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[
"Internet Desk"
] | 2016-08-29T12:52:26 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Four athletes, including Olympic silver medallist P.V. Sindhu, gymnast Dipa Karmakar, shooter Jitu Rai and Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award from Presid | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fsport%2Fother-sports%2Fsports-award-function-in-new-delhi-four-athletes-get-rajiv-gandhi-khel-ratna-award%2Farticle9045466.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02990/SINDHU_RVMOORTHY_1_2990893c.jpg | en | null | Sports award function in New Delhi: Four athletes get Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Fifteen sportspersons were honoured with the Arjuna Award and three with the Dhyan Chand Award.
Four athletes, including Olympic silver medallist P.V. Sindhu, gymnast Dipa Karmakar, shooter Jitu Rai and Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award from President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on Monday.
Fifteen sportspersons were honoured with the Arjuna Award and three with the Dhyan Chand Award.
Besides, the Punjabi University of Patiala was awarded the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2015-16.
Apart from a medal and a citation, a Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awardee will receive a cash prize of Rs.7.5 lakh. The Arjuna, Dronacharya and Dhyan Chand awardees will receive statuettes, certificates and cash prize of Rs.5 lakh each, said a press release from the Sports Ministry.
The Selection Committee for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and the Arjuna Award was headed by Justice S.K. Agarwal, retired Delhi High Court Judge. The Selection Committee for the Dronacharya Award and the Dhyan Chand Award was headed by M.C. Mary Kom.
PTI adds:
For the first time in the history of national sports awards, four athletes were chosen for the Khel Ratna honour, owing to the three girls’ superlative show at the Rio Olympics.
In 2009, three athletes — boxers Vijender Singh and M C Mary Kom and wrestler Sushil Kumar — were given this award together.
Long distance runner Lalita Babar, who finished a creditable 10th in the 3000m steeplechase in the Rio Games, boxer Shiva Thapa, the only third Indian to win a World Championships medal last year, and hockey players VR Raghunath and Rani Rampal were among those who received the Arjuna award.
Cricketer Ajinkya Rahane, who was also selected for the Arjuna award, missed out on the ceremony as he is in the United States with the Indian team for a Twenty20 series against the West Indies.
Teen Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, the first Indian athlete to become a world champion at any level with a gold medal at the U-20 World Championship, was also among the Arjuna winners this year.
Goalkeeper Subrata Paul was the lone footballer in the list of Arjuna awardees, which also included shooter Apurvi Chandela and wrestler Vinesh Phogat.
Vinesh received the award seated on wheelchair. She is recovering from a knee injury sustained in her second-round bout during the Rio Olympics.
Full list of awardees:
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2016
Name of awardee Discipline P.V. Sindhu Badminton Sakshi Malik Wrestling Dipa Karmakar Gymnastics Jitu Rai Shooting
Dronacharya Award 2016
Name of awardee Discipline Nagapuri Ramesh Athletics Sagar Mal Dhayal Boxing Raj Kumar Sharma Cricket Bishweshwar Nandi Gymnastics S. Pradeep Kumar Swimming (lifetime) Mahabir Singh Wrestling (lifetime)
Arjuna Award 2016
Name of awardee Discipline Rajat Chauhan Archery Lalita Babar Athletics Sourav Kothari Billiards and Snooker Shiva Thapa Boxing Ajinkya Rahane Cricket Rani Hockey Subrata Paul Football V R Raghunath Hockey Gurpreet Singh Shooting Apurvi Chandela Shooting Soumyajit Ghosh Table Tennis Vinesh Poghat Wrestling Amit Kumar Wrestling Sandeep Singh Mann Para-Athletics Virender Singh Wrestling (deaf)
Dhyan Chand Award 2015 | http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/sports-award-function-in-new-delhi-four-athletes-get-rajiv-gandhi-khel-ratna-award/article9045466.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/1d1d04701657560b32f452aa77f5143a810725fd75bbad7545fe9818a1f97552.json |
[
"C. Jaisankar S. Sundar"
] | 2016-08-30T20:54:25 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | A third-year civil engineering student of the Karur Engineering College was brutally murdered on Tuesday inside a classroom by her senior in college whose advances she reportedly spurned. The vict | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Ftamil-nadu%2Fgirl-murdered-on-college-campus-in-tn%2Farticle9051426.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02992/31TH_LOG_PHOTO_2992665c.jpg | en | null | Girl murdered on college campus in T.N. | null | null | www.thehindu.com | The wooden log which was allegedly used by the murder accused.
A third-year civil engineering student of the Karur Engineering College was brutally murdered on Tuesday inside a classroom by her senior in college.
A third-year civil engineering student of the Karur Engineering College was brutally murdered on Tuesday inside a classroom by her senior in college whose advances she reportedly spurned.
The victim, K. Sonali (22) of Manamadurai in Sivaganga district, was savagely attacked with a wooden log by P. Udayakumar (22), a fourth-year student, who had stopped attending classes since the beginning of the academic year.
The accused hails from Vengalur, near Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram district.
The attack took place even while the class was on. The assailant attacked the girl on her head indiscriminately, leaving her classmates dazed. Udayakumar also attacked Sathish Kumar (24), assistant professor, who tried to intervene, before fleeing the scene of crime. Terrified fellow students ran for safety.
Sonali was rushed to a private hospital in Karur and later referred to Madurai, where she died.
Mr. Sathish Kumar, who sustained injuries on his hand, was admitted to another private hospital in Karur.
Udayakumar, a former student who dropped out due to poor attendance, was later picked up by the police near the college campus. The murder weapon was seized by the police from the scene of crime.
‘Suspected to be drunk’
“The accused is suspected to have been in an inebriated condition when he committed the crime. Both of them had pursued B.E. (Civil Engineering) and he was senior to her by one year,” a senior police official said.
Karur Town police have registered a case under Section 302 against the accused.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Udayakumar had proposed to her and Sonali had spurned him, police sources said.
He had contacted her over mobile phone on several occasions but she had not responded.
Apparently angered over her refusal to talk to him, Udayakumar had attacked her.
Sonali’s father had died recently and she was supported by her mother working in Chennai. Her relatives, who assembled in large numbers at the hospital in Madurai, complained that the principal and representatives of the college management went incommunicado soon after the incident.
“The college principal and the other management committee members were not taking our phone calls. They even refused to attend the calls made by the police officials,” alleged Sonali’s uncle, K. Rajesh Khanna.
Mr. Rajesh said the college authorities informed Sonali’s grandparents in Parthibanur that she had fallen sick.
“When I called the college staff, they maintained the same. However, when I insisted that I wanted talk to her, they revealed that she was attacked inside the classroom. Was it not the responsibility of the college management to provide basic security to its students, especially girls,” he asked. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/girl-murdered-on-college-campus-in-tn/article9051426.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/01fbc2acafb4169e77feee82867a0b93c742565c25e66a1930ffc6e8fc5882e9.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-29T12:52:35 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | A tweet by the BJP MP and Dalit leader Udit Raj on Monday created a stir, in which he said that Jamaica's Usain Bolt won nine Olympics gold medals despite poverty after his trainer advised him to eat | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fbjp-leader-udit-rajs-remarks-on-beef-and-usain-bolt%2Farticle9045747.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Usain Bolt ate beef, won 9 medals: BJP leader | null | null | www.thehindu.com | A tweet by the BJP MP and Dalit leader Udit Raj on Monday created a stir, in which he said that Jamaica's Usain Bolt won nine Olympics gold medals despite poverty after his trainer advised him to eat beef.
“Usain Bolt of Jamaica was poor and trainer advised him to eat beef both the times and he scored 9 gold medals in Olympics,” Mr. Raj, MP from North West Delhi tweeted.
Beef is an emotive issue for BJP whose government in various states have come out with tough law banning its trade.
Mr. Raj, however, later in a series of tweets attempted to play down the controversy saying his tweet is not even remotely connected to advocate beef eating rather it is reproduction of Bolt’s trainer’s statement.
“I cited circumstances of Jamaica that despite poor infrastructure and poverty Bolt won 9 gold so our players should find ways like that to win.”
“I intended to convey - players and society to look at ways to win in games rather blaming circumstances and Govt and eating is their choice,” he said in another tweet.
“As Usain Bolt and trainer found ways and means to win medals similarly our players and trainers should do as per their circumstances,” he added. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bjp-leader-udit-rajs-remarks-on-beef-and-usain-bolt/article9045747.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/47a4fcdaed489d51b6524c23d099747b20e5a35e33844ebeab02d4d3beeab8f9.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-27T20:51:48 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Architects need to design hospitals that make patients less anxious about being there and the only way to achieve this is by building green hospitals, said C.N. Raghavendran, Chairman, Indian Green B | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2Fchennai%2Fchen-events%2Fbuild-green-hospitals-for-faster-recovery%2Farticle9040907.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | ‘Build green hospitals for faster recovery’ | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Architects need to design hospitals that make patients less anxious about being there and the only way to achieve this is by building green hospitals, said C.N. Raghavendran, Chairman, Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), Chennai Chapter. “It is time architects design hospitals that help patients feel better and recover faster,” he added at a conference on Green Hospitals organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
J. Radhakrishnan, Secretary, Health Department, said: “A good ambience helps a patient relieve stress.” He highlighted the architecture of older government hospitals. “These hospitals were left unaffected by the floods last year,” he said.
R. Chandrashekhar, Advisor (Architecture), HLL Lifecare Ltd & Chairman, IGBC Green Healthcare rating system, said adopting rating systems such as the “IGBC Green Healthcare System” was essentially going back to India’s traditional roots.
CII-Indian Green Building Council (CII-IGBC) has launched a pilot on Green Health Care rating system which encourages hospitals to adopt various green concepts, including healing architecture, enhanced indoor environment quality and wellbeing measures for the speedy recovery of patients.
These initiatives will help in reduction of water and energy consumption. The energy savings could range from 20 to 30 per cent and water savings, around 30 to 50 per cent. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chen-events/build-green-hospitals-for-faster-recovery/article9040907.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/2939b86c862b4730a8260aedc432964bb88a04a1108c6c10681c2153310143bc.json |
[
"Tanya Gautam"
] | 2016-08-26T17:00:46 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | DAG Modern, India’s largest private art institution, has recently announced moving to a new sphere of business, namely auctions. Currently engaged in exhibitions and participation in art fairs it ends | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Ffeatures%2Ffriday-review%2Freaching-out%2Farticle9032436.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02985/26DFR_DAG_MODERN1_2985883c.jpg | en | null | Reaching out | null | null | www.thehindu.com | DAG Modern intends to create awareness about Indian art and its legacy.
DAG Modern, India’s largest private art institution, has recently announced moving to a new sphere of business, namely auctions. Currently engaged in exhibitions and participation in art fairs it ends to conduct four to five auctions annually with the first one having been held at New Delhi’s Imperial Hotel recently. This auction featured 70 works of Indian art by 65 artists . Spanning 100 years, the works ranged from the Early Bengal style from the 19th Century featuring a fierce Kali astride Shiva, to the most cutting edge modernist expression from late 20th Century. “We want to create familiarity about senior and respected master artists by introducing them to buyers at auction houses. It is the perfect way to preserve their legacy,” said Ashish Anand, MD and CEO of DAG Modern.
The DAG offers to provide works of quality and repute with impeccable provenances from their own collection at attractive prices without the addition of a buyer’s premium. It offers artworks from as less as one lakh to over a crore rupees.
The Indian art market is currently a minuscule part of the international art market with a percentage share of less than 0.5 per cent. By exposing more people to high quality art, DAO believes that it will lead to a growth in the country’s art market. DAG Modern intends to hold travelling previews in major as well as tier two cities with the aim to increase domestic appetite for art. | http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/reaching-out/article9032436.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/2d9287510f80aa17d403c60a18331c9be95dba2a17d2451f5cffe0c801787ae4.json |
[
"Samarth Bansal"
] | 2016-08-27T04:53:18 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Indians spent eight times more on private hospitals and twice as much on transporting patients compared to costs in government hospitals, according to the National Health Accounts (NHA) Estimates for | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fdata%2Findians-spend-8-times-more-on-private-hospitals-than-on-govt-ones%2Farticle9037125.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02987/healthcare_final_2987739c.jpg | en | null | Indians spend 8 times more on private hospitals than on govt. ones | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Household expenses on healthcare come to 4 per cent of GDP
Indians spent eight times more on private hospitals and twice as much on transporting patients compared to costs in government hospitals, according to the National Health Accounts (NHA) Estimates for the financial year 2013-14. The data was recently released by the Health Ministry after almost a decade.
The estimates say that households spent Rs. 64,628 crore on private hospitals compared to just Rs. 8,193 crore on government hospitals. A total of Rs. 18,149 crore was spent on patient transportation services, like use of an ambulance.
Considering all revenue sources, including government funding, expenditure on private hospitals — Rs. 88,552 crore — was double that on government hospitals — Rs. 41,797 crore.
The NHA monitors the flow of resources in the country’s health system and provides details of health finances.
Low public spending
India spent a total of Rs. 4.5 lakh crore on healthcare in 2013-14 at 4 per cent of the GDP, of which Rs. 3.06 lakh crore came from households.
Public spending is abysmally low, constituting around 29 per cent of the total health expenditure — 1 per cent of GDP. There has been a marginal improvement from 2004-05, when the share of government spending was just 22 per cent.
Preventive care gets just 9.6 per cent of the total money that flows in India’s healthcare system. The current expenditure on preventive care is estimated at Rs 40,627 crore. All the government-funded national health programmes such as the National Disease Control Programmes are covered under this category according to the National Health Accounts (NHA) Estimates for the Financial Year 2013-14.
The NHA monitors the flow of resources in the country’s health system and provides details of health finances, data for which have been released after a decade recently.
High out-of-pocket costs
Indians’ out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure on healthcare, which is the money individuals pay on their own rather than being covered by insurance or health benefits, has been estimated to be around Rs. 2.9 lakh crore or 69 per cent of total health expenditure (THE) in the country. This is alarmingly high and India stands among the highest in this metric worldwide.
The share of OOP as a percentage of Current Health Expenditure (CHE) has however, decreased from 69.4 per cent in 2004-05 to 64.2 per cent in 2013-14. The CHE comprises 93 per cent, the rest 7 per cent going to Capital Expenditure.
Abysmal public spending
Public spending on the other hand is abysmally low, constituting around 29 per cent of THE at just one per cent of the GDP. There has been a marginal improvement from 2004-05, when share of government spending was just 22 per cent.
Half of all the household money that is spent on healthcare — around Rs. 1.5 lakh crore — goes to pharmacies. This includes chemists, community and independent pharmacies. | http://www.thehindu.com/data/indians-spend-8-times-more-on-private-hospitals-than-on-govt-ones/article9037125.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/d04a50b40ea9bb74b83de1a4faa5ae9a228be041fdaffa8a65d12ee2b6bfb733.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T12:51:35 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | An explosion has rocked Belgium’s criminology institute in the capital Brussels, but there were no injuries reported, local media said. State broadcaster RTBF reported on Monday that a car forced its | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Finternational%2Fno-injuries-reported-in-latest-blast-in-belgium%2Farticle9045320.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | No injuries reported in latest blast in Belgium | null | null | www.thehindu.com | An explosion has rocked Belgium’s criminology institute in the capital Brussels, but there were no injuries reported, local media said.
State broadcaster RTBF reported on Monday that a car forced its way into the site “before exploding a bomb” about 2 a.m. (0000 GMT). No source for the information was given.
RTBF says no one was injured but that damage at the site is significant.
Police have deployed in force and sealed off the area.
The institute assists and advises Belgium’s justice authorities in carrying out their inquiries.
Belgium has been on high alert since a March 22 attack on the Brussels airport and subway killed 32 people. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/no-injuries-reported-in-latest-blast-in-belgium/article9045320.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/beb609f61239ce8f60d8b83efa03783119ae69fa9cd3aede8ba3d1773e209ba1.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-29T22:51:38 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | About 100 villagers from Chinnareddipatti near Peraiyur thronged the Collectorate here on Monday demanding immediate cancellation of licence granted for quarrying sand from Periya Kanmoi(Muthu Ayyana | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FMadurai%2Fvillagers-against-sand-quarrying-in-kanmoi%2Farticle9046573.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Villagers against sand quarrying in ‘kanmoi’ | null | null | www.thehindu.com | About 100 villagers from Chinnareddipatti near Peraiyur thronged the Collectorate here on Monday demanding immediate cancellation of licence granted for quarrying sand from Periya Kanmoi(Muthu Ayyanar kanmoi), a tank in their village.
The villagers, who brought bottles of water sourced from the tank to show that it was potable, alleged that the quarrying would affect the water resources of Chinnareddipatti and a few surrounding villages, which primarily depended on the tank for drinking water and agriculture.
R. Avudayammal, a woman from the village, said the panchayat had sunk two wells in the village, one for drinking water and another for irrigation. The villagers alleged that the district administration had granted permission to an individual from Devakottai in Sivaganga district in July for quarrying 45,000 cubic metres of sand despite their opposition for more than a year. They claimed that the panchayat had not passed any resolution approving granting of quarrying licence.
R. Jeyaraman from the village said that after hearing about the proposal to grant licence, they had submitted petitions in August and September 2015 to the then Collector to register their objection. “We also filed a petition on July 11, 2016, to the present Collector and another to the Revenue Divisional Officer of Usilampatti on July 26. However, they were not taken into consideration,” he said.
Meanwhile, a case had been registered at the Peraiyur police station against some of the villagers for allegedly attempting to prevent the men employed by the licensee from quarrying, he said. “The men have already quarried six to seven feet of sand from a particular point,” he said.
Stating that permission was not needed from the panchayat for granting licences, A. Arumuga Nainar, Deputy Director of Mines (Madurai), said sand quarrying would not affect the water resources in any way. “The wells sunk in the tank have already dried and are in disuse. Moreover, the location for which we have provided the licence is 120 metres away from the wells,” he said.
Another senior official said a report submitted by the Usilampatti RDO also said that there would be no adverse impact to the water resources of the village. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/villagers-against-sand-quarrying-in-kanmoi/article9046573.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/cf91557420ab8abf53df14f5f11133a2e1d62fe1b4b297ca332e286e3d1631ad.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-31T10:54:42 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Kadapa Superintendent of Police P.H.D. Ramakrishna led a 15-member team to rescue about 20 cattle herders who were stranded in the swollen Pennar river at Kommalur and Kokkirayapalle in Kadapa distric | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fandhra-pradesh%2Fkadapa-sps-initiative-helps-in-rescuing-20-cattle-herders%2Farticle9052452.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02992/6532HI-W090_GRP_31_2992988c.jpg | en | null | Kadapa SP’s initiative helps in rescuing 20 cattle herders | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Superintendent of Police P.H.D. Ramakrishna interacting with a rescued cattle herder at Kommalur in Kadapa district on Tuesday. —Photo: By Arrangement
Kadapa Superintendent of Police P.H.D. Ramakrishna led a 15-member team to rescue about 20 cattle herders who were stranded in the swollen Pennar river at Kommalur and Kokkirayapalle in Kadapa district on Tuesday.
On getting information that some cattle herders, who had taken their cattle for grazing, got stranded in the rising river water at Kommalur of Khajipet mandal, Mr. Ramakrishna rushed to the place along with the rescue team, three coracles and life jackets.
The cattle herders — Lakshmi Devi, Venkatasubbamma, B. Chandrakala, Sudha, Munni, Subbamma, B. Rahmathullah, and Bhaskar — went to the riverbed at 8.30 a.m. and got stranded in water due to sudden inflow.
Later, Mr. Ramakrishna and the team rushed to Kokkirayapalle of Chennur mandal on learning that about 12 cattle herders got stranded in the river.
They ventured into the river using the coracles, helped the stranded persons put on the life jackets, and brought them to the banks safely.
Mydukur DSP M.V. Ramakrishnaiah, Urban Circle Inspector Nagabhushanam, Rural CI Y. Venkateswarlu, and staff participated in the rescue operation.
The cattle herders and their family members expressed their gratitude to the SP and other police personnel. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/kadapa-sps-initiative-helps-in-rescuing-20-cattle-herders/article9052452.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/e67b6469b98f606e2c0c68892e4bff11021fdf01349b3ab84ef7488a0987a16f.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T20:52:15 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | The West Indies defeated India by one run in a record-laden Twenty20 clash on Saturday after piling up the third highest ever total in the game’s shortest format. Set 246 to win, India needed two | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fsport%2Fcricket%2Findia-falls-agonisingly-short-in-highscoring-thriller%2Farticle9041183.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02989/RAHUL_AP_2989011c.jpg | en | null | India falls agonisingly short in high-scoring thriller | null | null | www.thehindu.com | The West Indies wins the first of two T20Is by one run as Rahul’s ton goes in vain
The West Indies defeated India by one run in a record-laden Twenty20 clash on Saturday after piling up the third highest ever total in the game’s shortest format.
Set 246 to win, India needed two runs off the last ball for a famous victory in the Florida sunshine. But skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni could only slice a Dwayne Bravo delivery into the hands of Marlon Samuels at short third-man to leave India agonisingly on 244 for four.
K.L. Rahul was unbeaten on 110 in just his fourth T20I, hitting 12 fours and five sixes. He shared a 107-run partnership with Dhoni.
The West Indies’ total of 245 for six was just short of Australia’s 248 against England in Southampton in 2013 while Sri Lanka’s 260 against Kenya in Johannesburg in 2007 remains the highest ever T20I total.
Evin Lewis smashed a 100 and Johnson Charles hit 79 as the West Indies laid the foundation for victory in Carlos Brathwaite’s first game as skipper.
The 24-year-old Lewis, whose only other appearance in the game’s shortest form had ended with a duck in the shock defeat to Afghanistan at the World Twenty20 this year, feasted on perfect batting conditions at the Florida venue.
Lewis, standing in for the injured Chris Gayle, made exactly 100 off 48 balls with five fours and nine sixes, and when he was out off the fifth ball of the 16th over, the West Indies was 205 for three.
It was the fifth fastest T20I century.
The highlight of Lewis’s innings was hitting five sixes off a Stuart Binny over, all of which sailed over the boundary on the back of a stiff breeze.
With fellow opener Johnson Charles, Lewis put on 126, steering the West Indies past the 100-run mark by the eighth over.
The 27-year-old Charles reached his 50 off only 20 balls before he became the first man out, bowled by seamer Mohammed Shami for a lightning 79 off 33 deliveries.
Charles’s innings featured six fours and seven sixes, and when he fell in the 10th over, the West Indies was well-placed at 126 for one.
The West Indies reached the halfway mark of its innings in record style — its 132 runs beat the previous best of 131 by South Africa against England at Centurion in 2009.
Andre Russell (22) and Kieron Pollard (22) chipped in with late cameos.
Ajinkya Rahane was pushed up the order to open for India as it embarked on the pursuit, but the experiment backfired when he was out, caught by Bravo in the deep, for seven off seven balls in the third over.
Virat Kohli was caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Andre Fletcher off Bravo for just 16 with the total on 48.
But Rahul, dropped on 38 by Andre Russell, and Rohit Sharma put on 89 for the third wicket as India stepped on the gas. Rohit was eventually out for 62 off 28 balls with four boundaries and four sixes. From 137 for three in the 12th over, India reached 150 in the following over.
Dhoni joined Rahul, and they took the score past 200 in the 17th over before they eventually fell just short of their target. | http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/india-falls-agonisingly-short-in-highscoring-thriller/article9041183.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/221304c20d9faa8f974596e3d0d84b55f80d042266480cd60d998e12c0bd780e.json |
[
"M. Ahiraj"
] | 2016-08-29T04:55:43 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Getting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention was the last thing on Mallamma’s mind. The teenager had gone on a hunger strike for a toilet in her house, and was successful in her goal.Mallamma is | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fkarnataka%2Fkoppal-girls-story-finds-mention-in-mann-ki-baat%2Farticle9043116.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02989/29BG_KOPPAL_2989999c.jpg | en | null | Koppal girl’s story finds mention in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ | null | null | www.thehindu.com | The teenager had gone on a hunger strike for a toilet in her house, and was successful in her goal.
Getting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention was the last thing on Mallamma’s mind. The teenager had gone on a hunger strike for a toilet in her house, and was successful in her goal.
Mallamma is a grade 10 student of a government school in Danapur village of Gangavathi taluk. Her desperate measure came to light when R. Ramachandran, Chief Executive Officer of Koppal Zilla Panchayat, and Mohammed Shafi, gram panchayat president, visited her house during a door-to-door campaign to motivate people to opt for individual toilets. Moved by the girl’s plea and the poor economic condition of her family, they got a toilet constructed within a week, making use of the incentive given by the government.
The spirit with which she fought to get a toilet caught the attention of not only the media but also of Mr. Modi, who made a reference in his ‘Mann ki Baat’, aired on radio and television, on Sunday, and hailed her and Mr. Shafi.
Mr. Modi had said: “In Karnataka’s Koppal district, a 16-year-old resorted to hunger strike for a toilet in her house. As the family was facing financial constraints, gram panchayat president Mohammed Shafi extended the incentive and got the toilet constructed. See how the girl and Mr. Shafi have found a solution to the problem.”
“I am thrilled and proud that the Prime Minister took my name and that of my village and district in his speech,” an elated Mallamma said.
“The Prime Minister’s reference to the Koppal example has made us proud. This will be used to motivate people to build toilets in a bid to make the district open-defecation free by 2017,” Mr. Ramachandran told The Hindu. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/koppal-girls-story-finds-mention-in-mann-ki-baat/article9043116.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/790973230bdd828ab7366d2819c981f4b963a044d6c734ab4dae2baf4a48e641.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-31T10:57:30 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | The Institute of Human Rights Education’s (IHRE) initiative of forming Human Rights Clubs in schools is all set to be expanded in the ongoing academic year with 250 schools across 15 districts in Tam | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FMadurai%2F250-schools-in-tamil-nadu-to-get-human-rights-clubs%2Farticle9051462.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02992/MA31_HUMAN_RIGHTS_2992705c.jpg | en | null | 250 schools in Tamil Nadu to get Human Rights Clubs | null | null | www.thehindu.com | The Institute of Human Rights Education’s (IHRE) initiative of forming Human Rights Clubs in schools is all set to be expanded in the ongoing academic year with 250 schools across 15 districts in Tamil Nadu getting to have the clubs by this year.
The initiative, started last year with the support of the School Education Department, already has ensured the functioning of the clubs in 120 schools across six districts in the State.
Speaking at a session here on Tuesday to introduce the initiative to Head Masters from schools across the State, Henri Tiphagne, executive director, IHRE, said the clubs already functioning since 2015 had proven to be considerably successful for students from Class 6 to Class 8.
He said in addition to having clubs, the curriculum designed for creating awareness of human rights would be taught to Class 6 students during class hours at least once a week.
“If you all want to see a Tamil Nadu without any caste-related or other human rights violations, it cannot happen through judiciary or police. But only through schools,” Mr. Tiphagne told headmasters, stressing the importance of imparting human rights related awareness to children.
Dissuading the concern raised by some of the participants that the initiative would encourage unruly behaviour among students in an already vitiated atmosphere, Aruna Rathnam, education specialist associated with United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund, said the experience so far had proven otherwise.
“Most of the issues that you associate with indiscipline in schools will go away if you teach children about human rights using the right approach. You cannot do it alone. You need to work hand-in-hand with students and other teachers,” she told the headmasters.
Pointing out the general anxiety towards any new initiative, K. Devarajan, former Director with School Education Department said he faced a similar problem when activity-based learning was introduced. “Initially, everyone was wary of it. Later they embraced it,” he said. “Lots of issues related to indiscipline arises only in schools where there is too much of control. Give adequate freedom and treat the children equally. You will then see the difference,” he said.
Highlighting the need for democratising education at all levels, I. Devasahayam, Director of IHRE, asked the participants not to discourage rebellious attitude of children since only such attitudes directed in the right manner had resulted in societal change towards equality.
J. Ponniah, Joint Director (National Service Scheme) of School Education Department, J. Angelo Irudayasamy, Chief Educational Officer of Madurai and P. Vijayakumar, former general secretary of Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa and Alagappa University Teachers' Association (MUTA) spoke. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/250-schools-in-tamil-nadu-to-get-human-rights-clubs/article9051462.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/da8905f478aff3c7520fe78d9cfaf1392c541f35d67dbf009be5db86517f4cfd.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-31T03:05:08 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | It is time for all the bookworms to rejoice!The 22{+n}{+d}edition of the Delhi Book Fair at Pragati Maidan opened to the public on Saturday. An annual affair, the nine-day event has been organised by | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FDelhi%2Fbook-fair-is-back-in-town%2Farticle9041755.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02989/DE_28_FAIR_GIUC_DE_2989257c.jpg | en | null | Book Fair is back in town | null | null | www.thehindu.com | 22nd edition:There is a wide range of fiction and non-fiction, academic books and children’s literature to choose from.Photos: Sushil Kumar Verma
Over 250 publishers are participating in the nine-day event at Pragati Maidan
It is time for all the bookworms to rejoice!
