suchithkc
Kolkata, July 30:West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Saturday met Justice (retd) Rajinder Sachar and said her government will follow the suggestions of the former judge who earlier headed a committee for the development of Muslims in the country.
'Justice Sachar was here and we had a meeting for over an hour. We discussed matters and exchanged views regarding minority welfare. He has given us some suggestions which we will follow,' said Banerjee after the meeting.
'I am happy that we have been able to keep our commitment of seeking his advice. He (Sachar) expressed happiness over the work we have done so far for the progress of the minorities in the state,' she added.
Banerjeee also said that Sachar has asked her to keep a tab on the development projects relating to the minorities. 'We have already launched e-governance and along with the data bank we will be able to gauge the progress of all our schemes on this front.'
The chief minister Saturday announced economic sops for the minority community, including Rs.82 crore as loans and Rs.122 crore in the form of stipends, scholarships and other payments. Under the Indira Aawas Yojna, 37,300 houses in the state and 5,000 houses in Kolkata will be constructed for them.
She also said 6,527 tube wells and 7,200 Aganwadis will be set up in minority dominated areas, besides 717 health centers and 39 Urdu medium schools. More than 7.5 lakh minority community students will be given scholarships and the number raised to over eight lakh from next year.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Delhi all set for its first Slutwalk
suchithkc
New Delhi, July 30 : The virtual world was Saturday abuzz with last minute invitations, even as preparations were in full swing for the capital's first Slut Walk or 'Besharmi Morcha' Sunday -- a campaign to protest the random use of the word 'slut' and sexual violence against women.
The official page of the campaign on Facebook, with over 1,450 members, had the message loud and clear: 'All set for tomorrow.'
While the route of the walk has been shortened and the event will be a toned-down version of its international counterpart, the organisers have asked supporters to get creative and make their own slogans.
'Make your own slogans, bring colourful placards to the walk. Say what you want,' posted Umang Sabharwal, the organiser.
Slut Walks have become a global phenomenon to protest against sexual violence after a police officer in Toronto caused outrage by stating in a speech to university students that women should avoid 'dressing like sluts' to avoid being victimised.
'We have shortened our initial route and are now starting the walk from the Free Church to YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association) all the way to Jantar Mantar (in central Delhi). We have taken permission from the Delhi Police,' Mishika Singh, one of the organisers, told IANS.
Slut Walks across the globe see women dress in skimpy clothing to challenge the mindset that victims of sexual violence should be blamed for the assault on them.
'The name Besharmi Morcha was keeping in mind the Indian target audience,' added Singh.
The supporters seemed excited to make the event a colourful one. The walk starts at 10.30 a.m. and ends at 12.30 p.m.
'Countdown starts! Sunday we will make our point clear. Full support to slut walk,' wrote one of the supporters Alexander Will.
New Delhi, July 30 : The virtual world was Saturday abuzz with last minute invitations, even as preparations were in full swing for the capital's first Slut Walk or 'Besharmi Morcha' Sunday -- a campaign to protest the random use of the word 'slut' and sexual violence against women.
The official page of the campaign on Facebook, with over 1,450 members, had the message loud and clear: 'All set for tomorrow.'
While the route of the walk has been shortened and the event will be a toned-down version of its international counterpart, the organisers have asked supporters to get creative and make their own slogans.
'Make your own slogans, bring colourful placards to the walk. Say what you want,' posted Umang Sabharwal, the organiser.
Slut Walks have become a global phenomenon to protest against sexual violence after a police officer in Toronto caused outrage by stating in a speech to university students that women should avoid 'dressing like sluts' to avoid being victimised.
'We have shortened our initial route and are now starting the walk from the Free Church to YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association) all the way to Jantar Mantar (in central Delhi). We have taken permission from the Delhi Police,' Mishika Singh, one of the organisers, told IANS.
Slut Walks across the globe see women dress in skimpy clothing to challenge the mindset that victims of sexual violence should be blamed for the assault on them.
