Virat Kohli is now BSF brand ambassador

From The Times Of India
Bharti Jain, TNN | Sep 21, 2013

Virat Kohli will be officially named BSF brand ambassador at a ceremony in New Delhi on Sunday. (TOI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Ace cricketer Virat Kohli is set to don the cap and blazer of the Border Security Force (BSF). As the brand ambassador of BSF — the first such arrangement for a central paramilitary force — he will boost the morale of its rank and file by periodically touring their stations of deployment and being the BSF's face at public events.

By associating himself with the BSF, Kohli, whose mass appeal lies in his sheer grit and dedication to the game, is expected to encourage his young fans to make a career out of guarding Indian borders.

Kohli will be officially named BSF brand ambassador at a ceremony here on Sunday. He will be presented the BSF cap and blazer for offering his honorary services. "Virat Kohli has been bestowed this honour for his outstanding example of hard work, supreme dedication, valiant fighter spirit, supreme concentration, the qualities synonymous with a BSF leader," the BSF said on Friday.

Though it is common for the armed forces to bestow honorary ranks on top cricketers and rope them in as brand ambassadors like MS Dhoni (Territorial Army), Sachin Tendulkar (Indian Air Force) and Kapil Dev (Territorial Army), this is the first time the BSF has entered this arena.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/off-the-field/Virat-Kohli-is-now-BSF-brand-ambassador/articleshow/22825023.cms

India ‘Committed to Bangladesh land swap agreement’

From TazaKhobor

Wednesday, 21 August 2013

India said Wednesday that it was committed to implementing the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh and the government was holding talks with political parties for a consensus.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid was in touch with political parties on the India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) on swapping of territories.

He said, based on the outcome of the discussions and consultations with political parties, “the intention is to try and see if we can achieve domestic consensus that will enable passage of this important legislation”.

The union cabinet had in February approved the draft of the bill for implementing the LBA of 1974 and the protocol to it inked in 2011.

The swap envisages the transfer of 111 enclaves with an area of 17,160.63 acres to Bangladesh while 51 enclaves with an area of 7,110.02 acres will be transferred to India.

A 6.1 km undefined border – of the over 4,000-km boundary – stretch will be demarcated with the bill’s passage.

The Constitution (119th Amendment) Bill, 2013 for implementation of the LBA is yet to be introduced in the monsoon session of parliament.

http://tazakhobor.com/international/5103-india-committed-to-bangladesh-land-swap-agreement

BSF arrests one Naxal in Chhattisgarh's Antagarh District

From ANI News

   Sep 21, 2013

Chhattisgarh/ Malkangiri, Sept 21 (ANI): The Border Security Force(BSF) has arrested one Naxal in Chhattisgarh's Antagarh District.


Acting on a specific BSF input, troops of the 123rd Battalion of the BSF deployed in COB Tadoki, Antagarh, along with Chhattisgarh Police and Special Task Force personnel carried out special operation in general area of Mangta Salebhat near BSF COB on September 19.
During the operation, the party apprehended Keskal Area Committee Commander Vikas Potai, 28, who was involved in 31 criminal cases, and carried a reward of one lakh rupees on his head.
An FIR was lodged and the apprehended Naxal was handed over to the police.
In another encounter, two female Naxals surrendered before the BSF in Odisha's Malkangiri District.
Purnima Khora, 23 and Subram Khora, 20, of Jan Militia group, surrendered at Balimela, in Malkangiri on September 19.
The Maoists, who are considered to be India's greatest internal security threat, have off-late intensified their operations in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and some areas of West Bengal. (ANI)
http://www.aninews.in/newsdetail2/story131872/bsf-arrests-one-naxal-in-chhattisgarh-039-s-antagarh-district.html

BSF seize 115 endangered tortoises on Bangladesh border

From daijiworld.com
Kolkata, Sep 20 (IANS):

The Border Security Force (BSF) seized 115 endangered tortoises, valued at approximately Rs.25 lakh, which were being smuggled into Bangladesh through West Bengal.

