Latest General News

Solar Eclipse in India | Surya Grahan 2009 | Solar Eclipse on 22 July

2009-07-21T23:30:00.000+05:30

The rare solar eclipse which will take place on Wed, July 22, 09 will be a total eclipse of the Sun with a magnitude of 1.080 that will be visible in northern India, Nepal, northern Bangladesh, Bhutan, the northern Myanmar, central China and the Pacific Ocean, the Ryukyu Islands, Marshall Islands and Kiribati.

As per Indian Standard Time, Solar Eclipse will be seen between 5:28 AM to 7:40 AM.

The eclipse will last approximately for 4 minutes from morning 6.26 am to 6.30 am in India and during this period the sun will not be visible at all

The other places in India where the Eclipse is visible are Khandwa, Maihar, Mirzapur, Muzaffarpur, Panchmarhi, Purnia, Rewa, Sagar, Siliguri, Silvassa ,Vidisha, Bankipore, Bharuch, Chhapra, Chhatarpur, Cooch Bihar, Daltoganj, Daman, Darbhanga, Dibrugarh, Gangtok, Itanagar, Itarsi, Jabalpur, Katihar,
Do’s and Don’t during the Solar eclipse

* It is reccomended to avoid or postpone to perform any important tasks or deal during the eclipse day
* Fasting is reccomended , Many people in India observe fast on the day of eclipse
* Avoid eatables from outside
* Avoid cooking during the eclipse timing
* its reccomended to Keep the food and eatables closed during the time of eclipse.
* Hindus perform ritual bath after the eclipse is over

Below is the list of important places in India where the Eclipse is Visible in its totality.

Bhopal

* Eclipse begins before Sunrise
* Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:22:11 AM
* Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:23:47 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:25:23 AM
* Eclipse ends at 07:22:51 AM

Patna

* Eclipse begins at 05:29:57 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:24:37 AM
* Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:26:31 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:28:24 AM
* Eclipse ends at 07:29:29 AM

Varanasi

* Eclipse begins at 05:30:03 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:24:10 AM
* Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:25:44 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:27:17 AM
* Eclipse ends at 07:27:34 AM

Gaya

* Eclipse begins at 05:29:34 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:24:26 AM
* Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:26:04 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:27:41 AM
* Eclipse ends at 07:29:00 AM

Surat

* Eclipse begins before sunrise
* Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:21:16 AM
* Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:22:54 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:24:33 AM
* Eclipse ends at 07:19:53 AM

Ujjain

* Eclipse begins before sunrise
* Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:22:51 AM
* Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:23:40 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:24:30 AM
* Eclipse ends at 07:21:56 AM

Vadodara

* Eclipse begins before sunrise
* Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:22:41 AM
* Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:23:20 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:23:59 AM
* Eclipse ends at 07:20:27 AM

Siliguri

* Eclipse begins at 05:30:26 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:26:33 AM
* Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:28:26 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:30:23 AM
* Eclipse ends at 07:40:45 AM

Darjeeling

* Eclipse begins at 05:30:35 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:27:01 AM
* Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:28:30 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:29:58 AM
* Eclipse ends at 07:33:07 AM

Sikkim

* Eclipse begins at 05:30:40 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Begins at 06:27:15 AM
* Greatest Eclipse Phase at 06:28:30 AM
* Total Solar Eclipse Ends at 06:29:58 AM
* Eclipse ends at 07:34:10 AM

India’s Rail Budget 2009 Published

2009-07-03T18:23:00.001+05:30

• 50 Railway stations, including CST Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Howrah, Sealdah, Varanasi, New Delhi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Kanpur, Chennai Central, Thiruvananthapuram Central, Secunderabad, Bangalore, Byappanahalli, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Habibganj, Agra Central, Chandigarh, Kolkata, New Jalpaiguri, Puri and Kochi, will be developed to have world-class facilities.
• Railways to develop multi-functional complexes with shopping malls, food stalls, medicines and variety stores in different parts of the country.
• Railways to introduce 67 new trains across the nation.
• Infotainment services to be provided in major long-distance trains.
• One doctor to be posted on long distance trains.
• 309 stations out of 375 across the nation have been identified for development and special facilities will be provided.