'The name Besharmi Morcha was keeping in mind the Indian target audience,' added Singh.
The supporters seemed excited to make the event a colourful one. The walk starts at 10.30 a.m. and ends at 12.30 p.m.
'Countdown starts! Sunday we will make our point clear. Full support to slut walk,' wrote one of the supporters Alexander Will.
2G scam will die its own death: Chandolia
suchithkc
New Delhi, July 30:The second generation (2G) spectrum allocation scam will die its own death like the mid-1980s Bofors gun deal scandal, jailed former communications minister Andimuthu Raja's ex-personal secretary R.K. Chandolia told a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court here Saturday.
Chandolia's counsel said in the beginning of the Bofors deal scandal, there was a huge 'hue and cry' but the case died its own death.
'Similar is the situation in the 2G case. It will also die its own death,' Chandolia's counsel told CBI Special Judge O.P. Saini.
He claimed that the probe agency gave him the choice of becoming a witness or an accused in the case.
Defending himself, Chandolia said he was not the decision making authority for spectrum allocation.
'I was assisting my minister. Can an assistant ask his lord what decision have you made. I am not concerned whether their decision is right or wrong. I am no one, just a pawn in the chess game. I challenge the CBI. Let them show one sign on a single document. There are a number of people who have signed on papers but the CBI has not called them in,' said Chandolia.
'I am like a child, who is asked to deliver the bag to someone. I have only done that, then what is wrong in it. Why should I be prosecuted?' defence counsel asked.
'I was used by the minister (Raja)...I used to carry out his instruction,' said Chandolia, concluding the arguments on the charges levelled against him.
'The CBI should prove where have I forged any documents to favour Swan (Telecom) or Unitech (Wireless,' said Chandolia.
'In the Delhi circle, Swan was given preference as due to the Idea and Spice merger, they were not eligible,' he said.
`
Chandolia said his arrest Feb 2 was illegal as nowhere did the witnesses' statements recorded by the CBI in January and February showed his involvement.
'His name only figured in the statements in the month of March,' said defence counsel, adding that how was it possible that the same witness gave two different statements.
'The CBI manipulated the charge sheet with a predetermined mind to prosecute me,' Chandolia said.
He said the CBI showed a loss of Rs.30.000 crore to the exchequer in spectrum allocation but there was no word on the loss caused by him.
'I do not know the amount of loss I caused to the government of India, for which I am prosecuted,' said Chandolia, adding that since he had been charged with cheating he must be told about the loss allegedly caused by his actions.
Chandolia is currently lodged in the Tihar Jail along with 13 others involved in the case.
Swam Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa would begin his arguments on charges Monday.
New Delhi, July 30:The second generation (2G) spectrum allocation scam will die its own death like the mid-1980s Bofors gun deal scandal, jailed former communications minister Andimuthu Raja's ex-personal secretary R.K. Chandolia told a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court here Saturday.
Chandolia's counsel said in the beginning of the Bofors deal scandal, there was a huge 'hue and cry' but the case died its own death.
'Similar is the situation in the 2G case. It will also die its own death,' Chandolia's counsel told CBI Special Judge O.P. Saini.
He claimed that the probe agency gave him the choice of becoming a witness or an accused in the case.
Defending himself, Chandolia said he was not the decision making authority for spectrum allocation.
'I was assisting my minister. Can an assistant ask his lord what decision have you made. I am not concerned whether their decision is right or wrong. I am no one, just a pawn in the chess game. I challenge the CBI. Let them show one sign on a single document. There are a number of people who have signed on papers but the CBI has not called them in,' said Chandolia.
'I am like a child, who is asked to deliver the bag to someone. I have only done that, then what is wrong in it. Why should I be prosecuted?' defence counsel asked.
'I was used by the minister (Raja)...I used to carry out his instruction,' said Chandolia, concluding the arguments on the charges levelled against him.
'The CBI should prove where have I forged any documents to favour Swan (Telecom) or Unitech (Wireless,' said Chandolia.
'In the Delhi circle, Swan was given preference as due to the Idea and Spice merger, they were not eligible,' he said.
