E-Paper 27 October 2013

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Vol. 2 Issue 42 10.00 24 Pages RNI Reg. No.: PUNMUL/2012/45041 Postal Reg. No. PB/JL-047/2013-15 www.facebook.com/uconnectt
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Music can help reduce chronic pain: study
Health 10
Sunday 27 October, 2013 Weekly Newspaper
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Panjab University's big contribution to science
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BJP far removed from concerns of poor: Rahul Gandhi
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Panjab University, known for its alumni like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Nobel Laureate Hargobind Khorana, contributed to science in India and internationally a facet that Page 2
Not above law, ready to be questioned by CBI: PM
Two arrested for gang-rape of minor
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday said he "was not above the law" and was willing to be questioned by the CBI in the coal block allocations as he had "nothing to hide". In an affable mood after ending a two-nation tour to Russia and China, he also exuded confidence that Congress would "surprise" everyone and win the 2014 general elections and felt the BJP, despite its aggressive election campaign, would "peak early" and his "slow and steady" party would win the race. Manmohan Singh also hit out at Pakistan for the repeated ceasefire violations, saying he was "disap- Page 3 pointed" as they were taking place despite an agreement to maintain peace at the border
Jannat Jahan the BSP candidate for Chandigarh Lok Sabha constituency minces no words when it comes to voicing her displeasure at the state of affairs in City Beautiful. Talking to U Connectt she expressed a desire for change and outlined her priorities for the city.
COVERSTORY
Chandigarh BJP State President is busy working the wheels of organization in the run up to Lok Sabha Polls 2014. In a conversation with U Connectt he delved into the issues that will dominate the political strategy of BJP in the City Beautiful.
Q) What is your take on local issues for the next Lok Sabha polls? A) Apart from national issues of corruption, inflation, economic recession and failing security situation. Chandigarh is suffering from stalled developmental activity, poor upkeep of civic infrastructure and lesser say of city residents in governance of the city. Specifically in administration jobs and recruitment Chandigarh residents are frequently overlooked in favour of outsiders.
Chandigarh Sunday 27 October, 2013
Q) Youth will be a big swing factor in current elections? A) Youth of India deserves a better education system and is yearning to earn more money. They deserve a supportive system that
Q)What are the specific problem areas for the voters of Chandigarh? A) The lives of common people have become difficult due to rise in prices of essential commodities and corruption has come to plague all sectors of development. She added, if the local MP had the desire to get people's problems solved, he would have done it over such a long time period. In past we witnessed people graduating to cars from scooters but now inflation has forced people back to the days of two wheelers.
Q) How do you view incumbent MP Pawan Kumar Bansal's performance? A) The current MP is more keen to stay in Delhi and thus has ignored his constituency. Despite a continuous term of more than 10 years he has failed to fulfil most of the manifesto promises. Chandigarh could have ideally been a world class city but it is currently languishing due to misplaced priorities.
BJP opposed to fee hike, students felicitate - Jain

students of Punjab University Chandigarh that he and his party BJP are opposed to the increase in Tuition, Examination Fees etc. etc. of the students and will continue opposing any such attempt of the government in the coming meetings of the University Senate & Syndicate. He also assured the students that he will take up the other issues of the students, like students getting placement as per their potential, representation of students on the Punjab University Senate and other bodies, payments of stipends to research scholars in time etc. etc. in the coming meetings of the Punjab University bodies. Mr. Jain was speaking at a function organized by the students of Punjab University to thank and felicitate Mr. Jain for successfully opposing and stalling the 10% increase in the examination fees etc. in the last meeting of the Punjab University Syndicate. The students under the banner of Namo, a nonpolitical student organization, submitted a memorandum and thanks giving letter signed by about 500 students and urged Mr. Jain and his party to continue opposing such anti-student moves and assured him of their full support to him in this matter. Mr. Jain said that the BJP is of the firm opinion and when it come to power it will ensure that fee structure in the schools, colleges and universities is such which a student of even a poor family can afford. He said that unfortunately the successive Congress governments, by increasing the fee
Q) Any remarks on the working of Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh? A) Current Mayor of Chandigarh is unable to attend to the city's problems. The MC is unable to do anything about poor health and sanitation as witnessed by rampant Dengue and Malaria. Water supply is in shambles and maintenance of roads and parks is nothing much to write home about. Same goes for street lighting, thus about the MC lesser said the better.
Q) What will you do after winning? A) Slums are a huge issue in the urban areas and hence slum dwellers need special policies and development initiatives to pull them out of the rut of poverty. Proper utilization for funds for the right cause will take place if I am elected to the Parliament from Chandigarh constituency. Finally but not last I shall make special efforts towards delivering employment to the city youth.
can best help realize their hidden potential. We have to work for them. The youth are no longer swayed by emotional tokensim and hence they will choose wisely, I am sure of that!
Chandigarh Panjab University, known for its alumni like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Nobel Laureate Hargobind Khorana, contributed to science in India and internationally - a facet that is not well known. Now that is about to change. Panjab University was in the news recently after it emerged as the top ranked Indian university in the Top-250 universities in the world."PU has made rich contributions to Indian science and to the world. This has not been known much or acknowledged. We are now trying to highlight that contribution made by pioneers of science who were associated with this university," PU Vice Chancellor Arun Grover told .In this context, PU is organizing a seminar (Oct 24-26) as part of the celebration of the foundation day of the university and the commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of eminent scholar Professor Ruchi Ram Sahni. This will also commemorate the 150 years of higher education in Punjab. "Prof. Ruchi Ram Sahni was one of the first-generation scholars of Punjab who contributed immensely to science, education and public life and
Panjab University's big contribution to science
Q) Can you specify the civic issues facing Chandigarh? A) In simple terms Chandigarh is a revenue surplus city for the government however the revenue is not funnelled back into the economy in terms of amenities delivered. Electricity availability and transmission infrastructure has deteriorated, proposed elevated corridors for high speed transport is nowhere in the picture, there is little progress on the Metro front and finally the jewel in
Q) Given the economic scenario, what is your prognosis? A) The situation as of today is not irretrievable, despite global factors, India can stage a turnaround with deft application of sound policies and correct distribution of government spending. I am optimistic about an upturn with BJP government in place at the centre.
Chandigarh's crown, its roads have gone to the weeds. Overall Chandigarh represents a picture of once glorious city undone by neglect of policy makers.
Q) Any comments of UPA government? A) India faced the consequences of the policy decisions taken by UPA-I during UPA-II. Profligate public spending, poor policy making and corruption ruined the good work done by previous Vajpayee administration. UPA government will always be remembered for misgovernance and failures on all fronts.
greatly influenced the making of modern Punjab. He pioneered the interest of the people in science through his teaching, experiments and research," said Grover who has been closely associated with the move to highlight PU's contribution to science and higher education. "He (Sahni) was the first Indian meteorologist in colonial India. He was the first nuclear physicist of India and also the first professor of the science at Government College Lahore, which was set up in 1864 to impart higher education to young scholars. "Sahni, along with his sons Dr. Mulk Raj Sahni and Dr. Birbal Sahni, Dr.
Chandigarh Sh. Satya Pal Jain, Ex-City MP and National Chairman of the BJPs Committee on Legal Affairs & Election Commission Issues, assured the
and other changes, is making the higher education only a prerogative of the rich, making it practically impossible for a common or student to go for higher education. Mr. Davesh Moudgil a BJP MC Councillor said that today the youth is feeling disgusted by the anti-poor policies of the Congress Governments and is determined to throw the congress out of power and bring Mr. Narender Modi as Prime Minister in the coming election. Many student leaders including Sumit Suman, Pratyush Verma, Kunal, Priya Ranjan, Ankur, Priyank, Vivek Chaudhary, Rishi Kumar, Ritwik, Rohit, Hariram, Meena, Saurav, Sharad, Shiv Parkash, Suman, Sahil, Mithilesh, Rakesh were also present on this occasion.
Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar, Dr. Shiv Ram Kashyap and Dr. Sarvadaman Chowla were invited by Nobel Laureate C.V. Raman to be among the Foundation Fellows of the Indian Academy of Sciences set up in Bangalore in 1934," said Grover. The vice chancellor said that PU's scientists in the 19th and 20 centuries made pioneering contribution to science, including nuclear physics, and mathematics. Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar, in whose name a leading science award has been instituted and is known as the `father of research laboratories', was part of the university in the early 20th century. Knighted by the British government in 1941, he was the first director general of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the first chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC). Bhatnagar made a significant contribution with scientists Homi J. Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai to propel India's science and technology story after independence in August 1947. Sarvadam Chowla, a London-born Indian-American mathematician who once taught and headed the department of mathematics at Government College-Lahore (now in Pakistan), has several theorems in his name. Originally called the University of Punjab, the institution was established at Lahore Oct 14, 1882, and it was reinitiated in independent India from Oct 1, 1947. The university shifted to its present campus, spread in a beautiful and sprawling 550acres, in Chandigarh in 1956.
Not above law, ready to be questioned by CBI: PM
DEFENCE
On Board Air India One Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday said he "was not above the law" and was willing to be questioned by the CBI in the coal block allocations as he had "nothing to hide". In an affable mood after ending a two-nation tour to Russia and China, he also exuded confidence that Congress would "surprise" everyone and win the 2014 general elections and felt the BJP, despite its aggressive election campaign, would "peak early" and his "slow and steady" party would win the race. Manmohan Singh also hit out at Pakistan for the repeated ceasefire violations, saying he was "disappointed" as they were taking place despite an agreement to maintain peace at the border during his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in New York last month. The prime minister, who held the coal portfolio during the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2006, said he was "not above the law of the land". "If there is anything that the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) or, for that matter, anybody wants to ask, I have nothing to hide...." The Bharatiya
Don't attribute motives to judgment, SC tells V.K.Singh
Janata Party (BJP) has been targeting the prime minister demanding that he be called for questioning by the CBI, probing the coal blocks allocations. The issue came into sharp focus after the CBI filed an FIR against industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, his company Hindalco and former coal secretary P.C. Parakh over two coal blocks in Odisha's Talabira allocated in 2005. Parakh pointed an accusing finger at the prime minister, saying if he was involved in the conspiracy, Manmohan Singh was equally responsible. The PMO promptly defended the allocations saying they were done on merit. To a question on whether the scams and alleged wrongdoings, like the coal allocation issue, would "cast a shadow on his prime ministership", Manmohan Singh said: "That is for history to judge." "I am doing my duty and will continue to do my duty. What impact my 10 years of prime ministership will have is for historians to judge," he told reporters. The prime minister, answering questions on a range of subjects while on way back from his tour, said the allegations of
scams against the UPA government relate only to its first term and not to UPA-II. In the 2009 general election, the Congress won "hands down", he said, adding: "I am sure when the results of 2014 come out, the country will once again be surprised." The prime minister also said that though the BJP may be perceived to be running ahead of the Congress with an aggressive election campaign but the "slow and steady" would win the race. "I don't share the view that the Congress party is not active enough. I think the Congress party is quite active. I think the BJP may have started early, but I think it will also peak early. And slow and steady (wins the race) I think is the thing which sometimes also works in public life as well." Asked what he thought about Rahul Gandhi saying he could be killed too like his grandmother Indira Gandhi and his father Rajiv Gandhi - both prime ministers, the prime minister said in a reference to the BJP: "Well, I and all sane persons should be worried about the politics of hate which is now sweeping the country." "As regards the threat to the life of Rahul Gandhi, the government will take all possible precautions that this threat does not materialise," he said. Asked whether he thought the Supreme Court with its many judgments was becoming "over active" and whether he thinks it to be a reason for the government's policy paralysis, the prime minister declined to comment. On the spike in ceasefire violations on the Line of Control, he said after his meeting with Nawaz Sharif, "there was agreement on both sides that peace and tranquillity must be maintained on the Line of Control and the International Border. And this has not happened, it has come to me as a big disappointment." "I sincerely hope that at this late hour Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will recognise that this is a development which is not good for either of the two countries."
3 ITBP to get Rs.12.6 bn for housing, power
New Delhi The government Thursday announced sanctioning of Rs.12.6 billion for construction activity at Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) posts at various places. The construction activity will include building accommodations for ITBP jawans, Minister of State for Home R.P.N. Singh said at the 52nd ITBP Raising Day parade here. Efforts will also be made to meet energy requirements at 69 border outposts of the ITBP through eco-friendly measures, he said. "The 69 border posts of ITBP
War no solution, only brings misery: Omar Abdullah
would soon have three to 10 KVA solar power plants which will facilitate uninterrupted power supply," said Singh. On the occasion of the Raising Day Parade, Singh conferred one Police Medal for gallantry, six President's Police Medals for distinguished service and 15 Police Medals for meritorious service on the ITBP officials. On the occasion, the 16th battalion was adjudged as best border battalion of the force while the 26th battalion was adjudged as best non-border battalion.
New Delhi The Supreme Court Wednesday said it was not averse to criticism, but would not accept motives being attributed to its proceedings and decisions. "We welcome the criticism of the court. (But) we cannot accept motives being attributed. It is something very serious that cannot be accepted," the apex court bench of Justice R.M. Lodha and Justice H.L. Gokhale said. The observation came as the court gave former army chief General (retd) V.K. Singh time until Nov 15 to respond to its suo motu notice for contempt of court, initiated after taking cognizance of an interview the retired General gave to a news channel, alleging that pressure had been brought to bear on judges in the matter of his controversial date of birth. "We cannot allow the court to be drawn into scandal like this," Justice Lodha said. Attorney General Vahanvati said that Gen. V.K.Singh's com-
ments were "destructive", and Justice Lodha observed, "It was striking at the root (of the judiciary)." "You must appreciate the problem," the apparently displeased Justice Lodha said as Gen. Singh's counsel requested adjournment of the matter as senior counsel Ram Jethmalani, who was to appear for him in the case, was arguing a matter before another bench of the apex court. At this, Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati told the court that he too had to appear in the case before another bench of the court, but skipped it to appear in the contempt matter. "When did you receive the notice?", the court asked counsel for Gen. Singh, who was present in the court and sought more time to file the response. Counsel told the court that the notice was received in the first week of October, but paper-book of the case has not yet been received. He was told
all that the paper-book included was the court's notice and newspaper clippings. Attorney General Vahanvati placed before the court the transcripts of Gen. Singh's interviews to the news channel, both in English and Hindi. Vahanvati told the court that he would frame the charges based on the material before the court as provided under rules of the apex court. Gen. Singh would respond to the charge sheet. "I will frame the charges," Vahanvati said. The court gave 10 days' time to Vahanvati to place on record the compact disc (CD) containing Gen. Singh's interview, and to frame charges based on the material. V.K. Singh has been given 10 days' time to file his response, which is expected by Nov 15. Senior counsel Fali Nariman, appearing for a national English daily, said they have offered an unqualified apology, but would like to address the court on the broader principle of balancing the freedom of expression and the court's power of contempt. "I am on balancing the freedom of expressing with the court's power of contempt," Nariman told the court. The apex court Oct 1, 2013, issued notice to V.K.Singh asking why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against him for his remarks questioning the apex court's decision on his date of birth issue, thereby tending to lower its authority.
Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Wednesday that wars have never solved any issue and only bring destruction and misery. "No one in Jammu and Kashmir or in the country is in favour of war, as wars are no solution to any issue", Omar Abdullah said while addressing a public rally in Tangdhar (Karnah), a town bordering Pakistan in Kupwara district of the state. The chief minister, however, added that friendship requires reciprocity: "Friendship is like the clap, needing two hands," he said. "If one side extends the hand of friendship, the other side also needs to reciprocate", he said while expressing grave concern over the repeated ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border by Pakistani troops. The chief minister said the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, signed and imple-
mented in 2003, had brought great rewards for the people living close to the LoC and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir but the repeated firing from Pakistan was cause for concern. "I would continue to stress on the union government to take up this matter with Pakistan and resolve the issue so that peace rules on the borders and at the LoC," he said, adding that it would greatly benefit the people living in the frontier areas of the state. Omar Abdullah expressed the hope that the situation would improve and the neighbours would settle outstanding issues by talking to each other, amicably and peacefully. The chief minister said repeated unprovoked firing from Pakistan -- its troops violated ceasefire at 50 places on Tuesday -- had forced the state administration to shift residents of villages along the border to safer places.
New Delhi
with temple bells and gong in your house to make the festive season more auspicious. Luxury home furnishing store Strot has launched a Diwali gifting collection. Each piece has been chosen keeping in mind the auspiciousness of the festival of lights which defines luxury,
Place idols of various gods along
LIFESTYLE Give religious twist to abode Gareth Pugh designs for

beauty and good luck, said a statement. - Sitting Ganesha: The idols of Lord Ganesh are available in various colours like black, golden and silver. Small white crystals have also been used for an idol in a similar position. - Sitting Buddha: It has been carved out of solid wood with gold finish. - Temple Bell: It is said that the ringing of bells drives away negative energies. The metal bell can also be used for decoration purpose. - Gong: It has a central raised area called the boss that makes the sound as a clear resonant tone. It can be placed at entrance too. The price starts from Rs.10,500 plus tax.
Forevermark
Make festive season sweeter with chocolates
Mumbai
dd sweetness to the festive fervour by indulging in a lip-smacking collection of chocolates wrapped in colours like orange and gold. The Patchi Chocolates' collection con-
New Delhi
dorn your dining table with a dinner set inspired by nature and its beauty. Arttd'inox, stainless steel home segment product manufacturer and retailer brand from JSL Lifestyle Limited, is offering a royal and exquisite range of dining ware called
New Delhi
Let your dinner set bloom

