Chinese co second biggest SIM supplier in India

 Economy
Dec 142012
 

ZHUHAI, CHINA: A Chinese company has emerged as the second biggest supplier of SIM cards for mobile phones in India this year. The government-controlled Eastcompeace Technology is supplying the phone chips to Reliance Communications, Tata Teleservices, Airtel and Vodafone, besides providing SBI with smart cards.

Eastcompeace has implemented high level of security standards to ensure safety of phone and banking data, Daniel Hu, VP of the state-owned Potevio, which owns Eastcompeace, told journalists on Friday. In the area of smart cards, the firm has obtained licences from both Mastercard and Visa, he said.

The company also designed the chip that went into the latest and controversial version of Chinese passport that contains China’s map showing India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin. But, Hu said his company’s chips do not contain the maps, which were put at the government’s printing facilities. “Data security is an important concern for our customers. But we cannot access the data while producing the chips as they are encrypted,” Kevin Chen, company’s deputy GM and in charge for Indian operations, said.

Potevio owns a 25% stake in Eastcompeace, while the rest is held by different entities including state-owned Chinese banks and companies, the executives said. “The government is not involved in the management or business of the company,” Hu said.

Eastcompeace’s share in the Indian market is rising steadily and currently it has 13% share of the Indian SIM card market. It has supplied 90 million SIM card chips to India. The company’s plant in India produced 60% of them, while its unit in Zhuhai in South China rolled out the rest, Chen said. The company is the biggest player in Pakistan. Its India operation is the largest, with revenue worth $18 million followed by Pakistan ($9m), Russia ($6m) and South Africa ($4m).

International operations, which include Bangladesh and Singapore, account for 55% of its total revenue.

Delhi target outright win with four quicks

 Sports
Dec 142012
 

Virag Awate scored twin centuries on Ranji debut, Vidarbha v Maharashtra, Ranji Trophy, Group B, Nagpur, 4th day, November 27, 2012Maharashtra’s batsmen have piled on the centuries © Paritosh Pramanik
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Players/Officials: Vijay Dahiya
Series/Tournaments: Ranji Trophy | Indian Domestic Season

As the winter in Delhi begins to bite, its Ranji Trophy team has decided it must do the same – with a bullet. With only two matches left and 11 miserable points from six matches, Delhi will attempt to bring all their powers of purpose down on Maharashtra from Saturday at the Roshanara Club in north Delhi. Those powers begin with the fortuitous occurrence of a home ground going into preparation lockdown for an international game against Pakistan. It is why Delhi must move groundstaff, supersopper, catering unit and everything else it needs to play yet another all-or-nothing match on the fastest wicket in the neighbourhood with the promise of a four-man pace attack and a 9:15 start time known usually for freezing fingers in Delhi’s Decembers.

Even though the Kotla ODI between India and Pakistan is more than three weeks away, the logistical nightmare of moving from the Kotla to the private Roshanara Club, around 8 km away, will have to be undergone. The grumbling will be kept to the minimum if the move ends up being to Delhi’s eventual advantage, even though Ashish Nehra, their most experienced of quick men, is not on the team roster and Parvinder Awana, their quickest and most successful, finds himself in the Indian dressing room.

Instead, said coach Vijay Dahiya, medium-pacer Vikas Tokas had been called into the 15. If he does indeed turn up in the XI, Tokas will make his debut for Delhi after having played two Ranji matches for Railways in 2010-11. He completes the quartet of Delhi quicks being promised to stomp all over the Roshanara Club alongside Pawan Suyal, Pradeep Sangwan and Sumit Narwal. Delhi may be tempted to play five bowlers, including left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra, according to Dahiya, given that they are trying to snatch two outright wins and sneak their way into the knock-outs.

Against them will be a batting line-up that has rattled up totals of 764, 315, 333 and 540 and has six centuries, including a triple, from their batsmen in five matches. Yet, Maharashtra do not have a single outright win. Against Tamil Nadu, they were all out for 88 in their second innings in Chennai and beaten by 104 runs. Eight points and many tall totals have come from four draws, from first-innings leads against Vidarbha and Haryana. They may have three group games still left as compared to Delhi’s two, but at the tail-end of the Ranji Trophy, it is only strong and desperate opposition that lies in wait. First Delhi on what the day before the game looked like a green top, and then Baroda and Karnataka. In Group B, given Haryana’s unpredictability, Maharashtra must do all they can to ensure they do not end up hitting the bottom of the points table.