• Unreserved ticketing terminals to be expanded from 5000 to 8000. Automatic ticket vending machines to be increased. Arrangement with Department of Posts for issuance of tickets.
• SMS updates will be made available for passengers to check train status and reservation status.
• Auto-vending machines to be installed in large and medium stations.
• E-ticket cancellation system to be simplified.
• High-capacity air-conditioned double-decker trains to be introduced on select inter-city routes.
• An Integrated Security System is being developed for 130 vulnerable stations to provide security to passengers.
• Seven nursing colleges to be set up on railway land in places including Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.
• Railway medical colleges to be developed along with rail hospitals on public-private partnership.
• ATMs on 200 mid and small sized stations
• New factory in West Bengal for making 500 state-of-the-art coaches annually
• Railways to develop cold storages for farmers to store vegetables and fruits.
• Scheme named Izzat for low-income monthly travel till 100 kilometres.
• Superfast parcel express trains to be started on a pilot basis between Delhi and Chennai and Delhi and Mumbai.
• Priority areas to be railway catering, punctuality, food and sanity of rail bogeys.
• Railways to extend helping hand to physically challenged and elderly people by providing ramps, specially designed bogeys.
• Committed for the downtrodden and development of the country Infotainment services to be provided in major long-distance trains.
• Expert committee to be established to look into economic viability of socially important projects.

Matric (10th class) Exam results in Orissa published

2009-06-30T09:13:00.001+05:30

The high school certificate examination (HSC) conducted by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) results published on Tuesday morning at 8.30 am.

Regular / Ex-Regular (NEW) Results

Ex-Regular (Old) Results

Top -100 List Results

It would be available in the internet on the Board of Secondary Education website. It would also be available on the mobile phone also.

The booklets would be available in 33 schools of the State. Around 3 lakh students appeared the examination.

This time the result was delayed as the Board failed to effectively solve the problem of the agitating teachers who demanded enhancement of their examination of fees for each paper.

New 'Honda Jazz' Arrived in India

2009-06-10T22:18:00.002+05:30

Honda Car India has launched its new coolest car 'Honda Jazz' in the Indian market. Fitted with an all-new 1.2-litre petrol engine, the Honda Jazz is now one of the most expensive hatchbacks in India – the car is priced between Rs 6.98 – 7.33 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. (Check Prices on your City)

Launched in 2002, it was a little car with an implausibly spacious interior, ultra-frugal engines, unrivalled build quality and nimble handling, and it set a standard the rest have spent the past six years trying (and failing) to meet.

The Jazz is also supposed to offer a very good mix of performance and fuel efficiency. The car’s SOHC, i-VTEC 1.2-litre engine, which conforms to Euro IV emissions norms, produces 90 horsepower and 110Nm of torque, and delivers a mileage of up to 16.1km/l (as tested by ARAI).

View features of Jazz 1.2S Below :

GSEB 2009 Results, www.gseb.org GSHSEB 2009 Result, Gujarat HSC XII Results

2009-05-28T11:42:00.000+05:30

Gujarat State Secondary And Higher Secondary Education Board, Gandhinagar HSC (Sci / Gen) - 2009 & GUJCET - 2009

The result of HSC (Sci / Gen) & GUJCET 2009 exams will be available from 28th May, 2009 10:00 AM onwards.

The result of science and general stream would be declared. The results will be available online at :

http://www.gseb.org/

http://www.indiaresult.com/

http://www.gipl.net/

WBBSE to declare results 2009 Declared

2009-05-28T11:33:00.001+05:30

West Bengal Board of Secondary Education declare results of CLASS-X examination today. This year around 8.5 lakh students, including 345396 girls and 367415, appeared in the examination.

Madhyamik Results 2009

According to reports, the students, who get 90-100 marks with flying colours, will be assigned grade AA. The grade will also be assigned for each subject as per marks.

The slot for passing mark is (25-34). Students get marks (25-34) will be assigned grade C. Those secure marks below 25 will get grade D. students get below 25 marks in two subjects will be Compartmental.