Pink Bloom. It consists of products like dinner plate, quarter plate, service bowl in different sizes and more.Design motifs like flowers, leaves and buds have been used to accentuate the look of the dinner set. What adds to the beauty of the texture
sists of Capricio, milk chocolates with cream of hazelnut and pistachio and Sublime, dark chocolates with dried strawberry, almond pieces and more, said a statement. Available for
Rs.2,500 onwards, these also make for delightful gifts.Patchi is a premium chocolate brand with a presence in five continents, across 31 countries and 117 branches.
fashion designer Gareth Pugh has forayed into jewellery designing by collaborating with Forevermark, the diamond brand from the De Beers group. Gareth's first fine jewellery piece is made with over a hundred natural and untreated precious Forevermark diamonds. Set in stainless steel and Titanium, the neckpiece has about 5,600 diamonds, adding upto 91.98 carats. It was on view in Mumbai earlier this week as part of a world tour that will also take it to Japan and the US. It will be available for sale, with the price on request, once the world tour concludes. "The inspiration behind the neckpiece comes from my idea of what a promise is - an unbreakable
British
bond," Gareth, who has dressed celebrities like Beyonce Knowles, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue, Jessica Stam and Nicki Minaj, said in a statement. "The piece closes with a titanium pin which is set with a diamond on the top. I really liked the idea of using that as a signifier of an unbreakable bond," he added. The design was first unveiled in Hong Kong Aug 8 at an event attended by the designer himself. Praising the designer's talent, Sachin Jain, president, Forevermark India, said: "Gareth has realised an extraordinary vision in the piece and we are thrilled, both with the creative inspiration and the iconic aesthetic of the neckpiece itself.".
are the floral artworks drafted and then hand hammered on the surface. Rose Quartz, a semi precious stone in pink colour, has been used to highlight the knobs on the bowl lids. This lends an imperial look to the collection. The set is priced at Rs.41,000.
Hooda sermonises the media
REGION
Chandigarh Having been chief minister of Haryana for nearly nine years, Bhupinder Singh Hooda has had chequered experiences with the media. But over all these years, the chief minister has stayed constant with one factor - on sermonizing how the media should do its job. Hooda and his government have been in the firing line of the media - lately after controversial land deals, particularly that of United Progressive Alliance's chairperson Sonia Gandhi's son-inlaw Robert Vadra, in Haryana. That seems to have made Hooda even
Jammu Setting the ceasefire on fire, Pakistani troops have been violating the bilateral agreement signed by India and Pakistan in November 2003 with impunity since the beginning of this month. The brunt of ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Rangers is being borne by residents of scores of villages along the international border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir. This month, one paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) trooper was killed while 15 others, including six civilians and nine BSF troopers, were wounded because of unprovoked shelling and firing by the Pakistan Rangers. Residents of SM Pur, Jasso Chak and Suchetgarh Kurian villages have left their homes, livestock and agricultural fields and moved to safer locations. The intermittent exchanges of small arms firing has now changed into frequent use of 82 mm mortar shells, rockets and other heavy weapons by the Pakistan Rangers. Many of these shells are exploding in civilian habitats. A day after Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde made an aerial survey of the international border (Oct 22) along with state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Pakistan Rangers again fired mortar shells at over 50 places on the international border. Villagers are saying these shells are exploding close to their homes and in their agricultural fields. "It is dangerous to live inside our homes or venture into the fields. Even cattle are falling prey to the shelling. We have no option but to move out to save our lives," said a villager of Jasso Chak in the Ramgarh sector of Samba district. Some villagers moved back to their homes after assurances by the district administration and leaders of the ruling National Conference. Just two days after their return, frequent mortar shelling forced them to again abandon their homes. Shinde, during a press confer-
Pakistan Rangers setting ceasefire on fire
more determined to tell the media how it should function. Be it any media-related event or even a press conference, Hooda seizes every opportunity to point out that the media in India is not what it used to be. "Journalism is not a mission as it was during pre-independence days, but it has become a profession which is dangerous for democratic set-up" is Hooda's oft repeated remark, reflecting that he is not liking what the media is doing, clearly to him and his government. Hooda seems upset with the "change in the field of journal-
ism" in recent years. He has suggested that the mindset of journalists needs to be changed so that they avoid sensationalizing news. On its part, the Hooda government does everything to keep select journalists on its side. His government spends several lakhs of rupees on giving away cash rewards to journalists at the district, state and national level to keep a section of the scribes in good humour. Hooda talks a lot of times about the menace of paid and surrogate news in the media. However, one particular officer in Hooda's large media set-up, who has been associated with the PR department for a number of years, is known to oblige and even, at times, bully journalists. Quite a few are allegedly on his payroll of freebies and other incentives. More recently, the Hooda government announced the appointment of two journalists as state information commissioners, a rank equivalent to that of the chief secretary. Amidst all this, Hooda claims that "Haryana has a media-friendly atmosphere" and that the efforts of his government were always to "avoid confrontation with media". Given his interest in the subject, Hooda could well end up opening a media school to churn out journalists of his liking. Or else, he could be called by leading media institutions to deliver lectures on how media should or should not behave.
Miracles in Homoeopathy
Respected Dr. Jagdish Jaggi, winner of State Awards from the Govts of Punjab, Delhi and Chandigarh, has been a renowned homoeopath with over 30 years of experience. After much research, he formulated effective combinations of Homoeo medicines, which can cure even the in-curable diseases. Dr Jaggi was invited by the former President of India, Shri APJ Abdul Kalam himself during his Chandigarh visit. Dr. Jaggi holds the expertise to cure chronic diseases , i.e. Food wheat Al-
lergies, Skin Allergies, Skin eczema, Weak immune system, Spondylitis, Osteo-arthiritisof Knee,hip & joints, Sciatica, Gastric problems, Chronic indigestion, Urinary Tract infection, Diabetes, Nervousness, violent heart palpitation, Excess cholesterol, Scanty hormonal imbalance, Prostrate problems, Piles, bleeding fissures, Leucorrhoea, Migraine, Liver enlargement & Hepatytic Jaundice etc. Patients from all around the world, mostly from New York, Canada and New Zealand, have benefitted by having been cured in-curable diseases by the formulae derived by Dr. Jaggi. Dr. Jaggi has been honoured by many organizations and his treatment through counseling, prayer and medicines has achieved widespread recognition. His programmes have been aired by Doordarshan and many other reputed TV Channels. His articles are regularly been published in leading newspapers. Dr. Jaggi's indigenously developed eye-drops are a tonic for the eyes and improve vision at all ages. The eye drops are effective for treatement of eye-flu.
ence in Samba Tuesday, told reporters the state government could build shelters for the residents of border villages. Some villages in the Pargwal area coming under intense shelling are barely 400 metres from the international border. Residents have accused the Pakistan Rangers of targeting civilian areas in R.S. Pura, Kanachak, Akhnoor, Arnia and other sectors of the border.While the army guards the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, BSF is deputed on the international border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts of the Jammu region. Omar has asked New Delhi to move beyond words in ensuring that peace returns to the border in the state and that Pakistan respects the ceasefire agreement that brought a modicum of normalcy in the lives of people living close to the border in divided Kashmir. The chief minister also said Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is in fact addressing his
home constituency when he rakes up the Kashmir issue during his current US visit. Omar told reporters in Srinagar he is not sure whether Sharif has a hand in what is happening on the LoC and the international border or whether he is not in control of things in his country. Following the renewed tension on the borders in Jammu and Kashmir, New Delhi has put on hold the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO)-level talks with Pakistan. Although nobody believes the two south Asian nuclear neighbours, India and Pakistan, are heading for another war, yet there is little doubt that people living close to the border in Jammu and Kashmir are facing a war-like situation. If present low-key hostilities on the borders are not halted immediately, for innocent villagers living in Samba, Jammu and Kathua districts, it is already an undeclared war that has thrown their lives out of gear.
No one is above the law says the Prime Minister of the nation, indeed says the citizenry. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may well have thrown a fit of anger or perhaps he wanted to salvage his reputation, but by agreeing to face the CBI under the on going coal gate scam investigation he has created a piquant situation. There are two aspects to this particular move by the Prime Minister. The first one is with respect to his tenability as the premier of the nation after he has been questioned by the agency. Global media trends tend to favour professional promoters and editors to run their own shows instead of single point operations. Such a split in editorial and ownership stakes helps in establishing the credibility of the brand and it also results in an arms length distance between commercial interests and journalistic obligations. Juxtaposed against this trend, the 2011 appointment of Siddtharth Varadarajan as the editor of The Hindu was applauded and encouraged by readers and media analysts alike. Finally, it was deemed that media industry was increasingly
EDITORIAL DESK Indeed Prime Minister!
Manu Sharma
spair, but the latest bizarre political theatre is taking things to a new level. India does not deserve to head into political uncertainty right before next general elections and at the same time corrupt should not be let off the hook. The august office of the Prime Minister stands sullied, such a harm to the dignity will take a while to recover. It is a tough choice that people of India face, a choice that could have been avoided had the Prime Minister discovered his voice of conscience sooner.
Media and Editorial Control
Critics will raise the issue of neutral investigations being possible only after Dr Singh's resignation. The second aspect pertains to the carefully cultivated image of his teflon integrity that was supposed to be above the everyday muck of political corruption, a continued blight on this republic since times immemorial, regime after regime. A stalling economy, stagnant defence procurement, poor near neighbour diplomacy and broken down governance were bad enough to warrant a collective shrug of de-
The appointment of Arundhati help spawn positive energy at transformational themes to the enBhattacharya as chairperson of workplace. By choosing to focus tire organisation. The very first State Bank of India Oct 7 signals on employees in her very first She did away with the bureaus her acumen with numbers. That a media interaction, a day after tak- cratic rule that says not more than 57-year-old career banker will ing over, she instantaneously won two transfer requests on account lead the 207-year-old bank, the the trust of 3,00,000 colleagues by of spouses getting transferred. biggest in the country, to serve the promising three sabbaticals (of It signals that with the changing customer is a natural expectation. two years each) for women em- societal needs, outdated rules will That winds of change - with her ployees to look after their young get updated, especially in nuclear employee-friendly approach and ones, in helping them in their families where both partners transformative communication - Class 10 and 12 studies and work. This benefit, when implewill be felt within days of the spending time with their aging mented, will empower women change of guard was a surprise. parents and in-laws. Currently employees to give their best at Change of leadership in organisa- women employees at State Bank work place. As someone who has tions is not easy. And for State can avail of a sabbatical of about led the technology function at Bank, India's only entry in the a year on childbirth without pay. State Bank, Bhattacharya used its So, Fortune 500 Global list, the task is It is an exceptionally powerful intranet to connect with its i tough, to say it mildly. It boasts of initiative aimed at empowering 300,000 people. With this move a network of 15,000 branches, employees - both women and she was able to engage the emover 25,000 ATMs and the largest men. I see this as brilliant exam- ployees in the bank's vision to debalance sheet in the country, along ple of people-centric leadership liver more value, rather than first with machinery that badly needs that can create an escape velocity sharing it with a small subset of fine-tuning to keep up with the for the bank to move to a new people and then it cascading changing times. orbit of growth. down. O.P. Bhatt, who headed SBI for Along with these positive moves, Communication experts point out five years till 2011, literally Bhattacharya may need to align that she could not have articulated walked barefoot over a bed of the top team and those below her vision better when she chose 3 blazing coals at one of the deputy them with a new aspiration that simple themes - risk, delivery and general manager conclaves. When could help the bank get out of the collaboration - to help the bank colleagues found him unscathed, current challenges she so elo- achieve its vision of retaining the they too attempted and accom- quently admitted. premier banking institution badge plished the feat, narrate Prof Rajiv By preventing mobility of women that others follow. "But if Modi is alLal and Rachana Tahilyani in a work force to the world of edu- In her broadcast to employees, she l Harvard Business School case cated, under-employed home- minced no words when she admitstudy "State Bank: Transforming makers, the people-sensitive SBI ted that the bank is under threat a State Owned Giant". chief will retain and nurture tal- from more nimble organisations. "It is all in the mind and the mind ent. At the same time, HR will not Bhattacharya also placed the recan conquer anything. After that, face the issue of last-minute leave sponsibility of undertaking any some of those people have told of absence, and managers can as- activity in the bank, with each emme, when confronted with a prob- sign workforce in a better way ployee, of understanding the inlem, I think if I can walk on fire, knowing that an employee is not herent risk, and of measuring, why can't I do this?" recounts available for two years. She has monitoring and mitigating it. By Bhatt in the 2011 case study. It is also made SBI an attractive career emphasizing the importance of A not going to be a walk on fire for option for the bright talent passing collaboration among different the newly-appointed chief but it is out of our colleges. product groups and employees also not going to an easy walk. Bhattacharya also made her mark Bhattacharya has cooked a perfect For the new chief, energizing the in communication. Without get- recipe for "problem solving" and workforce and growing collaborating stuck in the transactional won the hearts of her people. The tion seem to be the top priority. communication that many leaders success will really depend on how Since Bhattacharya has a collabo- are prone to and that fails into in- much they collaborate and leverrative leadership style, it would spire people, she quickly outlined age each other's knowledge.
Santhosh Babu
New SBI chief emerges an empowering leader
leaving its family based mores of led to activation of usual suspects strict control and interference by who are more than happy to cry murowners. However all that has come der over the martyrdom of an upright to a naught in an anti-climax that is editor who was intent on exposing, as spectacular as the run up to the what they thought was a rogue orinitial round of board wranglings in ganization and its leader. Given the Kasturi and Sons Limited, the hold- location, commercial interests, backing firm of The Hindu. The board of ground of family owning the daily The Hindu has decided to revert to and the past wranglings within it its earlier structure of family based hardly looks to be a handiwork of editor leading the daily. The official Modi or his supporters that has led reason given to the public is that Sid- to dislodging of Varadarajan. Boarddtharth was not fair towards a certain room intrigue has claimed and a He hashim 5 years politician from West of India, who t politicization of his removal will aspires to be a Prime Minister of only serve to strengthen the people India. Such a line of reasoning has he wants to condemn.
The Patna High Court Oct 9 suspended conviction of the 26 accused in the Laxmanpur Bathe massacre for want of evidence. The trial court had convicted all 26 accused and sentenced 10 to life imprisonment and handed down capital punishment to 16 in April 2010. The gruesome massacre was committed Dec 1, 1997, in Laxmanpur Bathe village in south Bihar where 58 Dalits, including 27 women and 16 children, (Paswans, Chamars, Mallahs and Machuwara community) were killed by the now-disbanded anti-Naxal upper caste militia Ranvir Sena. The division bench of justice V.N. Sinha and justice A.K. Lal gave the benefit of doubt to the accused on the ground that there were discrepancies in the statement of prosecution witnesses and the prosecution had not produced any evidence to guarantee any punishment. This is the third instance of acquittal by the Patna High Court in 2013 in the cases of Dalit massacre. In two cases earlier, the Patna High Court division bench (July 3) acquitted nine of 10 accused in the Miyapur massacre where 32 Dalits were allegedly killed by Ranvir Sena in June 2000. Similarly, in the Nagari Bazar carnage case, involving the killing of 11 Dalits, the high court released 11 convicts. The majority of these massacres and violence under the umbrella of antiNaxal forces was during the second phase of the Naxal movement in Bihar. Undivided central Bihar saw unprecedented level of violence during the second phase of the Naxalite movement. This was marked by alteration of power equation, which was now tilted towards the labour and the oppressed class as opposed to the landlord or upper class segment of current southern Bihar. The second phase also witnessed new political alignments and rise of new Naxalite groups. An excessive growth of Naxalism and change of power equation brought with itself concomitant problems. There was huge retaliation by the upper caste landlords, creating their own militias. The most prominent among them was Ranvir Sena, which was formed in 1994. The available literature shows a ghastly phase of massacres and counter massacres following the formation of Ranvir Sena in order to counter the growing influence of Naxal-backed peasant resistance and violence. The rise of upper class militia led to violence in
Acquittals in Dalit massacre can shake faith in system
India's pharmaceutical and tourism industries should take a look at the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, where the two area hold immense potential for partnership. The island nation of 400,000 people, located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, is home to some of the world's virgin rainforests with mega biodiversity. It hosts thousands of species of flowering plants, palms, ferns, orchids, mosses, lichens and liverworts. Bioprospectors have discovered a wide variety of chemicals in the flora of these tropical forests. The Borneo rainforests are some of the oldest in the world and are a reservoir of genetic diversity which offers a rich source of medicinal plants, high-yield foods, and other useful forest products. Scientists from around the world are coming to Brunei to discover beneficial chemicals or
Brunei beckons India's pharma, tourism industries
1990s. The Ranvir Sena was however marred by internecine feud. The infighting became the stiffest challenge, slowly leading to the group's downfall. The change of political landscape during the last decade created fissure among the proxy holders, weakening the central authority and sabotaging networks operations during the period. The arrest of Ranvir Sena head Brahmeshwar Singh, the mastermind behind Dalit massacres, in 2002 destroyed the structural base of Ranvir Sena. On the other hand, infighting amongst Naxal groups, mainly between People's War Group and Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) as well as Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist (Liberation), heightened during early 2000s, subverting the ideological battle fought with arms. The changing social and economic condition of various Dalit groups as well as upper caste groups also led to a status of repair, and subsequently led to a decline in violence and mass massacres. Overall south Bihar, once the central turf in the ongoing class conflict, saw the decline of violence both by the Naxal groups and anti-Naxal groups.The series of acquittals of convicts in different massacre cases can have a multi-dimensional impact, with the scope being measured wholly at the political and security levels. Currently, it is seen as a major blow to the hopes of the numerous victims and their family members, who in all cases belong to a particular caste. All the same, the acquittal can lead to polarization of Dalits against the state machinery and the upper castes who were members of the Ranvir Sena.The animosity between the Dalit supporters and Ranvir Sena sympathisers has been running high after Brahmeshwar Singh was killed. The judgment can add fuel to the fire.The question of justice in terms of compensating the victims of Dalit caste within Bihar often seems contentious as the series of acquittals has hampered the faith of Dalits in the democratic system. The government has decided to appeal in the Supreme Court against the high court verdict. The ensuing social response to the judgment is hard to predict; but the fact remains inviolable that the judgment has the potential to provide fodder for future agrarian wars fought in the name of Naxal or anti-Naxal war.
compounds that occur naturally and which have huge scientific and medical applications. China is eyeing Brunei to partner in its pharma industry as Borneo has for centuries supplied Chinese traditional medicine with important raw materials. The Sultanate under the "Wawasan Vision 2035" is seeking a knowledge-based transformation of society. It has adopted a strategy to diversify its economy, based currently on oil and gas resources, and expand business opportunities through promotion of investment, foreign and domestic, both in downstream industries and in clusters beyond the hydrocarbon sector. The government has identified the sultanate's rich biodiversity and educated workforce as key factors in promoting research and development (R&D) and attracting overseas investors to partner in projects. Saroj Mohanty
New Delhi The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. (EADS) will fund Indian universities and institutes for research projects in aerospace, the global aerospace major said Wednesday. "The research projects will be in areas of avionics, composite materials, high-performance computing, nanotechnology and applied mathematics," EADS' Indian subsidiary said in a statement here from New Delhi. The Netherlandsbased company will initiate the projects in partnership with the Indo-French Centre for Promotion of Advanced Research under the 'EADS-CEFIPRA Aerospace Programme'. As part of the agreement signed at the India-France Technology Summit in New Delhi, the partners will also unveil the "EADS post-doctoral fellowship" for young French scientists to do research work in top Indian universities and research and development (R&D) institutions. "We will sponsor two-three French scientists as post-doctoral fellows annually to pursue research in aerospace for five years from 2014," EADS vice-president for innovation works (international operations) Arnaud Marfurt said in the statement. Reiterating the company's commitment to invest in promoting aerospace research in India, Marfurt said
EADS to fund aerospace research in India
SCIENCE AND TECH
7 Sistema Shyam rolls out 3Gplus network across circles
London Social networking website Facebook is now permitting extremely disturbing videos of people being beheaded to be posted and shared on the site. The US-based firm had earlier in May put a temporary ban on films of decapitation on its site after it received complaints that it could cause long-term psychological damage, BBC reported Tuesday. However, the company has now said its users should be able to watch such videos as long as they condemn and not celebrate these videos. The US firm confirmed it now believed its users should be free to watch and condemn such videos. It added that it was, however, considering adding warnings. The networking website is open to anyone who is aged 13 or above. The company, in a statement, said it was allowing such content to be posted again. "Facebook has long been a place where people turn to share their experiences, particularly when they're connected to controversial events on the ground, such as human rights abuses, acts of terrorism and other violent events," BBC
Facebook allows beheading videos, sparks outrage
that with a huge talent pool and top research institutes, India was an important innovation hub for EADS. "The initiatives add value to our global R&D and engineering efforts and will enable us to get closer to our customers here," Marfurt noted. On March 1 this year the European major set up a research chair in "Mathematics of Complex Systems" at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Bangalore, held by Centre for Applicable Mathematics professor Mythily Ramaswamy and International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) director Spenta Wadia. "The chair's objective is to de-
velop innovative research involving theoretical and computational work in mathematics of complex systems, including control theory and data assimilation," the statement added. The euro 57-billion ($78 billion) EADS has a research and technology centre in Bangalore where aerospace projects are executed with 460 employees. In addition, about 300 Indian engineers work on its projects at research and engineering centres across the country. The EADS group comprises Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter with a combined workforce of about 140,000.
New Delhi After receiving its third spectrum carrier from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited that provides telecom services under the MTS brand announced Wednesday the rollout of its 3G-plus telecom network across all circles. This network is used to provide high speed data. The 3G-Plus telecom network is based on Evolution-Data Op-
Google 'most attractive' Internet brand in India
timized (EV-DO) Rev. B Phase-II technology. The company has also launched a high speed data card priced at Rs.1,299. MTS India is all set to become the only telecom operator in the country to provide ubiquitous 3G-plus network coverage across all its circles of operations, MTS India's chief executive officer Dmitry Shukov said here.
Chennai India's ambitious Rs.450 crore space mission to Mars has now been fixed for blast-off Nov 5, said a top Indian space agency official Tuesday. "The Mars mission has been fixed for Nov 5. The heat shield of the rocket (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-PSLV) has been closed and the final electrical checks will be carried out Wednesday," K.Radhakrishnan, chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told. The ISRO will be firing its landmark rocket soon after Diwali from its spaceport in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, around 80 km from here. The rocket will blast off in the afternoon of Nov 5, a Tuesday. In Tamil, Mars planet is called Sevvai Graham and Tuesday is also called Sevvai. In Hindi, Mars is called Mangal and Tuesday is Mangalwar. On Oct 19,
India's Mars mission to blast off Nov 5
quoted a company spokesperson as saying. "People are sharing this video on Facebook to condemn it. If the video were being celebrated, or the actions in it encouraged, our approach would be different. "However, since some people object to graphic video of this nature, we are working to give people additional control over the content they see. This may include warning them in
advance that the image they are about to see contains graphic content," the statement added. British Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the company's decision, terming it as irresponsible. "It's irresponsible of Facebook to post beheading videos, especially without a warning. They must explain their actions to worried parents," the prime minister has tweeted.
New Delhi Google is India's most attractive Internet brand, says new research by Trust Research Advisory (TRA). With a growth of 31 percent over last year, India has 74 million Internet users. This has helped it surpass Japan to become the world's third largest Internet user base after China and the US. Yahoo has emerged as the second most attractive Internet brand. Facebook occupied the third position. "The surprise result in this list is Yahoos 2nd rank among Indias Most Attractive brands beating even Facebook. Yahoo's second rank shows that the new strategies being adopted by it are working, and
Nokia launches 3 Asha models, tablet at annual event
working well at that. If this brand continues to move in the direction that it has set in the recent past, it is on a sure footing to regain its popularity back soon," N. Chandramouli, chief executive officer, TRA said. The primary research was conducted with 2,505 consumer across 16 cities based on TRA's proprietary matrix of attractiveness quotient based on 36 Traits. TRA is an actionable insights and brand intelligence company dedicated to understanding and analyzing stakeholder behaviour through two globally acclaimed, proprietary matrices of Brand Trust and Brand Attractiveness.
ISRO chairman K.Radhakrishnan told IANS that the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) will be delayed by a week as of the two ships - Nalanda and Yamuna - carrying rocket tracking systems, only one has reached Fiji. From Fiji, both the ships have to travel to their respective locations to track the
rocket. The ships have terminals to track the rocket, which has a coasting period of around 20 minutes beyond the visibility of existing ground stations. The Mangalayaan mission was originally slated for Oct 28. According to ISRO officials, there is no problem as far as the mission is concerned.
New Delhi Finnish mobile handset maker Nokia Tuesday unveiled three new Asha phone models at the annual Nokia World event at Abu Dhabi, a company statement said here. The models are Asha 500, Asha 502 and Asha 503. Support for 3G is available on the Asha 503, which comes with a dual-SIM option and includes a 5 mega pixel camera. The company plans to start shipping the Asha 500, Asha 502 and Asha 503 models in the fourth quarter of 2013. Nokia altogether launched six new devices alongside new accessories
at the annual event. It introduced its Windows tablet - the Nokia Lumia 2520 - and launched a portfolio of large screen Lumia smartphones - the Lumia 1520 and 1320. The quality and value that Nokia products deliver continues to grow as we partner with developers to introduce app experiences that are unique to Lumia and Windows Phone, Stephen Elop, executive vice president, devices & services at Nokia said.Recently Microsoft has entered into an agreement to buy Nokia for $7.2 billion.
BJP far removed from concerns Did not discuss UT status to Hyderabad: Digvijaya of poor: Rahul Gandhi
four times under the land acquisition legislation. Targeting the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi said: "While the poor people of the state were having a difficult time, the ministers were happy." "Did 'India Shining' (BJP's national campaign of 2004) bring development to you?" he asked. The Congress, he said, engages in the politics of development and empowerment of people. Gandhi reminded people that he had come to the backward region in 2008 during a drought and spent nights with people there, getting bitten by mosquitoes and drinking village well water. He said he had taken ill, but was happy with it all. "It was good. Leaders should know what village life is like," he said. Claiming that the United Progressive Alliance government had built more roads in the country than were built during the tenure of the National Democratic Alliance, Gandhi said he wanted "the poor of the region and their next generation to drive cars". Reminding people of the central financial package worth thousands of crores of rupees for the region in 2008, Gandhi said, "the centre will provide more if needed, to make Bundelkhand a prosperous region". He told people that "there will be a Congress government of the poor and the youth in the state". The assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh are scheduled for Nov 25.
Tewari pulls up Ludhiana officials over MGNREGA funds
Sagar Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Thursday continued his aggressive campaign against the BJP in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, saying the ruling party in the state was far removed from the concerns of the poor. "The BJP's politics is the politics of air-conditioners and industrialists," Gandhi said, while addressing a rally in the backward Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh. This is the second leg of his campaign in the state.
Highlighting the pro-poor Food Security Act and the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Act, Gandhi said the BJP opposed the right to food law, asking how it would be funded. "When it comes to giving food to the poor, the BJP opposed the food bill, saying where will the money for it come from," Gandhi said. "The farmer and the labourer should also get the market rate for his land, like the rich," he said, adding that compensation for land has been hiked
Ludhiana Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari Wednesday pulled up Ludhiana district administration officials for poor utilisation of central funds made available under the Ma-
Moti Lal Vora Chhattisgarh Congress campaign panel head
hatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Presiding over a meeting of the district vigilance and monitoring com-
mittee here Tewari, the Ludhiana member of parliament, took strong exception to the low expenditure of central funds on various developmental schemes. He said only Rs.11 crore was spent against a target of spending Rs.150 crore in Ludhiana district. An angry Tewari said state government officials had come to the meeting without any preparation. He asked deputy commissioner Rajat Aggarwal to enquire why so little money had been spent. Tewari said a district in Rajasthan, ruled by the Congress, spent nearly Rs.2,000 crore under MGNREGA. "There is no reason why Ludhiana could not spend the targeted amount, particularly when there were no budgetary restrictions on expenditure under the scheme as it was needbased," Tewari said.
New Delhi/Hyderabad Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh Tuesday said he did not discuss union territory status to Hyderabad with anybody. He told reporters in the national capital that he did not say anything beyond what is there in the resolution of the Congress Working Committee. He was responding to queries about him discussing the issue with a central minister from Seemandhra (Raylaseema and coastal Andhra) region. Terming Hyderabad a sensitive issue, he said the group of ministers was looking into it. Digvijaya Singh, who is incharge of part affairs in Andhra Pradesh, said this after Union Minister of State for Finance J.D. Seelam said union territory status to Hyderabad could solve the row over bifurcation. A section of Congress leaders of Seemandhra are demanding union territory status to Hyderabad to address the concerns of Seemandhra people about their future in the city. On sending Telangana resolution to the state assembly, Digvijaya Singh said Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had promised to send him the entire schedule for formation of separate Telangana state. On four Congress
New Delhi Congress veteran Moti Lal Vora has been named Chhattisgarh cam-
paign panel chief for the Nov 11 and 19 assembly polls, a party statement said Tuesday. Congress president Sonia Gandhi approved the name of party treasurer Vora. She has also appointed senior leader Ajit Jogi as convenor of the panel which also has leaders like Mohsina Kidwai, state unit chief Charan Das Mahant and Ravindra Choubey. The list of 72 candidates announced so far clearly bears the imprint of Ajit Jogi, a former chief minister of the tribal state, with wife Renu and son Amit getting tickets. While Amit will contest from Marwahi reserved seat, his mother Renu will fight from Kota. Results for the 90-member Chhattisgarh house will be out Dec 8.
New Delhi Lalu Prasad and Jagdish Sharma were Tuesday disqualified from the Lok Sabha following their conviction in the fodder scam, a Lok Sabha Secretariat official said. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, an MP from Bihar's Saran district, and Janata Dal (United) MP Jagdish Sharma from Jahanabad in Bihar are the first Lok Sabha members to be disqualified after the Supreme Court order. The July 10 verdict of the apex court mandated immediate disqualification from parliament and state legislatures of lawmakers convicted for criminal offences punishable with a jail term of more than two years.
Lalu Prasad, Jagdish Sharma disqualified from Lok Sabha
Kurseong (West Bengal) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday urged people to desist from organising shutdowns and maintain peace in the hills so the development process continued unhindered. Banerjee said she wanted Darjeeling to acquire a prime place in the international tourism calendar. "If there are only bandhs (shutdowns), then how can development take place? If Kanchenjunga (third highest peak of the world in the eastern Himalayas) smiles, I feel great. But if Kanchenjunga cries, then I feel pain," Banerjee told a gathering of the Lepcha community in this sub-divisional town of the Darjeeling district. The chief minister said many tourists are willing to come to the hills if there is peace. "But if issues are raised every three or six months and life is brought to a standstill with shutdown calls, then tourists get afraid," Banerjee said at the rally after attending a meeting of the Lepcha Development Council (LDC). The LDC was created by the Mamata Banerjee government earlier this year to weaken the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) after it upped the ante for a Gorkhaland state to be made out of Darjeeling and parts of Jalpaiguri districts. While expressing her indebtedness to the Lepchas for inviting her to the hills in August when the GJM announced a shutdown, Banerjee exhorted the people to maintain peace. "I have only one request to you. Quarrel as much as you want with me. But keep peace in Darjeeling. Help us in making
Ensure peace in Darjeeling, allow development: Mamata
MPs from Seemandhra again submitting their resignations, he advised Seemandhra leaders to understand the ground realities and abide by the commitment they made to the leadership over Telangana issue. Asked to comment on reports that Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy was planning to quit Congress and float a new party, Digvijaya said Kiran Reddy was a loyal Congress man and would not leave the party. T. G. Venkatesh, a state minister from Seemandhra, Tuesday said if bifurcation became inevitable the chief minister would be under pressure to float a new party. He also predicted that many leaders would quit Congress if the central government went ahead with its decision to carve out separate Telangana state. Another minister from Seemandhra G. Srinivasa Rao criticized Digvijaya Singh for creating confusion by making what he called contradictory statements. He said the party leader had lost credibility by going back on his own statements. He hoped that the state would not be divided till 2014 elections. He said the situation would change after the assembly elections in five states.
Darjeeling beautiful." "Allow me to usher in development. Do not think that since there was no development in the past, nothing will happen in the future," she said. Banerjee also sought support of the media in the hills in developing Darjeeling. "I urge the media to help me in making Darjeeling beautiful. Don't support me. But support development of Darjeeling," she said. Without naming the GJM during her speech, the chief minister referred to the destruction of public property allegedly by Gorkha activists over the past few months. "Whatever is built, don't destroy. We don't have much money. We have a huge outgo in repaying loans. My heart is filled with love for the hills. Don't break my heart... give me love so that we can return your love," she said. Banerjee asked why she should be unwelcome in the hills when people of the hills also go to other areas. "Don't you have to go to Siliguri for work? If you go to Siliguri, why can't I come to Darjeeling? Don't you go to Delhi, Kolkata, Bihar?" she asked. Earlier, to cries of "Mamata Banerjee zindabad", the chief minister walked alongside top bureaucrats and Hill Affairs Minister Gautam Deb to the venue from the bungalow where she was put up for the night. She is scheduled to address the Trinamool Congress' first political conference in the hills Thursday at the famed Darjeeling mall. Friday she will hold a meeting with the state assembly's GJM members.
QUOTE FIRE
9
On Harsh Vardhan
Current President of Bharatiya Janata Party Rajnath Singh said: "The central parliamentary board has unanimously decided to project Harsh Vardhan as the BJP's chief ministerial lcandidate for the Delhi elections." party has booked 10 u
Senior Leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party L. K. Advani said: The decision to name him as Delhi's chief ministerial candidate was "unanimous". Senior BJP
Former President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nitin Gadkari: "Harsh Vardhan is best amongst all and enjoys the confidence of the people of Delhi."
"If lakhs of people can turn
POLITICAL CAMP NEWS

