The 11 day mega film event is scheduled from November 23 to  December 3 in Panaji.

The prestigious Film Festival will be inaugurated by the veteran bollywood actress of the yesteryears Waheeda Rehman along with the noted Tamil/Bollywood actress Asin in the presence of the union Information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni while Mammootty would be the chief guest for the closing ceremony of the prestigious International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

In addition Ben Kingsley, who played Mahatma Gandhi in Richard Attenborough’s ‘Gandhi’will walk the red carpet.

The festival will be opened with the Chinese film “Wheat” directed by He Peng and will be closed by the Spanish film “Broken Embrace”, directed by Pedro Almodvar.

Over 300 films will be screened during the 11 day film festival at Kala Academy, Inox, Maquenize Palace in Panaji and Ravindra Bhavan in Margao.

The petitioners explained that they were absorbed in GU from Centre of Post Graduation Instruction (CPIR) at Panaji, under Bombay University, by virtue of an agreement dated June 9, 1987. Subsequently, in its statute, GU prescribed the superannuation age to be 60, akin to the retirement age of teachers in Bombay University, the petitioners stated. They argued that as the retirement age of teachers of Bombay University still continues to be 60 years, the state government had committed breach of the agreement by reducing the age of superannuation to 58 years.

The petitioners also brought to the notice of the court that after the government realized that reduction in retirement age will lead to waste of talent and experience, the Goa University (Amendment) Act, 2006 was passed and the retirement age of teachers was again fixed at 60 years.During the hearing of the case, advocate general Subodh Kantak argued that under the agreement the total emoluments to be received by the petitioners after their absorption by GU was protected and not the age of retirement.

Rejecting the petition, a division bench comprising Justice V K Tahilramani and Justice N A Britto observed that the agreement provided the service conditions would be the same as those of Bombay University, until they were revised by GU with a further rider that they could be revised in line with service conditions of Goa government employees.

Determination of the age of retirement is a matter of policy of the employer and courts cannot venture in their path, the court said. “That the legislature has again extended it to 60 years in 2006 is entirely a different matter and the petitioners who retired after the first amendment, cannot derive any benefit of the same,” the court observed.

Courtesy:TOI

]]> http://www.goablog.org/posts/hc-upholds-goa-varsity-teachers-retirement-at-58/feed/ http://www.goablog.org/posts/hc-upholds-goa-varsity-teachers-retirement-at-58/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/goablog/doAO/~3/u-kUPA2OSWw/ http://www.goablog.org/posts/goa-blast-case-teams-probe-skills-questioned/#comments Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:12:41 +0000 Goa Blog http://www.goablog.org/?p=4267 The chief of the Special Investigating Team (SIT) probing the Diwali-eve blast in Goa has come under cloud with a court picking holes in

his crime investigation skills in a 2000 blast in Vasco allegedly carried out by Islamic militant outfit Deendar Anjuman (DA).

District and Sessions judge Desmond D’Costa, while acquitting the main accused Mirasahab Kaujalgi, as also Mohammad Farooq Ali on Nov 18, has suggested that the police investigation team led by then Deputy Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Kurtadkar could have manipulated the panchanama, which is written at the scene of offence. Kurtadkar, now a superintendent of police, heads the SIT.

While Kurtadkar told the court that items attached under the panchanama were lying at the spot from the date of the incident, D’Costa pointed to the contrary.

“It also appears that the police had prior knowledge of the same, and the same cannot be said to be recovered at the instance of the accused Mirasahab. The same does not form any reliable piece of circumstantial evidence to connect accused Mirasahab with the crime,” the acquittal order reads.

D’Costa also said the investigating team had not brought forth even an iota of evidence to show that the accused persons were in Goa.

“The prosecution has failed to prove that the accused had any knowledge of the places in Goa and the location of the said places,” D’Costa said.

“There is no evidence that either of the accused had planted the explosive devices at St Andrew Church and that they had done so to insult the followers of the Catholic religion or that they had caused the explosion to endanger the church building,” the judgement further notes.

Mirsahab and his accomplice had been accused of planting an improvised explosive device (IED) near St Andrews Church. No one was injured in the explosion.

Police spokesperson Atmaram Deshpande told IANS said the court order was yet to be received.