`
Chandolia said his arrest Feb 2 was illegal as nowhere did the witnesses' statements recorded by the CBI in January and February showed his involvement.
'His name only figured in the statements in the month of March,' said defence counsel, adding that how was it possible that the same witness gave two different statements.
'The CBI manipulated the charge sheet with a predetermined mind to prosecute me,' Chandolia said.
He said the CBI showed a loss of Rs.30.000 crore to the exchequer in spectrum allocation but there was no word on the loss caused by him.
'I do not know the amount of loss I caused to the government of India, for which I am prosecuted,' said Chandolia, adding that since he had been charged with cheating he must be told about the loss allegedly caused by his actions.
Chandolia is currently lodged in the Tihar Jail along with 13 others involved in the case.
Swam Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa would begin his arguments on charges Monday.
Arrest Swamy, rights body urges Mumbai police
suchithkc
Mumbai, July 30: Maharashtra's minorities commission Saturday called for the arrest of Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy for his 'extreme xenophobic right-wing thoughts' expressed in a newspaper article.
State Minorities Commission vice chairman Abraham Mathai wrote to Mumbai police chief Arup Patnaik, urging him to initiate criminal charges against Swamy under Section 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code.
'I am writing to you following uproar and a feeling of insecurity among the minority community caused by an article written by Dr. Subramanian Swamy entitled 'How to wipe out Islamic terror' published in the DNA of 16th July 2011,' the letter said.
Swamy, a doctorate from Harvard, penned an op-ed that advocated denial of voting rights to non-Hindus with the goal of stemming terrorist attacks in India.
'The extreme xenophobic right-wing thoughts expressed in it are quite disturbing and the article is socially irresponsible and completely anti-Islamic. It is also alarming that Dr. Swamy is trying to incite Islamophobia using his freedom of expression to propagate hate through stereotyping,' Mathai said.
Mathai also said that there are 'Hindu terrorists' as well in jails who have equally perpetrated heinous acts.
'As a matter of fact, the Muslim community has as much stake as any in the progress, security and well being of India as a nation. Dr. Swamy's bizarre solution is converting Muslims into Hinduism, rather than allowing each individual to choose to live as he/she wishes as expressed in Article 25 of the constitution,' he said.
Mumbai, July 30: Maharashtra's minorities commission Saturday called for the arrest of Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy for his 'extreme xenophobic right-wing thoughts' expressed in a newspaper article.
State Minorities Commission vice chairman Abraham Mathai wrote to Mumbai police chief Arup Patnaik, urging him to initiate criminal charges against Swamy under Section 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code.
'I am writing to you following uproar and a feeling of insecurity among the minority community caused by an article written by Dr. Subramanian Swamy entitled 'How to wipe out Islamic terror' published in the DNA of 16th July 2011,' the letter said.
Swamy, a doctorate from Harvard, penned an op-ed that advocated denial of voting rights to non-Hindus with the goal of stemming terrorist attacks in India.
'The extreme xenophobic right-wing thoughts expressed in it are quite disturbing and the article is socially irresponsible and completely anti-Islamic. It is also alarming that Dr. Swamy is trying to incite Islamophobia using his freedom of expression to propagate hate through stereotyping,' Mathai said.
Mathai also said that there are 'Hindu terrorists' as well in jails who have equally perpetrated heinous acts.
'As a matter of fact, the Muslim community has as much stake as any in the progress, security and well being of India as a nation. Dr. Swamy's bizarre solution is converting Muslims into Hinduism, rather than allowing each individual to choose to live as he/she wishes as expressed in Article 25 of the constitution,' he said.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Internet Is ‘Modifying Our Memory’
suchithkc
A research in the journal Science suggests that computers and the internet may be altering the quality of our memory. Psychology experiments showed that when people were presented with difficult questions, they began to think of computers. When volunteers knew that facts would be available on a computer later, they had poor recollection of answers but enhanced recollection of where they were stored.
