Hot Pics of Riya Sen

Shoot On Sight

Shoot On Sight is a fictional story by director Jagmohan Mundra based on 7 July London bombings is depicted in this crossover film based in English. The film stars Naseeruddin Shah as Tariq Ali, a Muslim police officer based at Scotland Yard.
When a Muslim guy is accidentally killed by police marksmen on a London underground station, Ali is given the task to investigate the matter. (Pictures in this gallery is courtesy of Aron Govil producer of the film).Shoot On Sight which sees a mainstream release in UK cinemas has been produced by Aron Govil. The film is based in English to attract a crossover audience.

2009 Sun Glasses

ARTIFICIAL RAIN! In Dubai

DONE BY THE METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT AT THE NATIONAL CENTRE OF METEOROLOGY AND SEISMOLOGY (NCMS) TO REMOVE THE AIR POLLUTION ON DUBAI'S ATMOSPHERE..
IT IS CALLED 'CLOUD SEEDING' A LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO CUSTOMISE WEATHER..CLOUD SEEDING, A FORM OF WEATHER MODIFICATION, IS THE ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE AMOUNT OR TYPE OF PRECIPITATION THAT FALLS FROM CLOUDS, BY DISPERSING SUBSTANCES INTO THE AIR THAT SERVE AS CLOUD CONDENSATION OR ICE NUCLEI. THE USUAL INTENT IS TO INCREASE PRECIPITATION, BUT HAIL SUPPRESSION IS ALSO WIDELY PRACTICED. SILVER IODIDE AND DRY ICE ARE THE MOST COMMONLY USED SUBSTANCES IN CLOUD SEEDING TECHNOLOGY.

AN AIRCRAFT IS PUTTING DRY ICE ON CLOUDS WHICH MAKES ARTIFICIAL RAIN

*Celina sitting On Amitabh bacchan's lap*

New & Hot pics Of Katrina Kaif

Salmaan launches 'Beyond Luxury Store'

Minissha Lamba WET in Two Piece BIKINI

chamku : movie review

Chamku (action)

Cast: Bobby Deol, Priyanka Chopra

Direction: Kabir Kaushik

rating:**

OKAY, so Hindi films find a new hero this time. He's the naxalite who first kills the corrupt state agents and then ends up killing for the state. Now that's quite a bold step for Bobby Deol who decides to don a different role as Chamku, the favourite lieutenant of a Pushkin-reading Danny Denzongpa who talks of class conflict and revolution from his secret adda in the dense jungles. The film begins on a promising note with some imaginative frames capturing the action as Bobby goes about his business with deadpan glee. But midway, you realise the Naxalbari was just a convenient ploy to package the same old formula of an action hero who is out to avenge the death of his father. Chamku was actually a happy village boy who saw his father being shot by the local thakur and could never rest happy ever after. Not even when he finds the chiffon-clad school madam (Priyanka Chopra) who sings Yippie-Yippie, whenever she sees him. Strangely, she never knows what her brooding beau actually does, even though he keeps disappearing for covert missions for his new boss (Irrfan Khan). The problem with Chamku is its disjointed script and its relentless flashbacks which mar a film that could have tread new ground. Although, we do laud the attempts of the Deol Inc to turn to serious cinema.

World Golf champ Vijay Singh

Vijay Singh (L) of Fiji holds the trophy with Richard Hills, Chairman of the Ryder Cup Committee after the final round of the World Golf Championship at Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio.

Gandhis revisit Jiddu legacy

CHENNAI: It's an association that goes back several decades — all three prime ministers, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, have sought private audiences with thinker-philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. It's been said that after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, Nehru turned to Krishnamurti, in secret, to pour out his “solitary anguish”. Krishnamurti himself has confirmed the deep affection he had for Nehru. And this week, when Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra paid a visit to the Krishnamurti Foundation India's Rishi Valley School established by Krishnamurti in Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, they were merely carrying forward traditional ties with the philosopher. Confirming that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the school on August 26, Radhika Herzberger, director of Rishi Valley School, told The Times Of India, “They were here on Tuesday between 12.30 pm and 4 pm. They wanted to understand our education system, it's quite a complex system we have here and they were very interested in learning more about it.” There has also been speculation that Priyanka would like to admit her children, Raihan and Mairaya, in the school. However, other sources said the idea behind the visit was to learn more about Rishi Valley's system as the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation is planning to open its own schools across the country. Gandhis take time to look around school Radhika Herzberger, the school's director, who incidentally is the daughter of Pupul Jayakar, one of Indira Gandhi's closest friends and her biographer, said the brother and sister spent about four hours in the school, walking around, meeting students and learning more about its functioning and philosophy. Jayakar had also written a biography of the philosopher and maintained close ties with him. Rahul and Priyanka were accompanied to Rishi Valley School by Gyanendra Badgaiyan, secretary of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, which works on programmes relating to national development. Both Rahul and Priyanka, as well as their mother Sonia Gandhi, prime minister Manmohan Singh, finance minister P Chidambaram, and planning commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia are trustees of the foundation. Herzberger told the Times of India that Badgaiyan visited the school about a fortnight earlier and informed them that Priyanka and Rahul would like to visit. “It was like a reconnaissance mission,” she said.

Nadal advances to fourth round at US Open

Top seed Rafael Nadal continued his merciless path through the US open draw on Saturday with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 third-round victory over Serbian Viktor Troicki. The world number one, champion at the French Open and Wimbledon this year but chasing his first Flushing Meadows title, trailed 3-1 in the second set but won 11 straight games to clinch another dominant win. Serving well, world number 71 Troicki caused Nadal plenty of problems early on but the Spaniard snatched a break in the 10th game to take the opening set. The Serbian caused a ripple of excitement when he broke on the way to a 3-1 lead in the second set. Nadal reacted by moving through the gears to roar home and set up a fourth-round battle with American Sam Querrey.
source :TOI

Ram Gopal Varma is hot!

Jaadoo didn't only do wonders for Hrithik Roshan in Koi Mil Gaya . Of late, the care-a-damn filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, too, is acknowledging the 'supernatural'. And amidst 'spirited' celebrations of the success of Phoonk and its performance at the BO, Ramu told us, "It finally took black magic to help me!" Black magic, with a little satya and some good company has made Ramu quite 'wanted' these days. While he seems to have re-ignited the fire in his belly, RGV ki Aag and its effect seems to be dying out! And we're sure Ramu is happy of his resurrection from the 'ashes'!

Rock On : movie review

Rock On (drama) Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Prachi Desai, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli, Luke Kenny

Direction: Abhishek Kapoor

Rating : ***1/2

IF you really want to see how Bollywood has matured and come of age, then here's the perfect litmus test. For Rock On is a film that not only breaks new ground in terms of its subject matter -- now when has desi movielore ever tackled something akin to Hollywood's That Thing You Do -- it creates a whole new EQ (emotional quotient) for mainstream cinema. Of course, there is the great passion reminiscent of Dil Chahta Hai , but here, there is a poise and a restraint that portrays the friendship between four rock musicians, with all its ups and downs. The bonds are strong, but there are the dark sides too, like rivalry, physical violence, the fear of failure....Yet, no one hollers, no one screams and ever so often, you feel a tug at your heart. The film traces the relationship between the four buddies from college days until their stagnant thirties, when the band has been disbanded due to interpersonal rivalries and the foursome has drifted apart. The lead crooner, Farhan Akhtar is an investment banker who has stuffed away the memorabilia of the past in the attic of his well-ordered house. The lead guitarist, Arjun Rampal, is a miserable man, echoing the anguish of an artiste who cannot go commercial, even if his family struggles with bread and butter concerns. Purab Kohli, the kick-ass drummer, is now selling jewellery in his father's store, while Luke Kenny is literally dying of frustration, strumming tunes for Anu Malik. It's left to Prachi Desai, Akhtar's lonely young wife, to forge a reunion and bring the band together for a final concert that almost takes your breath away and has you cheering, as you did in Chak De and Lagaan . Surprisingly, everything falls in place in this refreshing, new film. Farhan Akhtar's vocals are absolutely fundoo, even as the foursome pitch in perfectly orchestrated performances. If you actually had to choose, then the vote would go for Arjun Rampal who displays a newfound maturity and looks absolutely groovy with his windblown hair and his guitar-strumming stance. Farhan Akhtar too is a surprise package, delivering a well nuanced portrayal of a rock star-turned-boring-yuppie. The girls, Prachi, Koel and Shahana, are riveting too. But finally, it's the message of the film that makes it a winner. Follow your dreams and life will literally be on song!