The 22{+n}{+d}edition of the Delhi Book Fair at Pragati Maidan opened to the public on Saturday. An annual affair, the nine-day event has been organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) in association with the Federation of Indian Publishers. It was inaugurated by Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Harsh Vardhan.
“The power of books is immense. They can transform anybody’s life. It is, therefore, important to get more and more students involved in books that are beyond the curriculum,” the Minister said.
Mobile app launched
Day one of the event, which has over 250 national and international publishers participating, also saw the inauguration of a guide and mobile application — that offers locations of exhibitors — to aid the visitors.
This year, it is not just books calling out to Delhiites. The book fair also highlights the Central government’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan that looks to promote higher education and computer literacy.
The theme pavilion houses national campaigns like Make in India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Digital India, Skill India, Startup India, Smart Cities, and Umang (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) that have been launched in the last two years.
The pavilion itself has been transformed into a selfie station for visitors to click with cut-outs of the campaigns.
More interactive this year
There is a wide range of fiction and non-fiction from both Indian and international best-selling authors, academic books and children’s literature to choose from. Among the major attractions were books on Prime Minister Narendra Modi that were housed in a pavilion where biographies and books on other prominent personalities were displayed.
Also, this time the organisers have tried to keep the visitors more involved by including book-reading sessions, film screenings, quizzes, street plays and storytelling sessions. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/book-fair-is-back-in-town/article9041755.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/e0dab7d2fe50b423d03a19bdeb1f9540000893f488a84cd87bd7f83dc2047665.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T06:59:05 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The Taliban have appointed a new military chief as the insurgents try to gain more ground in Afghanistan rather than talk peace under a new leadership, Taliban officials said in telephone interviews | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Finternational%2Ftaliban-choose-a-new-military-chief%2Farticle9051295.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Taliban choose a new military chief | null | null | www.thehindu.com | The appointment of Mullah Ibrahim Sadar could signal a commitment to more confrontation.
The Taliban have appointed a new military chief as the insurgents try to gain more ground in Afghanistan rather than talk peace under a new leadership, Taliban officials said in telephone interviews over the weekend.
They said that the appointment of Mullah Ibrahim Sadar, once a close ally of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, heralds a commitment to confrontation at a time when multiple governments are trying to coax the Taliban to the negotiating table. Sadar is a battle-hardened commander, who gained prominence among Taliban foot-soldiers following the movement’s overthrow in 2001 in the U.S.-led invasion.
Sadar’s appointment coincides with an uptick in Taliban attacks against Afghan security forces. The United States has sent additional troops to Afghanistan’s southern Helmand Province, where its capital, Lashkar Gah, is under pressure.
Control over territory
So far this month, Taliban fighters have attacked Afghan security forces in northern Kunduz province, briefly taking control of a district headquarters. The militants also overran a district in northern Baghlan Province and in eastern Paktia Province. Meanwhile, in eastern Nangarhar Province, Taliban militants are fighting pitched battles with security forces. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence says its security forces are waging operations in 15 Provinces.
Mohammad Akbari, a member of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, which is tasked with talking peace with insurgent groups, said there has been no progress in talks since Taliban leader Mullah Mansour was killed in a U.S. drone strike in May in Pakistan. “I can’t see any green light toward peace by the Taliban for Afghanistan and instead we have seen an increase in their fighting in the provinces,” said Mr. Akbari. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/taliban-choose-a-new-military-chief/article9051295.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/b50c2bce55ed581c5bdb2f1a30cd382b7c6479ad4c876ee7b876ddd7ff9ef301.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-26T14:55:37 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Grass and gloss have occupied the minds of the teams in the ongoing Duleep Trophy being played under floodlights. The gloss on the pink ball and the extra sprinkling of grass on the pitch has evoked | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fsport%2Fcricket%2Futhappa-welcomes-pink-ball-and-grass%2Farticle9032653.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02986/TH26ROBIN_2986016c.jpg | en | null | Uthappa welcomes pink ball and grass | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Grass and gloss have occupied the minds of the teams in the ongoing Duleep Trophy being played under floodlights. The gloss on the pink ball and the extra sprinkling of grass on the pitch has evoked mixed reactions, but Robin Uthappa, who believes in batting on his terms, made the bravest remark of all. He welcomed the pink ball, like most, but also the grass. “I’m all for it,” said the India Green opener.
The curator has to leave a 4mm layer of grass to help protect the shine on the ball. Discouraging news for the spinner, and the grass can cause discomfort to batsmen bred on placid pitches, but not for Uthappa. “The ball has been turning a bit. I do not really understand why; probably because the ball gets really old.”
Uthappa also came up with a suggestion that invites debate. “They could make a rule where the ball can be changed at 60 overs instead of 80, then we can have a good match.”
The experiment has gone down well with some players even though a majority of them are perplexed. Uthappa explained, “We started off badly. We did not bowl in the right areas. By the time we got our act together we had lost the first session.
“When we came back they were very well set. I think the best time to bat with this ball is in the second session. I think it gets slightly older then and becomes easy to bat.”
The conditions too have varied on the first three days of the match. “I think, yes, the pitch did ease out a little bit more on the second day. Hopefully it will stay the same. Generally, the pitches in this part of the country start to keep low towards third or fourth day, but hopefully with the grass on this pitch it stays that way.”
Uthappa found the format attractive. “It looks good. We have to give it time. Everything changes. The play starts late and ends very late. Once you play this format you will get used to it.
What about issues regarding spotting the ball? “Spotting the ball is not an issue. I think the ball changes colour when the light changes. Towards the evening it becomes kind of orange, but again in the night it becomes pink. Some players have felt the ball dip on them and that is a factor.”
What kind of role did he see for batsmen? “Once we see off the new ball, that period is simple as the ball doesn’t do much. It’s not a ball that we work with as far as shining is concerned. We tried shining the ball, but not much is happening. However, it is early to say anything. You can’t say anything based on that.” | http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/uthappa-welcomes-pink-ball-and-grass/article9032653.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/b69c4aa6b2451566f07023c27e4c9f1834a2ea927b9656c4f8247e782618edfa.json |
[
"R. Vimal Kumar"
] | 2016-08-29T06:55:03 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | An ancient Ayyanar sculpture from 10th century A.D. carved out on granite with Tamil inscriptions on its rear side is lying at Chinnariyapatti village without much known to the outside world.Granite“S | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Ftamil-nadu%2Fsculpture-lying-abandoned%2Farticle9044278.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02990/CB29-SSCU_G61CN12J_2990511c.jpg | en | null | Sculpture lying abandoned | null | null | www.thehindu.com | A 10th century A.D. Ayyanar sculpture lying not much known to outside world on the outskirts of Tirupur city.
The sculpture was not only said to have been worshipped by local merchants but later by other traders who passed through the region.
An ancient Ayyanar sculpture from 10th century A.D. carved out on granite with Tamil inscriptions on its rear side is lying at Chinnariyapatti village without much known to the outside world.
Granite
“Speciality of the sculpture is that it was cut on a single block of granite by a ‘potter’ of the locality and dedicated to the local people, especially for merchants, to worship. Potters usually carry out their artistic talent only on clay”, pointed out Ravikumar Sundaram, one of the archaeologists attached to Virarajendran Archaeological and Historical Research Centre who deciphered the inscriptions.
The three-line engravings on the rear side of the sculpture were written in ‘ancient Tamil letters’.
“The wordings tell that the sculpture was carved out by Devanen, a potter, and he came out with the artistic exploration deviating from the usual clay medium when Rasalingapallavarai came to power as the local administrator of the area”, said Mr. Sundaram.
The sculpture was not only said to have been worshipped by local merchants but later by other traders who passed through the region.
“The hamlet falls in an ancient trade route”, reminded Mr. Sundaram.
The 85 cm tall and 100 cm wide sculpture has portrayed Ayyanar in ‘Uthkudikasanam’ position.
“The head portion has been carved out in ‘Jathamandalam design’ and the Ayyanar wears ornaments in ears, neck, hands and legs”, said K. Ponnusamy, a historian and another team member. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/sculpture-lying-abandoned/article9044278.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/e7942385b8985b5eb7c31465aeefd3ac9f6d5c1ffa14eaed47cbc72a0576c18f.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-30T18:51:39 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said that various legislations by this government including the passage of the GST Bill in Parliament and the approval of the Bankruptcy Code would boos | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fbusiness%2FEconomy%2Fgst-bill-bankruptcy-code-will-boost-growth-jaitley%2Farticle9051294.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | GST Bill, Bankruptcy Code will boost growth: Jaitley | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said that various legislations by this government including the passage of the GST Bill in Parliament and the approval of the Bankruptcy Code would boost the economy and that the government was now focussing on increasing banks’ abilities to support growth. “The Finance Minister said that foreign investment is important for India in order to have larger investment in infrastructure sector,” the Finance Ministry said in a statement. Mr Jaitley was speaking when the members of the visiting US CEOs forum called on him in his office on Tuesday. Mr Jaitley also said that the Government will now focus on increasing the banks’ ability to support growth. The Finance Minister mentioned the unanimous approval of the Constitution Amendment Bill relating to the Goods and Service Tax (GST) in both Houses of Parliament and also the approval of the Bankruptcy Code. | http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/gst-bill-bankruptcy-code-will-boost-growth-jaitley/article9051294.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/7d602e698526b7a44de151e7c8338f81d2469321de5d8df583d5c648a288b9e1.json |
[
"Sports Bureau"
] | 2016-08-29T18:52:14 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | It was an overwhelming Olympic flavour at the Rashtrapati Bhawan as President Pranab Mukherjee honoured the medallists from Rio — P.V. Sindhu and Sakshi Malik — apart from Olympic finalists, Dipa Kar | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fsport%2Fother-sports%2Fkhel-ratna-and-arjuna-awards-presented%2Farticle9046708.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02991/TH30AWARDS_2991398c.jpg | en | null | Khel Ratna and Arjuna awards presented | null | null | www.thehindu.com | It was an overwhelming Olympic flavour at the Rashtrapati Bhawan as President Pranab Mukherjee honoured the medallists from Rio — P.V. Sindhu and Sakshi Malik — apart from Olympic finalists, Dipa Karmakar and Jitu Rai, with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award on Monday.
While Sindhu and Sakshi with their medals were assured of the award, Dipa’s good work — she finished fifth in the World Championship and fourth in the Olympics, an unprecedented achievement for an Indian gymnast — had been acknowledged to have been on par.
Even if there had been no Olympics, shooter Jitu Rai would have walked away with the award as he had won everything in the last three years, including the World Championship silver and the Asian Games gold. He made the final of air pistol in Rio and missed the final of free pistol narrowly.
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, given for the first time to four at a time, carries with it a cash prize of Rs.7.5 lakh each.
Lalita Babar, who made the final in the women’s 3000m steeplechase and set a national record as well, boxer Shiva Thapa, hockey players Rani Rampal and V.R. Raghunath, shooters Gurpreet Singh and Apurvi Chandela, table tennis player Soumyyajit Ghosh and wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who came on a wheelchair owing to a knee injury suffered during her bout in Rio, were the other Olympians, to get the Arjuna Award.
Archer Rajat Chauhan, cue sports specialist Sourav Kothari, cricketer Ajinkya Rahane, out on national duty in the US, Subrata Paul in football, Amit Kumar in wresting, Sandeep Kumar Mann and Virender Singh in para-athletics were the others to get the Arjuna Award which carries it with a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh.
The Dronacharya Award was presented to Raj Kumar Sharma, the coach of Virat Kohli, Nagapuri Ramesh, athlete Dutee Chand’s coach, Bishweshwar Nandi (Dipa’s coach), and Sagar Mal Dhayal in boxing. Swimming coach S. Pradeep Kumar and wrestling coach Mahabir Singh were chosen in the ‘lifetime achievement’ category.
The Dhyan Chand Award was presented to S. Geetha in athletics, Sylvanus Dung Dung in hockey and Rajendra Prahlad Shelke in rowing. All the awards carry a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh.
The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar was presented to Hockey Citizen Group, Dadar Parsee Zorostrian Cricket Club, Usha School of Athletics, Subroto Mukerjee Sports Education Society apart from Society for Transformation, Inclusion and Recognition through Sports (STAIRS).
Punjabi University, Patiala, was presented the Maulana Abul Kalam Trophy for the best university. | http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/khel-ratna-and-arjuna-awards-presented/article9046708.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/3a3a9d37e3bdbe495db19c22c796faa32195569a441c5a554918bb87935fc708.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-31T10:59:14 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | : Six-time Grand Slam winner, Sania Mirza, has achieved another wonderful feat of staying at the top in women’s doubles world rankings for the 74th consecutive week. According to her father-cum-coach | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fsport%2Ftennis%2Fanother-feather-in-sanias-cap%2Farticle9051324.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Another feather in Sania’s cap | null | null | www.thehindu.com | : Six-time Grand Slam winner, Sania Mirza, has achieved another wonderful feat of staying at the top in women’s doubles world rankings for the 74th consecutive week. According to her father-cum-coach Imran Mirza, the 29-year-old Sania has now broken Spanish star Arantxa Sanchez in being the proud achiever of the fourth longest streak in the all-time list for women’s doubles tennis.
The top three with the longest stay at the top in world rankings are Martina Navratilova (181 weeks), Cara Black (145) and Liezel Huber (134).
This achievement comes in the wake of her two back-to-back title-triumphs in Cincinnati and the Connecticut Opens – the first with new partner Barbora Strycova and the second one with Romanian partner Monica Niculescu to take her tally this year to seven WTA doubles titles. | http://www.thehindu.com/sport/tennis/another-feather-in-sanias-cap/article9051324.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/51a2c4557d38b538441a1474f9e716651035dcc5ddae64e70db4ea6a55807ad9.json |
[
"Syed Muthahar Saqaf"
] | 2016-08-28T04:51:49 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Even as the level in the Mettur dam touched 70-foot mark on Saturday, the Public Works Department has stepped up water release into the Cauvery for meeting the drinking water needs of delta districts. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Ftamil-nadu%2Fwater-release-from-mettur-stepped-up%2Farticle9041688.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Water release from Mettur stepped up | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Even as the level in the Mettur dam touched 70-foot mark on Saturday, the Public Works Department has stepped up water release into the Cauvery for meeting the drinking water needs of delta districts.
The level was 69.86 feet on Friday evening and rose to 70.57 feet on Saturday, against its full level of 120 feet. The storage was 33.192 tmc.
The inflow slumped to 8,152 cusecs on Saturday evening from 9,355 cusecs recorded on Friday.
Water is being released from the dam, ever since the shutters were downed following the completion of farm activities in the delta region in February last, for meeting the drinking water needs. About 500 cusecs was released till Friday morning and was stepped up to 1,250 cusecs.
Sharp showers
Various parts of Salem district, including Salem city, experienced sharp showers on late Friday evening, bringing much respite to residents from heat. It inundated many low lying areas, besides affecting traffic on the main thoroughfares. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/water-release-from-mettur-stepped-up/article9041688.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/a86551cb137273709368630ed295035597e36ddb0fd6b8f9419fbb3179c91851.json |
[
"R. Srikanth"
] | 2016-08-27T06:50:11 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Ullagaram, which was once a part of Ullagaram-Puzhuthivakkam Municipality and falling under Ward 168, suffers from the usual problems of blocked and open stormwater drains, mosquito menace and narrow | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2Fchennai%2Fward-watch-flooding-remains-the-biggest-fear-in-ward-168%2Farticle9039389.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Flooding remains the biggest fear | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Ward 168
Some are aggrieved about not having received relief despite bearing the brunt of the December deluge.
Ullagaram, which was once a part of Ullagaram-Puzhuthivakkam Municipality and falling under Ward 168, suffers from the usual problems of blocked and open stormwater drains, mosquito menace and narrow roads.
This division that covers 1.4 sq.km. has a mix of both well-planned residential layouts in MacMillan Colony and not-so-planned layouts in Alwar Nagar.
While residents of this ward seem satisfied with the system of garbage collection in their localities, there are those who are aggrieved about not having received any flood relief despite suffering the December deluge.
R. Balachander, Secretary, MacMillan Gowri Colony Residents Welfare Association, said that as far as their localities — which covers six streets — are concerned, the merger to the Chennai Corporation has helped in getting good roads, closing of the open stormwater drain with slabs, installation of new LED street lights and better garbage collection.
However, despite these improvements in the civic infrastructure, the main grievance of the residents here is flooding. D. Jothi Ramalingam, office bearer of the MacMillan Gowri Colony Residents Welfare Association, attributed last year’s flooding to blocks in the stormwater drains at several places which caused havoc in the area.
He also stressed on the need for widening the Veerangal Odai and cleaning the water channels ahead of the monsoons to prevent flooding.
V. Rama Rao, social activist from Nanganallur, suggested the linkage of the drainage system to the wide water channel flowing in to the Veerangal Odai, located on the perimeter of Lakshmi Nagar, to prevent flooding in areas around Nanganallur area including Lakshmi Nagar, MacMillan Colony, Gowri Colony and Alwar Nagar.
J. Manikandan, Councillor of the Ward, said that after the inclusion of Ullagaram with the Chennai Corporation several important civic works, including roads, stormwater drain and footpaths had been carried out for Rs. 30 crore in the past five years.
About widening of Veerangal Odai to prevent flooding, he said the channel has been desilted and the bunds strengthened at a cost of Rs. six crore. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/ward-watch-flooding-remains-the-biggest-fear-in-ward-168/article9039389.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/2d0bd6591a5bf7eed56084edc19b4df2d41e4215a7b59aab7b1edc8b8ed7ef7b.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-28T12:53:34 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Accusing Tamil Nadu of making a petition before the Supreme Court seeking release of its share of Cauvery water on the basis of a normal water year’s statistics though Karnataka is reeling under &quo | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fkarnataka%2Fcauvery-row-karnataka-to-place-facts-on-distress-before-sc%2Farticle9040553.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02988/meeting_CM_2988754c.jpg | en | null | Cauvery row: Karnataka to place facts on distress before SC | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Minister for Irrigation M.B. Patil (left), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Union Minister H.N. Ananth Kumar and Leader of Opposition in Parliament M. Mallikarjuna Kharge sharing a lighter moment at the all party meeting on Cauvery water issue at Vidhana Soudha on Saturday. Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
All-party meeting accuses TN of calculating its water share based on normal year’s statistics despite deficient rainfall
Accusing Tamil Nadu of making a petition before the Supreme Court seeking release of its share of Cauvery water on the basis of a normal water year’s statistics though Karnataka is reeling under "severe distress", an all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah here on Saturday decided to place ground-level realities before the Supreme Court.
"Tamil Nadu has not informed the Supreme Court about the facts such as Karnataka facing severe distress leading to its reservoirs in the Cauvery basin receiving only 55 per cent of the normal inflow. We have decided to convince the Supreme Court about Karnataka’s distress by providing details regarding the ground level position. Our legal team will take up the issue before the Apex Court," Mr. Siddaramaiah told media persons after the all-party meeting.
"Tamil Nadu has sought 50 tmcft of water in its petition filed before the Supreme Court on the basis of normal water year’s statistics. But the ground reality is totally different as it is a severe distress year for Karnataka. The total storage of only 51 tmcft as against the capacity of 104 tmcft from all the four reservoirs of Krishnaraja Sagar, Kabini, Hemavathi and Harangi in the Cauvery basin due to deficient rainfall," he said.
"Of the present storage of 51 tmcft, we need a minimum of 40 tmcft for taking care of drinking water requirements of different towns and cities," he said, while pointing out that Tamil Nadu was actually seeking water for irrigating its samba crop. In addition to taking care of drinking water requirements, Karnataka had to protect the standing crops of its farmers, he noted, while making it clear that the state did not have adequate quantum of water to meet Tamil Nadu’s demands.
Mr. Siddaramaiah explained that cumulative inflow to all the four reservoirs in the Cauvery basis stood at a poor 108 tmcft till August 24 as against the long-time average of 195.25 tmcft. This would amount to only 55 per cent of the average inflow, he said.
He also denied reports that State legal team had asked Karnataka to release four to five tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu and said already the State had released 29 tmcft of water to the neighbouring state. "As on today, Mettur dam in Tamil Nadu has a total storage of 34 tmcft of water," he said.
The Chief Minister said the all-party meeting which was attended by top leaders, including Union Ministers H.N. Ananth Kumar and D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Leader of Opposition in Parliament M. Mallikarjuna Kharge, former chief ministers M. Veerappa Moily and H.D. Kumaraswamy, and leaders of the Opposition of both Assembly and Council Jagadish Shettar and K.S. Eshwarappa, decided to stand by the government’s decision on the Cauvery issue. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/cauvery-row-karnataka-to-place-facts-on-distress-before-sc/article9040553.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/ebdeb69ef82926838b162632241073005663d8376dafc38f447fadeb58a676b7.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T06:59:13 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Defending champion Novak Djokovic overcame an arm injury scare and long-time rival Rafael Nadal shone in 33-degree heat as the US Open showcased its $650 million upgrade on Monday.
World No. 1 Djok | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fsport%2Ftennis%2Fus-open-djokovic-sweats-nadal-cruises%2Farticle9051332.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02992/TH31NOVAK_2992626c.jpg | en | null | Djokovic sweats, Nadal cruises | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Muguruza carves out a gritty three-set win over Belgian qualifier Mertens
Defending champion Novak Djokovic overcame an arm injury scare and long-time rival Rafael Nadal shone in 33-degree heat as the US Open showcased its $650 million upgrade on Monday.
World No. 1 Djokovic, also the 2011 winner in New York and chasing his third Major of the year, defeated Jerzy Janowicz of Poland 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.
Nadal, the 2010 and 2013 champion and drawn to face Djokovic in the semifinals, eased to a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan.
In the women’s event, second-seeded Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion, needed just 33 minutes to progress, but Roland Garros winner Garbine Muguruza required three sets and a visit from the doctor before she survived.
Not 100 per cent fit
Djokovic had admitted that he was “not 100 per cent” after suffering a wrist injury on the eve of the Olympics where he was a first-round loser.
But it was the upper right arm that bothered the Serb on Monday night as he played his first Grand Slam match since his shock third round exit at Wimbledon.
The 29-year-old needed treatment after just five games of the first set but eventually pulled through against Janowicz who had played just two matches all year due to a knee injury.
“It was hard to follow Phil Collins,” joked Djokovic in reference to the lengthy opening ceremony which featured the veteran English rocker under the new $150 million roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
On his arm injury, Djokovic added: “It’s never easy to play at this level throughout the year. There are periods where you aren’t 100 per cent.”
Djokovic next faces Jiri Vesely, the Czech who knocked him out of Monte Carlo this year.
Nadal’s reward for a fifth win in five meetings with Istomin is a match-up with Italian veteran Andreas Seppi.
A wrist injury forced the Spaniard into an early retirement at the French Open and sidelined him from Wimbledon before a gold medal run in the doubles at the Olympics helped ease his misery.
“The most important thing is that I am here in New York. Injuries are part of the career.
“I had a hard time this year,” said the fourth seed.
Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic, the runner-up to Andy Murray at Wimbledon, overcame German dangerman Dustin Brown 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.
Kerber needed just over 30 minutes to get her pursuit of a first US Open title off to a winning start. The German was leading Polona Hercog 6-0, 1-0 when the Slovenian called it quits having won just nine points. Kerber, a semifinalist in 2011, next faces Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia.
Muguruza carved out a gritty 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over Belgian qualifier Elise Mertens, ranked at 137.
But the French Open champion needed courtside treatment from a doctor after dropping the first set.
The consultation certainly worked as she reeled off the next seven games to lay the foundation for her win.
Muguruza plays Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia for a place in the last-32.
Biggest casualty
French 13th seed Richard Gasquet, a semifinalist three years ago, was the day’s biggest casualty.
He went down 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 to British World No. 84 Kyle Edmund.
Also exiting was Olympic champion Monica Puig with the Puerto Rican losing 6-4, 6-2 to China’s Zheng Saisai.
Kayla Day, just 16 and ranked 374 in the world, was 6-2, 4-2 up against Madison Brengle when her fellow American quit with an injury.
Day next faces American eighth seed Madison Keys who beat compatriot Alison Riske 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2.
Croatian seventh seed Marin Cilic, the 2014 champion and winner in Cincinnati last week, eased past Brazil’s Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-4, 7-5, 6-1.
Flamboyant French 10th seed Gael Monfils took his summer hardcourt record to 15-2 with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 win over Gilles Muller of Luxemburg.
Monfils almost suffered a freak accident when a giant courtside clock fell towards him as he collided with the back wall, chasing down a Muller shot.
The Flushing Meadows complex has been radically and expensively remodelled for this year.
However, the old Grandstand court, due to be demolished after the tournament, was pressed into action after the new Court 10 was deemed unplayable. | http://www.thehindu.com/sport/tennis/us-open-djokovic-sweats-nadal-cruises/article9051332.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/4d62a78a5423c8102fd297ab09b7c1cba8ccf2c1117e72fc4c4037ad98dffdb9.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-29T02:51:32 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | S. Suresh Babu (33) of Gokulam Colony in P.N. Pudur reportedly died after accidentally falling into an open drain close to his house, on Sunday.While it was initially said that he was pushed down duri | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FCoimbatore%2Fman-dies-after-falling-into-drain%2Farticle9044246.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Man dies after falling into drain | null | null | www.thehindu.com | S. Suresh Babu (33) of Gokulam Colony in P.N. Pudur reportedly died after accidentally falling into an open drain close to his house, on Sunday.
While it was initially said that he was pushed down during an argument, police sources later claimed that he slipped and fell. The R.S. Puram police registered the case under 174 (unnatural death) of the Code of Criminal Procedures and was investigating.
Police sources said that the deceased was a painter who was living in one of the four rented houses (row houses), with his wife and two children.
He used to pick a quarrel with his mother and brother who lived in one of those houses.
Preliminary inquiry by the police revealed that Suresh picked a quarrel with his mother and brother on Saturday night.
Around 8 a.m. on Sunday, the house owner, who is a third year college student, was said to have been inquiring Suresh over the issue when the latter slipped and fell into the drain.
He suffered a head injury and died. His body was taken to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, where a post-mortem will be conducted on Monday. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/man-dies-after-falling-into-drain/article9044246.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/929de05f40cd406497372defe1f6caf4eb21f16755004442a486095ff40a505e.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T10:50:59 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Ffeatures%2Fmetroplus%2Ffashion%2Fcelebspotting-lakme-fashion-week-winterfestive-2016%2Farticle9045748.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02990/THJVN_KAREENA_2990743c.jpg | en | null | Celebspotting: Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2016 | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Designer Manish Malhotra is all set to transform the runway experience with a Virtual Reality show in which, well, you are where the action is! » | http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/fashion/celebspotting-lakme-fashion-week-winterfestive-2016/article9045748.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/a402270e13d3fa8460e4472123ca011047eae7b6774a8322ca058ef3a9b8b808.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-28T08:51:01 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | A 25-year-old post-graduate medical student of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) allegedly committed suicide by injecting himself with potassium chloride, us | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2Fpuducherry%2Fjipmer-student-commits-suicide%2Farticle9041860.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | JIPMER student commits suicide | null | null | www.thehindu.com | A 25-year-old post-graduate medical student of Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) allegedly committed suicide by injecting himself with potassium chloride, using a syringe in his hostel room on Friday.
Police sources said the victim identified as Sumanth from Bengaluru had recently joined MD Radiotherapy in JIPMER.
Sources said that Sumanth had earlier attempted suicide and was on anti-depressants.
When his room remained locked for a long time on Saturday, his colleagues became suspicious and informed the management and the police.
The police broke open the door and found Sumanth lying dead on his cot. Three empty syringes were found close by. The body was sent for post-mortem and a case has been registered. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/jipmer-student-commits-suicide/article9041860.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/b2b224acd24efa2bdd1b74c00eaf1e0f5f3bdffcc2516654b91cd00fdd0c1c7e.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-27T10:51:38 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | The two-day millet mela got under way in the city on Friday with the objective of popularising the grain’s nutritious benefits and capacity to withstand severe drought during cultivation.The mela come | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fkarnataka%2Fmela-to-popularise-nutritional-value-of-millet%2Farticle9039150.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02988/26myrkk_millet-_27_2988369c.jpg | en | null | Mela to popularise nutritional value of millet | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Spreading awareness:Farmers at the Millet Mela at Nanjaraja Bahaddur Choultry, in Mysuru on Friday.— PHOTO: M.A.SRIRAM
The two-day millet mela got under way in the city on Friday with the objective of popularising the grain’s nutritious benefits and capacity to withstand severe drought during cultivation.
The mela comes in the backdrop of an acute water stress owing to the failure of the monsoon and poor storage levels in reservoirs. As a result of this, the government has decided not to release water to crops beyond August 31.
The mela is being organised by Sahaja Samrudha, an organisation engaged in popularising dryland and organic farming, in association with Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene.
In all, 60 cultivators of various types of millets from 14 districts of the State are participating in the mela. They will also distribute seeds to farmers interested in taking up cultivation.
The highlight of the mela is the focus on Brown Top Millet which can be cultivated under extreme drought and dry conditions and is very nutritious with high fibre content.