A BSF release said Friday that 72 spotted pond tortoises and 43 narrow headed softshell tortoises were seized from the Tentulberia border near Gaighata in North 24-Parganas district of West Bengal on the night of Sep 19.

"They (BSF personnel) noticed a person going towards Bangladesh with a big haversack and challenged him," said the release issued by the Frontier HQ, BSF, South Bengal.

The smuggler dropped the haversack and fled. The seized tortoises were handed over to the forest officials later.

Spotted pond turtles are protected by Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and are illegally smuggled out to the food markets in China from Bangladesh.

Striped narrow-headed softshell tortoise (Chitrachitra) is one of the largest freshwater tortoise with a carapace reaching up to 122 centimetres.

On Sep 1, the BSF seized 952 Star Tortoise, worth Rs.3.2 crore in international market from same area.

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=190177

India Extends Full Support to War Crimes Trial in Bangladesh

From TazaKhobor
Wednesday, 18 September 2013

India on Wednesday affirmed its full support to Bangladesh Government for its on-going war crimes trials. 

In a statement, the Indian External Affairs Ministry said the people of Bangladesh have the right to seek trial of horrific crimes committed in the soil of Bangladesh 42 years ago. They have the right to demand legal conclusion to all cases filed for committing crimes against humanity in 1971 in the country and seek justice, the statement said.

It added that India has full confidence in the process of trial at the ICTs as well as on the judicial system of Bangladesh.

The affirmation was made on Wednesday by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in the wake of questions raised in international arena about the standard of the war crimes trial in Bangladesh and the transparency of the procedure and also debate about it.

Two special tribunas - International Crimes Tribunal 1 and International Crimes Tribunal 2, set up at Old High Court building in capital Dhaka in 2010 – are dealing with cases filed in connection with war crimes committed during the country’s independence struggle in 1971. Questions had been raised by many international organizations, including legal bodies and rights groups, about the standard of the procedures and rules after the trial began three years ago.
http://tazakhobor.com/international/5161-india-extends-full-support-to-war-crimes-trial-in-bangladesh

Ready to review policy on compensation: J&K to SC

From The Indian Express

Utkarsh Anand : New Delhi, Mon Sep 16 2013

With the Supreme Court taking exception to "discrimination" between compensation for people belonging to the state and those from outside, the Jammu and Kashmir government has agreed to review its ex-gratia policy for victims of riots, militancy and other incidents.
"The policy...is being reviewed by the state government with the objective of providing an updated and comprehensive policy," a state government affidavit said. The government said there were endeavours to review the policy as soon as possible.
The SC bench headed by the Chief Justice had sought an explanation from the state over the ex-gratia policy.
Hearing a PIL on the Ramban firing and Kishtwar riots, the court asked J&K to justify its order awarding more compensation to permanent residents of the state. It will take up the state's response on Monday.
In its affidavit, J&K had justified its stand and invoked the Instrument of Accession and history. It asserted that special status granted by Article 370 of the Indian Constitution gave the state powers to draw up separate laws for original inhabitants of J&K. It said the state was entitled to confer special privileges on permanent residents in certain matters, including aid. "Such measures cannot be void on the ground that grant of special privileges is inconsistent with or takes away rights conferred on other citizens of India," it had said.
"The government of J&K is authorized to undertake measures specifically for welfare of permanent residents," it stated.
The government said ex-gratia was not a legally enforceable right and hence parity could not be claimed.
The state has relented and said it would take a relook at compensation.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ready-to-review-policy-on-compensation-j-k-to-sc/1169679/

BSF beats B'desh border force on Basketball court

From PTI

New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI)

Instead of being at opposite ends along the Indo-Bangla border, the jawans of BSF and their Bangladeshi counterparts came face-to-face on a basketball court in Dhaka where the visiting team defeated the host.

The match, held yesterday, was a part of confidence building measures between the two border guarding forces, an official spokesman said in a release.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/3982488_BSF-beats-Bangladesh-border-force-on-Basketball-court-.html