Tech's Most Powerful women

Chairman and CEO of Xerox Corp, Anne M Mulcahy tops the list of the most powerful tech women. She became CEO of Xerox in August 2001, and chairman on January 1, 2002. Mulcahy is credited of having pulled Xerox out of a near-fatal slump in 2002. Her ideas include colour printing, eco-friendly technologies and lucrative consulting services. To compete with rivals like Canon and Hewlett-Packard, Mulcahy doubled Xerox's software R&D budget to $1.5 billion. She began her Xerox career as a field sales representative in 1976 and assumed increasingly responsible sales and senior management positions. From 1992-1995, Mulcahy was vice president for human resources, responsible for compensation, benefits, human resource strategy, labor relations, management development and employee training. Mulcahy became chief staff officer in 1997 and corporate senior vice president in 1998. Prior to that, she served as vice president and staff officer for Customer Operations, covering South America and Central America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Mulcahy earned a bachelor of arts degree in English/journalism from Marymount College in Tarrytown, NY. In addition to the Xerox board, she is a board director of Catalyst, Citigroup Inc, Fuji Xerox Company, Ltd, Target Corporation, The Washington Post Company, and is the chairman of the corporate governance task force of the Business Roundtable.










Co-President of Oracle Corporation, Safra A Catz ranks at no. 15 on the list. An Oracle veteran, she served as an Executive Vice President from November 1999 to January 2004, and as Senior Vice President from April 1999 to October 1999. Safra A Catz has served as a President since January 2004, as Chief Financial Officer since November 2005, and as a Director since October 2001. The magazine praises Catz for overseeing Oracle's numerous acquisitions -- the company's stock was recently trading near its five-year high. An Israeli, Catz held a key role in $10.3 billion takeover of software rival PeopleSoft. Prior to Oracle, Catz was at Donaldson and Lufkin & Jenrette, global investment banks. A bachelor's degree holder from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, she later pursued law from the University's Law School.

Head of Hewlett-Packard's $38 billion division, Ann Livermore ranks at no. 33 in the list of Forbes list of most powerful women. Among the 25 highest-paid women, her group includes servers, storage, software, and services for corporate clients. The products and services from this organization reach business and public sector customers of all sizes in more than 170 countries. Livermore rose through the ranks in sales, marketing and research and development. She was on the short list of possible HP chiefs to replace Carly Fiorina. For more than two decades, Livermore has been involved with building solutions to help HP customers manage and transform their technology. Livermore was elected a corporate vice president in 1995 after holding a variety of management positions in marketing, sales, research and development, and business management. She joined the company in 1982. Livermore holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master's degree in business administration from Stanford University. In 1997, Livermore was elected to the board of directors of United Parcel Service.

A first timer on the list is President of Yahoo Inc, Susan Decker. Ranked at no. 50 on the list, according to the magazine, Decker has used the turmoil caused by Microsoft Corp's attempted acquisition of Yahoo to reorganise her company. As the president of Yahoo Inc, Decker is a key participant in determining Yahoo's business strategy and vision. She is responsible for all of the global business operations of Yahoo, including sales, product marketing, product, and distribution across the three major customer groups of audience, advertisers and publishers. Prior to that, from December 2006 -- June 2007, she served as the head of one Yahoo's two major business units, the Advertiser and Publisher Group (APG). Prior to her APG role, Decker was executive vice president and chief financial officer from June 2000 -- June 2007, managing all aspects of the company's financial and administrative direction within key functional areas, including finance, facilities, investor relations (and human resources and legal through December 2006). Before Decker joined Yahoo in June 2000, she was with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ) for 14 years. Most recently, she served as the global director of equity research, a $300 million operation, where, among other things, she was responsible for building and staffing a non-US research product based on global sector teams. Before serving as DLJ's global and domestic head of research, she spent 12 years as an equity research analyst, providing coverage to institutional investors on more than 30 media, publishing, and advertising stocks. In this capacity, she received recognition by Institutional Investor magazine as a top rated analyst for ten consecutive years. Decker holds a Bachelor of science degree from Tufts University, with a double major in computer science and economics, and a master of business administration degree from Harvard Business School.

At no. 97 on the list is the senior vice president, IBM Global Business Services, Virginia Rometty. The division encompasses IBM’s consulting, systems integration and applications businesses, with 2007 revenues of $18 billion and a workforce of more than 100,000 professionals worldwide. During her tenure, Rometty led the integration of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting -- the largest acquisition in professional services history -- creating the industry's largest team of business consultants and services experts to help clients apply information technology to optimise business performance. Prior to this, she was general manager of IBM Global Services, Americas, where she led a team of more than 75,000, and was responsible for strategic leadership, operations and client relationships. Rometty has also served as the general manager of strategy, marketing and sales operations for IBM Global Services worldwide. Before joining IBM's services business, Rometty was general manager of IBM's Global Insurance and Financial Services Sector, where she led IBM's business strategy for the worldwide insurance marketplace, with responsibility for marketing, sales and consulting. She also supervised the operations of IBM's Insurance Research Centers in New York, Switzerland and Japan, and was in charge of IBM's insurance solutions development worldwide.

