News and Materials

Active volcanoes around the world Here are spectacular pictures of some active volcanoes around the world.

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:25:00 +0530

When Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon for the first time

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:23:00 +0530

Wonder what really happened when Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon? Well, here's what he wrote to NPR blogger Robert Krulwich that may quench your curiosity too.

In an article he wrote for 'Krulwich Wonders,' Krulwich pondered why the 1969 Apollo 11 astronauts didn't venture more than 90 yards from the Lunar Module.

And interestingly, NASA astronaut Armstrong responded to Krulwich's blog by sending him a long email.

In the message, Armstrong gave a wonderfully vivid explanation as to what it was like on the lunar surface and why they were limited by what they could do.

"It is true that we were cautious in our planning. There were many uncertainties about how well our Lunar module systems and our Pressure suit and backpack would match the engineering predictions in the hostile lunar environment," Discovery News quoted Armstrong as writing in the e-mail.

To ensure the Apollo astronauts stayed cool Armstrong said, "We were operating in a near perfect vacuum with the temperature well above 200 degrees Fahrenheit"-NASA had designed a water-cooling system that pumped water around the astronauts' bodies. But this was the first time it was being used, so there were uncertainties about its performance."

"To verify the cooling system's performance after a lunar walk, the astronauts got back into the re-pressurized lunar module and "were able to drain and measure the remaining water in the backpacks to confirm the predicted," he pointed out.

To minimize any unforeseen incidents, the pair had a strict mission plan, but that didn't mean Armstrong didn't stray just a little. He wrote, "Preflight planners wanted us to stay in TV range so that they could learn from our results how they could best plan for future missions. I candidly admit that I knowingly and deliberately left the planned working area out of TV coverage to examine and photograph the interior crater walls for possible bedrock exposure or other useful information. I felt the potential gain was worth the risk.

How Saturn's rings and inner moons were formed

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:23:00 +0530

According to a new study, Saturn's rings and inner moons were formed after the collision of a large satellite with the planet.

Saturn's rings are at present 90 to 95 percent water ice. Previous studies suggest that the rings formed when a small satellite was disrupted by an impacting comet.

"This scenario would have likely resulted in rings that were a mixture of rock and ice, rather than the ice-rich rings we see today," said Dr. Robin M. Canup, associate vice president of the SwRI Planetary Science Directorate in Boulder.

But the new study links the formation of the rings to the formation of Saturn's satellites.

Previous studies suggest that that multiple Titan-sized satellites originally formed at Saturn, but as their orbits spiralled into the planet, they were lost.

As they neared Saturn, the heat would cause its ice to melt and its rock to sink to its center. Such a satellite crosses the region of the current B ring, planetary tidal forces strip material from its outer icy layers, while its rocky core remains intact and eventually collides with the planet.

This produces an initial ice ring that is much more massive than Saturn's current rings.

"The new model proposes that the rings are primordial, formed from the same events that left Titan as Saturn's sole large satellite, " said Canup.

"The implication is that the rings and the Saturnian moons interior to and including Tethys share a coupled origin, and are the last remnants of a lost companion satellite to Titan."

During its extended mission, the Cassini spacecraft will measure the rings' current mass and will indirectly measure the pollution rate of the rings.

Now rent an apartment for a night at world''s tallest tower

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:22:00 +0530

For those who would like to spend a night at the world''s tallest tower, an online company in the UAE is offering a lucrative deal.

An overnight stay at a fully furnished apartment in Burj Khalifa can now be hired for as much as USD 285 and the deal announced by a Dubai-based firm comes with groceries, if needed.

Fitted with air conditioners, wireless Wi-Fi access point and work desks with PCs, the property can accomodate a maximum of four persons with a bedroom furnished with a double bed and two sofa beds.

However, if you are looking for a panoramic view of the 188-floor tower you are bound to be disappointed because the apartment is located on the 19th floor.

Burj Khalifa has 900 studio, up to four-bedroom apartments, while it also has Armani Residences with 144 fully furnished private apartments.

It offers luxurious recreational and leisure facilities including four swimming pools, an exclusive residents'' lounge, health and wellness facilities.

At mosphere, the world''s highest fine dining restaurant at Level 122 and At the Top, the world''s highest observatory deck with an outdoor terrace on Level 124 are the other attractions.

The deal is available at mydubaistay.com.

The lighter side: Top 8 WikiLeaks jokes

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:22:00 +0530

The WikiLeaks scandal has created nothing short of a storm worldwide, but there's a lighter side to everything. So here are the top eight WikiLeaks jokes to see the funnier side of it all.

8. WookieeLeaks: The leaked secrets are being seen in the realm of 'Star Wars.' For instance, Twitter users are posting messages under the tag 'WookieeLeaks'.

"Sources close to the Emperor claim that he was aware of the tragic design flaw that allowed Rebels to destroy the Death Star," goes one post.

7. David Letterman, antiterror mastermind: A State Department cable, according to news reports, was headlined 'David Letterman: Agent of influence.'

The point? American comedy or popular TV shows in Saudi Arabia might prevent youngsters from becoming terrorists, reports the Christian Science Monitor.

6. It's a generational thing: Jon Stewart of 'The Daily Show' brought in Aasif Mandvi, who said, "It's the 21st century, what I've coined the 'information age,' a glorious Utopian datascape in which everyone has a right to know everything about everyone. It's why I get to see your [private parts] at the airport."

5. The Onion website: The Onion website reveals, "Threats and aid offers equally ineffective in forcing Vladimir Putin to put a shirt on during diplomatic negotiations."

After a few more items, the Onion discloses a final secret, "U.S. diplomatic privacy measures are terrible."

4. Hitler: WikiLeaks is the latest story line to be overlaid onto a 'Downfall' scene in which Hitler rants in front of his inner circle.

In one, Hitler calls Assange and tries to get him interested in new details about the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

And another 'Downfall' parody shows Hitler getting angry because hackers have shut down access to WikiLeaks websites.

3. Sarah Palin hunts Assange: Video news reports by Next Media Animation (NMA), a Taiwan-based company, show Assange trying to obtain documents by personally sneaking into government buildings while Sarah Palin grabs her gun, apparently ready to help hunt him like a caribou.

2. "Well, that WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, turned himself in to police in England today," Jay Leno said this week on late night TV.

"When the judge asked him where he lived, he said he didn't want to give out that information. Well, you can understand that. Everybody has the right to privacy, don't they?"

1. Rep. Jack Kimble, a faux congressman from California, told his Twitter followers on Wednesday, "I have been attacked by Wikileaks. They have changed all the prices in my campaign shop to ridiculously low levels."

Comedian Jimmy Fallon said, "WikiLeaks supporters ... have hacked Sarah Palin's credit card information after she criticized founder Julian Assange. Sarah [is] very upset and hopes suspicious charges to her account can be 'refundiated.' "

The Big Question

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:21:00 +0530

Radia's machinations ensured that her boss Ratan Tata was never at a loss at the minister's hands.

Conversation with Sunil Arora

Sunil Arora, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, was CMD of Indian Airlines between 2000 and 2005. In mid-2009, when there were talks of Ratan Tata being brought on the board of directors of Air India, Radia tried to push Arora's candidature for the post of the Air India CMD. Below is an excerpt from the telephonic conversation between Radia and Arora on June 1, 2009.

Sunil Arora, Former Indian Airlines chief: I believe that in this so-called spectrum allocation, the biggest beneficiary is the younger brother (read Anil Ambani).

Radia: Absolutely. That's why it's important to reverse the tide.

Arora: How come the younger brother is the biggest beneficiary and you people are supporting him (Raja) like anything?

Radia: I will explain it to you. It's a very complex issue.

Arora: We will talk on the other phone.

Radia: My client, Tata, has also been a beneficiary in this (2G scam).

Arora: Okay.

Conversation with Madhav Joshi
Madhav Joshi is Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary of Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Ltd. Radia was in constant touch with him, providing him inside information about the future policy decisions being made by the DoT. Below are the excerpts from the telephonic conversation between Radia and Madhav on July 8, 2009.

