Indian-Times by Paul McLane

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February 2014

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February 2014

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Air India jumps on discount bandwagon

ir India joined Spice Jet, IndiGo and Jet Airways to offer advance purchase discount fares for travel during the pre-summer weeks. This is the second time in a fortnight that both low-cost airlines and full service ones have offered discounts on advance buys. Spice Jet had announced a rerun of its 30-day advance purchase discount scheme and it was followed by IndiGo and

February 2014 Edition

Jet Airways announcing similar schemes later in the day. Air India matched the fares. The fares available under these scheme are for travel only unto mid-April, after which the peak travel season begins. So these schemes are not for travellers looking forward to book their summer vacations planned in May, June. On Saturday, a 30-day advance purchase ticket on the MumbaiDelhi sector was for sale for Rs

4,500. The cost is marginally higher than what was on offer in the last week of January when airlines launched off-season discount scheme for the first time this year. Though it seems that there are not may takers for these 30-day advance purchase deals as it entails travel during the lean season, the last-minute tickets are sky-high to say the least. The cheapest available airfare for Mumbai-Delhi flights departing

on Monday started at Rs 10,000, which is quite high considering that February is supposed to be a lean season for travel. Though Monday flights to destinations like Mumbai, Delhi are high in demand, the fares generally rest in the range of Rs 8000 on these routes. Similarly, last minute fares on routes like Mumbai-Bangalore too stayed high at Rs 5000. When compared with these last-minute fares, the advance

purchase discount fares are highly discounted ones. This was seen to be particularly true on high-demand sectors like Mumbai-Delhi, where the lastminute fare is Rs 10,000, but the 30-day advance purchase fares stand at around Rs 4,500. The 30day advance purchase fare on the Mumbai-Bangalore route was in the range of Rs 3,000, which was two thousand less than the lastminute fare on offer on Saturday.

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ne of the three middlemen in the VVIP chopper deal had asked top AgustaWestland officials to “target” UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and people “closest” to her to push the controversial Rs. 3,727-crore contract, according to an Italian newspaper. The newspaper posted on its website an unsigned note, which the Italian prosecution claimed was written by middleman Christian Michel. They alleged Michel asked his AgustaWestland contact in India, Peter Hulett, to get the deal pushed through. New Delhi had last month invoked an integrity pact to terminate the contract for the supply of 12 VVIP helicopters to the Indian Air Force. It has been alleged the UK-based firm allegedly paid middlemen more than Rs. 373 crore in bribes. “As Mrs Gandhi is the driving force behind the VIP, she will not fly any more in the Mi 8. Mrs Gandhi and her closest advisers are the people the (British) high commissioner should target,” the note said, listing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as one of the seven key advisers who should

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‘Middleman wanted to target Sonia, others to push VVIP chopper deal’ O

be targeted. The note also listed Pranab Mukherjee, Ahmed Patel, Veerappa Moily, Oscar Fernandes, MK Narayanan and Vinay Singh as key advisers who should be

approached. The note was seized from the office of another middleman based in Switzerland, Guido Ralph Haschke, who faces trial in the Italian court. The news

report did not say if there was any evidence to suggest that the plan had actually been executed. The BJP called the note a huge piece of evidence. Party spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi

said the BJP feared the case could blow up into another Bofors. Congress leader Rashid Alvi, however, dismissed the report, saying “none of our leaders are involved”.

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Pakistani PM pushing for militant peace talks

akistan’s prime minister vowed Wednesday that his government will pursue peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban, naming a fourmember committee to facilitate negotiations. In a speech to parliament, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also called on the militants to observe a cease-fire and condemned them for targeting security forces and civilians in recent months. Sharif long has supported talks as the best way to end the years of fighting in the country’s northwest.

But after a spate of attacks in January, some in Pakistan have advocated he forego negotiations in favor of a large-scale military operation against the Taliban and other Islamic extremist groups. “It is necessary for the success of the talks to start this process with good intentions, and it demands that the acts of terrorism be immediately stopped. Talks and terrorism cannot go side by side,” Sharif told lawmakers. He said he had decided to accept a recent offer by the militants to start negotiations. “We want to

give peace another chance by forgetting the bitter experience of the past,” Sharif said. The four people named by Sharif to head the negotiations are: Rahimullah Yousafzai, a local journalist and expert on the Taliban; Pakistan’s former ambassador to Afghanistan, Rustam Shah Mohmand; retired intelligence officer Mohammed Amer; and columnist Irfan Sadiqui. One of the negotiators, Mohmand, said the government had few options but to keep trying to bring the militants to the table

Cargo ship sinks off Yemen killing 12 Indian sailors

because force had not ended the militants’ attacks. “You will kill them. They will kill you. The killing cycle will go on,” Mohmand said. He said the committee would initially try to covertly establish contacts with the militants, but warned that the task would not be easy. Another committee member, Sadiqui, said he hoped the Taliban would respond positively to the initiative. “Let us make an effort for peace and expect good results,” he told a news conference in Islamabad. A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, Shahidullah Shahid, said the militant group has convened a meeting of its executive council to discuss the prime minister’s offer and the negotiating team. “We believe in serious and purpose oriented talks,” he said in a statement. Sharif has come under fire in the past for pursuing peace talks over military action against Pakistani Taliban militants in the northwest who have been trying to overthrow the government and enforce their harsh brand of Islam across the country. Critics say the militants have broken numerous peace accords and simply use the negotiating time to gather their strength. In a country that seems to suffer

from endless bomb attacks and shootings, the idea of a negotiated settlement has some popularity. Many Pakistanis view the war in the country’s northwest as being imposed on them by the United States after the invasion of Afghanistan, and resent being forced to fight fellow Muslims. Meanwhile, the Pakistani Taliban continued their attacks Wednesday in other parts of the country, underlining just how difficult it would be to come to a negotiated settlement. Three members of the security forces were killed in separate attacks in the southern city of Karachi, said senior police officer Amir Farooqi. A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks. In one, assailants threw a grenade at a vehicle carrying paramilitary Rangers in the Nazimabad neighborhood, killing one of them. Minutes later, a roadside bomb wounded three security personnel in the same area, and then a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the headquarters of the paramilitary Rangers, killing one Ranger and a private guard, Farooqi said. Karachi is the capital of southern Sindh province. It has been the scene of scores of such attacks against security personnel in recent years.

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cargo ship sank off the coast of Yemen killing 12 Indian sailors onboard, Yemen interior ministry said on Saturday. The ship, which was carrying car tyres and car parts, ran aground on Thursday night but the incident did not come to the attention of Yemeni security until 10 hours later, its statement said.

February 2014 Edition

Heavy winds and high waves prevented the rescue of the Indian sailors. The ship was owned by a Yemeni and was on its way from the United Arab Emirates to Al Mukalla port in Yemen. It sank off the coast of Al Shehar town in Yemen’s southeastern Hadramout province, the ministry said.

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he flight to campus is not always beyond the seas. The comfort of being close to home is driving several young Indians to different Indian states to pursue an education. In the last 10 years, a total of 37 lakh moved to get a degree, showing that a discouraging academic landscape near home is no longer keeping its youth from travelling to the brighter lights elsewhere. Departure rate among young men wanting to pursue an education is higher, for 26 lakh shifted as compared to 11 lakh women. Of those, 6.2 lakh youths (or 17%) moved to a new state; 16.8 lakh shifted to another district within their home state in the last 10 years. Karnataka received the largest exodus — 1.8 lakh — from other states and Uttar Pradesh sent out most students — 1.1 lakh. A January 2014 research paper, Internal Migration for Education and Employment among Youth in India, commissioned by UN-HABITAT’s Global Urban Youth Research Network, begins a conversation on whether Indian states must worry about internal brain drain. ”Migration is an old story. But the most important phenomenon we are seeing today is people moving for education,” said author S Chandrasekhar, professor at the Indira Gandhi Institute

of Development Research. “With uneven distribution of educational facilities, there are clearly going to be winner states and loser states. My paper maps the trends of migration and also leaves you with a question: Should we worry of the brain drain at the sub-national level?” However, the survey charts merely those who migrated for the motive of education. “For example, if a family moved to Delhi because the bread-earner got a new job and the child joined a Delhi college, he or she is not included in this survey,” clarified Chandrasekhar. Historically, as is the story even now, of the 11 crore individuals aged 15-32 years, over 70% moved on account of matrimony. While nearly 10% shifted in search of employment, over 3.5% did so on account of education. “The share of educational migration has increased. As far as I can see, for education, more migration happens from AP to Karnataka, UP to Delhi and from UP to Maharashtra,” said Anil Kumar, professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Looking back, Chandrasekhar said, most people in the 80s moved not for education, but for jobs and career opportunities. “There wasn’t a Noida then, nor were the large private universities. The new IITs and IIMs were not

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37 lakh migrated for education within India in a decade

yet up. Only recently did so many new AICTE-approved technical colleges come up,” he explained. So, expansion of higher education has only fuelled migration. “The most important states from the perspective of migration for education are Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh,

Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, West Bengal and Rajasthan. Of these states, Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka are the main destinations (i.e. attracting migrants from other states), whereas Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Rajasthan are the main source states of

migrants,” the paper noted. But the winds are changing. “In the next five years, we will see the Haryana effect where new universities are coming up; that will give migration a new meaning. Will states shall attract students also provide enough jobs?” asked Chandrasekhar.

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Investigate role of Delhi cops during 1984 riots: Sikh bodies

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ikh bodies world-wide have questioned the indifference of the police during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and sought a probe into their role in the carnage that left thousands of Sikh men, women and children dead. The All India Sikh Conference on Saturday released a list of cops posted in different police stations in Delhi during November 1984 anti-Sikh riots blaming them of inaction and have demanded investigation into their role. It has also filed a petition in the Supreme Court urging for legal proceedings against the police officials. The Sikh Foundation, Switzerland, has also announced exposing the role of Delhi police at international forums. Rahul Gandhi has finally become the ‘game changer’ he always wanted to be. He may have kicked the ball into his own net, but that is Rahul for you. Catch Manmohan Singh or Narendra Modi admitting that their party members were even remotely around when riots happened during their tenure. Rahul, however, did exactly that in a recent interview when he acknowledged that workers of the then ruling Congress may have been involved in the Delhi Sikh carnage. By accepting that those in Congress could have had a hand in the 1984 killings, Rahul opened the door for Arvind Kejriwal to walk in. Now that Delhi`s chief minister is demanding a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the carnage of 1984, Modi is hoping to look pretty. Yet there is this short, brutish fact that will not go away. Both in Delhi and in Gujarat hundreds of innocent people died and those who killed them are still loafing around somewhere. Neither Rajiv Gandhi nor Modi may have been caught with the smoking gun, but that does not mean that those deaths did not happen. And if hundreds died, who did this to them? Manmohan and Modi are quick to express anguish but always stop short of

taking responsibility, and this is why the victims hurt. Many politicians and lawyers think that it is pointless for a SIT to go into the Sikh killings of 1984. Three decades, they argue, have buried crucial evidence and it is in the best interest of everybody to forgive, forget and move on. But does the passage of time mean that the brutalities never happened? Or that nobody really killed anybody? Now that the lights have come on and the movie is over, should we all just go home? Whether in Delhi or Ahmedabad, relations of victims still sit and sleep in sullen anger. It needs just a little prod for their eyes to well up. Perfectly calm women, going about their daily chores, dissolve in tears when a stray thought, object or voice reminds them of those they have lost. This is true of Ahmedabad 12 years after the carnage and in Delhi too, even after 30 years. When tragedy is delivered by criminals who roam free, time rarely fades that memory.

Several do-gooders, some international NGOs among them, advocated a South African style Truth and Reconciliation Commission. To rake up the past, they argued, would only open old wounds from which nobody would gain. Wrong; by not raking up the past the killers would gain and gain a lot. They can go back to polishing their knives, but the victims would have lost their one last shot at dignity. No matter how well meaning the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission looks from a distance, its outcomes were very painful to many. Bishop Desmond Tutu, who championed this commission, wept openly, almost without a break, emotionally extorting forgiveness from the victims. This let off the agents of apartheid but left many of its victims in psychological tatters. Tutu, however, came out of this a hero, crying his way to stardom. Nevertheless, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission had at least one bone of honesty hidden somewhere in the flab.

After all, a regime change had happened in South Africa with Nelson Mandela now in charge. Maybe, under these circumstances, it was a good idea to take the scenic route. The country needed peace to start anew, even though masses still wanted good, oldfashioned justice. In India, no such regime change took place. Congress ruled the country after 1984 and Gujarat is still under Modi after 2002. Even in the brief years when nonCongress governments were at the Centre, they did nothing to pursue the Sikh killers of 1984. This is because of a fundamental unity in the way Congress and BJP want us to understand why communal killings take place. For them, it is always because of a human failing: we are all creatures of passion. According to Congress, 1984 happened because a giant tree fell; for BJP, thousands died because of the Godhra train incident. This is how parties wash their hands of for not getting a grip on the situation. Through all of this,

a niggling question remains. If Modi is so super-efficient at everything, why did he fail in 2002? If Congress is so secular, why did it allow Sikhs to be killed for three straight days? Victims of communal carnage demand justice and not blind revenge, delivered either through terrorist strikes or kangaroo courts. The only way bereaved families can put away the past is when the law of the land is justly delivered. It is this that would bring closure and not the lapse of time, 12 years or 30. It is interesting that while communal killers brand themselves as being proud ‘people’ of India, the victims always brand themselves as proud ‘citizens’ of India. In fact, one of the poorest resettlement colonies for displaced Muslims in Ahmedabad is called Citizen Nagar. What could be more emblematic than this of the faith minorities place in the Constitution? To be able to forgive, one must ask for it; but to be able to forget, one must get justice first.

