The Nation Newspaper

Tag: India

  • OJB’s house demolished, set for surgery in India

    OJB’s house demolished, set for surgery in India

    All is set for the Kidney transplant of the the ailing veteran artist and producer Babatunde Jezreel Okungbowa popularly known as OJB Jezreel in India.

    The multi-talented music icon reportedly left Nigeria for India last Friday where he will be going  under the knife for the replacement of his damaged Kidneys.

    We hope and pray for  a successful surgery for OBJ even as it was reported that his Surulere residence was demolished by its original owner owing to the decision of the property owner to build more flat in the compound.

     

  • India markets plunge

    India’s biggest two-day stock market slide since 2009, surging bond yields and a plunge in the rupee to a record low are pressuring officials for fresh steps to stem capital outflows and support the economy.

    The S&P BSE Sensex (SENSEX) Index sank 1.6 per cent at the close in Mumbai, extending the five per cent loss on August 16. The rupee tumbled 2.3 per cent against the dollar, touching an all-time low of 63.23.

    The yield on the government bond due May 2023 rose 34 basis points to 9.24 percent, the highest on a 10-year note since 2008.

    The market rout underscores the failure of months of measures to contain outflows, from higher interest rates to gold import curbs. Foreigners sold a net $3 billion of Indian stocks and bonds in July as the slowest growth in a decade made Asia’s third-largest economy vulnerable to a pullout of funds from emerging markets, spurred by speculation the U.S. Federal Reserve will cool stimulus.

    “The market is questioning the effectiveness of policy makers’ moves and the options available to them,” said Priyanka Kishore, a strategist at Standard Chartered Plc in London. “Earlier, the government said it had a grand plan. This is what the market expected, but the final measures disappointed.”

    The currency has weakened about 28 per cent versus the dollar in the past two years. The tumble has brought back memories of the early 1990s crisis, when the government received an International Monetary Fund loan as foreign reserves waned.

    India won’t face a repeat of that situation as it has enough reserves for about seven months of imports, compared with 15 days back then, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said last week.

    “Our primary concern is that the policy authorities still don’t ‘get it’ — thinking this is a fairly minor squall which will simmer down relatively quickly with fairly minor actions,” Robert Prior-Wandesforde, an economist at Credit Suisse Group AG in Singapore, wrote in a note.

    “If this remains the case, then a swift move to 65 against the U.S. dollar is probable, which in turn should help focus minds.”

    The current-account gap widened to 4.8 per cent of gross domestic product in the 12 months ended March. The Reserve Bank of India estimates the sustainable level is 2.5 percent of GDP.

     

  • School meal kills 21 in India

    At least 21 children have died and dozens more have fallen sick after eating a tainted school meal in India’s eastern state of Bihar, BBC reports.

    The poisoning occurred at a government school in the village of Masrakh in Saran district.

    An inquiry has begun and 200,000 rupees ($3,370) in compensation offered to the families of each of the dead.

    India’s Mid-Day Meal Scheme provides free food to try to boost attendance, but often suffers from poor hygiene.

    At least 28 sick children were taken to hospitals in the nearby town of Chhapra and the state capital, Patna, after the incident.

    A total of 47 students of a primary school in Dharmasati Gandaman village fell sick on Tuesday after eating the free lunch.

    There are fears the number of dead could rise as some of the children, all below the age of 12, are critically ill.

    The father of one sick child, Raja Yadav, said his son was vomiting after returning from school and had to be rushed to hospital.

    The state education minister, PK Shahi, told the BBC a preliminary investigation indicated that the food was contaminated with traces of phosphorous.

     

  • India schools woo Nigerian students

    Indians are now looking to enroll Nigerian students in their tertiary institutions. With a 15 per cent international students’ quota to fill, the institutions are hoping that eligible Nigerian students, who lose out of the admission process locally due to space constraints, would consider India for affordable tertiary education.

    For two days last week, more than 12 Indian institutions participated in an education expo hosted by the Indian Embassy on Victoria Island, Lagos.

    In addition to charging tuition fees far cheaper than what obtains in Europe and America, the popular destinations for Nigerian students, some of the institutions promised prospective students scholarships, quality education service delivery, and assured them of affordable living expenses.

