RIYADH, 23 February 2007 — A major nationwide campaign to improve the socio-economic conditions of Indian Muslims in line with the recommendations made by the Sachar Committee will be launched in India on March 11. This fortnight-long campaign in the form of an “All India Caravan-e-Insaf (AICI)” (march for equality and justice) will pass through thousands of cities, towns and villages including 24 prime cities across India.
RIYADH, 16 February 2007 — Saudi Arabia and India are to set up a permanent panel to boost cooperation in sports and youth welfare sector. This joint committee is within the framework of the Saudi-Indo cooperation announced by Prince Sultan ibn Fahd, president of the General Presidency of Youth Welfare (GPYW) and Mani Shankar Aiyer, the visiting India’s minister of sports and youth affairs, here yesterday after their official talks.
Somnath Chatterjee, India’s Lok Sabha speaker, is an experienced parliamentarian who has spent 37 years as the people’s representative. Chatterjee’s name is now doing the rounds as the next occupant of India’s president house (Rashtrapati Bhavan). He may replace President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as India’s first citizen when his current term ends in July. But Chatterjee refused to speak yesterday when asked whether he is a candidate for the highest job.
RIYADH, 2 February 2007 — The Saad Al-Sanea Center, a Saudi charity organization, announced yesterday that it would cover the cost of 60 kidney transplant operations on poor patients that will be performed at the 700-bed Saad Specialist Hospital (SSH) in the eastern city of Alkhobar. “The Saad hospital and the Saad charity organization, both owned by a Saudi philanthropist, are working on this humanitarian project,” said a hospital source. “The cases of kidney patients are first studied by a board at the charity before being referred to the hospital.”