Lots of cheer as India win T20 World Cup for the Blind

 Sports
Dec 142012
 

The victorious Indian visually-impaired team with the inaugural T20 World Cup, Bangalore, December 13, 2012India’s visually-impaired team with their spoils © ESPNcricinfo Ltd
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India against Pakistan, in the final of the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup. No, we’re not talking Johannesburg 2007, but Bangalore 2012. This time, it was the inaugural T20 World Cup for the Blind, which India took by 29 runs.

The 12-day tournament, comprising nine teams, signed-off with much fanfare. There was India’s national broadcaster, Doordarshan, on hand to telecast the match. There were cheerleaders and the customary T20 bugle call being blasted over the PA. There were radio jockeys with boundary-side updates, and there were local actors to add a dash of glamour and get the crowd going. And, most vitally, there was a crowd to get going. A crowd that numbered around 4000.

“I don’t think I’ll ever experience anything like this in my life again,” South Africa’s visually-impaired cricket team captain, Desigan Pillay, said, as the spectators launched into a chant. His team-mate, Hendrik Christiaan, backed him up: “Back home, your wife thinks you’re great. And, probably, your mum. But to see so many people here, creating such an atmosphere, it’s very encouraging.”

Batting first on ground with a patchy outfield, India got to 258 for 8 – not a very intimidating total by blind cricket standards. At one point though, it looked like they might get much less. Enter Ketanbhai Patel, one of the four fully blind or B1 players in the XI (among the partially-sighted players, four are B2s – players who can see up to three metres – and the remaining three are B3s or those who can see up to six metres). As per the rules, B1 players have their scores doubled and so, when they click, they can make a huge difference for their team. Today, Ketanbhai clicked. He scored 98 off 43 balls, caught and bowled two short of a rare B1 century.

Pakistan came into the final unbeaten, and are the only team to make it to the finals of all four global blind cricket tournaments to date – this one, and the three 40-overs World Cups before this. They won two of those titles, the most recent being a victory over India in Islamabad in 2006. This time round, though, the very vocal home crowd wasn’t behind them and the pressure seemed to get to Pakistan. They lost wickets in a hurry and the run outs in the innings showed that they were nervous.

By the time the final over began, the game was over and the Indian fans knew it. Most left the shade of the shamiyanas (tents) surrounding the field, and crowded the boundary boards. The moment the final ball was bowled, and the 29-run win official, they spilled on to the field despite the best efforts of the volunteers and the police. Photographers with cameras flashing, schoolchildren draped with flags, physically challenged in wheelchairs … they were all out there. Some sprayed bottled coke on others, while the crackers went off in the background.

Over the next hour, the Indian visually-impaired team was hugged and hoisted on shoulders and raucously celebrated. After the speeches – several of them – mementos were handed out to all the teams by former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga and former India wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani, among others. The star player of the tournament, India batsman Prakash Jairamaiah, was garlanded and India captain Shekhar Naik was handed the trophy. Of course, there were a few well-deserved cheques handed out too.

India vs Pakistan: Afridi may be retained for if he does well in T20s

 Sports
Dec 132012
 

India vs Pakistan: Afridi may be retained for if he does well in T20sKarachi: Pakistan`s flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi can be retained for the three ODIs in India if he strikes form in the two T20 International matches to be held in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

There has been a lot of hue and cry over the decision of the national selection committee to drop Afridi for the ODI series while retaining him in the T20 squad.

But Chief selector Iqbal Qasim indicated on Thursday that if Afridi did well in the T20 matches and if the team management made any request to retain him for the ODIs, the selection committee would definitely consider the request.

“Shahid is a very experienced player and we felt the time now was to give him a chance to focus on the two T20 matches as his form has not been consistent in the ODI matches,” Qasim said.

