Postnoon E-Paper for 18 December 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012 HYDERABAD

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 21°C

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

ROADS IN RUINS, CoP WITH IT

Two months after CoP, works undertaken for its sake continue at a snail’s pace in the City.

SHORT CIRCUIT OR SABOTAGE?

As sabotage possibility is not yet ruled out, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has ordered chief secretary Minnie Mathew to conduct a probe into the fire that broke out at Begumpet airport late last night and submit a report.

REPORT ON P7

32 PAGES

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

city events

ART EXHIBITION

Artist M Narayan’s work is on display at Shrishti Art Gallery till January 2. Narayan graduated from the Ken School of Art and has been working since 1991. He has participated in over 30 solo exhibitions and is known for his rural depictions.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

21°C

15°C

Clear with cloudy periods.

A mix of clear and cloudy skies.

Morning

Afternoon

21°C

30°C

A mix of cloud and sun.

New Delhi Mumbai Max 21 Max 33 Min 10 Min 22 Clear skies.

Chennai Max 30 Min 24

Partly cloudy, clear at night.

Partly cloudy.

Bangalore Max 28 Min 15

Mostly cloudy, clear at night.

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES Sujata Potay. Life skills, self awareness skills will be imparted, among others. Where: Center for Organization Development, Madhapur When: January 19 to April 27 Contact: 98494 53045

DINING Christmas Eve buffet Traditional turkey buffet and unlimited beverages will be served at Deccan Pavilion. There will also be live entertainment. Where: Deccan Pavilion, Begumpet When: December 24 Contact: (040) 2340 0132

Christmas hampers Taj Krishna is giving out the Luxury Santa Hamper and Deluxe Santa Hamper, which include Remy Martin Xo, Lagavulin 16, luxury Canali tie, Rose petal jam with cane sugar, Kalmata Olives, assorted Christmas chocolate and plum cake to name a few. Where: Taj Krishna When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 6666 2323

Christmas brunch There is a Christmas Day Turkey Brunch at Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. European inspired Ginger Bread House started from December 15. Where: Okra, Hyderabad Marriott Hotel and Convention Center When: December 25, 12.30pm to 4pm

THEATRE Pièce Montée Alliance Française is screening a French film directed by Denys Granier-Deferre, starring Jérémie Renier, Jean-Pierre Marielle and Clémence Poésy. Where: Plot no 4, Road no 3, Banjara Hills, Aurora colony, Road adjacent to Q-Mart When: December 18 Contact: (040) 2355 4485/86 Christmas carols Christmas carols will be sung by Global Edge school till the end of December at The Lobby. Where: Novotel & HICC Complex,

N SHIVA KUMAR

PO Bag No 1101, Cyberabad Post Ofﬁce, Near Hitech City When: December 3-31 Contact: (040) 6682 4422

ART Myriad Hues Artist Dhiren Sasmal’s paintings will be on display at Alankritha Art Gallery. The exhibition is titled Myriad Hues. Where: Alankritha Art Gallery Residence Inn, Amar Co-Operative Society Plot No 72, Residence Inn Lane , Jubilee Hills When: Upto December 19 from 9am Contact: (040) 2311 3709

Commissioner & Spl Officer

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

OVERLOAD: A physically challenged person riding a bike with three people sitting behind him at Charminar.

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

23262266 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

Eclectic iridescence An exhibition of Dhiren Sasmal’s art work, based on various themes and styles of painting. Where: Residence Inn, Amar Coop Soc.,Lane Opp. Madhapur PS, Kavuri Hills When: Upto December 19, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2311 3709 Inertia Photography Photography exhibition on India by Lona Lohan till December 31. Where: Rajiv Gandhi Airport, Shamshabad When: Upto December 31 11am to 7pm Contact: (040) 6625 0000 Delineation Haris Srinivas's art will be on display

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 Hospital, Musheerabad Care Hospital, Sec-bad Kamineni Hospital, LB Nagar

155313 23307328 23313163

27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666 39879999

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

at this exhibition at Taj Deccan. Where: Taj Deccan, Road No 1 , Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am to 10pm Contact: (040) 6652 3939

MISCELLANEOUS Photo competition Alliance Francaise, Hyderabad, is conducting a photo competition. The theme is Professions of the world. The winning entries will be sent to Paris. Where: http://hyderabad.afindia.org When: December 3 to January 6

Chai-Pakora Run To spread the word about India Bike Week being held in Goa on 2-3 February 2013, a chai-pakora run will be organised in Hyderabad. Where: Secunderabad Parade Ground, War Memorial on Lamba Theatre Road When: December 23 Contact: indiabikeweek.in/calendar

Transpersonal session Art & Science of Self-Actualization is a foundation course in transpersonal counselling, by clinical psychologist

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 AIRLINES

Jewels by Queenie Queenie Singh, jewellery designer from Mumbai is having a private viewing of her signature diamond collection. Where: Kimaya store, Shangrila Plaza, Near check post, Road no 2, Banjara hills When: December 19 to 20

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

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

City

TODAY’S QUESTION

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

WOULD NARENDRA MODI MAKE A GOOD PRIME MINISTER?

DO YOU THINK THE CONGRESS CONVENTION WAS A FARCE? 100% 0%

YES (A) NO (B)

The fire at Begumpet airport, which houses VIP planes, has rattled the State government. N SHIVA KUMAR

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

as it a security lapse or sabotage? The major fire that broke out at Begumpet airport late last night has raised several questions which are sought to be settled by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy,

airport has rattled the State government, sources said. With commercial operations shifted to RGI four years ago, the airport is now being used for training crafts and VIP planes. This airport had witnessed a few mishaps in the past but this one has generated a fear palpable in the corridors of power.

CRIME

Night digging? Call the cops FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

Liberal divorce prevalent in Muslim community is being misused by men against women. Cases of this sort galore in the Old City.

T port. The helicopter which is used by the chief minister was also damaged, it is reported. Residents around told the media they heard three loud blasts before the fire broke out. Many were so afraid that they could not sleep afterward. Though nobody was hurt, the question as to the safety of the

accused belong to Amlapuram of East Godavari district and they are all labourers by day and thieves by night, the police said. The accused came to the City and saw a great opportunity in looting public property like cables, copper plates, lights to make an extra buck. Last month, they were found digging at SP Road and Jubilee Bus Station Road under the pre-

text of laying cable wires or repairing them. This indiscriminate digging damaged landline connections of many phones. It was then that a senior official of BSNL, Suryaprakash, began looking for the cause. But he could not locate the problem and he informed the City police about this. On a recent night patrol, the Begumpet police came upon the gang engaged in digging at SP Road and on interrogation, found them to be thieves engaged in taking out cables to be sold in the market. The ACP of Begumpet, Suryanarayana, said the gang, who initially claimed to be working on orders of their ‘superiors’, later confessed that they were stealing cables. They were arrested and lodged in jail. Officials said that no work is assigned to anyone for digging roads at night. If one sees such an occurrence, the police should be alerted.

Where’s justice, wails a mother

Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

Four aircraft were severely damaged or destroyed. The helicopter used by the chief minister was also damaged.

he Begumpet police team has arrested a seven-member gang which is said to have been involved in a series of thefts of BSNL cable wires from different places of Secunderabad. They also seized stolen cables worth several lakhs, the police said. According to details, all the

CRIME

Sabotage or accident?

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

CRIME

as he has ordered a probe by the chief secretary Minnie Mathew. At least four aircraft have either been severely damaged or destroyed. Fire brigade officials, who fought for three hours to bring the conflagration under control, said one hangar was gutted beyond repair. Several training crafts were parked at the air-

YES

his happened not in Kandahar or Somalia. It happened in the hi-tech city of Hyderabad. A minor girl was brazenly kidnapped, forcibly married, used sexually and after three months, was thrown out. The hapless girl, whose life now shattered, and her mother have been knocking at the Santosh Nagar police station, but to no avail. Guardians of law have rather been making jibes at the girl and her mother. “We pleaded with folded hands before them (the police) to take action against the man and his relatives who did this crime against our girl,” said Ghousia Begum, the mother of the girl. She now calls upon Allah to bring retribution on the youth and his parents. The mother said that sub-inspector RCK Reddy of Santosh Nagar knows what an injustice was done to her daughter. “The police also know what vulgar words that man used against us. Is there justice in this

City?” she wailed. It happened on July 2. Jawaduddin, a 30-year-old resident of Kurmaguda in Madannapet, who works as a manager in a shopping mall, had his eyes on the minor, who had stopped studying after Class VIII due to poverty. She refused his offer, saying he belongs to a middle class family and was educated, while she is neither rich nor educated. Instead of taking it in the right spirit, Jawaduddin reportedly kidnapped her while she was going to shop, and married her forcibly on the strength of a fake SSC certificate. When she got pregnant, she was turned out of his home. Adding insult to injury, the man and his parents sent her a divorce by post. The girl’s mother said they are being denied justice because the man has the support of a local corporator. “Don’t these men have mothers and sisters?” she asked. Nor did she get any help from the community leaders who pay lip service to women, she said. FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

city TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

CIVIC

LAST YEAR... HERE Not a social move

ast year, we had reported how the traffic police were facing brickbats on their page on Facebook. Set up in order to get feedback from the public, the page quickly became an embarassment for the traffic cops, with its ‘followers’ analysing and criticising the department’s every move. The officers who were to respond to these comments did not have it easy.

DECEMBER 18, 2011

NUMEROLOGY

`22cr

the amount spent on the Old City exclusively for repair, maintenance and beautification works, according to officials from the corporation.

It is a great decision. Our party had already pledged to defeat the Congress party. The dominant T-JAC would play a key role in achieving this aim. K Eeswar, MLA See page 5

THINGS WE 5LEARNT TODAY The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the City functions.

There’s a new scapegoat in town. Engineers are breathing a sigh of relief. For once, they aren’t being blamed. It’s the turn of the town planning department to be whipped for not acquiring land and dragging projects.

Talk about a CoP-out! GHMC neglects residents again. After all that frantic work for CoP, the GHMC is leaving work undone again. After all, there are no foreign delegates to see the City now, right?

Punjagutta suffers from civic neglect

Roads have been dug up haphazardly in the area, leaving drains exposed and causing trouble for both motorists and pedestrians.

M ANIL KUMAR

RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com

ith CoP over, the GHMC is at its old game again. Shoddy and incomplete work by the GHMC has left the residents of Punjagutta area a vexed lot. Half-cured road works, dug-up drains are adding to the woes of lawless traffic. One among many problems is the senseless digging of roads. The corporation’s efforts to give them a makeover are mostly half-hearted. The lanes leading from Punjagutta main road to Jaffer Ali Bagh have been dug up and laid bare for almost a month. Earlier, it was the paste of sand and water left to cure the stretch that gave trouble to the motorists and pedestrians. While the road’s concrete layer has finally set, the municipal corporation has made no effort to remove debris and the stale water. Residents fume that the stagnant water has caused a spurt in mosquito population. Santosh Yadav, a vendor in this area, said, “The road and drainage works had been done over a month ago. What the corporation officials told us was that the stormwater drains and the sewerage lines from Erramanzil division were being directed here to join the nullah at Somajiguda main road. Nobody knows what work they have done, but the entry to this area has been blocked from the main road. Boulders and rubble lay strewn here.” CS Ram, a resident of the area, said, “There is no interaction with the corporator or the

In case of a fire, there is no way that a fire engine can reach the area, because access is cut off by the boulders. Also, a local school’s main entrance lies a few feet away from the half-finished drain pipes.

municipal corporation. We don’t know who keeps digging the roads and why. People have become resigned to their fate.” The GHMC is literally playing with fire, too. In case of a fire, there is no way that a fire engine can reach this area, because access is cut off by the boulders. Furthermore, a local school’s main entrance lies a few feet away from the half-finished drain pipes. In short, this is a trap just waiting to claim a victim. Efforts to reach the deputy municipal commissioner

proved futile. Neither did the local leader, A Mahesh Yadav, respond, as his phone appeared to be switched off. In extenuation to his stance, someone close to Yadav said he was busy with the State Congress convention being held at LB Stadium. It must be recalled that barely three months ago, the entire stormwater drainage system of Punjagutta-Somajiguda had failed after the road above it caved in. People are now worried that a similar horror is waiting to happen.

NEWS BRIEFS

Public policy gains favour in India. Several institutes in India are now offering demanding courses in public policy to tackle issues of governance and policy.

GHMC contractor commits suicide

30-year-old falls off speeding train, dies

Two new courses offered at UoH

APTransco gets help from the government

No love lost between the MIM and the Congress. The eight-year marriage is over. The MIM recently attacked Congress for being anti-minority.

