The Hindu Articles: November 2012

Friday, November 30, 2012

College students impress with footwork

The Hindu The boys of Loyola College walked away with the first prize. Seen here, the team with actor Bharath. Photo: K. Pichumani

TOPICS

education universities and colleges

lifestyle and leisure leisure (general)

“I was amazed to see such professionalism among college teams,” said actor Bharath who was the special guest at the fourth edition of The Hindu Nxg Campus Jive 2012.

Ten teams made it to the finals and set the stage on fire with their power-packed performances.

Hip hop once again dominated the show with a bit of jazz and freestyle thrown in once in a while. The finalists were SSN college of Engineering, Women’s Christian College (evening), SRM University (teams 1 and 2), Stella Maris College, NIT Trichy, Loyola College (girls’ and boys’ teams), Anna University and Madras Institute of Technology.

Judging the event were actor Ashokk and dancer-coreographer John Britto.

The team from Women’s Christian College impressed with their attitude, style and powerful performance and were awarded a well-deserving special prize. Meanwhile, the only out-station team in the finals, NIT-Trichy, placed third after impressing the judges with their antics-packed dance.

Losing by a narrow margin and placing second was team 2 from SRM University who literally lit up the show.

And after missing out on the title last year, the crowd favourites were back — Loyola College (boys’ team) walked away with the cash award of Rs. 1,50,000 besides other prizes. They scored with their style, coordination, props and unwavering energy on stage.

The first and second runners-up pocketed cash prizes of Rs. 1,00,000 and Rs. 50,000 respectively.

The title sponsor for the event was GRT Stylus. Television partner was Vijay TV, radio partner was Hello FM, grooming partner was Green Trends, event partner was iads & events; dance partner was John Britto’s Dance Co., multiplex partner was Inox, gift partners were Marrybrown, Mahavir Optics, Fruit Shop on Greams Road, The Raintree Anna Salai, Sting, Vogue Eyewear, Landmark and O2 Health Studio.

Keywords: The Hindu Nxg Campus Jive 2012.

Joint naval exercise with Russia

The Hindu Capt. Krishna Swamynathan (left in blue), commanding officer INS Mysore, Capt. Andre Kuznetsov (centre), commanding officer of Russian distroer, Marshal Shaposhnikov and Capt. Dinesh Singh, commanding officer, INS Tabar, onboard INS Mysore durinjg the press conference to announce Indo Russian naval exercise, in Mumbai on Friday. Photo: Vivek Bendre

TOPICS

diplomacy international relations

politics defence

Objective is to enhance interoperability

INDRA, joint military exercise with Russia, is being held in Mumbai from November 28 to December 3.

Destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov, replenishment oiler Irkut and rescue tug Alatau of the Russian Federation’s Navy Pacific Fleet (PF) Task Unit and India’s INS Mysore and INS Tabar are participating in the exercise.

INDRA began in year 2003 and is being conducted every two years.

“The main objective of this exercise is to enhance interoperability, which will be useful if both the navies are working against the common threat like the pirates in the Gulf of Aden. It will be helpful for wider cooperation and mutual understanding between two navies,” said Captain Krishna Swaminathan, Commanding Officer of INS Mysore. The navies will work on communication between ships, sending signals and guarding civil ships from pirate attacks. It also involves live firing drills, air defence and anti- submarine exercises.

Capt. Swaminathan said Indian ships were focussing hard on tackling the problem of Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. “At such situations, we need to work in coordination with naval ships from other countries. Joint exercises turn out to be useful while tackling such common threats,” he said.

Andrey Kuznetsov, Captain of Marshal Shaposhnikov, said such joint exercises were confidence building measures undertaken by both nations. “Indian ships act strongly and professionally. We will also learn many things from our Indian counterparts,” he said.

Keywords: India-Russis defence ties

Yeddyurappa 2.0

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/karnataka/yeddyurappa-20/article4150857.ece

Puli koozhu

The Hindu Puli koozhu Photo:R.M.Rajarathinam

The Hindu R. Uma Mageswari Photo:R.M.Rajarathinam

TOPICS

lifestyle and leisure recipes

recipes main course

A tangy alternative to the traditional upma

Presented in an easy to digest form, the tamarind combined with healthy pulses in this koozhu makes it a healthy evening tiffin.

What you need:

Rice flour: Half cup

Tamarind: Gooseberry sized ball

Mustard and urad dal: Half Tsp each

Channa dal: One tsp

Curry leaves: Six

Chopped red chillies: Two

Turmeric powder: A pinch

Asafoetida: Quarter Tsp

Salt: To taste

Cooking oil: Half Tbsp

Cooking Instructions:

Extract juice from tamarind soaked in water for 30 minutes. Mix the rice flour, turmeric, asafoetida and salt with the juice. Heat oil in a pan and pop mustard seeds. Add the urad dal, channa dal, curry leaves and red chillies and fry. Add one cup of water and the rice flour mixture to the pan and bring to boil. Stir well to avoid lumps. Serve hot.

R. Uma Mageswari, a homemaker is a fan of traditional south Indian cuisine.

Keywords: traditional south Indian cuisine

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via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/Food/puli-koozhu/article4150478.ece

Myth recreates reality

A shot from Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum

A shot from Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum

TOPICS

cinema Telugu cinema

To a woman, bearing a child starts with the pleasure of conception and ends with the pain of labour. A man who empathises with the mother’s sacrifice is human, whereas he, who fails to look beyond the act of conception, is but a savage. A dialogue in the film, Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum (KVJ) brings out this point in a poignant yet powerful fashion, through the words of a journalist Devika (Nayantara) who explains to B. Tech Babu (Rana) her reasons for being passionate about getting the truth out. This broad idea of good prevailing over evil is narrated through the age–old Surabhi theatre — a form that has few takers now. This, combined with a contemporary theme of mining works well. In times when the ‘aam aadmi’ is protesting loud against rampant corruption, a film like KVJ resonates.

B. Tech Babu, grandson of Surabhi actor Subramaniam (Kota Srinivas Rao) is tired of performing, because he sees a dwindling audience and no future. He plans to shift to America, in search of a better life. His grandfather disagrees and believes, ‘Kalaanni marchede kala…’ (Art is that which changes times).The death of his grandfather takes Babu to Bellary, where he also comes to terms with his past. At Bellary, he bumps into Devika and finds himself fighting against Chakravarthy (Murali Sharma) and Reddyappa (Milind Gunaji). After that, it’s just a matter of time before his personal vendetta grows into the eternal battle between what’s right and wrong.

Strong characters, apart from the leads, give great support to the film. L.B. Sriram as the crazed tribal who keeps screaming “Matti lekapote, dochukodaniki emi undadu kada. Teesesta, mottam matti teestesta (If there is no soil, there won’t be anything to loot, isn’t it. I will take it away, all of it away).” This scene works wonders as a measure of soil is thrown at the lens. This symbolism of soil is present throughout the film.

Doused in a pleasant mix of mythology, the film starts off on an ambitious note. Expectations are set high in the beginning when you see a montage of activists, professors and tribals all venting out against Reddyappa, the mining don at Bellary. This is followed by a beautiful mythological drama enacted by Babu and his Surabhi troupe. Remniscient of the bygone era of mythological films, it’s a pleasure to watch Rana and Kota Srinivasa Rao rendering verses in chaste Grandhikam.