How hackers break into your PC

Every computer has an IP (Internet Protocol) address. A DSL or cable modem connection keeps the IP address ‘always on’. A dial-up account’s IP address is turned off by the service provider after a certain amount of inactivity. Dial-up accounts get a different IP address each time they are on. Common methods for finding your IP address are through chatrooms, looking up domain names on a domain name registrar site, or running programs that can create a log of all valid IP addresses. In a chatroom, all a hacker has to do is right click on your chat ID and get your IP address. A domain registrar can yield a website’s employees’ names, phone numbers, fax numbers, physical addresses and IP addresses. In ‘social engineering’ a hacker verbally chats you up and gets your IP address and other important information. The hacking With your IP address, a hacker can send programs to your PC to test your system for vulnerabilities. He can find bugs, or holes in software. File- and print-sharing options allow him to access your hard drive, load any program on the drive and delete/change any file on your PC.
He may use ‘Trojans’, which pretend to do useful tasks--like playing a video or greeting--but actually help him access info on your comp and/or even take it over. Programs that allow the hacker ‘backdoor’ entry to your comp are commonly available. They are used daily and legitimately by systems administrators for remote systems. Hackers change the names of their programs to make them look like legitimate system programs. Or they create a hidden folder on your comp to keep programs. The most common way that viruses are spread is through e-mail. Usually, the virus is not in the e-mail itself, but an attachment. Cracking passwords Hackers use programs to crack passwords. Even a password-protected computer can be broken into and other passwords then cracked. A cracker dictionary has common computer terms and phrases, names, slang and jargon, easily typed key sequences (like ‘qwerty’), and phrases you might commonly use as a password. Programs to crack passwords are handed out with copies of these dictionaries. A common method for cracking passwords is to get a copy of a system’s password file. It lists all encrypted passwords on the system.
Security breached A hacker can steal and delete files, load dangerous programs on your PC, involve you in computer crime. He can get your home, office or bank passwords. A hacker can see your screen as you see it, watch every move of your mouse, see every word you type Proxy problems. Often, the hacker is not interested in the hacked system. He just wants to hack into larger systems or send e-mails. A hacker can load a program onto hundreds of hacked PCs and then direct the PCs to bomb a particular firm’s server with junk mail or problem messages. Securing your computer Turn off your comp when not using it Use a firewall and anti-virus. Turn off file and print sharing. Be up-to-date. Hackers count on the public’s ignorance. Specific measures Don’t visit chat rooms unless they are closed and you know the administrator. Almost never open an attachment that ends in .DLL or .EXE, even if the email is from your best friend. The only time you can open such attachments is if you know what’s in them. To outwit script-based viruses, ask an expert how you can open scripts in Notepad (or Wordpad). Then get someone who knows Visual Basic to look at it. If you’re not on your PC, but see its modem lights flash, a hacker could be testing for vulnerabilities. Password protection A good password is easily remembered, but not easily guessable. It should be kept a secret, never written down, never saved in a file. When a website asks if a password should be saved, say no. A password must have at least six or more letters, numbers or punctuations. The letters should be capitals and lowercase. It should not have four or more letters found consecutively in the dictionary. Reversing the letters won’t help. Legal means The government could make it mandatory for PC and laptop owners and ISPs to use security measures.
source:TOI

Microchip to invest $65 mn in India

BANGALORE: Leading provider of microcontrollers and analog chip maker Microchip Technology will invest $65 million (Rs.2.85 billion) in its India development centre over the next five years and hire about 300 more engineers, the company said. "We have set up a new facility to work on integrated circuit (IC) development, microcontroller development tools and corporate information systems," Microchip vice-president Ganesh Moorthy said in a statement issued in Bangalore late Friday. The $1 billion Arizona-based US firm designs embedded control solutions for consumer, automotive, office-automation, communications and industrial-control markets worldwide. "The India centre will play a major role in developing eight bit, 16 bit and 32 bit microcontrollers and digital signal controllers. We have delivered many innovations in microcontroller and digital signal controller designs, besides digital-power and motor-control solutions," Moorthy said. Industry analyst firm Gartner Dataquest ranked Microchip as world leader in eight bit microcontrollers in 2007. It is also the largest supplier of eight bit microcontrollers in the Indian sub-continent, according to the India Semiconductor Association. A microcontroller is a tiny computer-like processor that makes electronic products intelligent. An average consumer uses about 100 microcontroller-enhanced products ranging from microwave, to copier and phone at workplace and remote control for television viewing at home.
source:TOI

Noted industrialist, former RS member KK Birla dies at 90

It seems only yesterday that Krishna Kumar Birla was speaking in his soft but candid manner at the Prime Minister’s residence when his autobiography was being released by Manomhan Singh. The PM summed up the challenging life of K K Birla — ‘Babu’, as he was fondly called — in these words, ‘‘The life story of one, who has seen the transformation of this nation over a historic century and who, is as familiar with the world of Ghanshyam Dasji (G D Birla) as with the world of Shobhanaji (the daughter of K K Birla), would be an exciting one. The passing away of this legendary figure, who straddled the political independence of India in 1947 and its economic independence in 1991, is a great loss to the country. Birla became the president of Ficci at a turbulent time, in 1974-75. There was a global recession and simultaneous inflation, what came to be known later as ‘‘stagflation’’. India too was in the grip of inflationary pressures and recessionary tendencies, as is the case today. Addressing the then PM Indira Gandhi, Birla took an unorthodox position. He critiqued the tight monetary policy and the raising of interest rate, in an attempt to control inflation in India. He said, ‘‘Madam Prime Minister, demand management policies have played out their role and should not be allowed to outlive their utility. Let us shift the focus now on revival of demand and in particular supply expansion.’’ Birla was alluding to, what later came to be known as, ‘‘supply side economics’’. Interestingly, Ficci is taking a similar position against the policy of credit squeeze and rising interest rates today. We have come full circle over the last 30 years. K K Birla’s remarkable stint in Parliament for 18 years (1984-2002) speaks for itself. He was known for his erudition and his penchant for the minute details. He would personally go into volumes of data and attempt to draw unique connections and conclusions. He was also a man of punctuality and brevity. He would, at times, schedule meetings for a specified 8 minutes or 12 minutes, drawing intense value from the interactions and always seeking to learn from whoever it may be. The media doyen was a man of many interests. He created a foundation that was focused not on the English speaking middle class of urban India but on rural folks and India’s native genius. It honoured writings in any Indian language, and had a special prize for writings in Hindi/Rajasthani. There was yet another honour for works in Indian philosophy, culture or art, written in Hindi, not in English. K K Birla has left an indelible mark in his contribution to the growth and globalisation of Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS). G D Birla had created an International Centre of Excellence in the midst of the arid desert of Rajasthan and its chancellor, K K Birla, expanded its arm to Dubai, aside from its campus in Goa and Hyderabad. A man of measured words, expressed often with warmth, K K Birla was a captain of Indian industry, a Parliamentarian of great acumen, a philanthropist by heart, and a scholar by nature. His was a full and a rare life.
source:TOI

Land Rover output to be cut

LONDON: British automaker Land Rover, recently taken over by Indian industrial giant Tata, told its employees on Saturday it will scale back production in light of an economic slowdown and the credit crunch. A spokesman for Land Rover -- a specialist in four-wheel-drive vehicles -- declined to spell out the scale of the cutbacks in detail, besides stating that only a "small percentage" of its annual output would be affected. It was a matter of adjusting supply and demand, and averting a costly backlog of unsold vehicles, he said, in light of "very difficult" market conditions in Britain and the United States. From September until the end of the year, the Discovery and Land Rover Sport models will be assembled four days a week, rather than five, while night-shift production of top-end Range Rovers will be halted in October. Formerly a part of US auto group Ford Motor Company, Land Rover was acquired in June by Tata along with the upmarket Jaguar car brand, in a deal that has so far seen no layoffs. Land Rover employs around 5,000 people at its Solihull plant in the English Midlands
source:TOI

Doha round of negotiations could be over any moment: Official

KOCHI: The Doha Round of WTO negotiations could be over any moment as member countries have lowered their ambitions on agriculture, Planning Commission member Anwarul Hoda said on Saturday. 'My feeling is that Doha round can be ended any moment. Everyone has lowered their levels of ambitions on agricutlure. The stage where we are (now) shows that everywhere agriculture is difficult. It will be difficult to have it at high levels', Hoda said delivering a talk on the 'Doha Round of Negotiations on Agriculture and its Implications'. US delegation at the WTO discussions can take a final decision on the negotiations only after the presidential election in November. If there is a democratic president, things may be easier, if not there will be another round of 'slanging match', he said. The Doha round of negotiations had begun in 2001 and was expected to be over by 2004. India would not gain much in agriculture or industry. The real gain would be in services. However, the developed countries were not saying much on this aspect, he said. The developed countries had changed their "colours of subsidy," he said adding "From blue box subsidy they are now shifting to green box subsidy." Rising Oil prices have resulted in the food prices also going up. A lot of food value crops like corn, soyabean are being used to make bio fuels like ethanlol, resulting in diminishing supply. Urea prices had also gone up, pushing up food prices, he said.
source:TOI

