Ajit Chandila of Rajasthan Royals was about to spot-fix in another Indian Premiere League (IPL) match

New Delhi: Ajit Chandila of Rajasthan Royals was about to spot-fix in another Indian Premiere League (IPL) match too for which he had taken Rs.15 lakh from a Punjab-based bookie, police claimed here Wednesday. During interrogation Chandila has revealed the name of another bookie, Deepak Kumar, 35, a resident of Patiala, Punjab. "Kumar contacted Chandila April 4 and a meeting was held between them in a Chandigarh hotel for spot-fixing in the match played between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 17. In this match, he was supposed to play," said an officer of Delhi Police. He also received Rs.15 lakh from Kumar, who is a property dealer. This is a third set of bookies running the spot fixing racket during the IPL matches this season. Delhi Police have claimed that "four sets" of people involved in spot fixing racket have surfaced in the interrogation of three Rajasthan Royals players S. Sreesanth, Chandila and Ankeet Chavan and 15 bookies who were arrested from Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi. source:agency

IPL Spot fixing:Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde congratulated Delhi Police

New Delhi: Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde congratulated Delhi Police for the Indian Premier League spot-fixing investigation following which three cricketers and 11 bookies have been arrested. "I congratulate the Delhi Police. Whenever they do good work, I appreciate them," he said on the sidelines of a function here. Asked about the underworld link in the betting racket, he said: "Police is investigating, it is a preliminary comment." Fast bowler S. Sreesanth and two of his Rajasthan Royals teammates, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila, were arrested with 11 bookies Thursday for their involvement in the spot-fixing. Police said Pakistani links and the involvement of the Mumbai underworld have surfaced in the investigations. source:agency

Spot fixing:Burnt S. Sreesanth's pictures !

Kochi: In just 24 hours of S. Sreesanth's arrest for spot-fixing, the initial shock and allround disbelief has gone out of the window and more and more people in his home state appear to be turning away from the temperamental fast bowler. By late Thursday evening, angry people got together at a few places in his home town here and burnt his pictures. They felt Sreesanth had cheated them even after they treated him as a superstar. Early today morning, the main point of discussion at a ground which Sreesanth as a budding player frequented was about the controversial cricketer. "First, we could not believe if this was true, but by evening after the press conference of the Delhi Police, it was clear that Sreesanth is guilty," said a footballer. A budding cricketer said that initially it appeared Sreesanth was innocent and that because of his volatile behaviour he fell prey to trouble-makers. "Now things appear different and the benefit of doubt is not going to be there for him with clear cut evidence Delhi police have obtained against him. If he is guilty, he should be punished," said the young cricketer. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy played with a straight bat when faced with the Sreesanth issue and said it was unfortunate that Sreesanth's name had come up in the scandal. "Sreesanth was the pride of our state and if he comes out clean out of the investigation, then it would be good news for Kerala," said Chandy. Sreesanth's father also got it all wrong when he slammed Indian captain M.S. Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh for his son's ordeal. He, however, quickly retracted what he said and tendered an apology to the India cricketers, explaining that his outburst was out of distress. In the Kerala capital city, from where teenage sensation Sanju Samson hails, Sreesanth's act has caused anguish. Incidentally, Sanju also was bought by Sreesanth's IPL team Rajasthan Royals. Speaking to reporter, Sanju Samson's father, a former Delhi Police constable who took voluntary retirement for promoting his two sons' cricketing ambitions, is crestfallen after hearing the news on Sreesanth. "From yesterday morning, I was praying that the news on Sreesanth should not be true but when I saw the press conference conducted by Delhi Police, which is my former employer, I knew that Sreesanth was in trouble," said Sanju's father Samson Viswanath. "When the news first appeared on TV, I called my son and told him that from now on he should not pick calls from unknown numbers and not go for parties. I have taught both my sons that if character is lost, everything is lost forever. Please understand my son is just 18 years old and I have told him to be very careful," said the senior Samson. Sreesanth's counsel Deepak Prakash said to reporters in Delhi that Sreesanth was innocent and he had started to move a bail application. "There is a lot of contradiction in the Delhi Police statements. What they first said at the press conference and what they said when they appeared in the court, they have said different things. There was no evidence against Sreesanth, which was put up in the court yesterday by Delhi Police," said Prakash. Sreesanth's family has left for Delhi and they are expected to meet him along with his counsel later today evening. "No, he will never do such a thing," said his brother Dipu Santhan. Sreesanth, who is only the second Keralite to represent the country, has played in 27 Tests (87 wickets), 53 ODIs (75) and 10 T20Is (seven wickets). source:agency

Spot fixing:S. Sreesanth has been 'falsely or mistakenly' arrested by the police said lawyer

New Delhi: Indian pacer and Rajasthan Royals player S. Sreesanth has been 'falsely or mistakenly' arrested by the police, his lawyer said today. Speaking to reporters, his lawyer, Deepak Prakash said: "Sreesanth has been falsely or mistakenly arrested. They (Delhi Police) have got some wrong information or mistakenly arrested him." Sreesanth and two of his Rajasthan Royals teammates - Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila - were arrested late Wednesday and accused of spot-fixing in Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. The cricketer-trio and 11 bookies have been charged with cheating and criminal conspiracy. According to police, Chavan Friday broke down under interrogation and has accepted his role in the spot-fixing scandal. However, Prakash said the confession had "no value". "They (players) have to confess before the court. Police can say anything, it has no value at all," said Prakash. "Anyway, Sreesanth is not confessing. Though his name has been involved, there is no issue with Sreesanth. He will fight it out. "He is completely cooperating and has explained his innocence," said the lawyer further. The lawyer also rubbished accusations that Sreesanth used a towel to signal bookies, before the start of an over that he would be giving away runs, saying that a majority of players use towels due to hot weather. "It's a very casual thing. Ninety percent of the players use towels. The match was played at 4 o'clock... the towel was needed," he said. source:agency

Southern star Dhanush's first Hindi film "Raanjhanaa" is all set to release

Mumbai: Southern star Dhanush's first Hindi film "Raanjhanaa" is all set to release and the actor says he has still not been able to learn Hindi. The 29-year-old, who even took classes from the Hindi tutors to learn the language for the film, is finding it tough to learn it but is hopeful to live upto everyone's expectations. "I don't think I actually got it yet. I tried my best, it was tough of course there are lot of sounds that are not there in Tamil so I found it tough and I am still finding it tough," Dhanush said here Friday at the press conference of the film. Directed by Aanand L. Rai "Raanjhanaa" is set to release June 21. "Hopefully I will live up to Anand sir's expectation and offcourse of all yours (reporters) too," he added. The film is a beautiful romantic tale and features Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor opposite Dhanush. During the conference of the film, the actor looked all in his cheerful mood. On public demand he even showed his dance moves but feels he is a poor dancer. "That's ridiculous. Whatever movements I learnt, it took me a lot of time to learn. I am a very poor dancer," said the actor. On being compared his dancing style to actor-director Prabhudeva, Dhanush said: "Comparing me with him (Prabhudeva) he could have got a heart attack by now somewhere. It's an insult to Prabhudeva, so please don't do it. About his own dancing style, Dhanush said: "I can bring in a lot of energy when I dance but that doesn't make me a good dancer." source:agency

Director Mira Nair will receive German Film Award for Peace, The Bridge 2013, for her movie "The Reluctant Fundamentalist"

Mumbai: Director Mira Nair will receive German Film Award for Peace, The Bridge 2013, for her movie "The Reluctant Fundamentalist". The 55-year-old will be honoured with the award July 4 at Cuvillies Theatre, Munich for outstanding film and direction,said a statement. The Prime Minister of Bavaria, the Bernhard Wicki Memorial Fund and the Umbrella Organization of the German Film Industry will also be the part of the gala. In the invitation letter, Elisabeth Wicki Endriss, the founder of the Bernhard Wicki Memorial Fund, wrote: "‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist' is an exquisite example for a high-class extraordinary film, for her attitude as a defender of enlightenment and inviolability of human dignity. "The realism she portrays in her films to the details attains great effects - emotions, extremely breathtaking tensions, and veracity. Thank you very much for this creative powerful and moving picture which we urgent need in a world of violence, prejudice and abuse of power beyond all morality in all our societies." The movie is set to release May 17 in India. source:agency

Bollywood baadshah Shahrukh Khan was conferred with Chevalier Sivaji Award

Chennai: Bollywood baadshah Shahrukh Khan was conferred with Chevalier Sivaji Award, constituted after veteran Tamil actor Sivaji Ganeshan, Saturday here at the 7th edition of Vijay awards. Shahrukh received the award from the hands of Kamal Haasan, Vijay and members from the family of Sivaji Ganeshan. "I have enjoyed working with Kamal Haasan and Ajith Kumar in my career. I may be the owner of Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL cricket league, but my favorite team is Chennai Super Kings," said Shahrukh while receiving his award. Shahrukh, 47, worked with Kamal Haasan in Tamil-Hindi bilingual "Hey Ram" and with Ajith Kumar in Hindi film "Asoka". King Khan handed over special category awards to actor Vijay and filmmaker A.R Murugadoss. The awards were presented to actors under different categories for the year 2012. source:agency

Three people, including a Patna-based journalist, were killed in a road accident in Deoria district in eastern Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: Three people, including a Patna-based journalist, were killed in a road accident in Deoria district in eastern Uttar Pradesh, police said Saturday.