The government will declare results at 11 am those will be available on websites, including www.banglarmukh.com, www. wbgov.com, www.wbbse. org, www.tathyabangla.org.in, and www.westbengaleducation.net.

Madhyamik Pariksha (WBBSE) Class X Results 2009

2009-05-27T23:27:00.000+05:30

West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) Results 2009

West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) to be published Madhyakim Pariksha (SE) 2009 Results on 28th May 2009 at 11 AM. On that day at 9 AM the results will be decleard and 10 AM the marksheet will be delivered. The Results will be available in the following website after 11 AM on respective day. Students can check out Madhyamik Pariksha Class 10 Result online after 11 AM.

WB Madhyamik Pariksha (SE) Results 2009 at WBRESULTS
WB Madhyamik Pariksha (SE) Results 2009 at WBBSE
WB Madhyamik Pariksha (SE) Results 2009 at INDIARESULTS
WB Madhyamik Pariksha (SE) Results 2009 at INDIA EDUCATION
WB Madhyamik Pariksha (SE) Results 2009 at BANGLARMUKH
WB Madhyamik Pariksha (SE) Results 2009 at CALCUTTATELEPHONES
WB Madhyamik Pariksha (SE) Results 2009 at EXAMRESULTS
Ohters Examination Results 2009 at INDIAN-RESULTS

Madhyamik Pariksha Results 2009, West Bengal Madhyamik Result, WBBSE Results 2009

Related : madhyamik 2009, madhyamik, madhyamik shiksha parishad, tathyabangla, madhyamik pariksha 2009, result of madhyamik 2009, west bengal madhyamik exam result, west bengal 10th results, west bengal class x results, wb result, wbseb, tathyabangla, wbse, banglarmukh, wbchse

Fake IPL Player reveals himself on his Blog : Video

2009-05-20T21:57:00.001+05:30

For More details : http://fakeiplplayer.blogspot.com/

ICSE and ISC Examination Results 2009

2009-05-20T08:15:00.000+05:30

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations

The CISCE Result 2009 are expected to be announced on 20th May (Wednesday) 2009. The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), New Delhi is expected to declare results ICSE and ISC Examinations on the CISCE website http://www.cise.org/ at 11 a.m.

CISCE Results 2009 (Link 1)

CISCE Results 2009 (Link 2)

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) ICSE and ISC Examination Results 2009 to be declared on 20th May 2009 at 11 AM.

Students can pre-register on www.cisce.org to get their results through email or SMS. Pre-registration closes at 6 am that day. Email and SMS : http://www.cisce.org/News.aspx

Related : ICSE Results, ISC Results, ICSE Results 2009, ISC Results 2009, icse, cicse, cise, icse 2009, cbse, Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, Results, icseresults, ciseresults, iscresults, http://www.cise.org/

CBSE Class 12 Board Examination Results 2009 at www.cbse.nic.in

2009-05-20T08:14:00.000+05:30

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 Board Examinations Results 2009 will be declared 22 May 2009 on the CBSE website http://www.cbse.nic.in/ at 10 a.m.

CBSE Class 12 Board Examination 2009 (Link 1)

CBSE Class 12 Board Examination 2009 (Link 2)

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Results 2009 Class 12 Board Exam -Chennai, Ajmer and Panchkula Regions to be declared on 20th May 2009 at 10 AM.
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Results 2009 Class 12 Board Exam -Delhi, Guwahati and Allahabad Regions to be announced on May 22, 2009 at 10 am.