Processing mills
Krishnaprasad of Sahaja Samrudha told The Hindu that efforts were being made to influence policy makers through local elected representatives to establish millet processing mills. It does not cost more than a few lakhs of rupees and yet there is not a single such unit in south Karnataka.
“If the government can establish a few units and help create linkages to the farmers by marketing the processed crop, it would be of great help to the cultivators who can be bailed out of agricultural distress caused by water scarcity,” said Mr. Krishnaprasad.
The mela is of special significance to farmers in the KRS and Kabini command areas who have been badly affected by the government’s decision not to release water.
Though alternative crops that can be cultivated under dry conditions are being considered by the authorities, there is a perceived scarcity of seeds which can only be met by outsourcing it from millet cultivators group, according to Mr. Krishnaprasad.
Millet cultivators, sharing their experience of cultivating millets and throwing light on the cultivation cost incurred by them, crop yield and profits accrued despite drought conditions, is a significant aspect of the mela being held at the Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry.
Lip-smacking culinary delights made from a number of millet varieties cultivated by organic farming formed another highlight. The women’s group from Sorabha took care of the food items. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/mela-to-popularise-nutritional-value-of-millet/article9039150.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/0d60e3f4a9b91fa40b003283fbceff7f10eab2afca261c2c0d4392c92eed5eda.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-26T18:51:06 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) may soon issue guidelines for clicking photographs, including selfies, by cabin crew and passengers inside aircraft while airborne. Although there are | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fbusiness%2FIndustry%2Fdgca-to-issue-guidelines-for-inflight-selfies%2Farticle9036949.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | DGCA to issue guidelines for in-flight selfies | null | null | www.thehindu.com | The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) may soon issue guidelines for clicking photographs, including selfies, by cabin crew and passengers inside aircraft while airborne. Although there are rules in place restricting photograph at airports or from aircraft in flights, DGCA had received various complaints in the past related to pilots clicking selfies inside the cockpit and posting them on social media websites, officials said.
“We will soon issue guidelines clarifying the situations in which we may permit clicking photographs inside an aircraft when it’s mid-air or grounded,” a senior DGCA official said.
The official said the circular, which will most likely be released next week, will cover issues such as whether photography is permitted in the cockpit, or at what stage of a flight can photography, including selfies, be permitted. | http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/dgca-to-issue-guidelines-for-inflight-selfies/article9036949.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/e0586163fdad4beffe1d3c905836dbea2b355937811d0ad94e7c0d742f5feae1.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:57:04 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Gene Wilder, the frizzy-haired actor who brought his deft comedic touch to such unforgettable roles as the neurotic accountant in The Producers and the mad scientist of Young Frankenstein, passed awa | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Ffeatures%2Fcinema%2Factor-gene-wilder-star-of-mel-brooks-movies-is-no-more%2Farticle9050083.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02992/wilder_2992211c.jpg | en | null | Actor Gene Wilder, star of Mel Brooks movies, is no more | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Gene Wilder, the frizzy-haired actor who brought his deft comedic touch to such unforgettable roles as the neurotic accountant in The Producers and the mad scientist of Young Frankenstein, passed away. He was 83.
Wilder’s nephew said on Monday that the actor and writer died late on Sunday at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. No funeral arrangements have been announced.
Jordan Walker-Pearlman said in a statement that Wilder was diagnosed with the disease three years ago, but kept the condition private so as not to disappoint fans.
Wilder started his acting career on the stage, but millions knew him from his work in the movies, especially his collaborations with Mel Brooks on The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. The last film with Wilder playing a California-born descendant of the mad scientist, insisting that his name is pronounced “Frahn-ken-SHTEEN” was co-written by Brooks and Wilder and earned the pair an Oscar nomination for adapted screenplay.
“Gene Wilder, one of the truly great talents of our time, is gone,” Brooks wrote in a statement. “He blessed every film we did together with his special magic and he blessed my life with his friendship. He will be so missed.”
With his unkempt hair and big, buggy eyes, Wilder was a master at playing panicked characters caught up in schemes that only a genius such as Brooks could devise, whether reviving a monster in Young Frankenstein or bilking Broadway in The Producers. Brooks would call him “God’s perfect prey, the victim in all of us.”
But he also knew how to keep it cool as the boozing gunslinger in Blazing Saddles or the charming candy man in the children’s favorite Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. His craziest role- the therapist having an affair with a sheep in Woody Allen’s Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex.
Tweeted Jim Carrey- “Gene Wilder was one of the funniest and sweetest energies ever to take a human form. If there’s a heaven he has a Golden Ticket.”
Cloris Leachman, Wilder’s Young Frankenstein co-star, tweeted, “Oh, Gene, it’s too soon!”
Wilder was close friends with Richard Pryor and their contrasting personas Wilder uptight, Pryor loose were ideal for comedy. They co-starred in four films- Silver Streak, Stir Crazy, See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Another You. And they created several memorable scenes, particularly when Pryor provided Wilder with directions on how to “act black” as they tried to avoid police in Silver Streak.
The actor is survived by his wife, Karen, whom he married in 1991, and his daughter from a previous marriage, Katherine, from whom he was estranged. | http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/actor-gene-wilder-star-of-mel-brooks-movies-is-no-more/article9050083.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/f1d2b38c1b68c7beb4690fb849a745e33a6769a5d1fcd07d657119225c3c8240.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-31T06:56:24 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | The drought-prone Prakasam district was pounded by widespread rain under the influence of a weather system on Tuesday.The city received 11 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours submerging, among other road | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fandhra-pradesh%2Fongole-farmers-relieved-as-rain-lashes-prakasam%2Farticle9052415.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02992/3og9775HI-W053__31_2992986c.jpg | en | null | Ongole farmers relieved as rain lashes Prakasam | null | null | www.thehindu.com | The Kurnool road under a sheet of water in Ongole on Tuesday. —Photo: Kommuri Srinivas
Many low-lying areas in the town and on outskirts submerged, electrical equipment in power house damaged
The drought-prone Prakasam district was pounded by widespread rain under the influence of a weather system on Tuesday.
The city received 11 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours submerging, among other roads, the arterial Kurnool Road, 60 Feet Road and Trunk Road.
The steady downpour also flooded the power house damaging electrical equipment stored in it.
Colonies in the low-lying areas as well as those on the city outskirts, including Pragati Colony, Kesarajakunta, Indiramma Colony, Puli Venkat Reddy Colony, Balram Colony, Jayaprakashnagar and Maruthi Colony and Pragathi Nagar were inundated with rain water.
Motorists had a tough time driving their vehicles because of potholes.
The PVRM Boys High School grounds resembled a swimming pool. Water that collected in vacant plots added to the woes of the citizens, particularly in the colonies on the outskirts.
However, the rain came as a big relief for farmers whose crops suffered moisture stress due to the dry spell in the first three weeks of August.
Crops in 1.38 lakh acre benefit
“The district on an average received 71 mm of rainfall in a week,” said Agriculture Joint Director J. Muralikrishna.
The present rain proved most beneficial for the kharif crops in 1.38 lakh hectares in the district, including red gram (65,000 hectares), cotton (5,600 hectares) and bajra (13,000) as against the normal extent of 2.35-lakh hectares.
More rain predicted in next 24 hours
Weathermen predicted more rain in the next 24 hours even as the low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal weakened into a cyclonic circulation.
Ongole town received a maximum rainfall of 67.8 mm in the last 24 hours followed by Maddipadu village (33 mm), Kothapatnam (28.6 mm), Pedaraveedu (26.2 mm), Markapur (25.2 mm), Tangutur village (23.2 mm) and N.G. Padu (22 mm). | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/ongole-farmers-relieved-as-rain-lashes-prakasam/article9052415.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/6d764b215a0a53e6f4560dd128c5b53675475d97506dd5e2b88c0fd52668517e.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T06:50:14 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Five members of a Nepali family were washed away in a cloudburst at Gawaldi village here in the early hours of Friday, even as a 12-year-old deaf and mute boy from the household miraculously escaped | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fother-states%2Ffive-of-family-die-in-cloudburst-deaf-and-mute-boy-survives%2Farticle9037568.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Five of family die in cloudburst, deaf and mute boy survives | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Five members of a Nepali family were washed away in a cloudburst at Gawaldi village here in the early hours of Friday, even as a 12-year-old deaf and mute boy from the household miraculously escaped the calamity.
The ‘kutcha’ house of the family was washed away in the cloudburst that occurred at a hilltop in Bandrali village, Naresh Chauhan, president of the Naren Panchayat, said.
“The bodies of all five victims have been recovered with the help of the local people and one 12-year-old physically challenged boy survived,” Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, Rohan Chand Thakur said.
The deceased include Lachhi Ram, his wife and three of their children.
Mr. Chauhan said despite heavy rain and darkness, the locals helped recover the bodies from the debris.
The cloudburst damaged roads leading to Gawaldi village under the Naren Panchayat in Rampur area, about 150 km from Shimla. Apple orchards of some farmers were also washed away or damaged.
SDM Nishant Thakur and the DSP have rushed to the spot.
The bodies of the victims have been sent for post-mortem. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/five-of-family-die-in-cloudburst-deaf-and-mute-boy-survives/article9037568.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/f91681bbe7f145b579f13c908d0188592eb6d9413001f4c0918277081429040d.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T18:51:54 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Territorial and cultural differences may be cited as some of the reasons why the Kashmir Valley is on the boil but an analysis will show that whether it is Kashmir or Northeast India, there is a feel | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2Fending-kashmirs-crisis%2Farticle9051239.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Ending Kashmir’s crisis | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Territorial and cultural differences may be cited as some of the reasons why the Kashmir Valley is on the boil but an analysis will show that whether it is Kashmir or Northeast India, there is a feeling of deep alienation and forced rule (“Kashmir and the clash of symbolisms”, Aug.29). The solution lies in encouraging the people here to enter the mainstream by promoting large-scale development in these regions. They must also have a sense of participation through institutions such as Panchayati Raj.
Karan Choudhary, Pathankot, Punjab
At last, the Prime Minister has talked about compassionate gestures. But if he wishes to be on a par with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he has to rise above the articulation of mere words and act like a sincere statesman who stands above partisan attitudes. A solution to the Kashmir issue needs urgent democratic interventions. The rest of India needs to prove this to the troubled State.
Aravindakshan Kailath, Thrissur | http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/letters/ending-kashmirs-crisis/article9051239.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/ecf773961408efa230c357c8fadefdc5634767de4f45dfc075bc81c5bdfb447d.json |
[
"Rajulapudi Srinivas"
] | 2016-08-30T22:56:52 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswathi was admitted to a private hospital in Vijayawada on Tuesday after he developed respiratory problems after a fall in his blood glucose levels. Doctors said he was respo | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fandhra-pradesh%2Fjayendra-saraswathi-hospitalised%2Farticle9049772.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00674/05VBG_SEER_674944c.jpg | en | null | Jayendra Saraswathi hospitalised | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Jayendra Saraswathi was admitted to a private hospital in Vijayawada on Tuesday after he developed respiratory problems.
Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswathi was admitted to a private hospital in Vijayawada on Tuesday after he developed respiratory problems after a fall in his blood glucose levels. Doctors said he was responding to treatment and his condition was stable.
Disciples found the seer in an unconscious condition around 6 a.m. and called the doctors of the Andhra Hospital and he was shifted him the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A five-member team of doctors is monitoring his condition. The vice-chancellor of the NTR University of Health Sciences, Dr. T. Ravi Raju is also over-seeing his treatment.
“Swamiji, who is a diabetic, has low sugar and sodium levels. He is responding to the treatment well,” Dr. Ravi Raju told mediapersons.
A team of doctors from Chennai has also reached Vijayawada. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/jayendra-saraswathi-hospitalised/article9049772.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/094ff3903669da0486fdaecf6fa966d1ae340b386a0d2fe3eddeae8e58ccb91e.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-28T08:51:21 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | A Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus ran into a commercial complex near the Mettupalayam Bus Stand on Saturday. Luckily nobody was injured in the incident. The bus was leaving Mettupal | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Ftamil-nadu%2Fbus-enters-shopping-complex-near-mettupalayam-bus-stand%2Farticle9041730.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Bus enters shopping complex near Mettupalayam bus stand | null | null | www.thehindu.com | A Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus ran into a commercial complex near the Mettupalayam Bus Stand on Saturday. Luckily nobody was injured in the incident. The bus was leaving Mettupalayam Bus Stand and headed to Coimbatore when the incident took place. A portion of a mobile phone outlet and a document typing office was damaged in the incident.
Found hanging
N. Karthika (18) of Arivoli Nagar in Anna Square, near Madukkarai, was found hanging at her house on Friday. The police said that she was in love with Mahamuni, a youth from Dindigul.
Mahamuni died of electrocution on June 20. On Friday she did not to go to college citing ill health and committed suicide. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/bus-enters-shopping-complex-near-mettupalayam-bus-stand/article9041730.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/54987c74429d1805bd053935bddec20daffc2aeefd8a62be16372b589a5c9b23.json |
[
"Stanly Johny"
] | 2016-08-27T10:50:12 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | When Ranil Wickramasinghe, the then leader of opposition in Sri Lanka, raised the issue of 22 Sri Lankan soldiers being held captive by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the mid-1990s in | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fbooks%2Fliterary-review%2Fstanly-johny-reviews-commodore-ajith-boyagodas-memoir-a-long-watch%2Farticle9036053.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02987/28SM_lanka_jpg_2987283c.jpg | en | null | Stanly Johny reviews Commodore Ajith Boyagoda's memoir A Long Watch | null | null | www.thehindu.com | A Long Watch is not an explosive and reveal-all book, but it displays empathy and moral courage.
When Ranil Wickramasinghe, the then leader of opposition in Sri Lanka, raised the issue of 22 Sri Lankan soldiers being held captive by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the mid-1990s in Parliament, President Chandrika Kumaratunga declared that she was not aware of such a group. For Commodore Ajith Boyagoda, the senior-most officer among the captives, who had written a letter to the opposition leader through Red Cross, requesting him to raise the issue with the government, the President’s response shattered all hopes of his and his colleagues’ freedom. Still, he’s not keen to pass judgements on the government’s decision. “Military forces are designed precisely to make every soldier replaceable… The Sri Lankan government was sending a signal that they did not want to do business with the LTTE in any way,” Boyagoda writes in his prisoner memoir.
This sense of restraint and the eagerness to always look at the bigger picture marks the tone and tenor of the book, which reconstructs the years Boyagoda spent in captivity under the LTTE. There is no rhetoric, no calls for revenge and no attempt, directly or indirectly, to defend bigotry in a country that won a brutal war a few years ago.
Like many others, Boyagoda was also drawn to the navy by its “glamour” but soon dedicated himself to serve the country. He rose through the ranks quickly, travelled around the world and fought in the civil war at home before the ship he commanded, Sagarawardene, was hit and sunk by the Tigers in 1994. Abandoned by the government, he spent eight years in LTTE prisons. He and the other prisoners were moved around the Tiger-controlled areas, as the war progressed. There was no communication with the outside world. News came in either through Red Cross members or from their jailers. Finally, the prisoners, already surviving on limited rations, had to start a hunger strike to draw the government’s attention to their plight.
Boyagoda offers both sides of the story. He talks of how he survived in the LTTE camps, how he was tried and acquitted of war crimes in an LTTE court, and how the Tigers tried to use him to gather intelligence. He also talks about how he was received with suspicion by some Sinhalese sections when he was released. He shares deep anguish about the ethnic division of the country and the suffering of the Tamil people. “I made a decision when I was released from captivity that I wasn’t going to help make things worse… I wanted no further part in creating a cause for war,” he writes.
It doesn’t mean that Boyagoda is mum on critical views on the LTTE. He says the LTTE cadres were frustrated after 30 years of fighting. If the Tigers wanted to achieve something they should have done that within 10 years. He sees the fighters as prisoners as well — prisoners of the war. But Boyagoda offers a broader picture. Take, for instance, the battle for Karainagar in 1991. Boyagoda was in the frontlines of the battle, which finally broke the LTTE’s siege of the island. But he doesn’t mince words while describing what the Sri Lankan army did after the victory. “I really saw the mentality of a Sinhala army walking through a Tamil village. Whatever they saw, they destroyed.”
Such high-handedness, in Boyagoda’s views, helped the LTTE find more recruits. He gives another example. Selvaratnam was one of the early handlers of the captives. Boyagoda developed a friendly relationship with Selvaratnam, who even spoke to him about LTTE tactics. In Boyagoda’s view, Selvaratnam is a victim of the conditions that prevailed in Sri Lanka. “He had experienced upheaval and displacement on account of his culture and ethnicity. That had led him straight to the movement”, writes Boyagoda.
It’s this narrative, cutting across the rivalry in a country that has a long history of ethnic tensions and violence, that captures the reader’s attention. Otherwise, A Long Watch is not an explosive book. It doesn’t reveal anything the world doesn’t know already. It doesn’t indict anybody. There are no graphic details of violence and torture. But it’s an engaging book on one of the bloodiest civil conflicts in South Asia. Engaging not only for its thrilling description about war, captivity and freedom, but also for its moral courage in imagining the possible future of a reconciled republic.
stanly.johny@thehindu.co.in | http://www.thehindu.com/books/literary-review/stanly-johny-reviews-commodore-ajith-boyagodas-memoir-a-long-watch/article9036053.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/7171120aaca24f1171bc336e963a307500bfb9b452c047d62f33ed2cbd1c144d.json |
[
"Akila Kannadasan"
] | 2016-08-29T14:51:36 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | “Po, po!” “Avana vidadhe!” “Get him!” The dimly-lit gaming café in Nungambakkam is full of angry men who will kill anyone who comes in their way. Or so it appears at first sight. But when the lights c | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Ffeatures%2Fmetroplus%2Ffight-to-the-finish-at-the-elimination-rounds-of-the-taiwan-excellence-gaming-cup%2Farticle9045897.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02991/30MPGAME_DOTA_12_2991125c.jpg | en | null | Fight to the finish | null | null | www.thehindu.com | The elimination rounds of the Taiwan Excellence Gaming Cup saw gamers battle it out playing DotA 2
“Po, po!” “Avana vidadhe!” “Get him!” The dimly-lit gaming café in Nungambakkam is full of angry men who will kill anyone who comes in their way. Or so it appears at first sight. But when the lights come on briefly, we see their real faces: lanky boys sporting glasses; geeky-looking college kids in shorts… they are ordinary people who live extraordinary virtual lives. Welcome to the Taiwan Excellence Gaming Cup, in which gamers compete against the best in the world playing DotA 2, a popular game that swallows hundreds and thousands of hours of a die-hard gamer’s life.
The event was held over the weekend at Playerz Gaming Café. Says Rakesh Navaneetha Krishnan, who owns the place: “DotA has a lot of serious players who spend long hours training. There are gamer teams that practise much like any other sport. In fact, there is a possibility for eSports to be included as part of the next Olympics.”
Chennai hosted the elimination rounds, along with Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore. “Players compete in teams of five; the finals are set to take place among the teams that qualify from the elimination, in Mumbai,” he adds. The world of a gamer has little time for anything else. Fellow gamers refer to each other using the names of the characters they represent.
V. Aakash, a student at Loyola, games from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. every day. “I started playing Mario when I was in Class II,” he grins. “I keep thinking of games even when I am in college.” What will he do with the prize money (Rs. 5 lakh) if he wins? “I’ll buy more gaming equipment,” he answers. Varshini Venkat, the only female gamer who plays DotA, has clocked in over a thousand hours in her DotA account. Then there’s Keerthi Varman, a 30-year-old doctor who believes gaming helps him perform surgeries better.
Adds Rakesh, “I studied in the KK Nagar Corporation School. It’s gaming that taught me English. We interact with gamers from across the world, and as a result, our language improves.”
The afternoon’s session begins as he speaks, and a gamer who’s been listening to our conversation turns to say something. “Huh? What did you say?” we ask and he turns his back to us. “Don’t consider that rude,” laughs Rakesh. “They would ignore everyone once they start playing.” Could you tell us at least your name, we ask the bespectacled young man. But he’s long lost. | http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/fight-to-the-finish-at-the-elimination-rounds-of-the-taiwan-excellence-gaming-cup/article9045897.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/1be27ec69e8c54b96bfbd435b704f1a8913f61c7289625f6eaf4e779711ab1b8.json |
[
"Pankaja Srinivasan"
] | 2016-08-26T18:52:04 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Sangeeet Sarita announces a voice and I start. The last time I heard that was many, many years ago. It was my cue to groan as my Dad fine-tuned the radio, increased the volume and waited expectantly f | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Ffeatures%2Fmetroplus%2Fon-a-nostalgia-trip-with-the-vividh-bharti-app%2Farticle9036224.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02987/27cbmp-radio_jpg_2987331c.jpg | en | null | On a nostalgia trip with the Vividh Bharti app | null | null | www.thehindu.com | It’s been non-stop nostalgia ever since the writer downloaded the Vividh Bharti app
Sangeeet Sarita announces a voice and I start. The last time I heard that was many, many years ago. It was my cue to groan as my Dad fine-tuned the radio, increased the volume and waited expectantly for me to guess the raga of the song playing. The programme picked one classical raga every day and played a filmy song and a pure classical number based on it. I got the raga wrong every single time, but Daddy did not lose faith.
Now it is back in my life. Not just Sangeet Sarita, but Vividh Bharti. So if you drop in home in the mornings, we will serve you good coffee and a blast of music. Raju has downloaded the Vividh Bharati app and, as we have gifted ourselves a Bose speaker for our anniversary this year, we are stoked. Such a wonderfully civilised way to start the day. And I swear I am less cranky with all the singing I do along with Rafi, Kishore, Asha, Geeta Dutt and of course Raju.
Then we managed to catch an interview of Ameen Sayani on television and Raju and I are still talking about that. Remember Binaca Geetmala? Wednesday nights and Ameen Sayani would start with his signature greeting of “Bhaiyon aur behenon...” Binaca Geetmala was broadcast on Wednesdays at 9.00 p.m. on Radio Ceylon and the entire family huddled around the radio set. One of us had to hold the knob of the radio firmly so that it would not shift and change the station. There were heated discussions and guessing games on what the ‘sartaj geet’ was going to be (the top of the charts of those days) that year. Hearing Ameen Sayani’s voice brought back glorious memories of simple pleasures. Raju remembers how, during Pujas for the evening entertainment programme, an Ameen Sayani sound-alike was hired to conduct the proceedings.
I wish the radio as I knew it as a child would back into my life. I was thrilled when WorldSpace started and heartbroken when it stopped. I enjoy music floating through the house. Love it when I can sing along loudly from the kitchen. I have bought iPods, and MP3s and earphones but abandoned all those because I hate something stuck into my ears with the wires getting tangled with my spectacles, buttons, etc. When ‘Tere mere sapne ab ek rang hai’ is playing, what is the point if only I can hear it? Raju has to be in on it too, along with our neighbours.
The unpredictability of what song will play next on the radio is thrilling. It is not some playlist which we know by heart. There are days I am swept away because each song played is a favourite. From Guide, Amar Prem, Teesri Manzil... I remember the other programmes like Man Chahe Geet, Fauji Bhaiyon Ke Liye, and Manoranjan. I always waited to know song what the fauji bhai from Jhumri Talaiya would request this time. Sometimes, the film song programmes had a theme. On Independence Day and Republic Day there were stirring patriotic songs. Sometimes they played songs from a particular music director or a film director, or a film star. So when it was Guru Dutt, Geeta Dutt’s mellifluous voice filled the air. Dev Anand meant songs from Guide, Hare Rama Hare Krishna and Asli Naqli and S.D. Burman meant some more heaven. Bhoole Bisre Geet, Chaya Geet...
“We finished dinner by 9.00 p.m. just so that no one had to get up and go into the kitchen while Binaca Geetmala was on,” says Rani who says they also had certain chores that were done only while sitting in front of the radio. She remembers Geeton Bhari Kahahi and other radio skits on Hawa Mahal. Even now, when she is alone, Rani puts on the radio full blast. “I feel there is someone else with me at home,” she says.
Binaca Geetmalastarted in 1952 and Ameen Sayani curated the programme until 1988 when it shifted from Radio Ceylon to Vividh Bharti.
Sales of records and listeners votes decided which song made it to the top. The first Sar Taj Geet was ‘Yeh Zindagi Usiki Hai’ (Anarkali) sung by Lata Mangeshkar. The year Raju was born it was ‘Hai Apna Dil To Awaara’ (Solva Saal) sung by Hemant Kumar. The year I was born it was ‘Teri Pyari Pyari Surat Ko’ (Sasural), sung by Mohammed Rafi. In 1988, when it was still Binaca Geetmala from Radio Ceylon, the top song was ‘Papa Kehte Hain’ (Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak) sung by Udit Narayan. That was also the year my son was born. | http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/on-a-nostalgia-trip-with-the-vividh-bharti-app/article9036224.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/acf4dad5b8ef17bacc4c745b1e816506652ad44b77b6089139cbd62027f6e093.json |
[
"Shivam Patel"
] | 2016-08-28T04:50:46 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | A nodal officer with single-point contact will be deputed by the department of culture and education to address the grievances of students from the north-east in Maharashtra, said Vinod Tawde, Minist | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2Fmumbai%2Fnews%2Fmaharashtra-to-appoint-nodal-officer-for-northeast-students%2Farticle9040882.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02988/28BM_NORTH-EAST_FE_2988977c.jpg | en | null | Maharashtra to appoint nodal officer for north-east students | null | null | www.thehindu.com | SHOWCASING CULTURE: The festival was attended by the representatives of the North Eastern Council, the government of Arunachal Pradesh, and Union Minister of State, Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju. Photo: Arunangsu Roy Chowdhury
North-eastern cultural festival offers exhibitions and dance performances
A nodal officer with single-point contact will be deputed by the department of culture and education to address the grievances of students from the north-east in Maharashtra, said Vinod Tawde, Minister of Culture, Higher and Technical Education on Saturday.
The announcement came at a north-eastern cultural festival, which was attended by the representatives of the North Eastern Council, the government of Arunachal Pradesh, and Union Minister of State, Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju.
Mr. Rijiju said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it mandatory for Central ministers to go to the interiors of the north-east. To a question about how the introduction of a draft bill in Manipur, which regulates the entry and exit of non-locals, will affect tourism, the minister said the problem will be dealt with smoothly. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu spoke about the tourism opportunities in the State and explained the cultures and traditions that the north-east offers.
Among the highlights at the festival were ethnic handicraft and textile exhibitions, food stalls, traditional dance performances, and music gigs by contemporary bands of the region. All the eight States: Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Nagaland and Manipur, participated in the festival.
Tourism industry in Sikkim is likely to get a boost with the construction of an airport at Pakyong, which will be operational by June next year.
Speaking to The Hindu, C. Zangpo, secretary of tourism and civil aviation department, Sikkim, said 95 per cent of the construction is complete and once the airport starts operating, over 10 lakh tourists are expected, which is 25 per cent more than the present count of 7.5 lakh. “We are developing the infrastructure to accommodate the tourists along side the construction of the airport. We are also planning to develop yoga centres in the forests and promote nature, adventure and eco-tourism.”
Famous among trekkers, the northern region of Sikkim will now be available to foreign tourists on basis of a pass. “The pass can be obtained from our tourism centres and will be valid for 15 days for international tourists. Domestic tourists do not have a limit for the same,” Mr. Zangpo added.
The writer is an intern at The Hindu | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/news/maharashtra-to-appoint-nodal-officer-for-northeast-students/article9040882.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/6f87fbaa31168ed38c575399d9522c6551a9d1bf08ee919c72079ef62a86f1ee.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-28T04:51:07 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Accusing Tamil Nadu of making a petition before the Supreme Court seeking release of Cauvery water on the basis of a normal water year’s statistics, though Karnataka is reeling under “severe distress | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2Fbangalore%2Fcauvery-row-state-to-place-facts-on-distress-before-sc%2Farticle9041627.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02989/CAUVERYTH_2989443c.jpg | en | null | Cauvery row: State to place facts on ‘distress’ before SC | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Union Minister H.N. Ananth Kumar and Leader of Opposition in Parliament M. Mallikarjuna Kharge sharing a lighter moment at the all party meeting on the Cauvery water issue at Vidhana Soudha on Saturday. Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
Accuses T.N. of calculating water share based on normal year’s statistics
Accusing Tamil Nadu of making a petition before the Supreme Court seeking release of Cauvery water on the basis of a normal water year’s statistics, though Karnataka is reeling under “severe distress”, an all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah here on Saturday has decided to place “ground realities before the Supreme Court”.
“Tamil Nadu has not informed the Supreme Court about facts such as Karnataka facing severe distress, leading to its reservoirs in the Cauvery basin receiving only 55 per cent of the normal inflow. We have decided to convince the Supreme Court about Karnataka’s distress. Our legal team will take up the issue before the apex court,” Mr. Siddaramaiah told media persons after the meeting.