No justice for minor who was dumped. A minor was kidnapped, married and dumped when she got pregnant. And no action has been taken.

ureaucratic red-tapeism claimed the life of a contractor, who was denied encashment of his bills by the GHMC. Shaikh Ramani, 45, on Monday is reported to have hanged himself as he faced severe ﬁnancial problems due to non-payment of his bills by the civic corporation. Ramani said as much in his suicide note.

ohd Sadiq, 30, a resident of Hassan Nagar in the Old City, died after he fell down from a speeding train near Saphilguda railway station yesterday. The man was reportedly travelling on the train’s footboard and was thrown out when the trail gathered speed. Secunderabad railway police have registered a case.

wo new courses have been introduced at University of Hyderabad, effective from the academic year 2013-14. Master of Public Health and Integrated Masters in Earth Sciences will be offered from next year. The procedure of admission has also been changed; the university will now only accept online applications.

budget of `1,200 crore has been sanctioned for the APTransco to provide three months of power supply to protect the standing rabi crops. This followed the APTransco’s announcement recently that the company was unable to maintain seven-hour supply for agricultural sector because of power shortage.

city TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

POLITICS

MIM sets its goals high

As the ties between MIM and Congress continue to be strained, the former is now warming up to the YSRC and is working towards wooing minorities away from the ruling party. who uses Muslims and minorities as vote bank. We will do everything to ensure the defeat of these political parties during the next general elections,” Akbaruddin said amid loud cheerings. Interestingly, he did not utter a single word about YSR Congress giving a clear indication that there is already an electoral understanding between the two. In all his speeches, Owaisi, singled out the chief minister and Congress while it had nothing much to say about TDP or YSRC.

INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com

IMIM has clearly begun its goal of expanding its horizon. After saying goodbye to its 8-year-long relationship with the ruling Congress following the temple issue at Charminar recently, the MIM led by Asaduddin Owaisi, has given an aggressive call to the party leaders in this regard. The party’s new found love towards YSR Congress seems to be getting stronger with each passing day. It was evident during the recent massive meeting organised by the party in Nizamabad, a predominantly minority populated town of the state, on December 8 under the banner of United Muslim Forum. Throughout his speech, MIM floor leader in AP Assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi trained his guns on CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy. He called him an antiMuslim and anti-minority leader and alleged that the Congress was treating Muslims merely as a vote bank during the elections

File photo of Asaduddin Owaisi coming out of Chanchalguda Jail after paying YS Jaganmohan Reddy a visit.

and not as an integral part of the society. He promised the gathering that his party would teach a les-

son to all political parties including the Congress who were using minorities only for votes. “We will not leave anybody

POLITICS

In all his speeches, Owaisi, singled out the chief minister and Congress while it had nothing much to say about TDP or YSRC. The MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, during his maiden press conference after severing ties with the Congress,

had also made it clear that the party would have an electoral understanding with other political parties. However, he did not mention with which political party the MIM would have an alliance during the next assembly elections but publicly announced that YS Jaganmohan Reddy, the president of YSR Congress party, is his friend. Commenting on the issue, MIM party senior functionary admitted that the goal of his party would be enhance the number of MLAs in Assembly by expanding its base across the State and added that the party would do everything to achieve its aim. The party has already kept an eye on winning assembly seats, where Muslim population is predominant. These seats include Jubilee Hills, Rajendranagar, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Hindupur, Anantapur, Kadapa, Kurnool, Mahbubnagar and Nandyal Assembly seats. The basic idea of the party seems to be to win at least 15 Assembly seats in the next General Elections.

POSTNOON IMPACT

KCR, Kodandaram for all-party meet

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

he TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao, who had been staying mum about the all-party meeting convened by the UPA on the Telangana issue, has finally confirmed that he along with T-JAC chairman Prof Kodandaram will be attending it. KCR’s olive branch to the professor is considered significant as the two had strained

relations in the recent past on the modalities of tackling T stir. T-JAC takes a view that more than politics Telangana was important. For that purpose JAC would take the help of the devil if need be. But KCR wants political mileage, TRS observers pointed out. Welcoming the decision of KCR, party leader G Kishor Kumar told Postnoon that the decision would help them in acting more aggressively in the ongoing T-agitation. Also hail-

ing the move was party MLA K Eeswar. He said, “It’s a great decision. Our party had already vowed to defeat the Congress. The T-JAC would play a key role in achieving this.” Kishor Kumar also expressed similar views. The decision of the TRS would help the party raise its strength in the Assembly, it is hoped. The party is also hoping to win at least 100 Assembly and 15 Lok Sabha MP seats in the next general elections with a sole objective of emerging as a dominant force. Party chief KCR is repeatedly exhorting party activists and other leaders to work towards this aim. T-JAC is an umbrella organisation of various proTelangana groups. Its perceived role in helping the BJP win Mahbubnagar Assembly seat had soured the relationship between KCR and Kodandaram.

Mayor relents, general body meet this month Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

tung by criticism from various quarters Mayor Mohd Majid Hussain held discussions with opposition leaders on Monday and decided to hold the delayed general body meeting this month. Earlier, it was not clear when the meeting would be conducted as the

mayor was unwilling to commit. Hectic discussions and meetings continued in his chamber till evening in which Commission participated. During the meeting former mayor, Mir Zulfiqar Ali, was seen going in and coming out with the GHMC rule book. Later the mayor told some media persons present that the general body meeting would be held soon.

city TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

CIVIC MESS

Town Planning under fire Mention delay in completing civic works, and fingers would instantly point towards engineers. But now it is the Town Planning department that is being blamed for its lax attitude. “Immediately after the decision is taken, we invite agencies and the process proceeds smoothly, until it hits roadblocks in the form of property acquisitions,” says one of the senior engineers. “But clearance from the town planning remains a hurdle,” he says. It is alleged that the officials in Town Planning are interested only in giving permission to new buildings, ignoring the property acquisition. According to the engineer, if this keeps on going like this the agencies which are coming forward to take the GHMC work may be discouraged. “The agency which constructed the Begumpet-Fatehnagar Link is awaiting bill clearance for about two years”, says the Engineer. However, Mayor Mohd Majid Hussain, came batting for the town planning department. He points out the shortage of employees as one of the reasons for the kind of functioning of Town Planning. “The town planning has only 90 staff including additional commissioner,” says the Mayor. “It needs more.”

Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

or once, engineers, the favourite whipping boys of civic chief are spared. Blame of not completing utility projects now goes to the town planning department that takes no efforts to speed up land acquisition. In a recent meeting, the fact that it was not always the engineers but the town planning officials who are responsible for dragging projects came out. “Look at two major public convenience projects,” pointed out an engineer, “Lakdikapul RoB and BegumpetFatehnagar bridge. Both remain in limbo for other reasons than engineers’ laxity.” The Lakdikapul RoB took almost two years for its completion. Now, it remains to be inaugurated and open for traffic but it is kept under wraps, while the Begumpet-Fatehnagar link will be completing its fourth year in January and yet incomplete. Its foundation stone was laid by the former CM, YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

POLITICS

50% quota for women in local bodies

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Abhayahastham scheme to add 1.2 lakh members

He assured the women on this occasion that 1.20 lakh more members would be included in the ‘Abhaya hastham’ scheme. Kiran Kumar Reddy also opened the Rajiv Smruthi (memorial) building in the Beach road here. The CM also inaugurated a project which would provide 24 hours water supply to Central Visakhapatnam.

HAILS STATE’S WOMEN

hief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has made it clear today that the government was committed to providing 50 per cent reservation for women in local body elections. The chief minister, who was on a tour of this district as part of his ‘Indiramma baata’ programme, today had an interaction with the women selfhelp group members at the Andhra University conference hall here.

Speaking at a public meeting at Markapuram as part of Indiramma baata programme, the CM said that women of the State have brought pride to the entire country, by creating a confidence among the bankers that the loans advanced to them would be repaid promptly. He said following introduction of Indira Kranthi programme, women got benefited in the State. Women were getting nearly `13,000 crore loans from the banks and this was a matter of pride for the State. Kiran Kumar Reddy was happy that the banks were expressing confidence that if loans were given to women, they would promptly repay the same. He further said that the State government was making efforts to see that women were empowered economically. NSS

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classifieds TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

CIVIC M ANIL KUMAR

GHMC drags its feet on road repairs Two months after CoP concluded, works undertaken for its sake continue at a snail’s pace in the City. RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com

CLASSIFIEDS HEALTH/ CLINIC

oP has long been over but the works GHMC undertook in mending and making up City roads remain unfinished. However, it is not clear if the bills have been promptly paid for the works, as no official clarification is available. The work on stormwater lines in Old City areas has been left half done. Footpath work along the MadinaChaderghat flyover has been under construction for several months, shop owners and residents point out. Some credit ought to be given to the GHMC, though. The wrecked condition of the road from Charminar to Chandrayangutta was given a facelift. But the stormwater drains along Chandrayangutta have not been completed. The road to the famous Falaknuma Palace with its choked roads has no footpaths for pedestrians. This work too has not been taken up, except for minor repairs such as tile laying and painting. Another eyesore in the Old City is

MUSIC

Reliving the golden age

JYOTSNA NAMBIAR jyotsna.n@postnoon.com

T To advertise on this page, contact: 9866074747 For Secunderabad 9290204030 For H y d e r a b a d 9866663212

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the Grand Hotel area. The freshly laid pavement at Grand Hotel, done by the GHMC, was disturbed when the pavement was dug up and defaced. Apart from this, a few roads that have been redone for the CoP or otherwise have already started eroding. According to officials, a total of `22 crore was spent on the Old City exclusively for repair, maintenance and beautification works. According to GHMC chief engineer S Suresh: “Only the main water line near Madina is yet to be finished. Whatever other little works we have, they will be finished as early as February 2013.” It must be remembered that the GHMC’s initial plan was to finish the civic works before October. Two months after the conference, the `400crore beautification project has failed to make any great mark or change. More importance was given to artifical face-lift work like garbage cleaning and road repair, while more essential work like stormwater drain cleaning was neglected. A total of `54 lakh was spent on the Siddiamber Bazaar and Afzalgunj areas for stormwater drain works.

he opulent ballroom in Falaknuma Palace is no stranger to music. It is said that the Nizam used to host dances for visiting English gentry in this room, content to watch as the dancers twirled under the grand chandeliers. On Sunday night, the ballroom came to life once more, thanks to a wonderful performance by acclaimed jazz pianist, Sharik Hasan. Sitting in the beautifully restored room, with its stunning woodwork and imposing chandeliers stretching into infinity in the mirrors that line the walls, it is easy to imagine the royal lifestyle. Sharik showed his virtuosity on the piano, playing pieces from genres as disparate as classical and bossa nova. He interspersed the performance with a few compositions of his own, and ended the evening with a rousing rendition of George Gershwin's I've Got Rhythm. Sharik's performance was just the beginning. Guests then moved to

Step inside the Jazz Bar at Taj Falaknuma Palace, and be transported to another era. S BALAKRISHNA

the Jazz Bar, which was inaugurated by DCP (south zone) Akun Sabharwal. The Jazz Bar, formerly the Hookah Lounge, is the perfect setting for an evening of leisure and

luxury, with its deep antique sofas, luxurious draperies and dark beams. Providing a perfect foil to the weight of history in the room was vocalist Kelly Johnson (in pic),

whose cheerful presence lit up the room. Belting out her renditions of classics like Fever and Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Kelly brought life into the formal room. The only incongruous note was the laptop perched on an intricately carved desk, as it broke the spell. The magic of the room is that it provides enough nooks to have a private conversation and to soak in the ambience. The well-stocked bar offers a carefully chosen selection of hand-rolled Cuban cigars, single malts, cognac and wines. The grand billiards table, one of the largest in the world, is a perfect centrepiece for a room so rich in history. The very experience of being at the Taj Falaknuma Palace is a royal one, and the newly inaugurated Jazz Bar only heightens the feeling. The rich, rounded notes of jazz could not have had a better setting than this opulent palace. The Bar will be open every night, 7.30pm onwards. So make a reservation, dress in your finest and be transported to an era where leisure ruled and the jazz played on.

city TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

EDUCATION

DECODING PUBLIC POLICY ARUNIMA RAJAN arunima.r@postnoon.com

he John F Kennedy School of Government was established at Harvard University in the early 1930s as the Graduate School of Public Administration. It quickly became one of the most renowned colleges offering courses in public policy and was given its current name in 1966. The institution was set up during the Great Depression, at a time when the American government faced historic challenges at home and abroad. This is when Lucius N Littauer, a Harvard alumnus, donated $2 million to the university to establish a public affairs institution to educate a new professional governing class. After several years, prominent universities around the world — including Universities of Oxford and Cambridge — followed

Harvard’s footsteps and began offering courses in public policy. Until 2001, India seemed to restrict public affairs training to just a handful of institutes like Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussorie and Indian Institute of Public Administration, Delhi. That training was only for civil service officers until the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B), started its Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy (PGPP). During the initial years, IIM-B admitted only officers from the Indian government to the course. In fact, it was created to fulfill the need for an educational programme in public policy for government officers. Now, several decades later, the country seems to be waking up to the need for courses in

Both citizens and politicians have realised that there is a governance deficit. This is the fundamental reason why public policy education is gaining increasing importance. Nitin Pai co-founder, Takshashila Institution

city TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012 Is a good policy analyst a mythical creature? Not any more. More and more high flyers are enrolling for public policy courses in hopes of finding alternatives to various societal problems.