Visually, the film is evocative, but the hype gradually lessens. There is a strong message that laces the film. It evokes a sense of belonging to society, albeit on a personal narrative. That said, the film has its downs; three unnecessary ‘item’ songs that add neither coherence nor relevance to the story and in fact take away from the impact. It’s disappointing because you expect a socio-economic narrative Shanghai but at times you’re heavily creamed by fluff and it is restricted to mere rhetoric. ‘

KRISHNAM VANDE JAGADGURUM

Cast: Rana Daggubati, Nayantara, Milind Gunaji, Murali Sharma

Genre: Drama

Director: Radhakrishna Jagarlamudi

Music: Mani Sharma

Plot: Personal revenge becomes a fight for what’s right

Bottomline: A tale of triumph over evil that could be well worth your time

Keywords: Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum

More In: Cinema | Arts | Metroplus | Life & Style

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/myth-recreates-reality/article4150726.ece

‘Super charged’ kinda show

TOPICS

music rock and roll music

Veterans Third Eye Blind put on a show that more than met expectations of fans

“Thank you all for fostering our odyssey through India; it has been weird and fun,” addressed Stephan Jenkins, singer and songwriter of Third Eye Blind, to a screaming crowd at Hard Rock Café, Banjara Hills on Wednesday night. The popular venue saw a full house as music fans flocked in to see the San Francisco-based rock band perform in the city.

If the names Pearl jam, Red hot chilli peppers, Matchbox 20, Oasis and The Smashing Pumpkins ring a bell, there is a good chance you know all the lyrics to most of Third Eye Blind’s songs. Those born in the late Eighties might recall that it was these catchy, upbeat tunes, then curated by MTV and Channel V, that initiated you into the world of western pop and rock music. And these songs, like old friends, will always remain familiar despite the time and distance. Stephan had only to play a few seconds of the guitar riff that opens ‘Deep inside of you’ before eliciting shout-outs from the audience who sang along with every note.

Not losing the audience for a second as he plucked and strummed on his guitar, Stephan was every bit the performer his music videos make him out to be. The crowd was ecstatic as the band performed ‘Semi charged life, one of their most popular songs. Kryz Reid’s short guitar solo did much to elevate the crowd’s senses. His fluency with the guitar was complemented by Jon Pancoast’s bold basslines. Jon, the latest addition to the band, was electric on stage and a hit with the audience as was Brad Hargreaves on drums and percussion. To everyone’s surprise Stephan even launched into covers of songs that have long remained popular in the cities nightclubs – ‘Feel so close’ by Calvin Harris and Nelly’s ‘Must be the money’. The show ended with ‘Slow-motion’ and ‘Semi-charged life’. If the audience had its way, the show would have lasted the night; the band left the stage amidst shouts of “We want more!”

Keywords: Third Eye Blind

More In: Music | Arts | Metroplus | Life & Style

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/super-charged-kinda-show/article4150377.ece

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Now, monsoon hopes pinned on December

TOPICS

weather forecast

This season, beginning October, the city has so far registered 47 cm of rains against the average of 69 cm

Not all hope is lost. The northeast monsoon may revive in the city by the first week of December.

Chennai, which receives the most rains in November, has suffered a prolonged dry spell this month.

The weather observatories in Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam recorded just 5 cm and 7 cm of rains, well below the average of 38 cm for the month. This is the least rainfall Chennai has recorded in November, the wettest month in the year, over the last 43 years.

With the southwest monsoon failing to bring enough rainfall to the city, Chennaiites were looking forward to the northeast monsoon. However, this season beginning October, Chennai has registered only 47 cm so far against the average of 69 cm.

Officials of the Meteorological department said previously, the November rains had been poor in 2003 and 2007. Only 9 cm rainfall was recorded in both years.

Nungambakkam recorded less than 10 cm of rains in November only thrice since 1969 and Meenambakkam only twice in 43 years. However, a good spell of showers in December compensated for the lack of November rains in 1983 and 2007.

“We are hoping the same trend repeats this year too,” said an official.

A weak system over the Bay of Bengal is expected to bring rainfall particularly to coastal Tamil Nadu from December 4 onwards.

The rain spell may last three or four days, the official said.

Keywords: northeast monsoon

One killed, three hurt in bomb attack

TOPICS

guerrilla activity bombings

As the car neared Kannimedu, an unidentified gang hurled country-made bombs and fled

One person was killed and three others injured in a bomb attack in Somangalam police station limits on Thursday night.

According to the police, the incident took place around 9 p.m.

D. Sivakumar (assistant director, mines, Kancheepuram district) and three others were travelling in a car towards Pallavaram on Sriperumbudur Manimangalam Road.

As they neared Kannimedu, an unidentified gang hurled country-made bombs on the car and fled.

Mr. Sivakumar, car driver Karthikeyan, and Vasudevan, relative of a village panchayat president in Kundrathur block, were rushed to a nearby hospital.

The fourth occupant, Sivalingam, an office assistant in the mines department, escaped with minor injuries. He then took the help of a passing motorist and went to the Somangalam police station to lodge a complaint.

Mr. Karthikeyan succumbed to injuries at the hospital. The Somangalam police have registered a case and are investigating.

Keywords: Kannimedu bomb attack

30th November 2012

LAKSHMI 83Yr W/o Late Srinivasan Customs Expired 29th.Morn at Kennedy I St Mylapore NirmalaJagan-24983011

SARADAMBAL 87, W/o Late K.Narayanasamy Iyer Tiruvarur M/o N.Balan expired on 27-11-12 10th Day @ Ramathirtham 5/3A Valluvar Salai Ramapuram Chennai-89 on 6-12-12.Ph:24310475

K.S.VAITHIANATHAN Retired Bharat Petroleum, aged 83, formerly residing in 5th cross st, Karpagam Gardens,Adyar passed away on 27/11/2012 in Bangalore. Dasasthu on 06/12/2012 at Bangalore. Contact: 080-41675380

R.S.Seshan(90) expired on 29.11.12 @ 6am Mourned by P.Vasu(Son) Shobha Ashok(Daughter) Usha Krishnan & Anuradha Sunderajan(Daughters-in-law) & Family. D132/133 MGR Rd HinduColony Nanganallur Chennai 09952976126

MY WIFE Smt.V.PADMASULOCHANA (66) Retd.PG Asst., RSM Girls High School, Chennai-1, reached Heavenly Abode on 27-11-2012. Dhasagam on Dec 06 Subam on Dec 09 at my Residence 56/62, Subramanian Rail Ngr Tambaram, Ch-45.S.Nagarajan.Ph:22411075.

Smt. L. Pattammal - 52 yrs Postal Audit Department. W/o. Sri V.Lakshminarayanan (Sri Vidya Kungumam), expired on 29.11.2012. Mourned by Venkatesh & Parvathi. 044-24610369

Mrs. SIVAKAMASUNDARI (85), Mother of Mr.K.Natarajan, Chennai-600035 expired on 28-11-2012. Eyes donated to Rotary Rajan Eye Bank, C/o Rajan Eye Care Hospital Pvt. Ltd., Chennai-17

Mrs.N.AMBUJAM (73Y) W/o.Late Shri.N.S.Narayanan (Central Fisheries) Passed away on 25-11-2012 @ Nanganallur,Chennai-61 Mourned by Sons: Srinivasan, Sampath, Krishnan, Jagannanthan, Daughter: Lakshmi, Son-in-Law, Daughters-in-law & Grand Children

Pandya’s wife plunges into electoral battle

PTI IN THE FRAY: Jagruti Pandya, wife of former Gujarat Minister, Haren Pandya, files her nomination papers for the Assembly elections, in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

TOPICS

India Gujarat

politics election

To contest polls next month on ticket of Keshubhai Patel’s Gujarat Parivartan Party

In what may be a major embarrassment to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Jagruti Pandya, wife of slain Bharatiya Janata Party leader Haren Pandya, has plunged into electoral battle, seeking “justice” for the murder of her husband.

