Postnoon E-Paper for 12 March 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

HOT WHEELS More than 700 car companies from across the world unveiled their latest creations at the Geneva Motor Show which began last week. We take a look at some of the cars which have made big splashes this year P16&17 Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012 HYDERABAD

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WEATHER: A MIX OF CLEAR AND CLOUDY SKIES; 28°C

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FLASH

SC NOTICE TO 7 MANTRIS, 11 BABUS The Supreme Court issued notices to seven ministers and 11 IAS officers while admitting a special leave petition filed by P Sudhakar Reddy of Nellore who alleged that they were party to issuing 26 GOs favouring YS Jagan Mohan Reddy during YSR’s regime. The ministers said they would react after receiving the notices.

DOLLAR SHARKS

GLAUCOMA’S SILENT ATTACK It usually has no symptoms but leads to a rapid and irreversible loss of vision. On the occasion of World Glaucoma Week, experts warn that early detection is the only way to prevent P18 blindness.

KRISTEN STEWART GOES TOPLESS P25

CAUGHT IN POLICE NET REPORT ON PG 3

GOT YOUR MUMMY LESSONS YET? Prenatal classes are the latest trend. Even though there has been a growing demand for such classes, many in the City have conflicting views. Can a professional ever replace friendly advice from family and doctors? P7

IN DIRE STRAITS Osmania University's Ancient Indian Studies, Culture and Archeology is a choice pick for students aspiring for civil services. But the department lacks experts, labs and associated facilities. P15

Page Two

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

SILENT PLEA

The Untouched

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Catch The Untouched, a Hindi and English translation of the Marathi play, Asprushya, by the late Subhash Sonvane.The play deals with two people in two contrasting characters. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Road No1 When: March 13, 7.30 pm onwards Contact: 98498 75920

Bengali food festival A Bengali food festival is being held at Firdaus, Taj Krishna. Sample a variety of Bengali delicacies. Where: Firdaus, Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills, Rd No1 When: Ongoing, 11.30am onwards Contact: (040) 6666 2323

Celebrating vivah Wedding shopping on your mind? Head to Celebrate Vivah 2012 — Wedding Exhibition, a luxurious wedding exhibition. The exhibition is being held from March 16 Where: Hyderabad Marriot Hotel and Convention Centre, Tank bund When: March 16 onwards, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999

Antarctica excitement A talk and discussion by Arundhati Sardesai titled Excitement on Antarctica will be held at Ravindra Bharti. Where: Ravindra Bharti, Saifabad When: March 13, 6pm onwards Contact: (040) 2323 3672

Women in India Women changing in India is an exhibition of books and paintings that depict women. The exhibition is being presented by Magnum Photos and Zubaan. Where: Kalakrithi Art Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 10 When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 6656 4466

Reflecion of women Aiana — Reflection of Women, a painting exhibition is being conducted at Kala Bhavan, Saifabad. The exhibition is by Bhavana and Sindoor. Where: Kala Bhavan/ ICCR Art Gallery, Saifabad When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2323 6398

Momo Cafe Momo Café at the Marriot

CINEMAS

On the 53rd anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day and the fourth anniversary of the 2008 mass protests in Tibet, Tibetans in Hyderabad pay tribute to those who have sacrificed for Tibet.

presents a new A-La-Carte Menu with delicacies such as Thai, Classic Western and Oriental. Where: Hyderabad Marriot, Tank Bund When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2752 2999

Calligraphic works The calligraphic works of Sri Parameshwar Raju in the exhibition titled the Lore of Belief will be displayed at Truffles Cafe. Where: Truffles Cafe, Jubilee Hills, Road No 10 When: Ongoing, 11am Contact: (040) 2355 0105

Daiquiris And Margaritas Head to Seasons Bar for Daiquiris And Margaritas with flavoured cocktail recipes. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: Ongoing, 12 pm Contact: (040) 6666-2323

Cotton and silk mela Bring out your shopping bags. Lepakshi Cotton and Silk Mela is on at Kalinga Cultural Centre. Choose from a variety of cotton and silk sarees and dress materials. Where: Kalinga Cultural Centre, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12. When: Ongoing, 11am onwards

Contact: (040) 2330 3889

Midnight Buffet Midnight hunger pangs? Head to Best Western for it’s midnight buffet where you can enjoy Hyderabadi dum biryani and live dosa with chicken curry every night. Where: Best Western Jubilee Hills, Rd No 36 When: Ongoing, 10.30pm - 2.30am Contact: 80083 00373

Art show

When: Ongoing, 7pm to 9pm Contact: 98854 04784

Go Splash Splash lounge is the perfect leisure destination for you to unwind. During the evenings, theres great music, martinis and aperitifs. Where: The Westin, Mindspace Madhapur When: Monday - Friday, 5pm - 10.30pm Weekends, 8am - 10.30pm Contact: (040) 6767 6828

Beyond Coffee plays host to an exhibition of paintings by three artists from Maharashtra — Dhananjay Sastakar, Nitin Nagare and Sanjivv Sankpal. Where: Beyond Coffee, Jubilee Hills, Road No 36 When: March 12 Contact: (040) 2354 5359

Temple Art

Acting workshop

Mystic Five

Samahaara — an acting and dancing workshop is being held to help you hone your acting skills. The workshop focusses on a variety of topics such as understanding the basics of stage acting and character analysis, stage geography etc. Where: The Actor’s studio, Madhapur

An exhibition titled, Temple town is on display at Iconart Art Gallery. The exhibition presents art work by Karunakaran & Satheesh Kanna. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: 98499 6879 Alankritha Art Gallery presents Mystic Five. The exhibition is by Anand Panchal, Arvind Kolapkar, Dilip Chaudhury, Nityam Singha Roy and Sanjay Raut. Where: Alankritha Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2311 3709

Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 447677770, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 08800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973

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$ for ` racket bared CRIME

Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

ou, who take a shortcut to get US dollars, be warned. Several gangs, claiming to be from Bengal, but suspected to be from Bangladesh, are on the prowl for suckers who fall for US dollars in exchange of Indian rupee at a concessional rate. It came to fore when the South Zone police busted two gangs that relieved several people in different places of the City offering the US currency in exchange of the Indian rupee. A couple of genuine dollars clipped on top of the bundle hide the counterfeit notes hidden under. Police caught four of two gangs while five accomplices managed to escape. ACP Falaknuma, D Chenna Hussain, said there are at least six gangs of 4-5 each. They are all young men with a glib tongue who pose as professionals deal-

ing with currency exchange. The one gang that the police netted recently has as its leader one Aslam Farooq Chowdary. He has cheated five people in the City within a span of three months. Aslam Farooq claims to belong to Balugram, Malda Balughad of West Bengal and he has been living at Afzalsagar Ameenbai mandi under Habeebnagar police station limits for the last three months. He has with him his wife and mother. Shaik Hameed, a pro-

vision shop owner at Syed Ali Chabutra area was the first victim. He managed to convince Hameed that he would provide $22,800 in lieu of `15 lakhs. As an incentive he would give his quarry a couple of genuine US dollars as bonus. The three other members identified are; Ilyas Shaik, 21, Mohd Azad Chowdary, 26, and Noor Mohammed, 32, all native of West Bengal and they all live at Maharajgunj area of Afzalgunj. Two other gang members

Saddam and Waheed are absconding, said sub inspector Shahalibanda police station. Another gang’s leaders, Vallakanti Raja and Challa Venkata Ramani, have been picked up while three of their gang are absconding. Once they con a man for a substantial sum, they relocate and live in style. They are known to use ganja and go for local sex workers. They usually locate some people who are keen on getting US dollars without hassles. They would say they stumbled upon the currency bundles by chance and they want to help the needy at a lesser exchange rate. “How people fall for this kind of nonsense surprises me,” remarked Reddy. N Venkatesham, a sub inspector of Shahalibanda police station said that they are not necessarily from Bengal. They could be from across the border or from Kerala or Tamil Nadu. The notes are printed on waste papers, yellowish in colour. Police are after the remaining gangs, Venkatesham said.

CRIME BRIEFS Three die in tractor, auto collision KADAPA: Three people died when a tractor and a threewheeler collided head on at the Eedula Vanka bridge near Sundupalli in the Sundipalli – Rayavaram road. Both the vehicles fell in the canal. Police said the deceased were identified as tractor driver Ganapati and auto passengers Papulamma and Jayamma. Officials said that there could be more casualties as passengers of both the vehicles were buried under the sand being carried by the tractor.

Kidnapped boy found, 3 arrested HYDERABAD: The police have succeeded in tracing the boy who was kidnapped from the City on Friday night. According to reports, the police found that Manikantha, the boy who was kidnapped from Vaidehinagar of Vanasthalipuram in Hyderabad was found in Holia of Anumula mandal of Nalgonda district. They have taken into custody all the three kidnappers.

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Smart signals to light up your day TRAFFIC Indira Atluri Indira.a@postnoon.com

n a traffic signal post, to an ordinary commuter, there are three symbols — the gleeful green, the alluring amber and the raging red. Hyderabad’s amber lights however are usually more lethargic — never really ‘showing up’ when they need to. The obvious result is people accidentally jumping signals, making their fright the traffic police’s delight. And then would begin the ‘Who dunnit’ game that could run into minutes and hours, depending on the energy levels of the motorist and the policeman on that given day. Says Praneeth Mandava, a resident of Madhuranagar who commutes to his office in Banjara Hills, “The traffic signal opposite the Taj Krishna is a nightmare. The green does not work many times, and I am confused if I should go or not. The police know it is a problem with the signaling system, so I am spared of the trouble of arguing, but still every pass is worrisome.”

Better days ahead? However, all’s not lost. Additional commissioner of police for traffic, CV Anand has some good news for us. “We are aware of the inconvenience because of the sig-

nal problems. It is a 20-year-old signaling system we use currently — the wires are old, and the poles on which they stand are older. But this is all set to change with the new signaling project called the Hyderabad Traffic Integrated Modern Systems, which is being launched in association with Bharat Electronics Limited located in Nacharam. With the new UPS system in place, signals will run 24 hours, there will be a central management of signals and the connectivity will be excellent.” B Surya Chandar, traffic inspector for Jubilee Hills, is candid. “The repair process is on for signals. We are aware of the problematic areas and are trying our best to give the motorists the space for plausible technical glitches. Soon, we will be trained on the new signal systems beforehand so by the time they are established, we are completely trained. It is good to hear that the automated signaling system will be equipped with sensor systems that would detect the amount of traffic flow at a junction.” A senior police officer in the city elaborated on the new system as he told us, “BEL has a proven track record of similar projects in Bangalore, with participation even in Chennai. The tender process was conducted by Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority HMDA and the Andhra Pradesh Technological Services APTS, both of which come with

great expertise in their fields. BEL will conduct the traffic flow study before setting up the systems, and prioritize roads with more volume of traffic. The areas that will benefit are 222 junctions of the Greater Hyderabad area, and within a year, all the signals will be fully-functional. The next six months will see completion of work in 110 junctions.

No Traffic engineers? Says the senior police officer, “It has been years since Hyderabad has ever had traffic engineers with the Central Road Research Institute and private agencies who study the traffic flow. We can only see volume, but not count volume. And we only take recommendations vaguely. But BEL’s study will hopefully change the current scenario.”

Zebra Crossing an issue According to reliable sources, 70 junctions have been identified for setting up barricaded footpaths with only a passage open for zebra crossing, and supported by a signal. GHMC plays a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the initiatives. With a traffic system that is infamous, the new system could put an end to synonyms like disorganised, mismanaged and nightmarish, to improved and maybe later, perfected. Hyderabad is perhaps on the way to that elusive perfection.

It pays to be a GHMC taxpayer, really! Details of prizes Sl. No Prizes No. of prizes Details `1 lakh 1 Bumper prize 1 No. `50,000 2 I 1 No. `25,000 3 II 4 Nos. `10,000 4 III 10 Nos. `5,000 5 IV 20 Nos. `2,000 6 Consolation Prizes 775 Nos Total Prizes 811 Nos. Total prize money

Helpline GAS BOOKING IVRS NO: HP 9666023456 Indane 9848824365 BSNL Complaints HMWS & SB Complaints

198 155313

POLICE CONTROL ROOM: Hyderabad 27852435 Traffic Control Room 27852482 DCP Traffic 23234065, 23243499F Pollution Control Board 23887500 ELECTRICITY: General Complaints Breakdown Section

155333 23431178 23431179 MUNICIPAL CORPORATION: Commissioner & Spl Officer 23262266

Amount `1,00,000/`50,000/`1,00,000/`1,00,000/`1,00,000/`15.50 lakhs `20.00 lakhs

24166666R ENC 23225267 Engineering 23220418 MCH Tankbund 23225397 Emergency MCH Circle I&II 24525842 MCH Circle III 24736912 MCH Circle IV 23326975 MCH Circle V 23326976 MCH Circle VI MCH Complaints 1100 Head Office 23225397 IVRS CUM MANUAL ENQUIRY PHONE NUMBERS (TRAIN & RESERVATION) RAILWAYS Rail Nilayam 27833169, 27824216 Railway Information 131 Reservations 135 Recorded Information 1345 Enquiry (IVRS) 1331, 1332, 1333

CIVIC Md Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com

n an attempt to encourage prompt payment of property tax from over 12 lakh property owners in GHMC limits and encourage them by providing incentives, commissioner of the corporation MT Krishna Babu has

WATER SUPPLY: Complaint Cell Sewerage Complaint Hyd. Water Supply HOSPITAL: General Hospital, Sec-bad Niloufer Hospital, Red Hills NIMS, Director, Punjagutta Osmania General Hospital Railway Hospital, Lalaguda Apollo, Jubilee Hills Care Hospital, Banjara Hills Care Hospital, Nampally Care Hospitals, Musheerabad Care Hospital, Sec-bad Kamineni Hospital,

announced a lucky draw to the tax payers for the year 2011-12. The draw consists of a bumper prize of `1 lakh, first prize of `50,000, four second prizes of `25,000, 10 third and 20 fourth prizes. It also consists of 775 consolation prizes with a prize money of `2,000 each. The total prize money is fixed at `20 lakh and it is being sponsored by State Bank of Hyderabad. The prize winners from among the tax payers

LB Nagar 155313 23307328 23313163 27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666

BLOOD BANKS: Blood Bank,Narayaguda Chiranjeevi Blood Bank Blood Bank Mediton Goal Red Cross, Vidyanagar ADRM Blood Bank Mythri Charitable Trust NTR Memorial Trust Care Banjara Hills

39879999 27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445

AMBULANCES Apollo 23548888, 23607777 Kamineni 24022222 Medwin 23202902, 23204616 Smile Line Dental Hospital 23747979 Red Cross 27627973 Niloufer Hospital 23314095 Gandhi 23320332

will be selected through a lucky draw. According to the commissioner, the residents who pay their tax before the end of this month (March 31, 2012) are eligible to participate in the lucky draw. Property tax defaulters, tax payers with arrears, government properties and corporation employees are not eligible to participate in the lucky draw. A total of 811 prizes are up for grabs for the property tax payers in the lucky draw.

