There are twenty eight Coast Guard Stations in the country. Details are as under:-               State/Union Territory        Number of Coast Guard Stations                 Gujarat                                                 6              Maharashtra                                           2              Goa                                                ...

As per the International Maritime Bureau, during the years 2007, 2008 and 2009, 71 ships have been kept hostage by the pirates in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Government has deployed one Indian Naval Warship in the Gulf of Aden for anti piracy patrols since October, 2008 and more than 1300 ships have been escorted. The presence of Indian Navy in the area is to protect our sea borne trade and instill confidence in our sea faring community. There is no proposal for levying of charges for this. Government has initiated several measures to augment Coastal Security. The coastal surveillance and patrolling have been enhanced. Joint and operational exercises are conducted on regular basis among the Navy, the Coast Guard, Coastal Police, Customs and others. In addition, continuous review and monitoring of various security mechanisms is done by the Central and State Governments at different levels, involving various concerned agencies. 

ADVANCE JET TRAINER, HAWK MIG 21 The Hawk MK-132 Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) was inducted into the IAF in 2008 as a fighter trainer with the aim to replace the Kiran MK-II/MiG-21 route of training. Keeping in view the delay in delivery of Hawk by HAL due to receipt of defective components, jigs and fixtures from the foreign manufacturer on whom liquidated damages were levied, the original training plan by Hawk for 2010-2011 has been modified and pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) are being trained on the MiG-21 aircraft. Induction of aircraft for training in the Indian Air Force is a continuous process. 

Families of Kargil Martyrs   The government has launched some special package/scheme for the welfare of the families of Kargil Martyrs. The details of package for the welfare of the families of Kargil Martyrs are as under:- (I) Compensation Package: (i) Dwelling unit Assistance `5 lakhs (ii) Parental Assistance `2 lakhs (iii) Children Education Assistance `1 lakh per child up two children (II) Pensionary benefits: (i) Liberalised Family Pension equal to reckonable emoluments last drawn by the deceased personnel for life time to the Next of Kin (ii) Death Gratuity on the basis of length of qualifying service subject to a maximum ceiling of `10 lakhs (III) Ex-gratia: `10 lakhs to the Next of Kin of the deceased personnel. (IV) Oil Product Agency: Post Kargil operation Government of India brought a scheme to allot LPG distributorship and Petrol Pump Retail Outlet to widows and dependents of Kargil Martyrs on priority basis. This information was given by Min...

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has dismissed reports that Portugal is next in line for a financial rescue package. Speculation that Portugal would follow the Irish Republic in asking for help has been rising this week. Portugal approved its 2011 Budget on Friday, which aims to cut its debts. Prime Minister Jose Socrates said his country had all the conditions in place to finance itself on the markets, and that he expected the budget's approval to restore market confidence.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna who is on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka is scheduled to visit Jaffna, in Northern Sri Lanka today. He will be the first Indian Foreign Minister in last two decades to visit Jaffna, which is considered to be the cultural and commercial stronghold of the Tamils. Krishna is likely to open the Indian consulate in Jaffna and inaugurate work on the Northern Railway Line in Srilanka. On Friday, a Credit Agreement for $416 million for the construction of the Northern Railway line was signed between India and Sri Lanka in the presence of the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Besides handing over 500 tractors to the war displaced Tamil civilians, Krishna will participate in the ground breaking ceremony to mark the commencement of the pilot project of constructing 1,000 houses for the war displaced Tamil civilians, to be built with Indian help. This is part of the project for construction of 50,000 houses by India for Internally Displaced Persons ...

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved a special scheme for 60 districts in nine states affected by Left Wing extremism. Giving details, Home Minister P Chidambaram said Rs 25 crore would be given to each of the district as grant for the current fiscal and Rs 30 crore in the next financial year. He said the funds would be made available to a three-member committee headed by the District Collector. The committee will clear the project in consultations with other district officers and will be responsible for the implementation of the projects. The State Development Commissioners will monitor the implementation of the projects in their states. Chidambaram said development under the scheme should be visible by March.