Nine others were injured, including a chief judicial magistrate posted in Bihar's Khagariya, who was taken to the Gorakhpur medical college in a critical condition. The other injured including a woman and girl have been admitted to a local medical facility in Deoria, 475 km from here. The accident took place in the Sadar area when a speeding truck rammed into a vehicle, on its was from Deoria to Kasya.
Two of the dead have been identified as 42-year-old Gangesh Srivastava, a journalist with a leading Hindi daily, and Kushinagar resident Upendra Prasad. The third is yet to be identified. The injured include the CJM Triloki Tripathi, his gunner Suman Prasad, Raju Prasad, Ram Bijul, Rana Pratap, Asha Srivastava and her daughter Shivani.
source:agency

Police raided the headquarters of the chit fund-aided Saradha Group

Kolkata: Police Saturday raided the headquarters of the chit fund-aided Saradha Group that has gone bust and seized six motorcycles with red beacons and hooters allegedly used by the company's officials to carry money at night. The bikes were found in a garage of the office, police sources said. Meanwhile, police personnel from Joynagar in South 24 Parganas district quizzed arrested Saradha group promoter Sudipta Sen and his close aide Debjani Mukherjee in connection with a cheating case filed against them by some depositors. The interrogators from the Bidhannagar Commissionerate were grilling Sen and Mukherjee to asecertain the total value of the property of the Group companies and Sen. "They are trying to find where the money has been stashed and how it can be recovered. They also need to find the employees who handled the money, and the relevant papers and other documents," said a source. A couple of days back the sleuths had summoned for questioning a former official of the Reserve Bank of India who during his days with the apex bank is said to have given some undue facilities to Sen. A police source said names of some officers of Securities and Exchange Board of India, Income Tax department, banks, and other central and state government agencies have cropped up following Sen's interrogation. "Some of them have already been questioned. We are tallying their replies with the information given by Sen". Sleuths have also stumbled on 40 acres of land owned by Sen in Shimla. Sen, Mukherjeee and another senior official of the Group were arrested April 23 from Sonmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, days after the Group collapsed, unable to repay lakhs of depositors - most of them poor people from villages and small towns - who had parked their hard earned money with its companies, lured by promise of huge returns. Already, a number of and depositors of Saradha and similar chit fund companies have committed suicide, while offices of a large number of such dubious concerns operating in the state have been attacked. Even on Saturday, an office of a chit fund company was ransacked by depositors at Pandabeshwar of Hooghly district for allegedly cheating and siphoning of funds. source:agency

R.S. Mooshahary has directed the state government to probe affairs of Mahatma Gandhi University

Shillong: Meghalaya Governor R.S. Mooshahary has directed the state government to probe the private Mahatma Gandhi University after complaints were received about its functioning.

His directive to the Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance government assumes significance after another private varsity - the CMJ University - was allegedly selling fake PhD degrees.

"Though I am not the visitor of Mahatma Gandhi University, but I have received complaints regarding the functioning of this university. I have asked the government to look into these complaints," Mooshahary said in a chat with IANS. However, the governor did not divulge on the complaints that he had received against the Mahatma Gandhi University. The Mahatma Gandhi University was established through an act of the Meghalaya legislature in 2011.

Stating that the intention of the government to facilitate the setting up of private universities was done in good faith keeping in mind the welfare of the students, Mooshahary said there was a need to monitor the functioning of such universities. "There should be autonomy is the academic pursuance of the university, but the administration should be monitored closely," he said. "We need quality universities, not quantity. We should not go by numbers," the governor said.

Incidentally, the Delhi High Court on March this year had issued notice to a fashion institute, the Fashionista, which has technical collaboration with the Mahatma Gandhi University on a plea by a student alleging that it was running illegally and playing with the careers of innocent students.
The petition, filled by Mohammad Sajid, a student at the institute, alleged that the institute claimed that it has technical collaboration with the Meghalaya varsity, and is running various degree and diploma courses without approval or affiliation either from the University Grant Commission (UGC) or the Distance Education Council (DEC) or the Delhi government.
source:agency

Former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said that he had done nothing wrong

New Delhi: Former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said yesterday that he had done nothing wrong and welcomed investigations into the case related to his nephew accepting a bribe for getting a senior official a plum Railway Board post. "I have given my statement on the first day itself and I have nothing to do with this incident. I have welcomed the investigation by the CBI in the matter," Bansal told reporters here. Bansal resigned Friday night following allegations of corruption and impropriety. His nephew was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last week for accepting a bribe of Rs.90 lakh for getting a senior official a plum Railway Board post. Bansal was in office for around six months. source:agency

Veena Malik Bombastic performance at Gujarati Gauravvanta Awards

Ahmedabad Gauravvanta Awards show was rocked by sizzling beauty of Bollywood Veena Malik. The actress gives bombastic performance on her upcoming Bollywood movie Zindagi 50:50 songs with Rajan Verma. The event is to honour the awards the Gujarat’s brightest faces who have excellent in their respective field. The Bollywood star Veena Malik enthralled the audience when she stepped out in western wear oozing oomph and sporting a bright smile that matched her crimson lipgloss.

Veena Malik said, “It’s great for me to be a part of Gujarati Gauravvanta Awards where well known Gujarat personalities are honoured. I am very happy to perform on my upcoming movie song which is very naughty and lovely. Gujarat is a very beautiful city and I am lucky that I got a chance to come Ahmadabad and to meet the lovely peoples”.

The evening saw a temperature rising performance by TV star Leena Jumani and singer Aishwarya Majmudar. Actors Amar Upadhyay, Vatsal Seth and rapper Devang Patel. Overall veena ruled on the heart of the Gujarati’s people.

Mr. PH Ravikumar takes charge as the Managing Director

New Delhi – Mr. PH Ravikumar has assumed charge of Money Matters Financial Services Ltd., a leading non banking finance company as the Managing Director. Mr. Ravikumar is driving the change in the business orientation of the NBFC, converting the Company from, a fee income earning entity to a lending entity. The new businesses being built are medium term loans for small enterprises (which rank as priority sector loans in banks books) for asset and capacity creation, smaller real estate project as sole lender; further current and emerging opportunities in housing including affordable housing and distressed asset sectors are being studied. 



Regarded as a veteran in Indian banking and financial services industry, Mr. Ravikumar holds more than four decades of experience across areas of retail, corporate and treasury banking in India and abroad. His operational grounding was with Bank of India for over two decades. He was part of the core team that set up ICICI Bank Limited. During his association with ICICI Bank for over a decade, Mr. Ravikumar went on to play a pivotal role in conceptualizing and establishing National Commodities & Derivatives Exchange Ltd. (NCDEX), India’s first commodity exchange. As Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Ravikumar made NCDEX profitable four years ahead of schedule and positioned it among the three largest agro-commodity exchanges globally. Prior to joining Money Matters, Mr. Ravikumar served as the CEO & Managing Director at Invent Asset Securitisation & Reconstruction P. Ltd for about four years, among the leading ARCs in the country, which he again established from inception.



Under the leadership of Mr. Ravikumar, Money Matters looks to build gradually a distribution set up in eight to ten chosen states. The intent is to emerge as the choice NBFCs for small enterprises. . He has succeeded Mr. Rajesh Sharma, erstwhile Chairman & Managing Director, who resigned to pave way for the building of a professionally managed organisation.



About Money Matters Financial Services Ltd



Money Matters Financial Services Limited (MMFSL) is a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC) focussed on wholesale and SME lending. As on December 31, 2012, MMFSL’s consolidated net worth was approx. Rs. 884 crore. During last two years the company has disbursed loans aggregating (approx) Rs. 1,100 crore and the loan book outstanding as March 31, 2013 stood at approx. Rs. 410 crore. MMFSL is focused on the priority sector in the SME lending business providing loans for purchase of machinery and equipment, working capital, and for acquisition of real assets. In its wholesale lending business, MMFSL provides loans for project funding, acquisitions, structured debt financing and receivables discounting. For more information, visit www.money-matters.in

Veena Malik rocks Kolkata the City of Joy

Kolkata The city of Joy is the cultural capital of India and one of the friendliest cities in the world. A city of amazing depth and contrast, Kolkata is home to one of the world's finest existing specimens of British imperial architecture as well as one the highest concentration of artists, poets and writers around the world. Kolkata’s Howrah Bridge is the eye catcher in the world and known as busiest bridge in the world. Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee with Shah Rukh Khan, the brand ambassador of the state, is calling the new Bengal a 'progressive Bengal'.  After Mumbai and Delhi, Kolkata has become the go-to destination for filmmakers and actors who want to make a thriller, a period drama or an unconventional love story. Recently the Bollywood Drama Queen was seen promoting her upcoming movie “Zindagi 50-50” in the hub of Kolkata there where thousands of excited Fans wishing to take a glimpse of Miss Malik inspite of heavy security. Actress Veena Malik was spotted with Co-Star Rajan Verma at Kolkata City Centre II Mall. Veena is also a part of The City That Never Sleeps a movie based on night life and is being produced by Satish Reddy and directed by Haroon Rashid.



Veena Malik said, “Kolkata a city a joy and the real heart of the city lies in its people. I am glad to come to Kolkata and extremely happy to meet my lovely fans. I love the Rassogolla of Bengal. I would like to thanks Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who gives a good platform to Bollywood in Kolkata and making Bengal a “Progressive Bengal”. I am here to promote my movie Zindagi 50:50 where I am playing a very challenging role and I hope that people would love it”.



Veena Malik is going ga ga over the character of a sex worker she played in the film. She says the film is more based on a tragedy than boldness and sex. The role I am playing in the film has a powerful character in it.

