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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India have fought four wars on the Kashmir issue but can’t afford any more in “this 21st century”, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said while calling for resolving issues through dialogue, diplomacy, prudent policy and national consensus.

Gilani said with four wars already fought on Kashmir issue, the region still was a flashpoint. “But in this 21st century, we cannot afford wars”, Associated Press of Pakistan quoted him as saying on Sunday.

Pakistan and India have had armed conflicts in 1947-48, 1965, 1971 and 1999.

“We want to resolve the issues through dialogue, diplomacy, prudent policy and national consensus,” the prime minister said.

Gilani said on Sunday that Kashmir issue remained the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

“We are committed to continue with the moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris. The whole nation including all the political parties are united on the cause of Kashmir,” Gilani said while addressing the Kashmir convention held here.

The prime minister added that since Pakistan is a responsible country as well as a responsible nuclear power, it has to make responsible policies.

“We want to resolve the issues through dialogue, diplomacy, prudent policy and national consensus,” he remarked.

Gilani said the country’s policies should be made with national consensus and by the chosen representatives of masses and not by individuals.

He cited the example of Pakistan-China friendship and said the whole nation was united

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NEW DELHI: India is planning to make its undergraduate MBBS course six-and-a-half years long, instead of the present five-and-a-half years.

In a meeting on Saturday, health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and the Medical Council of India (MCI) discussed amending the MCI Act that would make a one-year rural posting compulsory for all MBBS students before they can become doctors. The proposal was first mooted by former health minister A Ramadoss in 2007.

Speaking to TOI, MCI chairman Dr K K Talwar said, “It is not that we have cleared the proposal. This was discussed on Saturday. In another two weeks time, we will prepare a module on how we can make MBBS doctors go and work in rural areas. The ministry will then take a call.”

Dr Talwar, however, cautioned, “We haven’t yet decided to introduce the six-and-a-half year MBBS course from next year. The proposal is still in planning stages now.”

According to Dr Talwar, if the proposal is cleared, India’s 40,000 students will be utilized for a year in the National Rural Health Mission.

“Medicine is a long career. One year of rural posting, in which students will be exposed to unique cases and diseases, will only do them good. However, the students will not be paid as interns but as doctors during that extra year of rural posting,” Dr Talwar said.

India is facing an acute shortage of human

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NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh is heading for a hung assembly with Samajwadi Party set to emerge as the single largest party, an opinion poll conducted by a TV news channel has said. The survey said no party or alliance would get anywhere close to the majority mark of 202.

SP is predicted to emerge as the single largest party with 127 seats which is 30 seats more than they managed in the last assembly election in 2007, according to the poll. The Congress looks set to make massive gain with 78 seats which is 56 seats more than their tally of 22 in the last election. The party , in alliance with Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal, is expected to garner 94 seats. RLD is expected to win 6 more seats this time with a tally of 16.

The ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP ) appears to be the biggest loser with only 108 seats , a loss of 97 seats on its magical tally of 205 in the 2007 election. The survey predicts fourth position for BJP with 57 seats , 6 more than its strength of 51 in the last assembly.

Although a lot of smaller parties and independents are also in the fray , the survey predicts only 17 seats for them. The survey found the Congress to be making major gains in Poorvanchal and Pashchim Pradesh. It seems set to increase its tally by 27 in Poorvanchal and by 15 in Pashchim Pradesh

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NEW DELHI: India and China are working on a possible visit by Chinese vice-president Xi Jinping sometime this year. If he does come this year, it would be the first time a prospective president of China would have visited India before assuming charge. President Hu Jintao will be in India in March for the BRICS summit, which is being held here this year.

Meanwhile, India and China exchanged written frameworks for the settlement of the border dispute during the recent meeting of the special representatives. Shivshankar Menon and Dai Bingguo will now parse the other’s framework to try and arrive at a common framework which will be the basis for ultimately putting a line on the ground. Despite the exchange of documents though, this process is a long way away from completion.

The special representatives talks have now evolved into a forum for reviewing bilateral relations. This year, India and China agreed to work together for maritime security, not only in the Gulf of Aden but even eastwards towards the Straits of Malacca, and further. “Our understanding is that we’re working on cooperating on maritime seucirty that will not only be confined to the Gulf of Aden only,” said sources. This would be a major confidence-building exercise if carried through.

This fledgling effort, sources said, was being hit by statements from the US director of national intelligence, James Clapper predicting a limited war between India and China in the

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ALLAHABAD: Ring, cup-plate, cot (charpai), auto-rickshaw, car, cooker, ceiling fan, press, violon, torch, plane, tent, table lamp, glass, camera, television, rickshaw, bucket, engine, battery, etc., are not only domestic appliances which are required for running a home, but all these are also election symbols allotted to Independents and candidates of smaller parties in 12 assembly seats — Bara, Handia, Koraon, Soraon, Phaphamau, Pratappur, City West, City North, City South, Meja, Karchana and Phulpur – of Allahabad.

With a total of 240 candidates, including 84 Independents, in fary, the district election office has issued these symbols. Apart from known election symbol of recognized political parties like “Kamal Ka Phool” for BJP, “Panja” for Congrees, “Hathi” for BSP and “Cycle” for Samajwadi Party, Independents, who are fray from 12 assembly seats, are busy in hectic canvassing.

After the name roll back procedure, 240 candidates including 26 in Phaphamau, 20 in Soraon, 26 in Phulpur, 16 in Pratappur, 14 in Handia, 23 in Meja, 25 in Karchana, 19 in Allahabad West, 16 in Allahabad North, 14 in Allahabad South, 23 in Bara and 18 in Koraon are contesting elections.

Officials said that only nine candidates had rolled back their names in 12 assembly seats.

Interestingly, the Independents and candidates of smaller parties are here explaining the utility of domestic appliances to their voters claiming that these items are important to run a family or house. Independents seem to be happy with their allotted election symbols seeking the blessing of voters

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Singhvi called the judgment an indictment of BJP because it questioned the policy of first-come-first-served promulgated by NDA and castigated the ‘sanction for prosecution’ clause which the Centre had already removed in the Lokpal bill. “But BJP opposed the Lokpal bill,” he added.

Congress continued its efforts to draw a distinction between jailed former telecom minister A Raja and the government, saying the court order proved that a policy could not be blamed for an individual’s actions. “Raja is in jail because he is accused of changing the dates thrice to favour someone,” Singhvi said.

While the judgment has laid the blame at Raja’s doors, slamming him for ignoring the advice of the PM and the finance ministry, Congress exercised caution in adding caveats like “we are not calling him guilty” or saying “it was for courts to decide”.

The care about DMK is inspired by coalition compulsions since the Dravidian ally remains a big part of UPA and its continued support will determine if Congress can take on the volatile Trinamool Congress after the five assembly elections in March.

Singhvi rebuffed queries about why Congress stuck to the FCFS policy after coming to power, saying “you cannot be held guilty for following a policy”.

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