What is more, she will contest the Assembly polls next month on the ticket of the Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP), floated by Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s bête noire Keshubhai Patel.

“Justice for Haren,” is my slogan, declared Ms. Pandya here on Thursday, reminding how her family has fought a losing legal battle to get the killers of her husband to book. She will contest the polls from Ahmedabad’s high profile urban constituency of Ellis Bridge that her husband once represented and refused to vacate for Mr. Modi.

It was in the August of 2011 that the Gujarat High Court acquitted all the 12 accused in the murder case for want of evidence and pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation for a botched up investigation. The CBI subsequently challenged the order in the Supreme Court through a special leave petition that is pending.

“I fought a long court battle for 10 years for justice and now I am going to the people’s court. I have a long fight ahead in the court. All these years, I never got support from any leader in the BJP for which my husband laid his life. We never knew we would be stabbed in the back,” said Ms. Pandya.

An archrival of Mr. Modi, former Minister Haren Pandya was hardly in his mid-forties when done to death in March 2003 after a morning walk in Ahmedabad’s plush Law Garden area.

Ever since, his family has been calling it a “political murder” and his father Vitthal Pandya (now dead) went to the extent of blaming Mr. Modi for it. The Pandya family has been seeking a re-investigation into the murder to get the “real killers and conspirators” of Haren Pandya.

The rivalry of Mr. Modi and Haren Pandya dates back to early 2002 when the latter refused to vacate his seat to enable the Chief Minister to contest from there. Mr. Modi was forced to seek his first election – a by-election – from Rajkot II constituency because of this. Later, Mr. Modi stripped Pandya off the Home portfolio to give him Revenue, months before he was denied ticket for the 2002 Assembly elections.

Pandya remained the only challenger — after Keshubhai Patel was eased out —to Mr. Modi in the State BJP.

Ms. Pandya’s entry in the political arena promises a high-voltage, high-sound byte campaign that will keep the entire Ahmedabad city with its 16 seats glued to the television.

“Vote to me is vote to Haren Pandya, who was loved by one and all, I am the shadow of my husband, I am sure the people of Ellis Bridge will pay true homage to Haren Pandya by voting for me,” Ms. Pandya said

The Ellis Bridge constituency has been a pocket borough of the BJP since 1993 irrespective of the candidate and there is little reason it can swing otherwise. But Ms. Pandya will give anxious moments to the BJP during the campaign for the party will have little to counter her. So far, the ruling party has been silent to an aggressive campaign against Mr. Modi by the GPP.

Keywords: Gujarat Assembly polls

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Amit Shah among 89 in BJP’s third list

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via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pandyas-wife-plunges-into-electoral-battle/article4147627.ece

Devotional fervour

Devotees crossing ‘Jwalathoranam’ lit to mark Kartika Pournami at Uma Ramalingeswara Swamy temple at Santipuram in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. The burning thoranam is crossed thrice with idols of Lord Siva and His consort Parvati.

Kartikam special

The Hindu Devotees taking holy dip under pumps at Durga ghat in the Krishna in Vijayawada on Wednesday on the occasion of Kartika Pournami. With the water levels falling at the ghat near Prakasam Barrage, devotees took bath in murky waters. Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar

Light is the highlight

The Hindu Earthen lamps glowing at the Golden Lotus Tank of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in the city in view of ‘Karthigai Deepam’ on Wednesday. Photo: S. James

Watch your step

The Hindu Life moves on ignoring warning signals, as city wakes up to misty mornings. Photo: M. Periasamy

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Old city violence: wanted persons flee to Mumbai, Karnataka

TOPICS

Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad

unrest, conflicts and war riots

The strange situation faced by the police is that many accused in these cases are minors

Investigation into the recent arson and other violence cases in old city has reached an impasse with some of the accused fleeing the State capital to evade arrests.

While nearly 30 criminal cases pertaining to the torching of vehicles and attacks on properties were registered after mobs went berserk near Charminar on November 16, so far police arrested around 30 persons. Barring a few youngsters caught on the spot allegedly while they were indulging in violence, investigators could not arrest others.

Video footage

“Except the confession and leads given by those caught on that day, we have to solely rely on the video footage of the incidents,” a police officer said. Collected from different sources, including TV news channels and private cameramen engaged by police officials, the footage is the only reliable piece of evidence.

However, the investigators are finding it difficult to trace the accused as some of them had fled the State capital. “We came to know that some are in Mumbai, while others are hiding in different parts of Karnataka,” an investigator said after analysing mobile phone call data records.

The strange situation encountered by the police is that many accused in these cases are minors. Police tried to find out if there were any persons behind the violence but could gather only a few clues from these minors. They were let off after being counselled in the presence of their parents.

Tough case

The sensational incident of some miscreants burning six cars at different places in Charminar police station area late on the night of November 16 too became a tough nut to crack despite availability of video footage. The image of a person torching two cars parked on roadside at Ghansi Bazar was captured by the surveillance cameras installed by their owner.

Police were confident of cracking the mystery behind it based on the video footage. But they could make nothing out of the visuals despite watching it repeatedly and even sending it to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis.

The investigators could not ascertain the make of the bike on which a person was seen stopping by the two cars before burning them. Even the bike’s number could not be identified based on the visuals.

Kulsumpura flag case: minor arrested

The police on Wednesday arrested a minor in connection with removal of flags from the premises of a temple at Sabjimandi in Kulsumpura that triggered communal violence a month ago.

A few others, who abetted the minor, would also be arrested soon, the police said. As news spread about the flags, members of a community started assembling there.

This sparked communal tension with mobs attacking one another and setting ablaze five shops in Kulsumpura and surrounding areas.

Keywords: communal violence

More In: Hyderabad | Andhra Pradesh | States

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/old-city-violence-wanted-persons-flee-to-mumbai-karnataka/article4144032.ece

Delhi court sends Zee Group editors to 2-day police custody

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Day in pictures

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/day-in-pictures/article4142691.ece

Asia stocks fall as talks over US budget stall

TOPICS

economy, business and finance

Lack of progress in negotiations for a deal to avoid a U.S. budget crisis before a January deadline sent Asian stock markets lower on Wednesday.

President Barack Obama and U.S. lawmakers have until Jan. 1 to reach a deal to trim the country’s unwieldy deficit. Otherwise, a series of automatic tax increases and sharp spending cuts will take effect that could drag the world’s No. 1 economy into recession.

A high—ranking member of the U.S. Senate unnerved investors and sent Wall Street lower on Tuesday after expressing frustration over the budget impasse and the looming “fiscal cliff.”