Bollywood Baadshah Shah Rukh Khan has agreed to be part of the 7th edition of Vijay awards

Chennai: Bollywood Baadshah Shah Rukh Khan has agreed to be part of the 7th edition of Vijay awards scheduled to presented here Saturday. "SRK agreed to be part of the award function after a representative from Star Vijay team flew down to Mumbai Wednesday and invited him personally," spokesperson of the awards team told. SRK will hand over some awards to the winners and, according to a source, the Hindi film superstar will also get an award. It is being said that Shah rukh has taken this opportunity to promote his upcoming film "Chennai Express", which was shot majorly in and around Tamil Nadu. The award ceremony will honour the best performances under different categories in Tamil cinema for the year 2012. source:agency

Actress Soha Ali Khan, who is in a relationship with actor Kunal Khemu, says commitment is more important

Mumbai: Actress Soha Ali Khan, who is in a relationship with actor Kunal Khemu, says commitment is more important for her than just finishing the formality of signing a paper. Her mother, actress Sharmila Tagore, wants her children to settle down soon in their lives, but Soha has a different view on marriage. "We have taken a big step together where we are living together, which is equivalent to being married. For me, that's the biggest step," Soha said. "She is a mother and she wants her child to be settled. But for me, moving together was the biggest step. Now whether we get married or when we get married is not on my mind right now," the 34-year-old, seen in films like "Rang De Basanti", said. "For me, this is the biggest commitment and we have made this commitment to make things work. The formality is just associated with signing paper, but the value and commitment is more important to me," she added. In fact, Soha's actor brother Saif too tied the knot with actress Kareena Kapoor after they had been staying together for five years. Soha has just wrapped up shooting for "War Chhod Na Yaar" in Bikaner. source:agency

Delhi Court sent Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's nephew Vijay Singla and four others to judicial custody

New Delhi: A Delhi Court Thursday sent Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's nephew Vijay Singla and four others to judicial custody till May 20 in a bribe case linked to appointments in the Railway Board. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Swarna Kanta Sharma sent five accused, including prime accused and railway official Mahesh Kumar, to judicial custody after they were presented in court. Businessman Ajay Garg, N.R. Manjunath, Sandeep Goyal were also sent to Tihar Jail. Garg, who owns a multi-crore-rupee company which supplies electrical goods to the railways, was close to Bansal's nephew Singla, the CBI said. Singla allegedly accepted a bribe of Rs.90 lakh from Kumar for his (Kumar's) appointment as member (electrical) of the powerful Railway Board. Kumar, who was general manager (west), railways, had been promoted as member (staff) in the Railway Board and was allegedly trying to get himself appointed to a more "lucrative" post as member (electrical), the CBI said. The CBI arrested the accused for their alleged roles in the bribe case in which a deal of Rs.10 crore was finalised for arranging for the top position in the Railway Board for Kumar. Businessmen Manjunath and Goyal helped Kumar in arranging money to give bribe to Singla and were to get favours from Kumar after his appointment as member (electrical). Four other co-accused -- Vivek Kumar, Dharmendra, Rahul Yadav and Samir Sandhir -- are already in judicial custody till May 20. The first information report (FIR) was filed against the accused under the Indian Penal Code's section 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with section 7, 8 and 10 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. source:agency

PIA flight took off from Chandigarh airport with the body of Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay

Chandigarh: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight took off from Chandigarh airport Thursday evening with the body of Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay.

Ranjay, who had been hospitalised at Chandigarh's PGIMER hospital after being attacked in Jammu's Kot Bhalwal jail May 3, died Thursday morning following multiple organ failure, doctors said.

"The body was handed over to officials of the Pakistan High Commission and formalities completed at the airport before the flight took off," an official said here. A minor hiccup related to documentation and other formalities earlier held up the plane's departure, scheduled around 5 p.m. by nearly over an hour, an official source said.

"Sanaullah was declared dead around 7 a.m. due to multiple organ failure. The team of doctors headed by Y.K. Batra tried their best to revive him," a spokesperson of the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) said here. Ranjay, who was critical for the last few days, had suffered renal failure Wednesday. He was in deep coma ever since he was flown in here from Jammu last Friday.
The attack on Ranjay took place a day after Sarabjit Singh, an Indian prisoner in Pakistan, succumbed to grievous injuries following a murderous assault in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail. Ranjay was arrested in 1996 and charged with involvement in a bomb blast at Katra near the Hindu shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in 1994 which left 10 people dead. He was serving life term in the Jammu jail.
source:agency

China has assured India that it is "essentially" engaged in a run-of-the-river project on the Brahmaputra

New Delhi: China has assured India that it is "essentially" engaged in a run-of-the-river project on the Brahmaputra and there is no cause for worry for downstream riparian countries. But with Beijing not keen to share details about its construction work on the river, experts say India should not go by mere verbal assurances and push for a treaty. When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh raised concerns about the Brahmaputra, which originates in the Tibetan plateau, during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Durban last month and asked Beijing for a joint mechanism, he was assured the projects on the Yarlung-Tsangpo are "run of the river". But Takam Sanjoy, Congress MP from Arunachal Pradesh, says most of the works on the Yarlung-Tsangpo by China are not yet commissioned, and the real impact on the downstream river flow cannot be assessed till then. "They have started lot of projects, but they are not yet commissioned," Sanjoy told media. Choosing his words carefully, the Lok Sabha MP said that with the "political system in India and that in China being varied" and with not much information coming out from Beijing, "if China says it is run-of the river we can believe that, but some suspicions remain as the governance there is not like in India". Sanjoy said he had urged the UPA government "that all construction on Brahmaputra, run-of-river projects, diversion of water - everything should be taken up through dialogue, through bilateral approach with the Chinese government". Despite the prime minister raising the issue of a joint mechanism, China is learnt to have shown unwillingness to move on the issue. Beijing is believed to have told New Delhi that their Expert Level Mechanism, under which they share hydrological information, is "adequate" to decide on the issue. Ramaswamy R. Iyer, a former secretary in the water resources ministry, said: "Earlier, water never figured in India-China talks.now water is regularly on the agenda." He said India has told China that "if you divert any water, it will impact us, so please tell us.they said no, we are not doing anything, but satellite pictures have showed otherwise and then they acknowledged it". "And now they have said the projects are only run-of-the-river. But that is only word of mouth, we can't go and see it. We have told them being the lower riparian country, share information with us, show us your engineering designs, what impact it may have on downstream flows or on biodiversity and ecology. They say they will but are not regular with it," Iyer told IANS. The expert said the Mekong river is shared by six countries, including China. But Beijing is not a member on the Mekong River Commission, but only an observer, "and when it is told of concerns by other countries, it says it will look into it". There is a feeling among Mekong riparian countries "that China will give assurances, but go on building dams," said Iyer, adding that "lately China has shown greater sensitivity to the Mekong countries". India is not a signatory of the UN convention on water sharing and does not have a treaty with China. "India should try and get China to sign a treaty. I think this is the long term aim of India, and we have already mooted it. But first China will have to agree to a treaty in principle, then on the text. The negotiations with Pakistan on the Indus treaty took 10 years. China will be a much tougher negotiator," Iyer pointed out. "You are virtually destroying communities - the wildlife amd the ecology - so run-of-the-river projects do much more harm in this way," Iyer maintained. source:agency

Preeti Rathi,the victim of an acid attack,continues to be critical

Mumbai: The condition of Preeti Rathi, the nursing graduate from New Delhi who became the victim of an acid attack here four days ago, continues to be critical, her father said today. "She continues to remain in the ICU. There is no improvement in her condition so far," said a worried Amar Singh Rathi, her father, who is camping in Mumbai's Masina Hospital, Byculla, to take care of his 25-year-old daughter. Rathi and Preeti had arrived Mumbai last Thursday on their first-ever visit to the "city of dreams", which turned into a nightmare after an unknown youth hurled acid on her face shortly after they deboarded the Garib Rath from New Delhi at Bandra Terminus. She had come to take up a new job as a nurse lieutenant at the Army Medical Hospital in Colaba, south Mumbai. Now, the family has no clue about her career prospects with the defence establishment, according to Rathi. "We shall officially approach the army authorities in Mumbai tomorrow (Monday) and present her case. Then it will be for them to decide," Rathi said. Meanwhile, in a major relief to the family, the Indian Railways have decided to take care of all her medical bills as the incident happened within the railway premises, said Rathi. Masina Hospital director R.B. Dastur said that Preeti suffered internal burns due to inhalation and consumption of acid, and has completely lost vision in the right eye. The left eye is apparently not affected. Mumbai police have released sketches of the unidentified attacker based on CCTV footage from Bandra Terminus, but he remains at large four days after the incident. Police have also questioned Preeti, her father Amar Singh Rathi, his brother Vinod Kumar Singh and his wife Sunita (Vinod Kumar) Singh. The family has informed the police that the attacker possibly may have boarded the train at Navsari, Gujarat, where they first spotted him. He got the opportunity at Bandra Terminus when, his face covered, he lunged at Preeti and threw the acid from a plastic bottle on her. Some of the acid fell on Amar Singh, who works as a foreman with an electricity plant, Bhakra Beas Management Board, and two other passengers. Though many passengers attempted to chase the attacker, he managed to disappear into the crowds. The Government Railway Police, Bandra, has registered a case pertaining to attempted murder and causing grievous hurt by dangerous means or weapons, and are attempting to trace the culprit. source:agency

Sunrisers Hyderabad see themselves closer to reaching the semifinals of the Indian Premier League

Hyderabad: With yet another win at home, Sunrisers Hyderabad see themselves closer to reaching the semifinals of the Indian Premier League. "Two to three more games and we are there straightaway. We can see the semifinal light burning there. But still I don't want to be overconfident. We will take it match to match," said Sunriers chief mentor Krishnamachari Srikant after his team beat Delhi Daredevils by six wickets here last night. Sunrisers, which scored a fifth consecutive win on home ground, has moved up to third position on the points table. Terming the victory "very very convincing", Srikant said it was bowlers' day out. "I think the bowlers have done an extraordinary job. Our bowlers have done a deadly job throughout the IPL so far, but in this particular game the line and length they bowled was outstanding," he said. He believes the first two overs by Dale Steyn and Ishant Sharma set the tone as they tied down someone like Virender Sehwag and Mahela Jayawardene. "Everybody contributed to the success. Everybody was accurate. You can't single out a bowler. They did a great job. It was simply bowlers' day out and if we look from the batting point of view, the way Shikhar Dhawan started, it put them on the backfoot. Quickfire 20 and the match was over then and there itself." Srikant said it was a great feeling and he was overjoyed. He said the team spirit and energy was high. He felt happy for Darren Sammy, who was thrilled over bagging the man of the match award. The former Indian captain thanked the people of Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh for their support and said the team was continuing its victory run because of their support and prayers. source:agency

More than 10,000 tents would be needed for quake victims in Jammu :Ghulam Nabi Azad

Srinagar: Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Saturday that more than 10,000 tents would be needed in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah districts to accommodate people whose homes have suffered massive damage because of the recent temblor.