Churu/Alwar (Rajasthan) Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday launched a direct attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while making an emotional pitch among voters in poll-bound Rajasthan. The BJP hit back asking if he had any solutions to India's current problems. Voting for the assembly in the state is slated Dec 1 and counting Dec 8 in an election where the Congress is trying hard to retain power ahead of the 2014 national polls. Earlier in the day, Gandhi accused the BJP of sparking communal tensions for political benefits. "I am against the kind of politics BJP does as they spark fire of tension for political benefits ... they hurt people for political gains," said Gandhi. "They (BJP) will go to Muzaffarnagar and set fire. They will go to Gujarat and set fire. They will go to (Jammu and) Kashmir and will do the same. We have to run from pillar to post to douse the fire."Deriding the BJP's divisive politics, he said he wanted the people of India to be united. However, Gandhi surprised the crowd with his praise for former vice president and BJP stalwart Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. "Shekhawatji de-
BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said: "Congratulations to Harsh Vardhan on being named BJP's CM candidate for upcoming Delhi elections. My best wishes."
Arvind Kejriwal said: "Harsh Vardhan remained quiet on most of the burning issues like rising electricity tariff, poor water supply and women's safety. As a legislator too, he failed to raise the issue in the Delhi assembly.
Incumbent chief minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit said: "I am not going to comment on any political party or its decision. Selection and appointment is a party's internal matter," she said when reporters asked her the question.
Member of National Executive Committee of Aam Aadmi Party Manish Sisodia said: Harsh Vardhan himself has been praising Sheila Dikshit and said Delhiites were very fortunate to have her. Why is he fighting against her now? For 10 years, people of India saw Manmohan Singh remaining quiet on corruption while Congress kept showcasing his clean image,"
Rahul strikes emotional chord with voters, attacks BJP
uld be focusing on all
Kolkata Expressing concern at the "way Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh is facing police grilling", the (BJP) Tuesday approached West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan seeking a CBI probe into the multi-crore Saradha Group chit fund scam. Seeking to know why only the suspended Rajya Sabha member was being interrogated, Bharatiya Janata Party state unit president Rahul Darjeeling Accusing the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) of misleading people by claiming the central government agreed to hold a tripartite on the Darjeeling issue Wednesday, GJAC chief advisor Enos Das Pradhan has quit. Pradhan alleged the GJM violated the main principle on which the Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee (GJAC) was formed after it participated in a meeting of the hill development
BJP seeks CBI probe in Saradha scam