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell 0.8 per cent to 9,348.55, a day after closing at a seven-month high. South Korea’s Kospi shed 0.8 per cent to 1,909.56 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.5 per cent to 4,434.90. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.8 per cent to 21,672.98.

Mr Obama plans to make a public case this week for his strategy for dealing with the issue as he pressures opposing lawmakers to allow tax increases on the wealthy while extending tax cuts for families earning $250,000 or less.

On Wall Street, reports released Tuesday showing increases in U.S. consumer confidence and orders for machinery and equipment failed to boost stocks significantly.

“If one could just take politicians and the fiscal cliff out of the picture, an optimistic outlook would be far easier to cobble together. There’s been depressingly little news of cliff breakthroughs, or even developments, of late,” said analysts at DBS Bank Ltd. in Singapore in an email commentary.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 0.7 per cent to close at 12,878.13. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 0.5 per cent to close at 1,398.94. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.3 per cent to 2,967.79.

Benchmark oil for January delivery was down 8 cents to $87.10 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 56 cents to finish at $87.18 per barrel on the Nymex on Tuesday.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.2936 from $1.2939 on Tuesday in New York. The dollar fell to 81.90 yen from 82.17 yen.

Keywords: Asian stocks

Week-long adventure for women begins

TOPICS

holiday or vacation adventure tourism

The seven-day adventure sports under the aegis of Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYK) began at Alisagar reservoir, 17 km away from the district headquarters on Monday. Collector Christina Z. Chongthu flagged it off and travelled in a boat along with the sportswomen in the reservoir for a while.

As many as 50 women arrived from 12 districts including Nizamabad to take part in adventure sports such as mountaineering, trekking and rafting being conducted at Alisagar and Badapaha forest area. The NYK made all arrangements for the smooth conduct of the sports as well food and accommodation for the participants.

Speaking on the occasion, the Collector said that adventure sports is useful to direct the youth in the right way and also to make new friends. This would instil courage, new experiences and give exposure in the participants, she said and advised them to learn about the history of the district, its culture and lifestyle.

NYK district co-ordinator M. Ramchandra Rao, Project Director, NCLP, Sudhakar Rao, Sub-Divisional Forest Officer Chandrasekhar and NYK zonal officer Jaipal Singh were present at the inaugural.

Keywords: adventure sports

More In: Andhra Pradesh | States

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/andhra-pradesh/weeklong-adventure-for-women-begins/article4137667.ece

Arrested red sander smugglers to booked under PD Act

TOPICS

crime, law and justice crime

Chittoor Superintendent of Police Kranthi Rana Tata on Tuesday said steps were underway to initiate criminal proceedings under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act against the four notorious inter-State red-sander smugglers belonging to Tamil Nadu who were recently arrested during a special drive launched to track down gangs rampaging the Seshachalam hill ranges known for the red-sander trees.

According to the crime profiles of the smuggling quartet released to the media by the SP at a press conference at Chittoor on Tuesday, while Janakiraman of Erumbuli village in Tiruvannamalai district was an expert in mobilising ‘coolies’ and smuggling them clandestinely into the forests to cut the trees, the other three -- T. Dhanapal, B. Kirubakaran and S. Sundar -- all from different parts of Chennai were reportedly specialists in shipping the timber from Chennai to countries like China, Malaysia, Dubai etc.

The SP also cited in this connection the arrest of other hardcore smugglers like Reddy Narayana of Kadapa and Nagari Subramanyam who was evading an arrest warrant issued under the PD Act and Gajjela Seenu Reddy of Rompicherla besides the nabbing of Kerala-based international smugglers like, Shafi, Antony Moris, Abdul Kalam and Mustafa Ahmed. All of them have been remanded to judicial custody, he said and claimed that in the last two months after the special drive was launched, as many as 426 persons were arrested 55 cases registered, 29 tonnes of red-sander logs and 30 vehicles seized.

The SP said on the basis of information provided by the arrested smugglers, the special teams could nab the international, inter-State and the inter-district smugglers. This apart, during the special drive, 426 coolies from Tamil Nadu bound for the Seshachalam ranges to fell the trees were also arrested.

As for the measures taken to curb the menace, he cited the setting up of a base camp close to Kalyani Dam near Tirupati to ensure combing and round-the-clock vigil. This apart, six special check-posts were set up on the AP-Tamil Nadu border.

Joint teams

Joint teams comprising officials from the police and forest departments were dispatched to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala to caution and counsel people against infiltrating the Seshachalam forests. Crime dossiers were prepared and shared with all stakeholders to effectively track the movement of the gangs, the SP said.

Keywords: red-sander smugglers issue

More In: Andhra Pradesh | States

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/andhra-pradesh/arrested-red-sander-smugglers-to-booked-under-pd-act/article4140668.ece

First ‘swap kidney transplant’ in State

The Hindu MEDICAL FEAT: Ayesha, M.M. Baig, Devidas and Nirmala with the team of nephrologists at Care Hospitals in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

TOPICS

health medical research

medical specialisation

Kidneys donated by the patients’ wives were swapped and transplanted by a team of nephrologists at Care Hospitals

It is not a Bollywood reel story. But a true happening in which 50-year-old M.M. Baig and 44-year-old Devidas, both suffering from end-stage renal disease, received a fresh lease of life after the kidneys donated by their wives were swapped and transplanted in the first such “swap kidney transplant’ in Andhra Pradesh.

The swap transplantation was carried out successfully by nephrology team at Care Hospitals here after it was found that the blood groups of both the donors did not match with those of their husbands.

In the case of Baig, his wife Ayesha’s blood group was ‘A positive’, while his was ‘B positive’.

Similarly, the blood group of Devidas was ‘A positive’ while that of his wife Nirmala ‘B positive’.

As both the patients had been on regular dialysis treatment for many months, doctors decided to take up ‘swap kidney transplant’.

After completing the legal formalities and taking permission from the State Authorisation Committee, swap transplant was carried out on November 7.

Doctors had to simultaneously perform four surgeries -- two for removing kidneys and two for transplanting them -- in four operation theatres.

The doctors addressed a press conference here on Tuesday along with the recipients and donors. Dr. Vikranth Reddy, head of department, Nephrology, said that six per cent of the population suffered from kidney diseases and around four to five lakh patients reach end-stage failure. But only 4,000 to 5,000 kidney transplants were being conducted in the country.

In case of incompatibility either in the blood group or antigens between the intended recipient and donor, swap transplant could be undertaken. He said that this procedure would also help in overcoming organ shortage.

Dr. Rajsekhar Chakravarthy, director, division of nephrology, said that 228 kidney transplants were conducted at Care Hospitals since 2004.

In 90 per cent of the cases, it was family donors, and in the rest, the kidneys were taken from cadavers.

Baig, a businessman hailing from Karimnagar, underwent a kidney transplant procedure in 2000 but the kidney failed a year ago.

He expressed his happiness at the latest outcome, while Devidas, a kirana shop owner, quipped, “Life is first class after the kidney operation”.

Keywords: kidney transplant

More In: Andhra Pradesh | States

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/andhra-pradesh/first-swap-kidney-transplant-in-state/article4141064.ece

Ministry to push for threefold increase in mental health budget

TOPICS

health government health care

Centre for Public Health inaugurated on NIMHANS campus

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare plans to push for a threefold increase in the mental health budget in the 12th Five-Year Plan.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Centre for Public Health, and a symposium titled ‘Public health priorities in mental, neurological and substance use disorders and injuries’, Sujaya Krishnan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said the department had allocated Rs. 623 crore for mental health in the 11th Five-Year Plan and she hoped for at least a threefold increase in the mental health budget in the next one.