Public Policy and Administration. More and more universities are offering courses to equip a new breed of policy makers to tackle the issues related to governance as well as policy research. Contrary to the popular perception that the most ambitious workers prefer jobs in the corporate sector, institutes like IIMs are receiving applications from midlevel employees of the IT sector (which is traditionally considered to be one of the most sought after sectors), for public policy programmes. This is precisely the reason why institutes like Takshashila are offering courses for professionals from all disciplines who wish to study public policy while continuing their full-time occupations. Beyond the

IIMs, there are also other institutes offering courses in Public Policy like the Jindal School of Government and Public Policy, TERI University, Management Development Institute, Azim Premji University, and Indian School of Business. According to IIM-B officials, the Centre for Public Policy has received nearly 500 applications from candidates outside government for its 2013 schedule of classes. “The fact that institutes like IIM are offering the courses show that there is a demand in the market for such courses,” says G Ramesh, chairperson of Centre for Public Policy, IIM-B, which opened its gates for candidates outside the government in 2008. Academics point out that more and more businesses have to engage with governments, at home and abroad in a professional, transparent manner. To be

Contrary to popular belief that most people prefer corporate jobs, institutes are receiving applications for public policy course. competitive, a business executive will need to have a good grasp of government relations, regulatory affairs, corporate social responsibility and even "corporate diplomacy". Nitin Pai, one of the campaigners for public policy education and the co-founder of Takshashila Institution, considers basic public policy skills essential for today's executives. This awareness became a game changer as the Indian education sector opened up. “Both citizens and politicians have realised that there is a gov-

ernance deficit because of a lack of capacity,” says Pai. He adds that corruption, inefficiency or poor quality of service is ultimately the result of inadequate knowledge, skills and training in public policy. There is no doubt in Pai’s mind that both politicians and citizens are realising this deficit. “This is the fundamental reason why public policy education is gaining increasing importance."

TEACHING METHODOLOGY

In looking at Indian programmes, one important question is: Are they as demanding as those offered by western universities? According to Pai, the answer is "yes." The Graduate Certificate Programme in Public Policy (GCPP) is academically rigorous and meets the standards of a onesemester course in the best public policy schools. "We have designed the curriculum for 'networked distance-learning'. This allows students to study at their own time, from the convenience of their homes or offices, on a learning management system (LMS) and interactive webinars. It also allows our global network of experts to deliver guest lectures," he says. In addition, the weekend policy workshops bring the students, faculty and alumni together for face-to-face sessions where they get to interact with top government officials, senior policy-makers and experts.

INTER-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH The PGPP programme offered by IIMB covers a wide range of disciplines — such as public policy making, micro economics, evidence-based policy making, social marketing, general management and public system management.

Student Profile

oday, a public policy programme has students from a variety of disciplines such as engineering, finance, business administration, media, arts, humanities, and social sciences. While most are in the age group of 25-45, one can also occasional-

ly spot senior citizens taking the course. Some institutes even give scholarships to promising undergraduates to add to the vibrancy of the class. So, does a course put things in perspective for an aspiring policy maker? According to Sharmistha Mukherjee, a PGPP student of IIMB, it does. “I am interested in working on policy implementation for the health sector.

Having over five years of domain knowledge in healthcare across the globe, I thought it was best to integrate my experiences with new concepts and tools that I will pick up from this course. This will give me better understanding of policy formulation and issues in proper implementation,” says Sharmistha, who worked as an IT professional for last six years. “I plan to do consulting with companies engaging government verticals. In the longterm, I want to work with NGOs for children,” she adds. Another success story is that of Kingshuk Bishwas, who plays a lead role in several campaigns of the Gujarat gov-

ernment. Amit Seth, an IIMB alumnus, has donned the hat of strategic analyst for a startup that offers primary healthcare services for people from rural areas. Meanwhile, some of the students of Takshashila’s GCPP — which is yet to complete its first year — have already been hired by firms engaged in public affairs. One has been selected to be part of a ‘blue skies’ team at a major industrial conglomerate. Many have used the GCPP as a stepping stone for Master’s or PhD programmes in public policy; while some have succeeded in clearing UPSC exams. School officials acknowledge that the programme is not recognised by the UGC, AICTE or any

other government-body. Officials also note that their programme is not targeted at coaching candidates for UPSC exams, although the GCPP programme can provide a sound foundation for a career in the government. Despite the strengths of the various programmes offered, institutes point out that it is not easy to find jobs for their candidates within local or state government agencies. Prof Ramesh stresses that government agencies often don’t absorb their graduates. “Most graduates end up engaging in policy making through the public arms of corporations,” he notes. Still, it is heartening to see the advances in educating students in public policy.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

Business

RBI KEEPS RATES UNCHANGED

The RBI kept all key policy rates and reserve ratios unchanged in a review but said its focus now shifts towards spurring growth. The bank rate remains unchanged at 9 per cent, the repo rate at 8 per cent, reverse repo rate at 7 per cent, the CRR at 4.25 percent and liquidity ratio at 23 per cent.

AIG raises $6.45 billion

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Biz of battling pirates

HONG KONG: Asian insurer AIA said Tuesday that US giant American International Group (AIG) had sold its remaining stake in the firm, raising $6.45 billion and completing an exit

A young man, armed with knowledge of sharing technology available on the Web, helps Tollywood in fighting piracy losses.

Growth stats

PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

reekanth Katakam, a movie buff, spent most of his college days on Internet to follow and share film information. His passion towards the film industry and Internet pushed him to even drop out of his engineering course. Over time, his urge to do something on Internet, with the support of parents, helped him to create a successful antipiracy company, Antipiarcytool.com. Talking about the college days and his curiosity towards the Internet, he says, “It is the passion to share film updates with a larger audience that drove me to create film blogs. It was all for free — there was no need to buy a domain name or server space. After understanding the technologies, I started a few websites on film and jobs, which

Established: November 2010 Team: 6-8 freelancers Revenues for 2010-11: `10 lakh 2011-2012: `15 lakh Number of films worked for: 30 Margins: Around 30 per cent Target revenues for 2013-2014: `50 lakh Target films for next one year: 30 were instant success and gave me the confidence to make it big.” His business idea took birth from the problems he saw in the web space during 2010. “It was the time when piracy was eclipsing the film industry. I want to do my bit to save the industry with the expertise I have in the field. I could also manage to control the piracy of Don

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for

that started two years ago. AIG offloaded its final 13.69 per cent holding for HK$30.30 ($3.90) per share, AIA said in a statement, adding that it was one of Asia's biggest secondary placements.

Seenu by sitting at home to check my skills and business idea. However, getting an opportunity in the film industry is the difficult task without proper networking. Since I was new to the industry, it was the support of Sudhakar Reddy and RP Patnaik that helped me to establish in the industry. The business faced initial challenges like any other. Sreekanth says, “Though I have expertise in the field, it is difficult to get an opportunity with out successful track record to back our words. During early days, I did not demand any money from the producers but requested them for an opportunity to prove myself. They also came forward seeing my enthusiasm towards the work as they were not losing anything.” Talking about the process, he says, “ We monitor various torrents, video sharing sites like YouTube, social networking sites, blogs and other file sharing sites. Email alerts are also in place to get updates on various film uploads. As soon as we see some illegal upload or sharing of the file, we email the admin of the site to remove the respective content. Later, we get the screen shots of these sites and update the producers and distributors with the web links.” The business charges around `1 lakh for a big budget film and `50,000 for a small film to control the piracy for first 15 days. “There is tremendous effort required to control piracy of big films. The pirates try to upload in the first two days of the release. The number of links will also be more compared to a small budget film. We also need to increase our team by hiring freelancers,” he explains. The company is working under the umbrella brand of SK Digi Soft Solutions. The company is also expanding to various other services like Bio Metric Security for students. It also started Young Mantra, a digital agency, which provides services like Web Hosting and Development and also event management.

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Since our country is a union of states, we abide by its federal character and, therefore, are bound by the consensus on the issue, ANAND SHARMA, COMMERCE MINISTER

19,254.43 10.01

ANAND SHARMA, 2.85 COMMERCE MINISTER

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

nation

MILITANT KILLED IN ENCOUNTER

A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in north Kashmir today. The ultra was killed in a joint operation launched by police and Army, a police spokesman said. He said the operation was still in progress when last reports were received.

POLITICAL DRAMA

DISPLAY OF MIGHT

Shiv Sena ‘clears out’ of Shivaji park The clearing out was done amidst tight security at around 2.30am.

Soldiers perform the martial art kalaripayattu during an Army exhibition at Khasa, some 15 km from Amritsar, on December 17, 2012. The Army Mela (fair), organised by the Vajra Corps, displayed weapons, tanks, aircraft and military equipment to students and civilian visitors of the event. AFP/NARINDER NANU

THE GREAT INDIAN LOOT TRICK

MUMBAI: Exactly a month after Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s death, his public cremation site from the historic Shivaji Park ground in central Mumbai was removed amidst tight security early Tuesday, a party leader said. The clearing out was done amidst tight security at Shivaji Park around 2.30am in the presence of a few top party leaders, including city Mayor Sunil Prabhu, Subhash Desai and Shewale. The entire operation was carried out peacefully at the dead of the night though a group of Shiv Sainiks were assembled

outside the 28-acre Shivaji Park precincts. Last week, after a meeting with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, party executive president Uddhav Thackeray softened his stance on the issue and said that the cremation site would remain at Shivaji Park, but at a new location. IANS

Eshwarappa under graft scanner

$123bn ‘blacked out’ in 10 years

SHIMOGA: Karnataka BJP president and deputy CM KS Eshwarappa on Monday joined the growing number of BJP leaders in the state to face graft probe. Karnataka police attached to Lokayukta on Monday filed an FIR here marking the formal beginning of the probe into charges that Eshwarappa had amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income. Shimoga is Eshwarappa's hometown. The FIR was registered on a complaint by a Shimoga advocate B Vinod in the Lokayukta court which has directed the police to complete the probe and submit a report by February 4. IANS

The report puts India’s underground economy at 50 per cent of the GDP. WASHINGTON: The Indian economy suffered $1.6 billion in illicit financial outflows in 2010, cappingoff a decade in which it experienced black money losses of $123 billion, according to a new report. India is ranked as the decade's 8th largest victim of illicit capital flight behind China, Mexico, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the Philippines, and Nigeria, respectively in the report by Global Financial Integrity, a Washington-based research and advocacy organisation. Titled "Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries: 2001-2010," the report found that all developing and emerging economies suffered $858.8 billion in illicit outflows in 2010, just below the all-time high of $871.3 billion set in 2008-the year preceding the global financial crisis. "While progress has been made in recent years, India continues to lose a large amount of wealth in illicit financial outflows," said GFI Director Raymond Baker. "Much focus has been paid in the

media on recovering the Indian black money that has already been lost," he said suggesting policymakers should instead curtail the ongoing outflow. "$123 billion is a massive amount of money for the Indian economy to lose," said Dev Kar, GFI lead economist and co-author of the report with GFI economist Sarah Freitas. "It has very real consequences for Indian citizens. This is more than $100 billion dollars which could have been used to invest in education, healthcare, and upgrade the

nation's infrastructure," he said. A Nov 2010 GFI report, "The Drivers and Dynamics of Illicit Financial Flows from India: 19482008," found that the Indian economy lost $462 billion to illicit financial outflows from 1948 through 2008. Authored by Kar, the report measured India's underground economy as 50 percent of GDP, with cumulative illicit outflows accounting for an increasing share of the total underground economy. The new GFI study also estimates the developing world lost a total of $5.86 trillion to illicit outflows over the decade spanning 2001 through 2010. The $858.8 billion of illicit outflows lost to all developing countries in 2010 is a significant uptick from 2009, which saw developing nations lose $776.0 billion. GFI advocated that world leaders increase the transparency in the international financial system as a means to curtail the illicit flow of money highlighted by Kar and Freitas' research. IANS

PICK YOUR

Across Stores

ities Twin C

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

World SCHOOL SHOOTING

THE WORLD’S WORST THIEVES A group of Romans who broke into a designer clothes shop at the weekend have proved themselves to be possibly the world’s worst thieves after being caught pretending to be clothes mannequins. The three men – aged 55, 70 and 78 – are veterans of scores of shop break-ins stretching back decades and are well known to police, the Guardian reported.

ABE STILL IN BUSH ERA

HAND IN GLOVE

Django screening cancelled LOS ANGELES: A Hollywood premiere of notoriously violent director Quentin Tarantino’s latest film Django Unchained was canceled Monday, the latest such response to the Connecticut school massacre. A string of movies and TV shows have been pulled or postponed since Friday’s shootings, while sporting events have held moments of silence and players have worn black armbands to honor the victims, 20 of whom were young children. The Weinstein Company said that a premiere scheduled Tuesday in Los Angeles of Django Unchained — which is due to open on Christmas Day in US theaters — had been called off. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the

Japan’s presumptive premier Shinzo Abe got his US leaders mixed up Tuesday, when he told business chiefs he had been speaking to “President Bush” after a phone call from Barack Obama. The gaffe came in one of Abe’s ﬁrst speaking engagements since his landslide victory in weekend polls that saw his Liberal Democratic Party returned to power. Abe, was prime minister in 2006-7 during the ﬁnal years of George W Bush’s presidency. MADAMA: Israeli soldiers react as Jewish settlers from the Yitzhar settlement throw stones towards Palestinian farmers from the northern West Bank village of Madama, on Monday, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, near Nablus. Israeli soldiers came to the area to intervene in the fighting with left tree Palestinian and one settler wounded. AFP/JAAFAR ASHTIYEH

FISCAL CLIFF

tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, and in this time of national mourning we have decided to forgo our scheduled event,” said a Weinstein Company spokesperson. The studio will still hold a screening for cast and crew and their friends and families, industry daily Variety reported. Tarantino is known for screen violence, in his movies from 1992’s Reservoir Dogs to 2009’s Inglorious Basterds. In his new film a slaveturned-bounty hunter sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner.