Tax on vacant plots to help urban poor

NEW DELHI: You may soon have to pay tax on your vacant plot of land if your intention is to hold on to it to sell at a higher price later. The Centre is considering a tax on unused urban land to finance a "national fund for urban poor" to ensure that basic services — shelter, water, sanitation and health facilities — reach the poorest. Government sources pointed out that the tax would be paid by individuals, institutions and builders who are allotted land by a government agency but keep it vacant instead of using it for the stated purpose. The proposed tax will be calculated at the prevailing market rate. To bring in more money, the government also proposes to give tax exemptions to contributors. Besides helping finance projects for the poor, the tax is intended to deter speculation by builders and developers who exploit the scarcity of land in cities and towns. Sources pointed out that the corpus, called Basic Services to Urban Poor Fund, will have an initial input of around Rs 5,000 crore and will also get a grant from the Centre. According to the proposal moved by the housing and urban poverty alleviation ministry, the non-lapsable fund will be set up at national, state and city levels. The purpose of the revolving fund, being pushed vigorously by minister of state for housing and urban poverty alleviation, Kumari Selja, is to finance the integrated development of slums through projects for providing shelter, basic services and other related civic amenities. The government proposal also suggests that civic agencies spend 25% of their budget in areas dominated by the urban poor if they want to avail of Central assistance from the revolving fund. A similar rider will apply to civic agencies funded by Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission. Poor constitute a major chunk of the urban population. According to the government's estimates, in Mumbai, slum-dwellers constitute 54.1% of the city's population. The figure for Delhi is 18.7%. The proportion increases in smaller towns. In Faridabad near New Delhi, 46.5% of the total population lives in slums while in Meerut the figure is 44.1%. In Kolkata, 32.5% of the total population lives in slums, while they account for 18.9% of Chennai's population. The figure for Hyderabad is 17.2%. Selja had some time ago written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for setting up the dedicated fund. Subsequently, finance minister P Chidambaram asked the ministry to come out with the concept note on the proposal. The move is part of the housing and urban poverty alleviation ministry's proposal to provide 100% access to basic services for urban poor within the Mission Period 2005-12. The ministry has also introduced an innovative concept of P-Budget (Budget for the Poor). Under this, municipalities will have to allocate funds for schemes especially focused on weaker sections of society according to the proportion of their population in a city, said a senior official.
source:TOI

Russia calls for more observers in Georgia

MOSCOW: Russia called on Saturday for more international observers to be sent to Georgia, two days before a European Union summit that Tbilisi hopes will punish Moscow with sanctions. The appeal for stronger European monitoring in Georgia came as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin urged EU leaders to show "common sense" at the summit on Monday and ignore calls for sanctions against Russia. Leaders of the 27-nation EU are to agree on a response to Russia's military surge into Georgia and decision to recognise the independence of two secessionist regions. Georgia called for sanctions on Russian leaders after breaking off diplomatic relations with Moscow to protest the decision to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia. But in an apparent conciliatory gesture, President Dmitry Medvedev told British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during a phone conversation that Russia wants more OSCE observers to be sent to Georgia, a Kremlin statement said. The West sees the presence of monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe as critical to ensure the success of the French-brokered ceasefire that ended five days of fighting between Georgian and Russian forces. The 56-nation OSCE decided this month to send up to 100 observers to Georgia. Some 20 observers are currently on the ground. Russia "calls for the dispatch of additional OSCE observers to the security zone and setting up an impartial monitoring of the acts of the Georgian government," said the Kremlin statement. The German weekly Der Spiegel separately reported that OSCE observers were blaming Georgia -- whose bid to join NATO is championed by the United States -- for triggering the crisis in a series of unofficial reports presented to the German government. OSCE monitors said Georgia had made elaborate preparations for the offensive in South Ossetia on August 7. Tbilisi has claimed that they were provoked by the Russian side. Russian troops entered Georgia on August 8 to push back Georgian troops attempting to restore control over South Ossetia. Russia halted a five-day offensive into Georgia but has failed to withdraw all its troops, saying they are on a peacekeeping mission. Tbilisi has labelled them an occupation force. Medvedev reiterated that Russia was "in full compliance with the six principles" of a ceasefire deal, despite calls from the West for further withdrawals. Putin said Russian troops "of course will leave these positions where we are now... We will not remain there forever".
source:TOI

Southwest China quake kills 22, hurts 126

SHANGHAI: An earthquake hit southwest China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces on Saturday, killing 22 people and injuring about 126 as homes in rural villages collapsed, state media reported. Nearly 1,000 houses were destroyed, burying some people in the ruins, and cracks appeared in the walls of more than 400 other homes, the Xinhua news agency reported. "A large number of houses have collapsed," Qi Kaihong, deputy chief of the Huili county publicity department, told Chinese state television. "Locals in the county rushed out into the open. Cracks appeared on house walls and many windows were broken," Xinhua quoted Zheng Zhouwei, a local legislator in Yongren county, as saying. The epicentre of the quake, which struck around 4:30 pm (0730 GMT), was about 20 miles (30 km) southeast of Panzhihua, near Sichuan's border with Yunnan, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake was about 6 miles (10 km) deep. The US Geological Survey put the magnitude of the quake at 5.7 and Xinhua said it measured 6.1 on the Richter scale. Mobile phone services in the area were disrupted and poor communications were hindering authorities' efforts to make a complete casualty count, Xinhua said. Parts of Sichuan province were devastated by an earthquake that killed about 70,000 people in May. The province, known for its pandas and fiery cuisine, has struggled to rebuild after the disaster, which left 10 million people homeless.
source:TOI

Dangerous hurricane Gustav hits Cuba

HAVANA: Deadly hurricane Gustav intensified into an "extremely dangerous" category four storm as it struck Cuba on Saturday, after leaving a trail of death and destruction across the Caribbean. "Gustav has continued to strengthen and now has maximum winds near 145 miles per hour (230 kilometers per hour)," the US National Hurricane Center said. Evacuations were underway in coastal areas from northwest Cuba to Louisiana in the United States, where Gustav was predicted make landfall Monday or early Tuesday, three years after superstorm Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans. Civil defense authorities in Cuba's Pinar del Rio province and most of northern Cuba said they were moving 190,000 people to safety, mainly from coastal towns vulnerable to flooding before Gustav hits shore. Havana, just to the west, also ordered its two-million population to be on alert and took precautions for heavy winds and rainfall. The eye of the hurricane passed over the Isla de la Juventud, or Isle of Youth, to the south of the mainland early Saturday afternoon. Early Saturday, a Caymans official reported heavy damage from Gustav on Cayman Brac, the large eastern island of the Caymans group, with power and water supplies down. "We're hoping that it's going to settle down enough that we can do some damage assessment," said Ernie Scott, District Commissioner of the Sister Islands. "I'm expecting the HMS Iron Duke early and they're going to be providing significant assistance in our damage assessment operations," he said, referring to the British Royal Navy frigate in the area.
source:TOI