Radia: "Madhav, the Government's view is? I have had a long chat with Mr Chandolia just now, spent about half-an-hour on the phone with him. The Government view is that we are not as of now looking at the Subodh Kumar report. We are going to send it to TRAI and that is going to take six months. In the meantime, whatever is our existing policy, subscriber-based, will continue. And therefore, while he assures that while we are in the queue, therefore, Anil Ambani can't get his 1.8 till we are given our 4.4 because we are effectively in the queue for those circles. Therefore his 1.8 will come only after we get our 4.4."

Conversation with Ratan Tata

Below are the excerpts from the 18-minute-long conversation between Radia and Tata on June 11, 2009.

Radia: "Anil (Tata Teleservices MD Anil Sardana) and I had gone to meet up the minister. And I've been meeting him separately. The sense I'm getting is that while he is moving ahead as far as 3G is concerned, the sense I'm getting is that he seems to be quite hell-bent on this 6.6 MHz going to Anil Ambani and I have told him that I will oppose it vehemently unless we get all our spectrum." She could be further heard briefing Tata on the strategies she was deploying to get him more spectrum.

Radia: "So we have moved two-three processes. One, we want harmonisation of spectrum to start, with harmonisation taking place, lot of spectrum will get cleared in some of areas. The second thing I said to him is that there is about 5 MHz coming in from defence on 2G. What I'm proposing on that is that you first give us our 4.4 in Delhi from that."

Radia: "Raja has promised me that he is not going to do anything in a hurry. I think he will not. I made Kanni speak to him as well. He is not going to do anything in a hurry at all. He has promised that. So we (have) got some time and I'm gonna meet Dr Sarma (TRAI chairman) again on Monday."
Below is the excerpt from the conversation that Radia had with Tata on July 7, 2009 when he was in Israel.

Tata:"The only concern I have is that Maran is going hammer and tongs for Raja. And I hope Raja doesn't trip or slip."

Radia: "No, he hasn't because chief justice has issued a statement that no minister called the high court judge. So that's clarified. In any case that didn't happen so Maran made to look like a fool now. So in any case, Ratan, even if there was a problem that would happen, as far as that is concerned, it is Kanni who will come back into that power position and not Maran. That's a given. That's decided between them But there is no such thing that Raja is done. So that's perfectly alright."

Keralite's score formula to be used in rain-hit IPL matches

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:21:00 +0530

A system developed by Kerala engineer V. Jayadevan for computing target scores in interrupted one-day and Twenty20 (T20) cricket matches has got the Indian cricket board's nod for use in the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Speaking to IANS, Jayadevan, 46, said that he made a presentation on his system, called the 'VJD', at the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) technical committee meeting in Chennai Friday.

'I spent half an hour with the committee headed by former India captain Sunil Gavaskar and answered queries. I was then told that my system would be put into practice in the next edition of IPL (a domestic professional Twenty20 cricket competition in India),' said Jayadevan.

His formula is applicable in both one-day and T20 forms of cricket.

Jayadevan, a civil engineer, holds a Master's degree in building technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He is currently deputy director, publications division, in the Kerala Engineering Research Institute near here.

'Since 2007, the BCCI has used my model in about 30 domestic matches,' said Jayadevan.

He said he accidentally developed an alternative to the Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) mathematical formula, currently used for calculating the target for a team batting second in interrupted matches, after starting work a decade ago.

'The D/L formula uses a concept of resources available and resources used, while my model employs the concept of normal and target scores. The method is capable of satisfactorily handling any number of interruptions during any stage of a the game,' added Jayadevan.

Even though he has been working on this for the past one decade, it was only recently that he got a financial assistance from the BCCI.

'Over the years, I have made certain modifications in my model and the one that is going to be used in the IPL is the model I fine tuned in 2007,' added Jayadevan.

The BCCI, after being convinced of this new model and agreeing to put in practice in the next edition of IPL, has agreed to present this model to the International Cricket Council.

Sachin's ODI 200 in 'Time' magazine's top 10 sports moments

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:20:00 +0530

Iconic Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar's record-breaking ODI double century has found a place in the Time magazine's top 10 sports moments of the year.

"Certain sports milestones seem simply unreachable: In cricket, it's the one-day double-hundred: no man had ever produced 200 runs for his team during a one-day international match," 'The Time' said.

"In February, however, India's Sachin Tendulkar, the greatest run scorer of all-time, hit the magic milestone against a powerful South African squad.

"Tendulkar smacked three "sixes" - the cricket equivalent of a home run - during his epic performance, and the build up to 200 was exhilarating.

"When he reached 199, the home crowd in Gwalior waved Indian flags, and roared, knowing they were about to witness history. The diminutive Tendulkar, dubbed "The Little Master," slapped a single past the South African fielders. The world's 1.5 billion cricket fans had a moment they'd never forget," it said.

Nokia vs Android: Requiem?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:20:00 +0530

By Tarmo Virki, European Technology Correspondent

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Mobile maker Nokia's Symbian operating system is on the ropes, its lead being stripped away blow by Android blow, but if its new boss throws in the software towel now, the relief will be brief and the scars permanent.

Stephen Elop, appointed Nokia's chief executive three months ago, is due to present his plans to arrest the market leader's decline early next year, and there are siren voices that would have him turn his back on mobile software and focus on handsets.

The runaway success of rival Apple's iPhone and its online App Store took Nokia by surprise, and while the Finnish firm still makes eight phones for every iPhone sold, for many quarters Apple has generated a bigger profit from its phone business than Nokia.

Following Apple's footsteps, Google rolled out its open-source Android operating system, which has become the standard for smaller phone makers. On current trends it will surpass Nokia's old workhorse Symbian in 2011 as the world's most used mobile OS.

"The software battles have been fought and won by Google and Apple. Nokia can either join the winning camp, or wither in a status quo of software wars already lost," said Alexander Peterc, analyst at Exane BNP Paribas.

Elop's personal history -- a former Microsoft executive -- gave vigour to rumours that Nokia would decide to use Google or Microsoft software in its smartphones.

This week in San Francisco, Android chief Andrew Rubin fuelled speculation further by ducking the question on possible talks with Nokia, while saying its new management was open to new ideas.

Nokia has undoubtedly had a rough time of it this year. Its shares have have fallen 15 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 600 Technology index has gained 13 percent.

It's entirely possible that by embracing Android its shares could avoid the punches for a while and rise a little; the company's costs would fall and it would enjoy the effects of moving with the newcomer's momentum instead of fighting to preserve a shrinking corner.

For his part, Elop said in October that using external software was an unlikely step.

Not just unlikely, but unwise, say others.

"When Nokia picks Android, investors will sell their shares," says John Strand, CEO of Danish telecoms consultancy Strand Consult. "That would be the day Nokia turns itself into a Dell of the mobile world."

He has a point; Nokia shares trade at 11.3 times next year's earnings, well below Apple's 16 times, but ahead of computer maker Dell's 9.1 times. At Dell's valuation, Nokia shares should be at 6.19 euros, not the 7.62 euros they traded for on Thursday.

Dell's gross margin is 18 percent, while Nokia's is still 31 percent, with Apple standing at 38 percent.

STRATEGIC ASSET

And the logic goes much deeper than just share price.

"For a company that regards software as a key strategic asset, shifting to Android and losing control of its own destiny would not be considered a viable option," said CCS Insight analyst Geoff Blaber.

"I do not think it would be a solution. That would be a failure," said Alan B. Lancz, president of wealth management firm Alan B. Lancz & Associates, which holds Nokia stock.

"Software is going to be a key component of their success; that's the reason they brought in Stephen."

To avoid becoming just a hardware manufacturer, Nokia is redoubling its efforts to develop its new open source smartphone platform MeeGo into a formidable rival to iPhone and Android.

Earlier this year Nokia and Intel, the world's largest semiconductor firm, merged their mobile Linux versions into MeeGo, which has reached consumers through one small tablet manufacturer, but Nokia delayed its rollout into 2011.

In October Elop dropped Symbian into the background of Nokia's software strategy, and all Nokia phones software will be developed with cross-platform Qt technology.