Obama tax move spurs hopes

The US President’s new proposal offers $1.2 trillion in revenue hikes and an identical level in spending cuts. STEPHEN COLLINSON Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner on Monday made strides towards a deal to avert a year-end tax and spending crisis that could spark a recession. Obama offered Boehner his latest counter-proposal in a

tortuous negotiating process now homing in on a January 1 deadline, offering a major compromise on the income level affected by his demand to raise taxes on the rich. The latest plan would raise the threshold at which higher rates would come into force to households earning $400,000 a year and above, up from the $250,000 level on which Obama had earlier insisted.

Obama’s new proposal offers $1.2 trillion in revenue hikes and an identical level in spending cuts designed to trim the deficit, a source familiar with the plan, designed to avert the “fiscal cliff” crisis, said. The president had initially insisted in $1.6 trillion in higher revenue from raising taxes and then lowered the number to $1.4 trillion.

NEWS BRIEFS UN makes travel allowance for Taliban

Murdoch pays tribute to loving late mother

Remains of man in armour found in Japan

‘China resists moves to sanction N Korea’

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council renewed its sanctions regime against the Afghan Taliban on Monday, but adapted it to help those on the blacklist travel outside of Afghanistan for peace talks. There are 132 individuals and four entities on the current sanctions list, sources said.

MELBOURNE: Tycoon Rupert Murdoch on Tuesday led memorial tributes for his mother, philanthropist Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, saying she had always taught him to understand the impact of his actions on others. Murdoch gave the eulogy during a state memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne.

TOKYO: The remains of a highcaste man wearing armour who was buried by hot ash — possibly as he tried to calm the wrath of an erupting volcano — have been found in an area known as the “Pompeii of Japan”. Archaeologists say they have unearthed the wellpreserved body of a sixth-century man.

UNITED NATIONS: China is resisting US-led efforts to order new sanctions against North Korea over its rocket launch and the UN Security Council could take weeks to decide a formal move, diplomats said. Gary Locke, US ambassador to Beijing, said Monday that China and the United States are deeply divided over tackling North Korea crisis.

AFP

NUMEROLOGY

139

journalists were killed on the job in 2012, a 30 per cent increase over 2011, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said Monday.

LUNAR CRASH Two Nasa probes crashed into the moon on Monday after spending months gathering data by orbiting miles above the lunar surface. The site where the tiny probes, dubbed Ebb and Flow, crashed will be named after astronaut Sally Ride, the ﬁrst American woman in space. Ride, who died earlier this year, had led the GRAIL mission’s MoonKam project for students from around the world to choose targets for the probes’ cameras. “Sally was all about getting the job done, whether it be in exploring space, inspiring the next generation, or helping make the GRAIL mission the resounding success it is today,” GRAIL principal investigator Maria Zuber said.

We've got to bring everybody to the table, including the gun manufacturers and the gun rights groups and the entertainment industry and just regular people. Joe Lieberman US Senator

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

Technology NEXT FRONTIER KIRUNA: Sweden’s small Arctic town of Kiruna surprisingly has a international airport with regular flights to London and Tokyo, but it has even bigger plans: to offer commercial space flights. Spaceport Sweden, a company founded in 2007, hopes to be able to provide the first flights within a decade from Kiruna’s airport. “We’re working on establishing commercial flights from Sweden to space for tourism and research, and to create a launching pad at the airport,” explained the company’s enthusiastic director, Karin Nilsdotter, seated in her office at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF). The idea is that space tourists would take off for a maximum two-hour trip into space aboard futuristic spacecraft currently undergoing testing, which resemble a cross between an airplane and a space shuttle and which can carry between one and six passengers. The sub-orbital flights will send passengers 100 kilometres (60 miles) above Earth and allow them to experience five minutes of weight-

Even though it is too early to give any figures, market studies show that there is a potential for 14,000 travellers after 10 years of business. Karin Nilsdotter director, Spaceport Sweden lessness. Kiruna’s location in the far north of Sweden, and Europe, makes it a prime location for space flights, Nilsdotter said. The space flights would not be disturbed by heavy air traffic, nor is the region a densely populated area. The wide-open spaces within Sweden’s borders also mean no bureaucratic redtape to be resolved with other countries. Kiruna also has 60 years experience of space research to its credit. IRF was

founded in 1957 and the Swedish space research and rocket centre Esrange, located in the town, was founded in 1966. “We have to use this knowledge to create a unique adventure with global impact: space travel,” Nilsdotter insisted. “Even if it’s too early to give any figures, market studies show there is potential for 14,000 travellers after 10 years of business,” she added. Spaceport Sweden is not building its own spacecraft, but will instead collaborate with a company that is doing so, she says, refusing to disclose how many spacecraft it will operate nor the identity of its partner. In the United States, several companies are already developing aircraft capable of carrying space tourists, such as Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. “The technology isn’t fully developed yet,” Nilsdotter said, adding that the companies were currently carrying out

test flights in the United States. The first commercial space flights are expected to take place in the United States in 2014 and a few years after that in Sweden. The head of the Esrange space research and rocket site, Lennart Poromaa, is meanwhile more measured in his enthusiasm for the project. “In a few years there may be commercial space flights, but it will take longer than people think,” he said. Esrange pulled out of the project “because we’re not about creating adventure”, he explained. But “we could help them if they need help in the field of research, possibly”, the aerospace engineer said. According to Nilsdotter, space flights could take off four times a day. Esrange meanwhile launches four rockets a year.

ed ish w S l l is sma i r por t. h t , p ck u t space a i p o t s t s sta r urope’s fi r t h g i l pace f he spot of E s l a i c g for t m mer As co w n is v y i n to

E C A P S O T Y A W E T GA

MOVIE? WHAT FOR?

Turning games into movies is the latest trend, but Activision has made it clear that it has no plans to turn their successful Call of Duty (CoD) franchise into a movie. In a profile for the New York Times, the company reveals that it received several offers from movie studios to make CoD a film, but has turned down every single one. The company states bluntly that “movies based on video games rarely please devoted fans and could taint the brand.” While many may think Call of Duty would lend itself quite well to a movie, Kotick wants to keep the brand healthy rather than risk cheapening it with a poorly made film.

LIKE HOT CAKES... iPhones are selling like hotcakes in China. In two weeks the company has sold 2 million of its latest device. This response in China set a new record for the company with the best ﬁrst weekend sales ever in China, Tim Cook, the company’s CEO said in a statement on Monday. “China is a very important market for us and customers there cannot wait to get their hands on Apple products,” he said. In comparison, sale of iPhones in India is just in the thousands.

Download tweets Twitter has started rolling out a feature that will let all users download all their tweets. Twitter CEO Dick Costolo had promised this option a couple of months back. According to those who have the service, Twitter will email all your tweets as a zip ﬁle once you request a backup. This is similar to the archive system Facebook offers for its users in Europe, but it is expected to be rolled out to users globally this month itself. Now the biggest question is, what will you do with all those old tweets of yours?

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

Comment If you wish to succeed in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius.

WOMEN’S EQUALITY

OSCAR NUNEZ feedback@postnoon.com

he most precise and sophisticated calendar ever created is only one of the legacies of the ancient Maya, who also left their mark on the arts, architecture and cooking, experts say. The Mayan "Long Count" calendar says an era of more than 5,000 years ends on December 21 -- doomsday for some but a reason to rejoice for many others in Mexico and central America, where the civilization once flourished. Millions of tourists are expected in the region on Friday to celebrate with fireworks, concerts and other spectacles held at more than three dozen archeological sites. "The Mayan calendar is not just a matter of counting seconds, minutes and hours," Guatemalan anthropologist Alvaro Pop, a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, told AFP. The calendar also represents a model showing "the movements of celestial bodies and the way it affects human life in a cyclical manner," Pop explained. That expertise enabled the ancient civilization to detect the influence of celestial bodies on tides, births and plants, he noted. But the contributions of the ancient civilization — which reached its peak between the years 250 and 900 — far transcend their understanding of the stars, touching on everything from architecture to textiles to food. The Mayas were the first to grow corn, some 3,000 years ago. Today, it remains the main staple in cuisines across the region. AFP

MILES TO GO BEFORE WE REST

Joseph Addison English essayist, poet

It’s just not about calendar

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS A group of Romans who broke into a designer clothes shop at the weekend have proved themselves to be possibly the world's worst thieves after being caught pretending to be clothes mannequins. And we thought this just happened in movies!

REALITY CHECK

Bina Biswas

hile names like Cleopatra and Q u e e n Elizabeth and Queen Victoria are known to people all over the world as the first women to hold power over kingdoms, later names like Golda Meier (ex PM of Israel) or Sirimavo Bhandaranaike (ex Sri Lankan PM) may be less well known to them. Benazir Bhutto and Aung San Suu Kyi, not to mention Bangladeshi PMs, Sheikh Hasina and Khalida Zia and many others including Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton show that women being in or next in line to power is an increasingly common phenomenon. Indira Gandhi’s proved that women can be dictators too! But despite this list of names, to which one could add only a handful more, the fact is from the time of the freedom movement women have been woefully under-represented in Indian politics. Annie Besant was there, but she was from abroad, and India had no women in the forefront except for Jhansi ki Rani and some oth-

ers. When India got freedom only women like Vijayalakshmi Pandit, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur and Aruna Asaf Ali, all from wealthy aristocratic backgrounds, mattered in the new scenario. Here are some facts about women in Indian politics. The first woman President Pratibha Patil was elected only after 50 years after independence. The women who are MPs, MLAs, CMs or in power are all still mainly either from privileged backgrounds meaning elite ones or upper caste, or from abroad (Sonia Gandhi). As it was during the freedom movement, so is it now. Mayawati is the first woman to emerge from the large number of Indian women who are from the depressed castes, to wield power. She is a landmark figure, like Indira Gandhi and Pratibha Patil. Today India has many women politicians at all levels but the number is still too few.

SOME STATISTICS MAY HELP US IN UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUE MORE: The reservation system for women in India was introduced first at the Panchayat level in Karnataka in 1983 where 25% of the seats were reserved for women. Then in 1996 one-third (27%) of the seats in the

Parliament and State legislatures were reserved for women. Kerala’s female literacy rate is more than 90%. Yet the percentage of women in the state’s legislature rose only from 1% to 6 % from 1967 to 1991. While 33 per cent compulsory reservation is balanced and to be fought for strongly, as per the Women’s Reservation Bill, the reservation must go hand in hand with ensuring that the ones who come to power include not only the so-called upper class or upper caste women. The number of women representatives should be in proportion with the population ratio. India could be better off if

the ratio is steadily fifty-fifty in the upper echelons and corridors of power. A strong constant battle must be fought for this to be gained, including raising the question of why the Women’s Reservation Bill, Constitution’s 108th Amendment, has still not been presented to the Lok Sabha, two years since its being passed in the Raya Sabha. The clarion call for women’s equality must still be heard throughout the land: It is not yet time for women to sit back and rest on their laurels. Dr Bina Biswas is the Head of the Department of English, TRR Group of Educational Institutions, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad.

EDITORIALS

Fallen angel

veryone who has had something to do with cricket is on MS Dhoni’s case. When his stars shined bright, everyone was ﬂocking to him, showering him with praises, making and singing new paeans about what a cool captain he was. And the icing on the cap was the World Cup and his standing among cricketers rose phenomenally that it seemed to catch up with or rival those of legends whose efforts spanned more than a decade. Now, Dhoni is a fallen angel, fallen from grace of immortals in the sky and mortals on the earth. From the pinnacle of cricketing success, not even Dhoni might have imagined that his luck would go this sour and his has lost his knack of making the right decisions at the right time. One doubts if his batting technique was ﬂawless, but by virtue of raw power and excellent coordination,

READERS’ VIEWS

he was not a bad bat at all. Remember the helicopter shot? Remember the match-winning knock and the six that clinched the cup? Remember the IPL and Champion’s league victories? These are but memories now. Failures and consequent criticism have changed Dhoni from the brave man to one overly cautious and defensive in thoughts. Greats and ‘former’ greats are intent upon some swift change at the helm; many want Dhoni sacked and the talented Virat Kohli made skipper. Well, if Dhoni is to go, there are many more ripe to plucked. Cricket is a team game and the ﬂaws of the team may not be piled on the man at the helm. Of course, the man in question does not refrain from taking the blame. The thing is to ﬁnd out what are the real issues that have crippled our team, the world champions still, and address it.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

workplace

IT RULES After the government issued guidelines on the controversial Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, it is expected to soon come out with similar guidelines to clarify the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2011, that have also been heavily criticised.

WHAT TO GIVE?

KNOW YOUR COMPANY

Since you've picked up that slip weeks ago and found yourself in the enviable position of being a colleague's Secret Santa, you've been meaning to get them things. Only, you didn't. Now, it's almost time and you're in a panic. Don't be. Here is a last minute gifting guide for you!

Cognizant Cognizant provides information technology, consulting and BPO services. These include business & technology consulting, systems integration, application development & maintenance, IT infrastructure services, analytics, business intelligence, data warehousing, CRM, supply chain management, engineering & manufacturing Solutions, ERP, R&D outsourcing, and testing solutions. Like many other IT services ﬁrms, Cognizant follows a global delivery model based on offshore software R&D and offshore outsourcing. The company has a number of offshore development centers outside the United States, mainly in India.