Explaining the need for an increased budget, Ms. Krishnan stated that the number of mental health professionals in the country was inadequate. There was a “severe” shortage of mental health professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists and nurses, she said. “There is a huge gap between the number of people required and the number of people available. Data indicates that there is a 66 per cent shortage of human resources in the mental health [sector],” she said.

In this scenario, she said, there was a need for the Medical Education Department and Health Department to work together. “Medical colleges come under the purview of the Medical Education Department that need to look into the existing curriculum and lay emphasis on mental health so that we will have more trained professionals who can treat people with mental disorders.”

Talking about the District Mental Health Programme, which decentralises mental healthcare in the community using various health professionals, she said the Health Ministry would aim to expand it from the current 123 districts across the country to all districts, in a phased manner.

Shekhar Saxena, Director, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, also emphasised the need to increase the mental health budget. While mental disorders made up 13 per cent of the global diseases, the spending on it was less than 3 per cent, he said.

However, an increase in budget alone was not enough, he said. “One of the things that the State governments need to do is to make mental healthcare services available in primary health centres,” he mentioned. Speaking on the Mental Health Care Bill 2012, which is expected to be tabled in the Parliament soon, Ms. Krishnan said it was a “progressive” Bill.

Keywords: mental health

Essar Energy H1 loss at Rs.1,585 cr

TOPICS

economy, business and finance company information

“Crude oil price volatility had an impact of $200 m (Rs.1,120 crore) on inventory”

Essar Energy plc, the London Stock Exchange-listed company, has reported pre-tax loss of $283 million (Rs.1,585 crore) for the first six months ended September 30, 2012, against a profit of $278 million (Rs.1,557 crore) in the first six months of 2011.

From the current year, the company has changed its financial year ending in March from December previously.

However, the company’s current price earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation has gone up by 193 per cent to $582.6 million (Rs.3,263 crore) from $198.6 million (Rs.1,112 crore) in January-June 2011.

Keywords: Essar Energy plc

Girl sexually abused by father, brother, uncle

TOPICS

India Kerala

crime sexual assault & rape

Women’s panel supervising investigation

A 13-year-old girl in Dharmadam has been raped allegedly by her father, 15-year-old brother and uncle. The three accused have been arrested.

The girl revealed the abuse to the authorities of her school, who alerted the police. She is now under the care of the Child Welfare Committee.

The Kerala State Women’s Commission, concerned about the growing number of cases of sexual abuse of girls within their families, is supervising the investigation.

The police said the girl revealed the abuse to her teacher who saw her crying in school after class hours. She had been sexually abused since the age of 11.

The police first arrested her father and brother. Her uncle was arrested last Friday. The court sent the boy to the Juvenile Home in Thalassery. The arrested men are in judicial custody.

The police are investigating the death of the victim’s elder sister, who allegedly committed suicide two years ago. The victim told the police that her sister, then aged 15, had been a victim of sexual abuse in the family. The case is now being investigated afresh.

K. Rosakutty, Chairperson of the women’s commission, has intervened to ensure that the police filed the case under proper sections of the relevant Acts.

Ms. Rosakutty told The Hindu that she had spoken to the District Police Chief and verified with the investigators that the case had been registered under the sections that would ensure maximum punishment to the accused. “The commission will be vigilant in supervising this case,” she said. The panel would ensure the victim’s safety and education.

She said she would visit the victim on Thursday.

M.P. Vinod, Circle Inspector, Thalassery, said the case had been registered under Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and under sections 3 and 4 (penetrative sexual assault) and 7 and 8 (sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

Child Welfare Committee officials here said the case had again shown that most such cases came to light through the teachers, and not mothers, of the victims. The silence of mothers in such cases could be attributed to their desire to save the family honour.

They said arrangements would be made to admit the victim to a new school and give her counselling.

Keywords: Kannur rape case

Monday, November 26, 2012

News in pictures

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/news-in-pictures/article4139817.ece

India’s rating outlook stable, says Moody’s

AP Earlier in April, S&P had changed the rating outlook of India from stable to negative, reflecting the possibility of a downgrade.

TOPICS

economy, business and finance

Moody’s on Tuesday said India rating outlook is stable because of the country’s strong economic growth along with high savings and investment rates.

“India’s Baa3 rating and stable outlook are supported by credit strengths which include a large, diverse economy, strong GDP growth and savings, and investment rates that exceed emerging market averages,” the global rating agency said in its ‘Credit Analysis on India’ report.

It, however, said the rating is constrained by the credit challenges posed by India’s poor social and physical infrastructure, low per capita income, high government deficit and debit ratio.

The rating has also been constrained due to the country’s complex regulatory environment and a tendency towards inflation, Moody’s added.

The government aims to restrict the fiscal deficit to 5.3 per cent of GDP this fiscal. It has also announced a slew of measures to spur infrastructure development and liberalised foreign direct investment norms.

“However, given the delayed timing and still modest scope of these measure, growth may remain subdued in the near term amid continued domestic political uncertainty and a global slowdown,” Moody’s added.

The agency said its stable outlook on India’s rating is based on “our expectations that India’s structural strengths -- a high household savings rate and relatively competitive private sector -- will ultimately raise the GDP growth rate from around 5.4 per cent in FY 2013 to 6 per cent or higher in FY 2014...”

In October, Standard & Poor’s had said that there was one in three likelihood of rating downgrade for India within 24 months if the economic growth prospects dim, its external position deteriorates, its potential climate worsens, or fiscal reforms slow.

Earlier in April, S&P had changed the rating outlook of India from stable to negative, reflecting the possibility of a downgrade.

Keywords: Moody's India rating

More In: Economy | Business | National | News

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/indias-rating-outlook-stable-says-moodys/article4139798.ece

Day in pictures

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/day-in-pictures/article4139720.ece

Royal recital

The Hindu Mohiniyattom exponent Gopika Varma performs at the Mudra Fest in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. Photo: S. Gopakumar

Sachin should speak to selectors: Kapil

Sachin Tendulkar clean bowled by Monty Panesar during the 2nd Test Match between India and England at Wankhende Stadium in Mumbai on Friday. Photo: S Subramanium

TOPICS

sport cricket

Following Sachin's most recent failure, Sunil Gavaskar said it was time for him to speak to the selectors. And now, Kapil echoes his former teammate’s view.

Saddened by the criticism that Sachin Tendulkar is facing due to his lean run, former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev said the veteran batsman should speak to the selectors about his future.

Tendulkar’s poor run continued in the recently-concluded second Test against England which the visitors won in just four days despite the track being tailormade to India’s demands.

Following the 39-year-old’s most recent failure, ex-captain Sunil Gavaskar said it was time for him to speak to the selectors. And now, Kapil has echoed his former teammate’s view.

“Either selectors should speak to him or Sachin should himself have a word with them. The problem is that Sachin does not speak about it openly and the selectors have also been mum about it till now,” Kapil told ‘Aaj Tak’

“This results in confusion amongst the fans and also invites criticism from everyone, especially when Sachin performs badly. Selectors should talk to him openly. He (Sachin) is a hero and one feels really bad to see fingers being pointed at him,” he said.