AIRLINES Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec’bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999

UK Visa Office VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7 Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222

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More brickbats than bouquets for Jagan POLITICS A Saye Sekhar saye@postnoon.com

t’s been a year since YS Jagan Mohan Reddy formed a new political outfit and christened it after his late father YS Rajasekhara Reddy, though the acronym of the YSR Congress is expanded as Yuvata, Sramika, Rythu Congress. In his chequered journey, he has received more brickbats than bouquets. Jagan has the gift of the gab to speak the people’s language and also take on his rivals. But, there are too many detractors for him than anybody in the State polity. Though for wrong reasons, he hits the headlines every other day in several newspapers, especially the vernacular dailies, thanks to the ‘class war’ amongst them. Either Jagan himself or his group or, for that matter, his newspaper could never refute any of the allegations made against him. They

instead, chose to bank on counterallegations that Chandrababu Naidu and other detractors indulged in fraudulent practices. While calling the opponents names is common in politics, what remains a million-dollar question is that why doesn’t the party stoutly deny allegations. Another major setback for the party is the High Court’s direction to the CBI to probe into the charges against Jagan. Simultaneously, three different cases, all pointing at Jagan, are now under investigation and newspapers are filled with cov-

HUDCO loan in process for City water WATER U Srinivas

erage on details of investigations. Jagan and his mother YS Vijayalakshmi’s resounding victory in by-elections from their native constituencies was indeed an achievement. However, he could not hold his flock of 34 MLAs together and the number dwindled by half and all of them voted against the government in the no-confidence motion. This led to their losing Assembly membership. The YSRC scored a brownie point by winning three MLC seats in the local authorities’ quota last year, embarrassing the Congress. But it could not gain the support of many credible leaders. Those who shot into senior positions were second-rung leaders of the Congress in YSR’s regime. Marking the first anniversary, Jagan hoisted the party flag and said that he stuck to his promise made in Kurnool to console the families which suffered bereavement soon after YSR’s death. The fledgling party will be testing the electoral waters first in Kovur and then in the 17 constituencies.

srinivas.u@postnoon.com

hief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has said that the government is negotiating for a loan with Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) for Godavari and Krishna water projects of the twin cities. Responding to MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi during the question hour in the Assembly on Monday, the chief minister said, “I am as much a Hyderabadi as you are and equally concerned about the drinking water needs of the City. We are working on that.” Municipal administration minister Maheedar Reddy must visit the Osman Sagar and other fresh water reservoirs and see the plight of the people. Water in these reservoirs must be purified, said MIM MLA Virasat Rasool Khan. Lok Satta leader Jayprakash Narayan sought to know what

happened to the underground drainage system works. He said that the water was getting contaminated. The drainage system has to be modernised and the WALTA must be implemented, he said. Malakpet MLA Balala said there were no purification facilities at Miralam Tank. Congress MLA Damodar Reddy said even behind CM’s residence, there was no proper purification facility. Uma Madhava Reddy of the TDP said her party government brought Krishna water. Nominated MLA Christine Lazarus wanted supply of drinking water for the home for the aged and the orphanages. Minister Maheedhar Reddy said more water projects were under consideration to meet requirement. The Krishna phase III will not be delayed while the Godavari water line would be 186 km long. By 2017, the Krishna and Godavari projects would be completed, he assured. MIM MLA Pasha Quadri said that the power shutdown has become a major issue for water supply too.

It’s a TRS-TDP battle Postnoon News

ai Telangana slogans, written on the walls during the agitation, are still visible on the walls across Kamareddy Assembly constituency. Irrigation and drinking water are the main issues for the by-election and it could be well be the deciding factor. Ever since the wave of Telangana agitations and the related resignations began, elections have become a routine While same names keep coming back under different flags, its only natural that the voters are not very enthusiastic. Kamareddy has a substantial agriculture base and some segments of the population are dependent on NRI remittances from the Gulf keep. Though the caste factor is important, many feel that this time the Telangana agitation has stolen the limelight. Gampa Govardhan, who switched loyalties to ride on the T wave is contesting on TRS ticket. Govardhan, is lacking cadre this time, unlike in the 2009 election. The main fight is between the TRS and the TDP. The TDP candidate Nittu Venugopal, on the other hand, focussing on the micro issues. He is promising borewells to quench the thirst of poor — something that would find takers when scorching summer is bearing down hard. Adequate safe drinking water has been the long pending problem here. This time the BJP is not in the race but it has to be seen if the BJP votes could go to TRS. Congress candidate Yedla Raji Reddy claims that formation of a separate

Telangana State will be possible only with help of the Congress. Some say a miracle could see the Congress scrape through with a slender margin. Mohammed Ali Shabbir would have been in the race if he was not trying for the Rajya Sabha in the name of minority quota.

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6 Months Hyderabad’s first afternoon newspaper Kamareddy Main contestants Gampa Goverdhan reddy TRS Yedla Raji Reddy Congress Nittu Venugopal TDP Total electors 1,99,298 Votes polled 1,44,914

Party TDP Cong PRP BJP

Votes polled in 2009 elections Candidate Votes Gampa Goverdhan 86,986(winner) Md Ali Shabbir 56,952(second) Vittal 8,802 Muralidhar Goud 3,082

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CLASSIFIEDS

REAL ESTATE

FABRICATION

GACHIBOWLI TO VATTINAGULAPALLY ORR FACING HOUSING PLOTS FOR SALE. NEAR MICROSOFT, WIPRO, ICICI, INFOTECH, KOKAPET IT SEZ. CONTACT - 9989354333

The City screams, can you hear it?

MODULAR KITCHEN

COMPUTERS

POLLUTION Rahul Ramakrishna feedback@postnoon.com

Excise raids conducted by ACB

CB authorities are continuing their raids on excise officials in Adilabad, K h a m m a m , Warangal and Kurnool districts along with officials of the Task Force. ACB has already taken seven officials into its custody on charges of involvement in the liquor scam.

ith blaring horns, deafening construction works, fireworks, wedding processions and now the work on metro rail, there seems to be no respite from noise as the City continues to covet its second place on the list of the noisiest cities in India. Noise levels in the City have gone much beyond the stipulated hearing limit, highlighting the need for stricter and efficient norms. While statistics provided by the AP Pollution Control Board indicate blaring noise levels that have gone beyond the prescribed limits, doctors have registered a rise

in the number of cases related to hearing loss and ear-related problems. Nagendra Mahendra , ENT specialist at Yashoda Hospitals, Somajiguda said: “Most of the patients with hearing loss or partial hearing are young. The trend in these cases is that the victim is often unaware of his/her hearing loss until the audiometry check, by when it is too late.” Although the effects may not show up instantly, it gradually leads to problems like dementia, sleep disorders and even cardio-vascular issues. The PCB had installed monitoring systems in the past to log noise levels and study the amount of sound pollution in the city. K V Ramani, joint chief scientist for the APPCB, said: “We have two kinds of monitoring systems — continuous monitoring systems and handheld monitoring systems. Some of the continuous monitoring systems have been installed in places like Punjagutta, where real time data is stored and studied.” Thanks to these systems, the PCB has been able to provide data that shows shocking levels of noise pollution. While the average and peak levels in the City have gone drastically beyond the stipulated limit of 65dB, citizens feel there is a need to ‘calm down’ and pacify our lifestyle. Anuj Rao, an engineer says, “The noise levels give me a headache . There seems to be no end to this problem.” While some feel there is no initiative by the police, others feel that the problem should be tackled at the grass root levels. Apurva, a student says, “I think we should stop excessive ‘honking’. This will probably help us in drastically reducing the amount of noise we create on the streets.”

Average noise levels in December 2011: Abids 80.47 dB

Punjagutta 80.99 dB

Abids 93 dB

Punjagutta 94 dB

Paradise 80.6 dB

Charminar 80.66 dB

Zoopark 46.99 dB

KBR Park 46.92 dB

Average 69.44 dB

KBR Park 59 dB

Average 82.17 dB

Peak noise levels in December 2011 Paradise 94 dB

Charminar 93 dB

Zoopark 60 dB

City gets a refreshed taste of royalty Isha Mukoo Isha.m@postnoon.com

yderabad has always beamed about its heritage and royal history and the smile just got broader with the addition of one more memorable page in it’s history; “City Museum” in Purani Haveli. The museum was inaugurated yesterday by Chief Justice, High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Madan Bhimarao Lokur who was the Guest of Honor, at the Jubilee Hall. The occasion also witnessed the presence of Prince Muffakham Jah, the Chairman of the HEH the Nizam’s Jubille pavilion trust and the trustees of the Nizam’s Jubilee pavilion trust.

Spell it right Postnoon news

n interschool spelling competition was held at the Oxford book store located in The Park yesterday. Students from different schools like Mother’s integral, St Ann’s and Ravindra Bharti participated in the competition. The first round took place yesterday for the students of class 4 to 6 and another one for the class 7 to 10. Mr Murthy Korlapati, the director of the Linguist who organised this competition feels these competition helps students get their spellings right. Three more rounds will be held followed by a final round which will be an oral competition. The winner will be given a cup or a shield and the participants will be given certificates for their participation. M ANIL KUMAR

THE FACES OF HYDERABAD Ashok Reddy, Mill owner

hen one looks at Ashok Reddy, you can’t make out his features because he is covered in a fine film of flour from head to toe. Even his eyelashes are coated with flour. Since 2006, Ashok has been a flour mill operator and owner. Before this, he had been a farmer. Ask him why he switched professions and this native of Mahbubnagar says that agriculture back home was only making him incur losses. So, he took his family and migrated

Aishwarya Yerra A city is defined by the people who live and work in it. Here we take a look at the human threads that make up our urban tapestry

to Hyderabad. He took the machine on lease from his brother-in-law who was also kind enough to teach him how to operate it. Today, he is an expert at it and grinds almost 50-100 kg of grain a day. His wife also helps him at work. They charge `3 per kg of grain. He works from 18 hours a day so that he can get his children educated and give them a better future. Ashok is presently content with what he earns and says he will continue in this profession.

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Got your mummy lessons yet? Prenatal classes are the latest trend. But even though there has been a growing demand for such classes, many in the City have conflicting views. Can a professional ever replace friendly advice from family and doctors? SHREYA SEN

things that may be left out by doctors or family,” she says. Anju Nitin, mother of two agrees. “I may not have attended any of these classes during my pregnancy, but it pays to be more informed about the nuances of motherhood. Despite elders offering advice, at times the job is better done by professionals. It helps expectant parents be better prepared,” she says. However, there are a few who firmly believe that these classes are not an absolute necessity. “During the initial stages of my pregnancy I did want to sign up for some prenatal classes. But I found the tips given by my mother-in-law and family were more than enough to prepare me for the process. I had my baby last week and I sailed through my pregnancy based purely on advice given by my parents — just like my mother and everybody else before us did,” says Suman Aggarwal, a new mother.

HEALTH Ranjani Rajendra ranjani.r@postnoon.com

ewind 10 years back: A woman learns she is pregnant with her first baby. There’s much rejoicing and celebrating in the family. Everybody from her mother, well-meaning relative to the friendly neighbourhood aunty steps forward with a ton of advice on how to sail through pregnancy. It could range from eat for two, look at pretty baby pictures, try and stay active, spend a few minutes every day praying, keep your mind calm and happy etc to have a bonny baby. Fast forward 2012: When a couple learns they are pregnant, the first thing they do is glean the internet for all possible information. Signing up for prenatal classes of course is the next best thing to do. After all given the nuclear family set up these days it is hard to always have an elder to rely on all the time. An antenatal class helps provide support and confidence to face childbirth. Prenatal classes provide not just information on how to deal with the various stages of pregnancy, labour and early parenthood, they also help prepare the expectant mother through yoga, Lamaze, lactation tips etc. The Birthplace Healthcare Private Limited is one such center that helps sensitise couples towards the importance of prenatal care for the baby’s and mother’s wellbeing. K Latika, pre-natal yoga specialist at Birthplace says, “Yoga plays a role in birthing as it helps strengthen birthing muscles and also helps relax the mother.

Lamaze for expectant moms

Studies have shown that this helps the baby and also the motherbaby connect is stronger.” The classes which will also offer expert tips on Lamaze and lactation were the brainchild of Tarun Siripurapu, who is also expecting his first child soon. “For a lot of people these classes may be fancy, but there are an equal number of people who are looking for information from professionals. Tiny details that may be left out by family can be gotten here,”

Expectant mothers listen to experts at Birthplace.

he says. While a few years back, such classes were virtually unheard of in our country, the trend is now catching on here. “The concept of prenatal classes is very popular in the West and the trend is slowly catching on in upmarket areas here. It will however, take time for it to gain acceptance widely. These classes may be good to help expectant couples gear up for parenthood but nothing can prepare them for

the real deal. Most people learn from experience. Besides everybody is different and prepares differently for life situations,” says Dr Divya T Sudershan, gynaecologist and obstetrician at Happy Women Clinic. But for Shantelle K, a first-time expectant mother, these classes are the perfect answer to all her questions. “Everybody comes forth with various tips. But we needed somebody who’d tell us exactly what is going to happen;

amaze aims to support natural, safe, and healthy birth through education. These practices include avoiding unnecessary inductions; allowing labouring mothers freedom to move around; allowing women access to labour support partners; avoiding unnecessary medical interventions; avoiding supine birthing positions; and not separating the mother and the baby after birth in order to facilitate better breastfeeding relationships. Lamaze classes are safe at any point in pregnancy, but best to start around 20 - 25 weeks. — Robin Hayter, Lamaze expert

Ratan Jalan, founder and principal consultant of Medium Healthcare.

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Hyper Local

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Biological diversity is essential to sustain life on earth but man has brought so much misery to other lives that this beautiful blue planet is on its way to become another Venus. ‘Stop this’ says CBD

ENVIRONMENT PK Surendran surendran.pk@postnoon.com

t the end, only Dharmaputra remains alive. All his great warrior-brothers lay dead at a lakeshore. He wails and pray god to kill him too or bring his brothers back to life. The Yaksha appears and stipulates that if Dharmaputra answers right five questions, his dead brothers would be alive again. One of the questions was: “What is the most astonishing thing in this world”? Dharmaputra answered, “Seeing and knowing that people all around are dying every day man goes on indulging in sensuous pleasures and amassing wealth ignoring the fact that round the corner death awaits him too. Yaksha brought Pandavas back to life. This, the man continues to do — a studied stupidity and a

Who lives if earth dies? tragedy. He plays not god but devil with other creatures, arrogantly thinking that he is immortal and he doesn’t need them but they need him. The fact is each species from the invisible bacteria

to the elephant has a role in sustaining life on this planet. Removal of one leads to an imbalance like a tipped scale. Today, human population is increasing leaps and bounds and plants and animals are dwindling correspondingly. What’s the upshot? The life’s cycle is generation> degeneration> regeneration. One leads to the other in a cycle. When one species (human) blocks or sever others in their natural cycle, decay and disaster awaits to the entire system. Chemical fertilizer and pesticides kill earthworms and bacteria that fertilise the soil. The chemical residue enters animals and man and lead to cancer and other diseases. We conducted genocide on frogs; result is swarming mosquitoes. We killed snakes to the verge of extinction; the result is phenomenal increase in rodent population. We add millions of tons of CO2 to atmosphere; the result is climate disaster, and so on. Prey and predators work the nature’s system. One is a check on the other and when one species goes extinct so much imbalance is created that leads to unhealthy life and eventual death. If we reckon the world as a tapestry and each species its fabric, each extinction means snapping of one fabric, and more fabric is severed the tapestry itself is destroyed. This is why we must preserve biological diversity. It’s

COUNTDOWN TO 11TH CBD

for our own sake, we are doing no charity to other creatures. It is estimated that 100 species of plants are disappearing every day. Hundreds and hundreds of living creatures have already disappeared due to scientific man’s overdrive. We must understand that extinction of every single species is one more nail in the human coffin. In the next 100 years, natural habitat of most wild species will be gone unless deliberate efforts are taken.