DID YOU KNOW...

20%

Playing secret Santa PADMINI. C padmini.c@postnoon.com

GIFTS FOR HER It's true. Women are not the easiest to please when it comes to gifts. But that said, there are some things few women can resist. No, we don't mean diamonds. If you don't know anything about sparkle and sizzle, refrain. Instead, go for ones that will make her love you. Like heavenly smelling beauty products designed to drive women mad. If you have no idea what we are talking about go to Body Shop. Or Lush. Or Bath & Body Works. Or Forest Essentials. Or to Flipkart. And look for words like Cocoa or Shea Butter or Cherry Blossom or Midnight Raspberry or Festive Cranberry or Honeysuckle. You're welcome.

BOYS AND THEIR TOYS Contrary to what many think, it's not too difficult to shop for

men. That is, if you are willing to do some recon and find about their interests and hobbies. Almost all yuppies will swear by one franchise or the other — be it Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Big Bang Theory, Batman, Hulk etc... Original collectibles, figurines, memorabilia from these big names are all over the net, from websites which ship to India. If you can't find any, simply choose a design and a t-shirt and get it printed from Printo or any custom-design sites. If you want more ideas that tech freaks and geeks will dig, try sites like whyiambroke, the gift company, ebay etc... which store some brilliant gifts of the esoteric variety. From death star icecubes to Super Mario wall posters, you will be spoilt for choice, not to mention, a sure shot nominee for the best Santa ever!

GOURMET GURU There's nothing that can match

the joy of arriving at your desk during Christmas and finding a shiny hamper full of seasonal goodies. Have a custom-made hamper replete with plum cake, brownies, truffles, chocolates, candles, wine, ginger bread ordered from an online site like Nature's Basket, Zansaar or The Gourmet Co., have it beautifully decorated and delivered to your secret child who we assure, will love you forever.

TOO GOOD TO RESIST If you are absolutely out of time and ideas, this one here is for you. What's the gift? You. That's right. You. Wait, what? Let us explain. Make them a get-outof-jail card or a be-nice-to-me card which means that for 24 hours, they own you. They can make you fetch their coffee, do their presentations, take the heat from the boss, deliver their love letters, sing at a karaoke night...or anything else they can think of. It's carte blanche, so

use this only as a last resort and if you trust your secret child implicitly. Also, like any coupon worth it's salt would have, add some fine print!

stake in Baffinland Iron Ore Mines was handed to Nunavut, a privately held company backed by US private equity firm, Energy and Minerals Group by the Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal. The measure was undertaken in order to cut costs in a sluggish global market

WORKPLACE HUMOUR

SAFE BETS If all of these seem like they are too much effort, go for the safe bets — books, mugs, soft toys, piggy banks, planners, movies, a small christmas tree, a box of chocolates..the list is endless. Many places across the city offer interesting titbits, check out dcube, intouch, archies, himalaya book store and others for some inspiring ideas. But whatever you give, be sure to give it a personal touch. Write a letter to go with your gift, or a poem or decorate their desk, if nothing else, make a card with a Christmas carol. You are going to making someone very happy and in return for your good deeds, your Santa will do the same for you! Merry Christmas.

Sarcasm is not a license to belittle someone. Saying “I was just joking” doesn’t cut it. The timely and appropriate use of humour is an asset. Likewise, distasteful or inappropriately timed humour can be a signiﬁcant liability. Good humour can bring people closer, but poor humour can be a strong repellent.

Don’t use humour to single someone out, use it to help them acclimate. This makes humour a proverbial two edged sword — it can slice through the toughest of situations , or cut sharply against you. When levity is used to appropriately ease a burden or relieve tension it is greatly appreciated.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

spotlight

INDULGE YOURSELF

Jukebox Media introduces a one of a kind ‘The Indian Luxury Expo’. The expo which is on till December 19, caters to a broad selection of luxury categories including travel, private clubs, home fashion, accessories, apparel, personal care, wines and spirits and more. The expo is being held at the N-Convention Centre, Madhapur. S BALAKRISHNA

A STORY TO TELL

Actor Amala Akkineni launched A Sailor’s Story at Film Nagar, on Monday. Tammareddy Bharadwaja, Dr KV Ramanachary, T Prasanna Kumar, Arjun Krishnan, John graced the event. The book is the autobiography of late vice admiral N Krishnan.

DOUBLE ENTERTAINMENT

AT SUNDOWN

Guests at the Sundowner party held at Quiksilver, Timberland and Steve Madden stores, Jubilee Hills could stop gushing over how they enjoyed DJsKan-i, Murthovic and Siddie Boy's music. The party was held to celebrate the first anniversary of the stores’ launch in the City.

MUSICAL NIGHT

The most-awaited audio launch of Mahesh Babu-Venkatesh starrer Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu was held at a grand function at Ramanaidu Studios, Nanakramguda, recently. The film’s female lead Samantha and director Dil Raju were also present. 1

1 Samantha 2 Mahesh Baby , Venkatesh 3 Namrata Shriodkar and son 4 Prakash Raj, Srinu Vaitla 5 Suma 6 Dil Raju

KHAN TAKES OVER Superstar Salman Khan was in the City on Monday to promote his upcoming film Dabangg 2. The event was held at The Park hotel.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

health

NOROVIRUS AFFECTS 750,000 BRITONS Visitors are being turned away from hospitals across Britain as the deadly norovirus, commonly known as the "winter vomiting bug", is believed to have affected 750,000 people. A cruise ship Azura, docked in Southampton, carrying 3,059 passengers, has also reported an outbreak.

ADDICTIONS

Fight the plastic addiction As bizarre as it might sound, addiction to cosmetic surgery is a very real thing for many. Despite being blessed with perfectly good looks, the need to improve on their features can drive people to go under the knife several times. RANJANI RAJENDRA

ranjani.r@postnoon.com

hen 17-year-old Bharath insisted on getting a plastic surgery done, his family was stunned. The teenager had no visible flaws and in fact had been blessed with some very sharp features, making him one of the better looking boys in his college. Yet, Bharath insisted he didn’t look good and wanted a complete face change. Though initially his family thought it was just a passing phase, they grew alarmed when the boy became depressed and adamant that his demand be met. Worried, they took him to a psychiatrist for help. “I tried talking him out of it, but he would not listen.

Sometimes he’d say he wanted Akshay Kumar’s features and sometimes it was Shahrukh Khan’s face that he’d covet,” says Dr Minhaj Naseerabadi, consultant psychiatrist at Apollo Hospital. Addiction to cosmetic surgery is a disturbing reality and affects less than one per cent of the population. While the figure seems rather small, the results are often disastrous. Multiple cosmetic surgeries often end up ruining one’s face, not to mention the large amounts of money spent in this quest for a perfect face. In fact, there have been cases of celebrities going under the knife a 100 times or more to improve their image. “It majorly stems from the fact that most people have idols and aspire to be like them. They want a nose like one celebrity and lips like another. While not

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

The addicts Joan Rivers: She has had multiple procedures done on lips, nose, jaws, brows etc to retain and improve her looks. CatMan: The CatMan began his transformation after he dreamt that he should ‘follow the ways of a tiger.’ He has since had 2,000 hours of surgery and tattooing to modify his eyes, upper lip, teeth and ears. He has even had fibreglass whiskers implanted on his face. Lizard Man: He has had an estimated $250,000 worth of surgeries to have his ears and septum pierced, teflon horns implanted above his eyes, tongue bifurcated and get

everybody can afford cosmetic surgeries, there are some who do. This dissatisfaction with their body image is tied to a condition called body dysmorphia, where an individual is never happy

HOUSECALL

green scales to resemble a reptile. Talk about creepy. Sarah Burge: This former Playboy model is in the Guinness Book of World Records for her over 100 cosmetic surgeries. She’s also known as the real life Barbie and has spent over $850,000 on rejuvenation surgery. Jocelyn Wildenstein: Nicknamed the Bride of Wildenstein (a reference to The Bride of Frankenstein) Jocelyn Wildenstein has spent almost $4 million on cosmetic surgery, ending up as one of the worst and most famous cases of plastic surgery addiction.

with the way he/she looks. Sometimes it is the eyes that bother them, sometimes their cheeks, sometimes their nose, ears or shape of their jaw. To set this right they want a cosmetic

DID YOU KNOW?

surgery. But getting a surgery does not help as after that they will be dissatisfied with another body part and want to improve that,” explains Dr Minhaj. He adds that the real problem here lies with the individual’s mind and not his/her looks. “If their desired body image is not achieved they go into depression or display psychotic behaviour,” he says. “This obsession for cosmetic surgery can be treated with antidepressants for those who are depressed and anti-psychotics for those with more severe symptoms. Behavioural therapy and counselling also play a very important role in such cases. While the success rate is not always 100 per cent, there are quite a few patients who have been able to overcome this addiction for cosmetic surgery,” Dr Minhaj says.

PIONEERS

Just 6 weeks

Lichen planus

Babies stronger than ox

Ben Carson

Just 6 Weeks has ﬁve programs: 100 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, 150 dips, 200 squats and 20 pull- ups. Other features include automatic timer for rest between sets, reminders that notify about the upcoming workout, statistics on exercises and export/import data. It helps improve your level of ﬁtness and reach your goal in six weeks.

The onset of the rash is usually gradual, often first appearing on the flexor surface of the limbs. After a few days the rash becomes more widespread, and it may continue to spread for several weeks. The spots of lichen planus are flat topped and pink-purple in colour. About one in 50 people develop the condition, which most commonly affects those between the ages of 30 and 60, and women more often than men.

Babies are, pound for pound, stronger than an ox. While a baby certainly couldn’t pull a covered wagon at its present size, if the child were the size of an oxen it just might very well be able to. Babies have especially strong and powerful legs for such tiny creatures, so watch out for those kicks.

Benjamin Solomon Carson is an American neurosurgeon and the director of Paediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. In 1987 he became the ﬁrst surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins who had been joined at the back of the head. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, by President George W Bush in 2008.

health TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

DISCOVERY

BREAKTHROUGH

Tiny stroke could bring on Alzheimer’s WASHINGTON: The blockage of a tiny blood vessel in the brain can alter behaviour, even bringing on dementia and Alzheimer’s in the long run, says a new finding. “I am afraid that tiny strokes in our patients contribute — over the long term — to illness such as dementia and Alzheimer’s,” said Patrick D Lyden, study co-author and head of neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles. “This data shows us, for the first time, that even a tiny stroke can lead to disability. Better tools will be required to tell whether human patients suffer memory effects from the smallest strokes,” added Lyden, the journal Nature Neuroscience reports. “It was surprising that blocking one small vessel could have a discernable impact on the behaviour of a rat,” said Andy Y Shih, who completed this work as a postdoctoral fellow in physics at the University of California, San Diego. Working with rats, Shih, now assistant professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, and colleagues, used laser light to clot blood at precise points within small blood vessels, according to a statement issued by the University of California, San Diego. When they looked at the brains up to a week later, they saw tiny holes reminiscent of the widespread damage in the brains of dementia patients, as seen during autopsy. These micro-lesions are too small to be detected with conventional MRI scans, which have a resolution of about a millimetre. Nearly two dozen of these small vessels enter the brain from a square mm of the brain surface.

To check if minute damage could alter behaviour, scientists trained thirsty rats to leap platforms in the dark to get water.