“Tamil Nadu has sought 50 tmcft of water in its petition filed before the Supreme Court on the basis of the normal water year’s statistics. But, the ground reality is that Karnataka has a total storage of only 51 tmcft as against the capacity of 104 tmcft from Krishnaraja Sagar, Kabini, Hemavathi, and Harangi reservoirs in the Cauvery basin owing to deficient rainfall,” he said.
“Of 51 tmcft, we need a minimum of 40 tmcft for drinking water requirements alone,” he said, pointing out that Tamil Nadu was seeking water for irrigating samba crop.
He noted that Karnataka had to protect the standing crops of its farmers.
A government release added that only 8 per cent of the normal paddy-growing belt of 63,000 hectares had taken up transplantation this year.
Many yet to take up sowing
Nearly 52 per cent of area in Cauvery basin was yet to take up sowing.
Mr. Siddaramaiah explained that cumulative inflow to all the four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin stood at a poor 108.26 tmcft till August 24, as against the long-time average of 195.12 tmcft. This would amount to only 55 per cent of the average inflow, he said.
The Chief Minister also denied reports that the State legal team had asked Karnataka to release 4 to 5 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu, and said Karnataka had already released 29 tmcft to the neighbouring State.
“As of today, Mettur dam in Tamil Nadu has a total storage of 34 tmcft,” he said.
The all-party meeting was attended by top leaders, including Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Union Ministers Ananth Kumar, D.V. Sadananda Gowda, the former Chief Ministers M. Veerappa Moily and H.D. Kumaraswamy, and Leaders of the Opposition in both legislature houses Jagadish Shettar and K.S. Eshwarappa. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/cauvery-row-state-to-place-facts-on-distress-before-sc/article9041627.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/3502c23ef45d3135f290af04bd0d5f628f1809de33bde208040ddb9a93f0a93b.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-30T08:53:25 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | JIPMER, which has been performing kidney, cornea and liver transplants, has been granted licence by the Centre for undertaking cadaveric tissue transplantation.JIPMER was provided with the Centre’s ce | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2Fpuducherry%2Fjipmer-gets-licence-for-cadaveric-tissue-transplants%2Farticle9048708.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | JIPMER gets licence for cadaveric tissue transplants | null | null | www.thehindu.com | JIPMER, which has been performing kidney, cornea and liver transplants, has been granted licence by the Centre for undertaking cadaveric tissue transplantation.
JIPMER was provided with the Centre’s certified ‘Brain Death Committee’ to declare a patient ‘Brain-Dead’ (with the heart, lungs, kidney and other vital organs still functioning). Only such patients can be considered eligible for cadaveric organ and tissue transplantation.
A JIPMER press note said that there were many patients who had lost their vital tissues like skin, bones, soft tissues, digits, hands, limbs, ear, nose or face following an accident, burns (acid/fire), cancer, surgery and are unable to perform vital functions. These patients can get benefited by transplantation of these tissues from recently expired patients to live patients in need. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/jipmer-gets-licence-for-cadaveric-tissue-transplants/article9048708.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/7159a4c61bb0faee3be77e29c83b6425e9440522d1f1f780172b1c3f161c9f56.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T10:51:53 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Taking forward its deal to acquire Goldman Sachs’ mutual fund business in India, Reliance Capital Asset Management has begun the process of merging the schemes of global giant with itself. Reliance C | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fbusiness%2FIndustry%2Freliance-mf-begins-merger-with-goldman-mf-schemes%2Farticle9055367.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Reliance MF begins merger with Goldman MF schemes | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Taking forward its deal to acquire Goldman Sachs’ mutual fund business in India, Reliance Capital Asset Management has begun the process of merging the schemes of global giant with itself.
Reliance Capital Asset Management, in October 2015, announced takeover of global giant Goldman Sachs’ mutual fund business in India for Rs. 243 crore in an all-cash deal.
Goldman Sachs MF has 12 schemes in operation and would transfer them to Reliance MF.
Some of the schemes offered by Goldman Sachs MF will be merged with Reliance MF, while it will change the name of some other schemes.
Upon the completion of the deal, Goldman Sachs MF will transfer its right to manage the schemes to Reliance MF and they will become an integral part of Reliance MF, Goldman Sachs MF said in a public announcement.
Reliance Capital is the financial services arm of Anil Ambani-led business conglomerate Reliance Group and is also present in insurance, brokerage and wealth management among other areas.
Reliance MF is one of the largest mutual funds in the country with Rs. 1.67 lakh crore worth of assets under management at the end of June.
In order to avoid the existence of similar schemes, Goldman Sachs CNX 500 Fund and Goldman Sachs India Equity Fund will be merged with Reliance Index Fund and Reliance Equity Opportunities Fund respectively.
“Post completion of the transaction, the schemes will be managed by a team of professionals guided by Reliance MF,” Goldman Sachs MF said. | http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/reliance-mf-begins-merger-with-goldman-mf-schemes/article9055367.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/fc2e1f518fe8fafabf37cf677d34bb19632d21c58b06803746e81c2d99389590.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-27T02:52:33 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | The Kerala High Court on Friday imposed a conditional stay on the government order asking the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations to make admission to all seats, including management and NRI seats | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fkerala%2Fkerala-hc-stays-govt-order-on-medical-seats%2Farticle9037556.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02988/KERALAHC_2988412c.jpg | en | null | Kerala HC stays govt. order on medical seats | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Managements should make admissions from NEET rank list to MBBS and BDS courses, says court
The Kerala High Court on Friday imposed a conditional stay on the government order asking the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations to make admission to all seats, including management and NRI seats, in all self-financing medical and dental colleges in the State.
A Bench headed by Justice K. Surendra Mohan issued the injunction on a batch of writ petitions filed by the Kerala Christian Professional College Managements’ Federation, Muslim Educational Society (MES), and other self-financing medical and dental colleges challenging the government order.
The court imposed the condition that the managements should make the admissions from the rank list of the National Eligibility-Cum- Entrance Test (NEET) conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education for admission to the MBBS/BDS courses. The court made it clear that the admission should be made inter se on the basis of merit from among the applications received by each college.
Court’s instructions
The court directed the management of each college to submit the prospectus for the approval of the Admission Supervisory and Fee Regulatory Commission. The Commission should complete the approval process within three days from the submission of the prospectus. Details of the prospects and applications should be uploaded on the websites of the respective colleges. Counsel for the managements argued that admission could not be made to management seats on the basis of the list of candidates from the NEET rank list prepared by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations.
They submitted that the government decision was nothing but reintroduction of Section 3 of the Kerala Professional Colleges or Institutions (Prohibition of Capitation Fee, Regulation of Admission, Fixation of Non-exploitative Fee and Other Measures to Ensure Equity and Excellence in Professional Education) Act, which had been struck down as unconstitutional by a Division Bench of the High Court. Section 3 had provided that admissions to all seats in professional colleges other than NRI seats be made through centralised counselling based on State Common Entrance Test.
The managements said the government had reportedly taken the decision on the basis of a Central government directive. They contended that in the letter, the Centre had only stated that it was “desirable” to have a centralised allotment by the State government.
The federation had pointed out that seats in colleges under the federation were being filled up as per an agreement between the managements and the State government. The three-year agreement from 2015 enabled 50 per cent of seats to be filled by the State and the rest by managements. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kerala-hc-stays-govt-order-on-medical-seats/article9037556.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/13cf3abc93bfa32c36094e09e649341d78f49d1441d644fc4c1601c7ffb121f3.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-31T10:56:33 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | The State has been a pioneer in implementing programmes aimed at improving human lives and empowering the people, and the quest for 100 per cent e-literacy is reflective of that drive, Vice President | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FThiruvananthapuram%2Fcall-for-steps-to-bridge-digital-divide%2Farticle9053051.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02993/30tvrkr03-Ansar_31_2993175c.jpg | en | null | Call for steps to bridge digital divide | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presenting a memento made of paddy spikes to Vice President M. Hamid Ansari at Kanakakkunnu Palace in the city on Tuesday. GovernorP. Sathasivam looks on.— Photo: S. Gopakumar
The State has been a pioneer in implementing programmes aimed at improving human lives and empowering the people, and the quest for 100 per cent e-literacy is reflective of that drive, Vice President M. Hamid Ansari has said.
He was speaking after inaugurating the digital library initiative of the P.N. Panicker Vigyan Vikas Kendra as part of the second phase of its total e-literacy programme.
The Internet, the Vice-President said, was a tool to help improve livelihoods and provide economic and social opportunities, particularly in rural areas. However, poor and marginalised communities also faced huge challenges in overcoming the digital divide, and were at risk of more exclusion. It was therefore important to integrate information and communications technology (ICT) into economic and social development projects.
The penetration of Internet, both conventional and mobile, had been increasing in the country. The mobile platform especially had helped make it accessible to a large number of people. This underscored the need to make people e-literate, especially since many services aimed at them were available on the ICT platform. In fact, the lack of e-literacy skills seemed more debilitating than basic literacy skills, Mr. Ansari said.
Mr. Ansari lauded the efforts of the P.N. Panicker Vigyan Vikas Kendra towards making Kerala the first e-literate State in the country. Governor P. Sathasivam said the need was to popularise digital literacy.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the government had taken up the onerous task of achieving total e-literacy, but along with its efforts, there was need for informal attempts to achieve the same. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/call-for-steps-to-bridge-digital-divide/article9053051.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/d5ff5827d5dcc1f1950c4472f9c08c88dc34799ca9bbc7999625b04cf036a483.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-30T10:55:36 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | In a boost to India’s diplomatic outreach for the Bay of Bengal economic zone, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh will participate in the October 15-16 BRICS-BIMSTEC event. Confirmation of Ms. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Finternational%2Fboost-for-bimstec-meet%2Farticle9046647.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Boost for BIMSTEC meet | null | null | www.thehindu.com | In a boost to India’s diplomatic outreach for the Bay of Bengal economic zone, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh will participate in the October 15-16 BRICS-BIMSTEC event. Confirmation of Ms. Hasina’s participation came from her Economic Adviser, Dr. Masihur Rahman on Monday. Sri Lankan diplomats indicated that President Maithripala Sirisena will also attend the event, which has received a confirmation from Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.
Please Wait while comments are loading... | http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/boost-for-bimstec-meet/article9046647.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/5b8e1dd6c80953da728757aabcd7d756d9069994aa3d5d8dba19adc7e1b6dacf.json |
[
"Varghese K. George"
] | 2016-08-30T22:55:33 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Huma Abedin has shared the spotlight with her boss Hillary Clinton for two decades. She has also taken a share of the sniper attacks targeted at her boss, but a new scandal surrounding her husband an | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Finternational%2Fhillary-aide-huma-abedin-is-trumps-latest-target%2Farticle9051297.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02992/Hillary_2992606c.jpg | en | null | Hillary aide Huma Abedin is Trump’s latest target | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Abedin announced separation from her husband on Monday after a scandal.
Huma Abedin has shared the spotlight with her boss Hillary Clinton for two decades. She has also taken a share of the sniper attacks targeted at her boss, but a new scandal surrounding her husband and revelations regarding her role as a bridge between the Clinton Foundation and the U.S. State Department have put the 40-year old in the eye of the campaign storm.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attacked Ms. Abedin, raking up her religion in coded messaging on Monday. Ms. Abedin’s father, an Indian Muslim and a scholar of Islam and Muslim societies, died when she was 17, and her mother, born in Pakistan, is a university teacher in Saudi Arabia.
A day after she announced separation from her husband, former Congressman Anthony Weiner, Ms. Abedin became the target of Mr. Trump. Ms. Abedin’s announcement followed a New York Post report late on Sunday that Mr. Weiner recently sent photos of his boxer-brief-clad genitals — one while he was in bed with their toddler son — via Twitter to another woman.
Ms. Abedin has become the alter ego of Ms. Clinton over the last two decades. She speaks on Ms. Clinton’s behalf. Ms. Clinton has spoken effusively about the skill and grace of her aide. Ms. Abedin joined Ms. Clinton as an intern in 1996 when the latter was the First Lady. Ms. Abedin is one of the most influential figures in the Clinton inner circle and for that and more reasons, an easy target for Mr. Trump.
“You know, by the way, take a look at where she worked, by the way, and take a look at where her mother worked and works. You take a look at the whole event,” said Mr. Trump.
“But in the case of Anthony Weiner, she’s married to a guy that is uncontrolled and uncontrollable. He’s a sick person. And she has access to classified information. Huma Abedin has access to classified information. How Hillary got away with that one, nobody will ever know. But to think that it’s very likely that much of this information Anthony Weiner would know about. And I think it’s something that was terrible,” he added.
Ms. Abedin’s father Syed Z. Abedin founded the Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs in California and started Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs.
Ms. Abedin is a practicing Muslim and in 2012, she was targeted for her faith by a group of five Republican members of Congress. Ms. Abedin’s association with the magazine, a peer reviewed journal, was portrayed as her association with Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist extremists. Republican Senator John McCain came out in open support of Ms. Abedin then, calling her a “friend.”
“Huma represents what is best about America: the daughter of immigrants, who has risen to the highest levels of our government on the basis of her substantial personal merit and her abiding commitment to the American ideals that she embodies so fully,” Mr. McCain had said then. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/hillary-aide-huma-abedin-is-trumps-latest-target/article9051297.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/c55a1cf90944d8fdf89a162e4fd6383338577830ae8451510a04794dbdbe9c29.json |
[
"S. Vijay Kumar"
] | 2016-08-31T10:54:19 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | The national crime data for the year 2015 released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Tuesday has once again ranked Chennai as the safest city among the metros.While Chennai reported 13,42 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2Fchennai%2Fchennai-safest-among-metros%2Farticle9052565.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02993/TH31_City-Crime_TH_2993025c.jpg | en | null | Chennai safest among metros | null | null | www.thehindu.com | However, city tainted by highest number of sexual offences against children
The national crime data for the year 2015 released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Tuesday has once again ranked Chennai as the safest city among the metros.
While Chennai reported 13,422 crimes and accounted for 2 per cent of the national crime scene, Delhi (city) topped the list with 1,73,947 crimes and contributed 25.7 per cent to the overall crime rate in the country.
With a population of 87 lakh people, the lowest among the four metros, Chennai emerged the safest place for women with the least number of rapes, dowry deaths, assaults and sexual abuse. The city reported just eight complaints of voyeurism and stalking compared to 941 and 341 cases in Delhi and Mumbai respectively.
On the grave crimes front, Delhi topped the list while Chennai was just after Mumbai to take the third place. The city reported 352 cases of murder and attempts to murder cases last year. Chennai registered 1,052 thefts, 338 robbery cases and 37 kidnapping/abduction complaints.
However, the city had its share of disgrace when it came to sexual offences against children. Chennai topped the four metros with 137 cases booked under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. While Kolkata and Delhi reported 91 and 70 cases respectively, Mumbai had just one case booked under the Act.
In cases of counterfeit currency too, Chennai was on the top with 70 cases.
A series of sensational crimes, particularly the gruesome murder of Infosys techie Swathi at Nungambakkam railway station drew sharp criticism from political parties and the civil society The unprecedented theft of Rs. 5.75 crore soiled but usable currency from a train that reached Chennai last month was another robbery that put police in a tight corner.
Chennai Police Commissioner T.K. Rajendran said the declining rate of crimes was not only due to the effective policing but the law-abiding nature of the people. Some of the grave offences reported in recent times were mostly passion crimes or murders due to personal animosity where police could do little to prevent. But the accused in those cases were brought to book at the earliest.
‘Time-tested strategy’
“We have an efficient and time-tested strategy when it comes to maintenance of Law & Order and crime prevention. Gangsters with serious criminal antecedents have either reformed or fled the city. We have almost put an end to organised crimes and rowdyism. Our endeavour is to make the city a safe place for the people, particularly women, children and senior citizens and we have been able to accomplish it to the extent possible,” he said.
On the POCSO Act cases, he said that the increasing number of cases booked under the Act only reflected the level of awareness among the people and the confidence they had in the police. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chennai-safest-among-metros/article9052565.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/824125e9a773bd097c6b67eda73a77c7fa1837e320f988a5e82b98baebbb3f2e.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-27T03:00:14 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Five decades ago, members of a royal family from Greece met Kanchi Paramcharya Chandrashekarendra Saraswati at Machilipatnam in the district. The family came as seekers of truth. The spiritual voyage | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FVijayawada%2Fkanchi-mutt-means-the-world-to-them%2Farticle9035034.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02987/25VJGVR2_Prince_26_2987047c.jpg | en | null | Kanchi mutt means the world to them | null | null | www.thehindu.com | After members of a royal family from Greece met Kanchi Paramacharya Chandrashekarendra Saraswati at Machilipatnam, five decades ago.
Five decades ago, members of a royal family from Greece met Kanchi Paramcharya Chandrashekarendra Saraswati at Machilipatnam in the district. The family came as seekers of truth. The spiritual voyage was supremely worthwhile. Since then, the family has continued to attend the programmes being organised by the Kanchi mutt all these years.
Clad in maroon red saree and vermilion on her forehead, Princess Irene, recollected, “We met Paramacharya 50 years ago at Machilipatnam. I am glad to visit Andhra Pradesh again.”
Recounting that they came to know about the greatness of Indian philosophy through Indian philosopher TMP Mahadevan, Ms. Irene said that her family has been organising seminars and meetings on philosophy for the last five decades. The Vedas and Indian philosophy alone could show path of peace to the world. The Vedas were a rich source of knowledge. The Vedas belong to everyone. The Vedic life was above caste, region, religion and country. World peace can be achieved by following Vedic life, she said, adding one can see god in every human being if he or she sheds ego.
Protect the cow: Vijayendra Saraswati
Kanchi junior pontiff Vijayendra Saraswati said that the Vedas contained essence of every faith. It was the duty of every citizen to protect the cow, he said. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/kanchi-mutt-means-the-world-to-them/article9035034.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/6a79eb71e58f45bdc80210051c2b38b9598edf411d611187bb17bcc29a97bfc8.json |
[
"Rishikesh Bahadur Desai"
] | 2016-08-26T20:55:10 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | The government seems to have got into an avoidable controversy with its plans to build the district office complex away from the city. The plan to build the complex on a hill top in Mamankeri village | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fkarnataka%2Flocation-of-district-office-creates-controversy%2Farticle9032680.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Location of district office creates controversy | null | null | www.thehindu.com | The government seems to have got into an avoidable controversy with its plans to build the district office complex away from the city. The plan to build the complex on a hill top in Mamankeri village has some organisations saying the location is too far away and difficult to access.
Bidar is among the last districts to get a complex where all important offices are located.
A piece of land near the Gurudwara was identified in 2014 and sent to the State government for approval. This formed the basis of the plan developed by the Karnataka Housing Board for the one lakh square ft building. The special cabinet of the State government held in Kalaburagi approved the site and sanctioned Rs. 48 crore for a building that would house both the DC and the ZP offices. However, work did not begin as the district administration decided to change the location.
The Bidar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the Bar Association have opposed it saying it will be difficult for people to go to the DC office on a daily basis. “Petitioners, advocates and the common people will have to get down Navadgeri hill and climb up Mamankeri hill to reach the DC office. It will be a nuisance, said B.G. Shetkar, BCCI president. These organisations have threatened agitations if the government finalises the location as Mamankeri.
“Moving the DC office out of the city is a ploy by officers to avoid protests in front of their office,” says former MLA Zulfikar Hashmi. “A distant office will mean lesser people will visit it, turning it into a den for agents, like the RTO office,” Mr. Hashmi said.
The Office of the Regional Commissioner has raised objections against the project. A letter from Amlan Aditya Biswas, RC, has pointed out that the land has been classified as forest land and can not be used for non-forest purposes. He has also pointed out that part of the land was Waqf land, belonging to a dargah. He has also sought reasons for rejecting the earlier site near Chikpet.
“The soil on the mountain is not as strong in other areas,” said an engineer who was engaged in preparing the layout plan. “The mountain is a landfill mound, which has soil deposited during the construction or repair of the fort in the Behmani or Nizam period. We therefore need a pile foundation of 30 ft that will cost around Rs. 6-8 crore to set up. Secondly, the water table in Mamankeri is not shallow. The office complex will need a lot of water and will have to depend on piped supply from the city. This is not feasible,” he said.
Eshwar Khandre, district in-charge Minister, is said to be backing the project as he wants it to be completed during the Congress government’s tenure. “We have not come to a final decision on the location so far,” he told The Hindu.
Anurag Tewari, deputy commissioner, defends the choice. “It will be a green building, generating its own solar energy and harvesting rain water,” he said. He said issues of the land being forest or Waqf land have been resolved. We have found documents that say it is not forest land. We will plan the building in such a way that the Waqf land is avoided, he said. Moving the office complex away from the city will lead to development of the city in that direction. More over, it will be the most beautiful district office complex in the State, he said. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/location-of-district-office-creates-controversy/article9032680.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/b889dab725e004fe76e2639241aaaf18c3433f7b22a16c2435af471716c04bf9.json |
[
"K. S. Sudhi"
] | 2016-08-31T10:57:56 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Vast swathes of mangrove vegetation are fast disappearing in Kerala as a proposal for declaring some of the rare and threatened vegetations in two districts as Ecologically Fragile Land have been los | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FKochi%2Fmove-to-notify-private-mangrove-lands-in-limbo%2Farticle9051039.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Move to notify private mangrove lands in limbo | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Vast swathes of mangrove vegetation are fast disappearing in Kerala as a proposal for declaring some of the rare and threatened vegetations in two districts as Ecologically Fragile Land have been lost in wilderness.
The proposal was to notify vegetation on private holdings in Kollam and Thrissur by invoking the provisions of the Kerala Forests (Vesting and management of ecologically fragile lands) Act. The ecologically fragile land vested in the government will also be deemed as reserved forests constituted under the Kerala Forest Act.
Incidentally, the Maharashtra government has notified 15,087.6 hectares of mangrove vegetation on government holdings as reserved forest. It has also proposed to transfer the land to the State Forest Department for its protection and conservation.
A legislative committee on environment, headed by Palode Ravi, had prioritised the holdings after inspecting the sites and recommended that the holdings shall be notified invoking Sec 4 of the Act.
Though a subcommittee formed by the State Forest Department, as instructed by the legislative committee, had recommended to notify 100 hectares rare and threatened mangrove vegetation in two districts one year ago, the proposal has not materialised, thus exposing the vulnerable vegetation to anthropogenic pressures.
In Kerala, the proposal was to acquire the tracts in the two districts and attach them to the existing nearly 2,500-hectare ecologically fragile land, and thus ensure its protection and conservation.
A panel headed by P. Sujanapal, a scientist of the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Thrissur, had identified the vegetation in Munro Island, Vincent and adjacent Islands in the Neendakara region, Aayiramthengu and Aalumpadi-Pottasseri stretches in Kollam district to be acquired.
In Thrissur, the panel recommended that the stretches near Thachappilly bridge area, Pullut, Chettuva, Gurusree-Kodungalloor road-Pullut and Kodunglloor shall be acquired immediately and conservation measures initiated.
The locations were identified after considering the ecological importance of the species and the anthropogenic pressures faced by them, Dr. Sujanapal said.
Many parts of Kollam were experiencing drastic degradation and conversion of mangrove habitats. The large-scale anthropogenic interferences have resulted in fragmentation of most of the mangrove areas and it has become difficult to demarcate a patch of pure mangrove vegetation, he said.
T.P. Narayanan Kutty, the custodian of Ecologically Fragile Land of the Kerala Forest Department, said the recommendations to notify any EFL will have to be considered by a 12-memner committee of senior forest officials and two legislators. The department has written to the Sate government to nominate two legislators as the term of the earlier members expired, he said. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/move-to-notify-private-mangrove-lands-in-limbo/article9051039.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/ffd6dfa9839a0da147cb0a5aaa877f0cdc112ef2b02b9ab0c6bd7903421d3d26.json |
[
"Somesh Jha"
] | 2016-08-26T18:51:12 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | With less than a week to go for a nationwide one-day strike called by trade unions, the Centre is likely to announce the acceptance of a few of their demands, including granting social security benef | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fbusiness%2FEconomy%2Fcentre-likely-to-announce-labour-sops-ahead-of-strike%2Farticle9037001.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02987/TH27_BU_ANGANWADI_2987634c.jpg | en | null | Centre likely to announce labour sops ahead of strike | null | null | www.thehindu.com | The process of increasing minimum wages for workers may be expedited
With less than a week to go for a nationwide one-day strike called by trade unions, the Centre is likely to announce the acceptance of a few of their demands, including granting social security benefits to anganwadi workers, raising the minimum pension to Rs.2,000 a month for EPF members and revising the minimum wage in the next few days.
The Centre has agreed in-principle to provide social security benefits to around 95 lakh anganwadi workers, top labour ministry officials said. “We will bring necessary labour law amendments to extend provident fund and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation benefits to anganwadi workers,” the official said, on condition of anonymity.
The Labour Ministry is also likely to consider an increase in minimum pension from Rs.1,000 per month to Rs.2,000 per month, another labour ministry official said.
Some of these measures will likely be discussed at the Council of Ministers meeting, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Centre will also expedite the process of increasing minimum wages for the organised workers. The central advisory board on minimum wages, headed by Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, is likely to meet next week to discuss the possibilities of increasing the minimum wages of workers to Rs.10,350 per month, as demanded by RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS). At present, the minimum monthly income for workers varies between Rs.3,500 and Rs.10,000 in different states.
The Finance Ministry will also soon issue an executive order for implementation of the Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Act which seeks to increase bonus payment to workers. Many industry units in various states had moved their respective high courts to protest the retrospective amendment to the Act. Following the stay orders in various states, the Centre has moved the Supreme Court to challenge the directive, officials said.
The new law doubled the bonus payout calculations and raised the eligibility ceiling to cover employees earning Rs.21,000 a month, compared to Rs.10,000 per month, earlier. Passed by Parliament in December 2015, it was made applicable from April 2014 instead of April 2015. | http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/centre-likely-to-announce-labour-sops-ahead-of-strike/article9037001.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/6fbe15cca20c70df909de50b5c5fcd04c52215136c0692bab4854164e097a688.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T14:50:33 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Kimi Raikkonen set the pace for Ferrari in the final practice session for Sunday's Belgian Formula One Grand Prix.The Finn, four-time winner at Spa-Francorchamps, lapped the track in one minute 47.97 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fsport%2Fother-sports%2Fbelgian-formula-one-grand-prix-motorracing-kimi-raikkonen-fastest-in-final-belgian-gp-practice%2Farticle9040358.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02988/RAIKKONEN_2988678c.jpg | en | null | Raikkonen fastest in final Belgian GP practice | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Hamilton heads into the weekend gunning to become only the third driver ever to take 50 career wins.
Kimi Raikkonen set the pace for Ferrari in the final practice session for Sunday's Belgian Formula One Grand Prix.
The Finn, four-time winner at Spa-Francorchamps, lapped the track in one minute 47.974 seconds on a hot and sweltering morning.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo carried over Red Bull's strong form from Friday's practice sessions to take second, 0.215 seconds behind.
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel was third, with Ferrari, which struggled in the uncharacteristically hot temperatures on Friday, looking more competitive ahead of qualifying.
Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, who took on a third fresh power unit ahead of the hour-long session, was fifth.
The Briton is set to start Sunday's race dead last after being hit with a cumulative 55-place grid penalty and, like Friday, spent most of the session on refining his Mercedes' long-run pace.
Like teammate Nico Rosberg, who was seventh, Hamilton went out for a final blast on the fastest super-soft tyres in the dying minutes of the session.
Dutchman Max Verstappen, for whom this race is the closest he has to a home event, was only able to drive two laps in front of his legions of orange-clad supporters without setting a time.
The 18-year-old, who ended Friday's opening day of practice on top of the timsheets, was sidelined with problems with his Red Bull's gearbox, with the team investigating the issues.
Hamilton heads into the weekend gunning to become only the third driver ever to take 50 career wins.
The triple champion has won six of the last seven races, four of those in succession, and leads Rosberg by 19 points in the standings. | http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/belgian-formula-one-grand-prix-motorracing-kimi-raikkonen-fastest-in-final-belgian-gp-practice/article9040358.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/fa137aac80f083112796ace389b14363edb82f80d4147485aa16347fc8503af6.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-29T20:55:27 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Saturday foiled an attempt to smuggle foreign currency worth over Rs.92 lakh from Chennai to Singapore through the Tiruchi airport.The off | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2Fchennai%2Fbid-to-smuggle-foreign-currency-foiled%2Farticle9044845.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Bid to smuggle foreign currency foiled | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Saturday foiled an attempt to smuggle foreign currency worth over Rs.92 lakh from Chennai to Singapore through the Tiruchi airport.
The officials got specific intelligence input about the smuggling of foreign currency by a Chennai-based passenger, who was a frequent flier in that segment.
Early on Saturday, the passenger arrived at the Chennai airport and boarded the specific flight en route to Singapore.
DRI officers mounted an intensive surveillance on the movements of the passenger and intercepted him at the Tiruchi airport.
The Additional Director General of DRI said in a press release that officers identified the suspect sitting on the plane after a coordinated and deep surveillance and followed him when the flight landed at Tiruchi.
