2. PM should clarify spectrum allocation irregularities
 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should give a clarification on
the spectrum allocation irregularities in Parliament and also
constitute a JPC to inquire into the scam
 According to the constitutional scheme of things, it is the
legislature which has to keep a vigil on the executive. And,
therefore, this responsibility of legislature must be exercised
 A JPC's role is not only to find out the culprit, its job is also to
identify how the system has been manipulated, what are the
weakness in it which have to be corrected. It would also
recommend a regulatory framework. This job can only be done
by a JPC

3. Sri Lanka's president to start second term Friday
 Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is due to be sworn in
for his second term Friday, a day after his 65th birthday.
 More than 1,000 local and foreign dignitaries are due to attend
the ceremony in Colombo.
 The government is to declare open some 54,000 development
projects throughout the island during a 10-day period to mark
the event. Among them is the commissioning of a new
international harbour built with Chinese assistance in the
southeast.
 Rajapaksa was elected in 2005 but opted for early presidential
elections in January this year, nearly two years ahead of the end
of his term. After winning the election, he delayed the
swearing-in ceremony by nearly nine months to gain the
maximum period in office and continue as leader until 2016

4. India-US education ties set for major expansion
 India-US cooperation in the field of education is poised for
major expansion with India engaged in massive expansion of
the education infrastructure, said Indian ambassador Meera
Shankar.
 "India sees education as critical for achieving its goals to have
inclusive growth and to realise the potential for taking the
Indian economy to a higher growth trajectory," Shankar said at
a function Tuesday to commemorate the 60th Year of Nehru-
Fulbright Educational Exchange Programme.
 Noting that a bill has been introduced in parliament to open up
the education sector for foreign universities, she said: "This
provides an excellent opportunity for US universities to
increase the number of Indian students studying in their
institutions, not only in the United States, but also in India,
through opening up of their off-shore locations or through tie-
ups with Indian institutions.“

5. Saarc to discuss easing movement across border
 Transport ministers of all eight Saarc countries will meet in
New Delhi next week to build consensus on an aviation policy
providing direct flight links to all capitals and a regional motor
vehicle agreement which could enable barrier-free movement
of people and freight.
 The two-day conference will begin on Monday which will
involve transport secretaries of Pakistan, Afghanistan,
Bangladesh , Sri Lanka, Bhutan , Nepal, Maldives and India.
The transport ministers would meet the next day.
 India does not have a direct flight link to Islamabad and Male.
According to sources, India will raise the issue with Pakistan
and Maldives to have state carriers introduce at least two
flights every week.

6. Next Google phone will be mobile wallet: Schmidt
 A new Google mobile phone imbedded with a chip that makes
it a virtual wallet so people can "tap and pay" is poised to make
its debut, the Internet giant's chief said Monday.
 The successor to the Internet firm's Nexus One smartphone
runs on fresh "Gingerbread" software and is imbedded with a
near-field communication chip for financial transactions,
according to Google chief executive Eric Schmidt.
 "I have here an unannounced product that I carry around with
me," Schmidt said while pulling a touch-screen smartphone
from a jacket pocket during an on-stage chat at a Web 2.0
Conference in San Francisco.
 "You will be able to take these mobile devices that will be able
to do commerce," he continued. "Essentially, bump for
everything and eventually replace credit cards. In the industry
it is referred to as tap-and-pay."