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Modi strikes poribartan chord in Bengal

saffron a state elected was not

an easy task for Narendra Modi. On Wednesday, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate stood up to the challenge by playing on

‘poribartan’ and trying to strike a chord with issues that bother Bengal the most. By the time he left the dais, Modi

could at least make the audience — especially the curious ones — ponder his appeal for a replay of poribartan in Delhi. Not everyone who gathered at the Brigade Parade Grounds a BJP or RSS supporter. State BJP leaders looked annoyed when the venue looked deserted at 11.30am, two hours before Modi was scheduled to speak. The crowd started tricking in around 1pm. Many had come just to see Modi, or watch him land in a helicopter. There was also the added attraction of music director Bappi Lahiri, magician P C Sorcar and actor George Baker — strategically placed on the stage by Modi’s campaign planners. A host of IAS and IPS officers were also among those who contributed to the political show. Modi’s target audience was the very people who brought about poribartan in Bengal but are not happy with the gloom on the industrial front and feel upset at being left out in the development race. Sensing the mood, Modi offered a unique “win-win route” to Bengal’s development — with Mamata in the state, Modi at the Centre and Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan. However, the BJP leader made it a point to mention that the postporibartan phase in Bengal is “not all that good”. “I congratulate you for the poribartan you brought. But did you get the desired poribartan? If your answer is no, I would appeal to you give us a chance to work for

n a new partnership, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee might be endorsed by anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare as a likely prime ministerial candidate or leader of a non-Congress, nonBJP front. Hazare’s move is seen as a response to Trinamool Congress agreeing to support his economic agenda that the Maharashtrabased leader had written about in a letter to the Bengal CM. Hazare had highlighted a 17point agenda that includes village centric social and economic initiatives and proposals like more vocational education and tough laws against corruption. In response, Trinamool leader Mukul Roy wrote to Hazare stating that many issues relating to villagebased industry, transparency in land acquisition and schemes for minorities had already been taken up by Mamata. But Roy was fulsome in his praise of Hazare’s efforts to clean up public life and sought the antcorruption crusader’s guidance in combatin g graft in public life. “We would like to congratulate you on your relentless efforts to bring utmost transparency in public life which our leader Mamata Banerjee had always believed in,” he said. Trinamool’s endorsement of Hazare’s agenda and his guidance

is expected to see the Gandhian return the compliment by Mamata as a candidate who fits the bill as India’s future leader. A likely endorsement as PM by Hazare will add weight to the chief minister’s credentials as

a possible leader of a non-BJP and non-Congress front, putting her on the same pedestal as other claimants to a third front leadership position. Along with regional leaders like AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha,

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, BSP’s Mayawati, the Trinamool boss is seen as a likely gainer in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. She is seen to be better placed in comparison to other regional stalwarts like Mulayam Singh

Bengal’s development from Delhi. Let Bengal vote for BJP in all 42 seats, we will fill up the void left behind for 60 years.” It was clear, though, Modi does not want to confront Mamata in Bengal. He only mentioned that the alternative to Congress at the Centre is BJP. “You will have the Mamata government to work for you in the state, you will have a BJP government to expedite development, and President Pranabda working for you all,” Modi said. He tried out this connect all through the 45-minute speech, steadily breaking barriers between him and the crowd. Unlike others in his ilk, he shunned Sanskritised Bengali, choosing to begin his speech with Tagore’s song ‘amar shonar bangla, ami tomai bhalobashi’. He immediately went to the heart of the matter, promising a better delivery system and showcasing the achievements in Gujarat. “Why are youngsters moving out of Bengal? Why don’t many schools in rural Bengal have toilets for girls? Why don’t rural people get 24-hour electricity despite having coalfields all around?” Modi asked while stressing the three Es — empowerment, education and employment — in his “package for eastern and northeastern states”. He turned Bengal’s pet and much derided “cholchhe na, cholbe na” slogan upside down and urged people to use it against goonda raj and hartal.

Yadav and Nitish Kumar. “We wish you all success in your current initiative in projecting the ideals to political parties and striving to achieve success in ensuring transparency in public life,” Roy wrote.

R Anna Hazare may back Mamata as PM I

olling out the roadmap from that has never more than two BJP MPs

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Navjot Singh Sidhu’s wife takes on Punjab BJP chief

unjab chief parliamentary secretary Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, is ready to take on state BJP chief Kamal

Sharma on his uttering about her. “I always move towards positivity in life, and I never bother what people comment about me. As long as I prove that I am doing

a good job, I am not bothered about anything,” she said on Thursday. Dr Navjot, who has given a 15-day ultimatum to Punjab

government to reverse its decision about reducing value added tax (VAT) on tobacco products, said, “I am yet to know the exact words of Kamal Sharma. I will speak

to him face to face.” State BJP head Sharma, during a press conference on Wednesday, had objected on Kaur’s public outcry about discontentment of her husband and objecting to state government’s decision on the issue of VAT on tobacco products. Reacting to that, Kaur said she was not bothered about what Kamal Sharma had said. “I am working on highest possible principals,” she said. She again reiterated the assertion she made on Wednesday that her husband Navjot Sidhu would contest only from Amritsar parliamentary constituency. Kaur said, “I have already said what I wanted but now let him come and answer this question.” In reply to a question about her admiration of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), she replied that she had praised its good work but her party was doing better. “All I said was that we should leave AAP leaders alone and try to concentrate on our own work and prove ourselves better than them,” she said, adding that she was suitable and fit for any party. Unwilling to strike truce with the state government on the issue of VAT on tobacco, she said, “You will see this issue will come up in form of the biggest protest in Punjab in the near future.”

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Devyani Khobragade has no immunity, says US

he US State Department has contended that Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade does not enjoy immunity from prosecution on charges of visa fraud and making false statements but her lawyer on Saturday rejected the assertion, saying the issue will be decided by the court. Papers submitted to a court here on Friday by Manhattan’s

federal prosecutor, India-born Preet Bharara, concluded that US authorities were not wrong in arresting and detaining Khobragade on visa fraud charges on December 12 since she did not have full diplomatic immunity in her capacity as India’s Deputy Consul General. The declaration, dated January 29 and signed by Attorney-Advisor in the Office of the Legal Ad-

visor of the Department of State Stephen Kerr, was submitted by Bharara in support of his memorandum opposing 39-year-old Khobragade’s motion to dismiss the indictment against her. “The Department of State concludes that Dr Khobragade did not enjoy immunity from arrest or detention at the time of her arrest in this case, and she does not presently enjoy immunity

from prosecution for the crimes charged in the indictment,” the declaration said. Responding to Bharara’s motion, Khobragade’s attorney Daniel Arshack told said that the “US Attorney is again wrong on the facts and the law”. The court will decide these issues, he said. Arshack has time till February 7 to file his reply to the government’s motion.

The declaration was among eight documents that Bharara submitted in court as proof that Khobragade is not immune from prosecution and that the indictment against her should not be dismissed. Bharara’s motion came in response to Arshack’s request to the court on January 14 to dismiss the indictment and terminate any “open” arrest warrants or requests for her extradition.

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Scholarships exclusively for Indians in UK

he UK has launched 370 scholarships worth Rs 10 crore exclusively for Indian students. The scholar-

February 2014 Edition

ship amount is the largest ever allocated for India, and was announced on Friday as part of the ongoing GREAT Britain cam-

paign to bolster the country’s global reputation. The scholarships will be made available to Indian students ap-

plying to 260 undergraduate and postgraduate courses in engineering, law and business, art and design, biosciences and

information technology in 36 UK universities. The scholarships will be tenable for the September 2014 and January 2015 student intakes. The UK’s Higher Education Statistics Agency recently said there was a 25% decrease in the number of Indian students studying in UK universities in 2012-13 compared to the previous year. India is the UK’s second largest source of international students, after China. The scholarships are seen as an incentive to draw students back to the UK. Announcing the scholarship and unveiling the Great Career Guide for students, Andrew Soper, economic counsellor, British High Commission in New Delhi, said that the reasons for the decline could range from the decline in the UK, Indian and global economy to tightened visa regulations. “It is quite an expensive investment,” Soper said. Paul Sellers, south India director of British Council, said that an Education UK exhibition will be conducted in Chennai on February 3. Representatives from 60 UK higher educational institutions will take part in the expo.

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Farhan and Vidya help Saket on Shaadi Ke Side Effects - Literally!

Picture source: lightscamerabollywood

t was all about romance, heartbreaks in reunions in Pyaar Ke Side Effects. However when it came to the film’s sequel, filmmaker Saket Chowdhary had a job in hand. Not only did he require child actors on the sets; he also wanted Farhan and Vidya to come across convincing as parents for this marital-familial comedy. To his relief though, his lead couple’s experience of handling kids turned out to be quite useful. Says Saket, “Farhan is a father himself so it wasn’t much of an issue. He has seen his kids grow up in front of his eyes and I know for sure that he is a very caring father. His character in the film may be a tad irritated with the presence of a kid but in real life, he has raised his kids very effectively. He knows the drill.” As for Vidya, even though she is not a mother yet, the maternal skills were well in place, courtesy her sister’s kids. He continues, “Vidya’s sister has twins and she has seen it all when it comes to raising them. In a way, she has encountered it up, close and personal on how it is like to be a parent. She gave me a couple of ideas of what it means to a woman to have a child and family. Both she and Farhan shared anecdotes on how rest of the life goes on a backburner with a kid around. You can’t really have your own plans as it all boils down to how a kid feels and wants to be pampered on a particular day, or for that matter even an hour.” Though Saket himself isn’t married yet, presence of married friends in his life added to incorporating many real life anecdotes and situations into the film. “Yes, these friends of mine - none of them belonging to the filmy world - have children. See, the thing is that lives of people who come from the world of films are a little more spread out. On the other hand for others, it is so much more focused on families. I have visited a lot of birthday parties that are thrown for children. It is amazing to see the kind of effort that parents put into organizing the parties. I guess with my friends coupled with Farhan and Vidya, I got the best of both worlds when it came to demonstrating parenting. You would see many hilarious situations coming out of that in Shaadi Ke Side Effects,” he smiles.

Unsubsidised LPG cheaper by Rs. 107, diesel price up

February 2014 Edition

Photo source: PTI

tate-owned oil companies on Friday announced a hike in diesel prices by 50 paise per litre while keeping petrol rates unchanged. The hike, effective Saturday, is excluding local sales tax or VAT and the actual increase will be higher and will vary from city to city. However, the price of nonsubsidised cooking gas (LPG), which customers buy after consuming their quota of 12 subsidised cylinders, was cut by Rs. 107 per cylinder on easing international rates. The price of diesel in Delhi will be hiked by 57 paise, including tax, to Rs. 54.91 per litre, while it will cost Rs. 63.23 a litre in Mumbai as against Rs. 62.60 at present. The diesel price hike is in line with the January 2013 decision of the government to raise rates by up to 50 paise per month till the time the entire losses on the fuel are wiped out, and prices made market determined. Announcing the price hike, Indian Oil, the nation’s largest fuel retailer, said that even after the 13th price hike since last January, oil companies are incurring Rs. 9.24 per litre loss on sale of the fuel. Officials said there will be no change in petrol rates as current price of Rs. 72.43 a litre in Delhi was almost in line with the cost. The 14.2-kg cooking gas cylinder that consumers buy beyond their entitled 12 bottles at subsidised rates, will now cost Rs. 1,241, down from Rs. 1,134, in Delhi.

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he Congress may not back the Lokpal bill of Arvind Kejriwal government, laying down its conformity with the Centre’s Lokpal as the bottomline for its support. The UPA government had passed the Lokpal bill in the winter session of parliament, capping the long-running process which started with Anna Hazare’s campaign for an anti-graft ombudsman. Sources said a conflict with Kejriwal is in the offing since his Lokpal bill was likely to be “over and above” the central Lokpal on issues of jurisdiction and policing powers. “We may go for a clause by clause treatment and say no to the provisions which are at divergence with the Central Lokpal,” a senior leader said, adding the party is still to take a final decision on the issue. The Congress believes if Kejriwal does not relent on his draft, it may face roadblocks. The party believes that rival BJP is unlikely to back the draft. The minority government of AAP needs the support of Congress to push through a legislation in the assembly. While this may provide the Delhi CM the pretext to slam Congress for putting roadblocks in fighting graft, Congress seems to be undeterred. “The UPA’s bill

Photo source: PTI

Cong may not support Kejriwal’s Jan Lokpal T

has been termed by Anna Hazare as a ‘good Lokpal’. Anna said it was close to his own Lokpal draft. Then, why should we support anything else,” a senior leader asked. Breaking ranks with Anna, the Kejriwal camp had dismissed the Central legislation as weak, raising prospects of the Delhi government draft being “more stringent”.

However, Kejriwal may not ultimately mind if the Lokpal falls through. Congress leaders believe the Delhi CM may want to use the blocking of the ombudsman to further his campaign that the mainstream parties are against fighting corruption. With the Lok Sabha elections looming, it would suit his strategy. Sources said party general

secretary Shakeel Ahmed had informed Kejriwal beforehand that Congress would back the state’s Lokpal if it was in sync with the Central bill. The intimation was given in response to the letter the AAP chief wrote to Sonia Gandhi to seek Congress’s views on the 18 issues that AAP proposed to take up if it formed the government. To back its stance, though not

final, sources said the Uttarakhand government of Congress recently passed a Lokayukta bill that was in line with the Central draft and replaced the bill that was passed by BJP government earlier. Rahul Gandhi recently held a meeting with the party CMs and directed them to pass a Lokayukta as suggested by the Central bill.

No permission from court, so no evidence: NIA

Fog hits normal life in Punjab & Haryana

thick blanket of fog in most parts of Punjab and Haryana on Saturday again disrupted normal life adversely affecting air, rail and road traffic. However, the minimum temperature in the two states and their common capital Chandigarh hovered above normal, the MeT said. According to a MeT official here, Chandigarh and most places in Punjab and Haryana remained engulfed under heavy fog this morning affecting visibility. Flights from Chandigarh airport were either re-scheduled or cancelled for the second day today while some trains crisscrossing the region were running hours behind schedule, sources said. Director of the Chandigarh’s MeT Department, Surender Paul said the fog was likely to decrease over the next couple of days.

February 2014 Edition

Photo source: PTI

he National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the whole Hindu terror conspiracy that involves half-a-dozen bomb blasts all over the country, is not too hopeful of getting help in terms of evidence from Swami Aseemanand’s interview. “There are legal issues. The foremost is, without the permission of the court, nobody can interview a jail inmate,” said an NIA official requesting anonymity. “It is clear that no permission was taken from court. So it will be difficult to treat it as an extra-judicial confession.” The BJP and the RSS claim it is a political conspiracy. BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said it was concocted by the Congress to divert attention from the AgustaWestland issue. Such allegations had been made earlier to defame the RSS

leadership but they were proved wrong, said RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav. Union minister Rajiv Shukla said the home ministry should ascertain the truth. “Let’s go into what he had said. If he has made some expose, it may be true,” said Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde

“The fog built up during the last couple of days has been due to fall in temperature coupled with moisture inflow because of approaching Western Disturbance over the region. Visibility levels will improve as fog would decrease after couple of days,” he said. Meanwhile, Chandigarh recorded a low of 10.4 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal. In Punjab, Amritsar registered a low of 9.3C, up four notches while Ludhiana’s minimum settled at 10.7C, four above normal. Patiala, too, recorded an above normal low of 10.4C. Karnal and Hisar in Haryana recorded two notches above normal minimums each at 10.2C and 9.5C. The minimum at Ambala settled at 10.4C, up three degrees.

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Ishrat case: CBI indicts IB men, Amit Shah let off

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ormer head of Intelligence Bureau’s Gujarat wing and three of his serving colleagues were on Thursday charged with murder and conspiracy in the extra-judicial killing of Ishrat Jahan and three others 10 years ago. However, in a morale booster for the BJP ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi’s confidante Amit Shah was not named in the second chargesheet filed by the CBI on Thursday. Shah was last year quizzed after some of the accused alleged he had been aware of the police’s actions all along.Sources had reported on December 2 and 17 that Shah might escape unscathed because he was not present in Ahmedabad on the day of the encounter and there was no evidence against him. The chargesheet says former Gujarat wing head of IB Rajendra Kumar is the main accused who generated a false intelligence alert that the four persons were terrorists on a mission to kill Modi. Not only that, he also provided arms to the accused a day before the encounter. Besides Kumar, three serving IB officials -- P Mittal, MK Sinha and Rajiv Wankhede -- who helped him carry out his plan have also been charged with murder, criminal conspiracy, wrongful confinement, kidnapping, wrongful concealment. Kumar has additionally been charged under Arms Act. This is for the first time a topranking officer of the country’s premier intelligence agency has been chargesheeted in extra-judicial killing. Ishrat Jahan, a 19-year-old college

student, was killed along with Pranesh Pillai, Amjad Ali and Zeeshan Johar on the outskirts of Ahmedabad on June 15, 2004 by a team of the Gujarat Police’s Crime Branch. The police had claimed the IB had alerted them about the assassination plans of the four persons. But in a row that pitted IB and home ministry with the CBI, the former defended Kumar saying he had only passed on the intelligence but didn’t authorise or participate in the killings. The CBI last year said that Kumar, a 1979 batch IPS officer, actively participated in the conspiracy to kill Ishrat and others. His juniors in Ahmedabad IB office picked Ishrat and her former employer Javed from a toll plaza and illegally confined them, while Kumar interrogated them. The CBI did not wait for home ministry’s formal consent of sanction for prosecuting Kumar. The ministry had said its sanction was required to prosecute Kumar because he was a serving officer when the encounter took place. In its primary charge sheet, the CBI had described the encounter as joint operation by Gujarat police and central IB. The CBI while sharing the details of evidence implicating Kumar with the ministry officials, had contended that without including Kumar as a prime accused, the case would collapse. It argued that Kumar’s role is crucial in getting custody of the two persons who were killed along with Ishrat and Javed, supplying weapons and generating false IB alert when the four persons were already in the custody of the police.