“It’s controversial whether that sort of damage has consequences, although the tide of evidence has been growing as human diagnostics improve,” said David Kleinfeld, professor of physics and neurobiology, who led the research group. Scientists trained thirsty rats to leap from one platform to another in the dark to get water. The rats readily jump if they

can reach the second platform with a paw or their snout, or stretch farther to touch it with their whiskers. Many rats can be trained to rely on a single whisker if the others are clipped. “The whiskers line up in rows and each one is linked to a specific spot in the brain,” Shih said. “By training them to use just one whisker, we were able

to distill a behaviour down to a very small part of the brain.” FDA-approved drug memantine, prescribed to slow one aspect of memory decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease, was found effective in making the rats more alert. The brains of rats that received the drug found fewer signs of damage, and the rats were also better able to negotiate gaps. IANS

Correcting heart rhythms WASHINGTON: Scientists have successfully used a gene to convert ordinary heart cells into super-specialized pacemaker cells to correct erratic and failing heartbeats. “Although we and others have created primitive biological pacemakers before, this study is the first to show that a single gene can direct the conversion of heart muscle cells to genuine pacemaker cells,” said Hee Cheol Cho from the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute. “The new cells generated electrical impulses spontaneously and were indistinguishable from native pacemaker cells,” added Hee, study co-author, reported the journal Nature Biotechnology citing a CedarsSinai statement. Pacemaker cells generate electrical activity that spreads to other heart cells in an orderly pattern to create rhythmic muscle contractions. If these cells go awry, the heart pumps erratically. Of the heart’s 10 billion cells, fewer than 10,000 are pacemaker cells, referred to as SAN cells. But the Cedars-Sinai researchers, employing a virus engineered to carry the Tbx18 gene, that plays a key role in embryonic pacemaker cell development, directly reprogrammed heart muscle cells to specialized pacemaker cells. Once reprogrammed, the newly created pacemaker cells “induced SAN cells” or iSAN cells - had all key features of native pacemakers and maintained their SAN-like characteristics even after the effects of the Tbx18 gene had faded. “This is the culmination of 10 years of work in our laboratory to build a biological pacemaker as an alternative to electronic pacing devices,” said Eduardo Marban, director of the CedarsSinai Heart Institute and professor, a pioneer in cardiac stem cell research. IANS

FITNESS

Study: Olympians live 3 years longer

SYDNEY: Olympians live nearly three years longer than the general population, regardless of the country of origin, the category of medals or specific sport, a study said. Researchers from the University of Melbourne compared life expectancy among 15,174 Olympic athletes who won medals between 1896 and

2010 with general population groups matched by country, age, sex, and year of birth. All medalists lived an average of 2.8 years longer in eight out of the nine countries studied, the British Medical Journal reports. Gold, silver and bronze medalists enjoyed roughly the same survival advantage, as did medallists in both endurance

and mixed sports, according to a Melbourne statement. Medallists in power sports had a smaller but still significant advantage over the general population. Philip Clarke, professor at Melbourne, said the study was not designed to determine why athletes live longer. “There are many possible explanations, including

genetic factors, physical activity, healthy lifestyle, and the wealth and status that come from international sporting glory Perhaps the one thing those of us who do not make the Olympic team can do to increase our life expectancy is to do regular exercise, which decreases the risk of big killers like type-2 diabetes.” IANS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

Entertainment GAUTHAM’S INSPIRATION

I am a big fan of Mani Ratnam's films G

autham Menon has carved a niche for himself when it comes to making romantic films and he confesses that he's a big fan of Mani Ratnam's films. "Mani Ratnam's Nayagan is the reason why I decided to become a film director. His films, especially the way he shoots romantic scenes, have had a huge influence on me. I still remember taking down notes of shot divisions while watching Mani Ratnam's Bombay in the theatre," Gautham Menon says. His recently film Yeto Vellopoyindhi Manasu has a reference to Mani Ratnam's Sakhi. “It's true that I was paying homage to Sakhi in my film. The sequence where Varun goes to Manapad to meet Nithya is inspired from a similar sequence in Sakhi and you can also spot the similarities in the depiction of Nithya's sisters," he confessed. The break up scene just before the interval in Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu has come under a lot of criticism in terms of how it was shot. So why did he chose to show both Nani and Nithya from a distance instead of trying to capture their emotions? "There are three break up scenes in the film and I wanted to try something unconventional with this sequence. If you observe closely, the entire scene unfolds in real time and I wanted to show the variation in their body language. You can see that in the way Nithya gets all excited when Varun tells her about him going to IIM and later on how Varun trips while trying to argue with Nithya about their relationship. It was necessary to shoot all this in a single shot rather than taking close ups which would have broken the flow," Gautham Menon explains. The film starring Nani and Samantha opened to a good response in Andhra Pradesh and the US. C Kalyan, the producer, stated that the film collected a share of close to ` 2 crore in the first three days of its release and in US, the film grossed more than $150,000 in the first three days. Ilayaraja has composed the music.

CINE BYTES

Government cancels VAT on films?

ccording to the latest reports, the AP state government has decided to cancel the VAT it had levied on ﬁlms. Apparently, Chiranjeevi, who's now a central minister for tourism, was instrumental in convincing the government to repeal this tax. Several bigwigs in the industry have welcomed this move and thanked Chiranjeevi for making it possible.

Pizza to release on December 28

ijay Sethupathi, Remya Nambeesan starrer Pizza is all set to hit the screens on December 28. Karthik Subbaraj had directed this critically acclaimed Tamil ﬁlm and Suresh Kondeti is producing the dubbed version in Telugu. Pizza has already been hailed as one of the best Tamil ﬁlms of the year.

Lawrence lands in a soup

aghava Lawrence has been instructed by the Telugu film producers council to pay `2.5 crore to J Bhagawan and Pulla Rao, the producers of Prabhas, Tamannaah starrer Rebel. Few months ago, the duo had filed a complaint against Lawrence for overshooting the budget of the film despite agreeing to make it within a budget of `22.5 crore.

Entertainment TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012 CINE BYTES

Ishkq In Paris to release in 2013

reity Zinta’s comeback ﬁlm Ishkq In Paris, which has been getting delayed for various reasons, will see the light of the day next year. “For all of you asking why ‘Ishkq In Paris’ will release in 2013. We got delayed ﬁnishing it due to my director falling sick. Besides that it looks great,” Preity tweeted Sunday. IANS

Irrfan doesn’t take titles seriously

cclaimed actor Irrfan, who has international projects like Slumdog Millionaire, The Amazing Spider Man and Life of Pi to his credit, does not take it seriously when people call him a Hollywood star. “It feels great when people say that, but honestly speaking I have never taken these titles seriously. And I will never do,” Irrfan said. IANS

Won’t leave TV even after Talaash: Pariva Pranati

ctress Pariva Pranati, who made her Bollywood debut with Reema Kagti’s Talaash, says she will not leave television for ﬁlms, because this is where she had started her acting career. “Television was where I started and I will not leave it as I have entered Bollywood. But I have always tried to do different work,” Pariva says. IANS

PARINEETI FORCED TO GIVE UP AKSHAY HOPES

YRF puts Parineeti on a leash

hile Ranveer Singh has happily signed films outside the Yash Raj banner, his Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl co-star Parineeti Chopra seems tied down by a binding contract that doesn’t give her the same freedom. It is being said that Parineeti was very keen to sign for the Hindi remake of Tamil blockbuster Thuppakki, directed by A Murugadoss. She was offered the film by producer Vipul Shah on behalf of the director. Apparently, the Hindi version’s lead actor Akshay Kumar was also interested in getting her on board for the project, but Yash Raj Films wouldn’t release Parineeti to do the project, as she is bound by contract. Aditya Chopra has refused the idea of Parineeti working in a film outside the YRF banner, when she is shooting for their new film with director Maneesh Sharma opposite Sushant Singh Rajput. Akshay also intervened in the hope of some flexibility in Parineeti’s schedule, but to no avail and hence Sonakshi Sinha was signed on. Confirming this, director A. Murugadoss said, “We tried really hard for Parineeti. But she was committed by contract to a project with Yash Raj Films.” Interestingly, Vipul Shah’s schedules for the “Thuppakki” remake don’t clash with the Maneesh Sharma film at all.

Entertainment TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

SHE’S GOT THE ‘LOOKS’

CINE BYTES

Greta Garbo's personal effects sell for $1.6mn

he personal effects of the late Hollywood actress Greta Garbo were sold at auction this weekend. The belongings took in $$1.6m (£992,000), three times the estimated total. Garbo's sunglasses, furs and Ferragamo shoes were among the items sold. "Greta Garbo commanded Marilyn Monroe prices today," said Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien's Auctions.

Mark Wahlberg talks Transformers 4

hen it was announced that Shia Labeouf would not be returning for Transformers 4, the odds were on Mark Wahlberg becoming his replacement. According to the star, he can’t wait to get started. “That’s why Transformers came about, because we had such a great time working together [on Pain and Gain],” says Wahlberg.

Madonna has 2012’s biggest tour

KATIE HOLMES A

voted 'best revenge' body

ctress Katie Holmes' svelte figure has been named 'best revenge body' of 2012, in an annual list compiled by Fitness magazine. The 33-year-old split from superstar husband Tom Cruise in June after six years of marriage and won full custody of their six-year-old daughter Suri. The magazine ranked the 33-year-old actress' figure slightly ahead of singer Katy Perry's post break-up body, reports contactmusic.com. Holmes is frequently spotted attending spinning classes here at the popular celebrity exercise centre Soul Cycle. She also maintains her petite curves by sticking to a diet rich in vegetables and fruit. Blake Lively was awarded 'best legs' in the poll, while Jennifer Lawrence was voted 'best curves'. IANS

ith 72 sold-out shows supporting Mdna, Madonna's endlessly controversial tour earned $228 million, besting Bruce Springsteen's second-place $199 million earned over 72 gigs and way besting Lady Gaga's $125 million earned across 65 concerts. Hot tickets like Jay-z and Kanye West, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift all raked in quite a bit less, but they also all played less than half as many shows as Madonna.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

Chai Time

Play & Win

Please send in your filled-in entries to Postnoon, #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033. The winners will be announced on this page in Sunday’s edition.

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 refer-

QUICK CROSSWORD enced 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.

Play & Win

voucher from VENKEY’S VEG Restaurant, Nampally

ACROSS

SCRIBBLING PAD

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SUDOKU

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

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1 ‘If ___ a rich man ...’ 6 New newts 10 Routine learning method 14 Early wake-up hr 15 Tide between springs 16 Wild goat with huge horns 17 Meaning of life 20 Miles ___ hour 21 Discharge, as radiation 22 Prepares for the next turn in the alley 23 Fiber-___ cable 25 Kennedy Space Center org 26 Central church area 28 Functionless feature on a furry foot 32 Figure skating jumps 34 ‘Could I interject?’ 35 Navigation system display 38 Exact duplicate 42 Ending for extremists 43 Negative votes 44 ‘___ Marner’ (George Eliot work) 45 Subjects for analysts 48 Egyptian Christian church member 49 ‘___ shalt not steal’ 51 Caused to hobble 53 They show the Virgin Mary

55 Distinctive atmosphere 56 Informal repayment promise 59 Best times for flying, weather-wise 62 Pepper mate 63 Opening chip 64 It's signaled by a white flag 65 ‘... and another thing’ 66 Military meal 67 Made bearable

DOWN 1 Words after ‘the jig’ or ‘your time’ 2 ___ E Coyote of cartoons 3 Certainly no wallflower 4 Thor Heyerdahl's ill-fated papyrus craft 5 Actor M ___ Walsh 6 Dangle a carrot in front of 7 Parts of a yard 8 Do some soft-shoe 9 Cowboy's boot spike 10 It cuts with the grain 11 They're found among the reeds 12 Seed covering 13 Former flames 18 Surrounded by 19 Gives a new title

24 Ill-gotten loot, perhaps 26 Scruff of the neck 27 Tree fellers 29 ‘America's Most Wanted’ host John 30 Tai ___ 31 Albanian currency unit 33 Sultry 35 Tuneful 36 Pronto, in office speak 37 Soft ‘Hey, you!’ 39 Playing hard-to-get 40 Private eye 41 Naughty alternative 45 Kind of salad or chips 46 Ducks and dodges 47 Garment of India 49 Word with ‘basin’ or ‘wave’ 50 They may be kicked off or kicked up 52 Lusterless finish 53 Leaning Tower city 54 Grifter's forte 55 Insects on farms 57 Less than occasionally 58 Pre-owned 60 Sixty minutes past 12 61 Nest egg component, for short

Chai Time TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 19-12-2012

As per Hindu panchang thiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in, 040-27177230 / 9177596118

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Employees will get co-operation from their superiors. All their demands will be accepted by the management and fulfilled. Businessmen might face minor hurdles but they manage well through bold decisions. Income will multiply.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Children will make you proud by their wise activities. Parents' health problem will be over. Employees need to be alert while working. Complete all work in time with perfection so that your elevation will happen. Businessmen need to be alert.

Your bold decisions will yield desired results. VIPs will be of great help. You will fulfill wishes of spouse and children. Children will realise their opportunity and act wisely. Friends and relatives from abroad will extend their wholehearted help.

Politicians will not get favour and full support of the high command. Avoid magnifying issues and new efforts. Farmers will sell their complete produce with a decent gain. They will act according to the competition. Avoid fresh investments.

Businessmen can expect attractive margins. Avoid getting irritated. Religious thoughts will occupy the mind. Those who want to start new ventures can go ahead. You will achieve success in all work. You will help the needy with a kind gesture.

Your mind will get clear and start thinking innovatively. Persons of high esteem will extend help. Work delayed since long will end successfully. Share family concerns with children without an ego. Businessmen might face competition.

Friends and relatives will extend full co-operation to you. Though there may be differences in opinions at home, harmony will not be affected. Businessmen will earn good profit but travel will increase. Women to take care of health.

Financial position looks strong. Dissatisfaction over friends and relatives will disappear. Litigation in ancestral property will get cleared. House construction held up half way will resume. Employees may be overburdened with new responsibilities.

You are destined to grow but caution is needed in all efforts put in. At office, flexibility and soft approach will pay off, rather than using power. Persons dealing with cash need to concentrate as negligence could prove very costly.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Two of Wands – This is a waiting period. All your plans have taken off but are taking time to move forward. Be patient and don’t push the panic button yet.

LEO:

Knight of Cups – You’re discovering the romantic in you and didn’t know you could be so smitten. Enjoy the time with partner and make commitments carefully.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

The Hermit – This is the lonely hermit in search of the truth. This is a journey you need to undertake on your own. You’ll come out of it feeling more empowered.

SAGITTARIUS:

The Hanged Man – Spiritual awareness is the need of the hour. You find it difficult to strike a balance between the demands of the material and spiritual worlds.

TAURUS:

King of Pentacles – Beware of jealous coworkers who might try to ruin your well laid plans. You may not be able to avoid it. But you should know.

CANCER:

Page of Cups – You’re young in love, and don’t care about what the world thinks. You feel as though you’re ready to deepen a commitment. Think before you act.