PM to visit Beijing to intensify relationship with China

BEIJING: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to visit China in October, making it his second visit in 10 months since he held parleys with Chinese leaders in Beijing in January. He is expected to attend the ASEM7 Summit being organised by the Asia Europe Meeting on October 24 and 25. He is expected to meet Chinese leaders including premier Wen Jiabo besides leaders of several Asian and European nations. Singh will go to Beijing after the Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi's planned visit to Kolkata in September. Yang, who is scheduled to open the Chinese consulate office in Kolkata, is also expected to meet External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on the occasion. Officials in the two countries are engaged in working out the modalities for a meeting between the two foreign ministers. Though the 45-member ASEM is gradually growing in influence since its creation 12 years back, it is by itself not so important for the Prime Minister to attend the meeting, which is usually left to the foreign minister. It is the venue of the meeting that is more significant from the viewpoint of Indian leaders keen on enhancing relationship with Beijing at a time with China's "all-weather friend" Pakistan is in political chaos. Besides the nuclear deal, the Prime Minister wants to leave behind an improved relationship with China as one of the legacies of his government, informed sources said. Yang's interest in visiting India goes beyond enhancing the trade ties by enlarging the area of Chinese consular influence to eastern and north-eastern India with an office in Kolkata. He is expected to discuss issues such as Tibet and the river water issue on the upper reaches of Brahmaputra. The planned visits by Singh and Yang not only signals an intensification of communication between the two nations, but also shows that the two governments are determined to sort out their differences concerning the border and other issues and work together at the international level. Though arrangements are being made for the Prime Minister's visit, a final announcement is being withheld because New Delhi wants to watch China's moves with regard to efforts being made by India to obtain the backing of Nuclear Suppliers Group on its nuclear deal with the United States. China, which has considerable influence at the NSG, has indicated it is not going to block India's efforts on this count. The political upheavals in Pakistan have also ensured that Beijing would be wary about listening to Islamabad in determining its approach to India's nuclear case, sources pointed out. But New Delhi is still keeping its fingers crossed and would wait to see the final outcome at the NSG. Last June, Mukherjee opened the office of the Consulate General in Guangzhou, making it India's third consular outpost besides the consulate in Shanghai and the embassy in Beijing. The decision to open consulate offices by the two countries in Guangzhou and Kolkata was taken during Chinese President Hu Jintao visited India in November 2006. The two countries signed an agreement, which said, "In order to sustain, facilitate and promote greater engagement between the two countries, an additional Consulate General shall be opened in each other's country. The Indian side shall open a new Consulate General in Guangzhou while the Chinese side shall open a new Consulate General in Kolkata. In this context, the mutually satisfactory resolution of the long-pending issue of the property of the Consulate General of India in Shanghai is a positive development."
source:TOI

World Gujarati meet starts in US without visa-less Modi

WASHINGTON: Under intense lobbying from activists, the US State Department has "denied" Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi a visa he never applied for, ensuring that the 2008 World Gujarati Conference in New Jersey got underway on Friday without the physical presence of the principal. Modi, however, is scheduled to address the conference on a live satellite video link on Saturday, a method the Gujarati community has adopted over the past few years to get around visa issue. The conference began on Friday at the Raritan Center in Edison, New Jersey, which could well claim to be a "Little Gujarat" given its large Gujarati population, with colorful ceremonies and a felicitation of, and keynote address by, Columbia University economic Don, Prof Jagdish Bhagwati. But the celebrations were overshadowed by the continuing flap over the Modi visa issue, with an organization called Coalition Against Genocide (CAG), with the single-point agenda of highlighting the Gujarat riots, issuing a timed statement about the State Department's "refusal" of a visa for Modi, even though the Gujarat chief minister had not applied for one. The morning before the Chaalo Gujarat conference, CAG released a July 8 letter written by a State Department official to a US lawmaker that virtually affirmed a visa denial, stating, "we are cognizant of the human rights abuses Mr Modi has committed." But the letter, by Matthew Reynold, the acting Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, also added: "We have thoroughly searched Department records and located no current nonimmigrant visa applications for Mr Modi. However, should we receive an application, we assure you it will be adjudicated in strict accordance with the Immigration and Naturalization Act, including Section 212(a)(2)(G) which states that ‘any alien who, while serving as a foreign government official, was responsible for or directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom, as defined in section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C 6402) is inadmissible.'" Sources say several interlocutors have sounded out the US Embassy and State Department on the issuance of visa for Modi, but pending an assurance that he will be issued one, there has been no formal application. The CAG's unrelenting attempt to deny Modi a visa has been going on since 2004. The Coalition now claims that a total of 32 US Lawmakers have so far written letters to the State Department expressing concern over human rights abuses in Gujarat and urging the denial of US visa to Modi. Coalition members have also had "detailed meetings" with the foreign policy and human rights legislative aides to 11 Senators, including presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama, the CAG said. But within the Gujarati community, Modi is becoming larger than life with each episode of alleged visa denial. He is greeted like a rock star in his live video appearances. Privately, community leaders chafe at the perceived insults and wonder what the US will do if Modi becomes the Prime Minister of India some day, as many of them hope he will. "This has gone on for too long. At the end of the day, he's an elected representative of a state and he has been re-elected. The US should respect that we should all move forward," says Mike Patel, a founder member of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), which also plans to invite Modi to its conference in Washington DC next March. Modi could not make it to the AAHOA conference in 2005 after the CAG pressed Washington to deny him a visa and persuaded American Express to withdraw its sponsorship for the event. TV anchor and CNBC's Hardball host Chris Matthews also bailed out from delivering a keynote address at the conference after CAG's intervention. But AAHOA organizers are hoping the political atmosphere will be more "conducive" in March 2009 and the "past can be left behind."
source:TOI

DGCA under scanner over plane imports

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has come under the scanner of Customs department investigating the aircraft scam. Irregularities have been detected in the issue of licences to some private airlines belonging to the country's top corporate houses for the import of aircraft under the duty waiver scheme. Like the car import scam unearthed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in 2005, hundreds of private jets were imported into the country under the Non-Scheduled Operator, Passenger (NSOP) scheme that provides for availability of these aircraft to general public for non-scheduled and charter flights. Import under NSOP category entitles a private airline to avail duty exemption up to 25% of the cost of aircraft. However, the probe has revealed that some private airlines had deployed the aircraft imported under NSOP scheme for personal use. Already 70 operators who had imported about 200-odd aircraft in the last two years are being looked into. Sources said in some cases, it was found that DGCA had cleared an NSOP licence despite the fact that the private airline already had a licence under "private" category from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. The customs department is investigating whether rules were bypassed to issue a second licence for the import of the same aircraft. One case currently being investigated is that of JSW Steel, a company of the O P Jindal group which had applied for two licences for import of a Bombardier Challenger 300 and had got NoCs for both. The first licence was obtained by the company from DGFT, Bangalore, on June 15, 2007, for "private" use of the aircraft. However, when the customs department issued a notification regarding the duty exemption under NSOP scheme, the Jindal group company approached the civil aviation ministry for NSOP permit on November 20, 2007, for the same Bombardier Challenger 300. The DGCA on February 4, 2008, on the direction of the civil aviation ministry, issued NoC for an NSOP licence to the Jindal group company despite the fact that the private airline already had a licence from DGFT Bangalore for import of the same aircraft under "private" category. JSW, however, denied any irregularity. In a statement, the company said, "The group has not evaded any customs duty on import of aircraft. The Rs 19 crore duty paid is towards the Bombardier Challenger 300 aircraft imported for private use."
source:TOI