A flicker at the end of tunnel At last, some light. In 1992 at the first Earth Summit at Rio, the collective conscience of the world

arose. We need to follow a “sustainable development” — meeting our needs while ensuring that we leave a healthy and viable world for future generations, it was agreed. One of the key agreements adopted at Rio was the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), whose task was evolving an legally binding international treaty. But, man being what he is, the impending ecological disaster has still not made him act swiftly. Down the line, the only positive thing happened is that we agree the need to limit our atrocity for our own sake. But how to achieve this or who pays how much is not yet decided. The ongoing conventions are an effort to find answer to this conundrum. The UN has declared the period from 2011 to 2020 as the UNDecade on Biodiversity. Nearly 192 countries are party to the CBD. In sum, the task of CBD is to find out sustainable use of earth’s resources in an equitable manner. Countries have to come to legally binding accords on this. What imperils the CBD is the non-cooperation of the USA. Serious threat to Earth’s natural flora and fauna has led to the rapid loss of species and habitat loss. Only four nations in the world are non-parties: Andorra, Iraq, Somalia, and the USA. Hyderabad plays a historical role in October this year. (Tomorrow: Why Hyderabad?)

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Supply growth hits hotels SECTOR REVIEW/HOSPITALITY

Prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

t can be a place of recreation for those who can spend, and for those in need it is a shelter and also a joint to satiate their hunger. Content is constant, but class differs. So what? Hospitality lies in the warmth a guest enjoys more than the physical amenities. As it has grown in size over the decades, the industry provides employment to lakhs of people directly and indirectly. But now it is grappling due to the rollercoaster movement of business cycles, increase in supply and drop in demand. There are 35,000 hotels in the State, including 15,000 in the twin cities. Political agitations and government policies caused a dent in the growth of the industry. Interestingly, if not ironically, new hotels are emerging in the City, creating more supply than the demand, hampering the growth. The occupancy rate is as low as 40 per cent in budget hotels and 50 per cent in the luxury hotels. There is a 10 per cent growth in the occupancy in last three months alone, thanks to the absence of political agitations in the City, says GV Krishnaiah, President, AP Hotels association. “The low occupancy ratio has impacted the industry. However, we could minimize the damage with events’ business such as weddings and social functions and congregations,” said Chakravarthi Raju, Chairman and managing director, Leonia group, (LICEC).

There is a huge gap in supply and demand of hotel rooms. If the demand is growing at 8-9 per cent every year, the supply is growing at 25 per cent in the City. However, the demand in the country is growing at 10-12 per cent, compared to supply of 20-30 per cent, according to the head of sales of a leading chain of hotels in the country. It may be recalled that Managing Director and CEO of

Sensex zooms up MUMBAI: The BSE benchmark Sensex rallied by almost 269 points in opening trade on Monday following the cash reserve ratio cut by the Reserve Bank of India on Friday. Brokers said fresh buying in stocks available at lower levels amid a better trend in Asian region also influenced the markets. The 30-share barometer rose by 268.86 points, or 1.54 per cent, to 17,772.10 in opening trade. The Sensex had gained nearly 357 points in the previous session. Stocks in the consumer durable, banking, IT, capital goods, technology, refinery, auto, and metal sectors led the rally. Similarly, the broad-based National Stock Exchange Nifty

index also gained 88.35 points, or 1.54 per cent, to 5,421.90. In a surprise move, the RBI on Friday cut the cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 0.75 percentage point to infuse liquidity in the system.

Rupee down 6 paise The rupee depreciated by 6 paise to trade at `49.90 against the dollar on the Interbank Foreign Exchange market in early trade on Monday, on fresh demand from importers for the American currency. Forex dealers said weakness in euro and other Asian currencies against the dollar overseas also weighed on the rupee’s value.

Taj Group Raymond N Bickson said in an interview to Postnoon a few weeks ago that more than 60 per cent of occupancy in the star hotels came from foreign travellers. The room capacity went up from 67,000 to 1.30 lakh in the last nine years. He said that it takes at least three to four years to set up a hotel by acquiring 120 permits. The luxury hotels that are coming up in the City were initiated around 2007. Major hotel chains

cannot shelve the projects. Even the growth in domestic travel did not help the Industry. “People are travelling more, but the duration of their stay has declined. They are not staying for three to four days, as earlier. The travellers visiting the City are returning the same evening,” says Krishnaiah. Growth in domestic travel is attributed to growth in tourism. However, the State is not a major

tourist destination either. Almost 85 per cent of the customers are on corporate visits and the rest 15 per cent constitutes tourists, says the head of sales of another star hotel chain. The luxury hotels may withstand temporary losses with a hope to gain profits in the long run. However, it is extremely difficult for small and budget hotels to sustain, as they need to do regular debt servicing. The hotels are unable to pay bank loans promptly with the 40 per cent occupancy. The hotels need to have at least 65 per cent occupancy for a breakeven, says Krishnaiah. The government has increased value added tax to five per cent, compared to 4 per cent in Karnataka and 2 per cent in Tamil Nadu. The property tax is also more than doubled to hotels in the State. This will impede the collection of taxes and increase corruption. The corruption has already peaked in granting licences in various departments. Especially, the government officials are to be paid for the formalities while granting trade licences, irrespective of accuracy in following the procedures, he said. The government is clearing the budget deficit by simply increasing taxes without looking at the status of industry and people’s paying capacity for the hotels. The industry cannot see growth without change in the policies, slashing of taxes and simplifying the procedures. Hotel industry in Hyderabad has a bright future, if there is a healthy political situation, he said.

Thiagarajan elected Budget tip president of RAMA Postnoon News

It’s an income-expenditure statement inance minister plans the expenditure for the year ahead taking into account the income from various sources at the beginning of every financial year. Every ministry submits a proposal with their requirement of allocation. The Parliament discusses the proposals threadbare and approves of it by putting the same to vote. If the Opposition parties have any objections, they raise cut motions seeking deletion of a few things. Depending on the seriousness of such issues, the government would take a call.

HYDERABAD: B Thiagarajan, president, air-conditioning and refrigeration products group of Blue Star, has been elected the president of the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Manufacturers’ Association (RAMA). He will hold the position for two years. Thiagarajan said that he would work closely with the bureau of energy efficiency to take the energy labelling programme to next phase of implementation. He would also be establishing testing standards for various central air-conditioning equipment in close collabora-

tion with Indian society of heating, refrigerating and air-conditioning engineers (ISHRAE). Thaigarajan stated that he would work with Union Government and Ministry of Environment and Forests for the betterment of the industry.

India‑View

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

India unveiled

Do non-Kashmir stuff: Aziz Manish Chand

NEW DELHI: Sartaj Aziz, a former Pakistani foreign and finance minister, says India and Pakistan should focus on resolving “doable non-Kashmir issues” like Siachen and Sir Creek and increase bilateral trade to $10 billion amid a renewed debate in his country on putting trade above what Islamabad calls “the core issue” of Kashmir. “We should try to resolve non-Kashmir issues. On issues like Siachen and Sir Creek, a lot of work has been done. They are doable,” Aziz, who was Pakistan’s foreign minister at the time of the 1999 Kargil war, told IANS in an interview here. “We have moved from confidence building measures (CBMs) to trade and now is the time to resolve these issues,” said Aziz, who was in India to attend the Asian Relations Conference on “Transforming South Asia” organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) at Sapru House. “If we can resolve some of these issues, the atmospherics will be changed radically,” said Aziz, a Harvard-educated economist who is now vice-chancellor of Beaconhouse National University in Pakistan. “Kashmir is a multi-dimensional problem. It can’t be resolved at one stroke. It will take some more time,” said the 83year-old Aziz. “Intra-Kashmir trade, CBMs and cross-LoC travel should increase to create the right atmospherics,” he said, reflecting a growing congruence of views between India and

Pakistan on creating a soft border as a solution to the contentious Kashmir issue. Aziz’s comments acquire added significance in view of the raging debate in Pakistan sparked by foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar’s remarks earlier this week in which she voiced a desire on Pakistan’s part to recalibrate its relationship with India by giving trade and peace a chance. This was interpreted by some as Pakistan putting Kashmir on the back-burner. Pakistan’s foreign office, however, clarified Friday that it was not putting the “core issue” of Kashmir on the back-burner as it works to normalise trade ties with India, and stressed that any final settlement between the two neighbours would be linked to realising the “aspirations of the Kashmiri people.”

Aziz struck an upbeat note about the prospects of stronger economic ties between India and Pakistan and stressed that the decision of Pakistan to grant the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status will help improve bilateral trade and create a larger constituency for peace. “India has to fast-track the removal of non-tariff barriers. The MFN status will become formalised after India does its bit,” he said. He predicted that bilateral trade can more than triple to $10 billion in five years if both sides continue trade liberalisation. An influential politician who opposed Pakistan’s nuclear tests in response to India’s Pokhran-II in 1998, Aziz underscored the necessity of greater economic integration in South Asia in the wake of the continuing global

economic downturn. “The only way to save ourselves from the adverse consequences of the global recession is to create our own internal dynamic blocs. If SAARC can become an ASEAN-like bloc, the prospects of growth and development in South Asia for the next decade are much better,” he said. Reflecting the changed atmospherics in the India-Pakistan relations, Aziz said the constituency for peace has enlarged across both sides of the border. “The trust deficit has gone down. Across the border, people of both countries want peace. There is a positive opportunity to move the peace process forward.” “There are extremist constituencies on both sides. Hawks are powerful in both countries. The civilian and democratic leadership has not done enough to bring them in line. We need a change of mindset across the spectrum,” stressed Aziz, also the author of “Between dreams and realities: some milestones in Pakistan’s history.” Amid anxieties about the future of democracy and the fragility of the civilian government in Pakistan, Aziz said democracy was getting stronger in his country. “Across the spectrum, all political parties are agreed that the military’s role in politics should be eliminated. The democratic roots are getting stronger,” he said. “The military has learnt its lessons; there is an increasing realisation that the country came worse off after every spell of military rule. There is a greater mass support for democracy,” he said.

Man-animal conflict on rise in Rajasthan JAIPUR: In a sign of intensifying man-animal conflict in parts of Rajasthan, four persons were killed in animal attacks in less than one month, jerking the government into action. Morpali Meena (55) and Ashfaq (20) were mauled by tigers in Ranthambore National Park area in Sawaimadhopur on February 16 and March 8 respectively. In Dholpur, a bear killed middle aged men Rambabu Gujjar and Tej Singh Kushwaha and injured a few others in March. The animal was later killed by villagers. Expressing concern over the incident, state Forest Minister Bina Kak said, “I am worried with this rising trend (of man-animal conflict) and have directed officials to make more efforts for controlling such incidents. “I have asked officials to increase the height of the forest wall around Ranthambhore park from existing six feet to stop illegal entry of people who go there to collect firewood,” she said. “Tracking of wild animals, particularly those of big cats, will also be strengthened and senior officials will have to monitor the activity closely,” she said. Forest officer of Dholpur, Jai Prakash, said the body of the bear has not been recovered so far and it is suspected to have been burnt. PTI

Mass wedding in ‘village of prostitutes’ VADIA: Eight young women whose mothers are sex workers were married in a so-called ‘village of prostitutes’ in India on Sunday under a plan to save them from being pushed into the world’s oldest profession. The event, held in the village of Vadia in the western state of Gujarat, was organised by Vicharta Samuday Samarthan Manch (VSSM), a non-profit group which works with marginalised nomadic communities. The brides, all aged 18 or slightly older, were dressed in colourful saris with their grooms wearing fantail turbans as loud drummers accompanied the wedding party. Women from Vadia village have worked in the sex trade for generations and the marriage ceremony was an attempt to

break the cycle of exploitation, said Mittal Patel of VSSM. “Marriage means that the

young girls will be saved from the traditional profession of prostitution,” she said. “Once the girl

gets married or engaged, she cannot be forced into the flesh trade.” Another 12 girls aged under 18 were also engaged at the event, which was held 210 kilometres from Gujarat’s main city of Ahmedabad. However three more engagements were cancelled when the boys failed to turn up. Patel said her group had been working closely with local communities for five years and had found young men willing to marry the women “by building trust among them”. Mittal said no one had previously wanted to marry a girl from Vadia, which is known locally as the ‘village of prostitutes’. Men in the village are known to make money by pimping the women to clients. About 3,000 people attended

Sunday’s celebrations in Vadia after invitations, which included an emotional poem by a Gujarati writer, were sent out for the big day. “I am not the fruit of your love; I came to this world owing to your profession, I don’t blame you for this,” read one line of the poem. One of the wedding rituals was performed by JB Vora, a top district official who also gave away gifts to the couples. “This is a historic event which is going to bring in a big social change in the lives of the women of Vadia village,” he said before an elaborate feast began for guests. Arranged marriages are common in India, and mass wedding ceremonies are often held in poor, rural areas with groups of young couples taking their vows with others to cut down on costs. AFP

India‑View

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

India unveiled

Tribal rape victim told to leave village

NATION AT A GLANCE Yeddyurappa mellows down tone against BJP

MODERN TUNES

HUBLI: Smarting under the BJP high command’s decision not to re-induct him, former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa blew hot and cold, first saying he would not campaign for the party in the Chickmaglur Lok Sabha bypoll and later declaring that there were no groups in the party. Earlier in the morning, before addressing the rally, he told reporters that he would not campaign for BJP in the Chickmanglur byelection because Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda had said that there were eight cases against him and it would have an adverse impact on the party’s prospects.

SURI(WB): A tribal rape victim alleged that she had been threatened with dire consequences by elders in her community if she did not leave her native Indragacha village in Birbhum district immediately, official sources said. The victim, a widow and mother of three children, complained that she had also been harassed by some of the community elders ever since the incident occurred at Salkhana on February 26, Block Development Officer Koheli Das told reporters here. Das, who visited the victim’s house and talked to her, said that her statement had been noted down and assured her that she would be given adequate security. The woman, a construction worker, was gangraped allegedly by three men when she was returning home along with her male colleague from the district headquarters town Suri. All the three persons were arrested. PTI

BJP seeks 3 Bihar RS seats PATNA: Indicating a turf war with its NDA ally JD(U), the BJP staked its claim on three of the six Rajya Sabha seats going for biennial polls on March 30. “We would like to contest three of the six Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar and our leadership will take up the demand with the JD(U) during seat sharing talks,” BJP Bihar president C P Thakur said after the state election committee meeting. Thakur exuded confidence that the leadership of the two allies will amicably work out a seat sharing agreement for the six Rajya Sabha and 11 Legislative Council seats going for the biennial polls on March 30. PTI

An artiste dressed up as Lord Krishna, with his group from Mumbai, performs at a function in Moradabad.