VIRGO:

Ace of Wands – This is a creative phase when you feel that your creative ideas will take you the distance. This is true to a large extent.

SCORPIO:

Queen of Wands – You want to be left alone and wish to spend time thinking and planning your next phase of life. Your family and friends will understand.

CAPRICORN:

Three of Pentacles – You may feel you’re stuck in a rut or in a hopeless situation. You have the power to change this by proactively working towards goals.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

Death – There is going to be a big change in your work, relationship and living situations. It’s change that you cannot really avoid. Might as well go with the flow.

NUMBER GAME

– Avoid conflict at all costs. But this does not mean you should hide the real person that you are while interacting with people.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Five of Swords

POOCH CAFE

You will complete all work boldly and with a determination. Dull period in business will disappear and hard work will yield brisk business. You encourage subordinates and get work done smoothly. Those suffering chronic disease will get relief.

for 19-12-2012

Three of Cups – A third person may be interfering in a romantic relationship. It could be a mother or a sibling, who is anxious and worried about you constantly.

NON SEQUITUR

Businessmen will not get enough co-operation from partners but they don't create any trouble either. Employees to adjust well with their colleagues. Income will be steady. Avoid expenses over luxurious things. Father's health needs attention.

SUDUKO

You will execute your works with patience. Your skills will get sharpened. Friends who benefitted through you will extend their support and also required help. Legal issues will be over. You will earn a good name in the society.

Boggle BAY SEA POND LAKE OCEAN LAGOON Vol: 2, No 152 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

Entertainment

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

THE BIG DRAWS ELIZABETH SOUMYA

SHALAKA PAI

The Staves

Testament ELIZABETH SOUMYA

he three-year-old Indie music festival NH7 Weekender, after hitting Pune and Delhi, finally concluded in Bangalore last weekend. Sixty bands that included veteran Indie acts, new performers and headliners packed in enough noise to keep the crowds cheering. Day one saw performances from the UK based Fink who is known to have worked with Amy Winehouse, the Idan Raichel Project infused some fusion with their music, local favourites Thermal and A Quarter (TAAQ) played with a little help from their friends, folktronica veterans Papon & the East India Company persuaded the crowd to explode

Fink

Randolph Correia of Shaaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ir+ Func

ELIZABETH SOUMYA

Warren Mendonsa of Blackstratblues

Entertainment TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012 ABHIMANYU GHOSHAL

SHALAKA PAI

Susheela Raman

Testament

India's ‘happiest’ music festival, Bacardi NH7 Weekender, saw performances from 60 bands. We take you through the musical moments of the two days in pictures.

DEV AMBARDEKAR

Midival Punditz SHALAKA PAI

into dancing. Day two saw performances from popular bands like Indian Ocean, Susheela Rama, Bangalore-based Raghu Dixit Project. The festival's rock stage turned out to be popular with performances by Inner Sanctum, Kryptos, Blackstratblues, Parikrama, Goddess Gagged, Bangalore Metal Project, Scribe and Periphery. This stage also saw a performance by the metal rock outfit Testament, the biggest name in the line-up. The festival made space for an interesting reggae-hip-hop stage, the Dub station, that saw a performance by Reggae Rajahs and foreign acts such as Ziggi Recado and Herb-A-Lize It among others. All in all, it left some overwhelmed and most happy. VIVEK MANEK

Martina T

Raghu Dixit SHALAKA PAI

Indian Ocean

sports TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

HYDERABAD TRACK WORK

RANJI TROPHY

So Super pleases

So Super, Maharadhi, Guiding Light and Over Shadow pleased when the horses were excercised here this morning. Sand Track 800 Metres: Audacious (rb) 59, 600/44.5 Moved freely. 2y.Symboll Of Victory (Nitin Singh) 1-2, 600/46 Easy. 2y.Forest Finger (Joshi) 1-3, 600/48 Easy. Rosemead (S.Nayak) 1-2.5, 600/47.5 Moved freely. Castle Town (rb) 1-0 600/46.5 Unextended. 2y.Lots Of Love (Kiran Naidu) 1-0, 600/46 Easy.

1000/1-15, 8001-0, 600/46 Easy. Saravagnya (Henrique) 131.5, 1000/1-16.5, 800/1-1.5, 600/45.5 Moved freely. So Super (Kiran Naidu) 1-26.5, 1000/1-12, 800/58, 600/44.5 Pleased. Cristiano (Kiran Naidu) 1-31, 1000/1-14, 800/59, 600/44 Moved on the bit. Noted on Monday 17/12/2012.

Sand Track 1000 Metres: Maharadhi (rb)1-12.5, 800/58, 600/43.5 Moved well. Guiding Light (Sai Vamshi) 1-13.5, 800/58, 600/43 Moved well.

Sand Track 800 Metres: Vijays Winner (Togrolu) 1-3, 600/47 easy. Ruffiano (app) 58, 600/43.5 Moved on the bit.

Sand Track 1200 Metres: Over Shadow (rb) 1-30,

Sand Track 1000 Metres: Rocking Racer (app) 1-18,

800/1-2, 600/46 Easy. Sand Track 1200 Metres: Young Sapper (Togrolu) 1-33, 1000/1-18, 800/1-3, 600/49 Eased. Mock Race 1000 Metres: Dartos The Muscle (Mukesh Kumar) Wolverton (M.Mark) Ground Crew (Dileep) Yet Again (Togrolu) In Reality (Harinder Singh) Emerald Reef (K. Alam) Maid For Love (Deepak Singh) 1-3, 800/49, 600/38 Maid For Love slowly off and first three were the pick. Noted on Sunday 16/12/2012.

Sand Track 800 Metres: 2y.Sherman Oaks (S.Nayak) 2y.Goldie (Christopher) 59, 600/44 They moved together. Perfect (Pawar) 1-3, 600/48 Easy. 2y.Fenway Court (S.Nayak) 2y.Par Excellence (Christopher) 58, 600/44 Former finished a length in front. Prince Prashant (Christopher) Excluisve (S.Nayak) 59, 600/43 They moved together. Caladium (rb) 58, 600/43 Moved well. Saravagnya (rb) 59, 600/44 Moved freely. Sea Runner (S.Nayak) 2y.Beau Ideal (Christopher) 58, 600/44 They moved together.

GOLF RANKINGS Final 2012 rankings (‘11 ranks in brackets) 1. (3) Rory McIlroy (NIR) 13.22pts 2. (1) Luke Donald (ENG) 8.62 3. (23) Tiger Woods (USA) 8.53 4. (18) Justin Rose (ENG) 6.42 5. (5) Adam Scott (AUS) 6.21 6. (40) Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 6.14 7. (2) Lee Westwood (ENG) 6.03 8. (21) Bubba Watson (USA) 5.30 9. (33) Jason Dufner (USA) 5.29 10. (38) Brandt Snedeker (USA) 5.23 11. (10) Webb Simpson (USA) 5.13 12. (16) Ian Poulter (ENG) 5.00 13. (31) Keegan Bradley (USA) 5.00 14. (9) Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 4.90 15. (13) Graeme McDowell (NIR) 4.81 16. (17) Sergio Garcia (ESP) 4.74 17. (14) Phil Mickelson (USA) 4.69 18. (6) Steve Stricker (USA) 4.65 19. (42) Peter Hanson (SWE) 4.59 20. (12) Nick Watney (USA) 4.54

Rory ends year on top LONDON: Rory McIlroy (in pic) has ended the year as world No.1 for the first time with a comfortable lead at the top of the official rankings over Luke Donald and Tiger Woods. The 23-year-old Ulsterman won four tournaments during the year including his second major at the USPGA Championships in August That allowed him to break free of a yearlong logjam atop the rankings involving himself, Donald and Lee Westwood. Charl Schwartzel and Sergio Garcia end the year 14th and 16th in the world respectively after their weekend wins in South Africa and Malaysia. Dane Thorbjorn Olesen held on to 50th spot by 0.01 ranking points from Australian Geoff Ogilvy and so earns himself a US Masters debut next April.

SPORTS BRIEFS

Brief Scores At Dhanbad: Jharkhand 257 & 20 for no loss vs Andhra 410 (A Majumdar 180, D Shivkumar 57, AG Pradeep 56 S Rao 4/98). At Lucknow: UP 227 & 217/4 (Tanmay Srivastava 73, Ekalvya Dwivedi 51 n.o.). vs Haryana 276 (Rahul Dewan 93, Joginder Sharma 65; Ankit Rajpoot 6/68, Imtiaz Ahmed 3/88). At New Delhi: J&K 85 & 269 (Ram Dayal 58, Manik Gupta 62, Nishan Singh 5/73, Suraj Yadav 4/79) vs Services. At Vadodara: Baroda 208 & 116/4 (Aditya Waghmode 39; Jagannathan Kaushik 3/23) vs Tamil Nadu 230 (Ramaswamy Prasanna 75, Baba Aparajith 62; Murtuja Vahora 4/36). At Rajkot: Mumbai 606/5 decl (Aditya Tare 222, Rohit Sharma 166; Kamlesh) vs Saurashtra 248/8 (Aarpit Vasavada 83 n.o., Jaydev Shah 60). At Kolkata: Hyderabad 115 & 181 (Shami Ahmed 6/71, LR Shukla 3/38) lost to Bengal 116 & 183/6 (Rohan Banerjee 56, Wriddhiman Saha 52 n.o., Anwar Khan 3/68). At Agartala: Kerala 400 vs Tripura 127 & 70 /3. At Porvorim: HP 338 (Amit Kumar 86, Mukesh Sharma 73; Gauresh Gawas 4/109) vs Goa 347/8 (Reagen Pinto 85 n.o., Swapnil Asnodkar 81; Rahul Singh 4/71). At New Delhi: Maharashtra 196 & 266 (Harshad Khadiwale 96, Ankit Bawne 55, Sumit Narwal 3/48, Pradeep Sangwan 3/64) vs Delhi 193.

Won’t call off Pakistan series: BCCI

Lotus retain Grosjean for 2013 season

Pope Benedict XVI denounces doping in sport

Disappointing that DRS wasn’t used: Morris

PARIS: Formula One team Lotus signed up talented if sometimes reckless French driver Romain Grosjean for another season on Monday ending several weeks of speculation over his future. The 26-year-old Swiss-born pilot, who made his debut in Formula One in 2009, finished a respectable eighth in last season’s championship with a total of 96 points. He finished in the top three three times but also featured in several crashes. The most notable and perhaps costly one was at the beginning of the Belgian Grand Prix which claimed among its victims Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who was to go on and finish second in the world title race, just three points behind Sebastian Vettel.

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI has called on athletes to avoid “shortcuts such as doping” to improve their performances, he told the Italian Olympic delegation on Monday. “The pressure to obtain results should never push athletes to take shortcuts such as doping,” the Pontiff told a group of some 200 people who had gathered at the Vatican . “Sport should be marked by loyalty in competition, respect for the body and the sense of solidarity but also joy and the satisfaction of a celebration,” he went on to add. “The culture of sport should be based on the human being, a sport dedicated to man and not man dedicated to sport,” he said.

LONDON: England Managing Director Hugh Morris feels India’s decision of not allowing the Decision Review System’s usage in the just-concluded Test series was disappointing after touring captain Alastair Cook fell victim to a couple of dubious decisions. Cook, who was the hero of England’s 2-1 series win with 568 runs in all, was given out caught behind on the fourth day of the fourth Test in Nagpur despite replays suggesting no contact between bat and ball. The opener was dismissed lbw in the first innings but replays suggested that the ball was missing leg stump. “We made our views pretty clear at the beginning of the series. We believe DRS improves decision-making on the field.

NEW DELHI: The BCCI on Monday shot down BJP’s demand of cancelling the IndoPak cricket series in the wake of visiting Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik “insulting” India, insisting that the matches would be held as scheduled. “There is no question of calling off the tour. All the arrangements have been made and the tour was planned much earlier. Politics should not be mixed with sports and the tour will go on,” BCCI official and IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla told PTI. On Sunday in the Parliament, the BJP had accused Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde of remaining silent by not responding appropriately to Malik, who triggered controversy by equating 26/11 Mumbai attack with Babri Masjid demolition and describing LeT terrorist Abu Jundal as an operative of Indian intelligence agency.

sports TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

ENGLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TOUR OF INDIA

Conquering the final frontier Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2-1 series victory against India away was a well-deserved one which came after 28 long years, though it did not fully reflect the commitment and hard work of Cook and his men. TWELFTH MAN

Babu Kalyanpur

aptain Cook finally conquered the one frontier which has been eluding the England cricket team for the last 28 years. A 2-1 series victory against India away was well-deserved and did not fully reflect the commitment and hard work put in by Alistair Cook and his men. Everything went against the English at the start of the tour. They were denied practise against spin by the Indian authorities. India blatantly called for spinning wickets at all venues. England certainly started the underdogs and another bleak Sub-continent demise was on the cards. This was reinforced as England slid to a defeat by nine wickets on a turning wicket at Ahmedabad. India were on course to dominate another home season. It needed a great effort by England to avoid another debacle.