An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale had jolted the state Wednesday in which maximum damage was caused in these three districts of the Jammu region. Aftershocks have since been regularly occurring there.
"Maximum damage has been caused in the areas of Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah and we need over 10,000 tents to accommodate people displaced by the recent earthquake in these areas," Azad told reporters here. He called for a coordinated effort between the central and state governments for reconstruction of the damaged structures.

"The need of the hour is to see how relief is provided to the affected people. The government and administration should work towards that end at all levels," said Azad, who himself belongs to Bhaderwah district and took stock of the damage there. He was accompanied by Shashidhar Reddy, vice chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and a team of officers.
"Among the areas we visited, Gandoh and Bhalessa tehsils have been hit the hardest. 70 to 85 percent residential houses and government buildings have been damaged due to the earthquake at these places", Azad said. He also disclosed that the earthquake had caused much more damage than had been reported earlier.

"Earlier reports of damage caused by the earthquake in Bhaderwah, Gandoh and Thatri (areas of Doda) indicated far less damage than has actually been caused there," he said. "As the chairman of the national Red Cross committee, I have provided 1,000 tents but we need 5,000 to 10,000 tents to cater to the entire affected population.
He said the response from the state administration has not been at par with the level of destruction caused by the earthquake.

"Aftershocks in the region have instilled fear among the people and they are not willing to live inside the houses which have suffered partial damage. "The district administration has formed teams which will visit all the panchayats and villages in the affected areas. The areas they have been able to cover so far is only one-fourth of the total affected areas," he said.
He said school buildings had suffered extensive damage and only 10 percent of the schools are safe for students.
source:agency

Veena Malik mobbed during the promotion of movie Zindagi 50:50

It is very common factor where superstars like Salman Khan, Sahrukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor get mobbed by fans during their promotional rounds across the country, Bollywood actress Veena Malik was shocked to find herself in a similar response.  The actress was in Jaipur promoting her upcoming movie Zindagi 50:50 at Inox and Dainik Nav Jyoti where she got mobbed and had to cut short her visit as the crowd of over thousands of enthusiastic fans went out of control just to get a glimpse of her and to meet her personally  inspite of very heavy and tight security. The movie is being dubbed in various languages including Tamil, which is stated to release on 24th may.

Veena Malik said, “Jaipur is a very beautiful city and I am very happy that I get a chance to come here and to meet my lovely fans who have always supported me. I am here to promote my movie Zindagi 50:50 where I am playing a very challenging role and I hope that people would love it. I am looking forward for my Bollywood movie “The City That Never Sleeps” which is produced by Satish Reddy and Directed by Haroon Rashid which based on Night Life”.

 The trailer of movie Zindagi 50:50 has already gone viral with 50 lacs views. She is portraying a character of prostitute in the movie Zindagi 50:50. Veena Malik has been getting a very positive response for her film.

Veena Malik Steamy and Smokin Hot Photoshoot for Zindagi 50-50

Bollywood sexy siren actress Veena Malik seems sensationalizing the Bollywood industry with her bold and raunchy photoshoot for her movie “Zindagi 50-50” which is directed by Rajiv Ruia. The glamorous diva was seen rising the temperature meter and has done a sexy look in fancy bikini. Veena was looking extremely hot and racy in a black bikini. The star was seen striking a sultry pose and adorning the sylphlike beauty and snazzy in pink bikini wear. She plays a SEX WORKER and its reflecting in the photo shoot. This role is not of a very high profile prostitute generally portrayed by other actors but of a girl ‘Madhuri’ who is part of a red light area. She did intensive research and even met with girls from the trade to understand their way of talking and body language etc. She also looking forward for her Bollywood movie “The City That Never Sleeps” which is produced by Satish Reddy and Directed by Haroon Rashid which based on Night Life.



Veena Malik said, “I love shooting in all those sexy bikinis. It will be one of my boldest photoshoot for the character Madhuri which is realistic rather than bold. This is a true story of a girl and I have given more than my 100%, thanks to Madhuri, the character I am playing."



This flawless lassie lady is surely an eye catching in the film and the movie is stated to release on 24th may.

Renowned Ukrainian University National Aerospace University – Kharkiv Aviation Institute (KhAI) to organize AEROEngg-2013 Scholarship Test for the first time India at Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: National Aerospace University – Kharkiv Aviation Institute (KhAI) in association with Hyderabad-based international academic counseling organization Aspire-CMIT is to organize AEROEngg-2013 Scholarship Test for the first time India at Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Mr. Bhanoji K. Venkat, Director, ASPIRE-CMIT informs that the National Aerospace University “Kharkiv Aviation Institute” (KhAI) is conducting Scholarship Test in India for the first time. Our Intention is to help deserving students to pursue education in Aeronautical & Aerospace Engineering in the leading Engineering University of Ukraine.



B.Tech Engineering & +2 / Intermediate-MPC passed students with minimum academic score of 50% marks overall are eligible to write the Scholarship test. Those who write and score good marks in the test will be given scholarships ranging up to 25% to 50% of Bachelor’s / Master’s Degree tuition fee of 1st year. Students can apply for various PG & UG level Aeronautical Aerospace Engineering and other Engineering courses respectively. The last date to submit filled-in forms online on www.nextlevelstudy.com / www.aspireabroadstudies.com or directly is on or before 10 May 2013. The Scholarship test is of two-hours duration will be held on 18th & 19th May at Hyderabad and Vizag respectively.



Aviation and space science is the most prospective direction school in modern industry. That is why it's so attractive for the young people who want to acquire an interesting and prestigious occupation, informed Mr. Bhanoji K. Venkat. The scholarship will enable young people with interests and capabilities in aerospace and aviation to pursue their dream career.



Mr. Vitalii Rud, Vice Dean, KhAI informs that the National Aerospace University - Kharkiv Aviation Institute (KhAI) is a leading Engineering University of Ukraine, Europe and the only Engineering University in Ukraine providing a full spectrum of higher education in aerospace science and engineering.



The program offered by KhAI at the UG level (Bachelor’s degree) are Airplanes & Helicopters Structure & Design / Manufacturing / Maintenance; Avionics; Computer Systems & Networks; Aircraft Engine & Power Plant Design / Manufacturing / Maintenance. KhAI is perhaps the only university offering Specialization at Bachelor program level.



Program offered at the PG level (Master’s Degree) are Airplanes & Helicopters; Aircraft Engines & Power Plants; Control Systems of Flying Machines & their Complexes (Avionics).



Unlike many other European countries higher education in Ukraine is comparatively cost effective. As a young sovereign nation, Ukraine is socially stable, with warm hospitality to foreigners. It is indeed, recommended for anyone seeking for quality and affordable education abroad. Tuition fee for Four-years Bachelor’s Degree is US$ 12000 and Two-years Master’s degree is US$ 7000 only said Mr. Rud.



Founded in 1930, KhAI’s history is closely connected with aircraft engineering and science. The first Europe passenger aircraft with retractable landing gear ‘KhAI-1’ and the first Soviet turbojet engine were designed and produced in KhAI. What is unusual was that the KhAI-1 was designed and the prototype built by KhAI students! It’s another unique distinction is that the airplanes developed by the Institute Design Bureau were produced serially at the aircraft plants and run on passenger airlines. Today, KhAI is a globally recognized aerospace research centre. KhAI beckons desirous students to a career in aerospace offering endless opportunities to contribute to the Aerospace industry advances. Students and parents can call following numbers for more information: 9701712356, 9000540067.

Hindu temple breaking ground in California’s Stockton

Shiva-Vishnu Temple of Stockton (Stockton Hindu Cultural and Community Center) will break ground in a traditional Bhoomi-Poojan ceremony on May 12. Land and initial building permit for this Hindu temple has been acquired, it is claimed. Besides a place of worship; it will also include community center, cultural center and a yoga center; and celebrate Hindu festivals and perform rituals, reports suggest. Meanwhile, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, applauded efforts of Temple leaders and area community to realize this Hindu temple complex. Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society and hoped that this temple complex would focus in this direction. Zed stressed that instead of running after materialism, we should focus on inner search and realization of Self. Existing Hindu temple in Stockton reportedly conducts pujas, kathas, pravachans, Mata-chowkis; teaches Bhagavad-Gita and Hindi language classes; and celebrates various festivals. Acharya Satish Shukla is the priest. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA. Starting as a muddy-street gold-rush camp and incorporated in 1850, Stockton is now known as "California's Sunrise Seaport" and contains 49 historical landmarks and has received “All-America City” award and named “Best Tree City”. Area around Stockton grows asparagus, cherries, tomatoes, walnuts, almonds, grapes, etc., and produces prize-winning wines. About 40 motion pictures have been filmed in Stockton including "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (Steven Spielberg) and it is known for its annual Asparagus Festival, Haggin Museum, University of the Pacific, and USA’s first Sikh Gurdwara (established 1912). Stockton, which has filed for bankruptcy, was named by Forbes magazine as "America's Most Miserable City" and the same magazine in 2005 linked it with the worst crime rate in USA. Anthony Silva, Paul Canepa and Bob Deis are Mayor, Vice Mayor and City Manager respectively of Stockton, whose about 22% population is Asian. Prominent people associated with it include singer Chris Isaak, author Maxine Hong Kingston, and baseball player Dallas Braden.