Researchers believe that internet acts as a “trans-active memory” that people depend upon to remember for them. Lead author Betsy Sparrow of Columbia University explained that trans-active memory “is an idea that there are external memory sources – really storage places that exist in other people. There are people who are experts in certain things and we allow them to be, [to] make them responsible for certain kinds of information.”
Co-author of the paper Daniel Wegner, now at Harvard University, first suggested the transactive memory concept in a book chapter titled Cognitive Interdependence in Close Relationships, finding that long-term couples trusted each other to act as one another’s memory banks. Dr Sparrow said, ”I really think the internet has become a form of this transactive memory, and I wanted to test it.”
The foremost part of the team’s research was to examine whether subjects were “fit” to think about computers and the internet when confronted with difficult questions. To do that, the team employed what is known as a modified Stroop test. The standard Stroop test assesses how long it takes for a volunteer to read a color word when the word itself is a different colour – for example, the word “green” written in blue.
Reaction times heighten when, instead of colour words, volunteers are asked to read words about topics they may already be thinking about. In this manner the team demonstrated that, after presenting subjects with difficult true/false questions, reaction times to internet-related conditions were visibly longer, indicating that when volunteers did not know the answer, they were already considering the idea of obtaining it through a computer.
A more assuring experiment allowed a stream of facts to the volunteers, with half of the volunteers told to file them away in a number of folders on a computer, and half told that the facts would be erased. When asked to remember the facts, those who knew the information would not be available later performed way better than those who filed the information away. But those who anticipated the information would be available were outstandingly good at recollecting in which folder they had stored the information.
Dr Sparrow said, ”This suggests that for the things we can find online, we tend keep it online as far as memory is concerned – we keep it externally stored.” She explained that the aptness of volunteers to recollect the location of the information, rather than the information itself, is a sign that people are not getting less able to remember things, but simply organising vast amounts of available information in a more accessible way. ”I don’t think Google is making us stupid – we’re just changing the way that we’re remembering things… If you can find stuff online even while you’re walking down the street these days, then the skill to have, the thing to remember, is where to go to find the information. It’s just like it would be with people – the skill to have is to remember who to go see about [specific topics].”
A research in the journal Science suggests that computers and the internet may be altering the quality of our memory. Psychology experiments showed that when people were presented with difficult questions, they began to think of computers. When volunteers knew that facts would be available on a computer later, they had poor recollection of answers but enhanced recollection of where they were stored.
Researchers believe that internet acts as a “trans-active memory” that people depend upon to remember for them. Lead author Betsy Sparrow of Columbia University explained that trans-active memory “is an idea that there are external memory sources – really storage places that exist in other people. There are people who are experts in certain things and we allow them to be, [to] make them responsible for certain kinds of information.”
Co-author of the paper Daniel Wegner, now at Harvard University, first suggested the transactive memory concept in a book chapter titled Cognitive Interdependence in Close Relationships, finding that long-term couples trusted each other to act as one another’s memory banks. Dr Sparrow said, ”I really think the internet has become a form of this transactive memory, and I wanted to test it.”
The foremost part of the team’s research was to examine whether subjects were “fit” to think about computers and the internet when confronted with difficult questions. To do that, the team employed what is known as a modified Stroop test. The standard Stroop test assesses how long it takes for a volunteer to read a color word when the word itself is a different colour – for example, the word “green” written in blue.
Reaction times heighten when, instead of colour words, volunteers are asked to read words about topics they may already be thinking about. In this manner the team demonstrated that, after presenting subjects with difficult true/false questions, reaction times to internet-related conditions were visibly longer, indicating that when volunteers did not know the answer, they were already considering the idea of obtaining it through a computer.
A more assuring experiment allowed a stream of facts to the volunteers, with half of the volunteers told to file them away in a number of folders on a computer, and half told that the facts would be erased. When asked to remember the facts, those who knew the information would not be available later performed way better than those who filed the information away. But those who anticipated the information would be available were outstandingly good at recollecting in which folder they had stored the information.