“Once we get it, we will ask the officer concerned (Kurtadkar) to look at it. Only after that we will be able to decide whether we would be going in appeal against the order,” Deshpande said.

The police have come in for a fair bit of criticism for their handling of the investigation in the Diwali-eve blast case by the Bharatiya Janata Party, which claims that the investigators were succumbing to political pressure.

Four people, allegedly members of the Sanatan Sanstha (SS) have been arrested in connection with the blast, which saw two other members of the SS die in the explosion while allegedly ferrying detonator-rigged gelatin sticks to a crowded area in Margao, a south Goa town, on Oct 16.

Courtesy:TOI

She will be honored by giving civic reception on 23 rd at N.I.O.on behalf of the State of Goa. On 24th she will be awarded honorary D.Lit.by Goa University.

GOA BLOG AND ITS TEAM EXTEND WARM WELCOME TO HER EXCELLENCY SMT. PRATIBHATAI PATIL, PRESIDENT OF INDIA IN GOA AND WISH HER VERY PLEASANT  VISIT IN THIS BEAUTIFUL TINY STATE OF INDIA.

NP.

et organised by the NFDC at International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa will see participation of Hong Kong Trade Development Corporation, a delegation of distributors from Europa Cinemas, and the American Film Institute’s 20/20 programme, officials said.

‘Film Bazaar India - 09′ will be held from November 24 to 26 at the Marriott Resort alongside the IFFI, whose 40th edition will be held from November 23-December 3.

“This year, the Hong Kong Trade Development Corporation, a delegation of distributors from Europa Cinemas, and the American Film Institute’s 20/20 program will be joining Film Bazaar in Goa to further expand their global film network,” NFDC officials said.

The Film Bazaar, over the years has become a networking business opportunity for production studios and independent producers, who seek an international market for Indian stories.

Last year, over 300 delegates from 17 countries had attended the Film Bazaar.

One of Film Bazaar’s earliest supporters, CineMart of the Rotterdam International Film Festival, will be there to invite a select group of producers to travel to attend the Rotterdam Labs during the CineMart later on in the month.

They will also present a Hubert Bals Award to one of the directors from official selection of Film Bazaar co-production projects. In the NFDC Knowledge Series, there will be case studies and presentations on Web Distribution (Cinetic Rights Management, USA) and on Sources of global finance (Peacefulfish, Germany).

Companies attending the market with a sales and production interest include Fortissimo Films, Han Way Films, Goldcrest Films, Videovision Entertainment, Rapid Eye Movies, BBC Films, The Match Factory, Insomnia World Sales, and MDC International.

Other film bodies include the UK Film Council and the Mauritius Film Development Corporation.

Representatives from the Cannes Film Festival, the Sundance Film Festival, Cannes’ Semaine de la Critique, and the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles will also attend, sources added.

Courtesy:PTI

Lyngdoh Committee which was constituted by the Supreme Court had made several recommendations regarding university and college students elections, imposing a number of restrictions, however by their order dated 11th November 2009, the very apex court found a need to review the Judgement.

To the question of Mr Naik about the stand taken by the government in this regard the minister informed Mr Naik that since the government has not received the notice in this case yet, revealing of governments stand at this stage, does not arise.

In another written reply Mrs Purandeshwari informed Mr Naik that a legislation to punish the malpractices by higher educational institutions is under the consideration of the Government.

NP

“Activities of Sanatan Saunstha were discussed in the CLP meeting. Many members suggested that the institution be banned,” CLP spokesman Mauvin Godinho told reporters at Chief Minister’s official residence this afternoon.

The CLP discussed the October 16 Margao blast and a conspiracy to trigger series of blasts across the state on Diwali eve.

Chief Minister Digamber Kamat had earlier said the ban on Sanatan could be thought about only after investigation in the case is over.

Godinho said the members demanded stern action against those involved in Margao blast, which was a conspiracy to rip apart the communal fabric of the state.

Courtesy:PTI

This is only for US folks.

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Thanks

~Gary Doucette

taken off in Amadora, a city seven kms from Lisbon, on November 1. If that flight took 19 days, today with transit halts, the same trip takes about 17 hours. But, that experimental flight took those many days as the pilots made various stops along the route and faced some unexpected delays too.