    Some of the institutions present at the expo included, SRM University, Chennai; Galgotias University, Greater Noida; Symbiosis International University, Pune; BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore; Don Bosco Institute of Technology, Banbalore; VAG Group of Educational Institutes, New Delhi; and R.R Institutions, Bangalore.

    Representative of SRM University who also doubled as the Head, Middle East and Africa, Samiullah Khan said the institution is a private university that ranks among the top 10 in India.

    He said the institution which accepts the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations (NECO) Council SSCE results from Nigerians as entry qualifications, has over $200,000 earmarked for scholarships for those who meet the merit benchmark.

    Khan added that students could also secure jobs before graduation as over 170 companies flood the institution, scrambling for their hotcakes graduates.

    “You know India is known for ICT, and we have over 170 companies that come to employ our students. All SRM students get jobs before graduation. The students join the company even before graduation, and the companies recruit and train them while they are still in school. The companies move the training to the school rather than having it in their offices because we have the facilities,” he said.

    Galgotias University in Greater Noida is offering students affordable education in a well planned city. Head of its International Relations Unit, Anita Charles, said cost of living is low while Nigerian students who take up offers will learn a lot from the international community of over 5,000 students.

    “Greater Noida is a well-planned city, but it is not crowded. There are over 80 institutions in that city. It is also a big plus because up to 5,000 international students reside there. The cost of living is affordable. There are a whole lot of Nigerians in India. It is true that the climate, culture and food are different but that is also an important aspect of education for inter-cultural learning,” she said.

    Another representative, Anita Patankar of Symbiosis International University, said students seeking good quality education in Management and Law can be rest assured to get it in her institution.

    While at $5,000-6,000, Symbiosis is one of the high end universities in India, Patankar said students can be rest assured they are getting quality.

    Other institutions, such as Vag Group of Education Institutes, which runs eight institutes charges only 1,200 for tuition, books, ID card, exam fees and free English-speaking seminar; Bharath University on the other hand, charges $130,000 for Medicine for four-five plus years.

    Some of the students, who attended the exhibition, said they were willing to travel to India for their education because the Asian country is known for expertise in Information Communications Technology, as well ad the affordable tuition compared with private institutions here in Nigeria.

    A parent, Mr. Tunde Adelanwa said he wants his daughter to travel to India to study because of the space constraint in Nigeria.

    “She finished her secondary school education with good grades two years ago but up till now she has not been given admission into any university,” he said.

    In his address, the High Commissioner of India to Nigeria, Mr. Mahesh Sachdev, said the advantage of Indian institutions is that they offer quality and affordable education that is globally-recognised.

     

  • Accident victim for surgery in India

    Accident victim for surgery in India

    After a car crash in 2004 left her with a badly fractured leg, Mrs Ndifreke Godwin, a native of Mbak Itam in Akwa Ibom State, now has a chance to walk normally again.

    That chance was provided by the Eunice Development Foundation (EDF), operated by The Apostolic Mount Olive Church in the state. The foundation sponsored Mrs Godwin’s corrective surgery in India.

    When she had the accident in August 2004, she was rushed to Barry White Memorial Hospital (BMH) unconscious. She lost so much blood. The situation at the hospital was so critical that she was said not to be not responding to treatment. She was referred to Enugu Hospital where it was recommended that the leg be amputated. She declined, saying that help will come one day and she would walk normally again.

    Upon her discharge from the hospital in Enugu, she was referred to Rehoboth Hospital in Port Harcourt for another round of surgery. A comprehensive surgery was carried out, with one of her lumber bones used to replace her tibia. Still, she had no respite.

    In one of the church services, the General Overseer of the church, Apostle David Udo Udo told her it was her life that the devil was after, and that she should be happy she was alive. He also promised to send her to India for surgery. Apostle Udo lived up to his promise.

    Speaking to reporters, Mr Chile Ukata, who represented the foundation, appreciated the vision of the General Overseer to help the less-privileged, saying the EDF has dug boreholes for communities in Cross River State, distributed wrappers to widows and the needy as well as built a bungalow for a widow in Akwa Ibom State.

    During the floods of last year, the church sent a team of welfare committee members to the Ahoada camps for displaced persons and presented them with relief materials.

    Ukata, who is a lawyer and member of the foundation’s welfare department, presented a cash of $2,000 and travelling documents to Mrs Godwin and her husband.

