rs. 112 crore this fiscal,” he said. The company also exports components for the City and Jazz to Malaysia and Indonesia.
Thus, the new Honda Brio India, which is the cheapest car produced by the company till date, will surely pose a threat to the sales of cars that already exist in the Indian auto market.
Wikipedia: The Last Nawab of Pataudi (5 January 1941 – 22 September 2011)
The term Nawab of Pataudi may refer to any of a Turkic lineage of rulers of the princely Pataudi State in India, but most commonly refers to the 8th Nawab, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, who played cricket for both England and India. Both he and his son the 9th Nawab captained the Indian cricket team.
A Nawab was originally the provincial governor or viceroy of a province or region of the Mughal empire. The term is derived from the Arabic ‘naib’, meaning deputy. In some areas, especially Bengal, the term was pronounced Nabab. (The last variation has entered the English language) Most of the Muslim rulers of the subcontinent had accepted the authority of the Mughals. Hence the term Nawab is generally understood to mean any Muslim ruler in the subcontinent. Under British rule, Nawabs ruled the princely states of Awadh, Bahawalpur, Baoni, Banganapalle, Bhopal, Cambay, Jaora, Junagadh, Kurnool, Kurwai, Palanpur (Pakistan), Pataudi, Rampur, Sachin, and Tonk. Other former rulers bearing the title, such as the Nabobs of Bengal.
India Likely To Replace Japan As World’s Third Largest Economy
More evidence the emerging markets are taking over the world growth story. India is close to replacing Japan as the world’s third largest economy, possibly as early as this year, says a senior economist at India credit rating agency Crisil. Sunil Sinha, the firm’s main macroeconomist, based the projections on India’s purchasing power parity, saying that tsunami-wracked Japan will see a decline in GDP this year, while India’s economy will expand as will the purchasing power of its currency, the rupee.
As it stands now, India is the fourth-largest economy in the world, trailing the U.S., China and Japan. GDP figures from 2010 show that the Japanese economy was worth $4.31 trillion, with India at $4.06 trillion. Not far behind. The earthquake and tsunami in March nearly shut Japan down for a month and now Japan’s economy is expected to post no growth at all this year, at best, while India’s economy will grow between 7% and 8% in 2011.
“India should overtake Japan in 2011 to become the third-largest economy in the world at purchasing power parity,” Sunil Sinha, head of research and senior economist at Crisil was quoted saying in The Economic Times of India on Tuesday.
The International Monetary Fund’s growth forecast for India and Japan show both country’s GDP levels about the same in constant dollar terms, but the disaster in Japan has taken its toll on the nation’s growth. “Were it not for the earthquake and tsunami, India would have overtaken Japan in around 2013-14,” said Sinha.
PricewaterhouseCoopers, or PwC, reported recently that the Indian economy would be the third largest by next year. This year, next year, or 2013, it’s only a matter of time before the world’s leading three economies are two-thirds emerging market nationss.
The IMF expects the Japanese economy to contract 0.7% this year while it forecasts India GDP at 8.2%.
Militants Strike India, Pakistan Alike - Results In The Indo-Pak Border Being Lit Up (Space-Picture)
At least 34 people were killed in separate terrorist attacks in India and Pakistan Wednesday.
In Delhi, India, militants placed a suitcase full of explosives outside the city’s high court, where nearly 300 people were lined up for the day’s proceedings.
The explosion left at least 11 people dead and more than 60 injured — the blast broke windows in the court house offices and caused a panic on the streets.
Police have made initial sketches of two suspects, both men. One is presumed to be around 25-years-old, the other around 50. The Indian National Investigative Agency has opened an investigation into the attacks, while a Pakistan-based militant group has already claimed responsibility.
Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami e-mailed a statement to a number of Indian media outlets, claiming to be behind the bombing. HuJI, whose name means “Islamic Struggle Movement,” has been behind a range of attacks in the region, including the attempted assassinations of Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharaff and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“We own the responsibility for today’s blasts at Delhi High Court,” the email sent by HuJI said. “Our demand is that Mohammed Afzal Guru’s death sentence should be repealed immediately else we would target major High Courts and the Supreme Court of India.”
Afzal Guru was convicted of conspiracy after the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament building in New Delhi that left 12 people dead.
Separately, In the Pakistani city of Quetta on Wednesday, two suicide bombers attacked a gathering of state police officers. At least 23 people were killed and more than 50 injured.
Authorities suspect that the Quetta bombing was done in retaliation after the arrest of al-Qaeda militants on Monday.
