Maoist attacks could force government to review strategy

NEW DELHI, July 13: The killing of 29 policemen in Chhattisgarh, the epicentre of Maoist violence, has been the deadliest attack mounted by the rebels this year, demonstrating how they have expanded their grip in vast swathes of the State and beyond. With 13 policemen, who were pressed into combing operations, still missing after Sunday’s attacks, the security establishment in New Delhi has been shaken by the assault and is again re-examining the government’s approach in dealing with left-wing extremism.

Pruning VIP security: A tough call for government

NEW DELHI, July 12: The government has been quick to decide on not upgrading Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi’s security cover to the Z plus category, but is yet to take a call on whittling down or even dispensing with the bodyguards of a majority of the 395 VIPs in the capital.

Over 9,000 personnel, mainly from Delhi Police, supplemented by hundreds of paramilitary personnel drawn from forces like the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), provide security to the VIPs.

The number of armed bodyguards has often been seen as a status symbol in the capital, the major reason why VIPs are so reluctant to have their security cover reduced. Appraisals of all the people protected that the Home Ministry periodically reviews after receiving inputs from the Intelligence Bureau have revealed that many of them do not require security as the threat perception simply does not exist.

Chemicals sector attracts highest foreign investment

NEW DELHI, July 12: Despite the global slowdown, the chemicals sector witnessed the highest growth in foreign investment in 2008-09, says a report by an industry lobby. The report by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) released on Sunday said the chemicals sector (other than fertilisers), attracted $749 million last fiscal as compared to the $229 million it attracted the previous year - an increase of 227 per cent.

The telecom sector, too, saw higher foreign investment, attracting $2,558 million in 2008-09 as compared to the $1,261 million the year before. This was an increase of 103 per cent. Similarly, despite global trends, the automobile sector recorded a 70 per cent growth in foreign investment, growing from $675 million in 2007-08 to $1,152 million last fiscal.

France backs India’s call for UN seat

NEW DELHI, July 9: France on Thursday endorsed India’s call for reform of the United Nations and backed India for a permanent seat in the Security Council. "If we want the Security Council to remain a legitimate place for handling peace and security crises in the world, it is absolutely necessary to have India as well as a couple of others as permanent members," French envoy to India Jerome Bonnafont said here. The reform was also imperative "in order to avoid unilateralism and to create an environment where countries sit together to address the threats to peace", the envoy said while stressing that the last reforms to the Security Council were made in the 1960s.