PTI

Jailed don ‘directed’ hit on prison vehicle JHAJJAR

(HARYANA):

Police today claimed to have cracked the Dulina shootout case, which left three undertrial prisoners dead and four others, including two policemen, injured, saying that the conspiracy was hatched in Jhajjar jail by another undertrial. Jhajjar SP Patram Singh said that Anil Chhippi alias Leela directed his gang members through a cellphone from the jail to gun down Shri Bhagwan, kingpin of a rival gang, and his accomplices because of personal enmity. Three SIM cards and a burnt mobile phone has been recovered from the jail

cell where Chhippi was lodged, he claimed. The shootout yesterday was financed by Rajesh, the sarpanch of Karor village in Rohtak as he wished to avenge murders of his wife and aunt from Bhagwan, Singh said. “Shri Bhagwan was the co-enemy of Anil Chhippi and Rajesh as he had murdered Anil’s father and his uncle in the year of 2002. Since then Anil had been nursing a grudge against Shri Bhagwan and his family members. Hence, Anil along with Rajesh hatched a conspiracy to murder him and succeeded to get it perpetrated from their gang mem-

bers,” Singh claimed. Bhagwan, his brother Dilbagh Singh and Anil alias Fouji, were killed when their jeep was attacked near Dulina village when they were being transported back to Bhondsi Jail in Gurgaon after being produced before a trial court in Rohtak. Two undertrials and two policemen received bullet wounds in the incident. Rajesh was today arrested, he said, adding that Chhippi has also been taken into police remand after being produced before a local court. He has confessed to plotting the crime during interrogation, Singh claimed. PTI

Akhilesh promises rule of law, better life LUCKNOW: Akhilesh Yadav, a 38-year-old environmental engineer from Sydney, will be sworn in as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. After the announcement Saturday, the new icon of Samajwadi Party (SP) vowed to fast track development in the country’s most populous state. The 33rd chief minister, who will be the youngest to rule the sprawling state, staked his claim to form the government after meeting Governor BL Joshi soon after the newly elected legislators picked him for the job. Flanked by uncle Shivpal Yadav and senior SP leader Mohd Azam Khan, both of who had been unhappy over party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s move to crown his son, a beaming Akhilesh bowed before Joshi and gave him a letter that declared him the chief minister designate. The governor wished him well and presented him a bunch of red roses. Emerging from the Raj Bhawan,

Akhilesh Yadav, with Khan and Shivpal Yadav by his side, posed for lensmen waiting to catch a momentous event which is set to change the political landscape of UP. Earlier, he was elected for the CM’s post by voice vote as Khan proposed his name and Shivpal Yadav, hitherto considered the number 2 in the SP, seconded it. The decision was greeted with thunderous applause from legislators. Akhilesh Yadav, now an MP, moved towards his father, seated on a chair at the dais, and touched his feet. It was an emotional moment as three-time chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s face lit up with pride. After his election, Akhilesh Yadav announced that his priority was to stabilise law and order in the state and to ensure that all promises made by the party — tablets, laptops for 12th pass students and unemployment allowance — were delivered. “Uttar Pradesh needs to catch with other developed states,” he said. IANS

Ramlila action: FIR filed against police officials NEW DELHI: Delhi Police have registered an FIR against unnamed police officers for causing hurt and injuries to yoga guru Ramdev’s supporters in the midnight crackdown at Ramlila Maidan here last year, a fortnight after the Supreme Court asked it to do so. The move comes after the SC on February 22 had rapped the Delhi Police for the midnight crackdown that took place in June last year. “The case was been registered yesterday at the Kamla Market Police Station in Central Delhi,” a senior police official said. City Police Commissioner BK Gupta had earlier said: “We will abide by the SC order in full letter and spirit.”

NDA to add Swamy’s Janata Party as ally NEW DELHI: The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance decided to take into its fold Janata Party headed by Subramanian Swamy, taking its number of allies to six. The decision to include Janata Party as an ally was taken at a meeting of NDA floor leaders ahead of the Budget Session at the residence of BJP veteran LK Advani here. “Swamy was keen to join the alliance and had been meeting the NDA leaders,” senior BJP leader SS Ahluwalia told reporters after the meeting. With this addition, the number of NDA allies will rise to six. The other five constituents of the combine are BJP, JD-U, Shiromani Akali Dal, Shiv Sena and Ramdas Athawale-led Republican Party of India (A).

Karuna blames AIADMK for nuke plant delay CHENNAI: Blaming the ruling AIADMK over delay in the commissioning of Kudankulam Nuclear plant,which is mired in a controversy following protests from anti-nuclear lobby, DMK president M Karunanidhi today urged the State and Central governments to take all steps to commission it immediately. The DMK president, who recalled the AIADMK’s 2011 Assembly election promise of ‘lightening up a dark Tamil Nadu,’ asked why the government was remaining silent to his questions over whether it was supporting or opposing the anti-nuclear movement demanding closure of the plant on safety concerns.

Around the World

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

Beyond Borders

It’s a fight between the united now Broken and battered, the Free Syrian Army is united only in its will to oust Assad BEIRUT: They fight to defend family or revenge the killing of a loved one. They fight for their country, for God or both. They fight for freedom and justice and, for some at least, in the hope of imposing Islamic law on a secular system. Some are career soldiers, many are young conscripts, others simply civilians who know how to handle a gun. Some are secular liberals, a few are hardline Islamists who fought parallel, if not alongside, Al Qaeda in neighbouring Iraq. They have coalesced around the single mission of bringing down Syrian President Bashar alAssad and his regime through armed struggle. But as the regime escalates its assaults on the Free Syrian Army, as they are known, including a month-long bombardment that forced the poorly armed rebels to withdraw from their stronghold in Homs earlier this month, the ar med opposition and their political representatives are struggling to overcome their profound differences. “We will take the carpet slowly from under their feet because the people feel they failed them,” said one FSA unit commander, known as Abu Omar, speaking candidly about another FSA unit known as the Farouk Brigade. Both his unit of 150 men and the larger Farouk Brigade were among an estimated 1,200 rebel fighters controlling Homs’ Baba Amr district before Assad’s forces

launched a four-week barrage of rockets and mortars on February 4, which rights groups estimate killed at least 700 people and injured 2,000 more, mainly civilians. Speaking on camera having crossed into Lebanon, Abu Omar lauded the “honourable” and “heroic” fighters who resisted the regime’s bombardment for 27 days before making a “tactical withdrawal.” Off camera and speaking freely, he branded as “dogs” those leaders of the Farouk Brigade who “ran away” from Baba Amr three days before the regime sent ground troops in. Civilians in

towns near Homs like Qseir and Bweida, said Abu Omar, were so furious with local Farouk Brigade fighters for failing to come to the aid of struggling FSA units in Homs that they spat in their faces. Having fought hard in December and January to gain control over most of Baba Amr, Khaldiyeh and Inshaat, three major Sunni opposition strongholds in Homs, the withdrawal of the FSA from those neighbourhoods was not only a strategic defeat but it left any remaining civilians defenseless against Assad’s militias.

One year on, Japan tourism is still suffering BERLIN: Japan’s tourism industry is still hurting a year after the tsunami and nuclear disaster, international industry officials said, warning business was only likely to get fully back on track next year. Japan saw a 28-per cent fall in the number of visitors arriving in the country in 2011 compared with a year earlier, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) said, predicting a full recovery by mid-2012. But, amid posters stating “Japan, Rising Again. Thank you for Your Support”, Japanese travel industry representatives at the ITB Berlin tourism fair, one of the top industry gatherings, were more cautious. Hiromi Waldenberger, a

Tokyo city tourism representative for the German market, said hopes were now pinned on next spring for the number of visitors to the city returning to preMarch 2011 levels. “We hope for the next cherry blossom season, so March-April 2013... I think that’s realistic,” she said. “But we have to work for it. The image of Japan is still quite damaged,” she said at the fair where she first heard news last year of the devastating quake and tsunami that triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster. From April until next March, the Japan Tourism Agency is spending about $60 million to promote the country. AFP

AFP

A woman rings a temple bell for victims of the March 11 disaster as part of the first year anniversary in Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture on Sunday.

In the days after Homs fell, dozens of civilians were stabbed to death or executed by the regime’s Shabiha militiamen, according to rebels and activists in the city. The Shabiha are drawn from the minority Allawite community, an offshoot of Shiite Islam that makes up around 12 per cent of Syria’s population (compared to 75 per cent Sunni) but dominate its leadership. A career soldier, Abu Omar described tensions between defected officers such as himself — who see themselves as natural leaders of the armed rebel-

lion — and the opposition’s religious figures. Among those are some ultraconservative Sunni Salafis with long-standing ties to patrons in Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, both of whom openly support the FSA and are believed by diplomats to be sending cash to Syria’s rebels to buy arms. “They are receiving money but we don’t know what they are doing with it,” Abu Omar said. One of those in Homs who openly acknowledges receiving large sums of money to buy arms is an elderly Salafist leader known as Abu Annas al-Homsi, who fought with jihadi groups against US-led troops in the wake of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Though acknowledging the FSA, Homsi said its leader Col. Riad al-Asaad (no relation to the president) did not represent more than 20 per cent of the fighters on the ground, which include his own militants, fighting in his words, “a jihad for God” to “liberate our country and defend our religion.” “We want a Syria for all sects but I support implementing Islamic law because the majority is Sunni and when Syria was under an Islamic Caliphate it was a very successful time,” Homsi. Also supporting the armed rebels — with food, satellite phones, medicine and hospital treatments — is another political Sunni Islamist group, much larger and much more organised: The Muslim Brotherhood. GLOBALPOST

Questions linger in US on high-tech voting WASHINGTON: A series of problems with electronic voting machines has raised fresh questions about election technology as newer computerised systems gain ground for the 2012 US election. As many as 25 per cent of Americans are expected to use paperless electronic voting machines in the upcoming November elections, according to the Verified Voting Foundation, but confidence has been eroded by incidents showing vulnerabilities. The foundation, which seeks more reliable election systems, contends that voting machines in 11 states are allelectronic, with no paper systems for recounts, and that many other jurisdictions have some of these systems in place.

Last year, Microsoft Research published a paper describing vulnerabilities to what had been described as “fully verifiable” direct recording electronic (DRE) systems in which a hacker can “undetectably alter large numbers of votes.” Separately, scientists at Argonne National Laboratory described a way to tamper with certain electronic voting machines by inserting a $10 component along with a $15 radio frequency device to alter vote results. Pamela Smith of the Verified Voting Foundation said these incidents highlight the fact “that you can have insider challenges as well as outsider hacks. It points out that you have to be able to check the system.” AFP

Around the World

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

Beyond Borders

Obama vows to probe US soldier’s Afghan massacre AFP/MAMOON DURRANI

ALKOZAI: President Barack Obama promised a speedy investigation into the “shocking” killing of 16 Afghans by a rogue US soldier, which fuelled tensions after the burning of Korans at a US-run base. Obama telephoned Afghan President Hamid Karzai to convey his condolences after the soldier gunned down civilians, including women and children, in their homes in a pre-dawn rampage in the southern province of Kandahar. The US embassy in Kabul sent out an alert to its citizens in Afghanistan warning that as a result of the shooting, “there is a risk of anti-American feelings and protests in coming days”. Relations plunged to an alltime low last month after the burning of Korans at an American-run military base sparked days of anti-US protests, which left some 40 people dead and prompted an apology from Obama. Sunday’s massacre poses an acute new test of the US-Afghan alliance, as the two countries pursue difficult talks on securing a strategic pact to govern their partnership once foreign combat troops leave Afghanistan in 2014. Obama described the massacre as “tragic and shocking”,

A villager points to a spot where a family was allegedly shot in their residence by a rogue US soldier in Alkozai. the White House said, and assured Karzai of Washington’s “commitment to establish the facts as quickly as possible and to hold fully accountable anyone responsible”. In an angry statement after the Kandahar shootings, Karzai said that “when Afghan people are killed deliberately by US forces, this action is murder and

terror and an unforgivable action”. Kandahar province is a stronghold of Taliban insurgents fighting to oust Karzai’s government, which is supported by some 1,30,000 US-led NATO troops. US defense secretary Leon Panetta also called Karzai and assured him that a “full investi-

gation” was under way. In Brussels, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen expressed shock and offered his “heartfelt condolences”. In Sunday’s shooting, the US soldier entered the homes of villagers in Kandahar province’s Panjwayi district and killed 16 people including nine children and three women, according to a statement from Karzai. It quoted a wounded 16year-old, who was shot in the leg, as telling Karzai by phone that the soldier entered their home in the dark before dawn, woke up his family members and then shot them. In one house, he saw 10 people killed and burned in one room. Another woman was lying dead at the entrance of the house and there were at least two children just two or three years old among the dead. In one house, an elderly woman screamed “May God kill the only son of Karzai, so he feels what we feel.” Western sources said the rampage began after the soldier walked off his base in the early hours of Sunday morning, apparently heavily armed and carrying night-vision equipment. He was arrested outside the base by members of the Afghan National Army. AFP

Egypt clears ‘ Virginity Doc’ CAIRO: An Egyptian military court on Sunday acquitted an army doctor accused of conducting forced ‘virginity tests’ on female protesters last year, triggering the fury of international human rights groups. Ahmed Adel was cleared of conducting the test on Samira Ibrahim, who brought the case against him, after the judge found the witness statements to be “contradictory”, the official MENA news agency said. The ruling comes “from what has been proven in documents and based on my conscience,” the judge said according to MENA, adding that he had “not been subjected to any pressures.” Adel was accused of “public indecency” and “disobeying military orders”, after the initial charge of rape had been dropped. “It’s a joke, a theatre,” an outraged Samira Ibrahim told AFP after the ruling. “The fact that the case was

AFP/GIANLUIGI GUERCIA

Samira Ibrahim breaks into tears outside a military court in Cairo on Sunday. in a military court is a disaster,” she said. But Huwayda Mostafa Salem, the lawyer for the defendant, told reporters outside the court “The case was not strong

in the first place. It was brought about due to media pressure.” The case had sparked a national outcry and getting it into court was considered a victory for the female protesters who were subjected to the tests and had raised hopes of further trials of those accused of abuse. International rights watchdogs slammed the verdict as a ‘travesty’ of justice and urged Egypt’s military rulers to ensure women never again face ‘virginity tests.’ “The ruling shows how politicised the military justice system is, and the lack of independence there,” said Heba Morayef, researcher at Human Rights Watch’s (HRW ) North Africa division. “The implications are far reaching and the hope that there will be any accountability for the military will be receding,” Morayef told AFP. Amnesty International said the acquittal “fails women victims of ‘virginity tests’ and

shows that military courts are “incapable of dealing” with human rights abuse cases. Amnesty urged Egypt’s military rulers to ban ‘virginity tests’ and ensure that women forced to endure them “have access to justice and reparations.” The case arose from two complaints filed by Ibrahim, who in December won a case against the military which saw the court order the army to stop forced virginity tests on female detainees. Last year, on March 9, army officers violently cleared Cairo’s Tahrir Square — the epicentre of protests that had toppled president Hosni Mubarak — and held at least 18 women in detention. Women said they were beaten, given electric shocks, subjected to strip searches while being photographed by male soldiers, then forced to submit to ‘virginity tests’ and threatened with prostitution charges. AFP

GLOBE AT A GLANCE Chavez says health is ‘good,’ plans return CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who is recovering in Cuba from his second cancer surgery, said on Sunday he was in “good general health” and planned to return to Venezuela this week. “My vital signs and general health are good,” the Venezuelan leader said during a meeting with some of his Cabinet ministers in Havana, which was videotaped and broadcast by Venezuelan television.

18th journalist killed in Honduras in two years TEGUCIGALPA: A 54-year-old Honduran journalist was killed by a machete-wielding attacker, police said on Sunday, in the 18th fatal attack on a member of the news media in the past two years. Fausto Evelio Hernandez, was riding his bicycle on his way home on Saturday when he was attacked in Saba.

A wounded Palestinian child receives medical attention in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip today following an Israeli air raid. AFP

60 per cent Americans oppose Afghan war WASHINGTON: Sixty per cent of Americans believe the war in Afghanistan is not worth its costs, and nearly the same number advocate an early US pullout from the country, a new poll showed. The survey indicated that the number of skeptics was nearly double the 35 per cent saying the decade-long effort has warranted the expense and lost lives.