Related : CBSE 2009 Results, CBSE 12 class Results, CBSE Results, cbse date sheet, cbse delhi, cbse 2009, cbse website, cbse nic, Central Board of Secondary Education Results

Exit Poll 2009 | 15th Lok Sabha | Indian Elections Results | Live Chat

2009-05-13T20:16:00.000+05:30

Exit poll as the name suggests is the poll carried out when the voters exit from the polling booth. In other words, it is a kind of survey carried out by various non-governmental organisations (news channels, press etc.) to know about the possible outcome of the polls and made predictions based on the information collected. In this process the voters are enquired about the party they had voted for when they came out of the polling station/booth.
The decision from the EC has come following a notification from the Supreme Court of India. In its notification the SC had said that EC has the right and authority to put a ban on the exit and opinion polls during election time and it should implement the ban.
After the last phase of polling today ,various Tv channels who conducted the Exit polls 2009 for the elections will relays the results on Television.
15th Lok Sabha Elections Result to be announced on 16th May 2009.
Exit polls on television news channels show that the Congress-led UPA has been projected to have an edge over NDA and others in the Lok Sabha elections which are expected to produce a highly-fractured verdict.

'Headlines Today' channel gave Congress and its allies 191 seats against 180 to BJP and its allies. The Left parties, which played a crucial role in the outgoing Lok Sabha with 60 seats, has been projected to get 38 while 'Others' including the BSP are set to get 134 in a House of 543.

'India TV' channel said UPA would get between 195 seats and it could go up to 227 if 32 seats of RJD, LJP and SP are added. The channel has given NDA 189 and the Third Front 113. 'Others' are projected to get 14 seats.

Elections » Live Chat : Ask Dr Prannoy Roy
NDTV Opinion Poll Results

HP Unveils Officejet Pro 8500 All-in-One Series

2009-04-29T12:07:00.002+05:30

HP has unveiled its Officejet Pro 8500 All-in-One series, which is capable of delivering professional color documents for up to 50 percent less cost per page and energy use than conventional laser printers. As a result it helps budget conscious SMBs save energy and stay productive. Based on the exclusive HP Scalable Printing Technology, the HP Officejet Pro 8500 All-in-One series delivers premium print permanence with new HP Officejet pigment inks that resist water and dry quickly.

The HP Officejet Pro 8500 All-in-One series features embedded wired and wireless networking options and device management software. The device is capable of printing as fast as 35 pages per minute (ppm) black and up to 34 ppm color and laser-comparable speeds up to 15 ppm black and up to 11 ppm color.
The HP Smart Web Printing feature optimizes printing from the web, allowing consolidation and organization of pages for simple, predictable web printing. In addition the device allows you the preview, select and prints high-quality photos from memory cards using an intuitive 3.45-inch color touchscreen LCD. The HP Officejet Pro 8500 All-in-One series is equipped with high-capacity, individual HP Officejet ink cartridges. The HP Officejet Pro 8500 All-in-One is available for $ 299 (Approx Rs. 15,000), while the HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless All-in-One is priced at $ 399 (Approx Rs. 20,000).

IPL 2009 Indian Premier League Schedule

2009-04-17T16:46:00.001+05:30

IPL 2009 Schedule

April 18 : Opening ceremony followed by Rajasthan Royals vs Bangalore Royal Challengers and Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings (Newlands, Cape Town )

April 19 : Kolkata Knight Riders vs Deccan Chargers (Newlands, Cape Town); Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab (Newlands, Cape Town)

April 20 : Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Chennai Super Kings (St. George's Park , Port Elizabeth)

April 21 : Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians (Kingsmead, Durban ); Kolkata Knight Riders v Kings XI Punjab (Kingsmead, Durban )

April 22 : Delhi Daredevils vs Chennai Super Kings (Kingsmead, Durban ); Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Deccan Chargers (Newlands, Cape Town )

April 23 : Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals ( St. George's Park , Port Elizabeth )

April 24 : Kings XI Punjab vs Bangalore Royal Challengers (Wanderers, Johannesburg )

April 25 : Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings (Newlands, Cape Town ); Deccan Chargers vs Mumbai Indians (Kingsmead, Durban )

April 26 : Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab (Newlands, Cape Town); Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Delhi Daredevils (St. George's Park, Port Elizabeth)

April 27 : Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians (Newlands, Cape Town ); Chennai Super Kings vs Deccan Chargers (Kingsmead, Durban )

April 28 : Delhi Daredevils vs Rajasthan Royals ( Supersport Park , Centurion, Pretoria )

April 29 : Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab (Kingsmead, Durban ); Kolkata Knight Riders vs Bangalore Royal Challengers (Kingsmead, Durban )