"It's providing an easier developer environment than the old Symbian tools, which were quite complex," Jo Harlow, the head of Nokia's smartphone unit, told Reuters in a recent interview.

Adam Leach, analyst with research firm Ovum, says selling the Qt story to external developers will be the key to success.

"They need to convince a lot more developers -- the ones currently working with Apple's iOS and Android. Developers need to buy into the story around Qt," Leach said.

Easier said than done.

When Alexandre de Rochefort, CFO of Gameloft, the world's second-largest mobile gaming firm, was asked last month of his company's plans for Qt development, he said he had not heard of the technology. But he was fluent in explaining the nuances of different Android versions.

Big B refuses Mallika

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:19:00 +0530

Long ago Mallika Sherawat had commented that the idea of Amitabh Bachchan running in slow motion was the sexiest image she could think of him and that embarrassed the senior actor a lot...

Big B says no to Mallika

Amitabh Bachchan has refused to work with Mallika Sherawat. Bachchan was approached by Kushan Nandy to work in a film. Mallika Sherawat had already spoken to the director and told him that she was ready to work with him if he could ensure that she gets to work with Amitabh Bachchan in it. But somehow that was not to be as Bachchan refused to share screen space with Ms Sherawat.

Long ago Mallika Sherawat had commented that the idea ofAmitabh Bachchan running in slow motion was the sexiest image she could think of him and that embarrassed the senior actor a lot. Bachchan too was told by his boss at home Jaya Bachchan not to work with a person like Mallika who was known more for her bold statements than her films. But then a lot of water has flowed under the bridge after that; the Big B is still not keen to work with her. Director Kushan Nandy is now looking at other actresses who could feature in the film with Bachchan.

Airlines pay no heed to govt on arbitraty fares

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 20:34:00 +0530

A day after Union civil aviation minster Praful Patel promised " corrective action" to check unreasonable fare hikes by airlines, all airlines on Sunday continued to charge exorbitant rates for last minute bookings. A visit to several ticket counters at Terminal 3 of Delhi airport revealed the obvious.

Jet Airways, just about two hours before departure, offered a full fare economy Delhi- Mumbai (7.45 pm) ticket at Rs 19,000. The airline, in order to cash in on the desperate latecomers, even offered ' flexi check in timing' less than 60 minutes before the flight.

Jet normally asks passengers to report two hours in advance. In the afternoon, Jet offered a full fare economy ticket at Rs 18,417 for the Delhi- Mumbai evening flight (8.35 pm). The morning flights were full.

A popular travel website offered economy class for Jet, for time slots (12 pm- 6 pm), at a price ranging between Rs 12,000 and Rs 16,000.

Air India's economy class ticket for the same destination, was available for Rs 14,200. This was offered about three hours before departure at 9 pm.

A travel website offered a reasonable fare of Rs 9,800 in the afternoon. And on Saturday, the evening flight for Mumbai was available at unbelievably low price of around Rs 6,500.

The officials at the ticket counters admitted that fare prices keep fluctuating. Kingfisher's Delhi- Mumbai flight was sold out and officials at the counter refused to share details of last minute fares.

In the afternoon, economy tickets for the evening flight for Mumbai were available at a price range of Rs 12,000 to Rs 14,000.

All tickets for Delhi- Mumbai evening flights for the low cost carriers like Indigo, GoAir, JetLite, SpiceJet were sold out.

These carriers offered fares which were almost on a par with full service carriers, ranging between Rs10,000 to Rs 16,000. A frequent flier on the Delhi- Mumbai sector, Rahul Sidana, recounted his experience. He had planned to fly to Mumbai on November 16 at the last minute, but was forced to postpone it because of exorbitantly high fares. This is what he was offered: SpiceJet ( SG103) at Rs 15,708, GoAir ( G8) at Rs24,272.

What is more shocking is Azim Siddiqui's case. SpiceJet denied him entry on Sunday because he arrived 40 minutes before the scheduled takeoff time of 9.25 pm.

But GoAir was willing to accommodate passengers, subject to availability, exactly 40 minutes before the flight (10.40 pm Delhi- Mumbai) at a price of Rs 20,000. Siddiqui said: "I had a Mumbai- Delhi refundable return ticket but was told it was of no value. They refused to refund and suggested me to buy another ticket for tomorrow, which was available at a price of Rs 11,000, that too one way." Siddiqui then decided to buy a GoAir ticket, available at Rs 9,000.

A few minutes after Siddiqui bought his GoAir ticket, the clerk at the counter told this correspondent there would be last- minute cancellations and tickets would be available 40 minutes before takeoff. But the spot fare would be above ` 20,000 for the Delhi- Mumbai at 10.40 pm.

This proves that the Union aviation ministry's threats had little effect on the airlines. An aviation analyst said Delhi- London return economy tickets, if booked in advance, is available at Rs39,000.It is shocking that domestic airlines are offering one- way ticket at Rs 25,000 for a Delhi- Mumbai flight.

To address these problems, the directorate general of civil aviation ( DGCA) will meet representatives of full service airlines on Monday.

KAST- MINUTE FARES OFFERED ON SUNDAY

Jet Airways charged Rs 19,000 for a full fare economy Delhi- Mumbai ticket on its 7.45 pm flight two hours prior to departure. The airline, which normally asks passengers to report two hours in advance, even offered 'flexi check in timing', ie less than 60 minutes before the flight . Jet charged Rs 18,417 for full fare economy ticket on the Delhi- Mumbai 8.35 pm flight in the afternoon.

GoAir offered tickets at Rs 20,000 exactly 40 minutes before the flight. Air India economy class tickets for the 9 pm flight for the same destination, were available for Rs 14,200 about three hours before departure. The same ticket was charged only Rs 9,800 in the afternoon. Kingfisher refused to share details of last minute Delhi- Mumbai flight fares. All tickets for Delhi- Mumbai evening flights for the low cost carriers such as Indigo, GoAir, JetLite, SpiceJet were sold out.

Wikileaks: Kerala, TN are training hubs for Lashkar

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 20:34:00 +0530

Islamic terror groups could have big bases in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Wikileaks cables now reveal.

A 2009 cable, signed by secretary of state Hillary Clinton, says the Laskhar-e-Taiba had surveyed Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, and was in the process of setting up training camps. It also says itplanned to kill Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. In another revelation, Hillary says Saudi donors are supporting Sunni terror groups across the world.

Gunman Kasab, arrested in connection with the 2008 Mumbai blasts, had confessed on video that the Lashkar recruited him to carry out a suicide attack by paying off his father. Kasab later told the court he had made that confession under duress.

The police were not completely oblivious to the problem, though. In 2007, police were talking about 50 Lashkar militants being active in the south, especially Karnataka.

In 2008, nine low-intensity blasts rocked Bangalore. A woman was killed. In 2010, two bombs went off at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, just before an IPL match, injuring six. The Karnataka police arrested Abdul Naseer Madani, a radical Islamist from Kerala, on charges of plotting the blasts. Andhra Pradesh was not spared either. In 2007, two blasts went off at Hyderabad. Two years on, the Andhra Pradesh police arrested 13 men, and sent out an alert to neighbouring states.

The Intelligence Bureau had said it had picked up some intercepts suggesting that cities in the south could be targeted. In September 2009, Rediff reported:

"It is now confirmed that many southern modules carried out the serial blasts in the country. Following the blasts there was a major crackdown on the cadres and sleeper cells. Even the interrogation of various terrorists revealed that the southern module carried out the blasts.

The most important factor that came out during the interrogation was that the entire southern module was directly linked to the Gulf module. However, the recent crackdown has had a disastrous effect on the Lashkar's plans. Sources say that the south modules were being majorly financed by the Gulf module."

2010: India’s Year of Scandals

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 20:33:00 +0530

Where scandals are concerned, Raja, Kalmadi, Chavan, Radia and Yeddyurappa are clear winners this year, but Raja also wins the lifetime award for pulling off the biggest scandal ever in India.