Sinha, in a letter to the governor, wondered why other Trinamool leaders who have been named by scam kingpin Sudipta Sen, are not being questioned. "Sen had mailed to CBI a list of nine ruling party leaders about their involvement in the case. But to our astonishment none of them have been questioned by the police, except for Kunal Ghosh and Srinjoy Bose who is expected to be questioned by the SFIO," Sinha wrote in the letter. Sen, in an 18page letter to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), had accused 22 people including several highprofile Congress and Trinamool leaders which included the names of Ghosh and Bose. Ghosh who has been suspended by the Trinamool for being "anti-party", has been interrogated a number of times by the state police as
serves respect as he was a Hindustani leader first and then a Rajput leader," he said. In reaction, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "Rahul Gandhi has nothing to offer for the current problems of India." Prasad targeted the central government over the high prices of onions, saying, "The government, it appears, has lost control."
Setback for GJM: Gorkhaland panel functionary quits

body, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). "A primary resolution of the GJAC taken at its first meeting in August was the GTA should be dissolved as it had outlived its utility with the GJAC deciding to fight for the formation of Gorkhaland. But now the GJM has returned to the GTA. So, the GJM-sponsored GJAC is now no more viable," said Pradhan. The members of the GTA Sabha from the GJM took part in Monday's meeting. "The GJM also claimed the central government has agreed to hold a tripartite meeting on the Gorkhaland issue Oct 23. Why was the meeting not held? It seems GJM has misled the people. They tried to divert people's attention," he said. Pradhan alleged the GJM took advantage of the confusion among the hill people to strike a deal with the West Bengal government on re-
well as the Serious Fraud Investigating Office (SFIO). In the letter, Sinha also expressed concern over Ghosh's meeting with Trinamool general secretary Mukul Roy. "We are afraid that this is probably a word between them not to disclose the names of the other accused whose disclosure might cause such a turmoil that the present government may be in trouble," he alleged.
Kathmandu Fear of violence remains a serious threat to free and fair Constituent Assembly (CA) elections in Nepal scheduled for Nov 19, political parties and security experts said here Wednesday. More cases of electionrelated violence have been reported from different parts of the country, creating a sense of terror and uncertainly among voters. There are various kinds of election-related violence
Fear of violence grips Nepal ahead of elections

now taking place in the Himalayan country, Xinhua said in a news analysis. First, there is an increase in clashes between the political parties that have already launched their respective election campaigns and those who are against the election, principally the Communist Party of NepalMaoist (CPN-M), a breakaway faction of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M). The CPN-M, which opposes the upcoming elections, has launched an anti-election campaign and is engaged in activities aimed at obstructing the election. In some places, the party's activists have even attacked cadres of other parties. The party has also warned people not to vote in the Nov 19 elections, threatening to harm them if they go to vote. The second kind of violence is among the parties who have opted to join in the elections. The cadres of big parties such as the UCPN-M, Nepali Congress, and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) are attacking each other and obstructing each other's election campaign. Clashes among the participating parties have escalated in the run-up to the Nov 19 elections, a high-level police official told Xinhua. The third kind of
suming its participation in the GTA. The GJM, however, claimed it had been verbally informed by home ministry officials about the meeting. "The home ministry officials called us and informed the tripartite talks will be held today (Wednesday). But we never received any official communication on that. But the meeting will be held after some time," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told IANS over phone.
violence, according to security agencies, is the possible attacks on election candidates by armed outfits in the country's southern belt, the Terai, which borders India. There are dozens of armed groups in the southern belt threatening the Nov 19 election polls. CPN-UML election candidate Mohammad Alam, who was seriously injured when an unidentified gunman shot him in the Terai, died Oct 11.
10
Music can help reduce chronic pain: study
London Listening to music helps in relieving persistent physical pain in four out of ten people, a new study has found. Out of the 1,500 people surveyed, 66 percent of the 16 to 24-year-olds said music has helped them to soothe pain, reported the Daily Mail Tuesday citing a study conducted by LloydsPharmacy. Among the various types of music, pop music was the most popular, helping 21 percent of people, followed by classical music at 17 percent and rock or indie music at 16 percent, the report said. Simon and Garfunkel's song 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'
Ghana committee to probe import of India-made drug
helped most in reducing pain, which was followed by Robbie Williams' 'Angels', Fleetwood Mac's 'Albatross', Elton John's 'Candle In The Wind' and 'Easy' by The Commodores, it added. "People in pain should try to find some activity to get fully engaged in," the Daily Mail quoted David Bradshaw of the University of Utah Pain Management Centre as saying. "Listening to favourite music is excellent for that because it can involve both thoughts and feelings. No matter how anxious you may feel, if you can get absorbed in the music, this can help with your pain," Bradshaw said.
Mumbai Actress Priyanka Chopra, who lost her father Ashok Chopra to cancer, has joined a crusade against the dreaded disease and says treatment should be available to everyone suffering from it. At the inauguration of HCG Cancer Unit here, the actress said: "I am supporting a crusade against cancer. I am supporting a fight against cancer." "It's very difficult not just for the people who have it, but for their families and the people who care about them," Priyanka said. "I think anyone should not go untreated. There are a lot of patients who don't have the ability to afford it, who don't know when the treatment should happen," she added. Priyanka said that as soon as cancer is detected proper medication and treatment should be done. She recalled the time her mother and the entire family took precautions for her father when he was detected with cancer. Ashok Chopra was first diagnosed with cancer in 2005. He had been in and out of hospital ever since. He passed away this year in
HEALTH Priyanka supports crusade against cancer
Accra (Ghana) Ghana's health ministry has set up a ministerial committee to investigate the import from India of an antimalarial medicine for children, Gsunate Plus, recently banned by the country's Food and Drugs Authority (FDA). A statement here by the ministry said a three-member ministerial committee has been set up to investigate the import and distribution of the medicine manufactured by Indian company Bliss GVS and imported by a local company, Tobinco. Last month, FDA said its investigations had revealed "no clinical trial study had been conducted on the product which is made up of the combination of Artesunate 25 mg and Amodiaquine 75 mg and manufactured by Bliss GVS Pharma Limited, located in Maharashtra, India". The FDA also claimed that the product had neither been registered nor approved by the Indian drugs regulatory authority for sale or use. "The efficacy of the combination of Artesunate and Amodiaquine through the rectal route has not been established and, therefore, treatment of malaria in children with this drug could lead to therapeutic failures and complications," said FDA's chief executive Stephen Opuni. It ordered "hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, licensed chemical sellers and other
health facilities having stocks of Gsunate Plus suppository to immediately stop dispensing them, and hand over stocks to the FDA offices countrywide for safe disposal". Both Bliss and Tobinco have denied any impropriety. The ministry of health said the ministerial committee chaired by the Deputy Minister for Health, Alfred Tia Sugri, is to review and advise the minister the steps to avoid recurrence of such issues. The ministry said its decision to investigate the matter is "to ensure that both the FDA as the national regulator, as well as all importers of pharmaceuticals get an excellent platform to perform their individuals tasks". "The committee shall further review, among others, the processes of medicines registration and post-market surveillance in Ghana, including, but not limited to, evaluation of documents/dossiers, average throughput time for registration, risk/analytical assessment reports of medicines, the entry and clearance of pharmaceutical products at the points of entry," the statement said. "The Ministry of Health reiterates that Substandard, Spurious, Falsified, Falsely labelled and Counterfeit (SSFFC) pharmaceuticals are inimical to our health system and will continue to do its utmost to halt their circulation," it added.
Washington Infants who are bottle-fed are more likely to develop hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS), a form of stomach obstruction, than those who are breastfed, according to US researchers. The risk appears to be magnified when mothers are older and have more than one child, researchers from the Seattle Children's Hospital in Washington reported in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, Xinhua reported. HPS typically occurs during the first two months of an infant's life. Surgery is needed to correct the obstruction, which occurs due to thickening of the smooth muscle layer of the pylorus, the passage between the stomach and small intestines. The researchers used birth certificates and date of discharge to examine births between 2003 and 2009 and found 714 infants were admitted with HPS and had surgery. The findings indicated that the incidence of HPS decreased from 14 per 10,000 births in 2003 to 9 per 10,000 births in 2009,
Bottle feeding may increase stomach obstruction in infants
June. "Once my dad was detected, he lived for eight years since then and he lived a very good and healthy life," Priyanka recalled. "He had a good quality of life be-
cause fortunately my mom was also a doctor and we knew about it (cancer care) in advance. We learnt about it, researched about it but everybody is not fortunate," she added.
New cure for hair loss?

versity Medical Centre ( C U M C ) have devised a hair restoration method that can generate new human hair growth, rather than simply redistributing hair from one part of the scalp to another. According to the study, published Monday in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers harvested dermal
while breastfeeding prevalence increased from 80 percent in 2003 to 94 percent in 2009. The researchers said that about 19.5 percent of infants who developed HPS were bottle fed, compared to 9 percent of babies who were breastfed. The number of infants developing HPS also increased when mothers
were aged 35 years or more and had given birth more than once. "These data suggest that bottle feeding may play a role in HPS etiology, and further investigations may help to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the observed effect modification by age and parity," the researchers concluded.
New York Researchers in the US have claimed that they have invented a hair restoration method that can solve the problem of baldness. Researchers at the Columbia Uni-
papillae from seven human donors and cloned the cells in tissue culture -- no additional growth factors were added to the cultures. After a few days, the cultured papillae were transplanted between the dermis and epidermis of human skin that had been grafted onto the backs of mice. In five of the seven tests, the transplants resulted in new hair growth that lasted at least six weeks. DNA analysis confirmed that the new hair follicles were human and genetically matched the donors. This approach has the potential to transform the medical treatment of hair loss, said first author of the study Claire A. Higgins.
Two arrested for gang-rape of minor
CRIME/DISASTER
New Delhi Two of the three men accused of gangraping a 17-year-old girl in the national capital in a car two days ago have been arrested, police said Thursday. "Two of the accused, Narender and Rohit, have been arrested from their hideouts in Delhi. The third accused, Tinku, is still on the run," a police officer said. All the accused are in their 20s. The three gangraped the victim in a car Tuesday evening at Safdarjang Enclave in south Delhi.
Human sacrifice: Father kills son in Assam
The officer said the victim, a resident of Humayurpur village, knew all the three accused. Explaining the sequence of events, the officer said the victim's friend Rohit asked her Tuesday evening to accompany him on a drive and she agreed. "After they reached a certain point, two other friends of the man joined them in the car. The accused offered her a soft drink laced with sedatives," the officer said. "When the girl became dizzy, the accused drove the car to an isolated parking lot in Pilanji village in south Delhi and took turns to rape her. They then dumped her near her house," the officer said. The victim, a student of a private school in south Delhi, returned home around 8.30 p.m. Tuesday, but was initially too scared to speak of her ordeal. "After her parents consoled her, she narrated her experience. Her father then encouraged her to file a complaint with the police. The complaint was received Wednesday," the officer said. The car used for the crime was recovered Wednesday, the officer said.
Prevented from using Facebook, Maharashtra girl ends life
11
Parbhani A teenaged college girl committed suicide after her parents restricted her use of her mobile phone and social networking sites like Facebook, police said Thursday. The incident
Guwahati A man killed his 13-year-old son in Assam in what is being termed a case of human sacrifice. Police said Thursday the man attempted to kill his wife and daughter also but they escaped with injuries. The crime occurred at Guijan village in Assam's Tinsukia district Wednesday. Police said the accused, Parasuram Koiri, has been arrested. "The wife and daughter of the accused also faced a similar bid on their lives but they escaped with severe injuries," Tinsukia district Superintendent of Police P.P. Singh said. "The accused has confessed to his crime. He sees himself as a devotee of goddess Durga and said that she appeared recently in a dream and de-
Lucknow A minor girl was gangraped by village youth and then burnt alive in a Uttar Pradesh district Tuesday night. The girl sustained 80 percent burns and died in a district hospital Wednesday morning, police said. The incident took place in Sirsa Kalaar area of Orai in the Jalaun district of the state. The girl, a student of class eight, had gone to a agriculture farm for toilet along with her elder sister. As the two were returning, three villagers, including local goon Ram Bahadur, dragged her to a nearby area and gangraped her, the girl's family told the police. They further alleged that the girl threatened the assailants that she would tell the villagers, which prompted the trio to set her on fire.
Class 8th UP girl set on fire after gangrape