April 30 : Delhi Daredevils vs Deccan Chargers (Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria); Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings (Supersport Park, Centurion, Pretoria)

May 1 : Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Kings XI Punjab ( Buffalo Park , East London); Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders (Kingsmead, Durban )

May 2 : Rajasthan Royals vs Deccan Chargers (Wanderers, Johannesburg ); Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils ( St. George's Park , Port Elizabeth )

May 3 : Mumbai Indians vs Bangalore Royal Challengers (Kingsmead, Durban ); Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders ( Buffalo Park , East London )

May 4 : Deccan Chargers vs Chennai Super Kings ( St. George's Park , Port Elizabeth )

May 5 : Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders (Kingsmead, Durban ); Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals (Kingsmead, Durban )

May 6 : Mumbai Indians vs Deccan Chargers ( Supersport Park , Centurion, Pretoria )

May 7 : Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings ( Supersport Park , Centurion, Pretoria ); Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Rajasthan Royals ( Supersport Park , Centurion, Pretoria )

May 8 : Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians ( Buffalo Park , East London )

May 9 : Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI Punjab ( Outsurance Park , Bloemfontein ); Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals ( St. George's Park , Port Elizabeth )

May 10 : Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils ( Buffalo Park , East London); Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Mumbai Indians (Wanderers, Johannesburg )

May 11 : Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan Royals ( Outsurance Park , Bloemfontein )

May 12 : Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Kolkata Knight Riders ( Supersport Park , Centurion, Pretoria ); Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians ( Supersport Park , Centurion, Pretoria )

May 13 : Deccan Chargers vs Delhi Daredevils (Kingsmead, Durban )

May 14 : Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals (Kingsmead, Durban ); Chennai Super Kings vs Bangalore Royal Challengers (Kingsmead, Durban )

May 15 : Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils (De Beers Diamond, Oval, Kimberley )

May 16 : Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians (Wanderers, Johannesburg ); Deccan Chargers vs Kolkata Knight Riders ( St. George's Park , Port Elizabeth )

May 17 : Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils (De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley ); Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan Chargers (Wanderers, Johannesburg )

May 18 : Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders ( Supersport Park , Centurion, Pretoria )

May 19 : Delhi Daredevils vs Bangalore Royal Challengers (Wanderers, Johannesburg )

May 20 : Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab (Kingsmead, Durban ); Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders (Kingsmead, Durban )

May 21 : Deccan Chargers vs Bangalore Royal Challengers ( Supersport Park , Centurion, Pretoria ); Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Daredevils ( Supersport Park , Centurion, Pretoria )

May 22 : Semifinal 1 at Supersport Park , Centurion, Pretoria

May 23 : Semifinal 2 at Wanderers, Johannesburg

May 24 : Closing ceremony followed by final (Wanderers, Johannesburg ).

Tech Mahindra Highest Bidder for Satyam

2009-04-13T14:10:00.000+05:30

Indian software company Tech Mahindra Ltd. is the highest bidder for a stake in rival Satyam Computer Services Ltd., two people familiar with the development said Monday.

"They (Tech Mahindra) have emerged as the clear winner. They had bid at 58 rupees ($1.16) per share," one of them told Dow Jones Newswires. The next bidder was Larsen & Toubro Ltd. at 49.50 rupees, the person added.

According to the process laid down earlier, the bid is for a 31% stake in Satyam. This will be followed by an open offer for another 20% in the company.

At 58 rupees per share, Tech Mahindra would have to pay about 32 billion rupees to 33 billion rupees for a controlling 51% stake in Satyam, said Apurva Shah, an IT analyst with Mumbai-based brokerage Prabhudas Lilladher.

Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross had bid at 20 rupees per share, while U.S.-based Cognizant Technology Solutions Co. had withdrawn from the process, the person said.

Hyderabad-based Satyam, once India's fourth-largest software exporter by revenue, is looking for a buyer who will infuse funds and help revive the company.

The company has been in turmoil after its founder, B. Ramalinga Raju, revealed in January he overstated its profits over several years and created a fictitious cash balance of more than $1 billion.