After the defeat against England in the Mumbai Test, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is also facing the ire of former players. Kapil said Dhoni’s place in the playing XI is in itself questionable.

“It is a big loss, indeed. We never let other teams dominate in our own conditions. But, this loss has raised some serious questions. We all know that Dhoni has performed badly in the last 8-10 Tests and going purely by performance, his place in the playing XI seems a bit doubtful.

“When you win, a captain takes the entire credit and similarly he will also be blamed when the team loses. He has let himself down and fans are feeling the same,” said the 1983 World Cup winning skipper.

Kapil said that the team is going through a transition phase after retirement of legends such as Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman but hoped that it will bounce back in the remaining two Tests against England.

Keywords: Sachin's form

Know your English - A hundred years ?

Is it okay to say ‘a hundred years’ when the person you’ve been talking about suddenly appears?

(G. Harish Kumar, Mysore)

This is an expression mostly used in India; it’s a translation of an idiom that exists in most of our languages. Native speakers of English would not say ‘a hundred years’ in such contexts. The expression that they would normally use is ‘talk/speak of the devil’. The full form is ‘speak of the devil, and he shall appear’ and ‘talk of the devil, and in he walks’.

Which is correct? ‘Garima is married to Raj, a tennis player’ or ‘Garima is married to Raj, the tennis player’.

(C. Bhavani, Chennai)

In terms of grammar, both are acceptable. Their meaning, however, is different. The first sentence implies that Raj is a tennis player by profession, but you don’t really expect the listener to know who he is because he is not that famous. When you say ‘Raj, the tennis player’, you expect the listener to know who he is. The use of ‘the’ suggests that Raj is well known.

*Last night, I ran into Kamal, the actor.

*Anita introduced me to Jacob, a painter.

What is the meaning of ‘put paid to’?

(J.K.Shaji, Thiruvananthapuram)

This rather informal expression means to be prevented from doing what one had hoped to or planned to — things come to a halt rather abruptly. Some dictionaries define it as ‘to finish off’ or ‘destroy’ something.

*A broken finger put paid to his chances of being included in the Test squad.

According to some scholars, the expression comes from certain practices followed in the past by bookkeepers in England. Whenever an individual settled his account, the bookkeeper would stamp or write the word ‘paid’ on the bill and return it to the customer. In India, this tradition still continues in many shops.

What is the meaning of ‘helicopter siblings’?

(Anuj Saini, New Delhi)

In informal contexts, parents who keep a very close watch on their children and all their activities are called ‘helicopter parents’. They are so called because like the helicopter they hover, and in the process become overly involved in their children's life. Some would call this ‘over-parenting’. ‘Helicopter siblings’ are your overprotective brothers and sisters who make your life miserable!

What is the meaning and origin of ‘cut the Gordian knot’?

(J. Anthony, Bangalore)

This is an expression that comes from the world of Greek mythology. The story goes that Gordius, a peasant before he became the King of Phrygia, had connected a yoke to his ox cart using an intricate knot. When he dedicated the cart to Zeus, an oracle predicted that the man who succeeded to untying the knot would go on to become the ruler of Asia. Many tried, but failed. When Alexander the Great came to Gordion, he heard about the strange prophecy and proceeded to the temple of Zeus. Instead of attempting to untie the knot, he merely took out his sword and slashed right through it. He went on to become the ruler of Asia! Nowadays, the expression ‘to cut the Gordian knot’ means to find an innovative solution to a complex problem — a solution that is quick and bold.

*There was too much bickering. The CEO cut the Gordian knot by firing all his managers.

******

“The problem with children is that they have to put up with their parents.” — Charles DeLint

upendrankye@gmail.com

T-Congress MPs’ plea to Sonia on statehood issue

TOPICS

India Andhra Pradesh

politics state politics

Five Congress MPs from Telangana on Monday submitted a one-page letter to the AICC president Sonia Gandhi urging her to take an early decision on the statehood issue.

The Congress MPs -- Ponnam Prabhakar, Madhu Yaskhi Goud, G. Vivekananda, Manda Jagannath and S. Rajaiah -- who have stayed away from the winter session of the Parliament so far, met the party chief and submitted the letter. Sources said, the MPs in their letter reminded the party leadership of its promise to take an early decision on Telangana. They explained to her the difficulties faced by the ruling party leaders in their respective constituencies due to the delay in giving clarity on the issue.

Keywords: Telangana statehood issue

More In: Andhra Pradesh | States

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/andhra-pradesh/tcongress-mps-plea-to-sonia-on-statehood-issue/article4137902.ece

Leaders flay move to shift Central University campus

TOPICS

education universities and colleges

politics

Leaders of various political parties have come out against the State government’s decision to allot 10 acres of land at Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district to set up a campus of the Kasaragod-headquartered Central University of Kerala.

K.P. Satheesh Chandran, Kasaragod district unit secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said that the move was part of a high-level conspiracy to deprive Kasaragod of the important campus of the Central University, sanctioned in 2009.

High-level officials of the CUK appeared to be involved in the conspiracy to take away the important campus of the CUK out of the district, Mr. Satheesh Chandran said in a statement here on Sunday.

The CUK was allotted to Kasaragod considering the educational backwardness of the region compared to the southern parts of the State. However, there had been moves to stifle the growth of the CUK right from the beginning by making a proposal to set up the proposed medical college attached to the CUK in Pathanamthitta district.

Communist Party of India leader E. Chandrasekharan, MLA, urged the people of the district to resist all moves to set up the university’s campus outside the district.

He said that the move to set up a campus at Thiruvalla was aimed at shifting the proposed medical college to Pathanamthitta district, and it amounted to cheating the hundreds of hapless victims of endosulfan.

Bharatiya Janata Party district general secretary K. Sreekanth alleged that Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala and University Vice-Chancellor Jancy James were behind the move to shift the proposed medical college from Kasaragod and the decision amounted to cheating the people of the district.

Keywords: Central University

India puts forward wish list to U.S., post-polls

TOPICS

diplomacy India-United States

Seeks better deal for Indian professionals working in America, import of LNG; counter-terrorism, defence also discussed

In the first comprehensive high-level deliberations with the United States after the elections, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai put forward the Indian wish list of seeing a better deal for Indian professionals working there and the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The two sides also discussed ways to get the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal back on track following the stalemate over the Liability Act and India’s pending membership to export control organisations.

U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, who was in New Delhi on Monday as part of regular bilateral consultations, called on Mr. Khurshid and National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon, besides holding detailed discussions with Mr. Mathai.

Ms. Sherman’s visit was preceded by a 90-minute meeting between Mr. Menon and his U.S. counterpart Thomas Donilon in Phnom Penh last week which was the first high-level contact after the U.S. elections.

During the discussion on bilateral relations, Mr. Khurshid drew attention to the importance of addressing the issues relating to Indian professionals in the U.S., especially matters relating to visas. Ms. Sherman responded that the U.S. was committed to working on this issue, said official sources.

She also conveyed condolences on the anniversary of 26/11 and said: “We grieve with you.”

Mr. Mathai and Ms. Sherman reviewed the entire expanse of bilateral relations, including ongoing efforts to implement the India-U.S. Civil Nuclear Agreement. Among other issues discussed were counter-terrorism and defence matters with the Foreign Secretary underscoring Indian interest in importing LNG from the U.S.