“We want him to regain his confidence. It is a wrong impression that we have lost confidence or faith in him.”

A well-placed source confirmed that after the captain of the one-day team, Misbah-ul-Haq had wanted Afridi`s inclusion in the ODI squad but the selectors told him that if Afridi did well in the T20 matches, they would allow Afridi to stay back for the ODIs.

The source also said that it had been decided that despite criticism from some quarters particularly during the recent World T20 Cup Mohammad Hafeez would continue to open in the T20 and ODI matches.

Hafeez, who leads the T20 national team, had batted lower down the order in the just concluded national T20 championship where he led the Lahore Lions team to the title.

This raised hopes among his critics that Hafeez had finally decided to bat lower down the order in India.

But the source said there was no such plan and Hafeez would open the innings in the T20 games.

“He made it clear to the selectors at the meeting that domestic cricket was different but in international cricket, he faced comfortable facing the new ball and would open the innings.”

PTI

India beat arch-rivals Pakistan to win inaugural Blind T20 World Cup

 Sports
Dec 132012
 

Bangalore: A spirited India beat arch-rivals Pakistan by 30 runs to annex the T20 World Cup for the sightless at the Central College ground in Bangalore on Thursday.

Batting first India scored 258 runs for eight wickets in the stipulated 20 overs before restricting Pakistan Pakistan to 228 runs for eight wickets in their 20 overs to lift the inaugural edition of the tournament.

For the men in blue, Ketan Bhai Patel hit a blitzy 98, while Prakash Jayaramaiah and Ajay Kumar Reddy chipped in with and 25 respectively.

For Pakistan, it was Mohammed Jameel who top-scored with 47 while Ali Murthaza and Mohammad Akram contributed 38 and 32 respectively.

By Indian Sports News Network

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Modi’s allegation that Sir Creek is about to be given to Pakistan is mischievous: PMO hits back

 News
Dec 122012
 

A day before the Gujarat assembly poll, Chief Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday stirred a hornet’s nest by writing to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against handint over Sir Creek to Pakistan . In a strong rebuttal, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the claims are “unsubstantiated” “untrue” and “mischievous”.

In his letter, signed as “a concerned citizen”, the Gujarat chief minister said: “I am writing on a serious issue of talks being held on Sir Creek being handed over to Pakistan . Any attempt to hand over Sir Creek to Pakistan would be a strategic blunder considering the history and sensitivity of the region.”

The two-time Gujarat chief minister, said : “I would earnestly request you to stop this dialogue with Pakistan at once and Sir Creek should not be handed over to Pakistan.”

“I am writing to you at this juncture as I was told that a decision is being taken on Sir Creek issue on December 15,” Modi said in the letter.

He asked the prime minister to “stop taking any decision on this issue”.

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik is likely to visit India December 14-16 for talks on the demarcation of the Sir Creek, among other issues.

In a strongly worded rebuttal, the PMO said : “The prime minister has received a letter dated 12th December 2012 from Narendra Modi, making unsubstantiated allegations and statements about discussions with Pakistan on the Sir Creek issue.”

“The contents of the letter and the timing of its release to the public, even before it was formally received in this office, raise questions about the motives behind its issue. The writing and release of this baseless letter by the Chief Minister of Gujarat in his ‘personal’ capacity, a day before elections in the state, is mischievous,” it added.

The first phase of the Gujarat elections are slated for Thursday, while the second phase is on Dec 17. Counting is on Dec 20. Modi, a senior BJP leader, who has been the chief minister of the state for two terms, is tipped to return to power once again.

The PMO also said the discussions with Pakistan had been carried out by successive Indian governments since the dialogue process began in 1998 and continued after former prime minister and Bharatitya Janata Party (BJP) leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit to Lahore in 1999.

“The allegation in the letter that Sir Creek is about to be given to Pakistan is untrue. Therefore, the other conclusions drawn by Modi from this alleged fact are also not real,” the statement said.

“It also seems that Modi has written his letter without making any efforts to ascertain the facts from the government of India,” it added.