The assailants then escaped even as her elder sister rushed to the village and raised an alarm. But by the time family of the girl and neighbours reached the spot, the girl had already sustained 80 percent burns. The police station in-charge RP Pandey told that girl's family has not lodged an official complaint. He however had added that based on the information available, police teams were raiding different locations in pursuit of the assailants.
manded human sacrifice," police said. "The incident occurred yesterday morning (Wednesday) when Koiri offered prayers at the temple of the goddess outside his house and tried to kill his wife Lakhi Koiri, 38, son Biru, 13, and daughter Shibani, 10, while they were sleeping," police said. The police officer said while Biru died on the spot his mother and sister sustained serious injuries. "The mother and daughter were shifted to Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh," police said. People residing in the neighbourhood said the man had suffered from a mental ailment for long, and may have conducted the sacrifice due to superstition.
Ghaziabad In the Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case, defence lawyers Thursday sought to refute the CBI theory that the dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar killed their daughter and their servant following sudden provocation. Defence lawyer Satyketu Singh submitted that the prosecution theory that the murders were committed by Aarushi's parents, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, is based on Gandhi Nagar-based CFSL scientist Mahendra Singh Dahiya's statement and is full of holes. The defence said that first, Dahiya never visited the crime spot. He made the statement on the basis of photographs and the statements of doctors Sunil Dohre and Naresh Raj submitted to him. The two doctors, in five statements during investigation, never mentioned that Hemraj's blood was found on Aarushi's pillow. But, they said the same in the sixth statement which is in contradiction with B.K. Mahapatra's report which said no blood or other DNA evidence of Hemraj was found in Aarushi's room. Second, Dohre initially mentioned no abnormality was
Aarushi case: Talwars reject CBI's sudden provocation theory
occurred late Wednesday night after 17-year-old Aishwarya S. Dahiwal had an argument with her parents over using Facebook on her computer. According to investigating of-
ficer G. H. Lemgude of Nanalpeth police station in Parbhani, around 500 km east of Mumbai, Aishwarya's parents had objected several times to her using social networking sites and chatting long over the mobile phone. "Like all parents, their intentions were only to ensure that the girl did not go astray. They advised her to concentrate on her technical studies and stay away from long mobile chats and social networking sites," Lemgude told. After the argument Wednesday night, Aishwarya went to her room, penned a suicide note and hanged herself. In the note, Aishwarya reportedly wrote that she had been constantly prevented from using Facebook by her parents. "Is Facebook so bad? I cannot stay in a home with such restrictions as I can't live without Facebook," her suicide note said. The Dahiwal family, comprising jeweller Sunil Dahiwal, his wife and two sons are in a state of shock.
found in the vaginal part of the deceased but in his sixth statement, he said vagina was dilated. Why did Dohre not mention his finding in the post-mortem report or earlier statements? Such fabrications are in contradiction within its own claims, said defence lawyer Manoj Shishodia. The lawyers said that most importantly, doctor J.L. Kaul himself mentioned in his closure report that no evidence of blood or
DNA was found in Aarushi's room. So, the CBI saying that Talwar parents killed their daughter is not sustainable. The defence presented arguments from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The CBI judge adjourned the court to Oct 25 to record defence arguments. Aarushi, 14, was found murdered at her parents' Noida residence May 16, 2008. Next day, Hemraj's body was found on the house terrace.
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Policy perils keeping India's realty industry static
SPECIAL
has grown from 12 percent two years ago to 18 percent now, making debt repayment difficult for developers. To make matters worse, debt restructuring, or loan re-casting, has been made difficult by banks on the directives of the Ministry of Finance . One fails to understand why the government is fighting shy of granting infrastructure status to real estate to help it access cheaper capital, especially when the ministry concerned has already recommended it. Now, the Reserve Bank of India's recent directive to ban the subvention scheme has closed the option of raising cheaper finance, despite the fact that there have been hardly any defaults. The long and cumbersome approval process is further adding to the prevailing real estate crisis. There's an urgent need to lay down guidelines that prescribe simple, transparent and time-bound procedures to fast-track building approvals. Unfortunately, the Real Estate Regulatory Bill has overlooked this important aspect. But an expert committee set up by the ministry recently has come up with a reform blueprint in this regard. One hopes it gets implemented to check large-scale delivery delays that not just add to the cost of the property but also shake the confidence of the property buyers and investors.A recent study by global property advisor CB Richard Ellis has said the real estate sector can double its share in the country's gross domestic product (GDP) to 13 percent, provided the cost of borrowing is reduced, approval process is fast-tracked and bottlenecks in infrastructure are removed. It's time the government proactively took initiatives on the policy front to not just revive real estate but also to put it on fast track.
Relish ice cream according to sun sign
Amid the economic downturn, it's crisis time once again for India's realty sector. Policy glitches are once again creating roadblocks for the revival of the sector. Today, the biggest challenge faced by the capital-intensive real estate sector is shortage of funds. Banks, which are the largest and cheapest source of finance, are shying away from lending to real estate companies. Moreover, bank funding is restricted to project financing (excluding land) and is available to select developers with healthy balance sheets. While nonbanking finance companies have exposure to only debt funding, that too at a much higher interest rate, the expensive private equity players are either not deploying their funds or exiting the scene. Even on the foreign direct investment front, there's a dismal scenario, with its share plummeting from eight percent three years ago to three percent now. The government allows 100 percent foreign direct investment in construc-
US Congress set to celebrate Diwali
tion development - such as townships, housing and built-up infrastructure -- through the automatic route. But some restrictive conditions are proving to be a dampener. These include minimum capitalisation of $10 million in the case of wholly-owned foreign venture, minimum built-up area of 50,000 sq mts, minimum 50 percent project development in five years and lock-in period of three years. There is a clear case for relaxing the lock-in period to facilitate early exit, as also a reduction in the minimum capitalisation and threshold built-up area. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation has already recommended a reduction in the minimum area requirement from 50,000 sq mtrs to 20,000 sq mtrs. The delay in launching real estate investment trusts is further adding to the woes of the fund-starved sector.On one hand, funds to the real estate sector have been drying up. On the other, interest cost as a percentage of sales
New Delhi All ice cream flavours taste heavenly, but knowing which one is specially created for which zodiac sign makes it fun. U Connect would like to suggest the following combinations of Zodiac and Ice Creams as suggested by astrology enthusiasts: 1. Aries (March 21 - April 19) - Vanilla caramel brownie: Impatient like a child, the creamy vanilla with brownie chunks and a twist of caramel swirls is the best pick for the optimistic Aries. 2. Taurus (April 20 - May 20) - Dulche de Leche: Taureans have an extra sweet tooth; hence a bowl of caramel and sweet cream, swirled with ribbons of caramel sauce will melt a Taurean. 3. Gemini (May 21 - June 20) - Strawberry cheesecake: If you are Gemini, you have an affinity for all things natural. Try out the Strawberry cheesecake, an explosion of sweet strawberry and rich creamy cheese layered to perfection. 4. Cancer (June 21 - July 22) - Belgian chocolate: Cancerians like to live in their own world. However, the easiest way to draw them out is something sweet and wholesome. If you are Cancerian, try out Belgian chocolate creation. It has soft chocolate flakes mixed with rich Belgian chocolate ice cream. 5. Leo (July 23 - Aug 22) - Cookies and chocolate: The lion in you is drawn to bold and extravagant flavours. Cookies and chocolate ice cream is a fusion of chocolate and rich ice cream with chocolate cookies. 6. Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22) - Raspberry sorbet: Virgos crave perfection and as an earth sign, love nature. They will most likely go for flavours that are earthy and natural. Raspberry sorbet,
Washington Thanks to the initiative of bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans, US lawmakers are set to have their first-ever Diwali reception to celebrate the Indian festival of lights. An invitation to lawmakers for the reception next Tuesday has gone out from old India friend and Democratic caucus co-chairman Joseph Crowley, according to the gossip blog of Roll Call, an influential publication focusing on Congressional affairs. "We're setting a major precedent that will hopefully last for years and decades to come," he wrote asking fellow lawmakers to share the mysteries of the "festival of lights." Crowley praised Tulsi Gabbard, first Hindu American lawmaker and Ami
Bera, the lone Indian-American politician in the US House, for helping to plan the event and "stirring up interest amongst our members." "I think it is a testament to the growth of the IndianAmerican community," Crowley, who has participated in Diwali festivals in the Indo-American enclave of the Jackson Heights section of Queens in New York, told the Roll Call. "According to spiritual tradition, Diwali is observed as the victory of light over darkness, truth over untruth and righteousness over wrong, and as a time of spiritual renewal," Gabbard was quoted as saying "This message has great relevance at a time when politics and partisanship seem to overshadow compassion and
concern for the greater good." Crowley, according to Roll Call has placed the menu planning in the hands of the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Lanham, Maryland, a local house of worship he's consulted with in the past - "So, we know it will be authentic." Urging fellow lawmakers to "consider attending this exciting event," he tempted them by saying, "Traditional Indian refreshments will be served." "This event is an essential opportunity to come together not only to celebrate but to help increase understanding and tolerance amongst all Americans," he wrote. "It's going to set a precedent for Congressional Diwali celebrations for decades to come."
New Delhi The Blind Relief Association's Diwali Bazaar, being held here for nearly 30 years, gets overwhelming response from craftsmen as well as patrons every time, but the organisers say they do not have any plans to take it to other cities. The week-long event, starting Saturday this year at the association's office at Lal Bahdaur Shastri Marg in south Delhi, will put up as many as 200 stalls - a few given free and others being charged - displaying items from candles, paper bags, women's wear, to decor and gift items and vegetarian dishes. "The amount spent on the items and advertisement is recovered and we also make a profit. But we don't have any plans of organising a similar bazaar in other cities," K.C. Pande, the honorary executive secretary of the association, told. Out of the 200 stalls, one is dedicated to the association, an NGO. "Rest of the space we have rented out to designers, crafts persons and small entrepreneurs who are largely Delhibased. Others are from Kolkata and
Diwali Bazaar to stay exclusive to Delhi
made from ripe juicy raspberries, is the best pick for the Virgo as it is rich in the natural goodness of raspberries. 7. Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22) - Chocolate midnight cookies: Librans like all things rich, so indulge in Chocolate midnight cookies. It is a mix of chocolate ice cream, crunchy cookies and syrup to keep spirits high. 8. Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21) - Cappuccino truffle: Fiery by nature, Cappuccino Truffle will match their energetic personality. It is a rich coffee experience, combined with delectable chocolate truffles. 9. Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21) Mango sorbet: With a strong liking for all things natural, Sagittarians will lap up anything fruity with relish. The mango sorbet is made from juicy mangoes blended into a fine puree. 10. Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19) Mango and passion fruit: Capricorns love new and exotic food. Mango and passion fruit will satisfy this zodiac's unusual taste preferences. It is a combination of creamy mangoes and passion fruit. 11. Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18) Macadamia nuts: When it comes to food, Aquarian will search for variety, originality - anything with assortment of nuts, and they'll be up for it. Macadamia nuts has roasted nuts that makes the creamy ice cream flavoursome. 12. Pisces (Feb 19 - March 20) - Summer berries and cream: Pisceans like mild flavours. For such creative hearts, Summer berries and cream, made from sun-ripened raspberries, strawberries and blueberries unified into a cream base and served with raspberry sauce is perfect.
Mumbai. This is an event to generate resources for the association," said Pande. "We have charged approximately Rs.55,000, including service tax, for a 100 sq ft stall for seven days. We give free space to NGOs working in the field of disabilities," he added. The earnings from Diwali Bazaar are used to finance the association's services like education, vocational training and rehabilitation for blind people. Products like candles, carry bags, notepads and file covers are made by people trained or employed by the association. Nandkishor Patidar, one of the blind participants, said he started working on his items 10 months ago. "I work eight hours a day. So far I have helped in making different kinds of bottle bags and notepads," said Patidar, who was surrounded by strings and colourful papers. The candles made of good-quality wax, terracotta, bamboos and metallic diyas will be sold at different prices like Rs.60 a dozen to Rs.900 depending on the size and material used in them.
Agra Agra district authorities have announced plans to demolish all encroachments and illegal structures and remove squatters within the premises of, or uncomfortably near, historical monuments in this tourist city. Agra district magistrate Zuher Bin Saghir Thursday said a committee had been formed, and senior police officials would join the demolition drive within a week. He said the Supreme Court orders in the matter were clear and unambiguous and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had been asked to identify and mark all illegal structures to be pulled down. Zonal magistrates will videograph the encroachments. People will get a week's time to move out or voluntarily demolish structures constructed in breach of law. "After a week, no one will be spared," the district magistrate warned. Conservationists have expressed alarm that illegal structures have mushroomed around historical monuments in the city that was the capital of the Mughal empire between 1556 and 1658. The city administration has done little to curb squatter settlements and the structures now pose a threat to many of the lesser known but historically significant monuments. As land prices skyrocket, builders have been making a beeline to usurp every inch of available space in the city. R. Nath, a Mughal historian and author of a book on the city, said there used to be "more than 240 monuments in and around Agra at the time of independence, but now fewer than 50 are in existence". He has also written several letters to the ASI in this regard but seen little change. "Conservation and preservation have to be a joint venture between government agencies and people's organisations. It is not always possible to police all monuments," Amit Mukerjea, head of the history department of St. John's College, told. Among the
Letting Agra's historical buildings breathe, again
TOURISM
13
Guts and glory: Manganiyar women singers break with tradition

house. They can sing at local festivals in front of a women audience, but they are never exposed to a larger audience or bigger events," she added, saying women fear ostracism and never make any effort to break the chain. Manganiyars, a professional musicians community, are Muslims, and their patrons are predominantly Hindus and Rajputs. They have a song for every season and occasion - from childbirth to marriage; from welcoming gods to in-laws. With a mind of her own and possessed with the spirit of a rebel, Bai would perform at local functions before marriage. For most of the women, singing comes to an end post-marriage, but not for Bai who specialises in raag 'Mand'. She convinced her husband to allow her to follow her passion and perform. To her delight, he agreed and thus her musical journey continued. "I believe if you are determined, there is always a way out. I was lucky to get support from my husband, but not everyone is that lucky," she spoke in a heavily accented Marwari, while her son, Sakir, acted as interpreter whenever she fumbled. Apart from Bai, three sisters - Halima, Akla and Dariya - also performed at the fest as the trio are "allowed" to sing at public gatherings. "We three perform and travel to Delhi, often. Be they marriages or functions, we travel to different
monuments that disappeared are Christian cemeteries, as land once left vacant for the interment of the dead has been taken over by colonisers and government town
planners. The city looked better planned and maintained in the 1960s and 1970s than today, say old-time residents, pleading that a plethora of modern development bodies and
urban planning agencies has only served to make a mess of the Mughal metropolis.Ram Bagh near the river Yamuna, the oldest Mughal garden in India, laid in 1528 by the
founder of the Mughal empire, Babur, and the tomb of Mariam, Akbar's Rajput wife and mother of Jahangir, near Sikandra, are among the historically significant spots threatened by encroachment. Also in need of clearing are Mughal-era gardens like Bagh Farzana and Begum Samru's garden. Once these are restored, there is likelihood that they will even draw many of the tourists who visit the Taj Mahal. Even though ASI routinely sends notices to the district administration about construction and encroachment, no action is taken. Police, too, look the other way, allowing land grabbers free rein. Mukerjea explained that open spaces around the monuments were part of the design, to provide green cover to the buildings, and these had fallen prey to encroachment. Historians and conservationists lament the indifference to the monuments among residents of the city. There is need to foster pride in monumental heritage, they say. "The youth must play a more active role to prevent damage to heritage. District authorities should draw up plans to instil a sense of belonging and a passion for conservation," said Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society. The "Safer and Better Agra" group, in a memorandum to Uttar Pradesh Tourism and the Agra Municipal Corporation, demanded firm action against encroachers. Col. (retd) Rajesh Chauhan, who serves as the convener of the group, told IANS that the ASI was approached to rid historical monuments of encroachers. "Action should start with politicians who have gobbled public land. Our community ponds have disappeared, and multi-storey buildings have been built. The whole of Sanjay Place commercial complex is overwhelmed by encroachments," Anand Rai, an activist, told
Jodhpur Manganiyar women are not allowed to perform on public platforms. But defying age-old rigid tradition that Rajasthan's musician community is associated with, Maangi Bai has carved a niche for herself in the men's world. She says where there is a will there is a way. Bai performed at the just concluded Jodhpur Rajasthan International Folk Festival here. "Manganiyar women are not allowed to come out and perform in public. We are lucky enough to have them with us," said Vinod Joshi, regional coordinator of the festival while introducing them. She sang
for five minutes with her head covered and received appreciation from the audience, including fellow male members of the community. Now 45, Bai began singing when she was just eight-year-old. "My parents never encouraged me to sing. But I was in love with music. So when my father would sing at home or weddings in Rajput families, I would hear him like a student who was eager to learn," Bai told IANS after her performance. She is a self-taught musician. "I picked up from whatever I could understand. Women are not allowed to sing at patron's
cities and many parts of the world," Halima, the youngest of them, told. Though they didn't reveal much about their families and background, a fellow male Manganiyar, when asked about women's contribution to the art and exposure to the world, criticised them. "These (sisters) are different. We don't allow our women to perform in front of men in our villages, forget about such massive gatherings," a kartal player who didn't wish to be named told."Our women follow a certain code of conduct...We follow strict Rajput guidelines for all our women. They are
allowed to perform only in front of a women's gathering. "Men can play in front of a female audience, but no male members from the community will be present there. So there are strict lines drawn and we would like those to be maintained," he added. While women like Bai are few in numbers, it is disheartening to know raw and bucolic voice of women of the community, who are equally blessed as their male counterparts, perhaps more, don't get a chance to show their talent. The audience is robbed of the pleasure of listening to them as well.
14
Tom Cruise, Joseph Kosinski to team up again
ctor Tom Cruise and director Joseph Kosinski will reportedly work together again in "Go Like Hell". The duo last worked together in "Oblivion". Based on author A.J. Baime's book "Go Like H.ell", the
Los Angeles
Soha, Virat brand ambassadors for Delhi assembly poll
movie will talk about the true story of the competition between Ford Motor Company and Italian sports car designer Enzo Ferrari, reports hollywoodreporter.com.The racing drama is set up at Fox Studios.
named the brand ambassador for Philips, the country's leading lighting company. "Endorsing India's No 1 lighting brand Philips is a great opportunity and I am privileged to be associated with this power house of innovation. I am thrilled to be associated with Philips," Ranbir told reporters at the launch of new LED lighting solutions. In their new ad Philips revive the iconic song "Saara zamana haseeno ka Deewana", originally picturised on Amitabh Bachchan who sported an electric lightbulb suit in it. It now features Ranbir in a suit of LED lights. The "Barfi" star said: "I have tried to redo Amitjis 'Saara Zamaana song'. We have modernized the suit that was worn by him then. It was fun re-doing the song."
Actor Ranbir Kapoor was Thursday
Mumbai
Ranbir Kapoor new brand ambassador of Philips
'Friends' giving wrong picture: Pooja Bedi

Mumbai
Pooja Bedi admits that all is not well
ocussing on drawing the youth, the Delhi Election Commission Thursday unveiled its theme "Dil me hain Dilli. Vote karenge" and brand ambassadors actresses Soha Ali Khan and Toral Rasputa, of "Balika Vadhu" fame, and cricketer Virat Kohli for the Dec 4 assembly poll. The three have been roped in for the campaign to influence the young voters to exercise their franchise. "I equate the right to vote as a luxury for which our forefathers fought. We should not take it for granted," Soha said at the unveiling of the theme. "I appeal to everyone especially the youth to come out and vote on election day and not treat it as just another holiday," she added. According to chief electoral officer
New Delhi
ilmmaker Subhash Ghai, who is making a biopic on Sarabjit Singh, says he will rope in Anurag Sinha to play the role of Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan who died in May this year. Ghai told IANS: "For Sarabjit's role we have Anurag, the boy who was in 'Black & White'. He is brilliant and one of the finest actors. Our director feels he will play the part well, so we may cast him." There were reports claiming Sonakshi Sinha will play the role of Sarabjit's sister. When asked, Ghai said: "Sonakshi is very much on our
Mumbai
Anurag Sinha to play Sarabjit in Subhash Ghai's next
Vijay Dev, the commission is spreading awareness among the voters of Delhi to ensure that the polling is "ethical, informed and 100 percent". "All our efforts are directed towards the voters. To educate and inform them in detail about the election process as well as the candidates that they would be voting for," he said. "The average voting percentage in Delhi hovers around 55 to 60 and we want to increase this to 100," he added. The capital will see a three-way contest in the assembly elections between the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the newly-floated AAP. The Congress has ruled Delhi since 1998. The counting of votes will take place Dec 8.
escribing a film as a director's medium, actress Sonam Kapoor said But even the that l her priority while accepting an offer is good directors and scripts,"Benot the s co-stars. "Film is a director's medium. I would rather choose my directors over actors. It is not about the actor, it's always about the director, writer, script or the character I would like to play," said Sonam, who made her debut in 2007 with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Saawariyan". "It's kind of demeaning to say that I would like to work with a particular actor. It's very demeaning to directors and writers to say that. They are the technicians, they are the ones who make the film actually," she added. She was speaking Wednesday on the sidelines of the on-going 15th Mumbai Festival. So
Mumbai
Sonam prefers good directors over co-actors
between her and her father Kabir Bedi but says that the reports published about their problems are incorrect. It was reported that the actress had asked Kabir to vacate Protima's flat where he lives with his partner Parveen Dusanj. Pooja, who is Kabir and late Protima' daughter, took to Twitter to clarify matters. "Yes. Kabir Bedi and I are going through a family crisis. What's absurd are articles through 'friends' giving the wrong picture," Pooja tweeted Thursday. "There are numerous elements that latch on to the Bedis, looking for media attention and publicity, even sympathy. I'd rather ignore them," she added. She further added that these "friends", who were quoted, are not really her well-wishers.
And we fi-
i P
The fuss, That the girl,
Everyone, barring the villain Milkha Bhaag", Pankaj Kapur in "Mausam" and Anand L. Rai in "Raanjhanaa".
Madonna sells Beverly Hills mansion
far Sonam has also worked with directors like Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra in "Delhi 6" and "Bhaag
Ajay Devgn off Twitter
wish list, but we have not finalised anyone so far. Sarabjit Singh's family has given their approval for the project." To be directed by Ishwar Singh Muchhal, the biopic will bring to the screen the tragic story of Sarabjit who was convicted for his alleged involvement in the 1990 serial bomb blasts in Lahore and Faisalabad in which 14 people were killed. He was serving his sentence in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail and on April 26 his inmates attacked him with bricks and plates and the injuries led to his death.
Mumbai Los Angeles
erly Hill mansion for $20million deal. The singer had put the pad for sale in January this year. She had bought the house with her ex-husband Guy Ritchie in 2003 for $12 million, re-
Singer Madonna has sold her Bev-
Actor Ajay Devgn has quit miports tmz.com. The singer has pocketed a profit of $8million. The new owner is said to be a wealthy Wall Street banker, who was attracted by the privacy the posh abode offers.
croblogging site Twitter, but with a promise to return soon. "Going off Twitter for a while guys! But I am taking all your love and good wishes with me. See you soon," Ajay posted on Twitter Thursday. Last seen in Prakash Jha's "Satyagraha", Ajay's future projects are "Singham 2" and "Action Jackson".
No better superhero than Hrithik, feels Rakesh Roshan
Singer Manna Dey no more; last rites in Bangalore