Upon examination of his hand baggage, the officers stumbled upon the foreign currency, including Euros and Swiss Francs, with a total value of Rs.92 lakh concealed in the bottom portion of the two stroller bags. He added that the officers seized the currency and the bags.
As the passenger was found to be carrying goods worth more than Rs.20 lakh, he was arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act and was subsequently released on bail. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/bid-to-smuggle-foreign-currency-foiled/article9044845.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/c7856653b41414b6102ebb245fef769f652de572f3ef6d2c25a2cfe0e7bb373e.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-28T14:53:01 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Two Nigerians were arrested by Cyber Crime officials of the Cyberabad police for cheating a person on the pretext of getting her a job with Qatar Airways. The accused made the complainant deposit Rs. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FHyderabad%2Ftwo-nigerians-cheat-woman%2Farticle9040932.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Two Nigerians cheat woman | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Two Nigerians were arrested by Cyber Crime officials of the Cyberabad police for cheating a person on the pretext of getting her a job with Qatar Airways. The accused made the complainant deposit Rs.2.25 lakh in different accounts in a span of a fortnight, after which she realised that it was a scam and lodged a complaint.
According to the Cyberabad police, the accused are Umeadi Valentine Chigozie (32) and Micheal Jemes (30), who were staying in New Delhi at Gurudwara Road, Mandawali. They sent an email to the complainant on January 15 , stating that there is a job vacancy at Qatar Airways. The duo told her that she would be paid a good salary.
On the same evening, they made a phone call to the victim and asked her to deposit Rs.25,500 as visa charges and also gave her a bank account number. Like that, the woman had deposited Rs.2.25 lakh in a matter of two weeks in different accounts, after the scamsters had told her to do so on one pretext or another.
Sensing that she was being cheated, the victim approached the Cyber Crime Department and lodged a complaint on August 8. After arresting the accused, the police seized 52 sim cards, three laptops, five mobile phones and two data cards from them. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/two-nigerians-cheat-woman/article9040932.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/ae42a233faa14526c9ba16296dd4e4d5872d77addd23a22bd1542d11a7fd0978.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-31T02:54:59 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | : The Central government is expected to make an announcement on Special Category Status and special package to Andhra Pradesh soon.According to Union Minister Y. Satyanarayana (Sujana) Chowdary, the P | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FHyderabad%2Fannouncement-on-scs-package-soon-sujana%2Farticle9052922.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Announcement on SCS, package soon: Sujana | null | null | www.thehindu.com | “Prime Minister’s Office in the process of preparing draft on assurances given to AP at the time of bifurcation”
: The Central government is expected to make an announcement on Special Category Status and special package to Andhra Pradesh soon.
According to Union Minister Y. Satyanarayana (Sujana) Chowdary, the Prime Minister’s Office is in the process of preparing a draft on SCS as well as other assurances given to the State at the time of bifurcation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make an announcement on the issue after obtaining legal opinion once the draft is finalised.
Mr. Chowdary was speaking after participating in a meeting attended by BJP national president Amit Shah and Union Ministers M. Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley. The meeting, which lasted about two hours, was convened to review the situation in A.P. and chalk out the course of action that should be adopted to fulfil the assurances given to the State. The meeting comes in the light of the Central government’s assurance to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu that concentration would henceforth be on the implementation of the promises made to the State on the floor of Parliament. The Centre had, in the past, promised that crucial decisions pertaining to the State would be taken after duly consulting the latter.
Polavaram project
In addition to SCS and packages assured to the State, the discussion centred on the release of funds for the Polavaram project, declared as a national project, and creation of a separate railway zone for the new State with Visakhapatnam as headquarters. Later, Mr. Sujana Chowdary was closeted with Mr. Jaitley for half an hour where he is understood to have highlighted the aspirations of the people of Andhra Pradesh where SCS has become an emotional issue. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/announcement-on-scs-package-soon-sujana/article9052922.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/491402c7b0b0d88c9249e7166d99c35a9df07423ffc917bcf392e831307b35f0.json |
[
"Jayant Sriram"
] | 2016-08-27T10:50:06 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | In 1785, Thomas Daniell, 36, and his nephew William Daniell, then a boy aged 16, travelled to India where they would spend the next nine years. The elder Daniell, a landscape painter by profession, ha | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Ffeatures%2Fmagazine%2Fjayant-sriram-on-storyltds-first-online-auction-of-antiquarian-books%2Farticle9036254.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02987/Lot_39_-_ORIENTAL__2987359c.jpg | en | null | Jayant Sriram on StoryLTD's first online auction of antiquarian books | null | null | www.thehindu.com | A collection of 144 aquatints by the famous Daniells was just one of the volumes in a recent antiquarian auction
In 1785, Thomas Daniell, 36, and his nephew William Daniell, then a boy aged 16, travelled to India where they would spend the next nine years. The elder Daniell, a landscape painter by profession, had found it difficult to establish himself in England and was drawn to the East by stories of the wealth and fortune available to travellers who ventured to the British Empire’s provinces there. He obtained permission from the East India Company to travel to Calcutta to work as an engraver, with William as his assistant.
The Daniells crisscrossed India in palanquins, bullock carts and horseback, and upon their return to London in 1974, produced a series of aquatints that were subsequently regarded as the finest illustrated work ever published of India, covering Mughal architecture such as the Jama Masjid in Delhi, mountain landscapes such as those seen in Garwhal along with views of Madras and Calcutta. According to British auction house Christie’s, “The Daniells tapped a vein of nostalgia among colonial administrators, curiosity among European travellers (both active and armchair), and pride among the British for victorious military campaigns there.”
Oriental Scenery, the Daniells’ collection of 144 aquatints across six parts, was the marquee piece in a recent auction of antiquarian books held on August 16 and 17 by Storyltd.com, a platform for fine art and collectibles based out of Mumbai. The six-part series in two volumes sold for Rs. 12 lakh and was part of StoryLTD’s first online auction of antiquarian books.
The auction recorded sales of over Rs. 86 lakh, with 31 of the 51 lots finding buyers. The collection of books on auction, ranging from the 17th century, was curated around the theme of the British Raj in India and several titles contain accounts of travellers in this period who produced lavish colour illustrations and recorded local subjects, sceneries and events.
Other high sellers in the auction were Portraits of Princes and People of India, an important work by English poet and novelist Emily Eden, where she documented the lives of Indian rulers and their families when she accompanied her brother, Lord Auckland, to India when he was Governor General from 1836 to 1842.
Another book, titled Recollections of India by Charles Stewart Hardinge, contains lithographs along with descriptive texts from Punjab and Kashmir as well as portraits of rulers during the time. Other titles sold include Costumes of Hindostan and General Views and Special Points of Interest in the City of Lucknow, making it a pretty eclectic range.
According to a spokesperson from Storyltd.com, the auction of antiquarian books took about a year to curate and follows on from three other collections of books that have gone up for auction in the past year. “The books were collected from antique book dealers and individual collectors across the country. We first put up a call for antiquarian books (books over a 100 years old) a year ago, and we decided that we needed to have a filter because many of the books were very randomly themed. The selection of the British Raj as the time period allowed us to curate an excellent collection,” he said.
The business of buying and preserving antique books is still a nascent one in India but Storyltd.com hopes auctions such as these will allow more people to engage with history in this particularly enjoyable manner. “While some of the books are priced high, we have tried to make a lot of the tiles affordable to people who want to own such vintage works,” the spokesperson said. The prices are decided along with dealers and collectors after comparing prices at which the titles have been sold in auctions abroad, and also looking at the condition of the books.
StoryLtd.com has an exhaustive online catalogue for all the books that went up for auction but it cannot compare to an actual physical viewing of the books at their office in Mumbai’s Prabhadevi area. Hidden within the pages of each beautifully-bound manuscript are snippets of conversation and information that provide a window into the perspectives that once informed conversation in another time.
A book called The Campaign in India, from 1859, for instance, provides a grandiose description of the quelling of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, detailing the exploits of a small and resolute force who fought to maintain the rights of the sovereign and the honour of England as “a remorseless, treacherous and rebellious foe sought to uproot the British Power in India and by acts of deliberately planned ferocity and fiendish cruelty strove to destroy every European and Christian in the Land.”
One of the more fascinating books on display was a two-volume set documenting the experiences of Fanny Parks (nee Frances Susanna Archer) over her 24 years in India, titled Wanderings of a Pilgrim. Her husband, Charles Crawford Parks, worked for the East India Company as a civil servant in Calcutta and then moved to Prayag near Allahabad. Following their move, Parks and her husband travelled extensively across the sub-continent, visiting Kanpur (formerly Cawnpore), Meerut, Delhi, and the Himalayas.
According to the book’s description, she “came into her own as a robust and intrepid explorer, as well as a thorough and competent ethnographer of Indian culture,” and her fluency in Hindustani helped her form friendships with local women such as the ex-queen of Gwalior. Consider this exchange when the two are speaking of the severity of laws with respect to married women and the fate suffered by widows both in India and in England. “The fate of women and of melons is alike,” she remarks. “Whether the melon falls on the knife or the knife on the melon, the melon is the sufferer.”
This is just one snippet but goes to show perhaps what a dream such books are for bibliophiles and history buffs. Not much is known yet about where you can find or buy them, but auctions such as this could be a good place for budding antiquarians to start.
jayant.sriram@thehindu.co.in | http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/jayant-sriram-on-storyltds-first-online-auction-of-antiquarian-books/article9036254.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/119a67adbf804075226646a144da1511a2d511762325854850a3843d9ce750a6.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-30T06:52:39 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | : Palnadu region, once a hotbed of faction politics, simmered with tension on Monday after MLAs belonging to the Telugu Desam and the YSR Congress braced up for a public debate on allegations of corru | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fandhra-pradesh%2Fgurazala-macherla-mlas-put-under-house-arrest%2Farticle9048834.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02992/29gt2317HI-W125_30_2992020c.jpg | en | null | Gurazala, Macherla MLAs put under house arrest | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Gurazala MLA Y. Srinivasa Rao being escorted by the police at Piduguralla in Guntur district on Monday. —Photo: T. Vijaya Kumar
Police avert a showdown by denying permission for open debate on alleged corruption in pushkaram works
: Palnadu region, once a hotbed of faction politics, simmered with tension on Monday after MLAs belonging to the Telugu Desam and the YSR Congress braced up for a public debate on allegations of corruption during Krishna Pushkarams.
With TDP MLA from Gurazala Y. Srinivasa Rao accepting a challenge thrown at him by Macherla MLA Pinneli Ramakrishna Reddy for an open debate on the premises of Agricultural Market Yard at Dachepalli, prohibitory orders were clamped in Dachepalli-Nadikudi, Piduguralla and other towns by the Guntur Rural police who were on the edge throughout the day.
Superintendent of Police, Guntur Rural, K. Narayan rushed to Dachepalli and monitored the situation.
“We have denied permission for any open debate. If they want to have a debate, let them have it in a TV studio,’’ Mr. Narayan said. Both the MLAs have been placed under house arrest and many other leaders have been taken into preventive custody. Shops and other commercial establishments remained closed.
Police had to use mild force to disperse followers of Piduguralla and Dachepalli ZPTC members who broke off the police cordon at Dachepalli. DSP, Gurazala, Nageswara Rao said that cases under Sections 356, 324 IPC have been registered.
It began with Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy alleging that large-scale corruption had taken place during the execution of civil works in Krishna Pushkaras and challenged Mr. Srinivasa Rao to face a CBI inquiry. Further, he also accused the ruling party of seeking to derive political mileage by painting all the ghats yellow and vowed that he would never take a dip in those ghats. True to his word, Mr. Reddy took a holy dip at a ghat in Nalgonda district.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao retorted by saying that he would face an inquiry and accepted the challenge for an open debate scheduled for Monday.
“I have never shied away from any challenge by the Opposition. Lakhs of people had a holy dip in the ghats developed in Palnadu and this is making the YRSC nervous. Mr. Reddy had gone to Telangana to take a dip and now to divert public criticism, he has started levelling baseless allegations against me,’’ said Mr. Srinivasa Rao. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/gurazala-macherla-mlas-put-under-house-arrest/article9048834.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/b2a2fb009249da74ec71d1af715b42ea141e681933331219f196ab0a5aec007b.json |
[
"Amarnath Tewary"
] | 2016-08-27T08:52:29 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | The first convocation ceremony of Nalanda University will be breaking away from tradition on Saturday when not only students but also President Pranab Mukherjee, who is the chief guest, and other dign | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fother-states%2Fkhadi-gowns-at-nalanda-varsitys-first-convocation-ceremony%2Farticle9037567.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Khadi gowns at Nalanda varsity’s first convocation ceremony | null | null | www.thehindu.com | President Pranab Mukherjee and other dignitaries will also sport traditional wear
The first convocation ceremony of Nalanda University will be breaking away from tradition on Saturday when not only students but also President Pranab Mukherjee, who is the chief guest, and other dignitaries attending the function, will have khadi gowns to wear instead of the traditional, heavy, velvet convocation gowns, which were originally designed to keep the cold away in Western countries. Moreover, the academic procession will also walk to the orchestral composition ‘Swagatam’ by legendary veena maestro and composer Emani Sankara Sastry.
President Pranab Mukherjee will confer degrees to the 12 students of the first batch and also lay the foundation stone of a part of the upcoming new campus at Rajgir on Saturday.
The president reached Patna late on Friday evening, from where he would leave for Rajgir for the convocation ceremony on Saturday morning. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj too will be present on the occasion.
Students will wear a royal blue khadi gown with a white stole and the Nalanda University logo embossed on it, whereas the president will wear a deep purple khadi gown with three blue trimmings, gold edging on the front panel, and four chevrons with gold edging on the sleeves. Similarly, the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Governor Ram Nath Kovind, who will be guests of honour, will be wearing royal blue khadi gowns, while Chancellor George Yeo and Vice-Chancellor Gopa Sabharwal will be in brown khadi gowns.
Earlier, the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai had also announced the use of khadi in its convocation ceremonies.
“Khadi is climatically a more appropriate fabric for Indian weather conditions,” Lord Meghnad Desai, governing board member of Nalanda University, told local journalists in Rajgir. He further said that the university experimented with fabrics woven in and around Nalanda, and in Bihar, and made the choice of trying to innovate with regalia made of khadi, the fabric at the heart of Indian identity with multiple symbolisms. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/khadi-gowns-at-nalanda-varsitys-first-convocation-ceremony/article9037567.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/b718c43a52c7cd27d5b648e1cb910c5193a19730b80478cf8859dc79b6304e3b.json |
[
"Radha Rajadhyaksha"
] | 2016-08-28T04:50:52 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | A respected commander of the Indian navy guns down his wife’s paramour and turns himself in to the police. It’s the kind of gasp-inducing real-life story that’s almost begging to be filmed. And filmed | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2Fmumbai%2Fentertainment%2Fthree-films-and-a-murder%2Farticle9040871.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02988/28bm_pg6_Film_Colu_2988961c.jpg | en | null | Three films and a murder | null | null | www.thehindu.com | DIFFERENT TAKES: Of the three films based on the Nanavati case, Achanak (1973) is the only one that takes the controversial subject head-on, Yeh Raastey Hain Pyar Ke (1963) and Rustom (2016) come up with utterly absurd excuses for both the affair and the murder. Special Arrangement
The sensational Nanavati case of 1959 has seen three movies based on it so far. How do they differ in their stance and how do they tie in with real events?
A respected commander of the Indian navy guns down his wife’s paramour and turns himself in to the police. It’s the kind of gasp-inducing real-life story that’s almost begging to be filmed. And filmed it was, no less than three times – first as Yeh Raastey Hain Pyar Ke (1963), then Achanak (1973) and now the recently released Rustom.
There are two ways of looking at the infamous Nanavati case. One, as a sizzling scandal; the other, as an interesting marker of social attitudes to concepts like honour, patriotism and marital infidelity that, in filmic interpretations, are likely to evolve over the years. And so, after watching Rustom (and surviving it), I followed it up with Yeh Raastey Hain Pyar Ke and Achanak — to see how those films had fictionalised the subject, and whether the stance they took was significantly different.
But, first a précis of the actual case. In April 1959, K.M. Nanavati, a decorated naval officer, returned after a stint at sea to learn that his British wife Sylvia was in a romantic liaison with his friend Prem Ahuja. Furious, he collected a gun and six bullets from his ship under a false pretext, shot Ahuja dead, and proceeded to the police station to confess. During the trial, Nanavati was supported to the hilt by fellow Parsi Russi Karanjia’s tabloid Blitz, cheered on by an adoring public and eventually declared Not Guilty by a clearly partisan jury vote of eight to one. None of the Nanavati films showed the rest of the story — that the shocked judge, dubbing the jury decision “perverse”, referred the case to the Bombay High Court, which sentenced Nanavati to life imprisonment (though he was pardoned after three years by the then governor of Maharashtra, Vijaylakshmi Pandit, on account of ethnic-political machinations). The larger outcome of the Nanavati case was that the jury system in India was scrapped forever.
Given the confession, the case hinged on a single important point: was it a crime of passion (an act committed “under grave and sudden provocation”) or pre-meditated? Nanavati’s defence team, to save him from the harsher punishment that the latter charge attracted, attempted to prove that it was accidental. Nanavati, they said, had gone to Ahuja’s house only to confront him on whether he would marry Sylvia and look after his children; it was Ahuja’s sneery response, “Am I to marry every woman I sleep with?”, that led to a scuffle in which the gun accidentally went off, killing him. The Supreme Court judgment, two years later, pours scorn on this constructed tale of incredible nobility. It also demolishes Sylvia’s statement, made to save her husband, that Ahuja was going to renege on his promise of marriage; indeed, it states that the two were possibly on the verge of marrying.
In the battle that was fought out in the Bombay sessions court in 1959, Nanavati’s lawyers used his gentlemanly nature, his remarkably honest act of surrendering to the police and, yes, his stature as a member of India’s armed forces to sway the jury (Nanavati was always in uniform in the dock like the protagonist of Rustom — the latter, of course, goes a Bollywood step further and wears it even in jail). The idea was to portray Nanavati as an ‘honourable’ murderer whose house had been invaded by a villain even as he was defending the country’s territorial integrity. Given the freshly minted Indian nation’s fierce allegiance to patriotism and its traditional outlook on fidelity and marriage, it was a brilliant idea. Blitz and the Indian public gave it full support to effect Nanavati’s victory.
And, now to come to the films. The biggest insight that I got from watching all three was not about the Nanavati case but about Hindi cinema. Let me explain. Of the three, Achanak, a non-mainstream movie, is the only one that takes the controversial subject head-on without pussyfooting around it — it shows the wife as cheating on her husband and the husband shooting both her and her lover. Yeh Raastey Hain Pyar Ke and Rustom, on the other hand, come up with utterly absurd excuses for both the affair and the murder; Yeh Raastey Hain Pyar Ke, in a typical vintage Bollywood rigmarole, even has a third person attempting to kill the fictionalised Prem Ahuja at the time of the fight between him and Nanavati. Clearly, the main aim of Bollywood then, and much of Bollywood now, is to keep the hero and heroine looking good, however inconducive the subject may be to this aim.
So how do the films deal with the Nanavati case and its characters? Yeh Raastey Hain Pyar Ke sticks to the ‘gentleman of honour versus scheming playboy’ tack (Ahuja’s playboy image, incidentally, comes from the defence lawyers and Blitz, and was perhaps exaggerated or even constructed like the rest of the mythology around the case). In the film, the protagonist, played by Sunil Dutt, is the principled man fighting for not just the besmirched honour of his better half but also, at a subtextual level, for middle-class values and the institution of family. However, as the character is a commercial pilot (a choice made perhaps to steer clear of legal action), the film does not bring in a patriotic angle.
Rustom (note the ‘warrior’ title) is different. Fifty-seven years after the case, and totally in keeping with the political-populist ethos of today, it sports overblown patriotism as its chief ingredient. Director Tinu Suresh Desai makes no bones about it, lensing Akshay Kumar against the backdrop of the Indian flag, having him mouth bombastic dialogue about the sanctity of the uniform and ending the film on his resounding though morally grey victory. As a further justification, there’s a cock-and-bull parallel plot about defence ministry corruption that shows up the fictional Prem Ahuja as not only a womanising cad but also a desh drohi wheeler-dealer who deserves to die. Indeed, after the trial, Rustom even admits to the investigating officer that the murder was pre-meditated but still retains the halo around his nationalistic head. Why? Because, in addition to shooting a traitor, he has saved the honour of the Indian Navy by not publicly exposing “the few bad elements” involved in the scam. Shorn of all this idiotic grandstanding, though, the subliminal message of the film is clear: blanket approval of what was essentially an honour killing.
That the film-maker’s primary intention is to project Akshay Kumar’s heroism by pitting him against more than one baddie becomes particularly clear in the portrayal of one character — Ahuja’s sister Mamie. Played by Esha Gupta, the character is a cigarette-smoking, sexy-pose-striking caricature who shows no emotion whatsoever for her dead brother — her endeavour to get his murderer prosecuted is portrayed as a vamp’s determination to defeat the hero, and thanks to Gupta’s loony get-up and performance, ends up as a comedy track. In real life, Mamie was in the house when her brother was murdered, fought staunchly for him in court, but eventually signed the no-objection letter that cleared the way for Nanavati’s release from prison. Whatever her compulsions at that point, it was an act of undeniable grace. Granted that a film-maker has the right to choose how to fictionalise his characters but Mamie’s portrayal in Rustom betrays bad taste and a lack of imagination.
How is Sylvia Nanavati portrayed? Neither film damns her though both render her terminally lachrymose, which, by all accounts, she wasn’t in real life. Indeed, Yeh Raastey Hain Pyar Ke, for a 1963 film, is amazingly non-judgmental of her lapse: Agha Jani Kashmiri’s screenplay begins with the Biblical tale about who has the right to cast the first stone; Leela Naidu’s father-in-law is an exemplary character who entreats his son to forgive his wife; and Sunil Dutt, after his initial silence, backs her in court when the public prosecutor accuses Naidu of being “too liberated like all western women” (it is Naidu herself who mouths some ridiculously regressive lines). But for all that, the end is, sadly, a comical cop-out — as soon as her husband is declared Not Guilty, Naidu, for no good reason, drops dead in his arms.
Contrasting completely with these potboilers is Achanak. This nuanced narrative, written and directed by Gulzar (story credit: K.A. Abbas), dispenses entirely with the courtroom drama and focuses instead on the conflicting emotions within the protagonist. The fictionalised Nanavati here (played by Vinod Khanna) is a cheerful, gregarious army officer who loves his wife dearly, yet does not spare her for her infidelity — in a chilling sequence, he murders her and her lover exactly according to the army training manual before giving himself up to the police. Achanak does not say it overtly but its subtext is that a soldier’s inculcated notions of honour, accompanied by the deadening of his mind to violence, can lead to such quasi-robotic acts of violence, however emotionally painful the aftermath. The code of honour is, disturbingly, upheld by another unlikely person in the film — the protagonist’s commanding officer who also happens to be his dead wife’s father, yet does all he can to save him from the gallows.
Achanak touches on two other paradoxes — the state saving a convict’s life only to hang him, and the irony of a soldier being executed for murder. “A bravery medal for killing so many people but the death penalty for killing two,” the doctor tending to the protagonist tells him wryly in an echo of Monsieur Verdoux’s famous line: “One murder makes a villain; millions, a hero. Numbers sanctify.” Achanak is a layered, thought-provoking film that goes way beyond the outer trappings of the Nanavati case; it is a prime example of what can be creatively accomplished with a real-life subject. And given that real-life subjects, mostly unimaginatively handled, are the rage these days, Bollywood could benefit from a lesson or two.
The author is a freelance editor and writer | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/entertainment/three-films-and-a-murder/article9040871.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/4738a43d626a8474871badf6071f2a5e529203172443aeef1cbc7db622f75d95.json |
[
"Zubeda Hamid"
] | 2016-08-29T00:51:51 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Fifteen-year-old Sreenivasan from Pothatturpettai in Tiruvallur district died at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital here on Saturday night. He is the sixth person from the district to die i | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Ftamil-nadu%2Fanother-boy-from-tiruvallur-dies-of-fever-in-chennai%2Farticle9043164.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Another boy from Tiruvallur dies of fever in Chennai | null | null | www.thehindu.com | He is the sixth victim from the district in the last two weeks
Fifteen-year-old Sreenivasan from Pothatturpettai in Tiruvallur district died at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital here on Saturday night.
He is the sixth person from the district to die in the last two weeks.
“The boy died of viral haemorrhagic fever,” said a doctor at the hospital.
The teen was admitted to the Tiruvallur Government Hospital for a few days before being referred to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.
“While the test for dengue was negative, we are suspecting it was vector-borne illness as a drive in Pothatturpettai had revealed Aedes mosquito breeding,” said K. Kolandaisamy, Director of Public Health. Pothatturpettai is a Town Panchayat around 22 km from Tiruttani.
“For one week, we have been conducting a door-to-door campaign for fever surveillance, fogging, and eliminating breeding sources. There are many sumps there, which could be the breeding sources. They are now being cleaned,” he said.
Seven others with fever in and around the town panchayat have been admitted to the government hospital there, but all of them were stable, he said.
Meanwhile, doctors from the Institute of Child Health, Egmore, Madras Medical College, and other city medical colleges have been offering their expertise in government hospitals in Tiruvallur district. The number of patients admitted for fever from the district in various hospitals in the district and Chennai is around 130.
Of them, 10 per cent are being tested for dengue, leptospirosis and typhoid, health officials said.
In the last two weeks, four children from two villages in the district, Adi Andhrawada and Kaverirajapuram, died of infections including dengue and leptospirosis. On Friday, a 10-year-old girl from Keerapakkam near Ponneri died due to Hepatitis A at the Institute of Child Health, Egmore.
A dengue control room has started functioning in Tiruvallur Collector's Office.
The contact numbers are: Mobile No.7548846801, WhatsApp No.7548846803 and landline 044-27665248. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/another-boy-from-tiruvallur-dies-of-fever-in-chennai/article9043164.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/0c0f45703290bd18fcd882b94e519cc579c80a900994b4cf8628f26b9ceae160.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-26T18:51:04 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | South Africa-based payment services provider Net1 UEPS Technologies said that it will invest $40 million (Rs 268 crore) in mobile payments start-up MobiKwik.As part of an agreement, Nasdaq-listed Net1 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fbusiness%2FIndustry%2Fnet1-to-invest-40-mn-in-mobikwik%2Farticle9036952.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02987/27TH27_BU_MOBILEPA_2987595c.jpg | en | null | Net1 to invest $40 mn in MobiKwik | null | null | www.thehindu.com | South Africa-based payment services provider Net1 UEPS Technologies said that it will invest $40 million (Rs 268 crore) in mobile payments start-up MobiKwik.
As part of an agreement, Nasdaq-listed Net1 said that it would integrate its ‘virtual card’ technology into MobiKwik’s wallet app. This can be accessed by over 100,000 retailers which are part of Gurgaon-based company’s network.
The technology uses the mobile phone as identity and replaces plastic card data with a one-time-use virtual card data, hence eliminating the risk of theft, phishing, skimming and spoofing.
“We believe that this investment will accelerate our ability to build scale in India,” said Serge Belamant, chairman and chief executive of Net1 in a statement. “We can leverage India’s substantial efforts to drive financial inclusion, down to the grassroots in rural and deep rural areas,” he said.
Founded in 2009 by Bipin Preet Singh and Upasana Taku, MobiKwik is powering payments for organisations such as IRCTC, Uber and Big Bazaar. Over the next three years, it has targeted having 150 million users and 500,000 merchants.
“We look forward to learning from their (Net1) best practices in serving the unbanked and under-banked users, while taking progressive steps towards making India a cashless economy,” said MobiKwik cofounder Upasana Taku, in a statement.
The size of India’s digital payments industry will reach $500 billion by 2020, representing a ten-fold increase from current levels, according to July 2016 Google-BCG study. | http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/net1-to-invest-40-mn-in-mobikwik/article9036952.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/6689f8161b1d0d3bd65e83f38a5d820d3823aab1a5a9fb6756a1dbb958cdfcad.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T02:51:48 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | The US presidential election slated to be held in November appears to have tightened as a series of latest national polls projected that Republican Donald Trump has gained some ground in the last wee | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Finternational%2Fus-presidential-polls-2016-polls-tighten-in-white-house-race-as-trump-chips-away-at-clintons-lead%2Farticle9053507.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02993/Trump-Clinton_2993206c.jpg | en | null | US Presidential polls 2016: Polls tighten in White House race as Trump chips away at Clinton’s lead | null | null | www.thehindu.com | However, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton continues to remain pollsters’ favourite to win the elections
The US presidential election slated to be held in November appears to have tightened as a series of latest national polls projected that Republican Donald Trump has gained some ground in the last week against Hillary Clinton of the Democratic Party.
In RealClearPolitics’ average of polls, Ms. Clinton had a lead of nearly nine percentage points after the back-to-back conventions of both major parties about a month ago. She had sustained the lead for most part of August.
But polls that came up on Monday and Tuesday brought down the lead to five points. RealClearPolitics, a Chicago-based political news and polling data aggregator, keeps track of almost all major polls.