During their discussions on regional issues, she explained the U.S. rebalancing towards Asia. There was a discussion of developments in Afghanistan, including the roadmap to the transition envisaged in 2014 with both sides agreeing that economic development should be the priority.

Ms. Sherman will be visiting Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan after her visit to India.

During discussions on other regional issues, she thanked India’s efforts in ensuring America’s admission to the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation as an observer.

Ms. Sherman had made her maiden visit to the country in April this year when she had made known the U.S. administration’s decision to put a reward for information leading to the conviction of Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed.

In an interview to a TV channel, Ms. Sherman said the ‘reward for justice’ on Saeed was “just one tool to say if people can come forward with information that can lead to conviction.” While she did not say what the next tool was, Ms. Sherman said: “The world has seen when President Obama puts his mind to bringing people to justice it does happen. It may take some time but we don't lose focus… we don’t believe in finishing till the job is completely done.”

Keywords: India-U.S. ties

Kyra moves up

TOPICS

sport sports event

Top-seeded Kyra Shroff of India overcame a shaky start to beat compatriot Riya Bhatia 7-5, 6-2 in the first round of the NBCC ITF women’s $10,000 tournament at the BTA Complex here on Monday.

Kyra struggled with her serve and returns against Riya and trailed 1-5 in the first set. But the top seed made a spectacular turnaround and won six consecutive games to wrap up the first set 7-5. Continuing with the momentum, Kyra took a 5-0 lead in the second set, which she eventually won 6-2.

The other seeds, including second-seeded Rutuja Bhosale and fourth-seeded Ankita Raina won their matches easily.

In another match wildcard Amrita Mukherjee made short work of qualifier Natasha Kanvinde of Great Britain 6-1, 6-0. He-Chun-Yan of China beat Indian challenger Sneha Padamata 6-0, 6-3.

The results (all Indians unless specified): First round: Kyra Shroff bt Riya Bhatia 7-5, 6-2; Amrita Mukherjee bt Natasha Kanvinde (Gbr) 6-1, 6-0; Sharon Pau bt Tanvee Bose 6-0, 6-1; Eetee Maheta bt Tarrannum Handa 7-5, 6-2; Ankita Raina bt Sahan Shetty 6-2, 6-1; He-Chun-Yan (Chn) bt Sneha Padamata 6-0, 6-3; Adnya Naik bt Snigdha Padamata 6-0, 6-0; Rutuja Bhosale bt Anushka Bhargava 6-3, 6-4.

Keywords: NBCC ITF women’s tournament

Work together to make cash transfer scheme a success, says Manmohan

TOPICS

government government departments

science and technology technology (general)

Ahead of the rollout of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s ambitious direct electronic cash transfer scheme on January 1 next year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday directed ministries concerned to work in close coordination, focusing on enabling the poor to open bank accounts smoothly.

Dr. Singh also made it a point to ask the Union Finance Ministry and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to work together to ensure the scheme’s success. “I would expect the Finance Ministry and the Unique Identification Authority to work in close coordination to achieve a collective goal [of financial inclusion],” he said in his closing remarks at the first meeting of the national committee on cash transfers that he heads.

Money will be directly transferred to Aadhaar, or Unique Identification number linked bank accounts of beneficiaries of around 20 central schemes from January 1 in 51 districts of the country. The government hopes this will remove the interface with government officials and minimise corruption. As the Prime Minister put it, “We have a chance to ensure that every rupee spent by the government is spent truly well and goes to those who truly deserve it.”

The UPA is hoping the cash transfer scheme would do for it in the 2014 general elections what the farm loan waivers and the MGNREGS did in 2009.

So far, 12 ministries have identified schemes covering pensions, scholarships, wages under the national employment guarantee programme and subsidised ration to be covered under this scheme. Other ministries will join the scheme when cash transfers are expanded to 18 States by April 2013. The scheme will cover the entire country by the end of next year.

So far the UIDAI has issued Aadhaar numbers to only 210 million people, but half of the rural populace does not have a bank account. “The twin pillars for the success of the system of direct cash transfers that we have envisioned are the Aadhaar platform and financial inclusion. If either of these pillars is weak, it would endanger the success of the initiative,” Dr. Singh said.

To move closer to the goal of financial inclusion, he added, the banking system perhaps needs to integrate the post office network.

Keywords: electronic cash transfer scheme

Garvit Batra packs off Sahil Deshmukh

TOPICS

sport tennis

Garvit Batra knocked out second-seeded Sahil Deshmukh 6-2, 6-4 in the boys’ first round of the Concor ITF junior Grade IV tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex here on Monday.

Garvit started strongly and retained the momentum against the wiry opponent who had the serve, strokes and deceptive angles, but not the belief in his ability.

He will face Dmitry Popko of Kazakhstan in the pre-quarterfinals to be played on Wednesday, as the organisers have dedicated Tuesday for doubles action.

In the girls’ section, top Indians Simran Kaur Sethi, Sri Vaishnavi Peddi Reddy and Snehadevi Reddy dropped a token game each in making the pre-quarterfinals.

The results (first round): Boys: Goran Markovic (Srb) bt Hardeep Singh Sandhu 6-3, 6-4; Yu-Han Lin (Tpe) bt Garry Tokas 6-2, 6-3; Deepak Vishwakarma bt Vilasier Khate 6-3, 7-6(4); Timur Khabibulin (Kaz) bt Ishaan Saigal 6-1, 6-2; Karan Salwan bt Danil Michshenko (Kaz) 6-0, 6-2; Fatehdeep Singh bt Sachin Kumar 7-6(0), 6-1; Alexis Canter (GBR) bt Balaji Lakshmanan 6-2, 6-3; Alexey Nesterov bt Vishu Prasad 6-1, 6-3; Kuatbek Abiyev (Kaz) bt Kumara P. Saradhi Adavelly 7-6(1), 6-4; Tushar Mandlekar bt Keneisezotuo Whourie 6-2, 6-1; Jajbir Saran bt Sagadat Ayap (Kaz) 6-7(5), 6-2, 7-5; Chih-Chun Tang (Tpe) bt Rakshit Rishi 6-1, 6-2; Shashank Nautiyal bt Shaikh Abdullah 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4; Dmitry Popko (Kaz) bt Rishab Dev 6-3, 6-4; Garvit Batra bt Sahil Deshmukh 6-2, 6-4.

Girls: Simran Kaur Sethi bt Nupur Umashankar 6-1, 6-0; Sumeera Kamil bt Jennifer Luikham 6-3, 3-6, 6-0; Himani Mor bt Arushi Bhasin 6-1, 6-0; Yekaterina Kubanova (Kaz) bt Avika Sagwal 6-2, 6-1; Hana Mortagy (Egy) bt Snehal Mane 6-4, 7-5; Eeshita Pande bt Aboli Goghari 6-0, 6-2; Khee Yen Wee (Sin) bt Renu Sharma 7-5, 3-6, 6-3; Vanshika Sawhney bt Teertha Iska 6-4, 6-2; Vasanti Shinde bt Ann-Christin Nillson (Ger) 7-5 (retired); Ramya Natarajan bt Trisha Punamiya 6-3, 6-3; Devanshi Bhimjiyani bt Nehal Sahni 6-3, 1-6, 6-3; Snehadevi Reddy bt Sai Samhitha 6-0, 6-1; Dhruthi Venugopal bt Yuchia Chen (Tpe) 6-4, 6-3; Kanishka Chawla bt Aayushree Narendra Bildhaiya 6-1, 7-5; Isha Budwal bt Sharlee Deshmukh 6-0, 6-1; Sri Vaishnavi Peddi Reddy bt Ee Yi Olivia Koh (Sin) 6-0, 6-1.