Obama to visit tense border with N Korea SEOUL: US President Barack Obama will visit the tense military border between the two Koreas and address a message to the communist state during a trip to South Korea this month, a report said on Monday. Obama will tour the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) during his visit to attend the March 26-27 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit.

Suspected Indonesian bombmaker Umar Patek waves to journalists as he arrives at the West Jakarta court prior to his trial today. AFP

Comment

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

Editorials ANOTHER SOLDIER snaps under stress

oldiers on the frontline of any war are subject to stresses that civilians would not even begin to fathom. From an enemy that is hellbent on one thing only — killing them — soldiers are subjected to sleep deprivation, harsh environmental conditions and massive fatigue. Under these stresses it is not uncommon for soldiers to snap, resulting in, most often, the death of civilians. From My Lai to Haditha and beyond, the massacre of civilians by military personnel who have lost their tenuous grip on reality is one of the harshest depictions of the horror that is war. When a US soldier walked off the base in Kandahar on Sunday, little did anyone suspect that he was about to embark on a spree that would leave carnage in its wake. Sixteen people have been reported dead thus far in the rampage. The US must take swift action to not only bring the soldier to book, but make sure that an enraged Afghan populace is placated. Afghanistan is already on tenterhooks and a tragic incident like this can only push it closer to the precipice.

WHY WE LOVE Kofi Annan

s Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan did much to prove that he was a man of integrity and enormous tact. Now as envoy to Syria he has the unenviable task of brining a runaway Assad to heel. But if anyone can do it Annan can, as long as he is given full support by the international community.

Brace for ‘poll’vault or budget somersault Money Talk A Saye Sekhar

fter taking such a nasty drubbing in the Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Goa elections; the manipulation in Uttarakhand may have brought a shade of smile on the disconsolate faces of the Congress dynasty, thanks to the party’s spin doctors. Sonia Gandhi tried to demonstrate her courage when she said every election was a lesson and a learning experience, no matter whether the party won or lost. When the entire top-brass is dejected, can Pranab Mukherjee, who is essentially part of it, be happy? No, for sure. Yet, the Congress, as it matured like a vintage wine in Indian polity, learnt to take things in its stride. There is an essential lesson every political formation and leader in the country must learn from the ethos of the Congress. The party lived up on all occasions to Alfred Tennyson’s verse, Song of the brook: “I come from haunts of coot and hern; I make a sudden sally, and sparkle out among the fern, To bicker down a valley, by thirty hills I hurry down, or slip between the ridges; By twenty thorps, a little town, and half a hundred bridges. Till last by Philip’s farm I flow, to join the brimming river; For men may come and men may go, but I go on forever.” So, swallowing the poll debacle like a bitter pill grudgingly, Pranabda is getting ready to present the annual budget for 2012-13 on March 16. He would have showered goodies if the people gave their mandate in favour of the Congress everywhere. Several industry and business caucuses have already put out their wish-lists as part of consultations and confabulations. The most talked about among them are the recommendations of Parliamentary committee on Direct Taxes Code (DTC), led by former finance minister Yashwant Sinha. The large Indian middle class, especially the salaried class, is eagerly awaiting the sops

Shocking indeed

Art is thriving

The recent fire mishap near LB Nagar was quite tragic but what’s all the more shocking is the foul-play behind the incident. Illegal dwelling must be addressed as per the rules and regulations but trying to evict people out forcibly is uncalled for. The alleged foul-play by a Congress leader is unfortunate. Politicians must understand the travails of the poor and it’s extremely hard for them to start their lives from scratch. No amount of government compensation will be enough to bring back the dead and adequate steps must be taken for their rehabilitation immediately. Sini Mathew Begumpet

Over the past few years, I have seen an increase in the number of people attending various theatre, art, film and dance related events in the city. It’s really good to see young audience being able to appreciate various forms of art. A decade ago, there were hardly any events in the city except for few cultural programs in Ravindra Bharati. Thanks to cultural organisations like Alliance Francaise and Goethe Zentrum, a lot more foreign artists are coming to the city. I hope they continue to organize a lot more events in the city. S Aravind Secunderabad

on taxation. They want Pranab Mukherjee to read out in his loquacious English to announce the raise in the limit of taxable personal income to `3 lakh and the other exemptions to `2.5 lakh. They don’t mind a few verses from Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali or Sarojini Naidu’s Palanquin Bearers precede or succeed the announcement of tax reliefs. Fiscal deficit overshot, as we all know, the limit of 4.6 per cent of the gross domestic product. Hike in fiscal deficit could be around `1,26,034 crore or six per cent of the GDP. While the tax collections sunk to 70 per cent compared to 92 per cent in the first three quarters of the previous fiscal, the expenditure grew by 13.4 per cent more than the budgeted 3.2 per cent. Pranab is likely to announce some measures to contain the fiscal deficit. I think he may not succumb to the pressure mounted by the avalanche of defeat at the hustings. He can sober his stance next year and the year after to woo the electorate. But if he budges, the finance minister is stopping short of indicating the Congress leadership’s tilt towards pulling its socks up to an early poll in the country, which is a remote possibility. His budget presentation would be preced-

TALK BACK Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222

ed by D Subbarao’s quarterly review of policy rates. People of all sections are awaiting a cut in interest rates. If Subbarao sounds sweet, Pranab will offer a bitter pill. If Subbarao remained unkind as usual, the finance minister may cajole the people with some sops. If both soften their tough stands, then the Congress’ tricks up its sleeve become explicit. The gross domestic product of the country, going by the available details put out by the government, may plummet to 6.9 per cent from the last year’s 8.4 per cent. Allowing FDI in multi-brand retail, raise in cap on foreign companies’ stake in insurance sector and goods and services tax reforms may be postponed for now. Assocham (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry), CREDAI (Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India), COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India), SIAM (Society for Indian Automobile Manufacturers) and AIAI (All India Association of Industries), the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), the jarring stock markets and, of course, the burgeoning petroleum bill are sharpening their saw to demand their pound of flesh from the Finance Minister. Wait for March 16.

Into the hinterlands

Destination China

Rajesh Ravindran’s article on Jhabua was an extremely interesting read and I must appreciate Postnoon for writing an unusual travelogue like this. Normally, as a reader I always see travelogues about foreign countries or exotic islands; however, the travelogue on the tribal festival was not only refreshing but also quite informative. There are hundreds of such local festival held every year throughout the country which go unnoticed. The joy of travelling and being able to spend time with the locals in interior parts of the country will be memory of a lifetime for every travel enthusiast. A Shahjahan Afzalganj

For several years, China has not allowed American films to invade its screens; however, it’s latest decision to allow more foreign films proves a distinct change in its approach. China is one of the biggest markets in the world and almost every big film industry in the world, especially Hollywood would be keen on raking in more moolah from the country. Indian film industry should not lose this opportunity. Bollywood has been spreading its wings and if all goes well maybe we’ll see more Hindi and Tamil films being screened in China and Hong Kong. Manju Reddy Banjara Hills

Campus

In dire straits Sudeshna Koka

alk into the first floor of the OU Arts building and one will find an old dusty board which reads ‘Archaeological science department’ with rickety benches, a huge library hall with skeleton rows of books, wide corridors, old doors and ancient fans that creak. It surely gives one the feeling of travelling into the past. Ancient Indian Studies, Culture and Archaeology was established as the Department of Religion and Culture in 1940 and it was subsequently bifurcated into Department of Indology and the Department of Islamic Studies in the year 1965. The Department of Indology was later renamed and restructured as the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology. Only 42 students pass out each year from the 72 year-old college. The reason behind this is the lack of funds resulting in COURSES OFFERED

Osmania University's Ancient Indian Studies, Culture and Archeology is a choice pick for students aspiring for civil services. But the department lacks experts, labs and associated facilities

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

PhD Duration: 3 years Seats: 10

limitations to expand teaching staff and student strength. Currently,the department has three courses; one MA course and two PG diploma courses. The intake for MA course is only 30 students and for the PG diplomas it is 12 students. Professors complain that they want to increase the intake of students but the financial crunch is restricting their growth. “There are only five professors in the department. If the university provides us with more teaching staff we can take more students and guide several other PhD students. From our end we are trying to do our best but we need some support from the State and Central government,” says a senior professor Dr V Meena Kumari, Currently,there are only eight PhD students in the department. In the 5th five-year plan, professors in the department put forth their demands for more funds to set up a museum, get better technology , recruit more teaching staff, introduce new courses and send students for field work but

MA Duration: 2 years Seats: 30

PG Diploma in Museology Course period: 1 year Seats: 12

“There are only five professors in the department. If the university provides us with more teaching staff we can take more students and guide several other PhD students. Meena Kumari, Senior Professor, O.U till date have not received any positive notification from the government. “We want to send our students to excavation sites and give them practical exposure but we cannot as we lack the PG Diploma in Archival Science & Manuscriptology Course period: 1 year Seats: 12

funds to send them. In fact, to improve the department our students themselves have donated some equipment,” quips Dr N R Giridhar, assistant professor. Surprisingly, most students who pass out from this college which is listed amongst the top ten colleges in the country land up in government jobs rather than becoming archeologists. “For most students this is a training ground for further studies. Our course is interconnected to several other courses. Most of the students after their PG apply for IAS, IFS, civil services and other government related courses. The knowledge that they get about Indian culture and heritage is phenomenal and this helps them get a better score in competitive exam,” said Dr V Meena Kumari, senior professor. Students on the other hand are not too happy with the teaching method and lectures. “We have outdated syllabus and teaching methods. None of the professors come regularly to college,” complains Suresh P, a PhD student.

H‑Factor

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Fertility and breast cancer

Dr P Raghu Ram and Dr S Vyjayanthi

Glaucoma’s silent attack

It usually has no symptoms but leads to a rapid and irreversible loss of vision. On the occasion of World Glaucoma Week, experts warn that early detection is the only way to prevent blindness Ranjani Rajendra ranjani.r@postnoon.com

hat would you do if one fine day you found that your vi sion had begun to deteriorate? After a lifetime of enjoying bright colours and sights, you’re suddenly told that this rapid deterioration will eventually lead to blindness — one that cannot be reversed. Your doctor’s verdict that you’re suffering from glaucoma, a condition in which due to intra-ocular pressure you begin to lose your eyesight, doesn’t bring any respite either. The prevalence of glaucoma is rather high in our country, Andhra Pradesh especially. And it is not just adults who are afflicted by this condition. A large number of children too often lose their vision due to glaucoma. According to population based studies 1 in 3,300 children are diagnosed with glaucoma in AP when compared to the 1 in 10,000 in the US. In adults the incidence rate is around 3.5 to 4 per cent of the general population in our State, which is a pretty large number.

What it is “Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve. Usually this occurs due to intra-ocular pressure or pressure on the optic nerve. There are various reasons for this like it could either be age related or due to the decrease in the output of fluid inside the eye (this fluid nourishes the eye) and this can cause an increase in pressure within the eye,” says Dr Sirisha Senthil, glaucoma specialist at LV Prasad Eye Institute. In case of childhood glaucoma it can manifest at birth itself. “There have been cases when we have received cases of babies who are barely a few hours old. These incidents could be hereditary,” she says.

Symptoms Glaucoma is usually a silent dis-

ease with very few symptoms that are pretty hard to spot by a common man. “Initially a person’s peripheral vision may be affected. But chances are the patient won’t even realise it till it is too late. There is no pain or watering of the eyes. In most cases it is diagnosed when there is loss in central vision, in this the patient begins experiencing what is called tunnel vision. By this stage it is too late to reverse the damage and it usually ends in blindness,” says Dr Sirisha. Most cases of glaucoma can be detected with routine eye check-ups. In children however, the glaucoma manifests in a very dramatic way through whitening of the cornea, photophobia (trouble looking at things in bright conditions) and excessive watering of the eyes.

Treatment The thing about glaucoma is that it can be easily treated if it is caught early, which is rarely the case. Regular eye check-ups are the best way to detect them. Usually people who are over the age of 40 or have myopia are more prone to it. Nearly 10 per cent of the cases that are detected are due to hereditary factors. “There are two types of glaucoma – open angle and angle closure. In case of open angle glaucoma it can be treated with eye

Incidence of glaucoma in AP n Children: One in 3,300 (most

of these occur due to the high rate of consanguineous marriages here) n Open angle: 3.5 to 4 per cent of general population n Angle closure: - 1.2 per cent

drops while in the angle closure it requires laser treatment initially followed by eye drops. In the rare case that these don’t help we suggest surgery to control the pressure. For children however, surgery is the only treatment option available and it should be done as early as possible,” explains Dr Sirisha. While these treatment options do help, doctors advise regular follow-ups, at least once in four or six months, to check if the pressure is under control or there is a change of medicines required. And these checks should be done life-long to prevent a recurrence.

t is important for people to know that the cancer specialist team must involve a fertility specialist when dealing with a young woman with breast cancer well before commencing treatment. In India, about 87 per cent of the population is under the age of 50. Hence, far more breast cancers in India are being diagnosed in the 20 to 40 age group when compared with the West where most breast cancers are diagnosed over the age of 50 years.

Fertility issues before treatment begins Some breast cancer treatments cause infertility. This may be temporary or permanent depending on the age and the treatment being given. It is important for the patient and her spouse to discuss any fertility issues with the specialist team before embarking on treatment.

Contraception If the patient is sexually active, it is important to discuss contraception with the specialist team. Non-hormonal methods of contraception, such as condoms or a diaphragm are preferred options. The contraceptive pill is not advised following breast cancer diagnosis. This is because the hormones in the pill could stimulate any remaining cancer cells. Generally speaking, a woman could still get pregnant unless one has not had a period for at least a year (over 40 years) or two years (less than 40 years) after treatment. It is important to remember this does vary for each individual.

Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is the treatment that is the most likely to have a direct impact upon fertility. Temporary or permanent infertility can be a side effect in pre-menopausal women. Chemotherapy can affect the function of the ovaries. (This column will continue next week. Dr Vyjayanthi is the HOD and consultant fertility specialist at KIMS Fertility Centre. Dr Raghu Ram is director and consultant oncoplastic breast surgeon at KIMSUshalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases)

H‑Factor

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

LSD may help cure alcoholism, says study The psychedelic drug LSD, often associated with 1960s’ hippie culture, may be beneficial for alcoholics looking for a cure Alexander Besant

teve Jobs said it was one of the most important experiences of his life. Aldous Huxley said it inspired him to write. The psychedelic drug LSD, often associated with 1960s hippie culture, may have inspired artists and inventors but they might not be the only people who benefit from its use. According to the New Scientist, researchers in Norway have completed a meta-analysis — a study of six other studies done between 1966 and 1970 — and have found that using LSD may help to cure alcoholism. “LSD worked in an entirely different way than any current psychiatric drugs,” said the study author, Teri Krebs, of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, according to MSNBC. “Many patients said they had gained a new appreciation for their alcohol problem and new motivation to address it.” The analysis looked at 536 patients and concluded that

those who received a full dose of the controversial drug did the best, said US News and World Report. The Norwegian scientists said that nearly 60 per cent of participants who took acid either dramatically cut back or quit drinking altogether compared to only 38 per cent in the control group. The study said that from two to six months, the differences in the LSD and control groups were statistically significant but those differences dissipated after a year. “The effectiveness of a single dose of LSD compares well with the effectiveness of daily naltrexone, acamprosate or disulfiram... three commonly prescribed, approved medications for reducing relapse in alcohol dependence,” the New Scientist quotes the study’s author as saying. LSD, or Lysergic acid diethylamide, has been rec-

ommended for alcohol abuse before According to Time, Alcoholics Anonymous cofounder Bill Wilson

advocated taking LSD to break down the ego of the alcoholic and create a “spiritual awakening.”The study will appear in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. GLOBAL POST

PREGNANCY SIMPLIED

Things nobody tells you about pregnancy n Hair and nails: Many pregnant

women experience changes in the texture of their hair as the hormones in your body may cause your hair to grow faster and fall out less. But these changes aren’t usually permanent. Most women lose hair in the postpartum period. Some women may also find that they grow hair in unwanted plaes or their hair changes colour or becomes oilier. Nails, can also change noticeably. They could grow faster and become stronger due to the hormones. For some women the opposite may be true — their nails may become weak and split. Keep your nails trimmed and avoid the chemicals in nail polish and nail polish remover. n Shoe size: Along with your clothes, your shoes may also not fit you during pregnancy. Due to the extra fluid in the body, feet may swell up and pregnant women may have to start wearing bigger shoes. Slip ons are usually comfortable, especially in the summer. n Joint mobility: During pregnancy the body produces a hormone, relaxin, which helps prepare the cervix for childbirth. It loosens the ligaments in your body, making you less stable and more prone to injury. It’s easy to overstretch or strain yourself during this time. When exercising or lifting things be slow and avoid sudden movements. n Varicose veins: Varicose veins are usually found in the legs and genital area when the blood pools in the veins enlarged by the hormones. Varicose veins usually disappear after pregnancy. They can be managed by wearing loose clothing and keeping the legs elevated while sitting. Hemorrhoids and constipation can occuras well, due to the increased blood volume and because the hormones slow the rate of food passing through the gastrointestinal tract. n Things that will come out of your body: The day you give birth will probably be the biggest surprise of all. One in 10 women’s water breaks before contractions begin. Some women may never experience it. For a full term pregnancy around 2 to 6 cups of amniotic fluid may trickle out. The amniotic fluid is a sweet-smelling and pale or colourless and is replaced by the body every three hours, so don’t be surprised if you continue to leak until delivery. Source: www.kidshealth.org

Spotlight

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Musical extravaganza SS Rajamouli & VV Vinayak

It was a star-studded audio launch for Racha at Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Plaza, Necklace Road on Sunday. Lead actors Ram Charan Tej and Tamannaah along with the director Sampath Nandi were present. Chiranjeevi and Allu Arjun were the chief guests at the event.

Venu Madhav

Spring Spree ends in style RB Chowdary

Suma

Sampath Nandi

Tamannaah

he third day of Spring Spree 2012 saw over 2,000 registrations at NIT Warangal. Colleges from all over the country had come to participate in the group dance competition. The quiz club held a Business Quiz for the aspiring entrepreneurs and a Film Quiz for movie buffs. Numerous bands put up stunning performances and Chesirah was adjudged the winner by the famed UK band, Xerath. Performances by physically challenged persons at Minute Made also won the hearts of audience. The fest finale had the rock bands Paradigm Shift and Skrypt opening the Rock-Nite. Then came the performance by Xerath. The crowd was so involved in their music that they began begging for more as the curtains came down on the threeday gala event.

Magic Screen

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

DSP sets his eyes on Bollywood?

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@Isumanth Officially signed my next film. An edgy multi-starrer. Casting underway. May/June start. More details soon...

ot shot music director Devi Sri Prasad might soon jump on to the Bollywood bandwagon, if all goes well. In the past, he had composed music for the smash hit song Dinka Chika in Ready and we hear that he has sent feelers to Salman Khan's camp to compose music for Salman's future projects. Recently, when writer Kona Venkat met Salman Khan to narrate the story of No Entry-2, he recommended Devi Sri Prasad for the project. However, Salman Khan is yet to take a call on this issue. Currently, Devi Sri Prasad is busy composing music for big budget Telugu and Tamil projects like Gabbar Singh, Damarukam, Yevadu, Trivikram-Allu Arjun's film, Prabhas' Vaaradhi, Singham-2 and Alex Pandian.

@Actor_Siddharth Saw Jason reitman’s “young adult”... Charlize theron is magic. Unrelenting film! What a filmography reitman is building!! Pathbreaking:)

@LakshmiManchu Have just finished seeing MrNookayya... What an amazing job @HEROMANOJ1 !!! Blown away. Breaks my heart to see those stunts ... Congrats bro:)

Colgate signs on Anushka

@shrutihaasan At the risk of sounding petty I must that some people are only worth forgetting not forgiving after all forgiving is divine.

@geneliad Just saw @Actor_Siddharth's new ad,, super cute, young n fresh, way 2go sid.

@Alwayscharan

Samantha

is back on Twitter

A A

nushka has been signed as the new brand ambassador of Colgate toothpaste. For the past few years, Trisha was endorsing the brand for both Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu markets and now Anushka has replaced her. Recently, a new set of Colgate

ads featuring Anushka went on air and we hear that it's her first big endorsement deal since she was roped in as a brand ambassador for Head & Shoulders. Apart from Anushka, another actor Allu Arjun is also the brand ambassador for the same brand.

fter a long hiatus Samantha Ruth Prabhu has joined Twitter again. Almost a year ago, she had deleted her account on the social networking site after some of her followers started harassing her with abusive tweets. Recently someone created a fake online profile of Samantha on Twitter which took her by surprise and she event lodged a complaint over this issue. To put an end to this menace, she has joined the site once again with a new Twitter handle @Samanthaprabhu2. Moreover, with couple of her films Eega and Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu, lined up for release this summer, the timing couldn't have been perfect for the actress to start interacting with her fans again. Yesterday, she revealed that she's dubbing her own voice for the Tamil version of Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu. So far, popular singer and dubbing artist, Chinmayi has always been the first choice when it comes to dubbing for Samantha. We wonder how her fans are going to respond to her latest move.

I’m already feeling better with all ur good wishes. Will defiantly recover frm my injury soon. On my way 2 racha audio function. Love u guys.

@richyricha A day of patchwork for Prabhas’ film in Hyd...then I’m off to somewhere special :)

@RanaDaggubati For all who ask. #NaaIshtam will be in cinemas on the 23rd of March. :-))

Magic Screen

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Indian VFX biz needs Hollywood supervision By Radhika Bhirani

NEW DELHI: The $2-billion Indian movie industry is conducive to the growth of visual effects and good education and right guidance from Hollywood specialists will work wonders for it, says international VFX expert Peter Chiang, who has worked on films like John Carter and The Bourne Ultimatum. “I believe India will grow and become a viable option for VFX work as they gain more experience and tackle more projects. You have the aid of a very creative film industry within your country,” Chiang told IANS in an e-mail interview. VFX means creating such scenes with the help of computers that cannot be set up or shot on camera. The concept has become prominent in Indian films only in the past few years. With projects like Robot and RA.One, both made at a budget of `100 crore, the Indian film industry has shown promising growth on the front. But it has a long way to go, says Chiang, who visited VFX companies in India way back in 2007. “Because your film industry is the biggest in the world, I see more directors exploring the use

of visual effects. It is important for India to attract Hollywood supervisors to teach the Indian VFX industry their work methods, and for the industry to adapt the methods for their own purposes,” he said. The key to growth also lies in due education. “This is a vital step for the industry to grow. Youth are the blood of the future and it is important to present to them the possibilities so that they can make a conscious decision to try and study VFX. Again Hollywood supervisors should be attracted to lecture in colleges so that they can pass on their experiences,” added Chiang.

As opposed to Hollywood, which splurges on its visual effects, Indian filmmakers are wary of the risks involved. The ratio is wide and visible —if the makers of Avatar spent `1,100 crore ($230 million) on the sci-fi thriller, RA.One, said to be Bollywood’s most expensive affair so far, had to pack everything into a budget of over `100 crore. However, filmmakers should rise above budget constraints, suggested Chiang, saying: “Budgets always limit the scope of VFX shots, but it is the inventiveness that makes a small amount of budget stretch into the right areas. The design is always key to

meeting the creative, using the right technology for the right amount of money.” Studios like Prime Focus and Reliance Mediaworks have worked on international films like New Moon, GI Joe and Harry Potter franchise and earned good revenue. Nevertheless, “the need for education as well as the need to attract supervisors to show them how it is done” is indispensable, according to Chiang, who believes it is getting tougher to fool the audience by the day. “Audiences are now much more savvy to the way visual effects are created and it is becoming harder to trick them. What this means is that VFX companies need to stay one step ahead of the audience, pushing the boundaries to produce more amazing images. “It also creates a very high standard for the work and more competition,” explained Chiang, thereby asserting the rate at which the Indian VFX industry must grow. As per the FICCI-KPMG 2011, VFX and post-production segments grew 42 percent and 17 percent in the total of the `23.6 billion worth industry for 2011. And it is now poised for better growth. IANS

B-TOWN TWEETIES

@NeilNMukesh Good morning friends. Back into the kitchen ready to prepare my breakfast.

@kjohar25 Our film...YEH JAWANI HAI DEEWANI starts this month...directed by ayan mukherji and stars RANBIRDEEPIKA and ADITYA ROY KAPUR and KALKI...

@bipsluvurself Relaxed Night Out post the SFL event with lots of dear friends! Fun catching up with them!

@SrBachchan) T 680 - Started Game of Thrones Tv serial... hmmm... not finding it too interesting... and the sensual, too vivid, too often...

@TheShilpaShetty Wat a nite at the SFL, Fab fights, gr8 entertainment n huge turnout. Gd 2 c som INDIAN fighters win. Well done @TheRajKundra @duttsanjay:) :)

@shahidkapoor One year. Since the tsunami in Japan... Huge respect for the way the country stood up to such a huge calamity... a prayer for every.

@sonamakapoor Okay watching ghost whisperer and its so addictive. Its sooo bad that its good!

@RGVzoomin “@rtraviteja709: The problem with lifes game is that by the time you learn its rules, you will be too old to play the game.”

Magic Screen

D I S P L A YA

D S RATE ` 150 sq. cm

For Further Details Please Contact Abhinay 9989399972 Nandlal 9951467988 Ravi Chander 8106039919

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

Magic Screen

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Jay-z and Kanye settle lawsuit

ay-z and Kanye West have settled a lawsuit brought last October by ‘60s and ‘70s R&B star Syl Johnson, who alleged the duo used a sample of his 1967 song Different Strokes without permission. The rappers and their codefendants settled out of court with Johnson, leading the case to be dismissed before going to trial. The “Strokes” sample was used on The Joy, a bonus track featured on the deluxe edition of the rappers’ 2011 album Watch the Throne. In his lawsuit, Johnson reported that West had previously been denied permission

JK Rowling no longer a billionaire

K Rowling is no longer a dollar billionaire, it has been revealed. Rowling rose to great financial success thanks to her series of Harry Potter books, earning her a spot on the Forbes list and an estimated net worth of $1 billion (£638 million). The Daily Telegraph reports that in the years since, Rowling’s earnings have dwindled. Rowling has given around $160 million (£102 million) of her money away to charity and has also been heavily taxed, leaving her with a fortune of just under $640 million (£408 million). The author recently announced that she is tackling an adult novel, her first since completing the Potter series. Pottermore, her interactive website for fans of the books is due to launch this April.

Sarah Palin dismisses Game Change

arah Palin dismissed the HBO film Game Change — airing publicly for the first time on Saturday night — as unimportant. In an email to ABC News, Palin said her “family has the right priorities and knows what really matters,” according to the Chicago Tribune. As she brushed off the film, she also took a swipe at President Barack Obama for having supporters in the entertainment industry.

“For instance, our son called from Afghanistan yesterday and he sounded good and that’s what matters,” Palin said. “Being in the good graces of Hollywood’s ‘Team Obama’ isn’t top of my list.” Both Palin and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) have said they won’t watch the made-for-tv movie that takes a look inside the behind-the-scenes drama of the 2008 campaign. McCain said “it’ll be a cold day in Gila Bend, Arizona” when he views the film.

to lift the sample for a track on his last solo effort, 2010’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, only for it to later show up on The Joy. As previously mentioned, this is not the first time Johnson has sued a high-profile musical act; his lawsuit against Southern California rap group Cypress Hill, for their alleged illegal use of his song Is It Because I’m Black, dragged through the court system for 15 years before finally being dismissed in 2008. Artists including Michael Jackson and Jefferson Airplane have also been the targets of legal action by Johnson.

Magic Screen

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

KRISTEN STEWART

goes topless in On the Road trailer W

e’ve seen her get married and have a baby, but this is a whole new K. Stew! The debut of the trailer for Twilight actress Kristen Stewart’s latest role in the movie adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s novel On The Road has arrived, offering fans a gander at director Walter Salles’ take on the Beat Generation—and Kristen topless! The actress, who plays Marylou in the flick, is seen sitting topless while cruising the roads with fellow shirtless co-stars Garrett Hedlund and Sam Riley. The weather ain’t all that’s hot! Joining Kristen, Garrett and Sam— although with their tops on—is an Alist cast that includes Amy Adams, Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Steve Buscemi, Terrence Howard and Elisabeth Moss. On the Road follows a young writer named Sal Paradise (Riley) and his Dean Moriarty (Garrett), who are the poster-kids for the Beat Generation when they hit the highway on a nationwide search for “it”—along with Dean’s wife Marylou (Stewart). The flick is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival later this year.

Patrick Schwarzenegger injured in skiing accident

rnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver’s son Patrick was hospitalized Saturday in Sun Valley, Idaho, after a skiing accident. The 18-year-old was treated and released, posting photos of his injuries on his social media account. “Little ski accident today,” Patrick wrote on Twitter, saying that he suffered “some bruises and stiches down back and butt.” He added, “Thanks to Sun Valley doctors for everything.”

Olivier and Halle Berry engaged!

ep, Halle Berry’s beau Olivier Martinez is officially her fiance! The French actor, who was in Miami’s South Beach for the opening of his restaurant Villa Azur on Saturday, confirmed his engagement to the actress, saying “Yes, of course it’s true!” But about those rumors revolving around the ring’s designer? Not so much. “There is a jeweler taking credit for doing the ring and it’s a lie!,” said Martinez. “They have

nothing to do with this.” So who is the real designer behind the emerald-and-yellow-gold sparkler? Olivier revealed the ring’s true designer is “real artist” Robert Mazio, a jeweler from his Saint-Germain-desPrés neighborhood in Paris, whose family has been designing jewelry for “kings and queens for many centuries.” We say, congrats again to the happy couple!

Chai Time

KAKURO

How to play Kakuro Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: ‘How do you play Kakuro?’, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. Within each collection of cells - called a run - any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once. Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on... So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run. Note the second cell in row two - it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.