And they did. It just meant breaking away from the old formula of three pacemen and the one spinner syndrome. How well it worked. They included Monty Panesar and the fortunes turned. Both Panesar and Graeme Swann out-tricked and outbowled the Indians on their own backyard. Once they established that dominance, England had the

ageing Indian team on the mat. The batting began to improve. And Cook showed the way on how to play spin. Cook went big with his batting. And this helped England overcome the spin blues. Every batsman contributed one way or another. Kevin Pietersen scored a magnificent century in Mumbai. His 186 on a rank turner was sensational. Nick Compton was steady

SRI LANKA VS AUSTRALIA

SL resist Oz victory push HOBART, AUSTRALIA: Australia were struggling to finish off the Sri Lankan resistance and push on for victory on the final day of the first Hobart Test on Tuesday. The Australians removed Sri Lanka's key batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara but were hitting a brick wall to make further inroads into the tourists' batting.

Scorecard Sri Lanka 1st innings 336 Australia 450/5 decl and 278 Sri Lanka 2nd Innings (overnight 65/2) D. Karunaratne b Starc 30 T. Dilshan c Wade b Watson 11 K. Sangakkara lbw b Siddle 63 Jayawardene c Clarke b Siddle 19 T. Samaraweera not out 38 A. Mathews not out 11 Extras: (b6, lb7, nb1) 14 Total: (4 wkts, 94 overs) 186 Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-47, 3-112, 4-151 Bowling: Starc 22-6-46-1, Siddle 1910-25-2, Watson 20-4-38-1, Lyon 279-51-0, Hussey 1-0-5-0, Warner 4-08-0, Wade 1-1-0-0

Oz face tampering claims

Angelo Mathews (R) rolls on the ground in pain after been hit by a delivery from Mitchell Starc in the first Test between Australia and Sri Lanka on Tuesday. AFP /WILLIAM WEST

At tea, Australia were six wickets away from victory with Sri Lanka 186 for four with Thilan Samaraweera not out 38 and Angelo Mathews on 11. Victory appeared out of the question for the tourists with Sri Lanka still 207 runs away from the 393-run target heading into the final session of the Test match. Australian skipper Michael Clarke even brought wicketkeeper Matthew Wade into the bowling attack with his

HOBART: ICC match referee Chris Broad said Tuesday he had received no official complaint from Sri Lanka despite reports about alleged ball tampering by Australia in the first Test. Sri Lanka's team management has expressed concerns over footage it believes shows paceman Peter Siddle tampering with the ball. The tourists' team manager Charith Senanayake said he had spoken with the ICC officials about this. "All that happened is we have had informal chats with the match referee about what we saw on TV and we just asked what action are you going to do about it, that's all," Senanayake told The Australian newspaper.

lively medium pace utilised for a maiden final over before the tea adjournment. Samaraweera survived a review on 18 after being given out leg before wicket to Siddle in the 74th over after the TV umpire found he was struck outside the line. AFP

and helped Cook to set up big opening stands. Then Jonathan Trott and the out of form Ian Bell got hundreds as England cruised to safety and clinch the series. Joe Root was superb on debut. As Cook was a major factor at the top, so was Matt Prior in the lower middle. Prior showed his capability as a top order batsman and used the sweep shot frequently to negate the spinners. An unlikely hero was fast bowler Jimmy Anderson. On unsuitable wickets, he resorted to using reverse swing to prise out the Indian batsmen. India were down in the dumps after the victory in the first Test. The fighting spirit evaporated and they limped through to defeat in the next two. They were poor in all aspects of the game. Renowned players of spin were reduced to static willow wielders. There was no attempt to dominate the spinners. Many fell due to lack of judgement on whether to play off the back foot or front foot. This approach angered fans. The call for spinning wickets fell flat on the Indians.

LEAGUE CRICKET

Brother John Of God U-14 Bhavans Rama Krishna Vidyalaya 315/5 (Junaid Ali 117, Vignesh 51, Vishnu 36, Shauhuk 4/55) bt Army School 211 (Kapil 78, Vishnu 4/44). Bhegas HS 199/7 (Raja Shekhar 51, Balakumar 50, Rakesh 4/18) bt HPS(R) 97 (Harshavarrdhan 4/30). St Joseph PS 362/5 (M. Pratyush Kumar 167, Santosh 116) bt Jubilee Hills PS 109 (Karan 4/32). Nizambad 312/4 (S. Vamshi Krishna 123 n.o., Harsha 67) bt Mahabodhi Vidyalaya 49 (Munish 4/7). A4-A11 divison one-day Southern Stars 182 (Naveed Sidhiqui 51, Sultan Ahmed 64) bt MP Sporting 171/9 (Sridhar 52, Naveed Siddiqui 4/25). Abhinav Colts 108/9 lost to Amberpet 110/4 (Sandeep52 n.o.). Gowlipura 179/6 (K. Ganesh 55 n.o., Srikanth 4/46) bt Cheerful Chums 85 (Kiaran 5/21, Srikanth 5/44). Future Stars 120 (K. Sager 5/31, Saikanth 5/57) lost to Hyderabad Panthers 123/1, (Saket Reddy 78 n.o.) Mayur CC 226 (Shanthan Reddy 53, M. Sridhar 6/68) bt Walker Town 166 (Gopaljha 6/95, Sanjay Singh 4/47). Victory CC 262/9 (K. Sharma 102, Riyazuddin 80, Sankeeth 7/65) bt Imperial 132 (Nadeem 4/2).

Sachin Tendulkar went through the horrors. A national hero was often ridiculed for his dismissals in almost the same manner every Test. It was not until the last Test that some hope emerged. The out of sorts Virat Kohli and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni put up a fight. The spin bowlers were disappointing. Ravichandran Ashwin batted better than he bowled. Pragyan Ojha could not extract the same venom as Panesar. It was ridiculous to include four spinners and the sole paceman for the final Test. As it was, Both Anderson and Ishant Sharma did well. India need to do a lot of soulsearching. The string of defeats against major teams has to be halted, even if it means a clearout of some of the star players. Indian cricket must involve once again. A few bold decisions will have to be made. The selectors will have to rise above the petty politics and zonal and seek what is best for the team. The staunch Indian fans always live in hope. Time to give something back to them.

Lal Bahadur 205/6 (Gaffarkhan 51, Md Akber 67, Sridhar Sharma 52, Srinivas 4/39) bt Deccan Colts 170 (Bh Raj 6/24, P. Vishal 4/43). Safilguda 119 (Sri Ram 5/29) lost to Satya 120/3 Col Acralic 138 (Krishna Prasad 5/38) lost to Shalimar 139/4 Reliance 177 (Akhil 56, Vijayender 59, Sharan Kusuma 4/14) lost to Ck Blues 178/1 (Vijaysaradhi 81, Samuej Raj 68) Hyderabad Wanderers 153/9 (Syed Afzal 51) lost to Time CC 154/1 (Kapil 90). Royal 139/7 (Jitesh 65, Harshavardhan 4/39) lost to Concorde 141/2 (Harsh 57 n.o.) Chums XI 104 lost to Sunshine 107/2. Apex 182/7 (Pasha 60) lost to Aggarwal Seniors 186/6 (Hashim 50, Syed Ghouse 50 n.o.). Gun Rock 124 lost to Akshit 128/6 (Nagesh Goud 52). Eklavya 66 (Abdullah 5/14) lost to Vijaynagar 70/1 (Arun Kumar 58) Youngmaster 90 (Abubakar 4/25, Saleem 5/39) lost to Vijay Bharathi 91/5 MP Blues 229 (Venkat Swaroop 54, K. Praveen 67 n.o., Ramu 5/62, Kiran Yadav 5/58 ) bt Youth CC 106 (Ramakanth 4/46, T.P. Varun 4/4). Victor 101 (Amba Dass 4/21) lost to Taraknama 105/4

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

sports

RONALDO LOSES 17 KILOS IN REALITY SHOW Football great Ronaldo — overweight like half of Brazil — has lost 17 kilograms (38 pounds) in three months as part of a television reality show. Over the past three months the portly ex-striker, now a member of Brazil’s World Cup committee, went through a series of gruelling exercises.

PREMIER LEAGUE

Cazorla lifts Arsenal spirits Gunners bounced back from their earlier League Cup humiliation with a 5-2 victory at Reading thanks to Cazorla’s hat-trick.

JON WEST Agence France-Presse READING, UK: Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla struck twice in the first half after Lukas Podolski’s opener and completed his treble after the break on Monday to shatter Reading’s hopes of inflicting more misery on Arsene Wenger’s side. Adam Le Fondre and Jimmy Kebe reduced the deficit for Reading, but Theo Walcott’s late strike confirmed Arsenal’s rise to fifth place, two points behind Chelsea and Tottenham, and left the hosts bottom of the table and six points adrift of safety. It also gave Wenger and his players some much needed breathing space after criticism following last week’s shock League Cup quarter-final defeat at League Two minnows Bradford. “It was important to stay strong and play football,” Wenger said. “Success comes with playing (good) football.

Arsenal’s Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla (L) runs past Reading’s Latvian defender Kaspars Gorkss (R) during the match at Madejski Stadium in Reading on Monday. Arsenal won the match 5-2. AFP/ ADRIAN DENNIS

And it was a very convincing win tonight.” Gunners midfielder Jack Wilshere hailed Cazorla’s contribution, saying: “His all-round

play is great. It’s tough for anyone to come from Spain into the Premier League, but he makes it look so easy.” Inevitably Wenger made

changes from the side that had flopped so badly against Bradford. Ivory Coast forward Gervinho was dropped to the bench as Wenger opted for an attacking formation featuring Walcott, Alex OxladeChamberlain and Podolski. Walcott’s return to fitness following a calf injury was particularly well-timed as the England international had scored a hat-trick at Reading in October in the League Cup when the Gunners recovered from being 4-0 down to win 7-5 in extra time. Walcott began as the central attacker, the position he insists he prefers, with OxladeChamberlain on the right and Podolski on the left. Oxlade-Chamberlain was quickly into the action, exchanging passes with Cazorla before forcing Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici into a diving parry.

LEAGUE CUP PREVIEW

Benitez wants Chelsea to focus JASON MELLOR Agence France-Presse LEEDS, UK: Rafael Benitez has called on his Chelsea stars to erase the bitter memory of their Club World Cup final defeat by moving closer to their first silverware of the season with victory over Leeds in the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday. Benitez’s team returned from Japan just over 48 hours

before their trip to Elland Road having lost to Brazilian side Corinthians in the Club World Cup final on Sunday. Chelsea have already been eliminated from the Champions League and were beaten in the Community Shield by Manchester City in August when Roberto di Matteo was manager. And for Chelsea interim manager Benitez, whose side are currently 13 points behind

leaders Manchester United in the Premier League, the League Cup appears to be their safest bet for silverware,

For Chelsea interim manager Benitez, the League Cup appears to be their safest bet for silverware.

with Swansea, Aston Villa and League Two outfit Bradford, the conquerors of Arsenal, already in the semifinal draw. “I said before we have five trophies to challenge for, now we have four,” Benitez said. “We go back, play Leeds in the League Cup and then Aston Villa at the weekend, so we need to be strong mentally. We have to be ready for the next challenge.”

BRIEFS SAfrica launches match fixing probe

Boateng suspended for two CL matches

Balotelli to appeal club fine to league tribunal

Ben Arfa facing lengthy lay-off

JOHANNESBURG: The South African Football Association on Monday launched a probe into match fixing of friendlies before the 2010 World Cup and asked its president to step down. Following a report by football’s governing body FIFA into the rigged games, SAFA resolved that “a Commission of Enquiry be set up.”

BERLIN: Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng will miss both matches of the Champions League second phase after UEFA slapped the German with a two-match ban following a red card he picked up in the 4-1 group victory over Belarus club BATE Borisov. The Bundesliga giants, are already missing longterm injury victim Holger Badstuber.

LONDON: Manchester City’s Italian striker Mario Balotelli is to appeal this week to the English Premier League against a club fine imposed for on-field ill discipline, according to reports on Monday. The 22-year-old failed to overturn the sanction internally and would now take the case to a league tribunal, Press Association reported.

LONDON: Newcastle’s French international midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa is in danger of missing the Christmas programme after aggravating a hamstring injury. The 25year-old missed Saturday’s 3-1 Premier League defeat by Manchester City and coach Alan Pardew has said that his absence could be prolonged.

Fellaini given 3-match ban for headbutt offence LONDON: Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini (below) was given a three-match suspension on Monday after accepting a charge of violent conduct for headbutting Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross. Fellaini wasn’t punished by referee Mark Halsey, who missed the incident which occurred in the 59th minute of Everton’s 1-1 draw against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday. But the 25-year-old was charged retrospectively after the Football Association reviewed footage of his clash with Stoke defender Shawcross, who had grappled with the Belgian just before the incident as they prepared for a corner. A statement from the FA also referred to two other clashes between Fellaini and Shawcross, but Halsey has confirmed he saw both and did not consider them violent conduct. Fellaini had already apologised for his conduct and Everton manager David Moyes also condemned the incident. “I apologise completely to Ryan Shawcross, my team mates and to our fans at the game,” Fellaini said in a statement released soon after Saturday’s match. “There was a lot of pushing and pulling going on inside the Stoke penalty area and I didn’t feel I was getting any protection from the officials. “Nevertheless I know I shouldn’t have done what I did. I have also apologised to the manager and the staff. “I have no excuses. I was disappointed with the way I was being treated and I lost my temper, which was unprofessional of me.” AFP