Jyoti murder case: Court allows plea of victim’s father for re-examination

Photo source: PTI

allowed by a local court here on Saturday. He will depose again before the court on February 12.

n a significant development that may spell trouble for MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary, a local court here on Saturday allowed an application filed by Buti Ram seeking permission to be re-examined. Ram, father of

February 2014 Edition

Jyoti who was allegedly murdered by the MLA, had moved the court stating that he was forced to take a U-turn from his statement in the court. He had alleged that he was threatened with dire consequences by Chaudhary’s men following

which he had resiled. However, a few days later, he had again moved the court to narrate the truth. For the said purpose, he had moved an application seeking permission to be re-examined. The same was

“We had filed an application in the court under Section 311 of the CrPC for re-examination of Ram since he was threatened by Chaudhary and his men to turn hostile. The application has been allowed. Ram will depose afresh on February 12,” said Jitender Sehrawat, counsel for Ram. On December 23 last, Ram was declared hostile by the court after he retracted from his statement given initially to the police. He had refused to support the case of the prosecution against MLA Chaudhary, the prime accused in the case. Refusing to recognise Chaudhary in a photograph where he is seen posing at the wedding of Ram’s younger daughter, the father had flatly disowned his statement. Giving a clean chit to Chaudhary, the father had submitted before the court that Chaudhary did not have any relations with Jyoti. In a statement given to the police, Ram had earlier said that Chaudhary established a relationship with Jyoti on the pretext of marrying her but later he went

back on his word. However, on January 3, Ram claimed that he was threatened with dire consequences and was told not to depose against the MLA. In a written complaint given to the Panchkula police, Ram had claimed that he had received repeated threats from henchmen and relatives of Chaudhary. He also claimed that he was offered bribes to withdraw from the case. Ram also produced a CD allegedly containing a recorded conversation between him and two persons who allegedly threatened him. According to Ram, on December 23 last, around 4 am he along with his lawyer Sehrawat, brother-in-law Lakhwinder and driver Ranjit headed towards Panchkula court from Bhunga village in a taxi. As they reached Mohali, an unidentified car intercepted their taxi and blocked its way. Four unidentified persons, armed with guns, came out of the car and threatened Ram not to testify in the court, failing which they would kill him. The same day in the court, Ram turned hostile and refused to recognise Chaudhary.

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Congress threatens to protest over power tariff hike

and 7% for Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd - would reflect in bills for February to April. Though Kejriwal has taken on the discoms by ordering a CAG audit against them, Congress leaders Haroon Yusuf and Mukesh

Sharma said the chief minister was fully responsible for the power tariff hike and had betrayed the trust of the people. “If power tariff is not reduced by half without subsidy, Congress workers will come out on

While the new version declares that gay men and women have as much right to the city, the original recalls a more liberal, cosmopolitan city. “It was a song that had been lost and forgotten, but its relevance at different points

in Bombay or Maharashtra is pertinent,” says Sridhar. “Whether it is the police raids in bars and clubs in 2012, the time the entire city was shut down after Bal Thackeray died, and now, when the archaic section 377 is still

being implemented.” The video was shot in one take, with silk curtains and a set-up that reminds one of Mumbai’s bar era. In the background are the Indian flag, and the national map, with Sridhar sporting the traditional

Maharashtrian nose-ring. “People, including the queer community, have loved it and related to it,” Sridhar says. “The issue here is not just about the rights of (sexual) minorities, it affects everyone.”

Photo source: PTI December quarter, the Congress accused chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of being “hand in glove” with power discoms. The hike - 8% for areas fed by BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL), 6% for BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd

the streets and launch a series of protest against the AAP government. Students’ exams are about to come. If power cuts continue, how will our children prepare for exams? The party cannot bear this,” Yusuf said. Demanding a rollback of the hike, Yusuf said Kejriwal knew in advance that tariff was to be increased by the discoms as there was a process by which DERC formally informed the chief secretary and power secretary 8-10 days before hiking rates. “The times of 1990s when Delhi faced massive power problems are coming back, thanks to Kejriwal. We refute his claim that he didn’t know about power companies raising tariff. Power distribution companies, in a letter to the government, had explained the difficulties they were facing and warned that there would be power cuts lasting 8-10 hours,” Yusuf said. Sharma said, “We now ask the Delhi CM whether he would sit on dharna outside DERC office like he had sat on dharna outside Rail Bhawan demanding suspension of some police personnel.” He added that the previous Congress-led government had provided 24-hour power supply to the residents in its tenure.

day after the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) approved a quarterly power purchase cost adjustment sought by the three power distribution companies for the October-

Hit song from the 1960s resurfaces as gay anthem

February 2014 Edition

Photo source: PTI

n 1966, musician Mina Kava and his band were asked by recording company HMV to compose a song about Bombay. Kava’s wife Naju pitched in with the lyrics, and the ditty that emerged was Evening in Gay Maharashtra. Made in an era when ‘gay’ referred to joy and gaiety, it invited people to visit the state and its “full of life” financial capital. “Like all the songs he made in English, the lyrics had been written by his formidable wife Naju and carried a whiff of Edwardian innocence about them,” wrote journalist Naresh Fernandes in his book Taj Mahal Foxtrot. “In 1966, they’d made their debut with an ode to their home state, which had been born only six years earlier.” Earlier this month, a contemporary adaptation of the song, which replaced certain lyrics with bold, subversive references, made waves online. Shot last year, the video resurfaced following the Supreme Court verdict, which was seen as a denial of human rights by the LGBT community. Sung by Suman Sridhar, the adaptation moves the song from one extolling the virtues of the state’s chapatti and hill stations to one that points to the intolerance towards the gay community. In light of the Supreme Court’s refusal to look at the review petition on its section 377 judgment, the song could well be the new anthem for LGBT citizens.

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Photo source: PTI

You face legal action for not filing returns even after I-T notice

f you haven’t filed your income-tax returns within the statutory deadline or within the time period available after the I-T department issues a notice, it could result in prosecution. In case of a firm or a company, it is the persons responsible for the day-to-day conduct of the business—such as partners or directors—who could face prosecution. This was upheld by the Supreme

February 2014 Edition

Court in its order last week. The SC has also held that in case prosecution proceedings are initiated, taxpayers have to prove the circumstances which prevented them from filing the I-T returns. Which means that the burden is on the taxpayer to prove that the failure to furnish the I-T returns was not wilful. In addition to penal interest, the I-T Act also provides for prosecution—rigorous imprisonment of

three months to seven years and a fine. Prosecution proceedings can be initiated when the I-T return is not filed by the statutory due date or within the time permitted by the tax authority in the notice sent requiring filing of such returns. Section 276CC of the I-T Act enables such prosecution proceedings to be carried out. However, provisos to this section provide for

some relief in certain instances. A taxpayer can file the I-T returns by the end of the fiscal year in which the return is required to be filed and still not attract prosecution proceedings. For instance, the due date of filing returns for a salaried employee is July 31. In respect of income earned during fiscal 201213 (April 1, 2012 up to March 31, 2013) salaried employees had to file their I-T returns by July 31, 2013. However, even if the returns are filed by March 31, 2014, prosecution proceedings will not be attracted. Similarly, no prosecution proceedings are initiated if the tax payable after prepaid taxes (advance tax and tax deducted at source) does not exceed Rs 3,000. “However, such relief from prosecution is not available in case of a failure to file I-T returns in response to a notice sent by the tax authorities,” explains Tarun Gulati, partner, PDS legal, law firm specializing in tax litigation. “As there is no protection available against prosecution, even if substantial taxes have been paid either as advance taxes or tax deducted at source, notices from the tax department calling for filing of I-T returns must be attended to promptly. Partners and directors of business entities who are in charge of day-to-day operations must also ensure due diligence in this regard,

else they too could be prosecuted,” he adds. In this case, a Chennai-based partnership firm, Sasi Enterprises, failed to file I-T returns for two years—for fiscal years 1990-91 and 1991-92. The firm also did not act upon the notices sent by the tax department. Consequently, the tax department, in the absence of a tax return or financial information, carried out a ‘best judgment’ assessment and raised tax demands. The firm appealed against the demand and the matter was pending. In parallel, partners filed belated individual I-T returns. In these individual returns, it was mentioned that the accounts of the firm were not finalized and, hence, no returns of the firm had been filed. The SC dismissed the argument that no prosecution could be initiated against the partners of the firm on the ground that the appeal was pending and the assessment was not completed. The apex court also held that the firm was independently required to file its I-T returns and dismissed the contention that a declaration made in the individual returns of the partners stating reasons for not filing the firm’s return would ensure protection against criminal proceeding. The SC directed the criminal court to complete trial against the firm and its partners within four months.

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Electronic valet to help your car park itself

Photo source: PTI

here is no one inside the Range Rover in a Las Vegas parking lot. But it still guides its way to a parking place, after what looks like some hesitation. The self-parking is directed by an app which controls the vehicle, detects an available space and maneuvers into it. The “automated parking valet” created by the French equipment maker Valeo is among the technology innovations for the sector on display at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show. While the idea of a fully autonomous car is a dream for some, this is a step which promises to alleviate at least some of the tedium facing motorists. The system allows drivers to leave their car at the entrance of a parking lot and let it find a space to park itself. Drivers activate the feature from their smartphone, and can also use it to summon the car to pick them up. ”It’s like a brain,” said Guillaume Devauchelle, a Valeo vice president presenting the prototype system at the huge

electronics expo. “It acts step by step, with a certain latitude, to be able to adapt to the situation,” Devauchelle said. “If it is put in the same position for a second time, it won’t react the same way.” The system does not require garages or parking lots to have special equipment, the executive said. It relies on the kinds of sensors some cars already use, with some extra electronics. Devauchelle said the system may require a camera to recognize and avoid spaces designated for the handicapped or unusual features in a garage. He said the system was designed to be as simple as possible so that it would not be only for luxury vehicles. “We would like to make this available to the largest number of people,” he said. Even as automakers work on self-driving vehicles, a number of improvements can be made along the way, Devauchelle said, indicating the parking valet is not simply a matter of convenience.

arm to my nerves and to my brain, they came very strong.” Micera cautioned that it will take several years of additional research to create a first-generation artificial hand that can feel, and looks more like a traditional prosthetic. First, they have to prove these nerve implants can last; for safety reasons, Sorensen’s were surgically removed after the experiment. But a lot of work is under way. In Ohio, Tyler’s team recently issued video showing a blindfolded man gently pulling stems from cherries without crushing them, thanks to similar implanted nerve stimulators and a sensor-equipped prosthetic hand. The main difference, said Switzerland’s Micera, is in how the nerve electrodes are implanted. The European approach puts them inside the nerve rather

than around it for better control, but that’s more invasive and some researchers worry it could damage the nerve over time. In Pittsburgh, Schwartz’s team is about to test another approach - a brain-controlled robotic hand for the paralyzed that would “feel” through electrodes implanted in a brain region known as the sensory cortex. Whatever the approach, touch is a complex sense and these are all basic first steps involving how someone grasps, not more sophisticated sensations such as texture or temperature. “There is definitely tremendous value to having a sense of touch, a sense of feeling from the hand,” said Case Western’s Tyler. “What that feeling is, how we use it - that’s yet to come.”

o feel what you touch that’s the holy grail for artificial limbs. In a step toward that goal, European researchers created a robotic hand that let an amputee feel differences between a bottle, a baseball and a mandarin orange. The patient only got to experiment with the bulky prototype for a week, and it’s far from the bionics of science fiction movies. But the research released Wednesday is part of a major effort to create more lifelike, and usable, prosthetics. “It was just amazing,” said Dennis Aabo Sorensen of Aalborg, Denmark, who lost his left hand in a fireworks accident a decade ago and volunteered to pilot-test the new prosthetic. “It was the closest I have had to feeling like a normal hand.” This isn’t the first time scientists have tried to give some sense of touch to artificial hands; a few other pilot projects have been reported in the US and Europe. But this newest experiment, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, shows Sorensen not only could tell differences in the shape and hardness of objects, he also could quickly react and adjust his grasp. “It was interesting to see how fast he was able to master this,” said neuroengineer Silvestro Micera of Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, who led the Swiss and Italian research team. “He was able to use this information immediately in a quite sophisticated way.” Scientists have made great strides in recent years in improving the dexterity of prosthetics. But the sense of touch has been a much

February 2014 Edition

more difficult challenge, and is one reason that many patients don’t use their prosthetic hands as much as they’d like. Consider: Grab something and your own hand naturally grasps with just enough force to hang on. Users of prosthetic hands have to carefully watch every motion, judging by eye instead of touch how tightly to squeeze. The results can be clumsy, with dropped dishes or crushed objects. “You always have to look and see what’s going on, so that’s what is so much different from this new hand that I tried,” Sorensen, 36, said in a telephone interview. First, doctors at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital implanted tiny electrodes inside two nerves - the ulnar and median nerves - in the stump of Sorensen’s arm. Those nerves normally would allow for certain sensations in a hand. When researchers zapped them with a weak electrical signal, Sorensen said it felt like his missing fingers were moving, showing the nerves still could relay information. Meanwhile, Micera’s team put sensors on two fingers of a robotic hand, to detect information about what the artificial fingers touched. For one week, cords snaked from a bandage on Sorensen’s arm to the artificial hand, and the electrodes zapped the nerves in proportion to what the sensors detected. They essentially created a loop that let the robotic hand rapidly communicate with Sorensen’s brain. “It is really putting the brain back in control of the system,” said biomedical engineer Dustin Tyler of

Photo source: PTI

Bionic hand restores sense of touch, allows patient to feel objects in real-time T

Case Western Reserve University, who wasn’t involved with the European work but leads a team in Ohio that recently created and tested a similar touch-enabled hand. “That’s an important step.” Added neurobiologist Andrew Schwartz of the University of Pittsburgh: “It shows with a few sensors and some pretty elementary technology, that they can recover a fair amount of functionality.” To be sure Sorensen used touch, and didn’t cheat by looking or hearing telltale sounds, he wore a blindfold and headphones as Micera’s team handed him different objects. “Suddenly I could tell if it was a hard object,” Sorensen recalled, describing sensations that changed along with his grip. “The response, the feedback from the

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Insider trading: Indian American faces 45 yrs in jail

Manhattan jury on Thursday convicted Indian American portfolio manager Mathew Martoma of insider trading in a case described as the most lucrative scam ever busted. His firm, the once-iconic-but-nowdefunct hedge fund SAC Capital made approximately $275 million in profits and avoided loses based on insider information obtained by him. The trade earned him a one-time bonus of $9 million. Martoma, 39, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit a fraud and two counts of securities fraud, which could in all get him a maximum jail term of 45 years, with fines. “In the short run, cheating may have been profitable for Martoma, but in the end, it made him a convicted felon” said Manhattan US attorney Preet Bharara, who prosecuted the case. Martoma was born Ajai Mathew Mariamdani Thomas in Michigan to parents from Kerala. Martoma — from Mar Thoma Syrian Church — is an adopted family name. As a portfolio manager at SAC starting in 2006, Martoma cultivated two physicians connected with a search for Alzheimer cure by Elan Corporation and Wyeth. The doctors, who cooperated with investigators later, kept him updated with the latest on the drug trial, passing on confidential information in clear contravention of rules. The drug trials were closely watched not only by the industry but also the market, with the stocks of the two companies involved in the trial costly tied to the outcome. Starting later 2007, SAC Capital started buying huge amounts of Elan and Wyeth shares based on a tip Martoma got from one of the doctors that the drugs were

February 2014 Edition

safe. “By the spring of 2008, SAC Capital held approximately $700 million worth of Elan and Wyeth equity securities,” said a statement from Bharara’s office on Thursday. By the middle of 2008 the trials were spewing nothing but bad news. The drug being tried on the volunteers — bapineuzumab — proved to be a dud, completely ineffective. Martoma first heard of it around July 17, 2008, from one of his two sources, who, fortuitously for him, had also been entrusted with announcing the failure of the trial. After personally inspecting the findings as prepared for the presentation, Martoma told SAC Capital to offload Elan and Wyeth shares in anticipation of the coming crash. Over the next seven day, SAC offloaded almost its entire stock of Elan and Wyeth shares, which closed 42% and 11% lower respectively the day the findings were announced. SAC made $275 million in profits and avoided losses. That, however, proved to be his best deal ever. Martoma lost money the next year. And in September, 2010, he was fired, as a “one-trick pony”, according to Bloomberg. Father of three children, Martoma now faces a maximum of 45 years in jail and fines that is bound to wipe out any money he made from that deal, and others, if at all. Harvard Law School threw Mathew Martoma out in 1999 for doctoring his report card — to enhance his employability — and then for further fraud to back up the earlier fraud. Martoma was accepted at the Stanford business school, one of the best in the country, in 2003 with changed name — it’s still not clear how he pulled that off. And he was in SAC in 2006, plotting his own downfall.