Online Tax payment e-tax or e-payment service

2009-03-30T22:26:00.000+05:30

e-Payment service by Tax Information Network (TIN) National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) facilitates payment of direct taxes online by taxpayers.

To avail of this facility the taxpayer is required to have a net-banking account with any of the banks listed below, which are the only banks offering this facility at present.

Online Tax Payment : https://onlineservices.tin.nsdl.com/etaxnew/tdsnontds.jsp

Sexiest butts in Bollywood: John Abraham and Malaika Arora-Khan

2009-03-15T00:12:00.001+05:30

Well, the results aren't shocking for obvious reasons. The two celebs, after all, do have the sexiest bodies in Tinseltown. But with new 'taut' entrants, we thought it was time to do a repoll on the hottest butts in Bollywood and surprise, surprise - John Abraham and Malaika Arora-Khan still managed to beat the other contenders.

John's yellow trunk act in Dostana apparently still has women drooling. Out of 1,000 women polled, 55% thought John's tushy was the best. Ranbir Kapoor came a distant second with only 17%. Hrithik Roshan, often referred to as a Greek God, got 13%, Saif Ali Khan got 7% and Akshay Kumar got 6%. Salman Khan got the least votes with just 2% voting for him. Maybe he should start dropping his pants now, instead of his shirt, what say?

The competition among the women was tougher, but Malaika won comprehensively in the end. Out of the 1,000 men we polled, 25% felt she had the best butt in B-Town. Shilpa Shetty came a close second with 23%, while Lara Dutta and Bipasha Basu were tied at 19% each. Like her beau, Katrina Kaif also found herself almost at the bottom of the table with just 12.5% votes. Deepika Padukone hardly had any takers with only 1.5% voting for her.

Malaika was pleasantly surprised. "Wow! What can I say? Thank you for voting for me 'butt naturally'."As for who she thinks could be worthy contenders for our 'butt-iful' title, she had two choices, "Jennifer Lopez and Kylie Minogue".

Rcom launches India's fastest broadband internet service

2009-03-13T20:53:00.000+05:30

Telecom major Reliance Communications on Thursday launched what the company said would be the fastest internet service in the country to date.

The company said the new service called Reliance Netconnect Broadband Plus offers huge potential and would help increase the broadband penetration in the country manifold.

Speaking to reporters, Mahesh Prasad, President, Reliance Communications said the new service will be available in 35 cities which covers 80 to 85 per cent potential of broadband users in the country.

The subscribers, to avail of the service, will need to buy a device costing Rs 3500 and select a tariff plan which varies from monthly charges of Rs 299 going upto Rs 1750. The service will be available from the next week.

Prasad said the company's existing service Netconnect has a subscriber base of 10 lakh and they could consider upgrade their subscription to the new service.

Prasad said the company has upgraded the software in its network for launching the new service which can offer downlink speed of upto 3.1 Mbps and a separate uplink speed of upto 1.8 Mbps offering 30 per cent higher downlink rate in comparison to any other wireless broad band offering.

The new service is best suited for video streaming, video surveillance, rich media content and superior internet browsing, a company press note said.

Lok Sabha polls from April 16 to May 13

2009-03-02T18:29:00.000+05:30

The much-awaited schedule for the Lok Sabha elections was announced on Monday afternoon, by Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami.

The country will go to polls from April 16 to May 13. Counting of votes will be done on May 16 and the 15th Lok Sabha will be constituted by June two.

Polls will be conducted in 124 constituencies on April 16, 141 constituencies on April 23, 107 constituencies on April 30, 85 constituencies on May 7 and 86 constrituencies on May 13.

Five-phased polls will be held in Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh, Bihar will have four-phased elections, Maharashtra and West Bengal will witness three-phased polls, while Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Punjab will have elections in two phases, N Gopalaswami announced at a press conference.

Remaining 15 states and seven union territories will have one-day polling.

Treating Manipur as an exception, polls will be conducted in the state on April 22, considering April 23 is a local holiday there.

Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Orissa will simultaneously hold assembly polls.