This was clearly the year of scandals. It was also the year of leaks (and not just WikiLeaks). How did scandal after scandal spill out this year? Perhaps something happened somewhere that emboldened whistle-blowers. The Bofors scam in the '80s and fodder scam in the 1990s were considered big when they broke, but they look minuscule and inconsequential when compared to this year's scandals. Here's a quick rewind:

A Raja: Without question, Raja is the shahenshah of scandals in India. India has seen big scandals, but the scale of Raja's 2G spectrum scandal is so mind-boggling that it took a couple of years for even the whistle-blowers to make sense of it. An intrepid reporter called Gopikrishnan first began digging up how spectrum licences had been undersold. Soon, television channels got hold of the government auditor's report, which said the scandal had cost the nation Rs 1.76 lakh crore. It took some weeks before the opposition could get Raja sacked. So where did the booty go? Raja is a DMK leader from Tamil Nadu, and the talk is that he took a lot of the cash to his leaders back home. Kapil Sibal, the new telecom minister, is talking about cancelling ill-gotten licences. But the original buyers have resold the licences and booked profits, so his action could only penalise those who bought stolen stuff, and not the ones who actually did the stealing. In any case, as Shah Rukh would say, picture abhi baaki hai.

Suresh Kalmadi: As sports administrator, Kalmadi has been the blue-eyed boy of the Congress for three decades. Roped into politics by Sanjay Gandhi, Kalmadi (54) has enjoyed support from the top, which is why he must have believed he could get away with anything. That wasn't to be. This year, when the Commonwealth Games came to India, he was shamed, first for not getting the stadiums and the games village ready in time, and then for allegedly pocketing millions. He was booed when he rose to make a speech at the Games inauguration. He continues to claim innocence, but his deputies Lalit Bhanot and T S Darbari have reportedly squealed on him. Media investigations have already revealed he bought everything from soap dispensers to airconditioners to sports equipment at astronomically jacked-up prices. His official website says he has a glorious vision for Pune for 2020, but his city is unlikely to stand by him as it has done in the past.

Niira Radia: No one had heard of Niira till November this year. Suddenly, thanks to the leaking of phone transcripts in which she was talking to India's who's who, everyone was talking about her. That, in a less scandalous context, would have been an astounding PR accomplishment. Anyway, Niira is a PR diva who could call up anyone -- Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, Barkha Dutt, Vir Sanghvi -- and discuss anything. India is gaping as it is told that a PR consultant was mediating between the Congress and the DMK, and influencing the choice of telecom minister in the world's fastest growing telecom market. Her conversations are now being examined by the income tax authorities, and two magazines, Open and Outlook, have published call transcripts, embarrassing not just industrialists and politicians but journalists as well. Politician Amar Singh and industrialist Ratan Tata have both said private call transcripts should not be aired in the media. Niira may have helped Raja get the job that allegedly helped him pull off the biggest swindle of all time. She has also brought glamour, spice, and intrigue to this year of scandals.

Ashok Chavan: Countries get emotional over wars. As Maharashtra's Chief Minister, Chavan didn't realise how volatile things could get if he were caught cheating martyrs' families. Chavan helped his relatives buy flats at Adarsha Housing Society in Mumbai. It appears he and his predecessors allowed the high-rise to come up on defence land because they were getting something in return. The building is in trouble now, and Sonia Gandhi had no choice but to ask Chavan to leave. What damage he has caused to the party will be known when elections are held, but the Congress just couldn't afford to have a chief minister who would be seen as a crook without a heart.

Yeddyurappa: Considered the dumbest of this year's scamsters, Yeddyurappa was caught changing the status of government land to help his sons. Real estate is more precious than gold in Bangalore, and his actions couldn't have escaped the watchful eyes of the Deve Gowda family, also majorly into the land business. Earlier chief ministers like S M Krishna and Dharam Singh have also given away government land cheap to their near and dear ones, but they knew how to cover their tracks. H D Kumaraswamy, Deve Gowda's son and former chief minister, has been at Yeddyurappa's throat, pulling out documents to show how extensively Yeddyurappa and his men have grabbed land. By Kumaraswamy's estimate, the scandal amounts to Rs 5,000 crore. The BJP's central leadership was demanding action against the UPA and stalling parliament to demand a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the spectrum scandal, and was clearly embarrassed by Yeddyurappa's brazen ways. Many factions are active in the Karnataka BJP. The Reddy brothers, children of a police constable, have earned enough money from mining (many say illegal) to be able to compete with the Mittals of the world. They have their own agenda, and have been inconsistent in their likes and dislikes. Yeddyurappa turned all of this to his advantage, and defied his party's leaders, who wanted him to go. He wasn't so dumb, after all. He also allegedly paid off whoever was against him in Delhi, but significantly, his party's supreme leader L K Advani refused to see him. He has returned to Bangalore victorious, but his enemies aren't going to keep quiet for long.

Read all about India’s Hall of Shame of 2010 - corruption, scandals, broken promises and injustice to the already wronged.

2010 YEAR IN REVIEW:---- CLASH OF THE TITANS

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 20:32:00 +0530

CLASH OF THE TITANS
1. SM QURESHI – SM KRISHNA
2. SHOBHAA DE – SONAM KAPOOR
3. AMITABH BACHCHAN – MANI RATNAM
4. M S DHONI – VIRU SEHWAG
5. LALIT MODI – SHASHI THAROOR
6. MANI AIYAR – SURESH KALMADI
7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM
8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI
9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV
10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI

There's never a dull moment in our lives, especially when A-list personalities and celebs get into a war of words. Now with most wars taking place in the public domain and new media like Twitter, we can catch the verbal duel from the comfort of our desks, live, as it were.
From epic clashes between titans to starlets letting loose in 140 characters, these people gave us enough food for thought - and laughs - in 2010. Some were well-worded, some will go down in history for the words used, some rode on the coattails of someone else's words, but the mud-slinging, in one word, was epic. Here are some of the most prominent wars of words that coloured the landscape of this year a violent red.
1. SM QURESHI – SM KRISHNA

2. SHOBHAA DE – SONAM KAPOOR

3. AMITABH BACHCHAN – MANI RATNAM

4. M S DHONI – VIRU SEHWAG

5. LALIT MODI – SHASHI THAROOR

6. MANI AIYAR – SURESH KALMADI

7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM

8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI

9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV

10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI
- India's External Affairs Minister SM Krishna visited Pakistan in July for talks with his counterpart, Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Three closed door meetings took place in Islamabad - an effort to revive the peace process that was derailed after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. After the meetings, Qureshi held a press conference where he claimed that the Indian delegation was not prepared for the meetings and that Krishna did not have the mandate for meaningful talks. He also said that the Indians were receiving instructions on the phone from New Delhi throughout the parleys. Krishna responded by saying that there was no ambiguity, the mandate given to him was precise and that they were fully prepared for the talks. He denied receiving foreign policy directions from New Delhi during the course of the meetings.
  In late September, both Krishna and Qureshi attended the UN General Assembly and were expected to meet on the sidelines. The meeting however, never took place and a war of words broke out between both sides over Qureshi raising the Kashmir issue in his speech at the UNGA. "The J&K dispute is about the exercise of the right to self-determination by the Kashmiri people through a free, fair and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices. Pakistan views the prevailing situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir with grave concern," he had said. Krishna responded by expressing his disappointment over the references made. He said soon after - "Pakistan is a country that has enormous internal challenges confronting it, such unsolicited remarks cannot divert attention from the internal problems they are having."
  Qureshi was earlier scheduled to visit India towards the end of 2010, but the trip has been postponed due to a packed calendar.
  2. SHOBHAA DE – SONAM KAPOOR
  