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Photo source: PTI

This Lok Sabha cleared 17% of bills in less than five minutes

on’t be surprised if Parliament manages to clear a slew of anti-graft bills, the Telangana Bill or the Communal Violence Prevention Bill despite the din in the next few days of the current session — 17% of bills, 20 to be precise, were passed by the 15th Lok Sabha with less than five minutes’ discussion. According to an analysis by

PRS Legislative Research, of the 118 bills passed so far by this Lok Sabha, only 23%, or 27 bills, have been passed after more than three hours of discussion. Twenty-six bills (22%) were passed after two to three hours of discussion. Twentyfour bills (20%) were passed after discussions ranged between one and two hours. Eleven bills (9%) were passed after discussions

lasting 30 minutes to an hour. And 10 bills (8%) drew the attention of members for barely half an hour. No less than 20 bills were passed in less than five minutes. The Rajya Sabha performed better, according to the analysis. Of the 116 bills passed since 2009, the house of elders cleared 4% of legislations (five bills) in less than five minutes, 7% (eight bills)

Photo source: PTI

FIR against J&K minister minister for alleged sexual assault

ammu and Kashmir minister Shabir Ahmad Khan was on Thursday booked by police on a complaint by a lady doctor, alleging that he made an attempt to molest her. A case was registered by the police under Sec 354 RPC (assault or criminal force on a woman with the intention to outrage modesty of a woman) and Section 509 RPC (word, gesture or act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman) The complaint was lodged a few days back at police station Shaheedgunj. It said Khan, the minister of state for health who belongs to Congress, allegedly tried to make advances towards the woman

February 2014 Edition

and molest her when she visited his office in the state secretariat here on January 28. The woman claimed she was called by the minister’s aide to visit the secretariat office. On reaching the office, the woman claimed she was asked to see the minister. She said she was then asked to make kahwa(Kashmiri tea). The woman said she felt uncomfortable and quickly left the room after the minister allegedly tried to molest her. The minister could not be immediately reached for comments. CPM leader M Y Tarigami demanded the resignation of the minister.

within thirty minutes, 14% (16 bills) after discussions that took up to an hour. Forty-two bills, comprising 36% of legislations, were passed after two hours of discussion. Discussions on 26 bills lasted two to three hours before they were passed. Only 19 (16%) bills were found worthwhile by MPs and took up more than three hours of their time.

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Constitutional experts say the lack of parliamentary discussion on important laws has deleterious consequences. Traditionally, the judiciary, while interpreting laws and constitutional amendments, referred to parliamentary debates to get a sense of what India’s legislators intended when they were writing the laws. But in the present environment, where bills are passed amid unholy din and without debates, the judiciary is left with little to go on. As a result, the judiciary’s actions may increasingly be influenced by the cacophony of media discourse rather than the discourse of elected representatives, feel experts. An illustrative list of bills passed within a few minutes to more than a few hours points to the issues that really rankle MPs. In Lok Sabha, Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (amendment) Bill, the Commercial Division of High Courts Bill, The Constitution (scheduled tribes) Order (amendment), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (amendment) Bill were all passed in less than a minute. Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, National Rural Employment Guarantee (amendment) Bill and few others took just two minutes in Lok Sabha and 21 minutes in Rajya Sabha. The Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010 was passed in 19 minutes in the lower house and after over two hours in Rajya Sabha.

Rahul disapproves of Aiyar’s ‘chaiwala’ jibe at Modi

ongress vice-president Rahul Gandhi disapproved of Mani Shankar Aiyar’s “chaiwala” remark about Narendra Modi, urging party spokespersons to desist from personal attacks. The issue of Aiyar’s comment came up for discussion at a meeting of spokespersons on Thursday. A participant lamented that the “chaiwala” comment had handed a needless weapon to the arch rival. Rahul said partymen should not make personal attacks and instead focus on exposing the lies spoken by rivals. The brief reaction from Rahul, without referring to Aiyar or Modi, was understood by the gathering as disapproval of Aiyar’s caustic remark that has since been lapped up by the Gujarat chief minister to position himself as a subaltern. Aiyar last month said Modi would never become prime minister but he was welcome to serve tea to Congressmen, a reference to the Gujarat chief minister’s beginning as a tea vendor. Modi latched on to the barb and attacked Congress for not being able to “tolerate a person from backward caste who had humble beginnings”. The BJP has since started “chai pe charcha” in distant parts of the country to drive home the message about Modi being a subaltern. The saffron bid to turn Aiyar’s attack into a campaign asset has rankled Congressmen, with many believing that it was a self-goal.

The issue promptly came up for discussion at the meeting of spokespersons called by Rahul. A participant singled out the “chaiwala” barb to say that such comments were counterproductive, finding support from the party vice-president who said the attacks should not be personal. Rahul advised partymen to be aggressive and underlined that they should talk about the achievements of the Centre which were numerous. There was a view that Gujarat’s claim of development should be exposed because facts belie the propaganda.

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TELEVISION

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Photo source: PTI

My fans didn’t expect me to play a father: Vivian Dsena

elly actor Vivian Dsena says his recently announced exit from hit TV show, Madhubala — Ek

Ishq Ek Junoon, came after a mutual decision was taken by him, show’s producers and Colors television channel. Vivian

wasn’t convinced about playing a grown-up girl’s father, following a time leap. “It is the decision of the makers

Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate 2 goes on air from March 2

anasi Salvi, who plays glamorous mom of Nakuul Mehta in Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara, put in her papers recently. But, it seems the makers managed to convince her to stay back. “Yes, I had put in my papers and had quit. But sometimes, in the interests of the show, you need to take some decisions. There’s an amicable solution now and I’ve decided to continue.” Manasi, mother to a six-year-old girl in real life, plays mom to a 20-something Nakuul Mehta and mother-in-law to Disha Parmar. We ask her if she had wanted to play such an older mother and

February 2014 Edition

she said, “I had no complaints playing mother to Nakuul. I have been given a glamorous look and even if I was playing mother to Nakuul, I was happy with the way my character appeared on the show. I just wanted my role to be exciting.” According to sources, Manasi had wanted to quit because she was promised a certain kind of role when she accepted the show, but it did not shape out the way she had envisioned it. Manasi had been pleading with the makers to improve her role for months now, but nothing was being done about it, and so she had quit the show earlier.

Photo source: PTI

Manasi Salvi is back on ‘Pyaar Ka Dard...’

of the show. I think whatever they are doing is best for the show,” says Vivian, adding: “Moreover, wherever I am today is just

because of them only. Obviously I’m feeling bad that my fans won’t be able to see me in Madhubala, but I think it is good for the life of the show.” Madhubala, which went on air in 2012, features Drashti Dhami in the titular role. Produced by Abhinav Shukla and Saurabh Tiwari, the show is reportedly set to take a leap forward, and post that, Drashti will return as the daughter of Madhubala and Rishabh Kundra, essayed by Vivian. Vivian has said that he would not have been convincing enough in the role of a father and thus, he decided to leave the show. “It is also true that my fans would not expect me to play a father to a 25-year-old on the show as I’m 25 myself in real life,” says Vivian. “I wouldn’t look convincing enough to play a dad, which is why the mutual decision was taken between me, the producers and the channel,” he adds. Vivian, who became popular with the TV show, Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani, feels his character on Madhubala has got into his “blood”. “It is very difficult to take the role out of my body,” he says.

uperstar Aamir Khan’s hit show Satyamev Jayate is back with its second season. It will go on air from March 2. The 48-year-old actor garnered appreciation for creating a debate on country’s pressing social problems through the show, that dealt with a number of hard hitting social topics.

Some of the issues raised in the show includes female foeticide, healthcare scenario in India and domestic violence. The first season of Satyamev Jayate, was shown on Star Plus along with Doordarshan’s DD National. The 13-episode season one created a lot of buzz among the audience.

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Food & Wine

indiantimes

Paneer Capsicum Sabji Homemade chicken risotto Ingredients • • • • • •

2.5L (10 cups) chicken stock 40g butter 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil 2 brown onions, finely chopped 880g (4 cups) arborio rice 1 1/2 tbs fresh thyme leaves

• • • •

125ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine 6 (about 500g) chicken thigh fillets, cut into 1cm pieces 4 garlic cloves, crushed 120g (1 1/2 cups) finely grated parmesan

Method:

Bring the stock just to the boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and hold at a gentle simmer. - Heat butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy-based stockpot or large flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent but not coloured. Add the rice and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until the grains appear slightly glassy. - Add the wine to the rice mixture and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed. Add a ladleful (about 125ml/1/2 cup) of the simmering stock to the rice and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the stock mixture, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next ladleful, for 20-30 minutes or until the rice is tender yet firm to the bite and the risotto is creamy. - Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until chicken just starts to brown. Add the garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. - Add the chicken mixture, parmesan and remaining thyme to the risotto and combine. - Season with salt and pepper to serve.

Photo source: PTI

Smarter Kids Are Smart Enough to Avoid Alcohol and Drugs, Right?

aybe not. The latest study of twins shows that early bloomers may become heavier drinkers who start chugging earlier in life. The research is part of an emerging but counterintuitive body of work that suggests kids who develop language and intellectual skills earlier are more likely to drink and take other drugs than their less intelligent peers. In 2011, for example, British researchers found that women who were in the top third of the IQ range when tested in elementary

February 2014 Edition

school were more than twice as likely as those scoring in the bottom third to have used marijuana or cocaine by age 30; for men, the top-ranked boys were almost 50% more likely to have taken amphetamine and 65% more likely to have used ecstasy (MDMA) by adulthood. For decades, scientists had documented that those with lower IQ and less education were more likely to become addicted to alcohol or other drugs, probably because lower levels of education and lower IQ are associated with the damaging effects of poverty and

because having less intelligence offers fewer mental resources to allow users to moderate and avoid problems. The latest data, published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, doesn’t contradict those findings. Drug use is not the same as drug addiction — and a great deal of earlier research shows that higher intelligence is a protective factor against alcoholism and addictions, even though smarter people are more likely to drink or try drugs. The researchers followed 3,000 healthy identical or

fraternal twins in Finland, focusing on the group who had significant differences in verbal development as children and who also turned out to have varied drinking behavior as adults. The twin who spoke her first words earlier or began reading earlier was nearly twice as likely as her co-twin to be drinking more at age 18. And twins who spoke first were four times as likely to get drunk once a month or more often than their later-speaking twins, who either hadn’t been drunk at all or did so less than once a month. Overwhelmingly, this drinking was not out of control and did not qualify them for a diagnosis of having an alcohol disorder. “Social drinking in many countries and nonproblematic drinking is more frequent and common among people with higher education,” says Antti Latvala, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki in Finland and lead author of the study. Why? What protects them from sliding into addiction? Intelligence can serve as a vehicle for moderation when it comes to alcohol or drug use — the more educated people are, the more they internalize and appreciate the dangers and risks of overindulging. The higher education that’s correlated with greater intellect also puts more at stake for those who indulge in alcohol or drug abuse. Intelligence can also spur more curiosity and openness

to new experiences. And that includes experimenting with alcohol and drugs. “People have this impression that intelligence is somehow related to being introverted and bookwormish,” says Latvala. “But if you look at these large studies, they definitely find this association with sensationseeking and seeking different kinds of experiences. [They’re] trying to learn new things. It could be related to the nature of intelligence.” Such experimentation doesn’t always lead to addiction or problematic behavior because this type of exposure often involves a few experiences before the person moves on to the next novelty. Verbal intelligence may also often allow kids to better negotiate the social world, and since most social teenagers in Western societies drink, being social inevitably exposes them to alcohol. The study found that the more verbally skilled twins did have more friends who drank than their co-twins, so the connection might be reinforced culturally as well. Although the study did not find that the early exposure to alcohol and drugs made the smarter twins more vulnerable to addiction, these twins weren’t entirely safe from the harms — including overdoses, drunk driving, sexual assaults and injuries — that can result from drinking or abusing drugs. Being smart doesn’t mean you are immune from drug-related dangers.

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travel

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Kasauli

Photo source: PTI

Small, pretty and green

Kasauli is a small town in the state of Himachal Pradesh located at an altitude of 1,927 m. The town is 77 km from Shimla and 70 km from Chandigarh. Legend says that it came into existence after Lord Hanuman placed his feet here in order to advance on to the Sanjeevani hill. The place where the lord actually kept his feet is believed to be at a hillock which is 300 m high.

Photo source: PTI

About

Historically, Kasauli is one of those hill stations that was developed by the British Empire during its peak period in India. It is one of those places that, despite its beauty still has yet to find itself prominently on the tourist’s map. In fact, it is very good for all those who yearn to spend some time alone with their family or, for that matter, even themselves. If you happen to visit the town during the off-season (November to February), it is quite likely that you will not come across any person for a long while on your walk. Still, you will be accompanied on your walk by the sweet and soothing voices of the birds along with the gentle rustling of leaves. For those who are quite the opposite and look for fun and adventure at every step, Kasauli will be a disappointment as there is hardly anything to do. There are some small attractions within and around the town that will keep you somewhat busy.