Keywords: ITF junior Grade IV tennis tournament

National u-13 archery from today

TOPICS

sport sports event

The fifth National under-13 archery championship for boys and girls will be held at Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation stadium here from November 27 to 29, with 200 archers from 18 States taking part.

Competitions will be held in Indian and FITA (recurve and compound) rounds, over 30 targets.

Keywords: National under-13 archery championship

More In: Other Sports | Sport

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/national-u13-archery-from-today/article4137341.ece

Karthikeyan beats Arun Prasad

TOPICS

sport sports event

Former Asian junior chess champion P. Karthikeyan scored a crushing victory over GM Arun Prasad to be among the seven leaders after six rounds in the Apollo Engineering College Commonwealth Chess Championship here on Monday.

IM Karthikeyan hunted down the uncastled white king of Arun Prasad with aggressive play and multiple sacrifices to win in 28 moves.

All three overnight joint leaders failed to win. Sethuraman was at the receiving end in a brilliant game from Egypt’s Adly who dazzled with two rook sacrifices to win in 39 moves.

The top board clash between Oleksienko and Lalith Babu ended in a draw after 39 moves with all eight minor pieces exchanged off from the board. This allowed five new players to join the leader board.

Top seed Tiviakov, second seed Adly, Venkatesh, Karthikeyan and Ram S. Krishnan won round six to join Oleksienko and Lalith Babu at the top of the table on 5.5 points.

Ram won Akshayraj Kore’s queen on move 21 with a simple back rank tactic. Venkatesh had to grind his way to defeat Himanshu Sharma in 66 moves. Kidambi sacrificed a pawn in the opening but Tiviakov won a minor piece in the middle game to win in 36 moves.

Former Asian Junior champion Shyam Sundar used a discovered tactic to defeat former Asian Junior girls champion Bhakti Kulkarni in just 18 moves.

National champion G. Akash’s endgame skills were fully tested in his sixth round victory over Karma Pandya.

Lakshmi Narayanan held National women’s champion Mary Ann Gomes to a brilliant draw in 73 moves after a see-saw middlegame.

This allowed Tania Sachdev and Nisha Mohota to be the top scorers thus far among women on five points each.

Important results (round six): M. Oleksienko (Ukr) 5.5 drew with M.R. Lalith Babu 5.5; S.P. Sethuraman 5 lost to Ahmed Adly (Egy) 5.5; S. Tiviakov (Ned) 5.5 bt S. Kidambi 4.5; Ankit Rajpara 5 drew with D. Lintchevski (Rus) 5; M. Dzhumaev (Uzb) 5 drew with Arun Karthik 5; H. Sharma 4.5 lost to M.R. Venkatesh 5.5; S. Arun Prasad 4.5 lost to P. Karthikeyan 5.5; Ram S. Krishnan 5.5 bt Akshayraj Kore 4.5; B. Adhiban 4.5 drew with Padmini Rout 4.5; T. Purushothaman 4 lost to M. Paragua (Phi) 5; S. Grover 5 bt M. Kunal 4; Sameer Kathmale 5 bt Ashwin Jayaram 4; M. Shyam Sundar 5 bt Bhakti Kulkarni 4; G. Akash 5 bt Karma Pandya 4; M.V. Lakshmi Narayanan 4.5 drew with Mary Ann Gomes 4.5.

Keywords: Apollo Engineering College Commonwealth Chess Championship

More In: Other Sports | Sport

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/karthikeyan-beats-arun-prasad/article4137343.ece

Two golds for Santosh Kumar

TOPICS

sport sports event

Santosh Kumar of Visakhapatnam Port Trust won two golds-100m and 400m in the 35th all-India Major Ports athletic championships which commenced at the Port stadium here on Monday.

Alphonsa Royan of Chennai won the same events in the women’s section, while K. Vijaya Lakshmi of Visakhapatnam finished with three medals — 100m, 400m and high jump in the girls’ under-18 section.

N. Nishant and P. Nayana won two medals each in the boys’ under-18 and girls’ under-14 sections.

The meet was inaugurated by Deputy Chairman of VPT and president of Visakhapatnam Port Sports Council GVL Satya Kumar.

The results: Men: 100m: 1. Santosh Kumar (VPT), 2. R.K. Layak (Paradip), 3. Salva Kumar (Mumbai). 400m: 1. Santosh Kumar, 2. Layak, 3. K.J. Joyson (Cochin). High jump: 1. T.K. Barik (Paradip), 2. Sunil Kumar Naik (Mumbai). Shotput: 1. N. Syam Sundar (VPT), 2. S. Soosaimichael (Tuticorin), 3. Ch. Appala Raju (VPT). 1500m: 1. Jyoson, 2. Janak Roy (Paradip), 3. P. Pydiraju (VPT).

Women: 100m: 1. Alphonsa Royan (Chennai), 2. Swati R. Patil (Mumbai), 3. T.T. Jency (VPT). 400m: 1. Alphonsa, 2. Swati, 3. Ujwala Nikalje (JNPT). High jump: 1. D. Florance (Chennai), 2. D. Aruna Jyothi (VPT), 3. Jency. Shotput: 1. V. Chitra (Chennai), 2. Sushmamatre (JNPT), 3. Florance Amstrin (Chennai).

First place winners only: Boys: Under-18 100m and 400m: N. Nishanth (VPT); Shotput: Shyam Ranjan Pal (Paradip). Under-16 100m: Rajat R. Mahadik (JNPT); 400m: Himansu Sekhar (Paradip); Shotput: R. Reven Castro (Tuticorin). Under-14 100m: Mosomu Dolai (Paradip).

Girls: Under-18 100m, 400m and 1500m: K. Vijayalakshmi (VPT). Under-16 100m: Shweta Tandel (JNPT), 400m: Pranita Tandel (JNPT); High jump: Pallavi Madhavi (JNPT). Under-14 100m and high jump: P. Nayana (VPT).

Keywords: Major Ports athletic championships

More In: Other Sports | Sport

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/two-golds-for-santosh-kumar/article4137350.ece

WR men win

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sport sports event

Western Railway men and Southern Railway women won the titles in the 58th men’s and 35th women’s all-India Railway volleyball championship at Bhubaneswar on Sunday.

In the final, WR men downed ICF 3-2, while SR women won 3-2 against Central Railway.

The results:

Men: Finals: WR bt ICF 3-2 (25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 16-25, 15-12). Semifinals: ICF bt DLW 3-1 (29-27, 25-14, 18-25, 22-25, 15-12); WR bt SR 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-19).

Women: Finals: SR bt CR 3-2 (25-23, 22-25, 18-25, 25-22, 15-12). Semifinals: SR bt WR 3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-18); CR bt ER 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-22).

Keywords: women’s all-India Railway volleyball championship

More In: Other Sports | Sport

via The Hindu Newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/wr-men-win/article4137396.ece