  • India commends tourism in Nigeria

    The Indian Vice-Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General SK Singh, has expressed his excitement at the level of tourism development in Nigeria.

    General Singh, while leading a 5-man delegation on a courtesy call to the tourism village, expressed his gratitude at the reception, stating that it was a privilege to visit the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, pointing out his surprise at the humility of the Director General, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe.

    He said that the visit was a follow-up to the former Indian President’s visit in 2007, stressing that Nigeria and India have always had very strong ties using the meeting of Common Wealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) in 2004 as an instance where Otunba Runsewe performed excellently as the organiser of the event, thereby enabling Nigeria, India and Brazil to consolidate on their cordial relationship.

    The Indian VCOAS also expressed the desire of the Indian government to take the relationship to the next level. He said the purpose of the visit was to strengthen the cultural relationship of both countries.

    The NTDC helmsman on his part, said he was very honoured to have the delegation lay emphasis on the strong relationship between Nigeria and India, while noting that the visit was like a dream come true.

    He noted that for the first time in NTDC, foreign delegates came on a courtesy call with their wives, demonstrating that the Indians are one of the most hospitable and loving people in the world. He also noted that the Asian country has a highly medicinal weather condition and gifted doctors all complementing its potential for medical tourism.

    Later, Otunba Runsewe stated that NTDC was willing and ready to visit India to showcase Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and enjoy that of the latter as soon as they provided the major cultural festivals India has to offer within the year. The visitors expressed their excitement at the initiative, promising to inform the corporation on their yearly cultural programmes.

    After being presented with NTDC-branded promotional items and a muffler designed with Nigeria’s national colours, the delegates took a tour around the tourism village to relish some of the artefacts on display while taking photographs.

     

  • Delhi parliament plotter hanged

    Delhi parliament plotter hanged

    A Kashmiri militant sentenced to death over a 2001 plot to attack India’s parliament has been hanged after his final clemency plea was rejected.

    Officials said Mohammed Afzal Guru, who had been on death row since 2002, was executed at Tihar jail near Delhi.

    BBC says Afzal Guru had always denied plotting the attack, which left 14 dead.

    India has stepped up security and announced a curfew in Indian-administered Kashmir, where news of the execution was expected to spark unrest.

    Executions are very rare in India – Afzal Guru’s was only the second since 2004, after Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving attacker from the 2008 Mumbai attack was executed in November.

    “This is only about the law taking its course,” Home Secretary RK Singh said.

    Hundreds of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in towns and cities across Indian-administered Kashmir to try to contain any unrest sparked by the execution.

    Claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan, Kashmir has been a flashpoint for more than 60 years and two wars have been fought over it.

     

  • Gandhi’s light is still bright in India

    On January 30, 1948, the people of India were thrown into mourning. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, a nationalist and the country’s most respected freedom fighter, was assassinated by a Hindu extremist, Nathuram Godse. The murder of the sage came six months after India gained its independence from Britain.

    Gandhi was on his way to his evening prayer meeting after a 12-day fast to bring peace to India, which was then engulfed in riot. The Hindu nation woke up in disbelief, wondering why the elder statesman, who was known to always preach peace, was the target of any person or group.

    The nationalist leader achieved his country’s independence through a non-violent revolution; he led a struggle and campaign of passive resistance, and non-cooperation, known as Satyagraha. The London Law graduate’s successful uprising in South Africa to make the authority respect the right of Indians in the country brought him back to India to fight on the home front.

    Through his peaceful demonstration, Gandhi, known for his famous saying – you must be the change you wish to see in the world – rose to become an international figure in free India.

    Perhaps what makes Gandhi to be remembered by many is his protest by fasting to drive home his demand. Gandhi was said to have gone on 15 hunger strikes in the course of his struggle. He fasted for long period several times.

    In September 1932, while in jail, Gandhi undertook a ‘fast unto death’ to improve the status of India caste system. On January 13, 1948, because of religious violence spawned by the partition of India, Gandhi undertook another successful fast in New Delhi to bring about peace.

    These fasts were efficacious in ending the British suzerainty. Gandhi’s political and religious influence on India was so much that the British government dared not to toy with the country’s destiny after independence. He lived a Spartan and spiritual life of prayer and meditation, devoid of affluence and vainglory.