  3. AMITABH BACHCHAN – MANI RATNAM
  
  4. M S DHONI – VIRU SEHWAG
  
  5. LALIT MODI – SHASHI THAROOR
  
  6. MANI AIYAR – SURESH KALMADI
  
  7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM
  
  8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI
  
  9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV
  
  10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI
  
  Sonam Kapoor and Shobhaa De didn't exactly get off to the best start. A couple of years ago De wrote in a blog post that the actress "just didn't cut it in the sex appeal stakes". Sonam retaliated by calling her a "60-something porn writer" in an interview to a newspaper.
  Cut to 2010 - Shobhaa De wrote a scathing review of Punit Malhotra's 'I Hate Luv Storys' starring Sonam and Imran Khan, labelling it as an utterly dull, total dud of a movie. She also claimed that it made one want to "shake up this bloke called Punit Malhotra and spank him in public". Punit who was rumoured to be dating his leading lady took refuge in every celeb's online weapon - Twitter, and tweeted "Guys please don't take Shobhaa De seriously. She's a fossil who's getting no action and going through menopause". Sonam retweeted Punit's line and added a "hahahaha" to boot.
  Shobhaa De reacted by writing in her blog - "Unfortunately, the current generation of Bollywood brats in their monumental arrogance and limited intelligence forget that not all journalists are purchasable commodities. And if their film is a turkey, that's what it is going to be labelled."
  Sonam was then apparently reprimanded by daddy dearest Anil Kapoor, following which she deleted the controversial tweet and issued an apology that said "Mrs De, I owe you an apology for getting personal. I'm ashamed for my momentary lapse in judgement. And apologetic. Every writer, journalist and audience is entitled to their opinion and I respect that."
  3. AMITABH BACHCHAN – MANI RATNAM
  
  4. M S DHONI – VIRU SEHWAG
  
  5. LALIT MODI – SHASHI THAROOR
  
  6. MANI AIYAR – SURESH KALMADI
  
  7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM
  
  8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI
  
  9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV
  
  10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI
  
  Yet another celeb skirmish aided through the able hands of Twitter. It all started with the release of Mani Ratnam's 'Raavan'. The film which had two versions - Hindi and Tamil starred Aishwarya and Abhishek and the Bachchan family was heavily banking on its success. Critics and fans panned the Hindi version when it opened up and particularly found fault with Jr Bachchan's portrayal of Raavan.
  In a bid to salvage his son's reputation, Sr Bachchan as his Twitter handle calls him blamed the director and editor of the film for Abhishek's disjointed acting and the film's poor show at the box office. He tweeted - "Lot of merited film edited out, causing inconsistent performance and narrative. Abhishek's erratic behaviour was due to symbolic ten heads visually appearing and each giving him different attitudes to adopt for a situation, he would then finally shake them off and decide. In the edit all the visual heads got cut and you see a confused Beera expression and wonder why."
  Mani Ratnam chose a dignified yet stinging response. When questioned by journalists over the issue he said, "Everyone, including Amitabh Bachchan has the right to voice their opinion. What he has conveyed on the internet, could have been told to me in person. He knows my cell phone number."
  Big B was left to indulge in some quick damage control. He accused the media (everyone's favourite fall guy) of playing with words and misinterpreting his statement as an affront to Ratnam. Bachchan also then tweeted that "There has and shall always be respect and dignity for Mani Ratnam. He is one of our finest directors and he should never stop making films."
  4. M S DHONI – VIRU SEHWAG
  
  5. LALIT MODI – SHASHI THAROOR
  
  6. MANI AIYAR – SURESH KALMADI
  
  7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM
  
  8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI
  
  9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV
  
  10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI
  
  The Indian cricket team began their year with a series in Bangladesh. Indian skipper MS Dhoni had to miss the first test in Chittagong due to a back spasm. Harbhajan Singh had to sit out too with a stiff neck and Amit Mishra took his place. The team was led by Dhoni's deputy Virender Sehwag.
  Mishra grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He took seven wickets in the match and even scored his maiden Test fifty. Both MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh recovered in time for the second Test in Mirpur and resumed their roles in the team. With Dhoni back at the helm of affairs, Pragyan Ojha was preferred over Mishra for the second spinner's position in spite of the latter's performance in the first Test. This is when reports surfaced in the media about alleged arguments between Viru and Dhoni over Mishra's exclusion. Some reports even suggested that the Indian team was divided into two camps - Sehwag's camp including his Delhi teammates like Gautam Gambhir, Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra while Dhoni's camp comprised of players like Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Pragyan Ojha. Adding fuel to the fire was Ishant Sharma's statement in a press briefing where he thanked Sehwag for his inclusion in the first Test. This was after he was dropped in the previous series against Sri Lanka.
  This wasn't the first time that a tiff had reportedly broken out between the two. There was an alleged rift between them during India's 2009 T20 World Cup campaign surrounding Sehwag's injury which came to light only after the team had reached England.
  5. LALIT MODI – SHASHI THAROOR
  
  6. MANI AIYAR – SURESH KALMADI
  
  7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM
  
  8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI
  
  9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV
  
  10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI
  
  The biggest clash of the year has to be the one between Lalit Modi and Shashi Tharoor. All seemed to be hunky dory. IPL 3 was turning in to a huge success - raking in the money and spectators as well. IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi was basking in its glory. The league held auctions for two new teams that were to debut in IPL 4. Sahara bagged Pune and a consortium led by Rendezvous Group won a bid for Kochi. After the media reported that the IPL had raised questions over Kochi's shareholding pattern, IPL commissioner Lalit Modi then tweeted details of the stakeholders in the new Kochi IPL team that was sold for Rs 1530 crore.
  Modi claimed that Sunanda Pushkar, who was then a close associate of the then Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, owned 18 per cent free equity of the franchise. Shashi Tharoor denied any personal stake in the Kochi team and insisted his role was only of a mentor. The tweet controversy snowballed and ultimately Tharoor was asked to put in his papers.
  Lalit Modi was subsequently suspended from his role as IPL commissioner and accusations came in thick and fast since then. He was also under fire for helping his family and friends buy stakes in some of the IPL teams. Two of the teams - Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab's contracts with the IPL were terminated. The Kochi IPL team consortium has been given additional time to sort out issues between shareholders and partners. Modi was later expelled from both the BCCI and the IPL. Tharoor meanwhile married Sunanda Pushkar and remains MP of Thiruvananthapuram.
  6. MANI AIYAR – SURESH KALMADI
  
  7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM
  
  8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI
  
  9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV
  
  10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI
  
  The first sign of the CWG storm came in the form of Mani Shankar Aiyar. In July, the former Sports Minister of India said he wanted the Games to fail. He believed the money could have been put to better use. Aiyar said, "I am delighted in a way because rains are causing difficulties for the Commonwealth Games. Basically, I will be very unhappy, if the Games are successful because then they will start bringing Asian Games, Olympic Games and all these".
  Inevitably, this statement of his caused a furore in the country. Questions were being raised about his integrity as an Indian, and a former Sports Minister at that.
  But it wasn't difficult to understand that his ire was targeted at the CWG Organising Committee head, Suresh Kalmadi. In retaliation, Kalmadi said, "Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar, nobody can spoil the Commonwealth Games. Things are on track, stadiums have been built. If Mr Mani Shankar had continued to be the Sports Minister, probably we would not have seen these stadiums".
  Aiyar hinted at the removal of Kalmadi by saying no one is indispensable when the nation's reputation is at stake. As expected, Kalmadi said Aiyar's comments were "irresponsible and anti-national".
  