Places to See in Kasauli

Gurudwara Shri Guru Nanakji:- This historic Sikh gurudwara is located in Gharkhal bazaar on the main road towards Kasauli, having also lodging facilities. Besides the daily prayers, a programme is held every Sunday morning. Another Sikh gurudwara is located on the other side of the Kasauli ridge on the Kasauli–Mashobra (old Hindustan–Tibet) Road near the Air Force Radar Station. Manki Point:- This is the highest point in Kasauli, the place where Lord Hanuman is believed to have set his feet while on his way to look for the Sanjeevani buti (herb). Around 4 km from the Kasauli bus stand, at its top, is a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman that lies within the premises of the Air Force base. As such, there are a few restrictions: one is not allowed to carry bags or cameras inside. The hike upto the temple can be a bit difficly for those who are not used to climbing, but it is worth the effort.You can watch the brilliant sparkle of the Sutlej river as it makes its way through the plains, and the pure beauty of the snow-capped peaks of the Dhauladhar Range. Christ Church Close to the bus stand, it was constructed by the British family that founded the town of Kasauli itself. It is a magnificent structure built in the shape of a cross. Set amidst a grove of chestnut and fir trees, it is a place of worship for around 30 families. Apart from them, many tourists also flock here. Earlier, the church was known as the Anglican Church. In 1970, it was brought under the aegis of the CNI (Church of North India) and is currently managed by the diocese of Amritsar.

What to Eat and Drink

One can have tasty bunsams at any chai shop along the cobbled street The young boy’s shop on your right just before the street bends farther down to the left is the best. Beware bun samosa’s are quite spicy. Kasauli Club Within the Indian Army premises, Kasauli Club is one of the most prestigious social clubs in India. Its membership is highly sought after, and, thus, there’s an average waiting time of 15 years. The club is managed by a regular Indian Army officer assigned as the ‘Club Secretary’. The remaining staff is comprised of civilians. Hangout Kasauli Regency A rooftop open-air restaurant and bar providing an extra relic to what you drink. Enjoy the light sinuous music of live guitar bring connotation to you visit to the quaint hill station. Kasauli Regency is full-bodied, with 10 rooms to lodge your every need. Facilities provided includes wifi internet, recreation room with table tennis, snooker and other indoor games, and, above all, the crown of the property is the roof, the top hangout. Nice atmosphere, stags are not allowed. Punjabi Rasoi, (close to mall road). Delicious lemon soda.

How to reach There

By Road / Self Drive:- Buses, coaches and taxis ply quite frequently from Kasauli to Chandigarh and Delhi. For those driving from Delhi, take NH 1 to Ambala, and cross Sonepat and Karnal. From Ambala, take NH 22 for Kasauli. The route will pass Zirakpur, Panchkula, Pinjore, Parwanoo, and Dharampur. From Dharampur, a narrow hill road will take you to Kasauli. Or from Parwanoo, a narrow hill road will also take you to Kasauli via Jangeshu, Manoan, and Mashobra. (This road is part of the old Hindustan–Tibet Road, under heritage protection.) By Train:-The nearest railhead from Kasauli is Kalka, 40 km away By Air:- The closest airport from Kasauli is Shimla, 35 km away. Also you can travel by air to Chandigarh airport, 65 km away. From there, a cab will bring you to Kasauli.

Photo source: PTI

Best time to visit Kasauli

February 2014 Edition

Kasauli has a pleasant climate all through the year and can be visited any time of the year. Winters (November to February) are cold with snow falls occurring very rarely and temperature range is in between 5°C to 16°C. This time is bliss for honeymooners. Summers (March to June) have cool nights and warm days. This period is ideal for enjoying family vacations, camping and wildlife as the weather is mild. In fact, the perfect time for Kasauli tourism. Monsoons (July to September) are pleasant with low rainfalls. However, many people don’t prefer to take up Kasauli tour packages during these months as the area is prone to landslides due to rainfall. October month features pleasing weather and is ideal for sightseeing and enjoying all types of tourist activities. Important festivals in Kasauli are winter carnival show in February, Mandi Shivaratri in March and Manimahesh fair in August. These are the festivals celebrated with great gaiety and fervor.

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Valentine’s Day - A

“Loving is not just lo it’s looking in the

What is Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of romantic love occurring annually on February 14. Although its origin is associated by legend with a Catholic saint named Valentine, the fact is Valentine’s Day is not a religious holiday and never really has been. Valentine’s Day has historical roots mainly in Greco-Roman pagan fertility festivals and the medieval notion that birds pair off to mate on February 14. The history of exchanging cards and other tokens of love on February 14 began to develop in England and France in the 14th and 15th centuries and became especially popular in the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. Over the last decade or so, Valentine’s Day observance has even spread to the Far East, India, and the Middle East.

What is the History of Valentine’s Day? The origin of associating the middle of February with love and fertility dates to ancient times. In ancient Athens, the period between midJanuary and mid-February was the month of Gamelion, which was dedicated to the sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera. In ancient Rome, February 15 was Lupercalia, the festival of Lupercus (or Faunus), the god of fertility. As part of the purification ritual, the priests of Lupercus would sacrifice goats and a dog to the god, and after drinking wine, they would run through the streets of Rome striking anyone they met with pieces of the goat skin. Young women would come forth voluntarily for the occasion, believing that being touched by the goat skin would render them fertile. Young men would also draw names from an urn, choosing their “blind date” for the coming year. In 494 AD the Christian church under Pope Gelasius I appropriated the some aspects of the rite as the Feast of the Purification.

In Christianity, at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of them martyrs, are mentioned in the early lives of the saints under the date of February 14. Two of the Valentines lived in Italy in the third century: one as a priest at Rome, the other as bishop of Terni. They are both said to have been martyred in Rome and buried on the Flaminian Way. A third St. Valentine was martyred in North Africa and very little else is known of him. Several legends have developed around one or more of these Valentines, two of which are especially popular. According to one account, Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for all young men because he believed unmarried men made better soldiers. Valentine defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young couples and was put to death by the emperor for it. A related legend has Valentine writing letters from prison to his beloved, signing them “From your Valentine.” However, the connection between St. Valentine and romantic love is not mentioned in any early histories and is regarded by historians as purely a matter of legend. The feast of St. Valentine was first declared to be on February 14 by Pope Gelasius I around 498. It is said the pope created the day to counter the practice held on Lupercalia, but this is not attested in any sources from that era. The first recorded association of St. Valentine’s Day with romantic love was in the 14th century in England and France, where it was believed that February 14 was the day on which birds paired off to mate. Thus we read in Geoffrey Chaucer’s (c. 1343-1400) Parliament of Fowls, believed to be the first Valentine’s Day poem:

For this was on saint Valentine’s day,

When every fowl comes there to choose his mate. It became common during that era for lovers to exchange notes on Valentine’s Day and to call each other their “Valentines.” The first Valentine card was sent by Charles, duke of Orleans, to his wife in 1415 when he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. Valentine’s Day love notes were often given anonymously. It is probable that many of the legends about St. Valentine developed during this period (see above). By the 1700s, verses like “Roses are red, violets are blue” became popular. By the 1850s, romantics in France began embellishing their valentine cards with gilt paper, ribbons and lace. Valentine’s Day Customs and Traditions The primary custom associated with St. Val-

entine’s Day is the mutual exchange of love notes called valentines. Common symbols on valentines are hearts, the colors red and pink, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Starting in the 19th century, the practice of hand writing notes began to give way to the exchange of mass-produced greeting cards. These cards are no longer given just to lovers, but also to friends, family, classmates and coworkers. Valentine cards are often accompanied by tiny candy hearts with affectionate messages printed on them. The Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentine cards are sent worldwide each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association also estimates that women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines. In the last 50 years or so, especially in the United States, the practice of exchanging cards has been extended to include the giving of gifts, usually from a man to his girlfriend or wife. The most popular Valentine’s Day gifts are roses and chocolate. Starting in the 1980s, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine’s Day as an occasion for the giving of fine jewelry. Many couples also schedule a romantic dinner date on Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day Controversy in India and the Middle East Valentine’s Day only arrived in India a few years ago, but it has quickly gained popularity among young urban people along with a great deal of controversy among conservative Hindus. Traditional Hindu culture discourages public displays of affection between the sexes, including hand-holding, which Valentine’s Day encourages, and Valentine’s Day is also resented by some as a Christian and western influence. In 2004, militant Hindu nationalists threatened to beat the faces and shave the heads of those who participated in Valentine’s Day customs. “We will not allow westernization of Indian culture as St. Valentine was a Christian and celebrating Valentine’s Day would be a violation of Indian culture,” said Ved Prakash Sachchan, of the militant Hindu organization Bajrang Dal, in Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, a leader of the radical Hindu group Shiv Sena has condemned the holiday as “nothing but a Western onslaught on India’s culture to attract youth for commercial purposes.” Members of the group have stolen Valentine’s Day greeting cards from a store and ceremonially burned them.

A Day Of Romance

ooking at each other, e same direction.”

Similar Valentine’s Day backlash has occurred in many Muslim countries. In Pakistan in 2004, the Jamaat-e-Islami party, an Islamist organization, called for a ban on Valentine’s Day. One of its leaders dismissed it as “a shameful day” when Westerners “are just fulfilling and satisfying their sex thirst.” Also in 2004, the govern-

ment of Saudi Arabia issued an edict declaring that “there are only two holidays in Islam - Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha - and any other holidays ... are inventions which Muslims are banned from.”Police closely monitored stores selling roses and some women were arrested for wearing red. Despite this official opposition from authori-

ties, many people in Middle Eastern countries seem to be enjoying the new holiday. One shopper, buying a red heart-and-rose card for her son-in-law, is reported as having dismissed the backlash as “only rigidity and cultural backwardness. Through the crackdown, they only buy people’s greater hatred and enmity.”

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IN CINEMAS...FEBRUARY 14

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Richa will do a cameo in the film. She will play a village girl. “It’s a funny, edgy character. Although, I have a small screen presence since it’s a cameo role, I will be seen sharing screen space with Nawaz in the film,” says Richa It might be a bit role but Richa admits that she could not turn the offer down because Anurag has

Scared of dating actresses: Shahid Kapoor

ctor Shahid Kapoor says he is done dating actresses and is now scared thinking about it. Shahid will be seen in an upcoming episode of celebrity chat show ‘Koffee with Karan’. He was asked by Karan who would he like to date and Shahid promptly replied “not an actress.... I am so done with that. I am a little scared of dating an actress for sure,” the actor said. To a query by Karan on what he has learnt from dating actresses, Shahid says, “Do not date them.” In the past, Shahid was in a relationship with actress Kareena Kapoor. Later, he was reportedly dating Vidya Balan and Priyanka Chopra. His name was also linked with actresses Nargis Fakhri, Bipasha Basu, Anushka Sharma and Huma

February 2014 Edition

Qureshi. Shahid also spoke about Aditya Chopra and the film ‘Shudh Desi Romance’ that he couldn’t do with the YRF banner due to date issues. The role eventually went to Sushant Singh Rajput. “The film (‘Shudh Desi Romance’) kept getting delayed and Maneesh Sharma (director) kept saying he is not ready to start and he felt it needed more time. I was waiting for six months. And I felt like, things are just not going to start and I had two other films which were lined up. Then I had to say I can’t wait any further and they were sure they were not ready,” Shahid said. “I have not caught up with Adi ever since that. He messaged me a few days back and said he really liked my work in ‘R..Rajkumar’ which was very kind of him,” he said.

been her mentor in Bollywood. “Anurag, who is the producer of the film, asked me to do this cameo. He said that this film is about one character, played by Nawazuddin, and everyone else is doing small roles. He is my mentor and I could not refuse him, and I never will. In a way, I owe my career to him,” says Richa.

fter being blamed for actor Hrithik Roshan’s split with wife Sussanne, Arjun Rampal has now landed in fresh trouble. The actor has been slapped with a legal notice by the India Tourism Development Corporation Limited (ITDC) for not clearing the outstanding rent of Rs. 2 crore for his lounge bar Lap, which he runs in ITDC’s Hotel Samrat in the Capital. When contacted, Rampal, who had launched this luxury nightclub in 2009, directed us to his legal team, that confirmed that there is a dispute regarding the dues pay-

able. “There is some issue pending with regard to settlement of certain accounts with ITDC in respect of LAP, and the matter is now sub judice. We are working on it and are confident about resolving it with ITDC amicably,” said Rampal’s advocate, Ateev Mathur, adding that they believe there could be some accounting errors, too. ITDC sources reveal that the actor was sent reminders several times before a legal notice was issued. “Arjun Rampal’s contract will be renewed only once he clears his dues,” said a source from ITDC.

Salman’s discovery Sneha Ullal look forward for second innings

Picture source: lightscamerabollywood

lthough Richa Chadda made her Bollywood debut with Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008), it was only with her third film, Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012), that she rose to fame. Now the duo has once again teamed up for the upcoming Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer Ghoomketu.

Picture source: lightscamerabollywood

l trouble I owe my career to Anurag Arjun Rampal in lega r his lounge bar Lap ove da ad Ch a ch Ri Kashyap:

ctor Sneha Ullal, who debuted opposite Salman Khan in Lucky, is all set to make a comeback in Bollywood following her stint down South. Salman, 48, who launched the starlet in 2005 film Lucky - No Time for Love, is now guiding her for the second innings in Hindi movies. After Jai Ho, Arbaaz and Sohail to direct films sans Salman Lucky failed to garner attention at the box office, Sneha, 28, was noted for her striking similarity with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. “After my debut film Lucky -No Time for Love I and Salman have been in touch. I was too naive when I did that film. Now that I have done couple of films in South, I am ready to come back here. Its lately that

he has been guiding me for it (comeback),” Sneha said. “He says its important to look appealing in showbiz. He has given me a gym regime to follow and learn belly dancing. He has always pushed me to do better work and I really look up to him,” she said. Now that she has acted in few Telugu films, Sneha wants to be very careful while making choices here. “There have been offers coming my way and I am overwhelmed and nervous at the same time. I am taking my time and want to go slow. As this time there is no room for mistake. I want to be careful as the competition is killer this time,” Sneha said. When asked if Salman is planning to cast her in one of his upcoming movies, Sneha said, “As of now, there are no film offers from him.”

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Aloknath joins the club of Bollywood memes

hey might not be as popular and they are far from being as polished or even as funny, but there are quite a few Bollywood faces that have inspired memes on the Internet. The trend re-emerged recently when veteran film actor Alok Nath started trending on Twitter and unintentionally tickled everyone’s funny bone, inviting several digs. Neil Nitin Mukesh followed, as numerous jokes were made on his name that comprises three first names. But they aren’t the only ones to inspire creative minds on the Internet. While yesteryear actor Rakhi was one of the first celebrities to earn a meme — colloquially called ‘Keep calm Rakhi’ — others like Uday Chopra (good guy Uday) and Amitabh Bachchan (angry Amitabh) have been part of this community for a while too.

Actor Danny Denzongpa’s memes even have a Facebook page dedicated to them. Here, we salute the online community that has created these memes, as we select some of the most popular memes made with Bollywood actors.

Picture source: lightscamerabollywood

Proud to have Sunny Deol in my first production: Shilpa Shetty

ollywood actress and producer Shilpa Shetty is glad that actor Sunny Deol is part of her “Dishkiyaaoon” first production venture, saying it is a “big thing” for her. “We will reveal more details soon but right now I am very

February 2014 Edition

happy with the response to the trailer. Till now I have worked with Sunny Deol and now he is working in my first film. It is a big thing for me,” the 38-year-old said here Sunday at the Worli Food Festival. Shilpa further said that she

never expected her first film to be an action movie. “The film is good. I never thought that my first film will be an action-mystery. I always thought that if ever I make a film it would be a comedy or a love story. But I loved the script of

‘Dishkiyaaoon’ so much that I wanted people to know the story,” said Shilpa. Meanwhile, her husband Raj Kundra revealed that they have a trump card which Shilpa will reveal at the right time. ”There is a hidden secret which Shilpa will

come out with soon. It is regarding the promotions, we have a trump card,” said the businessman. “Dishkiyaaoon” also features Harman Baweja and is slated to release March 28.