The main motive was to kill Sarabjit Singh: Indian doctors

Amritsar: Refuting the theory put up by Pakistani authorities that Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh was fatally injured in a "scuffle" of prisoners, Indian doctors who conducted a second autopsy on him Friday said that the brutal assault was with the "motive to kill". "The main motive was to kill the person. The face of the skull was completely smashed. Rather it was in two pieces. He died from massive head injuries," Gurjit Singh Mann, head of a medical panel of the Amritsar Medical College which conducted the second post-mortem examination after Sarabjit's body arrived in India, told media here. He said that the injuries on Sarabjit were inflicted with "heavy blunt weapons", including bricks. Asked if only two people could have attacked Sarabjit, as maintained by the Pakistani authorities, Mann said: "There might be more than two people who attacked him. He was a well-built man." Mann said the provisional findings of the medical board here suggested that Sarabjit died of head injuries. The second autopsy was conducted by the medical panel in a government hospital in the sub-division town of Patti, 40 km from here, late Thursday night. The first autopsy was conducted by a Pakistani medical board in Lahore before Sarabjit's body was handed over to India. Mann said that Sarabjit's body had fractures on the skull, broken ribs and some other injuries. He said that the Pakistani authorities had only sent a death certificate with Sarabjit's body. "They have not sent any of the medical reports or course of treatment. No provisional findings of their post-mortem report have been sent. We are awaiting those to give our final conclusive report," said Mann. About reports that certain organs like heart and kidneys had been removed from Sarabjit's body before it was sent to India, Mann said: "We presume that these were removed as standard procedure to send the viscera for examination. We will try to find the exact cause of death." Mann said that there were inconsistencies in what the Pakistani authorities were saying about Sarabjit's cause of death. The Pakistan government had claimed that Sarabjit was injured in a "scuffle" with two fellow prisoners and it was not a pre-meditated attack to kill him. Sarabjit's family gave its go ahead for the second post-mortem examination after his body arrived in India Thursday evening. The family said they had no trust on the findings of the post-mortem examination done by the Pakistani medical board. Sarabjit died in Lahore's Jinnah Hospital early Thursday following fatal injuries in an attack on him by fellow prisoners inside Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail April 26. source:agency

Sarabjit Singh, the Indian prisoner who died after a murderous attack in a Lahore jail, was cremated at his hometown

Bhikiwind (Punjab): Sarabjit Singh, the Indian prisoner who died after a murderous attack in a Lahore jail, was cremated at his hometown here today amid jostling crowds of tearful mourners. His sister Dalbir Kaur lit the pyre as thousands of people gathered to pay their last respects to the man, a condemned terrorist in Pakistan and a martyr in India who was given a state funeral. Among those who placed wreaths on Sarabjit’s coffin were Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur, Akal Takht chief Gurbachan Singh and Punjab’s cabinet ministers. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who had met Dalbir Kaur in New Delhi Thursday, walked up to the cremation ground and placed a wreath on the coffin. He stood next to the coffin for a while with other leaders. Sarabjit died Thursday in a hospital in Lahore, six days after being attacked in the Kot Lakhpat jail. source:agency

India announced Rs.25 lakh for Sarabjit Singh's family

New Delhi: India Thursday announced Rs.25 lakh for Sarabjit Singh's family from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. "An ex-gratia payment of Rs 25 lakhs has been announced from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for the family of Sarabjit Singh," said an official in the Prime Minister's Office. Sarabjit Singh, an Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan, was April 26 brutally attacked by jail inmates and died early Thursday morning in a Lahore hospital. Expressing deep sadness in the passing away of Sarabjit, the prime minister described him as a "brave son of India". The prime minister also demanded that "the criminals responsible for the barbaric and murderous attack on Sarabjit must be brought to justice". source:agency

Death of Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan a planned conspiracy:Prem Kumar Dhumal

Shimla: Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister and BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal today attributed the death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan to "a planned conspiracy hatched in the jail". "Sarabjit became the victim of a planned conspiracy with inhuman treatment," Dhumal said in a statement here. He accused the Pakistan government for Sarabjit Singh's death, saying it was clearly involved in this conspiracy. Dhumal said there was an atmosphere of fear and desperation in the country as people had lost faith in the central government. Student activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) burnt Pakistan's flag on the Himachal Pradesh University campus here in protest over Sarabjit Singh's death. Sarabjit Singh died Thursday in a Lahore hospital after being brutally beaten up by fellow inmates in jail April 26. source:agency

Congress hit back at Sushma Swaraj for accusing UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi: The Congress today hit back at Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj for accusing UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi of instigating her party members to disrupt the opposition leader's speech in the Lok Sabha. "Her (Swaraj) allegations are baseless. We reject them. It is an unjustified attack. I am sorry that she made the attack," Finance Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters. According to Chidambaram, there was visual proof that Gandhi did not interrupt Sushma Swaraj's speech in the lower house of parliament Tuesday. The finance minister said it was sad that leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha had said she would boycott the meetings called by the speaker. "It is another sad development in democracy," said Chidambaram. Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said he had the transcript of Swaraj's speech and it did not indicate any disruption. source:agency

India has proposed to Pakistan to send Sarabjit Singh to a third country for "proper treatment"

New Delhi: Expressing concern at death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh's deteriorating condition, India has proposed to Pakistan to send him to a third country for "proper treatment" and said "every endeavour" should be made to save his life. "We are concerned at the condition of Shri Sarabjit Singh indicated by reports made available by doctors treating him in Jinnah Hospital," said a statement issued here by the external affairs ministry. "Our High Commissioner has met the Pakistan Foreign Secretary and urged the Government of Pakistan to immediately release Shri Sarabjit Singh on humanitarian and sympathetic grounds so that he can benefit from the best available treatment in India," it said. "Alternatively we have also proposed that Shri Sarabjit Singh should be sent to a third country for proper medical treatment," the statement added. "This is not the time for invoking legal and bureaucratic reasons for not taking the right steps to save a human life. We believe that every endeavour should be made to save his life," the statement said. Sarabjit, 49, had suffered critical head injuries in and unprovoked and sudden assault by four to five prisoners April 26. He has been on ventilator life support since. source:agency

Rahul Gandhi mocked the BJP's attack on the central government over corruption

Mandya (Karnataka): Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday mocked the BJP's attack on the central government over corruption, saying that the party does not talk about its former chief minister going to jail for graft in Karnataka. "Yesterday (Tuesday) they spoke in parliament about corruption, but they will not talk about it in Karnataka. They will also not say that a chief minister went to jail (over corruption charges)," Gandhi said here at a rally held as part of the campaign for the May 5 assembly polls in the state. B.S. Yeddyurappa, the BJP chief minister, was forced to quit in July 2011 over mining bribery charges. He floated the Karnataka Janata Party, which is contesting the assembly elections alone. Mandya, about 80 km from Bangalore, is considered the stronghold of the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S). Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of "mortgaging" Karnataka's rich natural resources like iron ore to the Reddy brothers and using their money to acquire power in the state. Of the three Reddy brothers, G. Janardhana Reddy has been in jail for over a year over illegal mining and export charges both in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. His brother, G. Karunakara Reddy, is contesting the assembly poll on a BJP ticket from Harapanahalli in central Karnataka. The two were ministers in the Yeddyurappa cabinet. Rahul Gandhi said that Karnataka has lost out on development in the last nine years after the Congress lost power. The last Congress government was in 1999-2004, though the party shared power with the JD-S in 2004-2006. He said only the Congress could put Karnataka back on the path of all-round development. source:agency

Actress Juhi Chawla,calls the "dhak dhak" girl her "one of the best co-stars" so far

Mumbai: Actress Juhi Chawla, who is sharing the screen space with her once arch rival Madhuri Dixit for the first time in "Gulaab Gang", calls the "dhak dhak" girl her "one of the best co-stars" so far. Loosely based on Uttar-Pradesh based Sampat Pal's "Gulabi Gang", which works for the women's betterment, "Gulaab Gang" features Madhuri in the main lead, and Juhi in a negative role. "I enjoyed working in 'Gulaab Gang' because I was working with Madhuri in the film. First time we shot the scenes with each other," Juhi said here Tuesday at the wrap-up party of the film. "I think she (Madhuri Dixit) has been one of my best co-stars," Juhi added. Juhi made her acting debut in 1986 with "Sultanat", while Madhuri started acting with 1984 film "Abodh". But both the actresses had their first commercial hits in 1988 - Juhi made it big with "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak", while Madhuri rocked the nation with her "Ek do teen" number in "Tezaab". Post that, both gave many hits - If Juhi's Oeuvre boasts of films like "Darr", "Yes Boss", "Deewana Mastana", "Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke", "Bol Radha Bol" and "Ishq", Madhuri gave blockbusters like "Dil", "Saajan", "Beta", "Ram Lakhan", "Dil To Pagal Hai" and "Devdas". Recalling the time of their rivalry, Juhi said: "There was a time when we were arch rivals and that rivalry remained for many years. We used to talk little bit. Whenever we met at any function or on the set of the film....just said 'hello' and moved ahead," the 46-year-old said. But now, putting all the rivalry aside, Juhi is really looking forward to "Gulaab Gang". "After so many years, we both have got an opportunity to work together in a film. Besides, when I accepted that the script is very strong and she (Madhuri) is the hero and I am the villain in the film, it became very easy to work in the film," Juhi said. Co-produced by Anubhav Sinha and Abhinay Deo, "Gulaab Gang" has been directed by debutante Soumik Sen. Crediting Soumik for breaking the ice between her and Madhuri, Juhi said: "Soumik did one of the best things. He called the whole gang (team) of the film and read out the script. Before the shooting of the film, he called me and Madhuri in his office and said, 'You people talk about anything, whatever you want to'." "So, that was an 'ice breaker' (between me and Madhuri) before going on the set," Juhi recalled. source:agency