    This is contrary to Nigerian style, where leaders live in wealth while the citizens cannot afford three-square meal a day. As majority of Nigerians groan in want and abject poverty, our leaders thought it wise to feed themselves with billions of public funds, without a tinge of reflection on the suffering and depravity in the land.

    Nigerian presidency is spending a whopping sum on feeding alone. Such money is enough to give free foods to students in tertiary institutions in the country. The money is enough to upgrade national hospitals to dispense quality healthcare to the citizens. Where is our own Gandhi, a leader that will love the impoverished and less-privileged more than he loves himself?

    However, the behaviour of our leaders and sheer greed in the land show that no Gandhi will ever come out of Nigeria. All we can ever have in this country are gluttons and parasites. If only our leaders could fit in Gandhi’s garb, which does not necessarily suggest wearing loincloth and shawl as Gandhi did, the nation would truly be the pride of Africa in contrast to the present belief that we are giant of the continent.

    Supposing Gandhi was elected the president of his country after independence and he had taken bogus allowances or thrown expensive state house banquet, purchased expensive loincloths and established a state of the art kitchen, would our ailing leaders be visiting Indian hospitals for first-class treatment?

    Gandhi’s sacrifice paid it all. It is worthy of mention that he fed on vegetables, fruit juices and goat’s milk, and not continental dish and chicken.

    Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, in a broadcast farewell speech, said of Gandhi: “Our light has gone out but the light that shone in this country was no ordinary light. For a thousand years, that light will be seen in this country and the world will see it.”

    Indeed, Gandhi is forever gone but the light is still shining. Far away in the United States, Martin Luther King Jnr. saw the light, became a disciple and changed the condition of black race in America. The light is still shining and I hope Nigerian leaders will open their eyes to see the light in other countries.

     

    Taiwo, is a Corps member, NYSC Ibadan

     

  • India, Vietnam are world’s top rice exporters

    India, Vietnam are world’s top rice exporters

    Thailand lost its three-decades-old title as the world’s top rice exporter last year, falling behind India and Vietnam, industry sources said on Friday.

    Vietnam on Thursday announced that its rice exports for 2012 were 7.6 million tonnes, up 10 per cent year-on-year. India’s rice exports last year exceeded 9.5 million tonnes, according to United States Department of Agriculture figures.

    Thailand exported 6.9 million in 2012, down 35.5 per cent from the 10.7 million tonnes it shipped in 2011, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Association’s and commerce ministry’s latest figures.

    Of the 6.9 million tonnes, some 1.7 million were registered as government-to-government deals, which the private-sector association has questioned.

    “The only government-to-government deal we saw evidence of was a 300,000 shipment to Indonesia in early 2012,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Chookiat Ophaswongse, the association’s honorary president as saying on the issue.

    “The other deals are still a mystery to us since we’ve seen no records of them,’’ he added.

    The exporters association blamed the country’s drop in exports on the government’s so-called paddy pledging scheme, under which it has agreed to buy unhusked white rice from farmers at a fixed price of 15,000 (484 dollars) per tonne and high-quality jasmine at 20,000 baht per tonne.

    The scheme was one of the ruling Pheu Thai party’s populist policies used to win the July 2011 general election.

     

  • Nigeria, India to sign bilateral tourism agreement

    Nigeria, India to sign bilateral tourism agreement

    The Deputy Manager, India Trade Promotion Organisation, Mr. Satya Panda, said on Friday that there was a plan by the country to establish a bilateral tourism agreement with Nigeria.

    Panda made this known in a telephone chat with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

    He said that historically, Nigeria and India had excellent bilateral trade relationships, adding that both nations should work together to strengthen ties in the tourism sector.

    “Both countries have similar experiences in the past and the synergy that has been there for a very long time should be continued.

    “We will work with our Nigerian friends so that the bilateral trade ties are not only sustained but expanded further to tourism,’’ NAN quoted him as saying.

    Panda said that the move was part of efforts by India to improve trade relations with the developing countries.

    He said the bilateral tourism agreement would enable visitors to invest and tap from India’s tourism potential.

    He explained that Nigeria, among other countries, was fast becoming a good tourism destination in Africa.

    Panda advised the Federal Government to ensure a safe environment for foreign investors to harness the Nigeria’s vast tourism potential.