Sir Creek is a 96-km-long disputed area between India and Pakistan in the Rann of Kutch marshlands, which opens up into the Arabian Sea. The Sir Creek divides the Kutch region of Gujrat and Pakistan’s Sindh province.

The marshy waterbody has been under dispute with the two countries and India and Pakistan have been discussing the issue for quite a long time.

In his letter, Modi said Sir Creek has been settled 100 years back between rulers of Kutch and Sindh.

“Even the tribunal verdict in 1968 headed by the British Prime Minister Harold Wilson shows Pakistan getting only 10 per cent of its claim of 9,000 sq kms of this border area,” he said.

“Handing over Sir Creek to Pakistan will totally open up Gujarat border with Pakistan. I was given to understand that recently Pakistan carried out a joint operation of their army, airforce and navy code named Sea-spark-12, almost one month ago very near to Sir Creek,” the chief minister alleged.

“Handing over Sir Creek to Pakistan will give them more control over the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the sea. This will be a permanent threat to fishermen of Saurashtra and Kutch area and also to the vital installations and major industrial installations like refineries and ports,” he said.

“Handing over Sir Creek to Pakistan will endanger our energy security as Kutch, Saurashtra and North Gujarat has vast potential of oil and gas both off shore and onshore,” he said.

“At no point in the entire process has the Gujarat government been consulted. In a similar case of Teesta agreement with Bangladesh, West Bengal Chief Minister was consulted and the agreement was cancelled,” he added.

“After the elections are over in Gujarat, I shall seek your time to discuss this issue with you,” he added.

Manish Tiwari hits out at Narendra Modi

 News
Dec 122012
 

Manish Tiwari hits out at Narendra Modi New Delhi: In a sharp attack on Narendra Modi for his letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sir Creek issue, Congress today alleged the Gujarat Chief Minister was resorting to “shallow and superficial politicking” to shore up his “faltering” political fortunes.

“It is most unfortunate that the Chief Minister of Gujarat has stooped to the extent of creating a fictitious issue to shore up his faltering political fortures,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told a news agency.

He said “matters which have a bearing on national security need to be articulated with a modicum of responsibility and gravitas. We do hope the people of Gujarat would see through this shallow and superficial politicking which does not even spare matters of strategic importance.”

Manish Tiwari hits out at Narendra Modi

The Prime Minister’s Office today rubbished Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that Sir Creek was being “handed over” to Pakistan, saying the “baseless charges” were “mischievous” and motives questionable as these came on the eve of polls in the state.

Manish Tiwari hits out at Narendra Modi

Responding to a letter written by Modi to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the PMO dubbed as “unsubstantiated allegations” its contents about discussions with Pakistan on the Sir Creek issue.

Expressing apprehensions just ahead of Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s visit to India on December 14 to discuss a range of bilateral issues, Modi, in his letter to the Prime Minister, said Sir Creek, a marshy land in Gujarat, should “not be handed over to Pakistan” and talks on this issue should be stopped.

Union Minister and Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said it is “very mischievous” on the part of the Chief Minister to “stoop to such level of politics”.

“There is no question of giving the land to Pakistan and there is no such proposal,” he said.

He added that in a bid to take advantage in elections, Modi is trying to resort to “all sorts of lies”.

PTI

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First Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 23:41

India vs Pakistan: Online ticket sales for Bangalore T20 to start on Thursday

 Sports
Dec 122012
 

India vs Pakistan: Online ticket sales for Bangalore T20 to start on ThursdayBangalore: Online ticket sales for the India-Pakistan T20 match to be played at M Chinnaswamy stadium here on December 25 will start from tomorrow, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) president Anil Kumble said.

Speaking to reporters here, Kumble said as many as 7,187 online tickets are up for sales.

He said after setting aside tickets for others, as many as 26,565 tickets will be sold to cricket fans.

Affiliated Cricket Clubs will be given 10 tickets each and 3,705 tickets will be made available for corporates, Kumble said.

“KSCA members will get 2,800 tickets,” he said.

Replying to a question, KSCA secretary Javagal Srinath said all steps have been taken to ensure foolproof security during the match.

“We have taken security steps in consultation with the city police,” he said.

PTI

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