Director Dibakar Banerjee wonders why a lot of filmmakers aren't attempting anthologies like "Bombay Talkies"

Mumbai: Director Dibakar Banerjee wonders why a lot of filmmakers aren't attempting anthologies like "Bombay Talkies". He feels that the concept is beneficial for filmmakers as well as for audiences. In 2006, Ram Gopal Varma's "Darna Zaroori Hai" featured six stories by six different directors - J.D. Chakravarthy, Manish Gupta, Prawal Raman, Sajid Khan, Jijy Philip and Vivek Shah. In 2007, "Dus Kahaniyaan" was a similar sort of project. Now comes "Bollywood Talkies", an amalgamation of four short films by Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap and Banerjee. It releases Friday. "I am very surprised that more ventures like this didn't happen... I am feeling very lucky to be a part of the four (in 'Bombay Talkies')," said the National Award-winning director at the special screening of the film here Tuesday. "It could have been any director from Hindi cinema. First of all, I am feeling very privileged and excited. It will only happen once in hundred years," he added. Banerjee said it is a huge benefit for him as he will get the audience of the other three directors as well. "For the audiences, it's a great benefit as when they will come to see my film, they will see a Karan Johar film, an Anurag Kashyap and a Zoya Akhtar film. I feel greatly supported as every time I will get my audience to see the film, I will also get the audience of other three directors." "That's a huge benefit and I have never got a such big audience for my film ever before," said the director, whose last film was "Shanghai". source:agency

Mumbai-based designer Kunal Rawal, has designed golden frame aviator sunglasses for actor John Abraham

New Delhi: Mumbai-based designer Kunal Rawal, who specialises in menswear, has designed golden frame aviator sunglasses for actor John Abraham. The sunglasses depict the 1980s looks and the actor will be seen flaunting these in his forthcoming film "Shootout at Wadala". Rawal said he and his team had to visit over 75 stores before he finalised the design. "The search wasn't easy for us. My team visited every nook and corner of the antique stores at Grant Road and Dadar and also Delhi, which indeed made our Bollywood hunk John Abraham complete his 1980s look," said Rawal in a statement. John was also spotted wearing the sunglasses at the launch events and film promotions. Rawal has also designed clothes and styled John and Anil Kapoor for the film, which is all set to hit theaters this Friday. source:agency

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor says she identifies with Limca's new slogan

Mumbai: Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor says she identifies with Limca's new slogan as its brand ambassador because it inspires youngsters to strive for more. The new ad's tagline is "Pyaas Badhao" and the first instalment of the campaign is already out. "The brands I represent are an extension of my personality. The sensibility of Limca as a brand is something that has resonated very strongly with me. It inspires the youth to always strive for more and that is an attribute that I have always identified with," Kareena said. Describing her association with the brand as "fantastic", she said she is excited about promoting the second leg of "Pyaas Badhao" campaign. "It's fun, heartening and has a strong connect with youth," she added. The "Jab We Met" actress is conscious about fitness and feels it is important to keep oneself hydrated during workouts. "I've always stated it's essential to keep yourself hydrated at all times and I follow this simple tip before, during and after workouts. Sometimes, rigorous workouts demand an immediate energy boost, which you could get from drinking any beverage. Plus, soft drinks are extremely refreshing in summers," she said. In the current campaign, Kareena urges youngsters to shake away complacence and strive for more important things in life. The TV commercial, which is already on air, shows Kareena motivating a young boy to express his feelings. Other than Limca, Kareena also endorses "Head and Shoulders", "Lavie Handbags" and "Sony VAIO", among others. source:agency

Mumbai court exempted Bollywood actor Salman Khan from a personal appearance in the 2002 hit-and-run case

Mumbai: A Mumbai court exempted Bollywood actor Salman Khan from a personal appearance in the 2002 hit-and-run case. The ruling was given by the sessions court, which is hearing Khan's petition challenging an order of the Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate Court, which had found him guilty on the ground that he was fully aware of the consequences of rash driving. The sessions court posted the matter for the next hearing May 8. Salman Khan has been accused of driving his Toyota Land Cruiser rashly in 2002. It rammed into a bakery in suburban Bandra, killed one person and injured four more. In February, the Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate Court, which heard the case for over a decade, held the actor guilty and ruled that charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder should be added by the prosecution. It took congnizance of the submissions made by Salman Khan's police bodyguard who testified that he had warned the actor not to speed at 90-100 kmph as there was a blind curve ahead. The actor allegedly did not heed his advice, the bodyguard said. The court also took cognizance of medical reports indicating that Salman Khan was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. Last month, Salman Khan challenged the lower court order in the sessions court, terming the order as "bad in law and erroneous". source:agency

Opposition's demand for Manmohan Singh's resignation meaningless :CPI-M

New Delhi: Terming the disruption of parliament as "match fixing" between BJP and Congress, the CPI-M Today said the opposition's demand for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation over the coal allocation issue was meaningless. "In the garb of PM's resignation demand, you are allowing the government a free hand to do whatever they want. This is one kind of match-fixing between BJP and the Congress," Communist party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters here. "Demanding the resignation is meaningless and it does not happen," he said. "Parliament is not functioning, no debate is taking place and there is no accountability. A match-fixing is going on which is helping the government to avoid debate. We want the government to be accountable to parliament," said Yechury. He said the observations made by the Supreme Court on the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) coal scam affidavit vetted by Law Minister Ashwani Kumar has "only vindicated what we are saying all along that the CBI is becoming a political arm of the government of the day and that is not in the interest of the country". "We are for an independent panel of advocates for the CBI," he said, adding: "It should be independent of the government and that is why we are suggesting that the panel of lawyers that CBI should have be independent of the government." Parliament has remained paralysed since April 22, when it met for the second half of the budget session after a month-long recess. The BJP had Monday said it would allow the Finance Bill 2013-14 to be passed in the Lok Sabha Tuesday as it did not want a "constitutional crisis". source:agency

BJP announced it would not be attending any meetings called by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar

New Delhi: Signifying a "total breakdown", the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday announced it would not be attending any meetings called by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar or the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath. Addressing a press conference, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj also attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi for inciting MPs and ministers to disrupt her speech in the Lok Sabha earlier in the morning. She also said Gandhi had no respect for democratic institutions. "It is a situation of total breakdown but the government is responsible not me," Sushma Swaraj said. She said the "countdown" for the government's fall had begun. source:agency

India remains committed to a peaceful resolution of the situation caused by Chinese incursion in Ladakh:Antony

New Delhi: India remains committed to a peaceful resolution of the situation caused by Chinese incursion in Ladakh and will take every possible step to safeguard its interests, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Monday. Addressing the Unified Commanders' Conference here, Antony said the current situation in Ladakh was not created by India. "The current situation is not one of our creation. However, we remain committed to a peaceful resolution of the situation, through military and diplomatic dialogue within the framework of the agreements for maintaining peace and tranquility," he said. "At the same time, I wish to emphasise that there should not be any doubt that the country remains unanimous in its commitment to take every possible step, at all levels, to safeguard our interests," he added. Antony said that bilateral relations with China are, at times, bedeviled by border issues, particularly along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). "The recent developments are no exception. Among the various initiatives to safeguard our border, the thrust has been on development of our border roads and advance landing grounds," he said. On April 15, a Chinese platoon set up camp 19 km inside Indian territory in Depsang Valley in Ladakh. India has tried through meetings with local military commanders and through diplomatic channels to get China to vacate the spot. China, however, insists that it has not intruded into Indian territory. source:agency

Do not associate Saradha group of West Bengal with the chit fund sector :Association of Chit Funds

New Delhi: The All India Association of Chit Funds urged the government and the media not to associate Saradha group of West Bengal with the chit fund sector, as the company was not registered as a chit fund and had business in various other sectors. "We have verified with the office of 'Registrars of Chit Funds' in Kolkata that Saradha is not registered. The company had varied business interests and what is quite glaring is that they did not float any chit fund company. Yet, their failure is attributed to chit funds," said T.S. Sivaramakrishnan, general secretary, All India Association of Chit Funds. The association claimed that the chit fund sector was being made a "scapegoat" by the government, who are feeling the public pressure following the scam involving Saradha in West Bengal. Sivaramakrishnan said chit fund companies, unlike Saradha, are not allowed to accept deposits or allowed to carry on any other businesses without permission of the registrar or from the state government, which as of now had not been given. Stating that registered chit funds companies are being "irresponsibly" maligned by the media without having proper understanding of the sector, Sivaramakrishnan said this may create panic among the citizens who may have invested in the sector, and put a multi-crore-rupee industry at stake. According to the association, there are as many as 10,000 registered chit fund companies across the country, with an annual turnover of Rs.30,000 crore. "Chit funds are perfectly legal, governed by Chit Fund Act, 1982," and administered by the state governments. Even the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have chosen this channel for their poverty alleviation programme in the country," he said. Acknowledging that there are hundreds of fraudulent companies in the country, Sivaramakrishnan said the threat can only be countered by effective coordination between the investigative, law enforcement and regulatory authorities in the country. The Association joint secretary Kamal Bhimani said chit funds are the "most over-regulated" sector in the country. "They are regulated at two levels; first by the Reserve Bank of India, the principal regulator, and by the state government." "We are not like bank. The margins on which we work and the latitudes we have is very small," he added. The association said that attributing the Saradha scam on the whole sector will only affect genuine chit funds that contribute to the economy. source:agency