The route was a long. From Portugal, the plane went to Spain, Italy, passed over Algeria and Tunisia and then to Cairo. The plane flew to Gaza, where it halted for eight days, and the pilots took a break to go sight seeing.

Resuming the flight, the plane’s next stop was Baghdad, and from there it went to Karachi. It’s first stop in India was Diu, followed by Bombay before it finally landed in Mormugao to a rousing welcome on November 19.

Captain Francisco Higinio Craveiro Lopes, who was aide-de-camp to his father the then governor general Joao Carlos Craveiro Lopes, and himself a pilot, was the one who backed flight.

He spoke on the success and “great strides” that aviation had brought to the world and felt that Goa should not be alienated from the progress made by aviation.

Less than three decades earlier, the Wright brothers—Wilber and Orville—had on December 17, 1903, revolutionized the world after the first powered flight.

Even before the plane could leave Portugal, Lopes wrote in newspapers about the journey to be undertaken and received a good response from the government, as well as the people.

As this adventure needed financial support, the public responded favourably to an appeal for a sum of rupees thirty thousand, which at the time was a considerable amount.

This, however, was not the first planned flight from Lisbon to Goa. Earlier a couple of attempts were made, which were, however, unsuccessful.

Portuguese pilots Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral, who had crossed the Atlantic successfully, made the first such attempt.

However, Cabral died and the flight to Goa could not be undertaken. Later, pilots Sarmento Beires and Brito Pais had to shelve their plans to make the Lisbon-Goa flight. Next was the flight that civil pilot Carlos Bleck had to give up half way due to a disaster.

It was captain Manuel Moreira Cardoso and lieutenant Francisco Sarmento Pimental who undertook the successful flight. The plane, a three-seater “Havilland”, with Gripuy motor, inverted cylinders, 120-horse power, 2.200 rotations and cooling by air, was purchased in London. The plane could travel nonstop for 900 kms or four hours.

Modifications were made before undertaking the trip, the main one being the installation of a fuel tank, which would allowed the plane to fly for 1,200 kms. The plane was named Marao.

A reception committee, that included some prominent government officials and businessmen, was formed to welcome the pilots. The committee was given the freedom to organize receptions and functions to commemorate the successful fight to Goa.

The pilots received a rousing welcome in Mormugao, where thousands, the governor general among them, had gathered. In Panaji the celebrations were also memorable with a thanksgiving service in the Panaji church. There was also a solemn session held at the municipal council (Camara Municipal das IIhas), at which all the municipalities of Goa participated.

The media also gave adequate coverage to the successful flight and its pilots. During their stay in Goa, other cities also organized public functions to honour them. The people in appreciation of their efforts also gave the pilots gifts.

The conselho de governo (governing council), with the approval of the governor general, made over a cash prize of Rs 12,000 to both pilots.

A local manufacturer of soap, Crisna V Quenim, of Taleigao named a detergent bar “Sabao Marao” after the plane’s name.

However, commercial flights connecting Lisbon and Goa, started only in the fifties with the establishment of the Transportes Aereos da India Portuguesa.

Courtesy:TOI

Speaking to reporters in Panaji, Superintendent of Police Atmaram Deshpande said the state police had received no such terror-related input from the intelligence agencies.

“We are not in the receipt of any such input as of now. These reports could be based on rumours,” Deshpande said.

Earlier in the day, television media reports said that the union minister of home affairs had issued a maximum alert for the forthcoming 40th edition of the IFFI, a 11-day festival held in Panaji.

The television news report said that IFFI was the target of a terror threat from Mangalore-based terror modules run by the Lashkar-e-Taiba.

British actor Ben Kingsley will be a guest of honour at the film festival.

The Goa police are also caught in a tizzy with President Pratibha Patil scheduled to visit the state for a convocation ceremony at the Goa University premises later this week.

Deshpande said that nearly 400 additional paramilitary troopers had been sourced from the central government to gear up for the two high profile events and month of December which sees a frenzy of tourists.

He said the police were geared up for sea borne terror threats with the Indian Navy (IN) and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) pitching in.

“The deep sea patrolling is handled by the IN and the ICG. Peripheral waters will be patrolled by the Goa Police Marine Force,” he said.

Courtesy:Mang.com