Kolkata, Feb 2 - Concast Group Wednesday said it is planning to set up a 1.2 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) cement plant at Arunachal Pradesh, pumping in an estimated investment of Rs 8 billion.

The company, which has recently acquired majority stake at a 0.5 mtpa cement plant at Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), is also looking to invest Rs. 3 billion to expand the capacity of the plant to 1.2 mtpa by the end of 2012.

Itanagar, Oct. 3 : Even if India admits to China’s massive defence build-up along its border and New Delhi plans to match Beijing’s steps, North Block has to improve its diplomatic maneuvering capability with Islamabad, now inching towards Beijing after straining its relations with the US.

Admitting that China is aggressively building is military capabilities, Defence Minister AK Antony is on record as saying that India was negligent in strengthening its capabilities in the eastern sector.

Itanagar, Oct. 3 : Hopes are still pinned on UPA chairperson and Congress party president Sonia Gandhi to resolve the political and leadership crisis in Arunachal Pradesh.

A cross-section of Congress leaders from that state have said that the general public is dismayed over recent political developments and expects Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Gandhi to undertake damage control measures at the earliest.

Takin, the animal that is said to have fuelled the mythological Argonauts’ quest for the Golden Fleece, has been officially sighted for the first time in India. The ‘success’ has come almost two decades after the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India had undertaken an exercise.

The fur of the Mishmi Takin isn’t golden like its Chinese cousin — Shanxi or Golden Takin. But the first officially recorded sightings of the former in Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh have assured wildlife enthusiasts that the animal, a goat antelope, still exists.

India is quietly beefing up its defences along the China border in Arunachal Pradesh, even as it publicly downplays the growing diplomatic spat with Beijing over the Dalai Lama’s visit to the state.

The Indian Army will deploy its new 15,000-strong 56 Division in Arunachal, which China claims as its own, within four weeks, a senior defence official told HT, requesting anonymity.

Simultaneously, it has put out a Request for Information (RFI) for acquiring 300 lightweight tanks that can be deployed in the North East and Jammu & Kashmir.

Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), Nov 10 - Monks attending the Dalai Lama's discourse here criticised China's reaction to his visit to India's northeastern border state of Arunachal Pradesh as the Tibetan spiritual leader continued preaching to thousands of devotees for the second straight day Tuesday.

"Beijing's reaction to the Dalai Lama's visit is simply illogical," said Thengu Dhondup, a Buddhist monk from Sella, a village on the Chinese border.

Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), Nov 9 - A day after the Dalai Lama's barbs at China, Arunachal Pradesh government officials Monday informally requested journalists not to ask any questions or interact with the Tibetan spiritual leader.

"Please don't try to ask any questions to the Dalai Lama," an official told a group of journalists without elaborating the reasons.

This is, however, seen as an attempt by New Delhi to avoid further embarrassment as the Dalai Lama interacted with journalists twice Sunday, hours after he landed in Tawang.

Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), Nov 9 - Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Monday called for universal brotherhood and peace among all communities as he addressed more than 30,000 devotees in India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

"Compassion and peace are the two words that should be remembered by all," the Dalai Lama said at the opening day of the three-day religious discourse at the Polo Ground in Tawang.

The Tibetan spiritual leader, who arrived on a weeklong visit to this strategic Indian border state Sunday, had raked up a controversy by hitting out at China during two separate interactions with journalists on the first day of his trip.

Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), Nov 8 : Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has arrived in Tawang.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and members of the reception committee received him. The Dalai Lama is undertaking a week-long visit of the state.

In Tawang, Tibetan motifs lined up to welcome the Dalai Lama on his sixth visit to the state. After his arrival, the spiritual leader proceeded to the world famous Tawang monastery.

He will deliver religious discourses in Tawang, Dirang, Bomdila and Itanagar.

Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), Nov 8 - Thousands of locals in traditional costumes and monks attired in their maroon robes lined up streets early Sunday to greet the Dalai Lama as he arrived here on a weeklong visit to India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Dalai Lama landed in Assam's main city of Guwahati from New Delhi at 7.45 a. m.