  7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM
  
  8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI
  
  9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV
  
  10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI
  
  In May, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh visited China and his comments regarding India's policies towards China drew criticism. In Beijing, Ramesh told journalists that the Indian home ministry's policies were "paranoid and alarmist" regarding the "Chinese businessmen entering the industrial sector in India".
  Needless to say, upon his return to India, Mr Ramesh had a lot of explaining to do. Home Minister P Chidambaram promptly shot off a letter to the Prime Minister. Not only was the government shocked, even the opposition condemned this comment. Following this, the Minister met Dr Singh to explain what he meant. The PM is said to have told Ramesh that the Indian government was clear in its approach towards China.
  The home ministry came out with a statement of its own and said India's policies are company-specific and not country-specific. "It is wrong to say that the security establishment was biased against the Chinese," Home Secretary G K Pillai said. "Chinese companies are already present in India in a big way. They are working in a variety of sectors, including in the telecommunications sector. I don't think there is any discrimination happening from the government's side," he said.
  8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI
  
  9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV
  
  10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI
  
  There's no love lost between Rahul Gandhi and UP Chief Minister Mayawati. The latter has always accused the Congress party of neglecting the "Dalits", while Rahul, in his rallies, has reiterated the UP government's double standards when it comes to his constituency, Amethi. This time, he said, "The centre sends crores of rupees to UP for various welfare schemes but the money does not reach the districts and villages. Sara paisa Lucknow tak ata hai, uske agey nahin", (the money comes to Lucknow but does not go beyond it), he commented.
  This April, Behenji took the enmity a step further by not allowing the "crown prince of Congress" to garland Dr Ambedkar's statue on his birthday. Rahul, on his part, continued the drama by garlanding Ambedkar's picture in the Parliament.
  Speaking of garlands, Mayawati had a grand garland for herself, too. The garland made of money is at least Rs 20cr, alleged the Congress. Never one to lose an opportunity to get back at Maya, Rahul insisted that she misused funds meant for the poor. And then there are those infamous statues that Mayawati insisted on getting erected all around town.
  Reckon this isn't the last we'll hear from them.
  9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV
  
  10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI
  
  "Dogs that lick the feet of the Congress" is what the Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari called Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. At a rally in Chandigarh, Gadkari blasted the two leaders for going back on their word against the cut motion in parliament.
  Expectedly, the BJP was embarrassed by the way their party president conducted himself publicly. Gadkari then tried to do some damage control and apologised for his remarks and said he didn't mean to hurt anyone and that he respected Lalu and Mulayam.
  But Lalu Yadav proved he's not one to back down. He retaliated to that comment and called Gadkari "mentally bankrupt". He called a press conference in Patna and said, "We will give Gadkari tablets to cure his mental bankruptcy, then put him on capsules and if the tablets and capsules fail, we will put him on injection".
  Appearing on a news channel, Lalu said Gadkari must apologise in front of the media and only then he'd think about forgiving him. He added that even Advani never abused any leaders publicly and that in comparison, Gadkari was as good as a big zero.
  10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI
  
  That LK Advani thinks Dr Manmohan Singh is a weak Prime Minister is old news. But what took many by surprise was the fact that the usually composed Dr Singh lost his cool during a Lok Sabha session.
  Advani, playing the opposition leader to the hilt, criticised the Manmohan government of bowing down to US pressure on India's relations with Pakistan. He said, "I want the Prime Minister to tell the Parliament what secret or other talks have taken place between India and Pakistan. If there are any secret talks happening on Kashmir between India and US, it will have serious consequences."
  But the PM didn't back down this time. He denied the charges Advani made against him and India's foreign policies. Dr Singh shot back at Advani by asking him how many times the then external affairs minister, Jaswant Singh, who held a number of meetings with the US officials, shared any information with the Parliament.
  More recently, Advani called on the PM to discuss the Karnataka government crisis and demanded the removal of HR Bharadwaj as the governor.
  Political face-offs can't live with them - end of story.

WikiLeaks: LeT planned to kill Modi, set up bases in south India

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 20:27:00 +0530

Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), blamed for Mumbai terror attack, had planned to assassinate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and use Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu as a strike base in southern India, a leaked US diplomatic cable reveals.

A June 19, 2009 secret State Department cable signed (Secretary of State Hillary) Clinton released by whistleblower site WikiLeaks also suggests a dangerously expanding LeT network in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

The cable is marked 'NOFORN', shorthand for not to be shared with foreign governments.

'India - LT member Shafiq Khafa possibly preparing for operations: Tearline reports, & Hussein, an India-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LT) member, continued operational planning on three tasks in early June,' the secret intelligence cable relating to terrorist activities around the world read.

'The tasks were associated with a possible operation against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendar Modi, the establishment of a training camp, and unspecified work involving a car. Hussein would coordinate his activities with an India-based colleague identified as Sameer,' it said.

'Separate tearline indicates, &Pakistan-based Shafiq Khafa prepared in mid-June with India-based associate S J for possible operations in India. Khafa was looking for information on possible training sites in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala,' it said.

'19. (S//NF) DS/TIA/ITA notes earlier credible tearline suggests Khafa's network is striving to stand up two teams in southern India that rely on the support of LT members based in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Nepal,' another paragraph of the cable read.

'Although specific details of planned LT attacks remain unknown, late-May intelligence indicates Khafa's cells were engaged in surveillance activities of potential targets, likely in southern India.

'Early-May reporting further suggests Kerala or Tamil Nadu may be used as a base of operations following the establishment of a facilitation team in Sri Lanka, with the estimated time of completion for setting up the facilitation route and camps to be two to three months,' the cable said.

Nicole Faria is Miss Earth 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 20:27:00 +0530

Nicole Faria, the 20 year old from Bangalore is the first Indian to be Miss Earth. Does that make her happy? Sure she gushes, "I am excited."

Nicole says that she is excited to be compared to Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai.

Nature, earth and environment are causes she holds close to her heart. And she is sure on what her future plans will be after she returns to India.

Nicole says that she would love to take on initiatives which will preserve what little greenery is remaining. As for her own city, Bangalore, Nicole wants introduce cycle rickshaws - "rickshaws will reduce pollution and help people find employment". We wish her the best!

Each Unique ID number costs Rs.100: Nilekani

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 20:24:00 +0530

It costs the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Rs.100 to generate each 'aadhaar' number, which will help address the challenges of inclusion, the authority's chief Nandan Nilekani, said here Thursday.

It costs the authority Rs.50 to enrol each individual for the Unique ID (UID) and another Rs.50 on back-end costs, he said.

In his address at the annual Rajinder Mathur Memorial Lecture here, Nilekani said that the aadhaar number will help in making public expenditure more equitable and in building new services for the people.

Nilekani, who took questions after speaking of benefits of the UID, said the country needed well-defined privacy laws to prevent any malicious use of data.

Answering queries about the demand by social activists like Aruna Roy and Jean Dreze against linking the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) to the UID, he said that the number should not be used in a way that it denies benefits to anyone.

'Aadhar should not be a basis of discrimination,' he said.

The social activists had, in a statement, said plans to link MGNREGA to Aadhaar should be revoked as it 'threatens to cause havoc' in the fragile structure of the scheme that provides for 100 days of jobs a year to rural households.

Nilekani said the UID can be sufficient identity to open a bank account or get a mobile phone SIM card. Pointing out that penetration of banks was quite low in rural areas, he said the UID can facilitate extending banking to every village.

The UID number will also be beneficial for people who migrate from one part of the country to the other, he added.

Answering queries about possibility of data being misused, he said that the only service provided by the UIDAI was authentication.

'UID is one part of privacy issue. We need a larger privacy and data protection law,' he said.

Nilekani said he wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue in May and the government has come out with an approach paper to elicit the people's viewse.

He said the authority's target was to provide the UID to 600 million Indian residents in the next four years.

The lecture was organized by the Editors Guild of India.

Priyanka Swats Rs. 3 Crore Offer; Refuses Shimmy On New Year Eve

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 20:24:00 +0530

Stars and the high moolah that they command and demand… can send shock waves up one's psyche. The asking fee for New Year boogie woogie by stars, in particular, can send one reeling. A certain Bipasha Basu, Malaika Arora Khan and Mallika Sherawat can vouch well for that.

One actress, though, is not succumbing to the lure of the lucre. Priyanka Chopra.

Reportedly, PC swatted down an offer of Rs. 3 crore to shimmy and gyrate at a five star hotel for New Year 2010 eve nite ( as per insiders, the mentioned fee is double her fee for a single flick). What's better, she could have romped home happily with 3 crores for as little as three hours of work!

Close sources aver that Priyanka's reason for chucking the offer is that she's in no tearing hurry to tear down the 'diva' image that she has so painstakingly cultivated over the years.

States an insider, "A five star hotel in suburban Mumbai did come up with the Rs. 3 crore offer for New Year's eve, but Priyanka was very uncomfortable dancing in hotels in front of a live audience and she turned them down very politely. The fee was huge and the hotel officials kept coaxing her, but Priyanka was adamant that she would not accept the offer."