Attack on Sarabjit Singh in Lahore a "pre-planned" one:Indian spy

Kolkata: A former Indian spy, who languished in Pakistani jails for two decades, Monday called the attack on death row convict Sarabjit Singh in Lahore a "pre-planned" one, carried out with the connivance of the authorities. The spy, who claims that in 1977, he was given a blank cheque to kill deposed prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, said it was impossible for death row convicts to carry out such assaults without the connivance of authorities. Bhutto was lodged in the Lahore jail at the time, after being deposed in a military coup. Having served time in a number of Pakistani jails between 1976 and 1996 on charges of being an Indian spy, Elahi said convicts on death row are kept under very strict surveillance guided by stringent stipulations in that country. "Such convicts are taken out of their cells for a walk only once a day for half an hour, and they are handcuffed. So it is impossible for a convict on death row to attack someone," Elahi, who has served time with Asif Ali Zardari, now the Pakistani president, said. Sarabjit, 49, who had been lodged in Pakistani prisons for over 22 years, suffered critical head injuries in an assault by four to five prisoners with bricks and prison plates in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore Friday. He has gone into coma, and is under treatment at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. Pakistani authorities have registered complaints against two inmates, both death row convicts. "The security is very tight, with several people guarding the convicts during the walk. No two death row convicts are taken out for walk at the same time. They are taken out turn by turn. Till one is locked in his cell, another convict waiting for the gallows is not allowed out," Elahi said. The assertion by Pakistani officials that two death row convicts led the attack does not hold water, he said. "It is neither possible for two death row convicts to attack Sarabjit together, nor is it possible for any such convict to attack Sarabjit, who also belongs to the same category," said Elahi, who still bears the scars of torture. "I have no doubt the attack was pre-planned, and there was the connivance of Pakistani officials," he said. Elahi said superintendents in Pakistani jails are all-powerful. He recalled that a jail superintendent had once inflicted burn injuries on him. "Nobody can raise a finger against them. The Indian prisoners are tortured daily. During my long stay in Pakistani jails, the prisoners were really good to me, though jail officials were hostile." Elahi, a spy of the late 1960s and 1970s, had twice crossed over to Pakistan - once via East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and once through the western border. The Kolkata-based Elahi also found it puzzling how the guards at the watch towers failed to notice such a group assault. However, he said making knives out of the spoons was common and blades could also be obtained in Pakistani jails. source:agency

Attack on Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan Sarabjit Singh "very sad" : PM

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the murderous attack on Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan Sarabjit Singh was "very sad". "Yes, it is very sad, some inmates attacked him in jail. I think that is a very sad development," Manmohan Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function at Rashtrapati Bhawan here. Sarabjit Singh was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Lahore's Jinnah Hospital after the murderous attack on him by fellow prisoners Friday afternoon. He reportedly suffered critical head injuries in the assault. He was attacked with bricks, sharp objects and plates. The reason behind the assault was not immediately known. Doctors are battling to save his life, said an official of India's external affairs ministry. The assault on Sarabjit Singh comes a few months after the death of Indian prisoner Chamel Singh in the same Kot Lakhpat Jail after he was allegedly assaulted by the jail staffers. Sarabjit Singh has been on death row in Pakistan since 1990, after being convicted by Pakistani courts for bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan cities, which left 14 people dead. Sarabjit's family claims that he had inadvertently crossed into Pakistan in August 1990 in an inebriated state and was arrested there. But police in Pakistan claimed Sarabjit Singh was involved in acts of terrorism. source:agency

Sarabjit Singh's daughter pleaded that he be shifted to a better facility from Lahore's Jinnah Hospital for treatment

Amritsar: Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh's daughter Saturday pleaded that he be shifted to a better facility from Lahore's Jinnah Hospital for treatment. Sarabjit, who was critically injured after a brutal assault on him in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat prison Friday evening, was taken to the Jinnah Hospital where doctors said that he was "critical" and in "deep coma".

"We are very concerned about his condition. The authorities should immediately shift him to a good hospital with better facilities. This (Jinnah) hospital does not have adequate facilities," Sarabjit's daughter Swapandeep said here. Sarabjit's family, comprising his sister Dalbir Kaur, wife Sukhpreet Kaur and daughters Swapandeep and Poonam, are expected to cross over to Pakistan from the Attari-Wagah border between both countries, 30 km from here, Sunday morning to be with him.
"We have got the visas and will leave tomorrow (Sunday) morning. They have given permission for one person to be with him in the hospital," said Swapandeep. "We will be satisfied once we meet him and pray that he gets well soon," she said.

Sarabjit was admitted to Jinnah hospital after being assaulted by fellow prisoners in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat prison Friday. He suffered critical head injuries in the unprovoked and sudden assault by four to five prisoners with bricks and plates.
He has been on death row in Pakistan since 1990 after being convicted by Pakistani courts for bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan, which left 14 people dead. Sarabjit's family claims he is innocent, having inadvertently crossed into Pakistan in August 1990 in an inebriated state, only to be arrested there.

Police in Pakistan however claim that Sarabjit Singh, known as Manjit Singh, was involved in terrorist strikes. In Sarabjit's hometown Bhikiwind, and in Amritsar and Patiala, people protested the vicious attack on him.
source:agency

Furnish details about the steps taken against the Saradha Group:Court

Kolkata: Barring the Saradha Group from making any financial transactions, the Calcutta High Court today asked the West Bengal government to furnish details about the steps taken against the tainted company. "The court has asked the state government to give details about the steps it has taken against the Saradha Group after it got information about financial irregularities of the company," said lawyer Subrata Mukhopadhyay, who filed the PIL on behalf of Basabi Roychowdhury. A division bench of Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice J.M. Bagchi, while hearing a PIL seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the chit fund muddle, directed the Mamata Banerjee government to furnish the details through an affidavit by May 2. "The court has also asked the CBI to give a report about steps it has taken in Guwahati where too the Saradha scam has stretched," said Mukhopadhyay adding that the court has barred the company from making financial transactions. Saradha chief Sudipta Sen, arrested Tuesday, had April 6 written to the CBI naming several high profile political leaders including a prominent Assam cabinet minister for their alleged complicity in the scam, following which Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has said his government was considering a CBI enquiry. The group, one of the largest chit fund companies in eastern India, went bust and its offices last week downed shutters, unable to repay lakhs of depositors. Sen, arrested Tuesday, is being prosecuted for cheating. The matter will come up for hearing May 3. source:agency

Bollywood :Shraddha Kapoor is proud of her father Shakti Kapoor's contribution to the film industry

Mumbai: Shraddha Kapoor is proud of her father Shakti Kapoor's contribution to the film industry and says she grew up watching his movies and often used to spend time with him on the movie sets. "I used to go with him on the sets of his films...I have grown up watching his movies. To have such an actor as my father, I cannot explain what a proud feeling it is," she told in a group interview. In three decades, Shakti has featured in over 500 films. He tasted success with "Qurbani" and "Rocky" and became one of the leading villains in filmdom. Later he moved to comedy and thoroughly entertained viewers with roles in "Raja Babu" and "Andaaz Apna Apna". Sharing her childhood days, Shraddha added: "My friends used to tease me with his characters like Raja Babu, Nandu Sabka Bandu and I used to feel nice. I used to be popular in school because of my father. So it was a good feeling." Shakti is strict, but pampers her a lot. "He is very particular about what I eat. He wants me to be on a good diet and be focussed. He is strict with me when he has to be. Otherwise he is a funny person and pampers me a lot," she said. Shakti is married to Shivangi, Padmini Kolhapure's elder sister, and they have two children - Shraddha and Siddhant - who will be seen in "Shootout At Wadala". So far she had two releases and her third movie "Aashiqui 2" is ready to hit the screens Friday. Advice on work from family members is obvious, she says. "My family gives me a lot of advice. That is a great part of having a family from the same industry. So dinner table conversations revolve around films and filmmaking. They do guide me, I would be silly not to use them," she said. She feels being a star kid has its benifit, but at the end of the day, "it's your talent, hard work, what you bring to the table and how you are able to connect with people with our own identity would take you ahead." However, she admits outsiders need a different zeal to succeed in the industry. "I feel that those who come with a dream to succeed on their own terms, their drive is different...there is a different sort of fire and drive in them," she said. Director Mohit Suri's offering "Aashiqui 2" would show her as a Maharashtrian girl and her co-star is Aditya Roy Kapoor. "I am half Maharashtrian. So I used some of personal experiences," she said. source:agency

Duped investors of the Saradha Group in Assam came out on to the streets in protest

