Nuclear-capable Prithvi-II test-fired

BALASORE (ORISSA): India test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II ballistic missile from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur as part of the user trial by the Army.

"The missile mounted on a mobile launcher was test-fired from the launch complex-3 in the ITR at around 0905 hours", defence officials said.

With a maximum striking range of 350 km, the missile is capable of carrying a pay-load of 500-1000 kg warhead.

"Prithvi-II missile had proved its robustness and accuracy during many trials earlier," an official of the Defence Research and development Organisation (DRDO) said.

"Taken from routine production lot during earlier user's trials by the Army, the missile had achieved single digit accuracy reaching close to zero circular error probability (CEP)," they said.

The missile, which has features to deceive any anti ballistic missiles, had demonstrated flight duration of 483 seconds reaching a peak altitude of 43.5 km in 2008 user's trial.

Similarly, as a part of the operational exercises by Armed forces, two Prithvi-II missiles, aimed at two different targets at 350 km from launch point of ITR, at Chandipur were successfully launched within minutes of each other on October 12, 2009 and all the mission objectives were met.

The sleek missile once again proved its accuracy when the user, tried it in a 'salvo mode' on March 27 and June 18, 2010 from Chandipur. It was the fourth successful Prithvi-II flight within a period of eight months.

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Baba Ramdev to make his assets public today

HARIDWAR: With questions being raised over his huge assets, Baba Ramdev on Thursday morning said he will make public all his personal financial details and also the assets of firms and trusts associated with him in the evening.

"We will come out with financial details of Patanjali Yogapeeth and all our companies by today evening," Baba Ramdev said in an address to his supporters in Haridwar.

Hitting back at the government, Ramdev termed the crackdown on his supporters at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi last Sunday as 'brutal'. He also accused government of indulging in character assasination.

The yoga guru on Thursday again dropped dark hints about this struggle being taken up by the young whether he is around to see it or not.

Earlier, Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh had questioned how Baba Ramdev had amassed so much of assets and demanded a probe into it.

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No respite from price rise, food inflation up 9.01%

NEW DELHI: Notwithstanding the government's projections of a moderation in the rate of price rise of food items, food inflation jumped to a two-month high of 9.01 per cent for the week ended May 28 on the back of costlier fruits, onions and protein-based items.

Food inflation, as measured by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), was 8.06 per cent in the previous week, while it was as high as 20.62 per cent during the last week of May, 2010.

The latest numbers are the highest level of food inflation since the week ended March 26 when it had stood at at 9.18 per cent. For the last two months, the rate of price rise of food items has been below the 9 per cent mark.

As per data released by the government on Thursday, fruits became 30.78 per cent more expensive year-on-year, while onions were up by over 14 per cent.

During the week under review, milk prices were up by 8.49 per cent and egg, meat and fish became dearer by 6.99 per cent. Cereals also became costlier by 5.77 per cent on an annual basis.

However, the prices of pulses went down by 9.49 per cent year-on-year, while vegetables and potatoes became cheaper by 0.20 per cent and 2.87 per cent.

Inflation in overall primary articles, which have a weight of 20 per cent in the headline WPI, was reported at 11.52 per cent during the week under review, up from 10.87 per cent in the previous week.

However, inflation of non-food primary articles fell to 20.97 per cent, as against 21.31 per cent in the previous week. This is likely to bring some cheer to the government and the Reserve Bank, who have termed inflationary pressure from the core (non-food) segment as the biggest threat to the economy in the near future.

In the non-food segment, fibres became dearer by 56.56 per cent year-on-year, while minerals were up 12.11 per cent.

Fuel and power became more expensive by 12.46 per cent and petrol by 33.23 per cent on an annual basis during the week under review.

The government and RBI had said that in the months to come, inflationary pressure would be more from core (non-food) items on account of high global prices of commodities, particularly crude.

A rise in prices of food items was the main reason for inflationary pressure during 2010. Food inflation was in double digits for most of last year, before showing signs of moderation from March this year.

Food inflation had fallen to an 18-month low of 7.47 per cent in the first week of May. However, the prospects for a prolonged moderation now seems to have vanished.

Headline inflation stood at 8.66 per cent in April. The RBI, in its monetary policy for 2011-12, had projected that overall inflation would average 9 per cent during the first half of this fiscal.

The latest jump in food inflation numbers comes in the wake of a slew of bad news for the economy. GDP growth of the country slowed to a five-quarter low of 7.8 per cent during the January-March quarter, while the six core industries registered meagre 5.2 per cent expansion in April.

Experts had blamed inflation and the resultant rate hikes by the RBI, which resulted in slowing down of investment, for the poor economic growth numbers.

The RBI is expected to go for another round of rate hikes at its mid-quarterly review next week.

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MF Husain passes away in London

LONDON: Renowned artist MF Husain, whose paintings made waves and also stirred controversies, passed away in Royal Brompton Hospital on Thursday. He was 95.

According to reports, Husain was being treated for fluids in his lungs. However, the exact cause of his death is yet to be known.

Husain was in a self-imposed exile since 2006 after some of his paintings of Hindu deities led to life threats and attacks. Husain eventually adopted the citizenship of Qatar.

The paintings in question were created in 1970, but did not become an issue until 1996, when they were printed in Vichar Mimansa, a Hindi monthly magazine.

In response, eight criminal complaints were filed against Husain. In 2004, Delhi High Court dismissed these complaints of "promoting enmity between different groups ... by painting Hindu goddesses - Durga and Sarswati, that was later compromised by Hindus".

In 1998 Husain's house was attacked by some Hindu groups like Bajrang Dal and his art works were vandalised.

In February 2006, Husain was charged with hurting sentiments of people because of his nude portraits of Hindu gods and goddesses.

A series of cases were brought against him and a court case related to the alleged obscene depiction of Hindu goddesses in his paintings resulted in issuing a non-bailable warrant against Husain after he failed to respond to summons.

Husain's initial success as an artist was in the late 1940s.

In 1947, he joined the Progressive Artists' Group, founded by Francis Newton Souza. This was a group of young artists who wished to break with the nationalist traditions established by the Bengal school of art and to encourage an Indian avant-garde, engaged at an international level.

In 1952, his first solo exhibition was held at Zürich and over the next few years, his work was widely seen in Europe and the US.

In 1955, he was awarded the prestigious Padma Shree prize by the Government of India.

According to Forbes magazine, he has been called the "Picasso of India".


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