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astrology

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Monthly Astrology - FEBRUARY 2014 Aries – Mesha You must excercise care and caution as your enemies could otherwise ferment troubles for you and make you a victim of slander or disrepute. Time is not propitious for romantic liaisons and extravagant tendencies if not curbed could give rise to financial problem. Your health also needs more care as you may suffer from minor ailments. You may feel irritated but you should try to diffuse your tensions which will smoothen things for you. By adopting a compromising attitude and dealing in a tactful manner you could be able to tide over domestic conflicts.

Taurus – Vrushabha

Your popularity will be at it’s peak and you will wield much influence and in social circles too you will turn heads and become a centre of attraction. You will form many new friendships or relationships and win admirers. Your family-life will be very peaceful and happy. Your sweetheart will be very affectionate and loving. Some of your achievements could become a source of pride. There might be some auspicious celebrations in the family.

Gemini – Mithuna

You will win the appreciation of your superiors and will be favoured with a lucrative promotion. Your name and fame will be widespread and your social popularity will considerably increase. You will form new relationships and have many admirers in your friends’ circle .

You may have new acquisitions which will improve your life-style. Your familylife will be a little problematic as you may become unhappy and may remain anxious on account of your children.

Cancer – Kataka

You will have all round success and prosperity in all areas of life. You will gain favours from your superiors and have betterment in career; your earnings will increase and you will have gains from various other sources. A distant journey may prove to be fruitful. Your family-life will be peaceful and comfortable with all it’s members very cordially disposed to one another and remaining in the pink of their health. Time is favourable for forming new relationships, improve the existing ones and also for socializing. Your name and fame will be widespread and popularity will also increase considerably

Leo – Simha

You may be benefited by receiving a windfall quite unexpectedly. You will form new friendships and will become very popular in your friends’ circle. Some of your ambitions may be realized and you may have new acquisitions that will add to your comfort. You will lead a prosperous and happy family- life; there could be a celebration in the family. The performance of your children will instill a sense of pride and joy in your mind. You may spend a lot for having some renovations

done to your house-building. Virgo – Kanya You will have success in all your endeavours and receive favours from your superiors. You will form new relation -ships and make new deals. You may have fruitful journeys and pleasure-trips. Some of your cherished desires will be fulfilled and ambitions realised. You will be fortunate in respect of romantic liaisons. In familylife too you will have a pleasant and enjoyable time-period as your spouse will become very loving and caring. For socializing too the period will be favorable as your relations will be improved and your popularity will also increase.

Libra – Tula

This is a beneficial position. You will do well in academic persuits and your home-life will be a very happy one. You will have gains from property matters and vehicles related business and also through agriculture. You may have new acquisitions. You should try to improve your changeful nature and restless disposition. It will help you to win the trust and confidence of your friends and associates. Scorpio – Vruschika You will have success in all your endeavours and may have gains from various sources. You may have good gains from a new venture and also from prudent investments. Some of your ambitions will be realised and you may secure a lucrative

promotion that offers liberal perquisites as well. In academic persuits also you would gain distinction. You will be fortunate in respect of romantic liaisons. Your family-life will be joyful and happy; some of your children could be a source of pride. You may have journeys in connection with your profession which will be fruitful. .

Sagittarius – Dhanu

You will have a pleasant time to enjoy the luxury and comforts of life. You may have some costly acquisitions which will increase your satisfaction and raise your social status. All your efforts during the period will bear fruit and contribute to your progress. You will receive favours from your superiors and secure betterment in career. Your family-life will be joyous and comfortable with all it’s members becoming very loving and caring. There could be a happy celebration in the family. You may spend money for renovating the interiors of your house by decorations and procuring attractive furnitures while the exteriors may have a face-lift too.

Capricorn – Makara

You may have to face some minor problems created by your secret enemies. While dealing with authorities you should be careful and should not antagonize them. In profession you may have changes and may have to go to a distant place where you will have much better scope and opportunities. Your health might be somewhat affected and expenses may considerably increase which could keep you tense. The study of occult subjects will attract you more and you may have good progress in this field.

Readers please note that the below predictions are given according to North Indian tradition of Hindu Vedic Astrological methods, using your Lagna as the base. Aquarius – Kumbha

You will find improvements in all areas of life and you will have smooth progress. You will have betterment in career and your financial position will considerably improve. You will receive favours from your superiors and you will lead a joyous carefree life. You will be in good health and enjoy a good time with all your familymembers who will be very loving and caring. You may have new acquisitions which will make your life more comfortable. You may have some celebrations in the family.

Pisces - Meena

You will be happy and cheerful. You will have many opportunities and will receive favours from superiors. Your career- prospect and your financial position will also be considerably improved. You will have a pleasant and enjoyable time in company of the people of opposite sex. You will socialize more and form new friendships with joyous people. Your family-life will be happy and enjoyable. You will be in good health and so will be the other members of your family. Your relationship with the people in general will improve and your popularity will increase. The period is now ripe for investing endeavours that will lead to betterment in career.

If you wish to know the difference between Eastern & Western Astrology you are invited to visit http://jyotisha.00it.com/Difference.htm

Monthly Predictions for February 2014 By Lakshman Abeykoon - Noble Park, VIC 3174 - Phone (03) 9548 1613 - http://jyotisha.00it.com

Spiritual Atheist: Incorrect Conception

any seekers of Living Gurus long for closeness with their Masters for transcendental

February 2014 Edition

attainment. The presumption that spiritual progression requires physical proximity has little relevance because

spirituality cannot be “taught” but is “caught” through meditative concentration as preached, rather than external affiliation.

Otherwise, spirituality gets reduced to religious ritualism of visiting holy places. Mystics lead an inner life

of Divinity, incomprehensible to disciples in outer life. The so-called nearness has the hazard of misleading an aspirant’s human perception and relativity, doubting the Divinity of the Master and reducing Him to a common man, culminating into lack of faith in Him and straying from the noble path. Mystics too allude to allegorical forewarnings: is a teacher not pleased with the hard work of his students for educational excellence to have them around? The warmth of fire can be felt from a distance but physical proximity can inflate the seeker’s ego, akin to entering the flame of selfdestruction and blocking own progression. So, if attainment of radiant light within/or inner awakening is the goal, then searching with a lamp in daylight is self-induced delusion. A Guru was asked that if a disciple approaches Him with manipulative intentions, why does He compassionately assist him? The Guru replied that He responds to the way facts are presented to Him, and the seeker’s craftiness have its own karmic retribution. The operation of karmic law is not diminished because of proximity to a Master, nor does it lead to any spiritual benefit.

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Bollywood

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Picture source: lightscamerabollywood

Gunday inspired by real life incidents

ilmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar, director of upcoming film Gunday, got inspiration from his father’s stories, which he recreated

for the film. Not many know that Ali’s father went through the whole war atmosphere of the 1971 Bangladesh war. Ali decided to recreate similar

scenes and situation which actually prevailed during the war of Bangladesh for Gunday, which is the story of two refugees played by ac-

tors Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor and is set during the 1970’s. Confirming the same, Ali says, “My father, who was

present during the war, used to narrate me all his first-hand experiences of the war time which have always stayed with me. ”

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All you need to do is simply turn up and have a go February 2014 Edition

For more information: Contact: Raj - Mob:0470 397 474 Email: raj28april@gmail.com

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Bollywood

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Highway Director: Imtiaz Ali Producer Imtiaz Ali, Sajid Nadiadwala Cast: Randeep Hooda. Alia Bhatt

Picture source: lightscamerabollywood

girl. A city girl - young, full of life - is on the highway at night. With her fiance. They are scheduled to get married in four days. Suddenly, her life is swung away from the brocade and jewellery of marriage to the harsh brutality of abduction. She is taken away by this group of rustic criminals. Her life will never be the same again. The same night, the gang is in panic. The girl is a big industrialist’s daughter. His links in the corridors of power make ransom out of the question. They are doomed. But the leader of this group is adamant. For him sending her back is not an option. He will do whatever it takes to see this through. Days pass. These are days of unbelievable horror for her. But, as the Tempo runs and miles turn, as the scenery changes, the light changes, the sun sets and rises and the air changes, she feels that she has changed as well. Gradually, a strange bond begins to develop between the victim and the oppressor. It is in this captivity that she, for the first time in her life, feels free. But they are not made for each other. She does not want to return to where she came from. She does not want to reach where he is taking her. She wishes this journey to never end. Maybe the Highway will not really change her; she will go on with her life like everyone else. Maybe this feeling is just a passing phase. Maybe not.

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Sherlyn Chopra files FIR against Rupesh Paul

Santacruz police station complaining about forgery, cheating and outrage of modesty by Rupesh Paul. In her letter, she blamed Paul for cheating her and compelling her to sign a film contract (for Kamasutra 3D) on false documents and also refraining to pay her the balance remuneration for the film. She added that when she declined his sexual overtures, he threatened to teach her a lesson by replacing her with another girl and peddle her nude footage internationally. She also added that he had even sent her vulgar and obscene mails which assassinated her character. She has now requested the law guardians to take up this case and take necessary actions against him.

Parineeti Chopra: I cannot stand men with body odour

f you ever thought of wooing Parineeti Chopra, make sure you smell good. The actress tells CS, “For a

February 2014 Edition

boyfriend, I would like a guy with whom I can have every conversation under the sun, someone who can make me laugh. And he definitely has

to smell good. That is a major criterion. I cannot stand men with body odour. If I had to do an intimate scene with an actor with body

odour, I would request for the director’s intervention. I would have the actor take bath thrice and spray deodorant liberally before coming close to me.

Picture source: lightscamerabollywood

f you thought that the onscreen contents of the upcoming film Kamasutra 3D will create controversy, then what’s happening off-screen is even stormier than that! Earlier this month, Sherlyn Chopra sent out a press release stating that she has disassociated herself from the film Kamasutra 3D. In response to that, the film’s director Rupesh Paul too sent out a press release stating that after the launch of a new trailer that didn’t feature Sherlyn, she turned against him. Now, the latest update is that Sherlyn has dashed off a letter to Vishwas Nangare Patil (The Additional Commissioner of Police) as well as to the Senior Inspector of

Thankfully, till date, I have not had such an experience with any of my co-actors. They all smelled good.”

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Bollywood

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10b

Dedicate Padma Shri honour to my family: Vidya Balan

Picture source: lightscamerabollywood

amed for the Padma Shri Saturday, Bollywood actress Vidya Balan found herself “running out of words” to describe her “gratitude”. The National award winning talent, who is “overwhelmed”, has dedicated the fourth highest civilian award to her family. “I’m thrilled. I’m overjoyed. I’m overwhelmed. I’m honoured. I’m humbled.....! I’m running out of words to express my feelings and gratitude,” Vidya said. “To be receiving this honour from the government of my country is a matter of great pride for me and I dedicate this award to my family who make me, me,” she added. Vidya featured on the small screen entertainer “Hum Paanch” before taking baby steps into the big Bollywood world. She made her cinematic debut in 2005 with “Parineeta”, an adaptation of a 1914 eponymous Bengali novel. She then proved her versatility film after film. Her strong presence and performance in films like “Paa”, “Ishqiya”,”No One Killed Jessica” and “Kahaani” have made her a sought after name in the Hindi film industry. Her most power-packed performance came in the form of “The Dirty Picture”, where her portrayal of southern sex siren Silk Smitha won her a best actress National award. In 2012, she married Siddharth Roy Kapur, managing director of Studios, Disney UTV.

Picture source: lightscamerabollywood

Salman takes blame for ‘Jai Ho’ disaster

alman Khan says that he is ready to take the blame for his much-talked about film ‘Jai Ho’ not getting the expected big opening at the box office. ‘Jai Ho’, the first big-budget release of 2014, could not get a bumper start unlike the recent

February 2014 Edition

Salman Khan-starrers such as ‘Wanted’, ‘Bodyguard’ and ‘Dabangg’. The Sohail Khan-directed film earned Rs 17 crore on the opening day. “The overall collections of the film matter. I am not affected by the figures of my film. If the film gets a good opening, it’s good. If it doesn’t, nobody has

failed but me. I could not give the reason for people to perhaps see the film. No one can predict the collections of a film. We have made a beautiful and a good film. It is entertaining film with a dose of action and it also gives a good message,” Salman said at an event

here. ”Perhaps I have failed in bringing in the people. We tried to do something different and may be people did not want to see the film as they expected to see a ‘Dabangg’, ‘Bodyguyard’ kind of a film. They wanted to enjoy. Some

people understood that this is not that kind of film and that it is a serious film,” he said. “We are also confused with the reaction we are getting from theatres and the collections are not matching up. It is strange combination,” Salman said.

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12b

Bollywood

indiantimes

Eventograph photographs from latest B-Town Events

Anupam Kher during Lost in the Woods Book Launch

Pallavi Sharda on Filmfare Awards 2014

Salman Khan at Worli Festival 2014

Tara Sharma during Lost in the Woods Book Launch

Shilpa Shukla on Filmfare Awards 2014

Daisy Shah at Worli Festival 2014

Ariana Ayam at Heartless Movie Promotion

February 2014 Edition

Sameer Dattani and Ritika Dattani during Lost in the Woods Book Launch

Shruti Haasan on Filmfare Awards 2014

Kainaat Arora on Filmfare Awards 2014

Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra at Worli Festival 2014

Wajid Khan at Worli Festival 2014

Adhyayan Suman at Heartless Movie Promotion

Shekhar Suman at Heartless Movie Promotion

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Bollywood

indiantimes

13b

Eventograph photographs from latest B-Town Events

Varun Dhawan at Main Tera Hero Trailer Launch

Ileana Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Cruz at Main Tera Hero Trailer Launch

Sidharth Malhotra on Promotion of Hasee Toh Phasee

Parineeti Chopra on Promotion of Hasee Toh Phasee

Nargis Fakhri at Main Tera Hero Trailer Launch

Sara Loren at Mid Day Race 2014

Gulshan Grover at Mid Day Race 2014

Kareena Kapoor at Mid Day Race 2014

Vishakha Singh and Ali Fazal at Mid Day Race 2014

Amy Billimoria at Mid Day Race 2014

Madhuri Dixit at Gulaab Gang Press Conference

Juhi Chawla at Gulaab Gang Press Conference

Tannishtha Chatterjee at Gulaab Gang Press Conference

February 2014 Edition

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Bollywood

14b

indiantimes

Picture source: lightscamerabollywood

Preeti Desai not insecure of Abhay romancing with other girls

odel-actress Preeti Desai says she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel insecure

when her actor boyfriend Abhay Deol romances other actresses in the films.