Bangalore India's legendary playback singer Manna Dey passed away early Thursday after a prolonged illness at a private hospital here. He was 94. "Mannada breathed his last around 4 a.m. after his condition suddenly deteriorated in the wee hours though he was on a ventilator in the intensive care unit," Narayana Hospital spokesman K.S.Vasuki told. The multi-lingual singer, who has been ailing for four months, leaves behind two daughters -- Rama and Sumita. "Dey's eldest daughter (Rama) rushed to the hospital and was at his bedside when the end came after we alerted her about her father's deteriorating condition," Vasuki said. According to Dey's family sources, Sumita lives in the US. Dey's wife Sulochana Kumaran passed away here in January 2012 due to cancer. Dey was admitted to the super specialty hospital in early July after he complained of complained of lung infection and was undergoing treatment for respiratory disease. "Dey's body will be kept at Ravindra Kalkshetra in the city centre from 10am to 12noon for the public to pay their last respects and homage," a
15
New Delhi Filmmaker Rakesh Roshan says he ropes in Hrithik Roshan as a superhero in the "Krrish" franchise because he feels no actor can essay it better than his son. Asked why he casts Hrithik as a superhero, senior Roshan said: "There's no other actor (other than Hrithik) in Bollywood who can become a superhero. If any other actor suited the role, we would have already seen a film before ours." "Hrithik looks like a superhero, performs like
'R...Rajkumar' comes to an end, lead pair glum
a superhero," added the proud father, who gave a dreamlike launch to his son with blockbuster "Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai" in 2000. What about Shah Rukh, who played the lead role in "RA.One"? "Shah Rukh is good," he responded to a query.The senior Roshan also clarified that his comment comes in the capacity of a director and not as a father. "A father will always say his son is a superhero," he said. "Krrish 3" releases Nov 1.
Mumbai The shooting of director-choreographer Prabhudheva's upcoming movie "R...Rajkumar" will come to an end soon and the lead pair - Shahid Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha - say they will take back lots of memories from the set of the movie. The trailer of the movie shows Shahid as a muscular action hero, while Sonakshi plays his love interest."Morning all.
Rajeev Khandelwal joins Twitter
Last two days of 'R...Rajkumar'.. This ones been so much fun. So many memories," Shahid posted on Twitter Wednesday. Sonakshi will complete her part Wednesday and tweeted: "It's my last day shooting for 'R...Rajkumar'.. Nahin (No)! Think I'm having a panic attack. Uh oh."The movie also stars Sonu Sood and will hit theatres Dec 6.
The "Love story" s Mumbai If Mallika Sherawat ever had to give a crazy gift to someone, the actress will choose a silk blindfold and an ostrich feather. She confessed it on a web exclusive video to promote her ongoing reality show "The Bachelorette India - Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika", which airs on Life OK. "The kinkiest gift I will give someone is a silk blindfold and an ostrich feather," she said in the video posted on YouTube. "The kinkiest gift that I have received is a pair of leather underwear. It was not given to me by a guy, but from a company who made it as a sample, presented me that," she said. The "Pyaar Ke Side Effects" star is in search of her soulmate through the reality show which is based on the international format of "The Bachelore". When she was asked to name her ideal hot hero, the actress promptly said: "Ideal hot hero according to me is Hrithik Roshan. He has got perfect looks, perfect figure, and a fit body. He is a great dancer and he is romantic too." Mallika had featured with action superstar Jackie Chan in the 2006 Hong Kong martial arts-fantasy-adventure film "The Myth". Asked if she would like to
Mallika's bizarre gift option: Silk blindfold, ostrich feather
family friend said. The family plans to perform Dey's last rites at Hebbal crematorium in northwest of the city by Thursday evening. News of Dey's passing away shocked thousands of his fans, especially the music industry and the million-strong Bengali community in this tech hub. Dey was in the same hospital for about 20 days in May a week after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee honoured him May 1 with Bengal's Vishesh Maha Sangeet Samman award in recognition of his yeomen service to
the world of music and the film industry for over seven decades. Mannada, whose original name was Prabodh Chandra Dey, has to his credit over a record 3,500 songs in an illustrious career spanning seven decades since 1943. His oeuvre boasts of a range of songs -- from romantic numbers to classical to fun songs. Dey was also honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the country's highest award in the film world, in 2007. He was also recipient of several awards, including Padma Shri and Padma Bhusan.
Mumbai Actor Rajeev Khandelwal is the latest celebrity to join Twitter. He says that
joining the microblogging website is a "small gesture" to thank his fans for their support. "Yes! Finally I am on twitter! I guess I had to," the 38-yearold said in a statement."My fans have been very giving all these years, and I felt it's time for me to show how much I value their love and affection. Coming on Twitter is a small gesture towards that," he added. Rajeev made his Bollywood debut with the 2008 film "Aamir" and has played lead roles in movies like "Table No.21" and "Will You Marry Me?". His movie "Ishq Actually" will hit the screens Friday. The film also features Rayo Bakhirta, Neha Ahuja, Ann Mithchai, Neha Gehlot and Siddharth Van Shipley.Rajeev is currently shooting for Kavita Barjatya's detective drama "Samrat and Co".
Mumbai Work commitment kept actor Abhishek Bachchan and his actress wife Aishwarya Rai away from each other on Karva Chauth, but the couple used technology to stay in touch. They connected through video calling - Facetime. Abhishek is currently shooting in Bangkok and connected with Aishwarya on the occasion, Tuesday. "My first Karva Chauth away from the Mrs. Thank god for Facetime," Abhishek posted on Twitter Wednesday. The couple got married in 2007 and has two-year-old daughter Aaradhya.
Abhishek, Aishwarya celebrate Karva Chauth online

The actor, who will next be seen in "Dhoom 3", has reportedly been roped in for Umesh Shukla's next title "Mere Apne". The actor will soon be seen in director Farah Khan's "Happy New Year" along with Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.
marry Jackie Chan, she replied: "Of course. In a second." "He is very witty, he is humorous, and he is respectful towards women. The only thing bad about Jackie is his bad English grammar," she said. The promotional web videos are posted every
alternate day on videosharing website YouTube so that the viewers can get to know Mallika. "The Bachelorette India - Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika", which went on air Oct 7, currently features 10 participants, who are trying to woo the actress.
29 Sept Sunday Set Shimla_Layout 1 10/21/2013 2:02 PM Page 16
16
Acid Rain
Did You Observe? section. 14. After the experiment is finished, throw the baggies and their contents into the trash. Clean your work area thoroughly, and wash your hands. Vinegar is a very weak acid that is commonly used in cooking and pickling. However, even a small amount of this acid can prevent plants from growing properly. The most common causes of acid rain in our environment are exhaust fumes from automobiles, factories, and power plants. These fumes contain small amounts of sulfur and nitrogen oxides that react with moisture in the air to form sulfuric and nitric acid. Chemists are working to reduce the amount of sulfur compounds produced in power plants by adding powdered limestone to the coal that they burn. The limestone reacts with the sulfur oxides and removes them from the exhaust. In a similar way, catalytic converters are now required on all new cars sold in the United States. These catalytic converters remove the nitrogen oxides from car exhaust fumes.
ACTIVITY
Paper Owl Craft
Wheres the Chemistry?
"Kitty caught the kitten in the kitchen."
"Eleven owls licked eleven little liquorice lollipops."
Here we are giving your Child an opportunity to enjoy our funny tongue twisters for kids and have fun trying to say some of the most difficult sentences. To get the full effect of a tongue twister you should try to repeat it several times, as quickly as possible, withoutstumbling.
M ost plants do not grow well in an acidic environment. Their leaves tend to yellow and curl, and their growth slows. In this activity, you will try growing radish seeds in normal and acidic conditions.
Materials:
size) Masking tape Pen Radish seeds Disposable plastic spoon Water Vinegar Measuring cup Measuring spoon (tablespoon)
3 Paper towels 3 Plastic zip-closing bags (pint
1. Fold the paper towels into fourths and place one inside each of the plastic bags. 2. Using the masking tape and is worn pen, label one bag Water, and a the other one 1 Tsp Vinegar + Water, and Vinegar + Water. of the Earth 3. Lay the bags down dramatically. onto a flat S surface with the labels facing up. 4. Place 25 radish seeds in each bag. Arrange the seeds on top of the paper towel so that you can see carve the Grand Canyon. Water them through the bag. f 5. Without lifting the bag, use
Procedure:
your plastic spoon to carefully add enough water to the bag labeled Water to wet the paper towel completely. 6. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the measuring cup, and then add enough water to fill the cup up to the 1 cup measuring line. Gently stir. 7. Without lifting the bag, use your plastic spoon to carefully add enough water to the bag labeled 1 Tsp Vinegar + Water to wet the paper towel completely. 8. Pour the remaining liquid down the drain and rinse out the measuring cup with water. 9. Add 14 cup vinegar and 14 cup water to the measuring cup. Gently stir. 10. Without lifting the bag, use your plastic spoon to carefully add enough water to the bag labeled Vinegar + Waterto wet the paper towel completely. 11. Pour the remaining liquid down the drain and rinse out the t measuring cup with water. 12. Seal the bags, and press down on the tops of the bags so that the All it seeds are pushed down into the t paper towel. 13. Place the bags in a sunny spot, and examine the seeds once a day for the next 5 days. Make note of the number of seeds that have sprouted in each bag in the What
Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice.
Step 1:
Whooo's the cutest Halloween decoration around? These winged creatures! More sweet than scary, they make a great tabletop centerpiece when perched on a branch.
"Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup." "Quick kiss, quick kiss, quick kiss." "Three free throws."
Wayne Dyer
To assemble one, trim an inch from one end of a bathroom tissue tube, fold in the top, and secure it with tape (A). Cut a cupcake liner into quarters, then trim away the flat sections, leaving just the ruffles. Use tacky glue to secure overlapping ruffled pieces to the tube. Step 2: Cut eyes and a beak from card stock. (For the snowy owl, cut circles from a cupcake liner to back the eyes.) Add pupils and dots with marker. Glue the eyes and beak to the tube. For ruffled wings, cut sections from a liner and glue them to the back of the tube (B). For smooth wings, attach a curved half-circle of card stock instead.
ENYLLO ASD ISUSRPDER EYVN SAEMH TEEICDX
Color Me....
Example: to support, hold up
Buttress
Meaning: The column buttresses the roof above the statue. Cacophony noise,
a half centimeters
to help
Example: tremendous disharmonious sound
Meaning: The elementary school orchestra created a cacophony at the recital. Deride
Example: to laugh at mockingly,
Soil is
S a
scorn Meaning: The bullies derided the foreign students accent. Effulgent
and small and ani-
Example: radiant, splendorous
Meaning: The golden palace was effulgent.

LONELY , SAD , SURPRISED , ENVY , SHAME , EXCITED
Answers to Word Scramble :
cause
FOOD & BEVERAGES

News about an important business deal or financial transaction may Gemini (May 21 - Jun 20) take some more time to materialise. However you will be given the responsibility of an important assignment which would be the beginning of good things to come. An old assignment will be revived. Don't look for monthly gains for Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21) these could be below your expectations, but consider the exposure that you will get. This could be the beginning of something real big in terms of career or expansion of work activities.
LEISURE
Matters at work proceed smoothly. A new work proposal may require you to travel extensively. You will be successful in your endeavour. Monetary position is also likely to improve because of an important payment.
Cancer (Jun 21 - Jul 22)
17
You will have to make some important decisions concerning your work and what your aspirations are all about. You can look forward to working in a more congenial environment. Changes in a partnership will lead to more benefits for you.
Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22)
You will be given an opportunity for a change of job through someone you know. This will help you to achieve some stability. The health of an elder could cause concern and you will have to look after this person. Others in the family may not be very helpful.
Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22)
Opportunities for you to expand your work activities abound. You should make the most of this good phase. In your exuberance to get things done you tend to take others for granted. Any opposition of difference of opinion should be taken in the right way.
Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19)
Your plans to shift could get delayed because expected changes Taurus at work may be de(Apr 20 - May 20) ferred. The uncertainty of the situation could be upsetting. The illhealth of someone close could also add to your problems inthis week. Maintain the tempo of work to get the desired results. The environScorpio ment and set-up at work (Oct 23 - Nov 21) will improve. Those due to retire had better wait for a while before seeking an extension. Efforts to coordinate work and matters at home that need your attention could be a trying affair.
Sprouts Cutlet
A few important changes will help to improve your work set-up in this week. An important assignment could run into problems and you may have to travel at short notices to sort them out. You will be able to recover your losses one way or another.
Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19)
Banana Berry Smoothie
A work opportunity may require you to go in for a partnership or joint ventures. This will help to expedite the matter and you will have someone with whom to share the financial responsibility.
Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18)
A promotion or transfer in an important position is indicated for the emVirgo ployed. Try not to ac(Aug 23 - Sep 22) cept work than you can easily handle or you may be hard pressed for time. With a little reorganising and more money you could find a solution to a domestic problem. Work pressures mount and you will have to expedite matters so that Pisces you have more time on (Feb 19 - Mar 20) your hands to look into new offers. Exporters, design and interior decorators, can look forward to an extremely favourable time. Some of you will be .expanding your work activities
Cooking Time:10-12 minutes Servings: 4
Ideal breakfast beverage
utes
Healthy sprouts cutlet - a recipe for pilots spe- Category: Veg cially cooked by Chef Anupa Das on Occasion of Indian Air Force Anniversary Celebration Ingredients 1 1 teaspoon Cooking Time: 10-15 minTime:10-15 Chaat masala Cumin powder Oil Rice flour

Preparation Time: 0-5 minutes
Preparation mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
i
Category: Veg
White peas, 1 sprouted 1 1/2 cup Brownchane, f sprouted Boiled 1 1/2 cup 1 Green chana 1 1/2 cup (harechane), sprouted Boiled Fresh coriander 2 leaves 2 tablespoon Salt Red chilli powder
2
1 cup
1. Chop coriander leaves finely and place in a bowl. Add white peas, brown chana, green chana, salt and mash with a potato masher. 3. Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan.
Method:
f
1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon 1 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon t to shallow fry 1 lemon
1/2 cup
2. Add red chilli powder, chaat masala, cumin powder and mix.
Ripe banana,peeled and roughly chopped 2 Fresh strawberries,chopped 6-8 Strawberry crush 2 tablespoons Yogurt 1 cup Powdered sugar 4 tablespoons 4 slices a Ice cubes as required
1/21 teaspoon
toO taste
5. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or green chutney.
4. Shape the mixture into small cutlets, roll them in rice flour and place in the pan to shallow fry. When the underside is done, flip over and cook till both sides are evenly golden.
Blend bananas, strawberries, strawberry crush, yogurt, sugar and ice cubes in a blender till smooth. Pour into individual glasses and serve immediately.
Method:
18
Radiation level in Fukushima water doubles
Tokyo Radiation level of water from a drainage channel at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan has more than doubled, the plant's operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), said Thursday. The water, extracted Wednesday at the channel near the tank that leaked 300 tons of highly toxic water in August, showed a record high 140,000 becquerels per litre of beta radiation emitted by radioactive materials such as stron-
One tonne of cocaine confiscated in Guatemala
tium-90, compared with the previous day's reading of 59,000 becquerels, Xinhua reported citing local media as quoting TEPCO. The operator said the spike may be caused by highly contaminated soil with radioactive substances entering into the drainage channel. TEPCO is struggling to prevent leaks in Japan's typhoon season as rainwater accumulates inside the leak-protection barriers around the tanks.
Washington As expected, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif failed to get any traction with President Barack Obama on his wish list - US mediation on Kashmir, nuclear parity with India and an end to drone strikes on suspected terror dens in Pakistani territory. Despite being rebuffed by both India and the US, Sharif did once again dutifully raise Kashmir during his two hour meeting with Obama at the White House, but the joint statement made no mention of it or the drones. Speaking to the media with Obama after their Oval office meeting, Sharif said he was committed to cooperation with India, including on Kashmir. And while India has described Pakistan as the "epicentre of terrorism" and linked any progress on peace talks to Islamabad shutting down its "machinery of terrorism" he told Obama that "terrorism constitutes a common threat" for Pakistan and India. "We need to ally our respective concerns through serious and sincere efforts without indulging in any blame game," Sharif said. He had also "brought up the issue of drones in our meeting, emphasizing the need for an end to such strikes," he said. Obama, on his part, made no mention of either Kashmir or drone strikes in Pakistan that according to Sharif "has become a major irritant in our bilateral relationship" besides being a "a continual violation of our territorial integrity." Acknowledging tensions and "misunderstandings" between the two countries, Obama said he and Sharif had pledged to work together on security issues in ways that "respect Pakistan's sovereignty. "We committed to working together and making sure that rather than this being a source of tension between our two countries, this can be a source of strength for us working together," he said. Obama also praised Sharif for seeking to end tenBeijing The smoggiest regions in China, including the national capital Beijing, will focus on reduction of coal consumption to control pollution, officials said Wednesday. Participants from the ministry of environmental protection and six provincial-level regions in north China Wednesday agreed to cap coal consumption, eliminating coal-fired heating equipment and promoting central heating, at an air pollution control conference here, Xinhua reported. Other controls will be imposed on vehicles, oil quality, and industrial pollution, officials said. Minister for Environmental Protection Zhou Shengxian said the central government would strengthen monitoring, forecasting, supervision and
Obama says 'no' to Sharif on Kashmir, nuclear parity
China to focus on coal to battle smog
sions with India saying, "I think he is taking a very wise path in exploring how decades of tension between India and Pakistan can be reduced." Noting that "billions of dollars have been spent on an arms race in response to these tensions," he said those resources could be much more properly invested in education, social welfare programmes on both sides of the border between India and Pakistan. The joint statement noted that "the two Leaders stressed that improvement in Pakistan-India bilateral relations would greatly enhance prospects for lasting regional peace, stability, and prosperity, as it would significantly benefit the lives of citizens on both sides of the border." In this context, it said Obama welcomed recent engagements between Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He "expressed hope that this would mark the beginning of a sustained dialogue process between the two neighbours, aimed at building lasting peace in South Asia and resolving all outstanding territorial and other disputes through peaceful means."Obama also "welcomed steps taken by Pakistan and India to improve their economic relations, including by exploring electricity
and gas supply agreements, developing a reciprocal visa regime, and expanding bilateral trade." Obama and Sharif, the statement said also "welcomed progress on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-Indi a (TAPI) pipeline project, and tasked the Energy Working Group to explore possible further US support for the Central Asia-South Asia electricity line, CASA-1000, in close collaboration with the World Bank." Reflecting the focus of the ObamaSharif session, the joint statement mentioned "terrorism" 13 times saying both leaders "condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They also "emphasized that no country's territory should be used to destabilize its neighbours." The word nuclear too figured ten times in the joint statement, not in the context of India type civil nuclear deal that Sharif wanted, but in the context of nuclear terrorism. Obama and Sharif, the joint statement said "emphasised that nuclear terrorism is one of the most challenging threats to international security" and "underscored that all sides should continuously act with maximum restraint and work jointly toward strengthening strategic stability in South Asia."
Guatemala City Guatemalan security forces confiscated nearly a tonne of cocaine during an operation in the Caribbean coastal province of Izabal, authorities said Wednesday. The shipment, which preliminary reports indicate - totals 975 kg, was found Tuesday night in a truck that apparently began its journey in Colombia, sources with the attorney general's office told radio stations. The amount of the drug secreted on board the vehicle could be even greater as authorities continue to inspect the truck for hidden compartments. The vehicle was intercepted, and the driver arrested, in the village of Quebrada Grande, some 265 km
India, China prospered as border was tranquil: PM