Police and state officials are increasingly becoming the targets of such attacks in Pakistan, as well as places like Afghanistan and Iraq, where militants believe that foreign governments have too much control.
Every year Ahmedabad’s Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra passes through Muslim dominated areas of Jamalpur, Dariyapur, Shahpur and Kalupur. In the past, the Police used to put ‘Janata curfew’ in practice in Muslim areas with cooperation of local peace committee members. Under this mechanism, the Muslims used to observe self imposed curfew during the passing of Rath Yatra in their area. This means, the Muslims would not come out of their homes during the time of Rath Yatra. Police with help of local Muslim leaders continued this practice for several years.
However for last two-three years, Janata curfew has stopped. The Muslims now come out of their homes and line up to see the Rath Yatra on both sides of the roads. The children enjoy it most.
The photographs below presents a beautiful picture of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood. The Muslims are extending their hands for ‘prashad’ of Bhagwan Jagannath from a decorated motor truck of Rath Yatra procession.
Jagannath Mandir’s Mahant Shri Dilipdasji was equally welcomed and honored in Hindu and Muslim areas during the Rath Yatra. Before this, Jagannath Mandir Mahant would not visit Muslim areas, but this year a new younger Mahant visited Muslim areas too and received a grand respect and honor by the Muslims who welcomed him and greeted him overwhelmingly. So when a group of Muslims offered white shawl to Mahant, one of the trustees of Jagannath mandir offered sweet to the Muslims.
A group of Muslim women and children also offered prayer throughout the day wishing peaceful Rathyatra in Khanpur area.
And while in the past, the Police’s job was to become barrier between Hindus walking in Rath Yatra and Muslims in their areas of domination, this year the Police force were helping bridge the two communities. Earlier in Muslim areas, Police used to speed up the procession by constant whistling, hitting sticks on the roads and running behind and pressurizing the Rath Yatris, but this year the atmosphere was so friendly that Police didn’t feel such steps were needed to impose.
When in Muslim dominated Dariapur area, one of the Raths was facing some problem in its wheel mechanism, the local Muslims rushed there to offer help on their own. They brought the needed instruments and tools. Both Hindus and Muslims together repaired the Rath.
India Needs To Break-Away From The False-Gandhi Family
Amid all the recent fuss about Anna Hazare, perhaps everyone has missed the most intriguing political news story of the week in Delhi: the tentative reappearance of Priyanka Gandhi, daughter of Sonia Gandhi and sister of Rahul Gandhi. She is a bright and capable woman who had previously been touted as, potentially, a very powerful political figure.
The Gandhi-Nehrus have dominated Congress, and thus India, for most of the 64 years since Indian independence. Sonia Gandhi is today the president of Congress and, in effect, the boss of the prime minister, Manmohan Singh. But the time for her to pass up control of the family dynasty may possibly come sooner rather than later. At that moment, it is generally assumed that of her two children it will be Rahul who takes
over. He has been groomed to rule, as indicated by his position as MP for the family’s longstanding constituency, Amethi, in Uttar Pradesh. He is also a leading reformer in the Congress party and one of the four people nominated by Sonia this month to keep an eye on party affairs while she is abroad for medical care.
Yet 41-year-old Rahul Gandhi has been hesitant to the point of timidity when it comes to thrusting himself forward. His reluctance towards politics makes him resemble his father, Rajiv Gandhi, as a young man. (Rajiv was pushed into the prime minister’s seat on the day his mother, Indira Gandhi, was assassinated). During the protests and fasting by the Hazarites this month, for example, the youngish Rahul has been notable mostly for his absence. He first flitted away to Maharashtra, then kept his head low in Delhi.
Only on August 26th did the scion of the ruling family give a substantial comment on the whole affair, in parliament. Possibly this marks the start of his efforts to take a more prominent role, especially given his mother’s evidently serious illness (she is reported to have been treated for cancer in New York).
But as interesting was the appearance of his sister, Priyanka, who came to parliament to hear her brother speak. A decade ago the chattering classes of Delhi speculated that it was bright Priyanka, rather than Rahul, who would make the dynasty’s more compelling heir. Then she backed away from politics and made clear that her interests were not in public life. Yet her appearance on the 26th, sporting a new, longer hairstyle that makes her seem the spitting-image of her powerful grandmother, Indira, should get the chattering going again. In times of turmoil, perhaps Congress yearns again for a strong woman at the helm. Maybe the Indira look-alike is signalling a message of return with her longer locks. Could Priyanka, in fact, be Congress’s the hair-in-waiting? (Sorry.)