Riots in fresh areas of Orissa, curfew on

BHUBANESWAR: Curfew was imposed in Jeypore town of southern Orissa's Koraput district on Saturday after clashes between Hindus and Christians. Reports reaching Bhubaneswar said police fired at the rioters injuring two. Five cops were also injured. ( Watch ) The situation in nearby Kandhamal, centre of the week-long riots following the killing of a local VHP leader and his four disciples on August 23, was tense but peaceful. "The situation is tense in Jeypore. We are tightening the security. We are also keeping a close watch on situation in other areas," DIG Sanjeeb Panda said over phone. He said trouble started from a local college where some "objectionable posters had been pasted". Soon, two groups of students clashed. Later, tension spilled over to the town with large number of protesters marching towards a 125-year-old church in the town. Police opend fire to disperse the marchers who went berserk attacking a prayer hall and people on the way. Scores of vehicles were either damaged or set on fire. Later a company of CRPF was rushed to Koraput. "Forces from other areas are also being dispatched to the troubled place", a senior police officer said. "Curfew was imposed in Jeypore as angry people fought a pitched battle and indulged in stone throwing, besides attacking a police station," Koraput SP Deepak Kumar said adding five police personnel were injured in stone-pelting. The mob also damaged furniture and other structures at the police station. "We fired rubber bullets but that did not work," a senior police officer said. Police said a number of prayer halls and a church in the town and its peripheral area were set on fire. Traffic on the Raipur-Chennai NH-43 came to a halt as people blocked the road. "The Koraput-Jeypore Road has been blocked. We are trying to clear it in the night," DGP Gopal Nanda said. "Elsewhere in the state, the situation has improved. Some elements are, however, trying to keep the violence alive," he said. CM Naveen Patnaik on Saturday visited Kandhamal and met people in relief camps. He also reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting in the district headquarters town of Phulbani. The CM will visit Jalespeta ashram on Sunday where the VHP leader was killed.
source:TOI

N-deal: New US draft text to be released next week

NEW DELHI: A new US draft text for an NSG waiver to India is ready and should be circulated to member countries this weekend. Negotiations between the US and India on the language are going right down to the wire and have involved national security adviser M K Narayanan working on the sticky bits with his counterpart Stephen Hadley. Nevertheless, the next elements of the India N-deal — NSG waiver, a shrinking Congressional calendar and the French and Russian N-deals waiting to jump into the act — might be coming into conflict with each other. This is making it more necessary for high level political intervention to get the deal done. This, said sources, could involve invoking another waiver authority in the US' Atomic Energy Act — that is, to waive the review period "in part or wholly". This would allow the Congress to deal with the N-deal without breaking its calendar. At the most, said sources, the US Congress could extend its session beyond September 26, which is the last day given. But until that is done, officials in Washington involved with the deal are looking askance at the fact that with the number of days in the congressional calendar shrinking rapidly, the 30-day period review of the N-deal could prove to be a killer for US business. They have raised fears that once the NSG waiver is done, France and Russia would jump in with their nuclear agreements with India and try to get for themselves a first mover's advantage. Sources said India has given a verbal assurance that it would wait for the US to complete its own processes — a sort of gentleman's agreement. But there would be a time-line for this as well. The effort now is to make certain that US business doesn't lose out because of Congress inaction. The Democratic vice-presidential hopeful, Joe Biden, will play a very crucial role in the coming weeks. Few House Democrats will cross Biden if he decides, along with other Congress leaders Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi to invoke the waiver and take a decision on the N-deal early on. The way this could work is something like this: the US president would submit a series of about 8-9 presidential determinations after the NSG waiver. The certification documents are being drafted, said sources, and this was confirmed by US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice. This would set the ball rolling and the two committees — in the House of Representatives and the Senate — would take on the deal.
source:TOI

Kosi breaches JBC canal in Purnia

PURNIA: Spelling further trouble for lakhs of people already devastated by the floods in Bihar, the Kosi breached the Jankinagar Branch Canal (JBC) embankment in Purnia district on Saturday night, official sources said. The Kosi broke through its eastern embankment at Jankinagar and the flood water was fast inundating villages in Dharhara Kothi, Dhamdaha and Bhavanipur blocks of Purnia district, Additional District Magistrate Bhupendra Kumar Singh said. The breach occurred after Nepal reportedly discharged around 2.5 lakh cusec of water into the river. The water was over topping Banmankhi-Bihariganj railway line, which was hitherto proving to be the lifeline for the victims of Bihariganj block of Madhepura district escaping to safety at Banmankhi and Purnia town, leading to suspension of train traffic on the route. The canal carries water of the Kosi from Birpur in worst-affected Supaul district to Rupauli in Purnia where it merges in the main course of the swollen river once again. Singh said efforts to plug the breach have been hindered by the strong currents and enveloping darkness.
source:TOI

Supreme Court defines who's an idiot

NEW DELHI: 'Idiot' is a grossly misused word and an oversimplified epithet, if one goes by the Supreme Court's brand new definition of the term. It is almost impossible for a person to qualify as an idiot, says the Court and therefore, few can expect to get a reprieve for an offence. To be legally accepted as an 'idiot', one has to be so dumb as to be unable to count till 20, list the days of the week, or fail to remember the names of one's parents, the Court said on Friday. Under Section 84 of the Indian Penal Code, a person is not liable to be prosecuted if they are of unsound mind, or incapable of comprehending the nature of the criminal act and the fact that it is against the law. The Supreme Court identified just four kinds of people who could be classified mentally unsound — idiots, the very ill, lunatics and drunks. "An idiot is one who is of non-sane memory from his birth, by a perpetual infirmity, without lucid intervals: and those are said to be idiots who cannot count 20, or tell the days of the week or who do not know their fathers or mothers or the like," said the judgement by Justices Arijit Pasayat and M K Sharma. They added that it was for the accused to prove they were idiots or otherwise of unsound mind. The court was dealing with a case from Madhya Pradesh where Hari Singh Gond murdered his grandfather-in-law and then claimed innocence on the grounds of idiocy. The Bench affirmed the lower court orders convicting Gond for the murder. If the investigating agency came across a history of insanity, it was duty-bound to subject the accused to a medical examination, the judges said. If a medical examination is not done "the benefit of doubt has to be given to the accused", the judges said. The MP trial court had refused to accept the accused was mentally unsound even though eyewitnesses reported he behaved in an unusual fashion at the time. Friday's judgement differentiated between a defendant of unsound mind and mere absence of motive. "Mere absence of motive for a crime cannot, in the absence of plea and proof of legal insanity, bring the case within Section 84," it said. "Mere abnormality of mind or partial delusion, irresistible impulse or compulsive behaviour of a psychopath affords no protection under Section 84," the SC added, affirming the earlier court orders convicting Gond for the murder.
source:TOI

Cops foil Naxal attack in Maharashtra

CHANDRAPUR: Alert commandos of the special operation squad (C-60) of Gadchiroli district foiled an attempt by naxalites to inflict major casualties through an explosion on Saturday. While conducting a search operation on Allapalli-Sironcha road near village Mosam under Aheri police station, the police traced a trap laid by the naxals for detonation. Police sources said that after developing suspicion about the trap, the place was thoroughly searched and a steel box filled with 7 kgs of explosives was found buried near the road. The device was connected to a 20-foot long wire which led to a detonator.
source:TOI

MNS activists target Shiv Sena leader's institute

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena, which claims to be the first political party to raise the issue of Marathi "asmita" (pride), was in for some embarrassment as activists from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) targeted senior Sena leader Manohar Joshi's technical institute—Kohinoor—in Ahmednagar for having an English signboard. The MNS party workers on Saturday stormed the institute, situated near the main bus stand in Ahmednagar, and shouted slogans such as "Jai Maharashtra" before indulging in vandalism. The demonstrators condemned the Sena for its double standards and waved MNS flags before leaving the place. An MNS spokesperson said, "Joshi had addressed mediapersons on Friday wherein he supported the Marathi signboard issue and said that every shop owner should abide by the law which required nameboards in Marathi. But his own institute is violating the government order." Incidentally, Joshi and MNS chief Raj Thackeray are believed to be partners in real estate development. They had successfully bid for the auction of Kohinoor Mill land at Shivaji Park. Manohar Joshi had told mediapersons on Friday that he had directed all his branches of Kohinoor institute to ensure that they display Marathi signboards. "To the best of my knowledge, all the signboards are in Marathi," he said. "If there is any English board at any place, I will see to it that it is replaced immediately and a Marathi signboard comes up prominently in its place." Joshi was unavailable for comment on Saturday. The police claimed that they had detained a few persons in the Ahmednagar incident and the situation was brought under control. The Shiv Sena had in the past claimed that the Marathi Manus mudda (issue of sons of the soil) was originally their ideology. The MNS has been aggressive on this issue in recent months, with the attack on north Indians earlier this year, the vandalism of shops in connection with the Marathi signboards issue in July and August, and the attack on candidates from north India appearing for Central government jobs at a Mulund centre recently.
source:TOI