Guwahati: After West Bengal, duped investors of the Saradha Group in Assam came out on to the streets in protest today, leading the administration to seal several offices of the company after mobs broke in and ransacked them. The protests started in Guwahati, Mangaldai and Dhubri towns of Assam, where several investors and agents took to the streets and held sit-ins in front of the offices of the Saradha Reality Limited. No company officials were, however, present in any of the offices which were found locked. Irate mobs broke in and vandalised some properties in different offices, while the company's agents, who had been facing the heat from the investors, ransacked the group's realty and agro industry in Guwahati and a biscuit factory in Dhubri. While some of the investors were yet to get the payments from the company, some of them were given cheques by the company but these bounced when deposited in banks. The employees of the group's English daily "Seven Sisters Post" and Bengali daily "Sakalbela" also complained that they had not been paid salaries for the past three months. Landlords of premises where the group's various offices were located in Zoo Road, Lal Ganesh and other areas here also alleged that they were also not paid rent before the newspapers closed down in March-April. A senior Assam Police official said there were several cases registered against the Saradha Group in different locations of the state and that police are investigating them. "Based on the complaints, we have also been raiding the offices of the Group and sealing those," the official said. Although no one could ascertain the volume of money the group collected from the state, it is supposed to be several thousand crores of rupees. The group had several offices in each of the towns and districts in Assam and thousands of agents to collect the daily, monthly or annual investments from the investors. source:agency

IPL 2013 :Chris Gayle scored the Indian Premier League's fastest century in 30 balls

Bangalore: After a spell of summer showers, it rained sixes and fours at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium here Tuesday evening under a cloudy sky as Royal Challengers Bangalore's explosive opener Chris Gayle scored the Indian Premier League's fastest century in 30 balls and highest score of 175 in 66 balls against Pune Warriors India. Put in to bat first, the West Indian southpaw lost no time in setting the stands on fire with his blitzkrieg knock that included a record 17 sixes and 13 fours and remained unbeaten after being at the crease for all the 20 stipulated overs. Returning to bat after a 30-minute break when a sudden downpour disrupted the game, Gayle raced to 50 in 17 balls with four mighty sixes and four 4s and to 100 in 30 balls with 11 sixes and eight boundaries. Feared as the most dangerous batsman in the tournament, the Jamaican beat Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan's record of scoring a century in 37 balls while playing for Rajasthan Royals against Mumbai Indians in Mumbai March 14, 2010 and equalled the half-century record of Aussie wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist, scored against Delhi Daredevils in 2009 while captaining Deccan Chargers. Pathan currently plays for Kolkata Knight Riders, while Gilchrist captains Kings XI Punjab. Not content with setting new IPL records galore or upsetting previous ones, including the fastest 150 in 53 balls, beating the 158-run in 73 balls record of Brendon McCullum of KKR against the home team in the tournament's inaugural match in Bangalore April 2, 2008, Gayle was involved in a record opening partnership of 167 runs in 13.4 overs with opening partner Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka, who hit a modest 33 in 36 balls, including five hits to the fence. At a phenomenal strike rate of 266.15 percent, another IPL record, Gayle stood rock-like at one end even as the hosts lost five wickets for a record 263 runs, beating the previous 246-run record of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) against RR in 2010. None of Pune's seven bowlers could stop the lanky hitter from going hammer and tongs after them. Warriors captain Aaron Finch, who won the toss and elected to bowl on a flat batting wicket, had given up changing bowlers after every over as Gayle was unstoppable and the fielders could do little as most of the runs from his deadly bat were coming from sixes and fours. "What a joy watching Gayle play! It was indeed a storm after rain gods opened up on a mid-summer evening. I lost count of sixes and fours he was hitting in every over he faced. He has set a benchmark for other openers and batsmen on how to play in the shorter-version of the game," beaming Ranjan Chakravarty, a director in a financial firm, told IANS in the pavilion. Surprisingly, Finch did not ask reputed all-rounder Yuvraj Singh to bowl even a single over while Gayle took all the bowlers to the cleaners and stunned a clueless Warriors and reducing the tie to a one-sided contest. "As this is the last league tie RCB is playing this month before going for (six) away games over the next fortnight, I took a half-day leave to come and watch Gayle play after I heard the home team will bat first. What an innings it was. Incredible! Never in my life have I seen such an awesome batting display, with a whopping 17 sixes. God knows, what he eats and where does he get that energy," hotelier Rashid Khan quipped. source:agency

IPL 2013:Royal Challengers Bangalore thrashed Pune Warriors

Bangalore: Royal Challengers Bangalore thrashed Pune Warriors by 130 runs to go top of the Indian Premier League (IPL) standings at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium here Tuesday. Besides scoring a record-breaking 175 off 66 balls, Chris Gayle also took two wickets in the last over of the match. Royal Challengers had earlier posted a mammoth score of 263 for five. In reply, Steven Smith was the only saving grace for the visitors, top scoring with 41 off 31 balls as Pune huffed and puffed their way to 133 for nine. source:agency

Jairam Ramesh blamed a "complicated" process of fund allocation for many ills plaguing the MGNREGS

New Delhi: Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh blamed a "complicated" process of fund allocation for many ills plaguing the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Job Guarantee Scheme, many of which have been pointed out by the CAG report tabled in parliament today. "We have created a complicated system of funds release. I have sympathy with many states. Frankly, these are imposed on us by the finance ministry," he told reporters here. Ramesh said there was a need to "rethink" on these issues affecting the central government's flagship job guarantee scheme. "I have taken this up on multiple occasions." The minister said the CAG audit which had been sought by the rural development ministry itself is only till 2011-12 and a lot of things have improved since March 2012. For example, the CAG report says that the completion rate of projects was only 30 percent, but in the last one year, there has been a significant improvement and now the figure is 54 percent, he said. Ramesh said the CAG has also said that women's participation in the workforce is very less, but there has been a significant increase in this in the last one year and the figure is now 52 percent. The states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan have a very high rate of women's participation, he added. "I don't have any problems with this report. We will take action on the discrepancies pointed out by the report," he said, adding lot of things have happened after the period of time which the CAG has audited. The minister said the CAG has also pointed out certain positive things like 90 percent beneficiaries are small or marginal farmers, 80 percent beneficiaries are Dalits, tribals and backward castes, and 63 percent say distress migration has reduced. "For me, this is a survey which gives positive indicators also," he said. Ramesh said the two major negative things pointed out by the CAG are that 30 percent do not get payment on time and in some states the wages offered by the MGNREGS were lower than the minimum wages notified by the states. The CAG report tabled in parliament Tuesday said that widespread instances of non-payment and delayed payment of wages under the MGNREGS have been noticed in 23 states. It said that "the per rural household employment declined from 54 days in 2009-10 to 43 days in 2011-12. There was also a substantial decline in the proportion of works completed in 2011-12". It said that instances of works abandoned midway or not completed for a significant period were noticed. source:agency

The Haryana government plans to extend Delhi Metro up to Manesar

Gurgaon: The Haryana government plans to extend Delhi Metro up to Manesar here and a detailed project report (DPR) for the purpose is almost complete, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said here Tuesday. After getting consent from the central government, the state government has decided to extend Delhi Metro up to the Industrial Model Township (IMT) in Manesar, Hooda said after inaugurating a five-star hotel near the Kherki Daula toll plaza. He also said that the state government is trying to solve the problem of traffic jam at Sirhol Toll Plaza here. On the 135-km Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway, he said construction of this project is being monitored by the Supreme Court and his government has been trying to complete the project at the earliest. The project has been missing deadlines for years. source:agency

President Pranab Mukherjee greeted the nation on the eve of Mahavir Jayanti

New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee Tuesday greeted the nation on the eve of Mahavir Jayanti. "On the auspicious occasion of Mahavir Jayanti, I extend my heartiest greetings and good wishes to all my fellow citizens and in particular to the Jain community," he said in a statement. Mahavir Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir, the last tirthankara (saint) of the Jains, will be celebrated Wednesday. "May the life and noble teachings of Lord Mahavira inspire us to abjure violence in thought, word and deed and to always adhere to the path of ahimsa (non-violence)," he added. source:agency

Omar Abdullah reiterated the demand for setting up a rail coach factory in Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today reiterated the demand for setting up a rail coach factory in Jammu and Kashmir for economic development of the region and fighting unemployment in the state. Addressing a meeting of the industrial advisory committee here, Abdullah said: "The setting up of a coach factory will be one of the steps to overcome the economic stress and address unemployment problem caused due to militancy during a long span of over 20 years." The chief minister said that "such an initiative by the central government is significantly needed to expand economic activities, give fillip to industrialisation and create substantial jobs for the youths". But there was no mention of obliging Abdullah on this account in the union rail budget of 2013. In November 2012 also, the chief minister, while demanding the same, had said: "The waging of militancy was against entire nation and Jammu and Kashmir was a theatre for enemies to operationalise their designs." Due to years of militancy, Jammu and Kashmir had "undergone tremendous downward dip in the economy... thousands of youths were rendered jobless and trade and industries received series jolt", he said. In order to help the state overcome industrial backwardness and economic shortcomings, he said the central government should set up a rail coach factory in the state as it was done for Punjab for the same reason. soure:agency

External Affairs Minister will travel to Almaty, Kazakhstan, to participate in the April 26 Heart of Asia ministerial conference

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister will travel to Almaty, Kazakhstan, to participate in the April 26 Heart of Asia ministerial conference on the Istanbul Process on regional security and cooperation for a secure and stable Afghanistan, an official said Tuesday. The meeting is the third ministerial-level meeting of the Istanbul Process and would see participation by 14 countries in the neighbourhood and 16 others. It would see political consultations at the ministerial level and on various confidence building measures with international troops set for drawdown in Afghanistan next year. Six CBMs were endorsed at the Kabul ministerial meeting last year, including on counter terrorism, counter narcotics, trade, commerce and investment opportunity and infrastructure and education. India had taken the lead in helping promote trade and commerce in Afghanistan and held an investment conference in Delhi last June. The CBMs will be discussed and there are plans for them to be considered, said Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin here. The conference is in the context of actions of regional organisations to ensure there is no overlap and duplication of their activities, he added. The participating countries include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan. The Istanbul Process was established in November 2011 with the initiative of Turkey and Afghanistan. source:agency