Of the four national polls that came out in last 24 hours, Ms. Clinton was ahead in three. To the surprise of many, Mr. Trump has gained ground and is leading the former Secretary of State by three percentage points in the polls conducted by Los Angeles Times/University of South Carolina.
Ms. Clinton has a five point advantage against Mr. Trump in the polls released by PPP (D), leading by 48 to 43 per cent.
Another survey released by Monmouth University shows the former Secretary of State leading Mr. Trump by 46 to 39 per cent.
In the NBC News/Survey Monkey poll Clinton leads Trump by six percentage points (48 to 42 per cent).
c.
This is mainly because she is leading in most of the key swing States of Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Michigan, Virginia, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina.
Ms. Clinton holds a 10-point advantage of 48.8 per cent to 38.8 per cent in the POLITICO Battleground States Polling Average of tracking polls in the field back to late July. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/us-presidential-polls-2016-polls-tighten-in-white-house-race-as-trump-chips-away-at-clintons-lead/article9053507.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/0b2e3de85da316bece5ed491a6221fde1e579f051baca63bfb16ac1963b78d3d.json |
[
"K. V. Vasudevan"
] | 2016-08-28T08:53:43 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Sunaina was pleasantly surprised when she got calls appreciating her role in the recently released Nambiar. She credits the team for how her character was moulded, and is glad she made the decision to | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Ffeatures%2Fcinema%2Fsunaina-is-thrilled-about-the-reception-to-her-role-in-the-recently-released-nambiar%2Farticle9040301.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02988/28CP-sunaina_jpg_2988648c.jpg | en | null | Sunaina is thrilled about the reception to her role in the recently released Nambiar | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Sunaina is thrilled about the reception to her role in the recently released Nambiar
Sunaina was pleasantly surprised when she got calls appreciating her role in the recently released Nambiar. She credits the team for how her character was moulded, and is glad she made the decision to do the film. She says she hasn’t been one to say yes easily. “In a career spanning a decade, I’ve only done 17 films in all. I am clear about wanting to do quality films. Neerparavai and Vanmam showcased my acting prowess and to be honest, I felt they deserved better response. As an artiste, all I can do is put in my best effort and pray that the films succeed.”
Sunaina also remembers similar appreciation coming her way for her cameo in Theri—good enough to be featured in the trailer too. “Sometimes, a small role can take you to great heights. While I was initially wondering why they chose me for the part, I had no hesitation in agreeing. I’d be a fool to turn down an opportunity to share screen space with Vijay.”
Next up for her is is Kavalai Vendam, “where I had a blast with the likes of Jiiva, Bobby Simha and RJ Balaji. Just like the title, I play an easy-going character. The jolly mood is an integral part of the film.” | http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/sunaina-is-thrilled-about-the-reception-to-her-role-in-the-recently-released-nambiar/article9040301.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/cb47cf469005f3a75fe2e64e4eabb919c4651b3316a6d460922fada3abb8cf59.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-31T06:59:29 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Farmers protesting against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu stalled the screening a Tamil film in Mysuru on Tuesday.
Police said the farmers, who were participating in a demonstration out | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fkarnataka%2Fprotestors-stall-screening-of-tamil-film-in-mysuru%2Farticle9050556.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02992/30mys_Farmers_Prot_2992380c.jpg | en | null | Protestors stall screening of Tamil film in Mysuru | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Farmers protesting at a cinema hall near Agrahara Circle in Mysuru on Tuesday opposing any move to release water to Tamil Nadu in view of poor storage in dams. PHOTO: M.A.SRIRAM
Farmers making a bonfire of a Tamil film poster at a cinema hall near Agrahara Circle in Mysuru on Tuesday opposing any move to release water to Tamil Nadu in view of poor storage in dams. PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM
Farmers removing posters of a Tamil film at a cinema hall near Agrahara Circle in Mysuru on Tuesday, opposing any move to release water to Tamil Nadu in view of poor storage in dams. PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM
Farmers protesting against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu stalled the screening a Tamil film in Mysuru on Tuesday.
Police said the farmers, who were participating in a demonstration outside the offices of Command Area Development Authority (CADA), turned up at Padma theatre at Agrahara Circle where Tamil film “Bayam Oru Payanam” was being screened. They tore the poster of the film put up outside the theatre and made a bonfire of it. “They even stormed the theatre and sent out the patrons watching the film,” a police official said.
The protestors also gathered in front of CADA offices and held a demonstration against release of water to Tamil Nadu. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/protestors-stall-screening-of-tamil-film-in-mysuru/article9050556.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/91353a662b966c859604aeb0170941bb6554d972273e6c35686e67942565437e.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-26T20:59:35 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | Hyundai Motors India Ltd. ((HMIL), the second largest car maker in India, will unveil two more sports utility vehicles (SUVs) in a bid to realise its goal of becoming a modern premium brand, accordin | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fbusiness%2FIndustry%2Fhyundai-to-unveil-two-new-cars%2Farticle9032524.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02985/TH26_BU_ELANTRA_2985942c.jpg | en | null | Hyundai to unveil two new cars | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Hyundai Motors India Ltd. ((HMIL), the second largest car maker in India, will unveil two more sports utility vehicles (SUVs) in a bid to realise its goal of becoming a modern premium brand, according to a top official.
“We are strong in compact and SUV segment. The new roll outs are aimed at realising our aim of becoming modern premium brand. Currently, we have 11 brands in our portfolio. With the roll out of Tuscan, it will increase to 12. Before the roll out of Creta, this segment was in the negative. In the last seven months, our sales have grown by 40 per cent,” said Y.K. Koo, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HMIL.
Briefing reporters after unveiling the sixth generation Elantra, Mr. Koo said the company had already rolled out Creta and Santa Fe.
On the pipeline is the roll out of Tuscan in petrol and diesel versions by October or November in India and a sub-4 metre SUV which would hit the road after two years. The diesel engine for the sub-4 metre will be imported from Korea.
Modern premium brand is described as one positioned between mass market and premium segment.
Rakesh Srivastava, Senior Vice President and Division Head, Marketing and Sales Division of HMIL, said they were planning to release at least two new products every year.
“This year, we are targeting to sell five lakh cars and this is considered as the fastest in the auto industry,” he said.
Asked about the drop in export market, Mr. Srivastava said it was due to drop in crude prices in the Middle East and Latin America. | http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/hyundai-to-unveil-two-new-cars/article9032524.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/477f2d22e510dccb6be8fa06212773fb5e72699e95cbff225eb49471ce52f5f0.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-26T16:55:17 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Separatists on Thursday accused Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh of “making a mockery of dialogue”, while the Congress welcomed the Centre’s move to replace pellet guns.Accusing Mr. Singh of “issuin | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fother-states%2Frajnath-made-a-mockery-of-dialogue-separatists%2Farticle9033051.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02986/separatists_2986065c.jpg | en | null | Rajnath made a mockery of dialogue: Separatists | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Jamaat-e-Islami and Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) described Mr. Singh’s Kashmir visit "a futile exercise".
Separatists on Thursday accused Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh of “making a mockery of dialogue”, while the Congress welcomed the Centre’s move to replace pellet guns.
Accusing Mr. Singh of “issuing invitations through Twitter”, incarcerated JLKF chief Yasin Malik said: “Indian leaders are making a mockery of the dialogue process and institution by saying whoever wants to come is free to join.”
Mr. Malik said genuine talks between all parties concerned, including Pakistan, would prove fruitful.
“Dialogue between India and Pakistan; India and Kashmir; and Pakistan and Kashmir have failed to yield any result so far,” he added.
Mr. Malik said dialogue was the only institution all civilised humans relied on for resolution of disputes. “But the way Indian leadership is making a mockery of this august institution is highly regrettable and dangerous.”
A spokesman of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s Hurriyat said Mr. Singh’s remarks showed India was in denial.
“Just replacing pellet guns shows India is not serious about any kind of engagement for the resolution of the dispute, even when the whole Valley is burning,” said the spokesman.
Jamaat-e-Islami and Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) described Mr. Singh’s Kashmir visit “a futile exercise”.
“The visit was to hoodwink the international community,” alleged DeM chief Asiya Andrabi.
Meanwhile, independent legislator Engineer Rashid claimed that he asked the Home Minister “to hold plebiscite on both sides of the Line of Control” to find a lasting solution.
The Congress, however, welcomed Mr. Singh’s stand to ban pellet guns in the State. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/rajnath-made-a-mockery-of-dialogue-separatists/article9033051.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/8594e5aed62eaa018d90de38693e7cda38896e5084dad7a7484203af1047a81d.json |
[
"Lalatendu Mishra"
] | 2016-08-30T10:55:22 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The effects of drought in parts of the country over the past two years are set to impact prices of sugar and confectionary items, with shortfall in sugar production in India causing a demand-supply g | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fbusiness%2FIndustry%2Fsweet-surrender-likely-with-sugar-prices-on-the-rise%2Farticle9046752.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Sweet surrender likely with sugar prices on the rise | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Report by Rabobank predicts major shortfall in sugar production in India this financial year; confectionary, food and beverage sectors to be hit as trend affects Asia
The effects of drought in parts of the country over the past two years are set to impact prices of sugar and confectionary items, with shortfall in sugar production in India causing a demand-supply gap.
A research report by Rabobank has predicted that India would witness major a shortfall in production during this financial year and will have to import sugar, which will push prices upwards.
“India, the world’s second-largest producer of sugar, will witness a fall in production by 3.7 million tonnes due to consecutive droughts in 2014-15 and 2015-16 and will become a net sugar importer in 2016-17,” Rabobank analysts Sudip Sinha and Kelvin Chow said in the report.
Since mid-April, worldwide prices of raw sugar have risen by 30 per cent as the market started factoring in potentially lower global sugar output in this year.
Domestic sugar prices across Asia also reflect the tighter supply situation.
In Mumbai, sugar is retailing at Rs. 41 per kg, and the prices have gone up by Re.1 in the past three months, mostly due to inadequate supplies. As per figures with the Indian Sugar Mills Association, production in the state has dropped in the past year.
“Higher price trend is likely to persist over the next few quarters and will have substantial impact on Asian Food & Beverage (F&B) corporate margins” The report ‘Hurry Cane: Managing Higher Sugar Prices in Asia’ said.
According its estimates, Asia is heading towards its first sugar deficit in over five years, and this is being led by India. “Sugar production in Asia is expected to be significantly lower in the 2016-2017 sugar season, as the 2015 El Niño-induced drought pulled output down to a five-year low. For 2015-16, the forecast is that Asia will witness a deficit of an estimated two million tonnes,” the report said.
While Europe and Brazil could see improved production next year, the world is expected to face a sugar deficit of 5.5 million tonnes in the next sugar season, it said.
While households will have to shell out more to meet their regular demand of sugar, that too in the upcoming festival season, prices of confectionary products and soft drinks may go up if the manufacturers decide to pass on the additional burden to consumers. The production cost of dairy items, mainly condensed milk and ice cream, will also go up, putting pressure on the manufacturers’ profit margins.
The largest sugar consuming sectors are processed food-based products, confectionery and the traditional sweet-making industries, which will bear the brunt. “The twin impact of sustained demand and lower 2015-16 production has pulled Asian sugar inventory to historic lows... sugar prices in the region have increased by 30-50 per cent since 2015,” the report said.
With subdued production expected during this year and sustained growth in demand, prices would remain high until the fourth quarter of 2016. In India, domestic prices have risen over the past 6 months and if users are slow to react, it could mean ballooning costs and a squeeze on profit margins, it said. | http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/sweet-surrender-likely-with-sugar-prices-on-the-rise/article9046752.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/07295b59312791a4a5147d6d5e9aa03644956cd800a0dd8a93bef0ca155d3667.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:52:38 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Members of Indian Men’s Basketball Team, who completed their training at Nitte in Karkala Taluk, Udupi district, under the auspices of Nitte University, arrived in Mangaluru on August 29, on an invita | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FMangalore%2Fpractice-makes-one-perfect%2Farticle9046819.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02991/30MGL_PHOTO_FEATUR_2991481c.jpg | en | null | Practice makes one perfect | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Members of Indian Men’s Basketball Team, who completed their training at Nitte in Karkala Taluk, Udupi district, under the auspices of Nitte University, arrived in Mangaluru on August 29, on an invitation by the Mangalore Basketball Club and the university. They played at U. Srinivasa Malya Indoor Stadium at Lalbagh. The team will represent India in the FIBA Asia Challenge Cup in Tehran, Iran, from September 8 to 16. — PHOTOS: H.S. MANJUNATH
Please Wait while comments are loading... | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/practice-makes-one-perfect/article9046819.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/8e6ea412abd2a3f5e7a41426dffa813b65565490531fccd4e0534ebe633f64e7.json |
[
"Prabalika M Borah"
] | 2016-08-26T16:52:02 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Watching the tri-colour flutter on the tallest flag pole against the dark skies of the city on Thursday afternoon from the sixth floor of his hotel room, Nawazuddin Siddiqui was getting his makeup don | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Ffeatures%2Fmetroplus%2Fas-freaky-as-one-can-getnawazuddin-siddiqui%2Farticle9036258.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02987/HY27NAWAZUDDIN_SID_2987362c.jpg | en | null | As freaky as one can get | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui talks about his forthcoming ‘Freaky Ali’ and his approach to social media
Watching the tri-colour flutter on the tallest flag pole against the dark skies of the city on Thursday afternoon from the sixth floor of his hotel room, Nawazuddin Siddiqui was getting his makeup done for the press conference. Does he mind being photographed while his makeup session is on? “Not at all, yeh mera profession ka hissa hai. Makeup is a must for movies, stage, so I cannot dislike it,” he says. The actor, along with the rest of the cast of Freaky Ali was in the city to promote the film and he is absolutely delighted and excited about the movie, “because it’s a fresh concept and bohut pyara story hai. The character I am playing is very innocent and lovable,” he adds.
The movie which revolves around golf set Nawaz thinking. Before he stepped on to a golf course to try his hand at the sport, he admits he had always wondered what made golf such a talked about sport when he watched it on television. “The hole is right there, there are clubs; I wondered what made it so difficult to land the golf ball in the hole. Why so much of thought? Daal do agar daalna hai toh. Now, I know the intricacies of the game. It is a very technical game. It isn’t as simple as it looks. Besides being an intelligent game, it is also a game to push one’s personal limits,” says Nawaz. This despite Nawaz not being an avid sports person. “When we were growing up, where was the stress on sports or even the encouragement? It was all about studies. But I wasn’t a very bright student either,” he adds. Now, the father in him yearns for his son and daughter to pursue what they love. “I would want them to do what they want and encourage what they love,” he smiles. Looking fit in his crisp white shirt, Nawaz might seem to be casualabout his looks, but in fact he is very particular when it comes to his hair. As his makeup man adds the final look, Nawaz specifies a particular wave on his crown to be fixed with a hair-fixer.
What is his fitness regime? “Fitness ka yeh kissa hai ke I landed, reached my hotel room and had biryani. Mutton biryani. Maza aa gaya,” he says with an expression of bliss if he could still smell the aromatic biryani.
“But it is high time I focus on my fitness. I am blessed to be small built but that shouldn’t make me take my fitness casually,” he says as he stubs a hand-rolled cigarette. And since when has be been into hand-rolled cigarettes? “About 11 years. Someone suggested shifting to these to cut down on smoking owing to the laborious process of making, rolling them etc.”
In Freaky Ali, Nawaz will be seen as a salesman and also shaking a leg. He says his interaction and meetings with salesmen over the years, helped him play his character. Though he has portrayed several shades in a character, he admits dancing “was a difficult task. I have always shied away from dancing but there was no escape here. I did whatever I could with my limitations and I know I cannot match up to the others,” smiles the actor.
Nawaz comes across as a very friendly person who isn’t touched by his success and fan following. “This is all a freak chance for me. I was so down in the dumps when I was struggling, that I felt concepts like ‘happiness,’ ‘favourable’ ‘luck’ weren’t meant for me. So, I made an understanding with myself and my fate. So, I don’t let anything get into my head; not even my trolls. I respect honest criticism from people who are knowledgeable. Otherwise my reaction to anything negative or positive is silence,” smiles Nawaz.
How much do his roles affect him? “Except Raman Raghav which was a very complex, twisted personality nothing affected me much. Raman Raghav was intense and it disturbed me for quite sometime,” he says.
As for his future projects, Nawaz says he has a few projects in hand and “each of them is quite challenging.” | http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/as-freaky-as-one-can-getnawazuddin-siddiqui/article9036258.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/445effcc1c34a9109c9d6bd5d7d5706d74a67f1d5efcb3f035007cae54afe0a4.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-29T08:53:29 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | A peer team of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is visiting Auxilium College from August 29 to 31 for the third cycle of assessment and accreditation.The team will be chaired by M. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Ftamil-nadu%2Fnaac-peer-team-to-visit-college%2Farticle9044964.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | NAAC peer team to visit College | null | null | www.thehindu.com | A peer team of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is visiting Auxilium College from August 29 to 31 for the third cycle of assessment and accreditation.
The team will be chaired by M.O. Koshy, former pro-vice chancellor of Kannur University, Kerala, according to a release. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/naac-peer-team-to-visit-college/article9044964.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/445809a079ade3d09700ee90b701521594b1e80c38b797be42839bd910824d11.json |
[
"Udhav Naig"
] | 2016-08-28T20:51:03 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Contending that caste inequalities cannot be abolished by encouraging “love marriages”, PMK founder S. Ramadoss had recently written to various political party leaders offering five suggestions to ens | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Ftamil-nadu%2Fpmks-letter-on-womens-safety-fails-to-impress-critics%2Farticle9043145.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | PMK’s letter on women’s safety fails to impress critics | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Contending that caste inequalities cannot be abolished by encouraging “love marriages”, PMK founder S. Ramadoss had recently written to various political party leaders offering five suggestions to ensure the safety and security of women.
Quoting Dravidian social reformer Periyar E V Ramasamy to underline that there was nothing special about falling in love, Dr. Ramadoss suggested that the legal age of marriage be raised to 21 for women.
Alternatively, he said parental consent must be made mandatory for legitimising love marriages involving girls aged below 21 years as suggested by the Karnataka High Court five years ago.
Expectedly a cross-section of society has refused to endorse the PMK’s suggestions. “Yes, Periyar wrote that there was no need to glorify love. However, he had also said that if two persons are intimately in love they are entitled to live together and no one can interfere in their life,” says A. Arulmozhi, propaganda secretary, Dravidar Kazhagam.
Agreeing that inter-caste marriages alone may not be enough to create a casteless society, she said this would be possible if couples can bring up kids without the tag of religion or caste.
“The solution does not lie in giving up love marriages,” she said and added that caste leaders must state what they are doing to promote education among women and end dowry and other evils such as wife-beating.
CPI State secretary R. Mutharasan said while there was no disagreement that safety and security of women must be ensured, “The PMK in the garb of women’s safety is trying to isolate Dalit community. Dr. Ramadoss says that that he is not against inter-caste marriages, but some of his actions don’t make him appear that way.”
Madras High Court retired judge Justice K. Chandru said, “We live in a society where even well-educated people marry girls when they are minors. When we can’t ensure that women are married off only when they turn 18, what is the point of increasing the marriageable age to 21? Dr. Ramadoss is trying to impose his ideas of opposing inter-caste marriage.”
Responding to criticisms, PMK spokesperson K. Balu said that it was unfortunate that the “progressives” are attacking PMK for calling for an increase in marriageable age to 21.
“There have been several cases where a girl who fell in love at 17 gets married as soon as she turns 18. She gets married without any maturity about life in general and marriage in particular. If the legal age is increased to 21, the girl will also have time to complete her [college] education and decide on whether to continue the relationship that she might have got into when she was a teenager,” he contended.
He reiterated that the PMK was not against love or inter-caste marriages. “We are only saying that women should study when they have to.
The system of caste oppression will not disappear through love marriages. It will only be solved through social and economic growth and through education,” he argued. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/pmks-letter-on-womens-safety-fails-to-impress-critics/article9043145.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/b09749375d4a972a1a19d42b2998bb18aaad40ae9893c1e707260c176348d981.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-28T08:51:07 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | People’s representatives from Dakshina Kannada in association with the State government have proposed to hold “Invest Manglauru” conclave in Bengaluru in a few months to attract investment and create | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FMangalore%2Finvest-mangaluru-to-be-held-in-bengaluru%2Farticle9042189.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02989/26mn_mnani_lobo_28_2989340c.jpg | en | null | ‘Invest Mangaluru’ to be held in Bengaluru | null | null | www.thehindu.com | The conclave will be held in six months, and will showcase the potential of Dakshina Kannada
People’s representatives from Dakshina Kannada in association with the State government have proposed to hold “Invest Manglauru” conclave in Bengaluru in a few months to attract investment and create jobs.
Speaking to presspersons here, J.R. Lobo, MLA , said that Dakshina Kannada and Mangaluru though well known for good educational institutions did not have enough employment opportunities. Many youth were going elsewhere in search of jobs.
Absence of youth is not a healthy sign for any society and hence efforts should be made to retain the talent. Investments cannot be attracted by holding conclaves in Mangaluru, but at places where potential investors exist and hence the decision to hold it at Bengaluru, he said.
The conclave will showcase the potential of Dakshina Kannada, which is endowed with multiple options of connectivity – road, rail, air and sea. The region also has the best of human resources and has rich cultural heritage. All these should be able to attract investors, he said.
Mr. Lobo said the dates for the conclave are yet to be finalised; but it would be held within six months. Elaborate preparations have to be made for the same, he added.
Support for Ramya
Earlier, speaking at the death centenary celebrations of Bharat Seva Dal founder N.S. Hardikar, Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee in-charge president Kodijal Ibrahim said the Congress fully backed film actor-turned politician Ramya on her statement about Pakistan.
He castigated the BJP and the Sangh Parivar for raking up the issue and said it has been the Indian tradition to appreciate good gesture by others. “If Ramya was treated well during her visit to Pakistan and she speaks good about that country, what is wrong in that,” he said.
Mr. Ibrahim also noted the quotes about Mohammed Ali Jinnah by former deputy prime minister and BJP patriarch L.K. Advani. He urged all cadres of Congress to launch counter-protest against BJP and Sangh Parivar for their attempts to malign the image of Ms. Ramya.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Lobo said the real obituary to late Hardikar would be in the form of restoring Bharat Seva Dal to its original glory and not holding memorial functions. Of late, the Seva Dal has lost its sheen and all Congressmen are responsible for its declining popularity. Hence, it is the duty of every Congressman to work hard towards elevating the Seva Dal to work for the purpose for which it was founded, he said. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/invest-mangaluru-to-be-held-in-bengaluru/article9042189.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/1d0130cbe865bc95ad4fcc9452f0c066d8e5de46b8950b21acb8f312c3fceeec.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:59:22 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | Is the secret KFC recipe a secret no more? A U.S. newspaper says it may have inadvertently stumbled upon the closely guarded blend of spices that coat the global restaurant chain’s signature fried | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Finternational%2Fhas-kfcs-secret-recipe-been-uncovered%2Farticle9032547.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02985/26TH-KFC_2985955c.jpg | en | null | Has KFC’s secret recipe been uncovered? | null | null | www.thehindu.com | A U.S. newspaper says it may have stumbled upon the closely guarded blend of spices
Is the secret KFC recipe a secret no more?
A U.S. newspaper says it may have inadvertently stumbled upon the closely guarded blend of spices that coat the global restaurant chain’s signature fried chicken.
A key ingredient, according to the Chicago Tribune, is white pepper — the aromatic kin of regular pepper, but without the dark skin.
The newspaper sent a reporter to write a story about Corbin, Kentucky — a small lakeside town where the first KFC chicken was served more than 75 years ago, and the hometown of KFC founder Harland Sanders.
There he met Mr. Sanders’ 67-year-old nephew Joe Ledington, who still lives in the town. Sifting through a family scrapbook, Mr. Ledington displayed a handwritten recipe, the Tribune reported.
“That is the original 11 herbs and spices that were supposed to be so secretive,” Mr. Ledington told the newspaper, which said that he appeared less sure about the recipe’s authenticity in a subsequent phone interview.
The KFC company was not as coy, insisting the secret is still safe.
“Many people have made these claims over the years and no one has been accurate — this one isn’t either,” it said in a statement.
KFC says its secret recipe is kept safely in a vault and transported in an armoured truck.
However, many recipes online claim to duplicate the KFC fried chicken taste.
And if the Tribune’s latest recipe claim is not accurate, it may be awfully close.
The newspaper said it tried out the recipe in its test kitchen and compared it to KFC Original Recipe Chicken.
It found its chicken “virtually indistinguishable from the batch bought at KFC”.
But a newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky — home to the headquarters of the KFC corporate giant, which oversees restaurants in more than 18,000 locations worldwide — was sceptical.
“Too much paprika,” a Courier-Journal reporter proclaimed. “So I’ll side with KFC on this.” | http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/has-kfcs-secret-recipe-been-uncovered/article9032547.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/147ed56b83cecce711c1ef3a46e66375d6794aaa15dbb487d7666827932a6882.json |
[
"Raviprasad Kamila"
] | 2016-08-29T22:56:41 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | In its move to keep the city more clean and make it to the top in the Swachh Sarveskhana Survey of the Union government next year, Mangaluru City Corporation is thinking of making wards to compete wit | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FMangalore%2Fcleanest-city-ward-to-be-rewarded-with-more-funds-for-development%2Farticle9044724.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Cleanest city ward to be rewarded with more funds for development | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Swachh Mangaluru: Corporation to take final decision tomorrow
In its move to keep the city more clean and make it to the top in the Swachh Sarveskhana Survey of the Union government next year, Mangaluru City Corporation is thinking of making wards to compete with one another for a monetary reward.
The Task Force on Swachh Mangaluru, presided over by Mayor Harinath, discussed this issue in its second meeting on Saturday. The council of the corporation which would meet on Tuesday would take a final decision on this.
Mr. Harinath told The Hindu that the ward which has been selected as the cleanest could be given more funds for development works.
When the wards are made to compete among themselves the onus would be on councillors to put in more efforts to keep their wards clean. It would ultimately help make the entire city clean.
The Mayor said that the prize-winning ward could be awarded with works worth at least Rs. 25 lakh. A proposal would be placed before the council on Tuesday to finalise it.
e-toilets
Mr. Harinath said that the corporation would build two e-toilets in the city shortly. Each one of them would cost about Rs. 7 lakh.
One of them would be near the commercial complex building of the corporation at Lalbagh.
Though the place for building the second one has not been finalised yet, it could be closer to the KSRTC bus stand at Bejai.
Task force
The corporation constituted the task force involving officials and civil society members to seek suggestions and work in unison to keep the city clean.
A Union government team would assess the cleanliness of the city between January 4, 2017 and February 4, 2017 under the Swachh Sarvekshana Survey. Mangaluru would be among the 500 cities to be assessed under it.
The corporation is now gearing up to make it to the top as in the survey for 2013-15, the Union Ministry of Urban Development had rated Mangaluru as the third cleanest among the 476 cities across the country. The sanitation rating was for 2013-15 based on 19 indicators.
Mangaluru scored 64.74 points, Mysuru 65.09 points, and Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation 64.91 points, a March 11, 2016 letter to urban local bodies by the Ministry said. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/cleanest-city-ward-to-be-rewarded-with-more-funds-for-development/article9044724.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/4a1e530aa2ef7c9ba64b0ed6574464eeda286b7a2d478112f2b292097b4d4288.json |
[
"Racing Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-31T12:52:06 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Mistress Of Spice impressed when the horses were exercised here on Wednesday morning (Aug. 31).Outer sand:1,000m: Super Success (rb), Royal Defence (Noornabi) 1-14, 600/42.5. They moved impressively. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fsport%2Fraces%2Fmistress-of-spice-impresses%2Farticle9054453.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Mistress Of Spice impresses | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Mistress Of Spice impressed when the horses were exercised here on Wednesday morning (Aug. 31).
Outer sand:
1,000m: Super Success (rb), Royal Defence (Noornabi) 1-14, 600/42.5. They moved impressively. Galino (Noornabi) 1-15, 600/44. Moved on the bit.