Beijing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday said the relationship between India and China has prospered and cooperation has expanded because both the countries have managed their differences and kept the border region tranquil. Manmohan Singh met He Yiting, executive vice president of the Central Party School, during his visit at the Central Party School of the powerful Chinese Communist Party. He said the stability in the relationship with China has created a basic condition for both the nations to exploit the opportunities created by their economic growth and openings. The Indian prime minister, who got a standing ovation, said China has emerged as India's largest economic partner. "Naturally, there are also concerns on both sides - whether these are incidences on the border regions, trans-border rivers or trade imbalances," he said. He said: "Our recent experiences have shown these issues can become hindrances to the full exploitation of opportunities of bilateral and multi-lateral cooperation." The prime minister said he was pleased with the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) that was signed Wednesday and said officials who determine public policy "will do everything to advance our
from here. Participating in the operation were agents from the attorney general's office, interior ministry and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Guatemalan authorities seized 2,215 kg of cocaine in the first six months of 2013. In 2012, Guatemalan security forces confiscated 3,292 kg of cocaine, and in 2012 they seized more than four tonnes. In February 2012, Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina proposed that authorities search for new strategies to fight drug trafficking, an apparent acknowledgment that the armed campaign against the societal scourge had largely failed up to that time.
legislation, while making better use of technology to reduce pollution. China's ministry of finance has an-
nounced a $814 million reward for regions which successfully reduce air pollution.
cooperation and promote India-China relations". He said President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang had given him confidence of achieving the vision of India and China becoming prosperous nations and mutually compatible. "Our future should be decided on cooperation and not confrontation. It will not be easy, but we must spare no effort. What is at stake is the future of India and China," Manmohan Singh said.
C. d-electrons in Fe(Z = 26) D. p-electrons in CI(Z = 17)
CHEMISTRYMCQS
D. sodium chlorine 13. The nucleus of a hydrogen atom consists of A. 1 proton only B. 1 proton + 2 neutron C. 1 neutron only D. 1 electron only 14. The heat required to raise the temperature of body by 1 K is called A. specific heat B. thermal capacity C. water equivalent D. None of the above 15. The nuclear particles which are assumed to hold the nucleons together are A. electrons B. Positrons C. neutrons D. Mesons 16. The mass of P4O10 that will be obtained from the reaction of 1.33 gram of P4 and 5.07 of oxygen is A. 2.05 gram B. 3.05 gram C. 4.05 gram D. 5.05 gram 17. The octane number of zero is assigned to A. 2-methyl octane B. n-heptane C. iso-octane D. 3-methyl octane 18. The metal that is used as a catalyst in the hydrogenation of oils is A. Ni B. Pb C. Cu D. Pt 19. The most abundant rare gas in the atmosphere is A. He B. Ne C. Ar D. Xe 20. The Latin word formica means ant. The name formic acid is derived from this Latin word because A. this acid, in ancient times, was used to eliminate ant-hills B. this corrosive acid is secreted by ants to drive away their enemies C. this acid was first obtained by the distillation of ants D. ants are attracted by the odour of this acid 21. The ore which is found in abundance in India is A. monazite B. Fluorspar C. bauxite D. Magnetite 22. The inherited traits of an organism are controlled by A. RNA molecules B. Nucleotides C. DNA molecules D. Enzymes 23. The heat energy produced when the human body metabolises 1 gram of fat is A. 30 KJ B. 1 KJ C. 39 KJ D. 29 KJ 24. What are the number of moles of CO2 which contains 16 g of oxygen? A. 0.5 mole B. 0.2 mole C. 0.4 mole D. 0.25 mole 25. The main use of salt in the diet is to A. make the taste of food better B. produce in small amounts the hydrochloric acid required for the digestion of food C. ease the process of cooking D. increase the solubility of food particles in water 26. The monomer of polythene is A. vinyl chloride B. Ethylene C. ethyl alcohol D. None of the above 27. The luster of a metal is due to A. its high density B. its high polishing C. its chemical inertness D. presence of free electrons 28. The number of water molecules present in a drop of water (volume 0.0018 ml) at room temperature is A. 1.568 x 103 B. 6.023 x 1019 C. 4.84 x 1017 D. 6.023 x 1023 29. The most malleable metal is A. platinum B. Silver C. iron D. Gold 30. The oil used in the froth floatation process is A. coconut oil B. olive oil C. kerosene oil D. pine oil 31. Formation of coloured solution is possible when metal ion in the compound contains... A. paired electrons B. unpaired electrons C. lone pair of electrons D. none of these 32. Thermodynamic standard conditions of temperature and pressure are... A. 0C and 1 atm B. 273 k and 101.3 k Pa C. 298 k and 1 atm D. 0C and 101.3 k Pa 33. A covalent molecule AB3 has pyramidal structure. The number of lone pair and bond pair electrons in the molecule are respectively A. 3 and 1 B. 1 and 3 C. 2 and 2 D. 0 and 4
Education
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34. Cumene process is the most important commercial method for the manufacture of phenol. Cumene is: A. Vinyl benzene B. Propyl benzene C. 1 - Methyl ethyl benzene D. Ethyl benzene 35. The number of unidentate ligands in the complex ion is called... A. EAN B. Coordination number C. primary valency D. oxidation number 36. Which one of the following conversions involves change in both hybridization and shape? A. NH3 NH+4 B. CH4 C2H6 C. H2O H3O D. BF3 BF4 37. Based on the first law of thermodynamics, which one of the following is correct? A. For an adiabatic process : U = B. For an isochoric process : U = q C. For a cyclic process : q = - D. For all isothermal process : q = + 38. Corrosion of iron is essentially an electrochemical phenomenon where the cell reactions are... A. Fe is oxidised to Fe2+ and dissolved oxygen in water is reduced to OH B. Fe is oxidised Fe3+ and H2O is reduced to C. Fe is oxidised to Fe2+ and H2O is reduced to D. Fe Is oxidised Fe2+ and H2O is reduced to 02 39. In chromate ore, the oxidation number of iron and chromium are respectively A. +3, +6 B. +3, +2 C. +2, +3 D. +2, +6 40. The main product obtained when a solution of sodium carbonate reacts with mercuric chloride is: A. HgCO3 B. HgCO3 Hg(OH)2 C. Hg(OH)2 D. HgCO3 HgO 41. The brown ring test for nitrates depends on... A. the reduction of nitrate to nitric oxide B. oxidation of nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide C. reduction of ferrous sulphate to iron D. oxidising action of sulphuric acid 42. Amongst the following, the compound that can most readily get sulphonated is? A. Benzene B. Toluene C. Nitrobenzene D. Chlorobenzene
6. The metallurgical process in which a metal is obtained in a fused state is called A. smelting B. Roasting C. calcinations D. froth floatation 7. The molecules of which gas have highest speed? A. H2 at -73oC B. CH4 at 300 K C. N2 at 1,027oC D. O2 at 0oC 8. The oldest rocks in the earth's crust were once molten, and came from deep inside the earth. The molten rock, called magma, spewed out in volcanic eruptions during the earth;s early life and solidified into hard rock's called A. Granite B. Basalt C. igneous rocks D. sedimentary rocks 9. The law which states that the amount of gas dissolved in a liquid is proportional to its partial pressure is A. Dalton's law B. Gay Lussac's law C. Henry's law D. Raoult's law 10. The main buffer system of the human blood is A. H2CO3 - HCO3 B. H2CO3 - CO32C. CH3COOH - CH3COOD. NH2CONH2 - NH2CONH+
1. The nucleus of an atom consists of A. electrons and neutrons B. electrons and protons C. protons and neutrons D. All of the above 2. The number of moles of solute present in 1 kg of a solvent is called its A. Molality B. Molarity C. Normality D. Formality 3. The most electronegative element among the following is A. sodium B. Bromine C. fluorine D. Oxygen is worn t
BY:DEEPAK ROHILLA CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT PANJAB UNIVERSITY, CHANDIGARH
11. The gas present in the stratosphere which filters out some of the 4. The metal used to recover cop- sun's ultraviolet light and provides h dramatically. per from a solution of copper sulAll it an effective shield against radiation damage to living things is t is phate A. helium A. Na B. Ozone B. Ag C. oxygen C. Hg Canyon. Water D. Methane D. Fe 5. The number of d-electrons in Fe2+ (Z = 26) is not equal to that of A. p-electrons in Ne(Z = 10) B. s-electrons in Mg(Z = 12) to help k 12. The most commonly used bleaching agent is A. Alcohol B. carbon dioxide C. Chlorine
Soil is
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cause
ANSWERSOFCHEM ISTRYMCQS
23) C , 24) A , 25) B , 26) B , 27) D, 28) B , 29) D, 30) D, 31) B, 32) C , 33) B , 34) B 35) B 36) D 37) C 38) A 39) C 40) D 41) A 42) B
half centimeters
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Onion prices to stabilise in 10 days: Dikshit
Less rain may impact farming in northeast India
New Delhi Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Tuesday assured onion prices would stabilise in 10 days, adding her government has been intervening from time to time in the matter. "With expected arrival from Rajasthan, the prices are bound to stablise after a week. Moreover, with an additional arrival consequent upon the fresh harvest, the situation would become normal after 10 days or so," she said here at a press conference. Dikshit
Washington The partial US government shutdown has cut 0.25 percentage point off the fourth-quarter economic growth and cost the country 120,000 jobs in October, the White House has said. The government shutdown has translated into 0.25 percentage point off the fourth-quarter US economic growth rate, Xinhua quoted Jason Furman, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, as saying Tuesday. "We're 120,000 fewer jobs than we otherwise would have had in the month of October," Furman said. The federal government was forced into the first shutdown in 17 years Oct 1 after Republicans tried to make a bill to tie funding the government on changing President Barack Obama's signature health care law. Facing an imminent prospect of a debt default, the bitterly-divided Congress ultimately passed a legislation Oct 16 to lift the debt ceiling through Feb 7, and fund the government through Jan 15. The temporary deal, however, does not resolve the funda-
Shutdown costs US 120,000 jobs, says White House
also blamed "unprecedented rains" for the skyrocketing prices of onion. "Unprecedented rains led to disruption in supply from other states. Prices are fluctuating because the product is not reaching Delhi," she added. With Diwali round the corner, the onion price rise is a cause of worry for people in the national capital. Dealers Monday said the rising trend in onion prices will continue.
Bhakra turns 50, staff gets two months' salary as bonus Sensex sheds 137 points during early trade
this dam, was also released on the occasion. The contribution of the dam was duly acknowledged by union Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other leaders present on the occasion. Lauding the contribution of the dam and appreciating the role of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) for the smooth operation and maintenance of hydro-electric projects, Rawat announced a reward of two months' salary to all officers and staff of BBMB.Addressing the gathering, Rawat said that the contruction of the Bhakra Dam paved the way for the Green Revolution and transformed states like Punjab and Haryana into granaries for the country. BBMB chairman A.B. Agarwal said that the dam had changed the fortunes of the entire country.
mental divide between the Republicans and Democrats on spending and deficits."That's just based on the data we have through Oct 12. So, as we look at more of October, those numbers could change and could potentially get worse," Furman said. "This all just really underscores how unnecessary and harmful the shutdown and the brinkmanship was for the economy, why it's important to avoid repeating it, and instead consider jobs that are adding to growth, not subtracting," he added.
Agartala/Guwahati India's northeastern region, where the economy is mainly based on agriculture, has witnessed around 40 percent deficit rainfall during the current monsoon season, threatening farming and water availability, said experts. According to agricultural scientists and experts, the monsoon rainfall this year was unfavourable to the farming of crops in the mountainous region. Meteorologists said during the current monsoon season (June to September), Manipur experienced the maximum deficiency of rainfall with 70 percent followed by Meghalaya (50 percent), Nagaland (40 percent), Mizoram (34 percent), Arunachal Pradesh (31 percent), Assam (25 percent) and Tripura (24 percent). "Lesser number of depressions this season was the key reason for the shortage of rainfall in the monsoon period. Those depressions caused in the Bay of Bengal moved to Odisha, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh due to upper wind patterns," Dilip Saha, meteorological department director in Tripura, told. He said: "Compared to last year, there were very less number of low pressures generated this year. Whatever depressions and clouds formed in the Bay of Bengal (this year), very few of them moved to this hilly northeastern region." According to meteorologists, the southwest monsoon withdrew from the northeastern region Oct 21 with some days' delay this year. The southwest monsoon had withdrawn from the region Oct 16 last year and Oct 13 in 2011. According to the regional meteorological centre in GuwaLast hati, the number of monsoon rainfall y deficient years in the northeast India has been increasing since 2001. The
Arunachal Pradesh meteorological sub-division has since 2001 recorded five monsoon rainfall-deficient years, while the Assam-Meghalaya meteorological sub-division recorded six monsoon rainfall-deficient years and the Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura meteorological sub-divisions recorded four monsoon rainfall- deficient years. According to agricultural experts, less rainfall during monsoon affects the seasonal cultivation while heavy rainfall during the post monsoon period affects vegetable farming and horticultural crops. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) scientist Mrinmoy Datta said the monsoon this year was not favourable for agriculture of the northeastern region as a whole. "However, for one or two states like Tripura and Assam, the shortage of the monsoon rainfall would not affect so massively. We expect winter crop and vegetables would be better in the region this year...," Datta told. As only a small percentage of the state's cultivable farm land has access to irrigation facility, cultivators' organisation in Assam this year raised an apprehension over the shortage of rainfall situation and urged the state government to undertake emergency remedial measures to tackle the possible 'drought like situation'. According to Assam agriculture department officials, 17 of 27 districts had deficient rainfall, affecting paddy cultivation. "It is good that there was no major flood havoc this year in Assam, but deficit rainfall might affect the seasonal rice productions and vegetable cultivation. The Assam government must ensure a reasonable quantum of irrigation to maintain its annual crop
productions," agricultural expert Hemanta Bora told. Sohra, one of the wettest places in the world and previously known as Cherrapunji, in southern Meghalaya, has also suffered a rain deficit of 15 to 16 percent during the monsoon, with only 3,749 mm of rain recorded, as opposed to the normal of 4,455 mm. However, with the rainfall situation showing signs of improvement after the monsoon season, the crop production might not affect so alarmingly as was apprehended earlier. In Tripura, around one-third of the 308,501 hectare cultivable farm lands so far came under irrigation, resulting in the dependence of the majority of cultivable land on rain water. Agricultural expert Baharul Islam Majumder said that insufficiency of monsoon rainfall would affect the northeast on a state-to-state basis. "As the rainfall during monsoon varies from state to state in the region, the effects would also be differential. However, after the monsoon any major rain might affect the winter crops, vegetables and horticultural harvest," Majumder told . In the mountainous northeastern region, except Assam, other states have mostly hilly areas where extension of irrigation facilities is very complex. A large number of families among the tribals practises 'jhum', or the slash and burn method of cultivation. This shifting form of farming usually involves cutting down of entire forests in the hills, allowing the slashed vegetation to dry on hilly slopes prior to burning. Rice is intercropped with vegetables, maize, cotton, mustard and so on. Tribals constitute 27 percent of the northeastern region's 45.58 million people.
Chandigarh The iconic Bhakra Dam, which made a major contribution to the Green Revolution to make the country self-sufficient in food grains, completed 50 years of its existence Tuesday. A function was organized at Nangal township in Punjab, 110 km from here, to mark the occasion. A commemorative stamp on Bhakra Dam, the second one for
Initially, 5 kg cylinders of liquified petroleum g a The first initiative
Mumbai A benchmark index of Indian equities markets tanked 136.96 points or 0.66 percent down in the morning
trade Wednesday. Selling pressure was observed in IT, technology, media and entertainment (TECK)
and auto sectors, while marginal good buying was seen in metal sector. The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,875.31 points, was trading at 20,728.01 points in the early session, down 136.96 points or 0.66 percent from previous day's close at 20,864.97 points. The Sensex touched a high of 20,922.32 points and a low of 20,716.50 points during the trade so far. The S&P BSE IT index tanked by 156.62 points, TECK dropped by 70.47 points and auto index slipped by 89.24 points; while metal index moved up by 29.88 points. The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was also trading down at 44.20 points or 0.71 percent down at 6,158.60 points.
CII meet to advance Indian business in CLMV nations
New Delhi A two-day meet to leverage business opportunities in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV countries) organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry opens here Monday. CII said in a statement that Commerce Minister Anand Sharma will address ministerial and business delegations from these countries at the business conclave Oct 21-22. "The two-day conclave highlights investment potential for Indian industry in the ASEAN group of least-developed countries (LDCs) in sectors of infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing and services, especially resources sectors and knowledge industries," CII said. "India's current trade with CLMV countries is still much below its potential and very low both in terms of absolute value and relative share," said Chandrajit Banerjee, director general, CII. While India's trade with the ASEAN bloc reached $76.7 bil-
ADB cuts India's growth forecast to 4.7 percent
CLMV countries are the immediate eastern neighbours of India and represent a bridge between India and ASEAN countries, and figure prominently in the promotion of India's "Look East Policy" adopted in 1992. Over the last 15 years India enterprises have invested over $500 million in the CLMV countries in fields like agriculture, forestry, power, oil and gas, infrastructure and IT, CII said. CII said it has identified the potential sectors of cooperation with CLMV nations as oil and gas exploration, agriculture and food processing, chemicals and fertilizers, textiles and garments, drugs and pharmaceuticals, education, healthcare, ICT, and infrastructure.
lion in 2012-13, its trade with CLMV countries in the same year was just $8.53 billion. India's exports to CLMV countries accounted for $4.65 billion and imports $3.88 billion.
Moscow Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday arrived on a two-day official visit to Russia to a red carpet ceremonial welcome. The prime minister's special aircraft touched down at Vnukovo International airport here amid a cloudy day with the temperature at 5 degrees Celsius, but bitterly cold. He was received by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov. Both sides are set to ink six agreements, including one on the transfer of sentenced persons and on science and technology, during their annual summit Monday. Earlier, before leaving on the visit, the prime minister had described the annual summit he would hold with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday as an "important feature of our special and privileged strategic partnership". He said India's scope of ties with Russia is "unique, encompassing strong and growing cooperation in areas such as defence, nuclear energy, science and technology, hydrocarbons, trade and investment and people to people exchanges".
Red carpet welcome for PM as he arrives in Moscow
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He said he would convey to President Putin "the importance we attach to our relations with Russia, and I will use this visit to strengthen our partnership in every possible way". Despite the high expectations ahead of the visit, India and Russia are not to ink the commercial agreement on the third and fourth reactors for Kudankulam.
The two leaders are set to go over the main pillars of the bilateral strategic partnership, including defence, energy, space, science and technology, economy. Manmohan Singh would be conferred an honorary doctorate by Moscow State Institute of International Relations, which he said is a "testimony of the relations between our two countries".
Dhaka The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a $110-million loan for investment in private-sector infrastructure projects in Bangladesh, including renewable energy, the bank said Monday. "Low investment in infrastructure is holding back development and economic growth in Bangladesh. Building more power stations, roads, and water networks would help people in rural areas and draw more foreign direct investment," said Peter Marro, principal financial specialist in ADB's south Asia department, Xinhua reported. The government has been the main source of infrastructure spending in Bangladesh, but cannot provide finance alone, according to the
bank statement. ADB will provide $100 million credit for investment in projects such as power generation, water and sanitation, transportation, and information technology. It will also provide $10 million to expand off-grid solar home systems for households and small businesses in remote areas, the statement said. Private investors, meanwhile, struggle to get long-term finance from local banks. Electricity shortages cause an annual estimated loss of 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and poor transport and communications system also hold back the economy, it added.
New Delhi The CBI is likely to submit in the apex court Tuesday its status report in the alleged coal block allocation case, including the recent first information report (FIR) against a top industrialist and former bureaucrat, said informed sources here Sunday. "The agency will file the progress details of all the 14 FIRs in which Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, Hindalco and former coal secretary P.C. Parakh have been named," said Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sources. According to the sources, the status report will describe all those matters in which the probe has been completed and those who are yet to be probed. The agency would also give a status of the preliminary enquiry registered by it in connection with the missing files, the sources said. "If all goes as per the planning, the status report will be filed by Oct 22," said sources. CBI has registered 14 FIRs so far in the allocation of coal blocks in which AMR Iron and Steel, JLD Yavatmal Energy, Vini Iron and Steel Udyog, JAS Infrastructure Capital Pvt Ltd, Vikash Metals, Grace Industries, Gagan Sponge, Jindal Steel and Power, Rathi Steel and Power Ltd, Jharkhand Ispat, Green Infrastructure, Kamal Sponge, Pushp Steel and Hindalco have been named as accused.
CBI to submit coal scam status report by Tuesday
Uttar Pradesh postpones exam to recruit constables
Lucknow The Uttar Pradesh government late Sunday postponed the written exam scheduled for Oct 27 to recruit more than 41,000 police constables. The decision was taken after the truck carrying the question papers met with a road accident and the papers got damaged, officials told. Police officials said fresh dates were being worked out and the exam is now likely to be held in the first week of December. The exam for the post of 41,160 constables was being seen as a major employment drive by the Samajwadi Party government in the state. The recruitment drive had elicited a huge response from the youth as 20.78 lakh people applied to take the exam. Secretary of Police Recruitment and Promotion Board, Amitabh
Yash, told IANS that fresh date for the written exam would be announced soon. Officials said they also feared that the paper might get leaked after the accident. Hence, it was necessary to put off the exam. Police recruitment during the previous tenure of the Samajwadi Party government under Mulayam Singh Yadav was shrouded with charges of corruption and nepotism. Later when Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) came into power in Uttar Pradesh, it ordered a probe into the alleged irregularities and cases were slapped against many senior police officials. According to sources, the state government did not want to take any chances this time and was taking all due precautions.
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Almaty India created history at the AIBA World Boxing Championships here Tuesday when five of its boxers reaching the quarterfinals of their respective weight categories. It is the first time that five Indians have reached the last eight of the competition. Four from India made the quarters in the last edition. Sumit Sangwan (81kg) with reigning National Champions Vikash Malik (60kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) joined compatriots Manoj Kumar (64kg) and Shiva Thapa (56kg) in the quarterfinals. All five are now just a win away from a bronze medal. Vikash was the first Indian to take to the ring Tuesday. Up against the fifth seed and 2008 European Championships silver-medallist Miklos Varga from Hungary, the 26 year old made a solid start to take the early advantage. Following his aggressive style, Vikash maintained the momentum throughout the nine minutes of play and went on to claim his place in the last eight of the light weight category with a unanimous decision. The stout railways boxer will have to bank on his aggressive intent to advance, as he takes on 2011 PanAmerican Games silver-medallist Robson Conceicao of Brazil, who is seeded fourth in the competition. Sangwan was the second to follow as he pulverised eighth Seed Siarhei
SPORTS Record five Indians in World Boxing World Cup goals record 'there to be broken' : quarters
Ronaldo
Chelsea beat Schalke in Azarenka Milan had more scoring Champions League beats Errani chances than in WTA Barcelona: Allegri Championships opener
Novikau of Belarus in one-sided contest. His clear cut jabs and sharp counters were the big difference and helped him win by a unanimous decision. The 20-year-old will have an uphill task as he looks to upset London Olympics silver-medallist and top seed Adilbek Niyazymbetov of Kazakhstan. Heavy weight boxer Kumar also joined the party as he beat Yan Sudzilouski of Belarus in a well played bout. The burley 24-yearold stuck to his guns and did well to stay ahead throughout the entire duration; he won by a unanimous decision as well. He will lock horns with
local lad and London Olympics bronze-medallist Ivan Dychko. Monday, two-times Asian Championship bronze medallist Manoj Kumar (64kg) defeated Yves Ulysse of Canada to book his quarter-final spot. He is slated to box Yasnier Lopez of Cuba next. Asian Champion Shiva Thapa (56kg), who was the first to advance into the quarters, will look to overhaul Javid Chalabiyev of Azerbaijan. The only Indian medal winners in the tournament are Beijing Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh (2009) and Vikas Krishan (2011). Both won a bronze.
Rio De Janeiro Brazil's legendary footballer Ronaldo has said he will not mind if Miroslav Klose breaks his World Cup scoring record next year. Ronaldo has scored more World Cup goals than any other player: 15 from three tournaments between 1998 and 2006, Xinhua reported. Klose currently has 14 and is expected to surpass Ronaldo's mark should he be selected for his fourth World Cup with Germany. "I believe that records are there to be broken. It doesn't worry me," the 37-year-old said. "Someone is bound to break the
record one day. I made my name scoring lots of goals, and that will never be forgotten. "My personal history and my 15 World Cup goals will never be erased. If he scores more than me, I'll congratulate him, and of course I admire him. But he'll never take away my goals or my history." Klose last month became his country's greatest scorer when he netted in Germany's 3-0 victory over Austria, taking his international tally to 68 goals from 130 matches. The Lazio forward will be 36 when the World Cup begins June 12, 2014.
Berlin Fernando Torres scored a brace against Schalke to smooth the way for the club's second victory in Group E of the Champions League at the Veltins Arena in Germany. Schalke staged a dedicated performance Tuesday but were unable to put up the resistance against Chelsea's clinical counter attacks. It is the first loss for the Germans in the group stage, reported Xinhua. The visitors from Stamford Bridge caught the hosts flatfooted as Torres broke the deadlock with just five minutes into the match. The Spaniard had all time and space to head home a corner at the back post to stun the 'Knappen' on home soil. The early opener played into Chelsea's hands as they preferred to stay with 10-men behind the ball to make Schalke's life difficult. For that reason, the hosts were unable to find a gap inside Chelsea's defence. The 'Blues' remained dangerous on
fast breaks. Meanwhile, Schalke worked out threatening chances before the break through by Max Meyer, Roman Neustaedter and Kevin Prince Boateng. Nevertheless, the goals were scored at the other end of the pitch as the Blues went for the 2-0 lead in the 68th minute. Schalke's Meyer caused a turnover to see Torres slotting home for the second time, following Oscar's square pass into the box. Still, the hosts pressed forward while Chelsea were not done with the scoring. Another counter attack ensured a final 3-0 score as Eden Hazard finished a solo run into the far post corner, two minutes before the final whistle. "It is a very annoying loss. The defeat is too high. But, you have to utilise your chances against teams like Chelsea," Schalke coach Jens Keller said. Chelsea sit atop the standings in Group E followed by Schalke, Basel and Bucuresti.
Istanbul Belarusian tennis player Victoria Azarenka beat Italian Sara Errani 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the opening match of the WTA Championships here. The World No.2 looked down in the first set as she fell 2-5 behind but Errani failed to serve it out three times before Azarenka fought back to force the tie-break Tuesday. Errani hurt her right calf in the third game of the second set and took a medical time-out. She returned to break Azarenka's serve to level at 22 but did not win another game. Azarenka broke the Italian twice more to close out the match 6-2. The last time Azarenka met the 26year-old Errani was in Amelia Island (US) in 2008 when the Belarusian won 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.
Milan AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri praised his side's performance and said they created more scoring chances in their 1-1 draw with Barcelona at home in their Champions League tie. Robinho put the hosts ahead before Lionel Messi equalised for Barcelona in the first half Tuesday. Though the Spanish outfit looked more dangerous, Allegri insisted his side was better, reports Xinhua. "I would like to say that my players gave a good performance and allowed Barcelona little, and we created more scoring chances. We made a mistake before our goal and were penalised," he said. Allegri singled out Kaka for praise. "Kaka had an extraordinary performance and proved he is a champion. I
don't mean just in technical terms, as we all know that, but he worked so hard and even acted as a full-back at times when harassing the Barcelona players," he said. Allegri agreed that his side showed more concentration in defence given the fact that they conceded 13 goals this season in Serie A. "When you play these games, especially against Barcelona, you need a thousand eyes because they come at you from all angles. The concentration was there from defenders, but also midfielders and forwards," he said. "Concentration is crucial against a side like Barcelona. We played well going forward, though we should've changed the moves around a bit more. I'm satisfied with what we did," he said.
Erin Victoria Holland Miss World Australia 2013 and Brand Ambassador of Australian education & Career Consultants (AECC), interacts with media
Human nterest
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Actor Jackie Shroff during filmmaker Subhash Ghai`s party on the occasion of his Mukta Arts completing 36 years, in Mumbai.
Candle March on Breast Cancer at Plaza Sec.17, Chandigarh
Chandigarh The Chandigarh branch of Australian Education & Career Consultants (AECC), organized a Press Conference in Hotel Hometelon thursday with Erin Victoria Holland, Miss World Australia 2013 and Brand Ambassador of Australian Education & Career Consultants (AECC). Media Representatives in large number from Print as well as Electronic were present to interact with Australian beauty queen, Erin Victoria Holland and to know about AECC strengths, past achievements and near about Australian Culture and Australian education. Miss Holland, who was welcomed by Mr. Ankush Goel and Mr. Vikas Goyal with a bouquet of flowers ,thanked everyone for the heartiest reception. She shared her real life experiences with the media and gave prompt replies to all queries raised by the Journalists. She showed immense pleasure with her association as the brand ambassador for AECC. While addressing the media, Mr Aggarwal said the Australian AECC, One of the leading education consultants for Australia with high success rate,has already worked with thousands of students to help them accomplish their dreams of getting high quality education. AECC with its 7 golden years of experience has made the process simple and easy for students as it takes care of all the details and complexities of the application and visa process to their accomodation in Australia. He further explained that AECC provides the students with a range of services, in particular organizing admissions into leading Australian institutions and facilitating the application for and the granting of appropriate visas. The Company operates widely across Australia, Greece, Nepal and India. AECC has today established its strength in the market
and students approach them with confidence for secured admissions to both vocational and higher education courses. Mr. Aggarwal also emphasized on the transparency that their company follows in terms of admissions and visas. He stated few facts for the prospectus students, who would be interested to proceed for higher to Australia. The Press Conference was successfullyconcluded with a vote of thanks by Erin,who further requested everyone to proceed for lunch.
Visit Allen Solly, one of Indias most popular and recognised brand at sector-17,Chandigarh,catch a colour and we ll Match for you
Actors Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor during the promotion of the upcoming film Gori Tere Pyar Mei at the Radio City Studio in Mumba.
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Printer,Owner and Publisher: Manu Sharma, Editor: Manu Sharma,RNI Reg. No.: PUNMUL/2012/45041 Postel Rag. No.PB/JL-047/2013-15.Published at Central Town Jalandhar Printed at: Tej Mohan Nagar Jalandhar