On Sunday, the President rejected the controversial recommendation by the Chief Election Commissioner for the removal of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla. The President’s decision will now pave the way for Chawla’s elevation as CEC after Gopalaswami demits office on April 20.

The Election Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami decided the dates of the general elections after completing consultation process with political leaders, home secretary and secretaries of key ministries.

Earlier in the day, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) led by Ajit Singh announced its entry into the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The RLD will have a poll pact with the main NDA constituent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In a late development on Sunday, the Trinamool Congress formed an alliance with Congress in West Bengal to fight the Lok Sabha elections against the Left Front. (Times of India)

"Slumdog" Steals the Show with 8 Oscars

2009-02-23T12:49:00.002+05:30

After winning the hearts of moviegoers around world, "Slumdog Millionaire," a buoyantly hopeful romance set amid the poverty of Mumbai, India, won the Academy Award for best picture, capping a night of wins including the best director Oscar for Danny Boyle.

With eight Oscars, "Slumdog" took home the most statuettes of any movie at the 81st Academy Awards held today at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

Sean Penn took home his second best actor Oscar, winning for his portrayal of slain San Francisco politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk in the film "Milk" and Kate Winslet won best actress for playing a Nazi concentration camp guard in the "The Reader."

Riffing on Hollywood's perceived political leanings, Penn's first words upon accepting the Oscar were: "You commie, homo-loving sons of guns."

The only real upset of the evening, Penn beat out Mickey Rourke, nominated for the titular role in "The Wrestler," who had bested Penn at the Golden Globes last month. Source : Abc News

Nandita Das's Firaaq honoured in Pak

2009-02-17T14:15:00.001+05:30

Nandita Das's Firaaq honoured in Pak. Two Indian films, - Nandita Das' directorial debut Firaaq and a documentary Superman of Malegaon - have won the Ciepie awards at the 7th Kara Film Festival.

After receiving the award, Nandita said she was glad at the response her film had received and the citation that the jury gave, according to reports.

The Best Feature Film award was picked up by Nandita Das' Firaaq that was screened twice during the 12-day festival. Pakistani telefilm Burns Road Ki Niilofer picked up two awards for best screenplay and best female supporting actress.

The Ciepie was awarded to six films, two documentaries - Superman of Malegaon (India), and Kesan Lapsi (Finland) - two short films with one for Best Animated Film awarded to Even Pigeons Go to Heaven (France). The best Short Action Film award went to Match Factor.

Faiza Ahmed Khan is the director of Superman of Malegaon, a spoof on superman films.
Rasheed Naz, who played an important role in Pakistani film Khuda Kay Liye, bagged best actor in a supporting role award, while the special jury award went to Rashid Farooqui for Ramchand Pakistani.

Indian filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, in his short address at the fest, said that festivals like these help in bridging the gap between the two neighbours. He said he was at a shop in Karachi when a guy approached him to ask for help with his neurologically disabled brother.

"The guy asked for help in contacting a neurosurgeon in Mumbai, and I immediately punched in the number and let them set up a possible meeting. This was exactly how film festivals help bring the people of different countries together," said Bhatt.

Speaking about his meeting with noted ghazal singer Mehdi Hasan, Bhatt said that neither he nor Hasan would forget the bonds formed during their meeting.

Source : NDTV

A S Murthy New Satyam CEO

2009-02-05T19:22:00.002+05:30

Murthy has been with Satyam since Jan 94. It has appointed Homi Khusrokhan and Partho Datta as special advisors to the Board. The board of fraud-hit Satyam Computer Services on Thursday appointed A S Murthy as new CEO of the IT firm. Murthy was Satyam’s global business head and has been working for the IT company for the last 15 years.

Partho S Dutta and Homi Khusrokhan were appointed Special Advisors.

A S Murthy, will be the chief executive of the company with immediate effect, Satyam said in a statement after a two-day board meeting in Hyderabad.

Satyam has also received bank sanctions for 6 billion rupees towards working capital requirements.

Earlier in the day, agencies reported that the Andhra Pradesh police are likely to make more arrests in the Rs 7,800 crore fraud involving the IT major.