1,200m: Mistress Of Spice (rb), Queenofgoodtimes (Noornabi) 1-28, 1,000/1-10.5, 600/41.5. Former impressed. Wild Wild Angels (Noornabi), Temujin (rb) 1-26, 1,000/1-9.5, 600/43. Former moved better. | http://www.thehindu.com/sport/races/mistress-of-spice-impresses/article9054453.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/8334fbcd0a4070e158ecc514960f4cb7bd32a6b6ed343db8ea8fef5a2555c3d3.json |
[
"S. Senthalir"
] | 2016-08-29T08:56:29 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Large format photographs erected at the Old Port beckoned people of all strata, breaking into the humdrum of the sleepy Puducherry town.From the stories of whalers from faraway Lofoten Island in Norwa | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2Fpuducherry%2Fphoto-festival-swirls-around-water-theme%2Farticle9042320.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02989/27AUGPYSSM02-PO_CH_2989382c.jpg | en | null | Photo festival in Puducherry swirls around ‘water’ theme | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Story-telling:(Clockwise) Large format photographs displayed at the Old Port in Puducherry as part of the second edition of photo festival organised by Pondy ART Foundation from August 27 to September 11; a performance depicting water; Water Aria, a collaborative musical ensemble, performs at the opening; exhibits on display. —Photos: T. Singaravelou
Story-telling:(Clockwise) Large format photographs displayed at the Old Port in Puducherry as part of the second edition of photo festival organised by Pondy ART Foundation from August 27 to September 11; a performance depicting water; Water Aria, a collaborative musical ensemble, performs at the opening; exhibits on display. —Photos: T. Singaravelou
Story-telling:(Clockwise) Large format photographs displayed at the Old Port in Puducherry as part of the second edition of photo festival organised by Pondy ART Foundation from August 27 to September 11; a performance depicting water; Water Aria, a collaborative musical ensemble, performs at the opening; exhibits on display. —Photos: T. Singaravelou
Story-telling:(Clockwise) Large format photographs displayed at the Old Port in Puducherry as part of the second edition of photo festival organised by Pondy ART Foundation from August 27 to September 11; a performance depicting water; Water Aria, a collaborative musical ensemble, performs at the opening; exhibits on display. —Photos: T. Singaravelou
Workshops, films, cultural performances and community outreach programmes to be part of the festival
Large format photographs erected at the Old Port beckoned people of all strata, breaking into the humdrum of the sleepy Puducherry town.
From the stories of whalers from faraway Lofoten Island in Norway to the fishermen in Puducherry, the 400 photographs told different stories on the one theme ‘water’.
The grand opening of this photo festival at Old Port in Puducherry on Friday was followed by blessing of water and nature through music by Water Aria, a collaborative vocal performance.
Many renowned photographers including Cheryl Newman former Photography Director of the Telegraph magazine, London, have come down to Puducherry for the festival. The second edition of this photo festival organised from August 27 to September 11 will have several workshops, film screenings, community outreach programmes and cultural performances including a rock concert.
Sunday’s schedule
The festival this Sunday will begin with a presentation by biologist Tasneem Khan on ‘Swamp storytelling: Of spaces in between land and water’, followed by a presentation by women’s rights activist Sheba Chhachhi on ‘Alternative Imaginaries’.
Photojournalist and founder of global documentary initiative Everyday Climate Change, James Whitlow Delano, and environmental activist Ravi Agarwal will present on ‘Our Changing Climate: Documenting Climate Change and the Role of Social Media’ and ‘Below the Aesthetic Radar: Ecology as a Counter-image’ respectively in the evening.
The day will end with a roundtable on ‘Under and Over the Bridge: Water, Social Awareness, Activism and Art’ moderated by photographer Waswo X.Waswo.
PhotoINK will hold two exhibitions for PondyPHOTO 2016. ‘Water Towers’ by Randhir Singh, an architectural photographer based in New Delhi and ‘Everyday Baroque’ showcases a unique series on water storage tanks in villages in Punjab by Rajesh Vora. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/puducherry/photo-festival-swirls-around-water-theme/article9042320.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/581fc6e9af8c52af6ed6ce335744110bec299d93eb4da535fbc32c32ff042a9d.json |
[
"G Narasimha Rao"
] | 2016-08-29T04:55:31 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | A cadaver heart has to be transplanted into the needy patient within four hours after it is harvested. The heart is rushed from one place to another or flown from one city to another, sometimes by a c | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FVisakhapatnam%2Fnew-device-keeps-cadaver-heart-ticking%2Farticle9043227.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | New device keeps cadaver heart ticking | null | null | www.thehindu.com | It provides sufficient time for transport, says transplant surgeon
A cadaver heart has to be transplanted into the needy patient within four hours after it is harvested. The heart is rushed from one place to another or flown from one city to another, sometimes by a chartered aircraft, with the police creating a green channel for the vehicle transporting the heart. However, a new device in use in the advanced countries for the last one year can keep the heart in shape for 10 hours and provides sufficient time for transport. Ex-Vyvo perfusion system is like a box like apparatus which keeps the heart ticking as it provides blood circulation to the heart, noted heart transplant surgeon A.G.K. Gokhale said. Hearts are being transported to the neighbouring countries also thanks to his device.
But this is an expensive system costing Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 3 crore and yet to reach India. If it is available in India hearts can be transported to or brought from neighbouring countries also apart from far off places in the country. This will also avoid the need to have a green channel.
Dr. Gokhale, who is in the city to deliver an oration at the State conference of Association of Surgeons of India, also informed during a chat with The Hindu that technology concerned with transplantation surgery has improve during the last two decades.
The ventricular assist device, is a pump that assists the heart in pumping blood. Heart must have the capacity to pump out 70 per cent of the blood it receives and if the muscle that pumps the blood becomes weak problems like blood pressure, etc. crop up. Then the pumping of blood to the correct level has to be done and this is done by the ventricular assist device, which is worn externally.
Each device costs Rs. 80 lakh to Rs. 90 lakh and only 15 to 20 are in use in India. This device would be helpful for the patients who are not fit for transplantation. Patient who needs transplantation can be managed with this device till the time a donor heart is available to him or her. This is also called bridge to transplantation.
“If the machine is available for Rs. 15 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh it can be used instead of going for a transplantation”, Dr. Gokhale feels. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/new-device-keeps-cadaver-heart-ticking/article9043227.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/48f90fe1eaefe228bb630fc6cf8003aa9e6e13965da35a19e4c246444be6c4b8.json |
[
"Mini Anthikad Chhibber"
] | 2016-08-27T12:50:14 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Mainak Dhar has taken a break from zombies. In his latest thriller, 03:02 (Westland Rs. 295) the villains of the piece are IS militants. “I wanted to build off something that is a real horror and inse | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Ffeatures%2Fmetroplus%2Fmainak-dhar-discusses-his-latest-thriller-0302%2Farticle9040509.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02988/29BGM_MAINAK_2988746c.jpg | en | null | Mainak Dhar discusses his latest thriller 03:02 | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Mainak Dhar says he wanted to explore what happens when a generation used to Facebook activism has to take charge without technological crutches
Mainak Dhar has taken a break from zombies. In his latest thriller, 03:02 (Westland Rs. 295) the villains of the piece are IS militants. “I wanted to build off something that is a real horror and insert it into our normal lives,” says Mainak over the phone from Mumbai.
The book tells the story of Aaditya who after eight years of excel sheets and investment advice has got a longed-for promotion and is all set to conquer greater heights in the corporate world when at 03:02 on a Sunday morning, the world turns dark, as if someone has turned off a master switch. All electrical appliances turn off. And when you think how much of our lives are chip-based — from cars and computers to pacemakers and money, you can imagine the havoc such a situation will create. “It is the continuation of a theme; of extreme situations and how normal people cope. On paper, or rather digitally we are connected but actually we are not. We need to get out of the bubble we live in.”
Describing the book as “a commentary,” the author of the bestselling Alice in Deadland series says: “A building society is a microcosm of India.” Choosing to call Aaditya’s apartment complex Hiranandani Gardens, Mainak says, “I live there and I wanted a real neighbourhood where you find a broad cross section of people both to build in the enhanced relevance and reality and also because I wanted something a bit away from central Mumbai to add to the isolation and not knowing what is happening in town.”
The reluctant hero is common thread that runs in Mainak’s novels and this one is no exception. “Rather than a Rambo or Bollywood hero, I naturally gravitate towards a normal person and how he would meet challenges.”
Expanding on the themes of the page-turner, Mainak says: “I wanted to explore what happens when a generation used to Facebook activism has to take charge in a real world without technological crutches, when their engagement has to go beyond liking or sharing something online… social media can be shallow and superficial. The book looks at personal accountability, how people have to take ownership.”
Mainak has lived abroad for “15 years and what I love about India is democracy. It is a wonderful asset to be able to express our opinions freely.” The novel opens with a quote from Nietzsche, “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
Explaining his choice, Mainak says, “In the black, bleak landscape, despite all the horrors, Aaditya fights to retain his humanity, the values that make us human. I chose to set the climactic battle on Divali eve to celebrate light and the destruction of darkness.”
About a sequel, Mainak says: “I have not consciously thought about a sequel. It would have been glib to say all is well that ends well, that is why I kept the conclusion open-ended. Readers have been asking what happened next, what happened to Aaditya’s father… I believe in never say never.”
Locations play a huge part in Mainak’s work — Zombiestan was set in a Delhi overrun by zombies as were some books of the Alice in Deadland series. Mainak did school and undergrad in Delhi and went to IIM Ahmedabad. “I like to set my novels in places where I have lived,” says the 42-year- old author. “If you remember Chronicles of the Undead was set in a house on a hill in Gangtok. My uncle had a house there. Like Aaditya I live in Powai.”
Talking about the title Mainak says there are two reasons for it. “Three in the morning is when things happen. It is supposed to be the time when the Army plans attacks. The other reason is completely arbitrary. 03:02 has a nice ring to it!”
Insisting that, “This is the first novel that is being released when I am in India and I am very excited about it,” Mainak says, “I cannot stay away from writing. I have a bunch of conflicting priorities but I write half an hour a day. I run for an hour in the morning and that is when I think about the plot. I also get a lot of time to write when I am travelling on work.”
Mainak says he did a lot of research both at the “Macro and micro level. I read about electro-magnetic pulse and at the micro level, I studied building societies and how they function.”
While we can all recognise the troublesome Mr. Suri in our building societies, Mainak says the characters are not based on one particular person.
“They are composites of people I know. For instance, I borrowed my driver’s name for Mahadev, the resourceful auto driver, and the protagonist Aaditya is named after my son. The IIT kids are based on bright IITians I have met.”
The Mumbai-based author says he drew inspiration from his maternal grandfather. “He was a freedom fighter. That was a generation of ordinary people who fought the British and got us our freedom. He would tell stories. One of the voices in my head while I was writing was my grandfather’s.” | http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/mainak-dhar-discusses-his-latest-thriller-0302/article9040509.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/75ac5067955da05fac07dc73e531a130da5ffec8d544b14b15bf8b757f9a7fc2.json |
[
"Sweta Goswami"
] | 2016-08-29T06:54:46 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | For 30 per cent of Delhi’s population, which lives in unauthorised or illegal colonies, there is a battle to be won every day. One spell of rain and the cramped lanes are flooded with knee-deep w | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FDelhi%2Fcaught-in-a-bureaucratic-web%2Farticle9044337.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02990/Capture_2990690c.jpg | en | null | Caught in a bureaucratic web | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Government records say development work has been completed in 755 colonies while the DSIIDC is yet to turn to 620 other settlements.
For 30 per cent of Delhi’s population, which lives in unauthorised or illegal colonies, there is a battle to be won every day.
One spell of rain and the cramped lanes are flooded with knee-deep water. It is not unusual for children returning from school to brave the ugly cocktail of sewage, garbage and rainwater.
This is not to say that life here is good on a sunny day.
In Chandan Vihar in north-east Delhi’s Burari, 16-year-old Himanshu Kumar has just resumed school after recovering from dengue. Residents here rue the lack of an effective drainage system, which results in stagnating nallahs. “There have been at least four dengue cases here this season. The drains spill over to the streets and there is no way for the water to flow,” said Tribhuvan Nath Chaurasia, who has been living in Chandan Vihar for more than two decades.
Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain feels that roads in the Capital’s unauthorised colonies need immediate attention, but the residents beg to differ.
All inhabitants of the colonies The Hindu visited expressed concern over the lack of well-connected drainage networks. The situation is particularly bad in colonies of south Delhi, which includes Jawahar Park, Shiv Park and Krishna Park in Ambedkar Nagar, and most of Sangam Vihar.
Last year in April, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced that 895 illegal colonies would be developed based on six broad parameters — roads, sewage, drains, street lights, water and sanitation. The number increased to 1,797 colonies by March this year after the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (DSIIDC) was given complete charge of the project, which is estimated to be worth Rs. 3,640 crore.
Residents unaware
However, work is yet to begin in all the colonies The Hindu visited. The residents, in fact, are completely unaware of the government’s plan.
More than a year after the project was announced, it seems to be stuck at a stage where surveys are still being conducted. When asked about the status, Mr. Jain said: “Just a few days ago I approved development works to be carried out in 40 colonies of Najafgarh. Meanwhile, a survey is being carried out to get a constituency-wise project estimate.”
Multiple challenges
There is no dearth of challenges staring at the project, which envisages development of around 14,000 acres of land falling under unauthorised colonies in the Capital.
“There is still ambiguity in the total number of colonies that need to be developed. This is because of multiple ownership of land covering approximately 301 unauthorised colonies, which results in overlapping. Consequently, the same colony is being counted more than once. This is why the survey report, which is currently being conducted by a consultant, is going to be significant as we will get the exact figures,” said a senior DSIIDC official. Some of this land is with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) while some of it is forest area or with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Records with the government say that, so far, development work has been completed in 755 colonies while the DSIIDC is yet to begin work in 620 other colonies in the next phase. It must be noted that most of the works that have been counted as ‘completed’ in the 755 colonies are those which were sanctioned way back during former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s tenure.
“These works were carried out by agencies like the Public Works Department (PWD), Flood and Irrigation Department, MCDs and the DSIIDC. But now, the DSIIDC is responsible for building or renovating roads and storm water drains; the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has to upgrade water and sewer lines while the distribution companies have to ensure adequate street lights in these colonies.
Deadline set
The government has now set a deadline of December 2017 for finishing all ‘development’ works, but it remains to be seen if building roads and sewer lines alone will be enough for these matchbox houses in case a major earthquake hits the city. Out of the five categories in the country-wide macro earthquake zone, Delhi falls in the second highest impact zone — Zone-IV. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/caught-in-a-bureaucratic-web/article9044337.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/e7815468b95abcf9a3d603eeb538180686bec1e33f693533e858b06865a00cde.json |
[
"Staff Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-26T20:53:06 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | A 12-year-old male elephant was found dead at Haliyur near Hettur in Sakaleshpur taluk on Friday morning. The pachyderm is said to have died of electrocution.The Forest Department officials received | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fkarnataka%2Felephant-found-dead-in-sakaleshpur-taluk%2Farticle9035730.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02987/WhatsApp_Image_20_2987160c.jpg | en | null | Elephant found dead in Sakaleshpur taluk | null | null | www.thehindu.com | A 12-year-old male elephant was found dead at Haliyur near Hettur in Sakaleshpur taluk on Friday morning. The pachyderm is said to have died of electrocution.
The Forest Department officials received information about the death of the animal early in the morning. M.L. Manjunath, Deputy Conservator of Forests, told The Hindu: “A 12-year-old male elephant has been found dead. Reasons for its death are yet to be known. Our wildlife veterinarian and officers are at the spot.”
Sakaleshpur and Alur taluks of Hassan are known for man-elephant conflict. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/elephant-found-dead-in-sakaleshpur-taluk/article9035730.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/21f497e1a72fa52511fda2ae2691a2f68b34094bac4f166e98fdeea60250e7fd.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-27T10:51:01 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | When the drive to clear encroachments on storm water drains (SWDs) is likely to resume on Monday, the BBMP might target big builders, some malls and film actor Darshan’s house, which has been the subj | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2Fbangalore%2Frich-or-poor-we-will-not-discriminate-says-mayor%2Farticle9038407.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02988/26bg_bgvsn_BBMP_27_2988219c.jpg | en | null | Rich or poor, we will not discriminate, says Mayor | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Says Darshan’s kin has volunteeredto carry out demolition on their own if survey shows encroachment
When the drive to clear encroachments on storm water drains (SWDs) is likely to resume on Monday, the BBMP might target big builders, some malls and film actor Darshan’s house, which has been the subject of much controversy. The BBMP is awaiting results of a joint survey with the Department of Survey, Settlement and Land Records.
“We will not discriminate against anyone, rich or poor,” said Mayor Manjunath Reddy while announcing that the actor’s family has offered to demolish portions that are encroaching on SWDs if the survey indicates an encroachment. The house is under survey No. 53 of Ideal Homes in Halagevaderahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar.
The BBMP undertook a fresh survey of R.R. Nagar and several other areas following allegations of discrimination.
“We have taken the old village maps and the actual layout maps. Plus, there is a survey of the SWD alignment. The findings of the fresh survey will have to be collated and compared carefully with the existing maps before we proceed,” said Veerabhadrappa B., Joint Commissioner, R.R. Nagar zone
Meanwhile, BJP leader N.R. Ramesh on Friday reiterated, “I have given enough evidence to support my claim that the extent of encroachments is 14,000 instead of the 1,923 listed by the BBMP. These include close to 30 shopping malls, 29 tech parks and three hospitals.” | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/rich-or-poor-we-will-not-discriminate-says-mayor/article9038407.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/d6b988dd9b4772b268fa6ff589a98d70b5911b235c39dc93a347d012f1d5ee8f.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-31T10:57:14 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Three teachers from Madurai district have been selected for the National Award for 2015 to be presented by the President in New Delhi on Teacher’s Day.They include Indira Ramraju, a primary teacher fr | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FMadurai%2Fthree-madurai-teachers-to-get-presidents-award%2Farticle9051463.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Three Madurai teachers to get President’s award | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Three teachers from Madurai district have been selected for the National Award for 2015 to be presented by the President in New Delhi on Teacher’s Day.
They include Indira Ramraju, a primary teacher from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Narimedu, who recently retired from service. She was one among the 21 teachers chosen from more than 1,400 schools across the country coming under the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, which is treated as a separate category for the award. This is the second consecutive year a teacher from KV in Narimedu has been selected for the award after Principal C. Muthiah, who received the award last year.
Speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Indira, who served as a teacher in KV schools in Chennai and Madurai for 32 years, said, “Many enter teaching profession by chance. For me, it was a choice that I made even when I was young. I am happy that my passion towards the profession has been recognised.”
Ms. Indira, who taught English and Environmental Studies for the students, said she always kept her interest alive to learn new things and teach them to her students. After completing her undergraduation in Chemistry, she obtained two masters in English and History, diplomas in Computer Application and Yoga, and has presently registered for M.Sc in Medicine and Yoga.
S. Ganesan, another awardee, who also retired recently as headmaster of Panchayat Union Middle School in K. Unnipatti, worked in different government elementary and middle schools in Kallikudi panchayat union for 30 years. Mr. Ganesan, a Tamil teacher, said a high point in his career was when he managed to stop 27 students from leaving for a matriculation school. “I convinced the parents and villagers by assuring better quality of education in our school and we ensured that as well,” he said.
N. Ramanisekar, a B.T. Assistant from Gandhi Niketan G. Venkatachalapathy Higher Secondary School in T. Kallupatti, is the other awardee. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/three-madurai-teachers-to-get-presidents-award/article9051463.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/eab422953928fbd898953935e3d27e37d9e37bfbff22c17a664757f9817f67cb.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T04:55:58 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hosted national sports awardees, including Rio Olympics silver medallist P.V. Sindhu and bronze winner Sakshi Malik, at his 7 Race Course Road residence here. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fmodi-hosts-national-sports-awardees%2Farticle9043098.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02989/Modi_sports_2989987c.jpg | en | null | Modi hosts national sports awardees | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Prime Minister Narendra Modi poses with Khel Ratna awardees Jitu Rai, P.V. Sindhu, Sakshi Malik and Dipa Karmakar in New Delhi on Sunday.
The Prime Minister greeted the athletes on the eve of the National Sports Day.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hosted national sports awardees, including Rio Olympics silver medallist P.V. Sindhu and bronze winner Sakshi Malik, at his 7 Race Course Road residence here.
The Prime Minister greeted the athletes on the eve of the National Sports Day. Ace shooter Jitu Rai and gymnast Dipa Karmakar were also in attendance.
All the four athletes will be conferred with the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award by President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday.
“I showed him [Mr. Modi] my medal and he was very happy. He congratulated me and said you did really well and made the country proud. That really made my day. It was a pleasure talking to him and I felt very happy,” said Ms. Sindhu after meeting the Prime Minister.
Asked what Mr. Modi spoke to her, Sakshi said: “Prime Minister said to me ‘maarna mat mujhe’ [I hope you won’t hit me] and I told him that we wrestlers are very aggressive on the mat but off it, we are very soft hearted.”
The 23-year-old Sakshi, who was sporting a ‘Rio 2016’ pendent, said it was gifted to her by Gopichand’s sister in Hyderabad earlier in the day.
Sports Minister Vijay Goel, who was present on the occasion, said, “All the Khel Ratna awardees, Arjuna awardees, Dhyanchand awardees, Dronacharya awardees, Tenzing Norgay awardees met Mr. Modi and they also included the two medallists from the Rio Olympics.” | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/modi-hosts-national-sports-awardees/article9043098.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/63e35e2717f0f9d70f6b9a1e863ec10a3af60f6c5bc8e1683163c6277cff3e3d.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-27T00:51:10 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | The new headquarters for the Andhra Pradesh Police will be built within four months on the premises of the APSP 6th Battalion at Mangalagiri in the capital region, Home Minister N. Chinarajappa has s | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fandhra-pradesh%2Fstone-laid-for-state-police-headquarters%2Farticle9037189.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02987/27-VJ-APSP_DESIGN_2987754c.jpg | en | null | Stone laid for State police headquarters | null | null | www.thehindu.com | The state-of-the-art building is coming up on the premises of APSP 6th Battalion in Mangalagiri
The new headquarters for the Andhra Pradesh Police will be built within four months on the premises of the APSP 6th Battalion at Mangalagiri in the capital region, Home Minister N. Chinarajappa has said.
Located at a distance of 15 km from the Secretariat in Velagapudi, the police headquarters is the second major government office in the capital region.
Mr. Chinarajappa, accompanied by Ministers—P. Pulla Rao, R. Kishore Babu, and K. Srinivas—laid the foundation stone for the new office on Friday morning.
The building would house the office of the DGP. It would come up on 75,000 sq. ft. area on a site overlooking the National Highway.
“Considering the fact that the battalion premises are a high-security zone, we have decided to build quarters for 20 senior police officers. The new DGP office will move here by the end of December. I am confident that the DGP, who had built the State fire office within three months and relocated the APSRTC offices to the renovated buildings in Vijayawada, would complete this building too within a short span of time,” Mr. Chinarajappa told the media after performing the ‘bhoomi puja’.
Director-General of Police N. Sambasiva Rao said that the state-of-the-art building in the reserve forest area would be built in complete conformity with global standards. The ergonomic design of the building would ensure optimum utilisation of space. The G+4 structure with glass facade would be fully air-conditioned to ensure comfort for staff at all levels.
“We are also taking care to replant the trees uprooted during the construction. Maximum care would be taken so as not to disturb the green cover in the region. I am going to supervise the work every day, and we are beginning the ground clearance work from today,” Mr. Rao said. The offices would be completed by Dec. 31.
Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada, Gautam Sawang; Superintendents of Police Sarvashresth Tripathi (Guntur Urban) and K. Narayan (Guntur Rural); and Commandant of APSP 6th Battalion Gopinath Jetty were present. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/stone-laid-for-state-police-headquarters/article9037189.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/7e28316b75fba05262df7779fb14c5902061c5f953537dc3053efd7557fb240b.json |
[
"R. Ramabhadran Pillai"
] | 2016-08-29T22:51:41 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Pressure is rising within Milma, the apex body of milk cooperatives in the State, to take up the issue of a hike in milk prices.M.T. Jayan, former chairman of one of the three regional centres of Mil | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fkerala%2Flow-milk-price-leaves-dairy-farmers-in-distress%2Farticle9046381.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Low milk price leaves dairy farmers in distress | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Time ripe for a raise in milk price, says ex-chairman of Milma regional centre
Pressure is rising within Milma, the apex body of milk cooperatives in the State, to take up the issue of a hike in milk prices.
M.T. Jayan, former chairman of one of the three regional centres of Milma, has come out with a demand to raise milk prices. He raised the issue at the general body meeting of the apex body earlier and those at the helm had promised to look into the issue after the general elections, Mr. Jayan told The Hindu. Months after the elections, there is no move to raise the prices which is absolutely necessary to do justice to the farmers, he says. Milma had been bestowed with the power to revise milk prices after a prolonged legal battle. The issue pertaining to the authority to hike the prices was taken up when Mr. Jayan was the chairman of the Ernakulam-based central region of Milma in 2010-11. Since then, the prices were raised at least twice, the last in 2014.
It is high time that the procurement price is increased as the cattle feed prices have gone up steeply in recent months, Mr. Jayan says. A 50-kg bag of cattle feed costs more than Rs.1,000 now, involving a hike of about Rs.400 within the past few months. It has put a heavy burden on the dairy farmers. Milma is importing about 3 lakh litres of milk from neighbouring States while about 9 lakh litres are produced within. The imported milk costs less, benefiting the organisation in its overall business. It could be one of the key reasons behind the lack of interest among the governing body to increase prices, but such an approach would be detrimental to the farmers.
Dairy farmers would have to walk out of the sector if the present non-remunerative pricing structure continues, says Gino G. Maliyakal, general secretary, Kerala Aggressive Dairy Farmers Association. The hike in cattle feed prices has become unbearable for the average farmer, he says.
Milma has the right to increase the prices, but a lot of factors have to be taken into account, Milma Chairman P.T. Gopala Kurup told The Hindu. The milk prices have to be competitive, especially as the prices are low in neighbouring States. Admitting that there has been demand from farmers to raise the prices, he said the issue would have to be discussed appropriately though he could not give a time frame for such an exercise. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/low-milk-price-leaves-dairy-farmers-in-distress/article9046381.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/30656d91127e7c9a7be70eab59785bdc94507e53486ec643d160a0e1ce7bf929.json |
[
"K.A. Shaji"
] | 2016-08-29T04:52:08 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | : While Tamil Nadu’s objection to the Union government nod to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for a second dam across inter-State Siruvani River in Attappady has opened up another wat | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fkerala%2Firrigation-scheme-remains-nonstarter%2Farticle9044606.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02990/27PLSHA01-Attap_28_2990544c.jpg | en | null | Irrigation scheme remains non-starter | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Project for second dam across the Siruvani continues to be drain on State exchequer
: While Tamil Nadu’s objection to the Union government nod to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for a second dam across inter-State Siruvani River in Attappady has opened up another water dispute, a four-decade-old irrigation project mooted by the Kerala government continues to drain the State exchequer.
The total cost of the project when it was conceived in the 1970s was estimated at Rs.4.76 crore. However, a whopping Rs.19.5 crore was spent in recent years to build offices, roads, hostels, quarters, and a canal for the project.
A total of 218 acres of land had been acquired by evicting the Vellakadavu tribal hamlet in end-1970s following strong advocacy by the pro-dam lobby.
In the absence of any construction works, many settlers from outside had encroached upon the land. It would be difficult now to evict them as they have occupied the land for decades.
An Irrigation office of the project has been functioning at Agaly in Attappady and over 38 personnel are employed there.
The fresh round of controversy was triggered last week when Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa demanded scrapping of the recommendation for conducting EIA. The Expert Appraisal Committee for River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had approved the recommendations, which drew angry response from the political leadership in Tamil Nadu.
Siruvani is a feeder of the east-flowing Bhavani River. The pro-dam lobby within the Irrigation Department put focus on the defunct project last year when the then Minister for Water Resources P.J. Joseph promised fund allocation for its early completion.
In Kerala, green activists have opposed the project, stating that it would lead to devastation of large swathes of forestland apart from eviction of over 300 tribal families from the Vengakadavu, Mundukulam and Kottamala settlements. As per the initial plan, the project envisaged construction of a 450-m gravity dam in Chittur village, across the Siruvani river.
The initial design was envisaged as a multipurpose project intended for irrigation, water supply, and power generation.
Official claim
The official claim of Kerala was that the project would use the water available to Kerala in the Bhavani basin under the award of the Cauvery tribunal. “Though the government claims that it would earmark Rs.400 crore for implementation of the project, the actual cost would exceed at least Rs.1,400 crore keeping in view the possible hurdles in land acquisition and construction,” said an official. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/irrigation-scheme-remains-nonstarter/article9044606.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/3a275f80e8737929d912862bdd20547b775b83cea6f66bbab2ce89fe2015ae28.json |
[
"Pradeesh Chandran",
"B. Pradeep Nair"
] | 2016-08-30T00:53:52 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | When it comes to cashless payment at a mall or a pharmacy, it is still mostly either debit/ credit card. However, by this year-end, we might be able to use our mobile phones to make cashless, contact | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2Fbangalore%2Fnew-technology-to-give-a-boost-to-cashless-offline-payments%2Farticle9046765.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | New technology to give a boost to cashless, offline payments | null | null | www.thehindu.com | TECH TRENDS
When adopting the ToneTag technology, neither the merchant nor the consumer need to instal any new hardware
When it comes to cashless payment at a mall or a pharmacy, it is still mostly either debit/ credit card. However, by this year-end, we might be able to use our mobile phones to make cashless, contactless payments at physical stores too, like online transactions. That’s when a technology being pioneered by a Bengaluru startup, ToneTag, is rolled out.