Preeti, 29, said doing an intimate scene in her Bollywood debut â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Shor in the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, helped

her cope up with these things. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maybe if I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an actress and if I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done that I would have been insecure. But since I have done an intimate scene in my first film, I know it is part of the job,â&#x20AC;? Preeti said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it is nice to admire other people. Why would you get jealous,â&#x20AC;? she said. Preeti says Abhay helped her in understanding the film industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are both different individuals and have our own taste, so we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always agree on things. I go and ask him his opinion. We discuss things, but at the end of the day I always make my own choices,â&#x20AC;? she said. On the perception in the industry about Abhay being arrogant, she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;He is not arrogant. I think he is reserved, private. People judge him from outside but when they get to know him they get a different perception about him.â&#x20AC;? As for marriage, Preeti doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see it happening in the near future. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel like I am just starting off with this right now, I want to achieve so much. We are happy and secure with each other... Marriage is a full time job and I need to be ready for that part of my life, but right now I just want to do good work,â&#x20AC;? the actress said. Preeti will be sharing screen

space with Abhay in the soonto-be-released â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;One By Twoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. She felt it would be interesting for them to come together for the film. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think one canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t presume how it is going to be... I went with the flow. Initially, he was just producing it and then he came on board as an actor. From day one we decided to keep this professional because at the end of the day itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big thing to make a movie,â&#x20AC;? she said. Abhay has always been lauded for his acting abilities and Preeti looks upto him as an actor. She said she was initially intimidated to work with him. â&#x20AC;?The first shot we did together, there was nervousness in me because I wanted to impress him, I wanted his approval. That was initial, but then it was comfortable once I switched into the character... I think you are constantly learning things, I feel I have lots to learn,â&#x20AC;? she said. Preeti said that Abhay doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t praise her work that much. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have seen him praise everybody else. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if he praises me behind my back or not, he has definitely never praised me,â&#x20AC;? she said. Releasing on January 31, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;One By Twoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a love story directed by Devika Bhagat.

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15b

bollywood music Gunday

Music Review :

ilm: “Gunday”; Composer: Sohail Sen; Singers: Javed Ali, Shadab Faridi, Vishal Dadlani, KK, Neeti Mohan, Bappi Lahiri, Arijit Singh, Neha Bhasin, Shahid Mallya, Altmash Faridi, Sohail Sen, Monali Thakur, Kinga Rhymes; Rating 1/2 The music album of director Ali Abbas Zafar’s forthcoming film “Gunday” is evidence of Sohail Sen’s versatility. Set in the 1970s, the soundtrack of the movie, which features Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra in the lead roles, boasts of 10 tracks, including a rap, a classical and a Bangla version of “Tune maari entriyaan”. It starts with the peppy, entertaining “Jashn-e-ishqa”. Sung by Javed Ali and Shadab Faridi, it is an all-male number. It’s a celebration of love, friendship and power. Whichever mood you are in, this will pep you up so much that you will automatically start jiving to the beats. The second one is “Tune maari entriyaan”. Sung by Bappi Lahiri, KK, Neeti Mohan, and Vishal Dadlani, it will just blow you away with its beats and the right combination of voices. Are you in love? If yes, “Jiya” is perfect for you. And in case you are not in a romantic relationship, then you would surely want to be in one after hearing the song in Arijit Singh’s soothing and melodious voice. It strikes an instant chord with the listeners. Next up is “Asalaam-e-ishqum”. Sung by Bappi Lahiri and Neha Bhasin, it creates a retro and modern feel. The duo definitely takes the song to the next level. The next time you visit a discotheque, there is a huge possibil-

ity you will be welcomed by the song. “Saaiyaan” is fifth on the list. Initially, it will remind you of “Do dhari talwar” from “Mere Brother ki Dulhan”. A very soothing number sung by Shahid Mallya, it is all about heartbreak. Next in line is “Mann kunto maula”. Amir Khusro’s poem has been given a modern twist by Al-

tamash Faridi and Shadab Faridi. The song stands out because of the use of the guitar that gives it a very modern feel. The title track “Gunday”, which is placed seventh, is of 163 seconds and basically describes the two male characters in the movie. What makes the song perfect for the album is the rap by Kinga Rhymes.

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“Rhythm of Jashn-e-ishqa” is not so appealing. There is nothing wrong with it, but such songs look effective when played during a dramatic scene in a movie. “Mann kunto maula (classical)” is next. As the name suggests, it is a classical number and is more soothing than the original version. It will remind you of the spiritual number “Kun faaya kun”

from “Rockstar”. “Tune maari entriyaan (Bangla version)” wraps up the album. Sung by Bappi Lahiri and Monali Thakur, the lyrics are not very difficult to understand. It is high on fun and entertaining. Overall, “Gunday” has songs for every mood and music lovers couldn’t have asked for more.

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16b LOCAL News

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Australia India Youth Dialogue Continues A resource development exercise ever undertaken in the history of mankind. “Hence, the reforms agenda in the skills space needs to be fast-tracked with a neverbefore velocity and various skilled interventions need to be pursued with utmost passion and enthusiasm to enable India reap a rich demographic dividend, said Jayant Krishna who is also a member of the National Committee on Skill Development. According to Australian delegates, Australia’s models of skill development, experiences and best practices could be shared with India. “The state government of Victoria in Australia has collaborated in teacher training projects with the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka to train 425 teachers in total,” said Vidyananda Sagaram, director, Strategic Projects, Victoria. Alex Murphy of University of Technology, Sydney, said Australia could share its policies on skill recognition, skills for future, social policy, engagement with employers, etc with India.

Photo source: PTI

few months ago, the World Bank has noted that India’s training institutes serve only about 7 per cent of the students who require vocational skills. For a strong labour force of over 500 million, this figure might not seem to be minuscule compared with the success rate of 70 per cent in Germany and 95 per cent in Korea. But according to the delegates at Australia India Youth Dialogue at the Indian School of Business on Tuesday, this invariably is one of India’s biggest problems, especially in the wake of the nation’s dream of emerging as a superpower. The Australia India Youth Dialogue is an initiative to enhance the partnership between the youths of India and Australia. Saying that vocational institutes run by the government for decades pursue age-old curriculum and the quality continues to be patchy. Jayant Krishna, cochair, Confederation of Indian Industry’s Northern Regional Committee on skill and education said developing skills in 500 million Indians by 2022 is the largest human

India, Australia launch bio robots in Indian Ocean

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February 2014 Edition

obotic floats armed with sensors will be launched in the Indian Ocean as part of a new India-Australia research partnership to study the Indian Ocean, authorities said Wednesday. Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) made the announcement. The Indian Ocean contains vast fisheries and mineral resources that are of strategic importance to both Australia and India. It also plays a direct role in driving the climates of its surrounding regions -- home to more than 16 percent of the world’s population. CSIRO said the new “Bio Argo” floats, to be launched in mid 2014, will enhance the already successful Argo float technology to measure large-scale changes in the chemistry and biology of marine ecosystems below the Indian Ocean’s surface. The Argo floats are a network of 3,600 freefloating sensors, operating in open ocean areas that provide real-time data on ocean temperature and salinity. The “Bio Argo” floats will include additional sensors for dissolved oxygen, nitrate, chlorophyll, dissolved organic matter, and particle scattering.

They will target specific gaps in the understanding of Indian Ocean ecosystems of immediate concern to India and Australia, such as the Bay of Bengal and the waters of north Western Australia. CSIRO’s Nick Hardman-Mountford said the pilot project, led by CSIRO in collaboration with the Indian National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) and the Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services, will “improve our understanding of cause and effect in the Indian Ocean’s climate and ecosystems”. “By studying the Indian Ocean in this detail, we can investigate the origin and impact of marine heatwaves like the one that devastated the coral reefs and fisheries off north Western Australian in 2011 -- and improve our prediction of them in the future,” Hardman-Mountford said. CSIR-NIO Director Wajih Naqvi said the novel technological innovation will give researchers from both countries a new understanding of the Indian Ocean. The USD 880,000 project was funded in part by the Australian government under the Australia- India Strategic Research Fund.

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Purchasing Melbourne Property in 2014? Invest in Quality, Style and a Successful Track Record

MEDIA RELEASE

entral Equity, the Australian company that pioneered inner city living in Melbourne, is now previewing its latest landmark apartment project. Central Equity has a long and proud record of delivering quality residential buildings to inner Melbourne. The directors have more than 30 years’ experience in the property sector and the company has developed over 70 residential projects across a variety of quality inner-city locations including the CBD, Southbank, Carlton and beyond. Utilising the skills of some of Australia’s leading architects and builders, Central Equity has set the benchmark in apartment living and this commitment to quality is backed by outstanding customer service every step of the way. Central Equity utilizes Australia’s leading construction companies and the development process is overseen by their in-house team of highly qualified builders, designers, and architects. Central Equity’s building department ensures all projects are carried out to the highest standards of quality. The company also provides a ‘one stop shop’ for all your property needs including property management, leasing, and resale services. Over 20,000 Melbournians now call a Central Equity apartment or house home and they are a testament to the company’s commitment to

quality and service. The company’s latest residential project is a visually striking apartment tower located in the heart of Melbourne’s vibrant central business district on Lonsdale Street’s historic West end. With the best of Melbourne at its doorstep including corporate headquarters and

major employers’, Southern Cross Station, trams and buses, Melbourne’s leading universities, parks, and abundant retail and dining opportunities - this brand new project is ideal for owners and investors alike. A huge grand opening event is planned for March 2014 so now is a great time to inspect this exciting

new tower. A variety of 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms apartments are now available off-the-plan from $399,000. A limited range of penthouses are also selling. Exclusive resident facilities include pool, gym and concierge services. Apartments come in a range of bright, open-plan layouts

and feature the latest in high quality fixtures and finishes. Early purchasers will benefit from huge stamp duty savings and secure an early choice by buying today. To find out more, an interactive display suite is now available to inspect on-site at 618 Lonsdale Street in the city.

Call 1800 445 520 or visit www.centralequity.com.au for further information.

Siddharth Malhotra to star in a French film remake

Picture source: lightscamerabollywood

February 2014 Edition

iddharth Malhotra has been signed on by Siddharth Roy Kapur’s production house for an official remake of the French film, ‘Priceless’. A source says that the film’s producers have been looking for a relatively fresh face for quite some time now. `The lead character in the film has a lot of shades to it. Siddharth Malhotra seemed to fit into it. This venture will be co-produced by Karan Johar, who was also the producer of Siddharth’s debut film, ‘Student Of The Year’. “Given that the original earned rave reviews in 2006, Siddharth is excited about working on this film. He has already given his nod to this project and the film’s producers are currently looking to cast a leading lady opposite him.” The French film, directed by Pierre Salvadori, starred Audrey Tautou and Gad Almaleh in lead roles. The film’s story revolves around a boy who works at a hotel and is mistaken for a millionaire by a money-grabbing girl, who then realises her gaffe.

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Deepika shines this awards season

013 has undoubtedly been Deepika Padukone’s year with four major blockbusters at the box-office starring the talented diva. 2014, too, has begun on a high note for her. The actor was all smiles, as she graced the red carpet of Filmfare Awards

2014, winning the Best Actor Trophy for her performance in ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-leela’. Deepika made a million heads turn at the star-studded night, with her daring golden gown by designer Gaurav Gupta. Deepika was nominated as the best actor

for two of her films - ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-leela’ and ‘Chennai Express’ for Filmfare Awards. On receiving the prestigious black lady, Deepika said, `Thank you Idea and Filmfare. This is for my mother. I missed her during the shoot. This award is very spe-

cial for me. As a child, Filmfare Awards was one thing we would sit and see together in family. I never thought one day I’ll be here receiving an award. Thank you Sanjay Leela Bhansali for giving such an opportunity. Thank you Ranveer for being a good co-star.

2013 was a good year for me” Deepika is certainly on a winning streak this awards season. The Filmfare award seemed to be the icing on the cake, after having bagged the Best Actor trophies at two other prestigious award ceremonies. At the Screen Awards, the gorgeous diva won Best Actress (Jury Award) and Best Actress (Popular) for ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-leela’ and ‘Chennai Express’. At the Star Guild Awards, Deepika was nominated in the Best Actress category for three of her films- ‘Chennai Express’, ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ramleela’ and ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’. It was ‘Chennai Express’ that won her the ‘Best Actress’ Star Guild award. The BIG Star Entertainment awards also saw Deepika Padukone walking away with three BIG trophies, for ‘Best Actress’, ‘Most Entertaining Comedy Actress’ & ‘Best Jodi’ with her Chennai Express co-star Shah Rukh Khan. For Deepika, the reasons to celebrate never seem to end. While the party will go on, Deepika has ensured that she continues to enthrall the audience in 2014, as well. The actor will be seen in Rajinikanth’s magnum opus ‘Kochadaiiyaan’, ‘Finding Fanny Fernandes’ with Arjun Kapoor and ‘Happy New Year’ with King Khan.

Shattered Armaan: Tanishaa Mukerji has no time for love

ooks like all is not well between Tanishaa Mukerji and Armaan Kohli. The two actors became more than close friends during their stint on the TV show ‘Bigg Boss’. Though rumours suggested that their special friendship was over, the duo was seen partying in Goa. An insider says, `Tanishaa is in touch with Armaan and Saturday’s cricket match - where he played for Mumbai Heroes - was his first big public outing after the show. He was looking forward to seeing Tanishaa at the match.` A source close to Tanishaa says that Armaan was expecting her to be present at the match, but Tanishaa decided to attend an awards function on Friday night as her mother Tanuja was being felicitated at the event. `She then flew to Dubai and had no time to attend Armaan’s match. There are a few more matches which will take place in the city and she will try to attend one of them.

February 2014 Edition

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It’s time pacers start using their brains: Dhoni

Photo source: PTI

hen India arrived in New Zealand, it was seen as a big learning curve for the pace bowlers. With seaming conditions expected, and the World Cup to be played in Australia and New Zealand early next year, pacers were expected to use them to their advantage. But after the one-day series defeat,the pace bowling unit looks in disarray. Ishant Sharma, the most experienced among them, was the first to be dropped after losing pace and direction. Mohammed Shami was impressive in the first two matches, but struggled in the next. On Tuesday, he pitched it too short and wide as India failed to defend a decent total in the fourth ODI. The inexperienced Varun Aaron too got carried away by the bounce offered by the Seddon Park pitch, that too against a batsman of Ross Taylor’s class. Pitches in New Zealand have been surprisingly good for batting this time around, but there is enough bounce for the seamers to exploit. The Kiwi pacers have been disciplined and mostly kept the length just short, forcing Indian batsmen on the back foot. Here, the home pacers have used their height to extract that disconcerting lift. At home, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is mostly bowled out when the ball is still new, allowing him to produce swing. But in New Zealand, bringing him back in the later stages has not worked as he lacks pace and can be attacked. That was the case in

the fourth ODI. Skipper MS Dhoni was critical of the batsmen, but was in despair discussing the bowlers. It has left the team management unsure about the set of bowlers who can be groomed ahead of the World Cup. “When it comes to talent, we definitely have bowlers who can bowl well. But at the same time they will have to start using their brains more and improvise in terms of what needs to be done.