Gurgaon bank looted by three armed men

GURGAON: In a daylight robbery in a Gurgaon bank, three armed robbers stormed into the Jamalpur branch of Punjab and Sind Bank and decamped with Rs eight lakhs in cash on Saturday. They held the staff and customers at gunpoint and beat up the security guard before decamping with the money. According to an eyewitnesses all three robbers, one of them wearing a helmet, came on a motocycle. Harpal Singh Yadav, the bank manager said: ‘‘Three armed men apparently in their mid 20s, entered into the bank at around 10.55 am, waving country-made pistols and asked everyone present to put their hands up. There were around six staff members and two customers present in the bank at that time. When Leela Ram, the security guard tried to stop their bid, the robbers snatched his gun and hit him on the head with the butt.’’ After collecting the cash from the counters, the robbers fled from the spot on the bike taking the unpaved road behind the bank. However, the locker was intact. The policemen deployed at the barricading in the vicinity were alarmed by the screams of the staff. The policemen chased the bike-borne robbers but failed to nab them. The injured guard was later rushed to a nearby hospital where he was discharged after first aide. The locals alleged that there were no close circuit cameras installed in the bank despite of the advisory given by Gurgaon administration about three months ago in this regard. The police said that robbers could belong to neighbouring villages as they were seemingly aware of the unpaved short-cut escape routes which they took after committing the crime. ‘‘Criminals are growing more and more fearless it seems. The robbery was executed at a busy locality in broad daylight despite the fact that the village market is just a stone’s throw away and police barricading in the vicinity.’’ said Jogender, a villager. Banks in and around Gurgaon have come to become a hot-spot with robbers looking at the past trend of robbery during the past few months when several cases of robberies reported from across the district. ‘‘Due to exorbitantly rising land prices, villagers sell some plots of their land and deposit money in these banks which have minimal security arrangements, making them easy targets.’’ said the bank manager. Meanwhile, Krishan Murari, ACP South, Gurgaon (Manesar) said that so far police has not found any lead in the case and investigation is on.
source: TOI

Family-minded India asks for child-free zones

Smoking not allowed. Pets not allowed. Children not allowed. The last is not yet a condition of entry into restaurants, multiplexes and aircraft in famously family-minded India, but many believe it's an idea whose time has come and a trickle of hoteliers and others are starting to provide child-free nirvana for those who want it. Aadisht Khanna, a 25-year-old Mumbai stockbroker is one of the reasons child-unfriendly businesses such as The Tryst, a family-run Coonoor guesthouse, ply their trade. Khanna runs a blog that repeatedly complains about the menace of unruly children and is calling for "business traveller-specific flights, which have an intermediate class between economy and business and use a combination of premium pricing, timing, and actually disallowing children to make the flight child-free". There is also a growing chorus of bloggers and netizens who are calling for adult-only eateries and cafes. Even PG films, they say, should have some screenings without kids. M S Rao, who owns Tryst, is candid about his decision to advertise the tiny guesthouse on the net as a place where children are allowed "only if they're invisible". He says, "Children are not encouraged because most parents especially Indians do not know how to manage or discipline their spawn. They run amok and damage our property, whilst the parents look on unconcerned." Rao dismisses the suggestion child-free hotels are politically incorrect and bad for business in a country that prides itself on child-centred family life. "The Tryst is for relaxation and enjoyment of nature and we cater mostly to foreign clientele. I am sure they would prefer to stay in a child-free zone during their holidays, for obvious reasons". The Tryst is one of a thin but growing trickle of public venues that restrict child entry or at least hedge around it with the sternest of rules. Children under three are barred from Puducherry's Aurobindo Ashram. The Ooty Club in the Nilgiris insists that children roam no further than their parents' room and the children's dining room. Many other clubs across India, including the Calcutta Club, have rules on the same lines. The idea of making restaurants, theatres, and flights child-free is fast catching. Like The Tryst, a family-run Coonoor guesthouse has already providing its guest child-free nirvana. Child-free zones may sound politically incorrect but are perfectly legal. SC lawyer Geeta Luthra says, "Private places can keep the right of entry reserved. All of this so long as they (the rules) are not unreasonable." The pro-child-free zone lobby thinks nothing unreasonable in its campaign. Delhi-based freelance writer Jai Arjun Singh, a familiar internet voice raised against children, says he'd "rather not hear them (or have them picking on the back of my head) in a movie hall. Or see one come across to my table while I'm eating and stare at me continuously". Half in jest he insists this year's Railway Budget was "shockingly timorous" because it lacked "a special provision for sealed compartments for all the little humans. I propose this measure be incorporated."
source: TOI

Singur row: Now, Mamata under siege?

SINGUR/KOLKATA: Tata Nano workers failed to turn up at their besieged plant for a second day on Saturday even as Trinamool Congress-led protestors defied a Calcutta High Court directive to clear the highways and potentially clear the way for the world's cheapest car finally to roll off the assembly line. There were some signs of cracks in the seemingly-solid wall of protest to Tata's acquisition of nearly 1,000 acres with some local Trinamool Congress activists employed at the Nano plant as apprentices, openly blaming hardline Left-wingers for deliberately digging in for the long haul in order to force the Tatas out of Bengal. "We were with the agitation since it started. It was a spontaneous movement then," said activist Kushal Saha, a former gram panchayat pradhan of Beraberi Purbapara. "Farmers wanted a better price from the government. They fought for it. Unfortunately, outsiders have taken over. They have no idea of ground reality," he said. For the first time too, Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee's supporters started to blame her directly. NHAI fails to move Singur protesters National Highway Authority project director Avdhesh Singh on Saturday marched in with a copy of the court order but failed to intimidate protesters. After a preliminary meeting to take stock with district magistrate Neelam Meena and superintendent of police Rajiv Mishra, Singh asked to meet Mamata. But he only got as far as her colleague, lawyer Kalyan Banerjee, who said the protesters would not relent. "We are keeping the highway free. All our camps are on the roadside. The police are free to divert the traffic from Palsit in Burdwan, which they are not doing. They can try and run vehicles on the expressway if they want," Banerjee said. "Let Mamata enter the car factory and identify the land? She can't. The land she is talking about is far less than 400 acres. She is leading the protesters to nowhere," Kushal Saha, a former gram panchayat pradhan of Beraberi Purbapara. But Trinamool leaders remained defiant. Meanwhile, Singh threatened police action, but that failed as well. He said, "There has been no change in the ground situation so far. The condition is still not conducive to resuming traffic movement on Saturday. We are losing Rs 25 lakh a day as toll. I will seek the help of the state police failing which we would clear the expressway with Central forces.". In Kolkata, West Bengal home secretary Asoke Mohan Chakrabarty admitted the state administration could do little to execute HC order. "The court has asked for compliance. There is no other way," Chakrabarty said. But in a sign of increasing dismay at the bad press for Bengal's seemingly anti-business policies, software professionals in Kolkata marched to demand government to take firm steps to hold on to the Tata project.
source: TOI