Dhoni signs Rs. 26 crore deal with UB Group

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 20:22:00 +0530

Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni signed one of the largest single endorsement deals with the liquor to airlines conglomerate, the UB Group, valued at approximately Rs.26 crore for three years, according to a person privy to the deal.

The deal puts the Indian captain in the select league of top Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan who charge anywhere near Rs.6 crore to Rs.8 crore per product's endorsements in a year.

A official with the talent management firm Rhiti Sports Management, through which the deal was struck, told IANS: 'Yes, Dhoni has entered into a deal with the UB Group and is now in the exclusive league of stars like Shah Rukh and Aamir.'

According to the official, the Indian cricket captain will endorse the company's McDowell soda.

'Right now, Dhoni is one of the most sort-after persons for endorsements, which is majorly due to the fact that the Indian team has been performing very well,' the official added.

Earlier, Dhoni's most expensive deal was signed at a price of Rs.6 crore per year with Reebok, which comes down to Rs.30 crore for a 5-year period.

Currently, he is associated with 22 brands -- among them beverages and snacks major PepsiCo, reality company Amrapali, telecom operator Aircel and retail chain Big Bazaar.

Kiwi adventurer leading international Yeti hunt

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 20:21:00 +0530

Kiwi adventurer Mike Allsop, who conquered Mt Everest three years ago, is leading an international Yeti hunt.

e team is searching for the skull and skeletal hand of what was said to be a mythical 'Abominable Snowman', which were stolen from a monastery in the tiny Nepalese village of Pangboche, in the 1990s, reports The New Zealand Herald.

"I am hoping that the person who has them wants to give them back," said Allsop.

"I hope they will have an alert set up on their computer for whenever the artefacts are mentioned on the Internet," he added.

"I am offering... to go and reclaim them. I will go anywhere in the world in person, free of charge, no questions asked and I will also buy them a beer, " said Allsop.

Weta Workshops has created life-sized replicas of the skull and hand to help searchers find the real things.

Allsop, 41, is an Air New Zealand pilot and was introduced to Weta boss Sir Richard Taylor by Air NZ chief executive Rob Fyfe.

Allsop will hand-deliver the replicas to the monastery when he and 17 Air NZ co-workers travel to Pangboche in April.

The original Pangboche hand and skull came to international prominence in the 1950s when Texan adventurer and oil magnate Tom Slick photographed the items during one of his early missions to find the Yeti in 1957.

Two years later, one of Slick's team returned to the Pangboche monastery. e reportedly drank Scotch with a monk until the local passed out, before stealing bone fragments from the hand. He then supposedly replaced the bones with those from a human hand, before rewrapping the Pangboche hand to disguise his theft.

The stolen fragments were allegedly smuggled back to America by a Hollywood star.

In 1999, the skull and what remained of the skeletal hand were stolen from the monastery.

Allsop, who scaled Mt Everest in 2007, was intrigued when he learned of the artefacts and determined to reclaim them for the monastery.

"These were very treasured artefacts. There was a huge outrage when they were stolen. The monks initially wouldn't show them to anyone, then slowly they showed them... unfortunately they showed them to one person too many," he said.

Asked whether he believed in the existence of the 'Abominable Snowman', Allsop said: "A big part of me says, 'Yes, the Yeti does exist'. Then the logical side goes, 'Maybe it is a breed of bear or other type of animal which is yet to be discovered'."

CBI website hacked by 'Pakistani Cyber Army'

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 20:21:00 +0530

The website of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was hacked by a group identifying itself as the 'Pakistani Cyber Army', which also claimed to have hacked the server of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) website.

The investigation agency confirmed that its website was hacked and that they had no idea who was behind this cyber attack.

A CBI official told IANS Saturday: 'Our website was hacked last (Friday) night by unidentified hackers. They had posted a message which read 'Pakistan Zindabad' there. Although, our website is not hacked often but now that it has happened, a meeting is being held in a couple of hours and we will decide the due course of action. As of now, we have no idea who is behind this.'

While the banner and index of the website, which was hacked Friday night, is intact, the group has posted a message, mocking India's premier investigating agency. The website was down Saturday morning as well.

The message read: 'This attempt is in response to the Pakistani websites hacked by 'Indian Cyber Army'. We told u before too...we are sleeping but not dead.'

'Back off kids or we will smoke ur doors off like we did before...let us see what you investigating agency so called CBI can do,' it further said.

The group also said that they had hacked into the root server of the National Informatics Centre (NIC), which maintains most of the government websites.

The hackers concluded their message with 'Pakistan Zindabad'.

According to Pakistani daily Express Tribune, 200 Indian websites were hacked Friday.

Govt may quash steep airfare hikes

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 20:20:00 +0530

Domestic flights during the forthcoming Christmas- New Year period could surge to a staggering Rs 35,000 one way, airlines have warned.

Reacting to a public outcry over a sudden surge in domestic airfares last month, civil aviation minister Praful Patel had ordered domestic airlines to inform aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA) of their proposed price bands. Patel is unlikely to be amused by the result.

Low- cost carriers ( LCCs) have proposed a cap on economy fares on Delhi- Chennai and Delhi- Mumbai at an astonishing Rs 22,000 and Rs17,000 one way for December.

Full service carriers Kingfisher, Jet and Air India have gone a step further and proposed a maximum of Rs 35,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively for these routes.

These rates are nearly five times the average fares prevalent in October. The airlines have worked out their new fare for December on four different distance bands: up to 750 kms; 750-1,000 kms; 1,000-1,400 kms and above 1,400 km. While the distance band will remain in these four categories, the range of fares would vary every month.

Although full service carriers file their range of fares based on US Airline Tariff Publishing Company, which feeds the global distribution system used by websites and agents LCCs have their own system of filing ranges. However, in both cases the fliers have been kept in dark about the airlines overcharging from them as it has not been a practice of airlines sharing details about the maximum they are charging for that month.

Reacting sharply, Patel said these proposals do not have a “guarantee” of approval. “We will look into the interest of the aam admi as well and there will be no exorbitant fares,” he told a TV channel.

The civil aviation ministry is expected to take a call on the issue as air traffic in the country has been on a steady rise in recent months and has increased by 18.3 per cent during January –October this year.

The government is also concerned about airlines overcharging as December and January are peak season for travelers and airlines in India make most of their profits during this period. A senior ministry official said the entire purpose of keeping fares under check is futile if airlines propose such inflated fares.

After studying the proposals, they will be fine tuned if need be to make them more consumer-friendly, a ministry official said. The ministry is likely to implement the new system "very soon," he added.

However the ministry has also said that the government will not interfere in fare determination but will take steps to ensure that passengers are not charged more than the maximum fares determined by airlines to cash in on crunch situations.

The newly appointed aviation secretary Nasim Zaidi, during his stint as the head of DGCA, had last month intervened when fares on routes like Delhi- Mumbai had shot up by over 300 per cent. He had also asked airlines to submit a route-wise tariff range every month.

Jagan may attempt coup with BJP help

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:05:00 +0530

Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has quit the Congress and the Lok Sabha, and could make it that much more difficult for new chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy to settle in. If Jagan joins hands with rich friends in the BJP, he could pull off some stunning surprises.

Jagan had been facing considerable hostility in the party since the death of his father Y S Rajashekhar Reddy in 2009. The 38-year-old Jagan is a first time MP, and has been eyeing his father’s position, but the party high command chose the more experienced K Rosaiah to lead the state. Upset ever since, Jagan was increasingly seen as a rebel within the Congress. Many in the party felt Jagan was in too much of a hurry to become chief minister, and just last week, Sonia Gandhi chose Kiran Kumar Reddy to take over as chief minister from Rosaiah, who cited health reasons and resigned.

Jagan’s father YSR had never lost an election in 30 years, and had built up a strong base for himself and his party. Wikipedia reports 714 people died, either of shock or by committing suicide, after YSR’s death in a helicopter crash in September 2009. That is perhaps exaggerated, and the Deccan Chronicle puts the number at 141. While the numbers can be disputed, it can’t be denied that YSR had a mass base, which Jagan thinks he has inherited. Thousands continue to gather wherever Jagan travels, and that is why the Congress, and new chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, were treading carefully when it came to dealing with his faction.

