Gulbarga (Karnataka), Jan. 7 : President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on Wednesday said there is need to have policies that promote inclusive growth.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating Buddha Vihar on the outskirts of Gulbarga in Karnataka, Patil said continuous efforts should be made for the betterment of people belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections of society.

Patil said the focus must be on poverty alleviation, removal of illiteracy and promotion of better health in society, especially amongst the downtrodden.

Gulbarga (Karnataka), Jan. 7 : India must maintain its position as a powerhouse of knowledge, said the President, Pratibha Devisingh Patil, on Wednesday.

In an address delivered here on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the Hyderabad Karnataka Education Society, Patil said: "The Hyderabad Karnataka Education Society has traveled this distance with great commitment and devotion to academic values. There is a Sanskrit shloka: which means, `Knowledge is the only power''.This should be our inspiration in this century of "knowledge power".

New Delhi, Jan. 7 : Two Canadian ministers involved with that country''s development in the agricultural sector and immigration-related issues, will arrive in India on an official at the weekend.

Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board; and Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism are expected to use their visit to demonstrate the growing breadth of Canada-India relations in sectors ranging from agriculture to immigration, a Canadaian High Commission release said here today.

London, Jan. 7 : Paul Gascoigne’s heart- broken mum collapsed in tears as she watched her grandchild disown her famous son on TV.

According to the Daily Star, the soccer legend’s mother Carol, 61, was “devastated” by the documentary charting his slump into alcoholism.

She watched in dismay as Gazza’s ex-wife Sheryl, 43, revealed that the England legend had beaten her in booze-fuelled rages.

And she broke down as the couple’s 12-year-old son Regan said that he wished his dad would “go away”.

London, Jan. 7 : Arsene Wenger-coached Arsenal football club is on the verge of signing Euro 2008 star Andrei Arshavin for 10 million pounds.

The 27-year-old Russian playmaker is in London for talks with Gunners chiefs at the Landmark Hotel. His wife Yulia is accompanying him.

Wenger is ready to offer Arshavin a three-year deal as his club Zenit St Petersburg concede they can no longer command the unrealistic 20 million pound they had been demanding with the player’s desperation to quit the club so well documented.

Washington, Jan. 7 : History is unlikely to be kind to outgoing U. S. President George W. Bush, reports Politico.

Experts contacted by the paper-cum-website opine that Bush is departing from the White Houses with probably the lowest approval ratings for any American president, past or present.

Appraisals of presidents sometimes change over time, and sometimes they don’t.

According to Politico, Harry Truman was deeply unpopular in his time, but is now revered.