SCRIBBLING PAD

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Backbreaker, in a proverb 6 Plan detail 10 Slays, in slang 14 Kind of stew 15 Jason's fictional ship 16 China-North Korea river 17 Billiards option at the auto factory? 19 Sunflower support 20 ‘What did I tell you?’ 21 Goes one better than 22 Shaping tools 24 One-horse carriage 25 Chaotic brawl 26 Professional fool 29 It pairs with ‘Faith,’ in a saying 32 Sadat of Egypt 33 Sacred choral work 34 The Sopranos were here 35 Small river dam 36 Swim meet divisions 37 Before you know it 38 Oceanic eagle 39 ‘___ in Toyland’ 40 Positive electrode 41 Well-intentioned one 43 Game similar to bridge 44 Be in a bee 45 Dogpatch creator Al 46 Ending with ‘hemi’ or ‘strato’ 48 Isle near Mull 49 Aggressive lawyer's advice 52 Cafe ___ (black coffee) 53 Guitar at the auto factory? 56 ___ Romeo (Italian car) 57 Annapolis institution, initially 58 Assuages 59 Fathoms 60 Those born in late July 61 Rodeo rope DOWN 1 A boy and his sis, e.g. 2 Common test answer 3 Hoarfrost

4 Slithery slayer 5 If or if not 6 Overly sentimental 7 Those in favor 8 I, to Claudius 9 Some may be junior or technical 10 Delicacy from the sea 11 Bill Cosby book read at the auto factory? 12 Beat it 13 Bottom-line figures 18 Lion's bellow 23 Boatloads 24 Play the lead 25 Apportions (with ‘out’) 26 Shot the breeze 27 A month in Madrid 28 Certain work stint at the auto factory? 29 Embarrassing mistake

30 Domicile 31 Gives an edge to 33 Normand of silent movies 36 Gravy helping, perhaps 37 Break sharply 39 Dutch South African 40 Wearable wares 42 ‘Carmen’ and ‘Norma’ 43 Playing with a full deck 45 Musical finales 46 Stocking problem 47 Barber's symbol 48 ‘I'm ___ mood to argue’

SUDOKU

49 Talk back to 50 Takes advantage of 51 Exxon precursor 54 Suffix with ‘Japan’ or ‘Taiwan’ 55 Sheep's cry PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY You laugh at me because I am different, but I laugh at you because you are all the same. – Anonymous

Chai Time STAR POWER

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 13-3-2012

thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9177596118

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

Unexpected expenses, wanderings likely but no need to panic. Work burden will be more. Old friends will help in time. Businessmen will see proﬁt increase ra‑ pidly. Make efforts to retain customers.

Businessmen will increase proﬁts by adopting new techniques. Partners will help. Employees will be entrusted with new responsibilities. Superiors will recognise your hard work

Speculative deals will be proﬁtable. Tho‑ se in search of a job will receive favoura‑ ble news. Persons planning to go abroad will get their visa. Politicians will resolve differences with their high command.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

You will look afresh and cheerful. Cha‑ nge of residence to a comfortable house likely. Differences with father likely. Father also might face heavy workload. Support from in laws will increase.

Bank loan will be approved and house construction will start. Some have bright chances to settle abroad. Concentrate in dealings of court issues. Artists will see a boom time. Businessmen will do well.

Marriage talk will end favourably. Loa‑ ns expected will get sanctioned for pur‑ chase of house or plot. Avoid angry and hot discussions. Businessmen are advi‑ sed not to get cheated by new persons.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Problems in property of maternal rel‑ atives will come to an end. Chances for some to buy a house or vehicle. Employees will get importance due to their good performance.

Proper planning and necessary consul‑ tations with family members and well wishers are must before getting into a new venture. Old debts issues will keep you under tremendous pressure.

Your involvement will increase in the work undertaken and hence all work will get completed successfully. Avoid hasty decisions. Blood relatives will raise their voice at times.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Will power will be at its high. You will chuck out those culprits who worked against you after gaining your conﬁ‑ dence. Favours possible from father and his support encourages you well.

Avoid getting closer and sharing fa‑ mily secrets with new friends. Be str‑ ict in financial transactions. Busines‑ smen might face tough competition. New efforts will end successfully.

Govt work will get delayed. Business‑ men are advised to postpone fresh investments. Politicians are advised to stay away from group politics. Ego clashes possible with spouse.

TAROT READ ARIES

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 13-3-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

TAURUS

GEMINI

Two of Swords – Your actions are likely to upset two very important par‑ ties. You are unable to choose between the two but will be forced to do so.

Ten of Wands – Learn to delegate responsibilities so you donʼt feel burd‑ ened. You donʼt have to do it all by your‑ self. Quality of work may not be best.

Page of Swords – Th‑ ere are clouds of con‑ fusion around you b‑ ut you are able to see things, for what they are. Trust your instin‑ cts and continue doi‑ ng what feels right.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

The Emperor – Youʼre a born leader and yo‑ ur leadership skills wi‑ ll be put to the test to‑ day when subordinat‑ es may question your decision. You will han‑ dle it with conﬁdence.

Ace of Pentacles – Your power lies in your ability to show‑ er immense faith. This intangible bec‑ omes your strength and you achieve the impossible.

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

The Devil – Resist the temptation to go do‑ wn the illegal path. Greasing an ofﬁcialʼs palms may seem nec‑ essary but is avoid‑ able. Do what feels right to you.

Three of Swords – So‑ mething that you have great expectations is unlikely to go the way you want. Disappoint‑ ment needs to be han‑ dled. You need to go through this phase.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Eight of Swords – Some bonds from the past are being sev‑ ered. You may not see it yet but it is for yo‑ ur own good. Youʼre able to see things more clearly now.

Seven of Wands – Avoid conﬂict at all costs with your cowor‑ kers. Things might get difﬁcult especially when two or more col‑ leagues are vying for the same position.

Five of Wands – The‑ reʼs confusion becau‑ se you havenʼt been given the full infor‑ mation. Donʼt make hasty decisions or major changes. Wait for confusion to clear.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

Seven of Swords – Avoid any kind of conﬂict, whether at home or work. You will ﬁnd yourself in a sticky situation, unable to get out easily. Act smart.

SOLUTIONS

Boggle GAMING GAPING GIVING GLUING GAZING

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

LIBRA

The Lovers – You will be expected to make an important decision today. Weigh all pros and cons well. But you will eventually go with your gut feel.

Vol: 1, No 239 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

Chai Time 1400 Naadi Aadajanme 1430 Pavitra 1500 Movie 1800 Kodala Kodala Koduku Pellama 1830 Vasantha Kokila 1900 Chinnari Pelli Kuturu 1930 Anna Chellelu 2000 Missamma 2030 Edureetha 2100 Bhale Chancele 2200 CID 2300 Challenge 0730 Maa Gramadevatalu 0800 Ayurvedam 0830 Chaganti Sanatana Dharmam 0900 Challenge 1100 CID

1400 Kannavaari Kalalu 1430 Maavichiguru 1500 Sumangali 1530 Movie 1800 Jai Shri Krishna 1830 Shraavani Subramaniam 1900 Mandhara 1930 Auto Bharthi 2000 Swathi 2030 Mogali Rekulu 2100 Aparanji 2130 Devatha 2200 Mamathala Kovela 2230 Heartlo Battery 2300 Gemini Vaarthalu 0800 Gemini Talkies 0830 Movie 1130 Aha Emi Ruchi 1200 Jeevitha Chakram 1230 Maa Inti Aada Paduchu 1300 Chittemmaa 1330 Gorintaku

1400 [V] Vignettes 1430 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1500 [V] Humse Hai Life 1530 [V] Trailers 1600 [V] Steal UR Girlfriend 1700 [V] Zabardast Hits 1800 [V] Fresh Songs 1830 [V] Humse Hai Life 1900 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 1930 [V] Humse Hai Life 2000 [V] Gumrah 2100 [V] Vignettes 2130 [V] Trailers 2155 [V] Fresh Songs 2200 [V] Nokia India Fest 2012 2300 [V] Humse Hai Life 2330 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance 0700 [V] Trailers 0730 [V] Zabardast Hits 0800 [V] Mind Blasting Mornings 1100 [V] Fresh Songs 1200 [V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance

‘[V] D3 Dil Dosti Dance’ at 1900 Hrs on CHANNEL [V]

1300 News Now At 1 1330 News Now 1800 6 Pm 1830 Live Report 1900 Primetime 1930 The Game 2000 News Now At 8 2030 Live Report 2100 The Newshour 2200 The Newshour - Plus 2230 E Now 2300 News Now At 11 0800 The Morning News 0900 News Now 1200 Live Report 1230 News Now

‘The Game’ at 1930 Hrs only on TIMES NOW

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

Telly sitcoms, news and movie listings

1400 Abhishekam 1430 Aadade Aadharam 1500 Antahpuram 1530 Aakasa Ganga 1600 Prema Mandiram 1630 Jagadeeswari 1700 Adurs 1800 Devimahathyam 1830 Puttadi Bomma 1900 Kumkuma Rekha 1930 Manasu Mamata 2000 Chandra Mukhi 2030 Bharyamani 2100 Etv News 2130 Paduta Teeyaga 2245 Movie 0800 Jeevana Jyothi 0830 Tollywood Time 0900 Movie 1130 Abhiruchi 1230 Star Mahila

1400 Nagani 1430 Movie 1800 Meera 1830 Kalavari Kodallu 1900 Chinna Kodalu 1930 Pasupu Kunkuma 2000 Muddu Bidda 2030 Radha Kalyanam 2100 Kanyadanam 2130 Comedy Club 2230 Shree 2300 Bindas 2330 Latest Songs 0800 Gopuram 0830 Bhakti Samacharam 0900 Sri Raghavendra Vybhavam 0930 Mahadevi 1000 Bindass 1030 Luckku Kickku 1130 Jeevana Vignanam 1200 Mee Inti Vanta

‘Business Tonight’ at 2100 Hrs only on ET NOW 1400 The F And O Show 1430 Closing Trades 1530 Tomorrow's Trades 1600 Business Day 1730 Markets Tomorrow 1800 Rush Hour 1900 Global Business Report 1930 Business Express 2000 Business First 2030 Markets Tomorrow 2100 Business Tonight 2200 Top 10 At 10 2230 Investor's Guide 2300 Zigwheels 0900 First Trades 1000 Hot Stocks 1100 Buy Now Sell Now - The Stock Game 1130 Buy Now Sell Now 1200 Market Sense 1300 Business Day 1330 Markets Now

‘Deception With Keith Barry’ at 2100 Hrs on DISCOVERY 1400 Human Body 1500 My Naked Secret 1600 Swamp Brothers 1630 Factory Made 1700 Rhodes Across India 1800 Wild Discovery 1900 I Almost Got Away With It? 2000 Food Detectives 2030 Massive Engines With Chris Barrie 2100 Deception With Keith Barry 2200 Dual Survival 2300 Tattoo Hunter

1505 Wipeout 1605 The Challenger Muaythai 1700 Breaking The Magician's Code - Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed 1800 Chuck 1900 Wipeout 2000 Supernatural 2100 Minute To Win It 2200 Fear Factor 2300 Top 20 Countdown 0900 Sky Teleshopping 0930 Whacked Out Sports 1000 Dating In The Dark 1100 Minute To Win It 1200 Breaking The Magician's Code - Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed 1300 Movie - The Firm

‘The Firm’ at 1300 Hrs on AXN

‘Dwarkadheesh’ at 2000 Hrs on IMAGINE 1400 Haar Jeet 1430 Jamuna Paar 1500 Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo 1600 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1630 Jamuna Paar 1700 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1730 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 1800 Jamuna Paar 1830 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 1900 Haar Jeet 1930 Gyaan Guru 2000 Dwarkadheesh - Bhagwan Shri Krishn 2030 Sawaare Sabke Sapne – Preeto 2100 Jamuna Paar 2130 Mi Aaji Aur Saheb 2200 Baba Aisa Varr Dhoondo 2230 Haar Jeet 2300 Jamuna Paar

1400 Parichay 1430 Balika Vadhu 1500 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 1530 Uttaran 1600 Phulwa 1630 Parichay 1700 Sasural Simar Ka 1800 Uttaran 1830 Balika Vadhu 1900 Hawan 1930 Sasural Simar Ka 2000 Balika Vadhu 2030 Veer Shivaji 2100 Phulwa 2130 Parichay 2200 Uttaran 2230 Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha 2300 Na Aana Is Des Laado 2330 Balika Vadhu

‘Balika Vadhu’ at 2000 Hrs on COLORS

‘Choti Bahu 2’ at 1930 Hrs on ZEE TV 1400 Hitler Didi 1430 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1500 Afsar Bitiya 1530 Chhoti Bahu 2 1600 Pavitra Rishta 1630 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 1800 Hitler Didi 1830 Punarvivah 1900 Afsar Bitiya 1930 Chhoti Bahu 2 2000 Hitler Didi 2030 Yahaaan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 2100 Pavitra Rishta 2130 Ram Milaye Jodi 2200 Mrs. Kaushik Ki Paanch Bahuein 2230 Punarvivah 2300 Afsar Bitiya 1000 Chhoti Bahu 2

1400 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1430 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1500 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 1530 Crime Patrol - 2 1600 Crime Patrol - 3 1700 Crime Patrol - Dastak 1800 Saas Bina Sasuraal 1830 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 1900 Crime Patrol - Dastak 1930 Shubh Vivah 2000 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2030 Dekha Ek Khwaab 2100 Saas Bina Sasuraal 2130 Parvarrish - Kuchh Khatti Kuchh Meethi 2200 Kyaa Hua Tera Vaada 2230 Bade Achhe Lagte Hai 2300 Kuch Toh Log Kahenge 2330 Crime Patrol - Dastak 0900 Kahani Comedy Circus Ki 1030 CID

‘Dekha Ek Khwaab’ at 2030 Hrs on SONY

‘Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai’ at 2030 Hrs on STAR PLUS 1400 Sajda Tere Pyaar Mein 1430 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 1500 Navya 1530 Diya Aur Bati Hum 1630 Sasuraal Genda Phool 1700 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1730 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 1800 Navya 1830 Ruk Jana Nahin 1900 Saath Nibhaana Saathiya 1930 Sasuraal Genda Phool 2000 Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 2030 Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behnaa Hai 2100 Diya Aur Bati Hum 2130 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 2200 Sajda Tere Pyaar Mein 2230 Mann Ki Awaaz… Pratigya 2300 Maryaada ... Lekin Kab Tak?