CID officials investigating the case have not ruled out more arrests in about a fortnight.

“We are constantly scrutinising the seized documents and trying to retrieve data from the hard-disks and laptops recovered during the raids of residences and offices of Satyam officials including its former chairman B Ramalinga Raju,” a senior CID official probing the Satyam fraud said on Thursday.

Lara Dutta graces the cover of fashion magazine 'Grazia'

2009-02-03T21:16:00.001+05:30

Former beauty queen and Bollywood charmer Lara Dutta is making waves without a single release to her credit last year. She has turned cover-girl for the fashion magazine ‘Grazia’, in another reminder of why the Miss Universe crown looked best on her some years back.

Having lost not a bit of her stunning looks, she is looking ravishing in wine-red evening dress that has seductively slipped off one shoulder.

This year she will be more visible on the big screen with roles in ‘Billu Barber’, ‘Blue’ and ‘Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai’. Last year she did a cameo in Shah Rukh starrer ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’.

The ‘Grazia’ oomph factor is certain to raise her demand in Bollywood soon.

Katrina Kaif refuses to look hot

2009-02-03T21:14:00.002+05:30

After having done numerous glamorous roles in her run up to success, Bollywood's reigning queen Katrina Kaif is now in a serious mode.

The Namastey London star has taken on meatier roles, which will allow her to prove her mantle as a good actress. And to begin with Kats will be seen in a completely de glamourised role in Prakash Jha's Rajniti.

Reports also suggest that Jha wants Katrina to sport a non-make up look for the major part of the film. Jha, who in the past has done wonders with his heroines including Madhuri Dixit, Bipasha Basu, is taking a keen interest in Katrina's characterisation.

Reports suggest that Katrina has been advised to undergo voice modulation since she is required to speak in a certain dialect in the film's second half. The film, which is a contemporary take on Mahabharata, also stars Ranbir Kapoor, Ajay Devgan among others.

Aishwarya Rai, Bindra and Dhoni among Padma awardees

2009-01-26T00:30:00.001+05:30

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief G Madhavan Nair, Sister Nirmala of the Kolkata-based Missionaries of Charity, Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar, noted environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna and Ashok S Ganguly, a member of the PM's Council on Trade and Industry, have been chosen for the Padma Vibhushan awards for this year.

Padma Bhushan has been awarded to technocrat and chairman of the National Knowledge Commission Sam Pitroda, journalist Shekhar Gupta, historian Ramchandra Guha, Lt Gen (retd) Satish Nambiar and Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra among others.

Other eminent personalities who will be conferred the Padma awards include cricketer and team India skipper M S Dhoni, Bollywood stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Helen, composer Hridaynath Mangeshkar and singers Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan and Penaz Masani — all Padma Shri.

A total of 133 Padma awards were announced — 10 Padma Vibhushan, 30 Padma Bhushan and 93 Padma Shri.

Source : Times of India.

Infosys results for Fourth Quarter and Year ended

2009-01-13T12:09:00.000+05:30

The benchmark index is flat in the early trade despite a better-than-expected third quarter result from IT bellwether Infosys. Most of the Asian markets are weak fell after Wall Street fell for the fourth session on Monday because of worries related to financial sector grew.

The Senex is up 57 points at 9,167 while Nifty is up 8 points at 2,781. Before the markets opened in India, Infosys reported its third quarter results. Software major Infosys Technologies announced a 33.31 per cent growth in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,641 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, over the corresponding period a year ago.

The Infosys stock is up over 4 per cent on better-than-expected numbers. Other Sensex stocks that are among the major gainers are Rel Infra and RCom, both up over 3 per cent.

Among the losers, Wipro and Tata Steel are down nearly 3 per cent. Among the sectoral indices on the BSE, the IT index is leading the gainers, up over 2 per cent, followed by the realty index.
Most of the major Asian markets are trading in the red on Tuesday after Dow fell 1.5 per cent on Monday.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell for the fourth session Monday as oil prices tumbled and as worries about the financial sector grew. So far this year, the Dow is down 3.5 per cent.

More Information for INFOSYS