E-Paper 27 October 2013

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E-Paper 27 October 2013

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29 Sept Sunday Set Lucky_Layout 1 10/25/2013 9:40 PM Page 1

Your World Connected

Music can help reduce chronic pain: study

Sunday 27 October, 2013 Weekly Newspaper

Panjab University's big contribution to science

BJP far removed from concerns of poor: Rahul Gandhi

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29 Sept Sunday Set Lucky_Layout 1 10/25/2013 9:36 PM Page 2

Chandigarh Sunday 27 October, 2013

BJP opposed to fee hike, students felicitate - Jain

Panjab University's big contribution to science

29 Sept Sunday Set Lucky_Layout 1 10/25/2013 3:56 PM Page 3

Chandigarh Sunday 27 October, 2013

Not above law, ready to be questioned by CBI: PM

Don't attribute motives to judgment, SC tells V.K.Singh

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29 Sept Sunday Set Lucky_Layout 1 10/21/2013 3:48 PM Page 4

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Chandigarh Sunday 27 October, 2013

Make festive season sweeter with chocolates

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29 Sept Sunday Set Lucky_Layout 1 10/25/2013 7:47 PM Page 5

Chandigarh Sunday 27 October, 2013

Hooda sermonises the media

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29 Sept Sunday Set Lucky_Layout 1 10/25/2013 4:12 PM Page 6

EDITORIAL DESK Indeed Prime Minister!

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29 Sept Sunday Set Lucky_Layout 1 10/24/2013 12:56 PM Page 7

Chandigarh Sunday 27 October, 2013

EADS to fund aerospace research in India

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29 Sept Sunday Set Lucky_Layout 1 10/24/2013 5:52 PM Page 8

Chandigarh Sunday 27 October, 2013

Tewari pulls up Ludhiana officials over MGNREGA funds

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Lalu Prasad, Jagdish Sharma disqualified from Lok Sabha

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29 Sept Sunday Set Lucky_Layout 1 10/24/2013 6:25 PM Page 9

Chandigarh Sunday 27 October, 2013

"If lakhs of people can turn

POLITICAL CAMP NEWS

Rahul strikes emotional chord with voters, attacks BJP

uld be focusing on all

BJP seeks CBI probe in Saradha scam

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Fear of violence grips Nepal ahead of elections

29 Sept Sunday Set Lucky_Layout 1 10/24/2013 4:00 PM Page 10

Music can help reduce chronic pain: study

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HEALTH Priyanka supports crusade against cancer

Chandigarh Sunday 27 October, 2013