MOVIES OF THE DAY AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

1440 Ocean's Eleven 1655 Mortal Kombat 1855 Inkheart 2100 Rush Hour 2 2245 Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire 0805 Friends 0905 Something's Gotta Give 1130 Ocean's Thirteen 1350 The Last Mimzy

1255 Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 1615 Diamonds Are Forever 1845 The Chaperone 2100 Frozen 2300 Death Race 2 0805 The Haunting 1030 Rocky II 1305 Death Race 2

1400 My Kitchen Rules 1500 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 1530 America's Funniest Home Videos 1600 My Wife And Kids 1630 The Big Bang Theory 1700 Rookie Blue 1800 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 1900 Outsourced 1930 The Big Bang Theory 2000 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 2030 America's Funniest Home Videos 2100 My Kitchen Rules 2200 Rookie Blue 2300 Outsourced 2330 My Wife And Kids 0900 America's Funniest Home Videos 1000 Outsourced 1030 My Wife And Kids 1100 My Kitchen Rules 1200 Rookie Blue

‘My Wife And Kids’ at 2330 Hrs on ZEE CAFE

Yeh Rishta Kya Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha Kehlata Hai Storyline - Naitik realizes that the issues between Rashmi and Nikhil are trivial and can be resolved. He supports Akshara. Akshara and Naitik think of a plan to bring them together. ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’ at 2130 Hrs on STAR PLUS

‘Dexter’ at 2200 Hrs on STAR WORLD 1400 Supernatural 1500 The River 1600 The Big Bang Theory 1630 The Simpsons 1700 Criminal Minds 1800 Supernatural 1900 Desperate Housewives 2000 Two And A Half Men 2030 The Simpsons 2100 Supernatural 2200 Dexter 2300 The Big Bang Theory 2330 Two And A Half Men 0700 Dexter 0800 Las Vegas 0900 Pan Am 1000 Dexter 1100 Desperate Housewives 1200 Two And A Half Men 1230 The Simpsons 1300 The Big Bang Theory 1330 Friends

Storyline - Papaji is furious when he finds out that Megha is working at Prabhat Lehar with Mohan, the same reporter who defamed Megha's husband. ‘Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha’ at 2230 Hrs on COLORS

1430 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 1500 Lapataganj 1530 F.I.R 1600 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1630 I Luv My India 1700 Gutur Gu 1730 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 1900 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 1930 Lapataganj 2000 I Luv My India 2030 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 2100 Chidiyaghar 2130 R. K. Laxman Ki Duniya 2200 Lapataganj 2230 F.I.R 2300 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 2330 Chidiyaghar 0900 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah 0945 Gutur Gu 1030 I Luv My India 1100 F.I.R 1130 Chidiyaghar

‘I Luv My India’ at 2000 Hrs on SAB TV

‘Frozen’ at 2100 Hrs on HBO

1430 How It's Made 1500 Dean Of Invention 1530 Discovery Science Classics 1630 Ufo 1730 Frontline Battle Machines With Mike Brewer 1930 Junkyard Wars 2030 Heavy Metal Taskforce 2130 Sports Science 2230 Weapon Masters 2330 Industrial Revelations 1030 Ufo 1130 How It's Made 1200 Dean Of Invention 1330 Junkyard Wars

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Playing Field

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

The games people play

Four more pull out due to virus infection

SUPER SHOT

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a backhand to Leonardo Mayer of Argentina during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 11, 2012 in Indian Wells, California. Nadal, a two-time Indian Wells champ, routed Leonardo Mayer 6-1, 6-3. AFP PHOTO / JEFF GROSS

PALM SPRINGS: Four more players pulled out of the Indian Wells tennis tournament on Sunday with a virus that has prompted prompting Palm Springs area health officials to issue a health warning. French 14th seed Gael Monfils, ninth seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva, American Vania King and Jurgen Melzer of Austria withdrew from matches Sunday at the hardcourt tournament. They joined Magdalena Rybarikova, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Andreas Seppi and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who have all complained of stomach problems. King said her symptoms included vomiting and diarrhea. “Just spent one of the worst nights of my life (gruesome details) fever, vomiting, diarrhea ... all at the same time ... caught a bug from someone,” King said on her social networking site Twitter. Palm Springs area health officials said players and tennis fans have been getting sick but added

it is not limited to the tennis event. They described it as an airborne illness and ruled out food poisoning, which many of the players thought initially might be what was making them sick. “There is currently a Coachella Valley-wide virus which is resulting in symptoms of nausea and vomiting, fever, and subsequent diarrhea,” the statement said. “It is self-limited and lasts between 24 and 48 hours. It is transmitted by air and direct contact and not passed via food. “Emergency Departments across the valley have seen an increase in patients with these symptoms. At Eisenhower Medical Center, which provides medical support for the BNP Paribas Open, we have seen increases in overall visits to the emergency department by about 15 percent over the past week. We have seen fans and players at the tournament experience these symptoms as well.” AFP

Gritty McHale ousts Kvitova INDIAN WELLS: Reigning Wimbledon champion and WTA Player of the Year Petra Kvitova exited Indian Wells when Christina McHale rallied to upset the Czech in three sets 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday. “She’s moving very well, so she played a lot of shots to back,” Kvitova said. “My serve was not too good. So it was tough.” It looked like the third seeded Kvitova might be headed for a routine victory in their first career meeting when she broke the American teenager twice in winning the first set in 34 minutes. But McHale broke Kvitova twice in each of the final two sets, finishing the almost two hour match with six aces and a 66 percent winning percentage on her first-serve points. In the eighth game of the final set, Kvitova double faulted on the final two points, handing the game to McHale and making it 5-3. Serving for the match, McHale won all four points in the final game and took victory with a backhand slice winner that Kvitova was unable to reach. “She started off really well, serving really well,” McHale said of Kvitova. “I couldn’t get a read on her serve in the first set and I wasn’t moving very well. “I just kind of hung in there early in the second. She played

one service game where she gave me a couple of loose errors and then I just kind of kept hanging in there, and then I got more comfortable as the match went on.” Kvitova finished with just two aces and seven double faults. World number three Kvitova claimed a WTA-leading six titles last year but has yet to win one in 2012.

The 22-year-old from Fulnek was forced to withdraw earlier this year from tournaments in Doha (Achilles injury) and Dubai (illness). The 19-year-old McHale won the WTA Newcomer of the Year award in 2010 and is making her third appearance at Indian Wells. “This is definitely one of my biggest wins,” she said. AFP

Playing Field

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

The games people play

Lakers pip Celtics thanks to Bryant

Phelps sizzles in Columbus GP COLUMBUS: Michael Phelps clocked the secondfastest 100m freestyle time in the world this year Sunday to cap a productive three days at USA Swimming’s Columbus Grand Prix. Phelps added the 100m free gold to the 200m free and 200m butterfly titles he claimed on Friday and Saturday with a time of 48.49. Only Australia’s James Magnusson, with a time of 48.05 in January, has swum faster so far in a season geared toward the London Olympics that start in July. “I wanted to swim a good 100 and see where we were,” Phelps said. “I could compare where we are now compared to four years ago this time leading into

(Olympic) trials. I’m happy, and hopefully this will set up a good 100 down the road or at trials. Who knows?” Phelps, whose 14 Olympic gold medals include his spectacular eight at the 2008 Beijing Games, finished comfortably in front of Brazila’s Nicolas Oliveira, who took second in 49.37 with South African Darian Townsend third in 49.47. Townsend earlier won the men’s 200m individual medley in 2:00.72. Phelps said he was pleased with his progress he has made since buckling down in his training, after losing motivation and focus in the wake of his Beijing exploits.

“The only thing I need to do right now is continue what I’m doing. I can’t have any more hiccups,” he said. “Training does help and it does work and I can see that. The last three weeks we put in some good training and it showed here. Things are heading in the right direction. We just have to keep everything going.” American Matt Grevers, edged in the 100m backstroke, bounced back with a victory in the 200m back in 1:57.59. That put him second on the 2012 world list behind Japan’s Ryosuke Irie, who posted a blazing 1:54.02 in January. Matt Patton was a distant second in 2:02.38 with Mexico’s Ezequiel Trujillo Aviles third in 2:03.86.

Hungary’s Zsuzsanna Jakabos won the women’s 200m individual medley in 2:11.98, good enough for fourth in the world rankings. US Olympian Natalie Coughlin was second in 2:12.90 and Hungary’s Evelyn Verraszto third (2:13.56). Arturo Verti and Maria Gonzalez Ramirez delivered gold for Mexico, Verti winning the men’s 1,500m freestyle in 15:30.69 and Ramirez capturing the women’s 200m backstroke in 2:10.75. Gillian Ryan, 16, won the women’s 800m freestyle in 8:29.25, a performance that vaulted her to fourth-fastest in the world this year. Chile’s Kristel Kobrich was second in 8:31.09.

LOS ANGELES: Kobe Bryant’s 26 points included a go-ahead basket with 41.7 seconds to play Sunday as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics 97-94 in an NBA contest. Lakers superstar Bryant scored 10 points in the final quarter, but it was Andrew Bynum who capped the 8-0 scoring run Los Angeles used to close out the game. The Lakers had fallen behind by five points with less than three minutes remaining. But they held the Celtics scoreless the rest of the way and Bryant and Bynum scored four points apiece as Los Angeles won for the 18th time in 20 home games this season. “They made the shots down the stretch and we didn’t,” said Celtics guard Rajon Rondo, who had 24 points and 10 assists. “We had some good looks at the rim, but shots didn’t fall and we couldn’t get a stop.” Bynum finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Spain’s Pau Gasol added 13 points with 13 rebounds and five assists for the Lakers. After Bryant’s last basket gave the Lakers a 9594 lead, Brandon Bass mis-fired for Boston. The Lakers called a timeout, and when they returned it was Bynum who got th eball for a hook shot that secured the winning margin. “Kobe came up with that play,” Bynum said. “He said they’re not going to know what to do and, sure enough, the way they designed it, Kevin Garnett started guarding me on the top side by the 3-point line, so it definitely worked.”

Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives around Sasha Pavlovic #11 of the Boston Celtics at Staples Center on Sunday in Los Angeles, California.

Playing Field

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

The games people play

We will fight to the finish: Mancini SWANSEA: Roberto Mancini insists Manchester City will take the Premier League title race down to the wire after his side surrendered top spot to Manchester United in a shock 1-0 defeat against Swansea. Mancini's men gave a lacklustre performance at the Liberty Stadium and were punished by substitute Luke Moore's 83rd

minute winner for the Swans. With United cruising to a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion, City were pushed off pole position by their bitter rivals for the first time since October. Despite a frustrating afternoon in south Wales, at the end of a week which also featured a 1-0 Europa League loss to Sporting Lisbon, Mancini remains confident City are still in the right frame

of mind to take the title fight to the final weeks. "We shall fight against them until the end. We have another 10 games to finish this Championship," he said. "The season is long and the situation changes every week. It is important that we stay together. But this result changes nothing. It is better to stay at the top, of course, but we are now a point behind. It

does not change our target. I don't see it as a critical game. I think this championship will be decided with two games to go." Mancini admitted Swansea had given his side a tough time, with Joe Hart saving an early penalty from Scott Sinclair, but he was disappointed City were unable to convert any of their own chances.

Fergie wants Rooney to score 40 Sir Alex Ferguson has challenged Wayne Rooney to break the 40-goal barrier after his double put Manchester United back on top of the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over West Brom. MANCHESTER: Rooney took his tally for the season to 26 at Old Trafford on Sunday with a well-taken first half goal and a second half penalty, awarded for a push on Ashley Young by Keith Andrews. That leaves the England striker — who has nine goals in his last six appearances — just eight short of his previous highest total for an entire campaign, recorded in the 2009-10 season. But United manager Ferguson is hoping Rooney can reach 40 as United attempt to retain the English title — they lead Manchester City by one point — and also stay in the Europa League, the competition in which they must overturn a 32 first leg deficit at Athletic Bilbao on Thursday. "As long as he gets to 40 I'll be absolutely delighted because we are in business then. He's on a hot streak — he does these things," Ferguson said. "The first goal was fantastic. I thought he was offside he was so far clear but the timing of the run was fantastic and a really good finish." Thanks to Rooney's latest heroics, and the second half dismissal of Albion defender Jonas Olsson, United have finally overhauled bitter rivals City and sit top of the pile for the first time since October. But Ferguson insisted he isn't worried about the table now, only at the end of the season. "I don't mind being top but I don't care about the positions just now," he said.

Manchester United's English forward Wayne Rooney scores their second goal from a penalty during their UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg football match against Athletico Bilbao at Old Trafford in Manchester, north-west England on March 8, 2012. AFP PHOTO/PAUL ELLIS "I'm happy to be there because only a few weeks ago we were seven points behind at one time, now we are one point ahead so we have turned around eight points. "Credit to the players and the

resilience of the squad because everyone knows we have had a lot of injuries." Rooney's form also earned praise from Albion manager Roy Hodgson, one of the names being mentioned as being in con-

tention for the vacant England post. And should Hodgson be in charge of England at Euro 2012, he has little doubt about how much Rooney will be missed in the opening two group games

from which he is suspended. "He's certainly playing well," said Hodgson. "He always looks to be a player in form to me because he's a world class footballer. "His goal was a mark of that. He came from nowhere and it's the type you don't concede too often in the Premier League unless you are playing against a player of his calibre. "We always appreciate the players we see on a week-to-week basis. Rooney is a world-class player and is going to be a major loss for England in the first two matches of the championship." Rooney himself clearly saw the significance of his team returning to first place and believes United have been unfairly criticised of late. "This is where we want to be at the finish," he said. "I don't think we have had the credit we deserve these past few months. "Europe has been disappointing, that's fair enough, but we've played well against the big teams recently. "We've not always been at our best but we've got the wins and we fully deserve to be top." Ferguson, conscious that his team now only need match City the rest of the way to win their 20th league title, seemed equally content at the position in which United find themselves. "If we keep winning games, that's the name of the game for both of us," he said. "The games whittle away and you run out of time." AFP

Playing Field

MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012

The games people play

AFP PHOTO / GUENTER SCHIFFMANN

‘Hungry’ Bayern out to see off Basel Bayern Munich will host FC Basel on Tuesday needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from their Champions League round of 16 first-leg match, while the Swiss side are looking to claim another major scalp.

MUNICH: Basel ended Manchester United’s involvement in this season’s campaign when they beat Sir Alex Ferguson’s side in Switzerland last December, then proved it was no fluke with victory over Bayern at St Jakob Park stadium three weeks ago. Although Bayern have a 100 percent home record in three games against Swiss opposition in the Champions League, Basel bring a deserved 1-0 aggregate lead to Munich’s Allianz Arena after Valentin Stocker’s 86th-minute winner. Having won only five of their 10 matches since Christmas, Bayern enjoyed a confidence-boosting 7-1 hammering of Hoffenheim on Saturday in the Bundesliga, with Germany striker Mario Gomez netting a hat-trick in

the rout. “That will give us a boost. I am confident the squad has that hunger again,” said Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes. “That was important for Tuesday.” Make no mistake: Bayern’s season will be deemed a failure by their bosses unless they reach the quarter-finals, especially with Munich to host the final on May 19, and defeat on Tuesday could have profound consequences. “Basel is a very important game for the way the rest of the season will run. We have to do that again against Basel,” Munich president Uli Hoeness told German television channel ZDF after the Hoffenheim win. While Bayern may have got their swagger back following last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen, Basel, under ex-

Zlatan flares up at press meet

ROME: Zlatan Ibrahimovic was involved in a new controversy on Sunday as his infamous temperament got the better of him during a post-match interview. Rumours all week suggested

Ibrahimovic had had a bust-up with Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri over the club’s 3-0 defeat at Arsenal in the Champions League. Ibrahimovic had complained to Swedish journalists following the game that he felt out of position due to the formation his side adopted. Although Allegri denied there had been a disagreement, in his pre-match press conference on Saturday, Ibrahimovic was asked about it following Sunday’s 2-0 win over Lecce, in which he grabbed the second goal. Visibly irritated, Ibrahimovic launched his elasticated Alice Band at a female journalist after staring her down and saying: “What the **** are you looking at?” Milan moved quickly to smooth over matters, stating on their official website that there had later been a telephone call between Ibrahimovic and Sky’s Vera Spadini to “clarify the misunderstanding”.

Bayern youth coach Heiko Vogel, are currently dominating Swiss football. They arrive in Munich on the back of a morale-boosting win after a 2-0 victory at Grasshoppers Zurich over the weekend that put them 12 points clear at the top of the Swiss Super league. Basel were last beaten in the Swiss league in August and their opening goal in Zurich was scored by future Bayern midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, who will come to Munich at the end of the summer. Bayern have plenty of experience and are appearing at this stage of the competition for the fourth consecutive campaign, while Basel are in the last 16 of the Champions League for only the second time in their history. Bayern Munich stars Arjen

Robben, Mario Gomez and Jerome Boateng are all nursing knocks, but are expected to play. Gomez, who netted his 11th hat-trick for the club in the Bundesliga against Hoffenheim, came off after 57 minutes with a cut above his ankle and Robben needed prolonged treatment after scoring twice, but completed the 90 minutes. Bayern were buoyed, however, by the return of Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger for the final 20 minutes against Hoffenheim, 31 days after he tore ankle ligaments. “I am glad that I got some time on the pitch, I felt good,” said Schweinsteiger. “I’m ready (for Basel).” Bayern’s midfield has lacked authority and purpose without their key playmaker and vice captain. AFP