J&K: Sangharsh Samiti agrees to peace formula

JAMMU: The 61-day old agitation in Jammu region on the Amarnath land row ended here in the wee hours of Sunday following the signing of an agreement between the group leading the agitation and the Jammu and Kashmir Governor- appointed panel, under which the Shrine Board would be making temporary use of 40-hectares of land during the yatra period. The agreement was arrived after a six-hour-long fourth round of talks between the Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti(SASS) and the four-member panel of the state government, under which the protesting group decided to suspend their agitation as the government has agreed for temporary use of the land by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. "We have suspended the agitation for the time being and not called it off, as some of our demands are yet to be met," Samiti's convenor Leela Karan Sharma said after the meeting. The government has agreed to set aside 800 kanals of land at Baltal and Domail without any payment. However, the ownership of the forest land shall not undergo any change. The agreement was signed by S S Bleoria on behalf of the government and Sharma on behalf of the Samiti. The Shrine Board will continue discharge its responsibilities as per the act and it shall supervise all arrangements of yatra with the support of the state government, according to the agreement.

source : TOI

Yuvraj and Sania in Mumbai

Cricketer Yuvraj Singh and tennis star Sania Mirza at a fashion show in Mumbai.

source: TOI

Nuclear Agreement between India - USA : MUST READ BY EVERY INDIAN

There are lot of talks about 1 2 3 Agreement between India & USA and it
almost led to the topple of Central Government. In this mail I am trying
to explain the commercial & technical aspects relating to this Agreement
which I have read and sharing with you.

What is 123 Agreement?

This is called 123 Agreement because this comes under USA 's Atomic Power
Act Section 123.
Let's see how India 's (Indians?) Sovereinty & Independence are
pledged...

(1) After this Agreement USA will supply all fuel, machinery / equipment
& technology to India for producing Nuclear Power.

(2) All these days from about 22 Nuclear Power Plants, India is
producing power as well as Atom. It's a high security / secret that
from where which is produced, how much is produced, where it is
supplied, what research is being done with that, etc. to anybody. But
if we sign this Agreement, we have to disclose these secrets and also
agree to 14 of our Nuclear Power Plants to be under the scanner of
International Atomic Power Organisation.

(3) The fuel utilised to produce Atomic Power can be recycled for reuse
and this plant will be under direct supervision of IAPO.

If India does nuclear test, this agreement gets cancelled. But

(1) USA will take back all the machinery / equipments / technology
supplied to India thus far.

(2) Those 14 plants will continue to be under scanner irrespective of
the status of the agreement.

On the other hand, if any of the commitments given by USA is breached by
them, then there is no clause for cancelling this agreement.

The agreement is apparently like this... USA can either hug India or
slap India . India will not ask why are we hugged or why are we slapped.
On the other hand, India cannot hug or slap USA for breach of agreement.

This is only capsule so that easy to read and digest.

Subject: India Pledged.... Part 2

Requirement of Power

The most important requirement for India 's Economic Growth in the coming
years will be the power & infrastructure. The argument put forth
favouring the 123 Agreement says that we need Nuclear Power Production
to be increased to meet the demand.

Power Production in India

Presently following are the figures:

Thermal Power 66%

Hydel Power 26%

Solar & Wind Power 5% - Presently Rs.600 Crores are spent for producing
this power.

Nuclear Power 3% - If this is to be increased to 6%, it
requires additional Rs.50,000 Crores.

Naturally it will be wise to increase other 3 modes of power production
rather than the expensive & dangerous Nuclear Power. Isn't??

URANIUM

We used to import Uranium from various other countries. After the
Pokran Test, we are not getting it. To augment the supply, we need to
sign the 123 Agreement to get Uranium from USA . But we will have to
declare to USA from which power plant India takes raw material for
producing Atom Bomb. Why should we disclose our internal secrets to
those rascals ? Will any one allow an outsider to continuously monitor
what's happening in your Hall & Kitchen of your house? Other study
reveals that Uranium is available in India aplenty. Only hurdle is the
acquisition of land. To produce Atomic Power & Bomb in the next 40
years, the requirement of Uranium is 25,000 MT whereas the availability
is 78,000 MT across India .

PLUTONIUM

Presently 35% of Plutonium is used to produce Atomic Bombs. After
signing the Agreement, we will be allowed to use only 10%. Who are those
rascals to restrict the usage of our natural resource ? That is though
you are capable of cooking & eating 10 idlis as your breakfast, you are
allowed only 3 idlis henceforth. How can it be? Why should we accept
this?

THORIUM

As told by Dr.APJ, we have abundant Thorium. In fact we are the 2nd
largest producer of Thorium next only to Australia . India has to
explore this further for producing power. For your information, in
South India - particularly around Kanyakumari, the availability of
Thorium is abundant.

INDIA-IRAN-CHINA

USA does not like the amicable relationship between India-Iran and also
India-China. If India-China relationship gets stronger, then both these
can rule the Eastern Part of the Globe which USA wants to break as per
their divide & rule.

By signing this agreement, USA wants India to depend on it for producing
power which is going to be a crucial factor in future. There is a talk
of bringing Natural Gas from Iran to India with a big pipeline project.
USA doesn't like this proposal.

Atomic Power Technology

Whether power is produced or Bomb is produced, using Atomic power
without spoiling the infrastructure and without allowing the radiation
is always under threat. Moreover preserving the wastes coming out of
Atomic Power Plants is expensive & unsafe.

There was an accident in Three Miles Island in USA . To close this plant
nearly USD 200 Crores spent with tons & tons of concrete but yet to be
fully closed.

In an another accident at Soviet Union 's Serbia Plant, even the next
generation child are affected due to the radiation.

It will be very very expensive to defuse & close down an Atomic Power
Plant than its construction cost.

France

France has got 56 Nuclear Power stations producing 73% of the country's
total power requirement. They are catching up the problem of
eliminating the wastes / emissions from out of those plants at the same
time increase the power production capacity. Government of France is
now thinking how to reduce the power consumption in the country.

Conclusion

In view of the above danger, rather than signing the agreement and
pledging India to USA , it will be prudent to increase the Solar & Wind
Energy and more importantly Hyder Power Production can be increased by
linking all rivers across India and by constructing DAMS. (Ofcourse Dam
construction projects can be given to L&T's B&F Sector:-)

The whole process of this Agreement started in the year 2005 when
Manmohan visited USA . In a span of just 2 years a major decision of
signing this agreement has taken place with political motive. On the
contrary, neither this Government nor any other earlier Central
Government could not amend the Constitution thereby nationalise the
rivers across the country thereby effectively utilise the water
resources for both Agriculture purpose and producing Hydel Power. What
an irony?

Whenever someone is helping the needy, you can't expect the TERMS AND
CONDITIONS BETWEEN THE needy and the helper to be EQUAL??? BUT

(1) the helper's ulterior motive should be seen with broad eye because
he is capable of digging a grave behind you and

(2) better to be self-sufficient and explore new avenues with available
resources.

INDIA -CHINA- USA

India is very rich in Culture, follow Religions, Value Ethics, Level of
Education is Very Good.

China is also rich in Culture, follow Religion, better disciplined.

USA does not have Culture, does not have Ethics, only want power over
others. Particularly wants a firm footing in South Asia . Remember the
introduction EURO by European Countries and it is stronger than Dollar?
So their "DAL" cannot be boiled at " EUROPE ". They are trying in India
as already Pakistan is in their clutches.

Feedback

Above is only a capsule of information. It will be easy & better to
have an interactive session in a Hall with good auidence on topics such
as this.