Tawang, Nov. 7 : In a bid to extend a warm welcome to Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama, residents of Tawang hung decorations and cleaned the streets leading to the Tawang Monastery on Saturday.

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader is due to begin his week-long visit to the town close to Chinese border in Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday.

Beijing has accused the Nobel peace prize laureate of hurting its ties with New Delhi with the visit to the disputed region.

Tawang, Nov. 7 : In a bid to extend a warm welcome to Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama, residents of Tawang hung decorations and cleaned the streets leading to the Tawang Monastery on Saturday.

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader is due to begin his week-long visit to the town close to Chinese border in Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday.

Beijing has accused the Nobel peace prize laureate of hurting its ties with New Delhi with the visit to the disputed region.

Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), Nov 7 : The writing on the wall is loud and clear: the Dalai Lama's week-long visit to Arunachal Pradesh beginning Sunday is a rebuff to Chinese claims over this frontier region.

"Long Live Indo-Tibet Friendship" - reads a multi-coloured banner close to the Tawang monastery where the Dalai Lama will stay.

Similar banners dot this picturesque town perched at an altitude of more than 11,000 feet, close to the border with China.

Bomdilla (Arunachal Pradesh), Nov 7 : Buddhist singing monk Ngawang Tashi Bapu, nominated for a Grammy award in 2006, is a busy man - rehearsing hymns to welcome Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

The unassuming 41-year-old tribal monk said he was not sure whether the Dalai Lama, who arrives in Arunachal Pradesh Sunday, would have the time to listen to his traditional Buddhist chants due to time constraints.

Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), Nov 7 - Dozens of Indian flags fluttered alongside Tibetan prayer flags Saturday as Buddhist monks braved the winter chill to put up welcome arches and Mandala paintings on the road ahead of the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh.

The Tibetan spiritual leader arrives Sunday at Tawang, a picturesque town perched at an altitude of over 11,000 feet close to the border with China, on a week-long visit to Arunachal, a state of about one million people.

Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), Nov 6 - Fifty years ago, Auja Lama was among the thousands who received the Dalai Lama as he reached the frontier Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh while fleeing Chinese suppression.

Auja was just 10 years old when in 1959, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, disguised as a soldier and with a small escort of 80-odd followers, reached Tawang after he undertook a gruelling trek to freedom.

Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh), Nov 5 - More than 800 Buddhist monks led by their high priests will welcome Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama when he arrives the mountainous northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh Sunday amid mounting protests from China over his visit.

"Preparations are almost complete with 700 to 800 monks all set to give the Dalai Lama a religious welcome," T. G. Rinpoche, a senior Buddhist spiritual leader and a former minister, told IANS.

Itanagar, Nov 2 : In Arunachal Pradesh, 11 ministers of the newly elected Congress led Government will be sworn in a ceremony today.

Earlier on October 25, Dorjee Khandu was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the state.

Governor General (Retd) JJ Singh will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the ministers in a ceremony at Raj Bhawan today.

Elaborate arrangements have been made at the Raj Bhawan for this ceremony.

Some new faces are expected in the new government.

Meanwhile, the first session of the fifth Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly will begin from Tuesday.

Boy, do these Chinese know how to play mindgames! While we are busy wondering whether it would be prudent to allow the Dalai Lama to visit the row of Tibetan handicraft shops on Janpath in New Delhi, and thereby risk bringing on a supply crisis of cheap toys and chicken manchurian (little realising that the latter is actually an Indian dish), the mandarins from the Muddling Kingdom are inundating India with cheap plastic globes that show Jammu and Kashmir as a separate nation.

Itangar, Oct 24 : The Congress Legislator Party (CLP) on Saturday unanimously elected incumbent Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu as its leader paving way for him to take over the reins of Arunachal Pradesh for a second time.

According to Congress sources, all 42 legislators unanimously voted for Khandu.

Union Minister of State for Planning V Narayanswami and senior party leader Luizinho Faleiro were present at the CLP as the Central observers.