Late last week, the Congress announced a cabinet berth for Vivekananda Reddy, Jagan’s uncle and YSR’s brother. The party hopes many in Jagan’s camp will now shift their loyalty to the new chief minister. Sakshi, the TV channel owned by Jagan’s family, criticised Sonia Gandhi last week, and offered an opportunity for rival Congress leaders to demand action against him.

Some analysts believe the Congress has shot itself in the foot by forcing Jagan to quit. The Mint reported:

(Political analyst) C. Narasimha Rao said the strategy may backfire for the Congress party. “All said and done, Jagan is the only Congress leader in the state who enjoys sizeable popularity and public following. Instead of gaining back the public now rallying behind Jagan, Congress leadership is resorting to short-cut methods,” Rao said. “Congress leadership may be temporarily successful in its strategy. But once the new cabinet of Kiran Kumar Reddy is announced, there will be dissidence and many of the disappointed lawmakers may start rallying behind Jagan once again.”

Reports indicate Jagan may float a new party. Chiranjeevi, the Telugu movie superstar, floated a party in 2008. He has met with marginal success, winning just 18 seats in the 295-member Andhra Pradesh assembly. But what worries the Congress is that Jagan has both money and muscle, and represents a politically powerful caste. The money comes from powerful business interests from within his caste, and the caste support cuts across party affiliations. (The new chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy also belongs to the same caste, and the Congress hopes his nomination will help checkmate Jagan).

Jagan’s father had close ties with the Reddys in Bellary, and when he died, he was in the process of starting a huge steel plant in Kadapa. Bellary is in neighbouring Karanataka, and the Reddy brothers belong to the rival BJP. Children of a police constable, they have acquired enough wealth to be able to control the Karnataka government and manipulate its composition.

Open magazine reports:

Recently, when the Reddy brothers and Jagan together floated Brahmani Steel, a Rs 30,000 crore project in Kadapa, they forged more than just a business partnership. “We are aware they will use the money and influence of the Reddy community in AP. We are ready to face it,” admits a senior Congress leader from AP who does not want to be named.

The magazine also indicates that Jagan may take help from BJP leaders from across the border, and pull off a coup. That is not going to be easy, given that the Telangana movement for a separate state has its own leaders waiting for an opportunity to grab power, but Kiran Kumar Reddy is definitely going to face difficult challengers in the wake of Jagan’s resignation.

Sylvester Stallone in Bigg Boss House?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 21:39:00 +0530

Bollywood celebrities on the television screens is a very usual sight but how about viewing Hollywood stars on your Indian Televisions?

'Bigg Boss 4' is trying hard to attract the eye balls of the Hollywood audience to its reality show. Earlier, it was the Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson who entered the 'Bigg Boss 4' house for three days as a guest and now it can be the Rambo, Sylvester Stallone.

According to the sources, 'Bigg Boss' is planning to get Stallone on the show. The Hollywood star, who has already made a special appearance in the Akshay Kumar starrer movie KAMBAKKHT ISHQ might be seen on reality show 'Bigg Boss 4'.

However, there is buzz that Dolly Bindra is likely to enter 'Bigg Boss 4' house again after the entry of Sameer Soni. Looks like there are Bigg TRP's waiting for 'Bigg Boss' house.

26/11: Two years on, security still lax at railway stations

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy....!!!) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 21:39:00 +0530

Little has been done to improve security at railway stations in Mumbai, even two years after terrorists gunned down hundreds of passengers at the city’s biggest terminal.

MiD DAY reports:

The security of the city’s railway stations continue to be in limbo as the tenders for the Integrated Security Systems (ISS, see box) are yet to floated.
The ISS was planned on a high-priority basis in the aftermath of the 26/11 terror attacks. But a year-and-a-half after the railway authorities planned to float the tenders, nothing has come of it yet.

Meanwhile, with the government doing little to help victims of the terror attack, a disillusioned family has written to Maharashtra home minister R R Patil. Harish Gohil was among those gunned down, and his niece Priti has now written to Patil. NDTV reports the contents of her letter:

Dear Patil sahib,
Two years ago, my uncle Haresh Gohil was shot outside his house when armed terrorists tried to enter Nariman House on November 26.
He was the first graduate in our family of 17, and had just landed a decent job before the terror attack.
It was his childhood dream to be able to buy a house for his ailing mother. That dream died with him on that fateful night.
I wanted to remind you that on the first anniversary of the terror attack you graced our locality with your presence and offered shradhanjali for the victims. Our hopes were very high as we waited from morning to evening to be able to have a word with you.
But that was not to be, as you are a busy man. You arrived, folded your hands before a picture of Harish, paid your condolences and left. None of the family members had a chance to say anything to you. You are a busy man, mantriji.
I have heard that you went to visit one of the terrorists at Arthur Road jail yesterday. It was very kind of you to spare time to meet and talk to a cold-blooded killer. This man gunned down several innocent people that also included top police officers.
You opened up to him and spoke to him, you have a big heart mantriji.
If you don’t mind, may I present a humble request to you sahib? Me and my family have been running from pillar to post to try and request for a house for Haresh’s widowed mother.
It took us six months just to get a babu to accept our petition. I know you are a busy man sahib, but if you can go all the way to Arthur Road to meet and greet Kasab, a minute of your time is all I am requesting for.
I hope you will oblige us.
Preeti Gohil

Union home minister P Chidambaram will join Mumbaikars to pay his respects to victims of the attack, which claimed nearly 200 lives in 2008. ANI reports:

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will participate in a commemoration function that would be held at the CNG filling station in suburban Borivli on Friday morning on the second anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes.Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora will also be present at the function to remember those killed during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
P Unnikrishnan, the father of National Security Guard (NSG) commando Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who has undertaken a cycle tour from India Gate in Delhi, will join a peace march at the Gateway of India in Mumbai.
A candle-lit silent prayer rally will be organised by the College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan, and the family members of 26/11 victims, from Cama Hospital lane to St Xavier’s college in South Mumbai to mark the occasion.

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1. SM QURESHI – SM KRISHNA

2. SHOBHAA DE – SONAM KAPOOR

3. AMITABH BACHCHAN – MANI RATNAM

4. M S DHONI – VIRU SEHWAG

5. LALIT MODI – SHASHI THAROOR

6. MANI AIYAR – SURESH KALMADI

7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM

8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI

9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV

10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI

1. SM QURESHI – SM KRISHNA

2. SHOBHAA DE – SONAM KAPOOR

3. AMITABH BACHCHAN – MANI RATNAM

4. M S DHONI – VIRU SEHWAG

5. LALIT MODI – SHASHI THAROOR

6. MANI AIYAR – SURESH KALMADI

7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM

8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI

9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV

10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI

2. SHOBHAA DE – SONAM KAPOOR

3. AMITABH BACHCHAN – MANI RATNAM

4. M S DHONI – VIRU SEHWAG

5. LALIT MODI – SHASHI THAROOR

6. MANI AIYAR – SURESH KALMADI

7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM

8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI

9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV

10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI

3. AMITABH BACHCHAN – MANI RATNAM

4. M S DHONI – VIRU SEHWAG

5. LALIT MODI – SHASHI THAROOR

6. MANI AIYAR – SURESH KALMADI

7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM

8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI

9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV

10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI

4. M S DHONI – VIRU SEHWAG

5. LALIT MODI – SHASHI THAROOR

6. MANI AIYAR – SURESH KALMADI

7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM

8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI

9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV

10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI

5. LALIT MODI – SHASHI THAROOR

6. MANI AIYAR – SURESH KALMADI

7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM

8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI

9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV

10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI

6. MANI AIYAR – SURESH KALMADI

7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM

8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI

9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV

10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI

7. JAIRAM RAMESH – P CHIDAMBARAM

8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI

9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV

10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI

8. RAHUL GANDHI – MAYAWATI

9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV

10. MANMOHAN SINGH – LK ADVANI

9. NITIN GADKARI – LALU YADAV