This is one area where we lack when it comes to the fast bowling department,” he said. “If you look at the pool of bowlers, we can keep working with them, but at the end of the day they need to push themselves because with (ODI) rule changes it is going to be quite tough. But it hasn’t been rule changes in this series, it has been bad bowling.” He is convinced Ravichandan Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja

are the two spinners for the long term. “When it comes to the bowling department we are still in the same phase wherein we are still looking at who are our permanent bowlers. We know the spinners and they look good and we know they are the ones who will carry on till the World Cup, provided there are no injuries. But fast bowling, we are still not sure. “Back home we talk about pace and bounce, we get bowl-

ers who can bowl quick but then they end up giving more runs without even bowling at the slog.” With Zaheer Khan in the twilight of his career and out of the one-day equation, the young set of pacers will have to learn to sink or swim. And that looks a depressing prospect with India scheduled to tour England and Australia before the World Cup comes around.

title at the Denmark Open Super Series Premier in October 2012, beat Sindhu 21-14, 21-17 in 40 minutes to take home a cheque of $9,000 at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium. The Olympic bronze medallist had defeated Sindhu during the Indian Badminton League (IBL) also in August 2013. Last year’s runner-up Sindhu once again had to be content with silver in her first ever official Badminton World Federation (BWF) match against Saina. The two Pullela Gopichand proteges entered the stadium to a rousing welcome from a packed house on Republic Day, a national holiday, which also had Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in attendance. World No.9 Saina got off the blocks quickly, taking a 5-0 lead to the delight of the vociferous crowd. Saina proved too good for Sindhu and extended the gap to 8-1 using her smashes to good effect. With Saina ahead 11-5, Sindhu’s confidence slowly began to grow as she hammered three fantastic down the line

smashes to close the scoreline to 12-14. But Saina didn’t let her 18year-old opponent settle down and raced away to a 19-14 lead, winning the game with a irretrievable drop. The World Championship bronze medallist, however, came back strongly in the second game. Sindhu returned Saina the favour in the second game and breezed through to a 4-0 lead. She retrieved much better than the first game and took the fight to Saina. But an aggressive World No 9 accepted the challenge and equalised the scoreline at 5-all. Sindhu still maintained the lead until a backhand smash at the net went straight to her body, giving the Olympic medallist the lead for the first time in the second game (10-9). The 2009 champion upped the ante and brought down the length of the rallies to increase the gap to 18-12. Sindhu clawed back to 16-20 and also managed to save a matchpoint before missing the final shot to give Saina the crucial win and a break in the 15-month drought.

Photo source: PTI

Saina beats Sindhu to take Indian GP Gold final

op Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal ended her 15month title drought by

February 2014 Edition

beating compatriot and second seed P.V. Sindhu in the women’s singles final to win

the $120,000 India Grand Prix Gold in Lucknow on Sunday. The top seed, who last won a

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What happens if Brazil doesn’t win its World Cup?

sk a Brazilian how their national team will fare at the World Cup and chances are they will predict a run at least to the July 13 final, if not a win. Understandable optimism, given that Brazil will be playing at home and has won more World Cups (five) than any other football power. But what if the host nation is booted out early? Very possible with

wound of its last World Cup loss at home to fully heal. That was way back in 1950, before most Brazilians alive today were born. But the national pain of Brazil 1, Uruguay 2 has been handed down from one generation to the next like an heirloom. Seemingly everyone knows about the stunned silence of 173,000 people who packed the Maracana Stadium expecting to see Brazil lift the trophy, how fans

the Sydney Olympics in winning the 400 meters. If Brazil triumphs in July, one imagines the nation of carnival will treat the World Cup to street parties even more epic and delirious than when France became the last host to win in 1998. The ghost of 1950 would be exorcised. And if that doesn’t happen? Ron DelMont, managing director of Fifa’s office in Brazil, believes Brazilians are too enamored with football to turn their backs on the World Cup should their team tumble out early. “We expect that Brazil will make it to the final. But let’s just say that it doesn’t happen. Every indication that we’ve had so far about the tournament in Brazil is that it will be a celebration of football, irrespective,” he said. “There will be still a lot of enthusiasm about what happens, whoever the eventual winner will be. Brazil, because of the culture and the love that it has for football, is going to defy all the other previous host cities ... It will still be a celebration all the way to the end.” Fernandes seconded that. “How will people react if we lose along the way? They won’t react well,” he said. “But they’re also football fans ... Interest will continue in the World Cup if Brazil is eliminated. But that ghost will continue to haunt us.”

‘More turfs can turn around Indian hockey’

ndian hockey’s high performance manager Roelant Oltmans believes that there should be more artificial turfs and redesigned educational programmes for coaches if India wants to improve. More matches against tough opponents and increase in number of astroturfs would help the Indian hockey in making a turnaround and bring back the golden days, Indian Hockey team’s High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans said yesterday in Ranchi. “I believe (that) India has a bright future in hockey. Of course, there are number of things to be changed and it is good that people are willing to do that,” Oltmans said. “First we need to add to the number of artificial turfs in the country... In fact our programme should be redesigned and education programmes for coaches should be changed,” he added. Expressing satisfaction with the Indian hockey team which jumped three places to world number eight within a year, Oltmans said that though it was a “better” achievement, the team had to go a long way. “We are number eight in the world. We were 11th when we started a year ago. Now we are in the top eight... that’s a good job,” the Dutchman said. “But we still have a long way to go to bring back the glory,” he said, adding, that the consistency of the team was also required. He pointed out that there was a real need to change in a couple of areas for players to improve and match the skills of the best teams in the world. Meanwhile, defending champions Ranchi Rhinos and last year’s 3rd seeded UP Wizards are gearing to meet on the former’s home ground. While last year’s semi-final clash against the Rhinos will still be fresh in the minds of the Wizards where they lost, Rhinos will be looking to continue from where they left last year.

February 2014 Edition

Photo source: PTI

defending champion Spain or 2010 runner-up the Netherlands looming for Brazil in the first knockout game and a tough path beyond that. Are Brazilians good losers? Would they sour the tournament mood in defeat? Or swallow their disappointment with a few moraleboosting caipirinha cocktails, crank up the samba and party on? Like a kid who picks his scabs, Brazil has never allowed the

wept and never forgave goalkeeper Moacir Barbosa for letting Alcides Ghiggia score Uruguay’s winner past his left-hand post. “We carry this trauma. It’s really a trauma,” deputy sports minister Luis Fernandes said in an interview with a small group of reporters. “Probably around 90% of the Brazilian population wasn’t born in 1950 and we still carry this trauma. I wasn’t born in 1950 and this trauma, I’ve been socialised, brought up in terms of this trauma.” A kid of six in 1950, former player Barcimio Sicupira recalled how “my dad punched the radio and broke it in half” after Ghiggia scored in the 79th minute. Rubens Minelli, who became a national championshipwinning coach, was playing an amateur tournament that July 16 afternoon, his attention focused not on his game but on the unfolding drama being broadcast by radio from Rio de Janeiro. “Everybody was sad, they couldn’t believe what happened,” he said in an interview. “It was a national disgrace.” For a sporting mega-event like the World Cup to become truly memorable, host nation success can be vital. Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah put the wow into the 2012 London Games when they all won gold for Britain on “Super Saturday” at the Olympic Stadium. Australian Cathy Freeman did the same for

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Ayurvedic Summer Tips from Jeeva health Dr. C.R.S. Kumar Ayurveda @ Jeeva health recommends staying safe and cooling during this festive season. According to Ayurveda summer is treated as Grishma rutu. Summer is nature’s time cycle to ripen and mature, where the pitta (Fire) dosha will provocation, which will enhance the body metabolism. A) Eat the foods rich in sweet (madhura), bitter (Thiktha), and astringent (kashyam), tastes • Food rich in these takes will nourish the nervous and endocrine system to balance body temperature, example nuts, grains, milk, dates and most fruits. By making them Soothies or Juices will be good for absorption. • Bitter rich food will help the liver to detoxify naturally, which includes cucumber, lettuce, spinach, nannari and Aloe vera, • An astringent food item such as Buttermilk (takram), legumes, asparagus, green tea and pomegranate juice will rich in antioxidants and nourishes the body seven tissues. B) Hydrate • Make sure to drink plenty of water and replenish the lost moisture due to excess heat. It will also help to flush the Mala (toxins) out from your body. • Ayurveda recommends to drink plenty butter milk, coconut water and fresh fruit juices made form

melons. • Use Ghee in your diet for the pitta reduction. C) Protect from Sun • Use appropriate well aerated clothing preferably loose cotton wear and apply suitable sunscreen, while outdoors.

• Try to apply face mask or body scrub made for cooling herbs and plants, such as cucumber, lemon, orange peel. During the summer, due to excess pitta, they both physical and emotional out bursts will common, so it very important to take precautions

Honey for a glowing complexion

while communicating, in order to balance the psychological upsets, try to do some medication in the early morning with gently yoga. Few deep breaths will aid the stress; care needs to be taken while you communicate. Ayurvedic treatments such as Takra Dhara, poring of Takra butter

milk processed with herbs will be good during the summer. This process needs be done for one hour with gentle massage with suitable medicated oils followed by Takra Dhara. For details visit www.jeevahealth. com.au

AYURVEDA Melbourne CBD, Surrey Hills & Canberra

argely considered as a weight loss tool — honey is excellent for your skin as well. Find out the wonders of this easily-available home ingredient Honey is known as a natural cleanser which exfoliates your skin to bring out a radiant and glowing complexion. Here are a few advantages — Washing your face with honey once or twice a week will keep your skin soft and also blemish free. Mix honey and tomatoes together to make a thick paste. Apply this mixture on your skin and keep it for 15-20 minutes. Wash it off and moisturise for a clear skin. Honey is also known to reduce scars. It is also known to be one of the best moisturisers for your skin. Apply plain honey for five to 10 minutes on your face and wash it off later with warm water. Honey does not only keep your face

February 2014 Edition

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Live life...Naturally

glowing. It is also known to make your hair shiny and strong. Use it as a conditioner after you’ve washed your hair. Mix some honey with olive oil and apply this mask on your mane. Leave it for an hour and wash it off with plain water after some time. It is also known as a miracle to turn back the clock. Honey contains anti-inflammatory properties that delay the ageing process. So apply some honey before you go off to bed every night. To brighten and lighten your skin, mix ! three spoons of rose water with ¼ cup of honey and apply it on your face for approximately 15 minutes. Wash it off later with cold water. Honey and milk work wonders. To ease out fine lines and wrinkles, apply a paste of honey and milk or honey and curd on your skin. Keep it on for sometime before you wash off your face with lukewarm water.

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Ph: 03 9939 9474, 0402 282 745 Email: info@jeevahealth.com.au www.jeevahealth.com.au www.indian-times.com.au

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Why you should not ignore bladder pain

ver 200 million people (worldwide) suffer with some kind of bladder pain or control issues. Technically, not a disease, this often embarrassing health condition is associated with a sudden urge to urinate - that’s difficult to control; an involuntary loss of urine; frequent urination - usually more than 8 times in 24 hours and night time urination - more than 2 times per night. Conventionally speaking, to eliminate bladder disorders, doctors love to prescribe drugs which have nasty side effects like, dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision and a rapid heartbeat. For best results, learn how to naturally eliminate bladder problems without toxic chemicals. Most medical professionals would agree getting older does not put you at greater risk for bladder issues. A healthy bladder is well-regulated by the interactions between the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and organs of the lower urinary tract (bladder, urethra, pelvic floor muscles). Obviously, if you suffer from any neurological disorders or weakness within the abdominal area - your bladder function may become a problem. Those people at greatest risk for bladder control issues include: spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease, strokes, multiple sclerosis, pregnancy and vaginal deliveries, obesity or poor dietary choices.

Photo source: PTI

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Generally speaking, if you take better care of yourself - bladder pain can be resolved. It’s widely known that heavier people place themselves at greater risk for urinary incontinence. So, naturally, maintaining a healthy body weight by eating lots

of plant-based, chemical free (organic) food is a great way to shed unwanted (excess) body weight. If you want to eat animal foods - be sure to buy naturally raised, 100% grass-fed beef and keep your portion to around 2 to 4 ounces per day. The main point here is to

avoid artificial sweeteners, chemical preservatives, hormones and antibiotics that can disturb nerve and muscle function. If you suffer from bladder problems - try becoming more conscious of your fluid intake. Most health experts will tell you to drink

half your body weight in ounces of pure, unpolluted water. But, to keep from waking up in the middle of the night, don’t drink any liquids at least 3 hours before bed time. And, of course, try to avoid caffeine and alcohol which can overstimulate the bladder.

Photo source: PTI

Skipping breakfast causes hairfall, memory loss

Breakfast like a king… goes the popular saying, but a recent study from the Research Centre at the Nirmala Niketan College in Mumbai has found that most of us are skipping this important meal. “Skipping breakfast just to lose

February 2014 Edition

weight will not solve anything but definitely invite multiple problems such as anorexia nervosa, hair fall, memory loss and weak eyesight,” says Dr Nupur Krishnan, clinical nutritionist. The other dangers of missing this

meal are listed by nutritionist Sonal Raval. “You can suffer from headaches, fatigue, obesity, nutritional shortcomings, drowsiness and a general decline in performance,” she says. In spite of all these adverse ef-

fects, many people skip breakfast in the morning. Sulakshana Das, a teacher in a public school in Mumbai, says “Often children come to my class in the morning looking droopy eyed and tired. At this time, their concentration and

energy levels are low. The primary reason is that many of them are rushing to school without eating a proper breakfast.” To counter this and make yourself a healthy promise you can participate in an initiative by Kellogg India called the ‘Kellogg’s Breakfast Pledge.’ If you’re pressed for time, fortified, ready-to-eat cereals can make for a great first meal. “Cereals are a very good breakfast option. They are convenient — pour some milk and there you are — require no cooking and don’t take time to prepare,” says Raval. “Just take care that you pick the right cereal. Per serving should have enough fibre, less sugar and you could go in for something with nuts. It’s very important to read labels,” she adds. Krishnan, too, supports the consumption of cereals in the morning. “Choosing cereals should be a smart choice. It should not be fattening. Pick those that will provide balanced nutrition as well as energy. A fortified healthy breakfast can help meet nutritional requirements,” she says. “Smoothies, fruit and milk product, oats porridge with nuts or a fortified muesli porridge are good options as they are fast, and make for a tasty breakfast.” According to Raval, breakfast should be consumed within 10-30 minutes of waking up. So at the beginning of this new year, take a pledge to have breakfast every morning.

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Reduce BP, cut risk of heart attack with sunlight

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new study has revealed that exposing skin to sunlight may help to reduce blood pressure and thus cut the risk of heart attack and stroke. Research carried out at the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh showed that sunlight alters levels of the small messenger molecule, nitric oxide (NO) in the skin and blood, reducing blood pressure. Martin Feelisch, Professor of Experimental Medicine and Integrative Biology at the University of Southampton, said: ?NO along with its breakdown products, known to be abundant in skin, is involved in the regulation of blood pressure. When exposed to sunlight, small amounts of NO are transferred from the skin to the circulation, lowering blood vessel tone; as blood pressure drops, so does the risk of heart attack and stroke.? While limiting sunlight exposure is important to prevent skin cancer, the authors of the study, including Dr Richard Weller of the University of Edinburgh, suggested that minimising exposure may be disadvantageous by increasing the risk of prevalent conditions related to cardiovascular

disease. The results suggested that UVA exposure dilates blood

vessels, significantly lowers blood pressure, and alters NO metabolite levels in the

circulation, without changing vitamin D levels. Further experiments indicated

that pre-formed stores of NO in the upper skin layers are involved in mediating these effects.

Women gain weight in new relationship

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February 2014 Edition

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tarting a relationship means lot of love, happiness and an expanding waist line too, shows a research. The research has revealed the effect that a women’s frame of mind can have on her weight. The study also found that the average woman will gain 7.2 pounds or 3.2 kg in the first year of a new relationship. However, just under half put blame on their partner’s poor diet as the reason for weight gain.

“It seems that our frame of mind has a huge impact on our weight, and although men seem to lose weight when in a happy relationship, the average woman will gain half a stone,” said Sarah Bailey. One stone, an old British measure, is 6.35 kg. “Being comfortable in our love lives often equates to increased self-confidence, perhaps explaining the weight gain that many experience.” she added.