Kumar Abhishek, Co-Founder and CEO, is bullish about this becoming a reality, mainly because neither the merchant nor the consumer need to instal any new hardware. The merchant can use the same infrastructure like card-swiping machine or computer terminal, and the consumer can use the same mobile phone. All that is needed is the integration of the ToneTag technology.
The process is simple. The merchant enters the amount on his machine, and taps enter; the customer opens the bank app on the phone, presses the ToneTag icon, and brings the phone close to the PoS terminal. Within about 10 seconds or even less, the payment is done.
Currently pilot projects are being run with various banks, and rollout is expected around October this year.
Mr. Abhishek said with the integration of Beacon technology, ToneTag enables even customized two-way proximity communication between retailers and customers too. Stores will be able to send them targeted, relevant offers once the users are near the retail stores.
NEXUS DEVICES GET NOUGAT
The latest Android operating system, 7.0 Nougat, is rolling out to Nexus devices. Any other device that has enrolled with the Android Beta programme will also get the over-the-air software update, said Google.
Like all previous updates, this too will bring in better functionality to device operations. Some of the new features are:
- There are now over 1,500 emoji, including 72 new ones.
- With Quick Settings, users can access Bluetooth, WiFi, flashlight quickly.
- Control what tiles go where, and move them around to fit according to the needs
- Apps can tailor content based on local settings. For instance, if someone speaks multiple languages, search engines can show results in each of those languages.
- Multitask features like multi-window, direct reply, and quick switch.
- Two apps can be run side by side, with resizable windows
- Switch between two most recently used apps by simply double tapping the Overview button.
- Software updates instal in the background.
- Direct Boot helps your device startup faster, and apps run securely even before the device has been unlocked.
DATABASE OF JOBS AND SALARIES
Babajobs, an employment-listing website for the unorganized informal service sector, has unveiled a portal that shows the top available jobs in different localities and the corresponding salaries.
The salary index, compiled on a pilot basis on http://www.nextbillion.in/, has been drawn from the vast amount of data contained in the job listings put up by employers on babajob.com. For now, five job categories – drivers, delivery executives, BPO executives, maids and security personnel in Bengaluru – are covered. The average salary has been derived from the previous year’s data of jobs in the city, says the company. The aim is to give more clarity to jobs on offer to both employers as well as job seekers.
The company plans to broad base the portal into an exhaustive resource of data on the informal sector by covering other cities like Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi.
DEMAND FOR TABLETS GOES UP
Tablets (mobile devices that are bigger than a phone but smaller than a laptop) seem to be in demand again. According to market research agency IDC, tablet shipments in India in the second quarter of the calendar year was 0.98 million units. This marks a growth of 14.4 percent over previous quarter.
The report says about three-fourth of tablets sold in India fall in the sub-Rs 10,000 category driven mainly by local vendors like Datawind, iBall and Micromax followed by Lenovo. Samsung dominates Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 segment, while the premium-tier continues to be dominated by Apple, driven primarily by its iPad Air 2.
APP TRACK
MAYA: This is the new avatar of LoveCycles, a women’s health tracker. According to the developers, the app, which has clocked over 6.5 million downloads worldwide, helps women not merely to track their periods but also to understand how their fertility works. The algorithm has been enhanced for better accuracy and now has the ability to track symptoms. The company is looking at expanding the support for international languages from 12 to 25 and adding the ability to sync data with partners and doctors. The company raised Rs. 5 crore from seed-stage venture capital firm Prime Venture Partners in March this year. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/new-technology-to-give-a-boost-to-cashless-offline-payments/article9046765.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/1640ede11b442349af41c76f79947d9ab7ed0d3987b38607fd01bd5e65d2a172.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:59:44 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | A man has alleged that his 12-year-old son died due to negligence of doctors at the GSVM Medical College in Kanpur, a charge which the hospital authorities have refuted. GSVM Medical College Princ | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fkanpur-boy-anshu-dies-on-fathers-shoulder-after-being-denied-admission-by-hospital%2Farticle9050320.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Kanpur boy Anshu dies on father’s shoulder following alleged negligence of doctors | null | null | www.thehindu.com | A man has alleged that his 12-year-old son died due to negligence of doctors at the GSVM Medical College in Kanpur, a charge which the hospital authorities have refuted.
GSVM Medical College Principal Navneet Kumar on Tuesday said the child was already brought dead to the hospital and an inquiry has been ordered into the matter.
On August 28, Sunil Kumar brought his son Anshu, who was suffering from fever, to the emergency ward of Hallet hospital of the GSVM Medical College.
He has alleged that the doctors asked him to go from one department to another, which he did while carrying his son on his shoulder, and Anshu died in the process.
A committee, led by three doctors, has been asked to submit a report on the matter within three days, Mr. Navneet Kumar said.
Kanpur District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma has also ordered an inquiry into the matter and formed a two-member committee comprising Additional City Magistrate and Additional Chief Medical Officer. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kanpur-boy-anshu-dies-on-fathers-shoulder-after-being-denied-admission-by-hospital/article9050320.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/e35b78572c4e8d2f0e804b7fa6232f65bb9cdfd45272abe600d09da0b2268393.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-30T02:51:40 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The combine of trade unions has said that the general strike on September 2 was expected to be total in Ernakulam district.A statement issued here on Monday by the Samyukta Samara Samithi flayed the B | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FKochi%2Fgeneral-strike-to-be-total-in-district%2Farticle9048434.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | General strike to be total in district | null | null | www.thehindu.com | The combine of trade unions has said that the general strike on September 2 was expected to be total in Ernakulam district.
A statement issued here on Monday by the Samyukta Samara Samithi flayed the BMS for its decision to stay away from the strike. It said if the Union government accepted the demands raised by trade unions, it would also be beneficial to workers, who are the members of the BMS too. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/general-strike-to-be-total-in-district/article9048434.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/ed4d17b93a7123b4f9847aea24e39489d93b587f51e5740f3ddca67004a44add.json |
[
"Soumya Swaminathan"
] | 2016-08-27T20:51:52 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Surrogacy is when a woman carries a baby for another couple and gives up the baby at birth. In the past decade, commercial surrogacy has grown tremendously in India. It is currently estimated to be a | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fopinion%2Fop-ed%2Fwhy-the-surrogacy-bill-is-necessary%2Farticle9040755.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02988/Surrogacy_2988958c.jpg | en | null | Why the Surrogacy Bill is necessary | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Adoption is an underutilised option that can not only give happiness to a childless couple but also provide a future for an orphan child
Surrogacy is when a woman carries a baby for another couple and gives up the baby at birth. In the past decade, commercial surrogacy has grown tremendously in India. It is currently estimated to be a $2-billion industry. Before November 2015, when the government imposed a ban, foreigners accounted for 80 per cent of surrogacy births in the country. This is because most countries, barring a few such as Russia, Ukraine and some U.S. states, do not permit commercial surrogacy. Many countries in Europe have completely prohibited surrogacy arrangements, both to protect the reproductive health of the surrogate mother as well as the future of the newborn child.
The debate began when, in 2008, a Japanese doctor couple commissioned a baby in a small town in Gujarat. The surrogate mother gave birth to a healthy baby girl. By then the couple had separated and the baby was both parentless and stateless, caught between the legal systems of two countries. The child is now in her grandmother’s custody in Japan but has not obtained citizenship, as surrogacy is not legal in Japan.
In 2012, an Australian couple who had twins by surrogacy, arbitrarily rejected one and took home the other. A single mother of two from Chennai decided to become a surrogate mother in the hope that the payment would help her start a shop near her house. She delivered a healthy child, but her hopes bore little fruit for herself. She received only about Rs.75,000, with an autorickshaw driver who served as a middleman, taking a 50 per cent cut. After repaying the loans, she did not have enough money. On January 29, 2014, 26-year-old Yuma Sherpa died in the aftermath of a surgical procedure to harvest eggs from her body, as part of the egg donation programme of a private clinic based in New Delhi.
These incidents highlight the total disregard for the rights of the surrogate mother and child and have resulted in a number of public interest litigations in the Supreme Court to control commercial surrogacy. The 228th report of the Law Commission of India also recommended prohibiting commercial surrogacy and allowing ethical altruistic surrogacy to needy Indian citizens by enacting a suitable legislation.
The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 proposes to regulate surrogacy in India by permitting it as an option for couples who cannot naturally have children, have a lack of other assisted reproductive technology options, are keen to have a biological child, and can find a surrogate mother among their relatives. Altruistic surrogacy, which means an arrangement without transfer of funds as inducement, is currently practised in some centres in India, though the majority of surrogacy centres use women who are paid for their services. The child born through surrogacy will have all the rights of a biological child. Indian infertile couples between the ages of 23-50 years (woman) and 26-55 (man) who have been married for five years and who do not have a surviving child will be eligible for surrogacy. The surrogate mother should be a close relative of the intending couple and between the ages of 25-35 years and shall act as a surrogate mother only once in her lifetime. Implementation will be through the national and State surrogacy boards. Any establishment found undertaking commercial surrogacy, abandoning the child, exploiting the surrogate mother, selling or importing a human embryo shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term not be less than 10 years and with a fine up to Rs.10 lakh. Registered surrogacy clinics will have to maintain all records for a minimum period of 25 years.
While infertility is a growing problem in India, there are many different ways of making a family. Adoption is an underutilised option that can not only give happiness to a childless couple but also provide a home and a future for an orphan child. While the Bill will now be placed before Parliament and the details debated, the basic tenet of disallowing commercial surrogacy is at its heart, and will remain.
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan is Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research. | http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/why-the-surrogacy-bill-is-necessary/article9040755.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/4fdeac79120f798389aacde88c4df840fa63a54572f06e2d5b8969499ef5ddc0.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-30T20:52:10 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | : The State police are yet to begin an investigation into the racket suspected to be behind pushing immigrant children into labour in the State. Many children from Assam and Bengal were found employed | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fkerala%2Fmore-immigrant-children-found-engaged-in-labour%2Farticle9051062.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | More immigrant children found engaged in labour | null | null | www.thehindu.com | No probe yet into suspected racket behind trafficking
: The State police are yet to begin an investigation into the racket suspected to be behind pushing immigrant children into labour in the State. Many children from Assam and Bengal were found employed at different parts of the State by furnishing identity cards that testified them as adults.
The identity cards produced by some children in the district were found to be fabricated. “Anyone can easily detect that the IDs, reportedly given by some panchayats, are fabricated,” said Jaffer Malik, Sub-Collector at Perinthalmanna who conducted joint raids on business establishments to detect child labour.
Officials working for the welfare of children pointed out that no panchayat or village authority would issue identity cards to people as proof of their age. “At one glance, you will find that it’s a fake ID,” said Raju Krishnan, a Childline official.
Attempts by the State’s child rights protection authorities to check the veracity of identity cards recovered from Assamese children yielded poor results. They were not only found to be fake, but the whereabouts of the children could not also be confirmed.
What has surprised the child protection authorities in the State is the attitude of hoteliers and other business proprietors in employing immigrant children by accepting such fake identity cards.
The owners of restaurants, hotels and other business establishments simply washed their hands of the responsibility by saying that they relied on the identity cards and the certificates.
“This tendency is wrong. They should at least make an attempt to check if the identity card is genuine or not,” said District Child Protection Officer Sameer Machingal. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/more-immigrant-children-found-engaged-in-labour/article9051062.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/7eb9d8c79589b1f55a803a1c22e60be758e36d2b609e1ddaf15c6e1b7b7d1077.json |
[
"T. Ramakrishnan"
] | 2016-08-31T06:58:33 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Senior IAS officer and former Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary K. Gnanadesikan and Commissioner of Geology and Mining Atul Anand were on Monday suspended along with six other government officials, pending a | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Ftamil-nadu%2Fformer-chief-secretary-among-8-officials-suspended%2Farticle9051434.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Former Chief Secretary among 8 officials suspended | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Senior IAS officer and former Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary K. Gnanadesikan and Commissioner of Geology and Mining Atul Anand were on Monday suspended along with six other government officials, pending an inquiry into certain charges allegedly linked to “beach sand mining” in the southern districts.
While three of the suspended officials belong to the Geology and Mining Department, three others were working in the Environment Department, including the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
Mr. Gnanadesikan, who was Chief Secretary for about one-and-a-half years till early June when P. Rama Mohana Rao replaced him, was holding the post of Chairman and Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) in the rank of Additional Chief Secretary.
Mr. Atul Anand was serving as Managing Director of Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT).
While the State government did not spell out the reasons for their suspension, one IAS officer claimed that action was taken against them for reportedly endorsing a report of a panel of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, which gave a clean chit to beach mining firms during a joint inspection in April 2015.
This was in variance with the findings of a State inquiry committee, headed by IAS officer Gagandeep Singh Bedi in 2013.
The joint inspection report came into focus on Monday when leading beach sand mining baron S. Vaikundarajan of V.V. Minerals cited it in his defence in a statement released to the media against the backdrop of his brother V.S. Kumaresan alleging massive illegal mining by the firm at a press conference a day earlier.
Meanwhile, a delegation of officers of the Indian Administrative Service met the Chief Secretary, P. Rama Mohan Rao, in Chennai on Tuesday and expressed their “concerns” over the suspensions. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/former-chief-secretary-among-8-officials-suspended/article9051434.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/7c08d1c36368ac7f1abdf45f0c21baac7d0d468283c25c8cdcd1650e6849a4f2.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T10:52:02 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Ffeatures%2Fcinema%2Fquiz-women-fighting-the-fight%2Farticle9054997.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02993/akira_2993371c.jpg | en | null | Quiz: Women fighting the fight | null | null | www.thehindu.com | As Sonakshi Sinha fights off bad guys in 'Akira', here's a quiz on women action heroes in cinema. Take our quiz now!
Please Wait while comments are loading... | http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/quiz-women-fighting-the-fight/article9054997.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/fcfb987595744e3eff33f32bc55df0bd98384e58a9839079c7beeed168841936.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:52:09 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | At least 20 people were killed and another 17 hurt when bus drove off a highway in Nepal and plunged into a river on Friday, police said. Police office said the bus rolled about 100 meters (330 feet) | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Finternational%2Fpolice-20-killed-17-injured-in-nepal-bus-accident%2Farticle9035814.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Police: 20 killed, 17 injured in Nepal bus accident | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Road accidents in the mountainous country are generally blamed on poorly maintained vehicles and roads.
At least 20 people were killed and another 17 hurt when bus drove off a highway in Nepal and plunged into a river on Friday, police said.
Police office said the bus rolled about 100 meters (330 feet) down the slope early Friday and crashed into the fast-flowing Trishuli river near Chandibhanjyang, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu.
Police and villagers were helping the injured and pulling the dead from wreckage, which was mostly submerged in the river. Police are investigating the cause of the pre-dawn accident.
Poorly maintained roads, vehicles
Road accidents in mountainous Nepal are generally blamed on poorly maintained vehicles and roads.
Earlier this month, an overcrowded bus veered off a mountain trail in eastern Nepal, killing at least 33 people and injuring 28 others. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/police-20-killed-17-injured-in-nepal-bus-accident/article9035814.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/0b3301312d470b7e7af0e9f05f449d66a206f4c51b4219a51009f7d32d0d9c7f.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T04:51:05 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Rupee was trading lower by 12 paise at 67.18 against the dollar in early trade on Monday on increased month-end demand for the American currency from importers and banks.The dollar was firm against s | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fbusiness%2Fmarkets%2Fforex-markets-august-29-2016%2Farticle9045232.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | Forex markets — August 29, 2016 | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Rupee was trading lower by 12 paise at 67.18 against the dollar in early trade on Monday on increased month-end demand for the American currency from importers and banks.
The dollar was firm against some global currencies after the US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen indicated that the interest rates could rise in coming months.
Forex dealers said month-end demand for the US currency from importers and a lower opening in the domestic equity market put pressure on the rupee.
On Friday, the rupee had closed almost flat at 67.06 against the US currency in restricted activity.
Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex fell by 60.39 points or 0.21 per cent to 27,721.86 in opening trade today. | http://www.thehindu.com/business/markets/forex-markets-august-29-2016/article9045232.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/bc701df32a75bfc23678133a1a6a621d62d56efd9970005ce03c379497df42fa.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:51:46 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Donald Trump said he will travel to Mexico today to meet with the country’s president, hours before the Republican presidential nominee’s long-awaited speech on immigration and gains significance ami | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Finternational%2Fdonald-trump-to-visit-mexico-ahead-of-his-immigration-speech%2Farticle9054113.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02993/Trump_2993253c.jpg | en | null | Donald Trump to visit Mexico ahead of his immigration speech | null | null | www.thehindu.com | "I have accepted the invitation of President Enrique Pena Nieto, of Mexico, and look very much forward to meeting him tomorrow," Trump tweeted.
Donald Trump said he will travel to Mexico today to meet with the country’s president, hours before the Republican presidential nominee’s long-awaited speech on immigration and gains significance amid his rhetoric of “building a wall” on the border if elected.
“I have accepted the invitation of President Enrique Pena Nieto, of Mexico, and look very much forward to meeting him tomorrow,” Trump tweeted.
Soon after, the Mexican President tweeted that Trump has accepted his invitation.
Notably, Nieto has been highly critical of Trump’s plan to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.
The 70-year-old reality TV star, who has, in the past, called some Mexicans as drug dealers, “rapists” and other criminals, argues this would stop the flow of illegal immigrants coming into the U.S.
Nieto had invited Trump’s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton too for a meeting. “Both campaigns received the invitation on good terms”, the president’s office said in a statement.
“Trump, sensing an opportunity, decided over the weekend to accept the invitation and push for a visit this week, according to the people familiar with the discussions,” The Washington Post reported.
Trump’s meeting with the Mexican President would be his first formal interaction with a foreign head of state after he jumped into the electoral arena last year.
The development comes just hours ahead of the Republican presidential nominee’s much-anticipated Arizona speech on immigration. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/donald-trump-to-visit-mexico-ahead-of-his-immigration-speech/article9054113.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/553c9f37bdd7678b1ba29f397a37443a7a582aac8e52f6216c5e8d969614bdb4.json |
[
"M. Rajeev"
] | 2016-08-29T20:51:45 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The special court dealing with Anti-Corruption Bureau cases has directed the agency to reinvestigate the cash-for-vote episode that rocked Telangana last year, and submit a report before September 29 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Ftelangana%2Facb-court-seeks-fresh-report-on-cashforvote%2Farticle9047198.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/template/1-0-1/gfx/oghindunew1.jpg | en | null | ‘ACB court seeks fresh report on cash-for-vote’ | null | null | www.thehindu.com | The complainant — Mangalagiri MLA Alla — alleged that Naidu was the ‘main conspirator’
The special court dealing with Anti-Corruption Bureau cases has directed the agency to reinvestigate the cash-for-vote episode that rocked Telangana last year, and submit a report before September 29, the YSR Congress (YSRC) has said.
The special court’s direction came in light of a private complaint filed by YSRC Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy.
The court wanted to reinvestigate the case under Section 156 (3) of the Cr.P.C. that empowers the magistrate to check police performance and monitor it, besides placing the persons named in the complaint as accused in the case.
The cash-for-vote episode kicked off a furore in the two Telugu states last year as Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs from Telengana, A. Revanth Reddy and S. Venkata Veeraiah, were accused of offering bribe to nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson for casting his vote in favour of the TDP nominee. Audio and video clippings subsequently released on the issue led to a war of words between the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and the TDP.
Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy said he had filed the complaint with recorded evidence showing the involvement of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in various capacities, including that of the “main conspirator, abettor and perpetrator”. The court gave the direction as it found prima facie evidence on the involvement of Mr. Naidu in the incident. Mr. Ramakrishna Reddy prayed, in his complaint, that Mr. Naidu should be dealt with under relevant provisions, including the Prevention of Corruption Act, as he was party to a major conspiracy. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/acb-court-seeks-fresh-report-on-cashforvote/article9047198.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/4b670934ae81149473f8450f414973d6798a4bf6c94d9ab4b4927a0f396d8ea4.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-28T20:51:39 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Girls came out with flying colours at the 24th convocation of the premier National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, on Sunday. They bagged 18 of the 22 gold medals and secured the t | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2Fbangalore%2Fgirl-power-all-the-way-at-nlsiu-convocation%2Farticle9043109.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02989/29BG_NLSIU_2989991c.jpg | en | null | Girl power all the way at NLSIU convocation | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Shining bright: First-ranker holder L. Gopika Murthy with President Pranab Mukherjee, Governor Vajubhai R. Vala and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the NLSIU convocation in Bengaluru on Sunday; (right) second and third rank-holders Shreya Prakash and G. Deekshitha. — photos: Special arrangement
They secure top three ranks; clinch 18 of 22 gold medals
Girls came out with flying colours at the 24th convocation of the premier National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, on Sunday. They bagged 18 of the 22 gold medals and secured the top three ranks.
As many 571 students were awarded degrees, master’s degrees, diplomas, and PhDs. The convocation was presided over by chief guest President Pranab Mukherjee, Justice T.S. Thakur, and guests of honour Governor Vajubhai R. Vala and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
First-ranker holder L. Gopika Murthy, whose family is based in Thiruvanthapuram in Kerala, bagged 11 gold medals. Incidentally, Gopika dropped out of her engineering course to pursue law. “The shift from science to social science was a challenge, and I spent most of my time at the law school studying,” she said. Gopika is now set to pursue her Master’s in Commercial Law from Oxford University, for which she has got full funding.
Shreya Prakash from Delhi, who clinched three gold medals and bagged the second rank, is now working with a New Delhi-based organisation that works with the government on law reform initiatives. “I always wanted to work in the public policy arena and make a difference. I am glad to be getting the opportunity to do so,” she said.
Gold medallist and third-rank holder G. Deekshitha from Chennai plans to work with a Mumbai-based corporate law firm. “After spending five years in the university, I realised there are so many options. One must try them all options before settling for the one that suits you best,” she said. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/girl-power-all-the-way-at-nlsiu-convocation/article9043109.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/fd7c84999b78a8b6e4213220b2b382876443d69570bd376167328f9b0065e62c.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-31T10:53:12 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | A criminal case was registered almost every three minutes in the Capital last year, a 23 per cent jump from 2014. Data provided by the National Crime Records Bureau for 2014 and 2015 and the Delhi | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fcities%2FDelhi%2Fa-crime-every-three-minutes-in-the-capital%2Farticle9053508.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02993/crime_delhi_2993207c.jpg | en | null | A crime every three minutes in the Capital | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Stolen cars and equipment used to forge documents recovered from auto lifters in the Capital. File Photo
The 2015 crime data shows an overall 23 per cent jump from 2014.
A criminal case was registered almost every three minutes in the Capital last year, a 23 per cent jump from 2014.
Data provided by the National Crime Records Bureau for 2014 and 2015 and the Delhi Police for the same years show the crime graph climbing with each passing year.
But crimes that tormented a large number of people in the city were rising incidents of theft, robbery and kidnapping.
With around 72,000 cases reported last year, incidents of theft shot up by almost 30 per cent compared with 2014.
But more worrisome were the increasing incidents of vehicle theft despite the best efforts of the police to check them. With 32,729 cases, vehicle thefts registered a 40 per cent increase from the previous year, NCRB data show.
With less than 10 per cent of the stolen vehicles recovered by the police, officers have gone on record to say that they will be unable to recover most stolen vehicles and that motorists must opt for their own security measures and insurance to protect or cover their cars and motorcycles.
Women’s safety
Cases relating to women’s safety have also contributed heavily to the overall numbers.
Almost 8,700 cases registered last year related to rape and molestation, with children being victims in a considerable number of incidents.
For their part, the police attribute the rising crimes against women to their own approach of not turning away any woman who approaches them with a complaint of sexual harassment.
To substantiate their claims, they point to the registration of 1,124 cases of stalking and 66 cases of voyeurism, both witnessing a 100 per cent jump compared with 2014.
Bhim Sain Bassi, who was the Delhi Police Commissioner for most of 2014-15, attributed the increase in the crime graph to the “systematic eradication” of burking (non-registration or suppressing the severity of crimes) in the police force.
Meanwhile, other heinous crimes like murders, dowry deaths, acid attacks and riots saw a marginal dip in 2015, compared with the previous year. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/a-crime-every-three-minutes-in-the-capital/article9053508.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/04c8cf7643157683e5742117bb12cc495ef98f6f51fcb03b0c4f6195beced6fa.json |
[
"Special Correspondent"
] | 2016-08-27T10:52:02 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Academic activities at Manasagangotri, the campus of the University of Mysore, had come to a halt on Friday with various students’ groups calling for a ‘university bandh’ demanding action against vice | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fkarnataka%2Facademic-work-on-varsity-campus-comes-to-a-halt%2Farticle9039158.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02988/26mysbr_varsity_27_2988371c.jpg | en | null | Academic work on campus of University of Mysore comes to a halt | null | null | www.thehindu.com | IN ONE VOICE:Hundreds of students boycotted classes and protested in front of Crawford Hall on Friday, seeking the ouster of officials accused of corruption.— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM
Academic activities at Manasagangotri, the campus of the University of Mysore, had come to a halt on Friday with various students’ groups calling for a ‘university bandh’ demanding action against vice-chancellor K.S. Rangappa, the former vice-chancellor of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) M.G. Krishnan and five others following an FIR registered against them here recently.
Dalit Vidyarthi Okkoota, University Research Scholars’ Association, Bahujan Vidyarthi Sangha, Vidyarthi Basava Balaga, Yuva Pragathipara Chintakara Sangha and Save Mysore University Forum had jointly called for the bandh.
Classes had to be suspended in almost all departments.
Demanding that legal steps be against the seven booked by the Jayalakshmipuram police, acting on a complaint lodged by KSOU officials, the protestors urged Governor Vajubhai R. Vala to remove Prof. Rangappa, who earlier served as the vice-chancellor of KSOU, from the post.
The police had registered the case based on the complaint of alleged “irregularities” in the KSOU.
The protesters staged a dharna in front of the statue of Kuvempu at the main entrance of Manasagangotri. They later marched to the Maharaja and Yuvaraja Colleges and staged a dharna in front of the Crawford Hall. The members of the students’ groups later submitted a memorandum to the university officials.
Security tightened
Police had deployed tight security on the campus following the bandh. Deputy Commissioner of Police Rudramuni supervised the security arrangements to prevent any untoward incidents. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/academic-work-on-varsity-campus-comes-to-a-halt/article9039158.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/abd78786a3d9725232c70c20f5bc715d7d233803e396723032dc068f93ba8aa2.json |
[
"Staff Reporter"
] | 2016-08-27T04:50:20 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Freedom fighter and Gandhian communist leader K. Madhavan, who championed for the uplift of downtrodden and actively took part in the 1931 Guruvayur Satyagraha, that ensured temple entry to all caste | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Fnational%2Fkerala%2Fk-madhavan-turns-102%2Farticle9038873.ece%3Futm_source%3DRSS_Feed%26utm_medium%3DRSS%26utm_campaign%3DRSS_Syndication.json | http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02988/27TVKA_MADHAVAN_27_2988305c.jpg | en | null | K. Madhavan turns 102 | null | null | www.thehindu.com | Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan felicitating freedom fighter and Gandhian communist leader K. Madhavan on his 102nd birthday at his residence in Kanhangad on Friday.
The freedom fighter fought for the uplift of the poor and actively took part in the 1931 Guruvayur Satyagraha.
Freedom fighter and Gandhian communist leader K. Madhavan, who championed for the uplift of downtrodden and actively took part in the 1931 Guruvayur Satyagraha, that ensured temple entry to all caste Hindus, was felicitated by dignitaries from various walks of life as he turned 102 on Friday.
At a simple but gracious function held at his Nellikkatt residence here, where Mr. Madhavan is leading a quiet life, Revenue Minister and chairman of K. Madhavan Foundation E. Chandrasekharan described him as a doyen of a bygone era reminisced with compassion and virtuous life style of the past.
Living legend
Despite being a member of an aristocratic Nair family, Mr. Madhavan, influenced by the Gandhian philosophy, jumped into the freedom struggle at a tender age and is one of the tallest leaders who fostered the values of Communist ideals and fought against the feudal social order prevailed in the region, he said adding that it was responsibility of one and all to honour such a living legend.
Terming him as a pioneering leader in the annals of Kerala history, District Collector K. Jeevanbabu underscored the need to imbibe the life of virtue and strive to pass on to the generation next as a gesture to recall the selfless services and sacrifices made by the freedom fighters in the country.
Presents memento
Mr. Jeevanbabu presented a memento to Mr. Madhavan, who was found to be cheerfully responding to the felicitations offered to him as he sat in his armchair in the front room of his house.
While releasing the fifth edition of K. Madhavan’s autobiography ‘Oru Gandhian Communistinte Ormakurippukal’ writer Paul Zacharia stressed the need to join hands to frustrate the designs of communal forces to safeguard the nation’s secular fabric. The function was presided over by K. Madhavan Foundation vice president C.K. Sreedharan. | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/k-madhavan-turns-102/article9038873.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thehindu.com/c8cb664384864a3f857365c4af5a29ae298636d62e14a7b8ba28575807433a5b.json |
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