Dr Sparrow said, ”This suggests that for the things we can find online, we tend keep it online as far as memory is concerned – we keep it externally stored.” She explained that the aptness of volunteers to recollect the location of the information, rather than the information itself, is a sign that people are not getting less able to remember things, but simply organising vast amounts of available information in a more accessible way. ”I don’t think Google is making us stupid – we’re just changing the way that we’re remembering things… If you can find stuff online even while you’re walking down the street these days, then the skill to have, the thing to remember, is where to go to find the information. It’s just like it would be with people – the skill to have is to remember who to go see about [specific topics].”
Choose colleges wisely, US tells Indian students
suchithkc
New Delhi, July 29 : Prospective Indian students should thoroughly research educational institutes based in the US before taking admission to prevent any fraud, the US embassy here said.
'The US government urges all prospective students to fully research their chosen educational institutes and have a firm grasp of what is and is not permitted under a student visa,' said the US embassy statement Friday.
The guidance comes on a day authorities in Annandale, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, raided on charges of fraud the offices of a university with 90 percent of the 2,400 students from India and a majority of them from Andhra Pradesh.
'All students must be aware that lack of physical attendance at classes (taking only online courses) is not acceptable, failure to maintain a full course load and unauthorized employment will result in an immediate violation of status,' the statement added.
According to the embassy, the number of Indian students who have applied for visas to study in the US increased by 20 percent over the same period last year.
'The embassy also is to provide accurate, free information that allows students and their families to research schools and to protect themselves from visa fraud rings,' it said.
It went on to say that violating the terms of a visa can result in deportation, arrest and even a bar on future travel to the country.
'It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that he or she is in accordance with the law,' it said.
According to the embassy, over one lakh Indian students are currently studying at universities across the US, and thousands more will join them in the coming academic year.
'Within the next months, the EducationUSA centre at US-India Educational Foundation in New Delhi is expecting to introduce a telephone hotline and virtual information hub for students,' the statement added.
New Delhi, July 29 : Prospective Indian students should thoroughly research educational institutes based in the US before taking admission to prevent any fraud, the US embassy here said.
'The US government urges all prospective students to fully research their chosen educational institutes and have a firm grasp of what is and is not permitted under a student visa,' said the US embassy statement Friday.
The guidance comes on a day authorities in Annandale, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, raided on charges of fraud the offices of a university with 90 percent of the 2,400 students from India and a majority of them from Andhra Pradesh.
'All students must be aware that lack of physical attendance at classes (taking only online courses) is not acceptable, failure to maintain a full course load and unauthorized employment will result in an immediate violation of status,' the statement added.
According to the embassy, the number of Indian students who have applied for visas to study in the US increased by 20 percent over the same period last year.
'The embassy also is to provide accurate, free information that allows students and their families to research schools and to protect themselves from visa fraud rings,' it said.
It went on to say that violating the terms of a visa can result in deportation, arrest and even a bar on future travel to the country.
'It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that he or she is in accordance with the law,' it said.
According to the embassy, over one lakh Indian students are currently studying at universities across the US, and thousands more will join them in the coming academic year.
'Within the next months, the EducationUSA centre at US-India Educational Foundation in New Delhi is expecting to introduce a telephone hotline and virtual information hub for students,' the statement added.
Yeddyurappa to be consulted on successor: Rajnath
suchithkc
New Delhi, July 29 :) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajnath Singh Friday said the new chief minister of Karnataka would be elected on the basis of consensus and the outgoing B.S. Yeddyurappa would also be consulted.
'We will be talking to all the senior leaders there (Karnataka), including Yeddyurappa ji and will try to select a leader based on consensus,' Singh told a news channel here before leaving for Karnataka.
'He is a senior leader of Karnataka and will definitely participate in the talks,' Singh added about Yeddyurappa, who was Thursday asked to quit by the BJP after he was indicted by the Lokayukta in connection with illegal mining.
When asked whether the new chief minister would be a legislator or an MP, Singh said, 'I can't say anything right now.'
Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde has sought Yeddyurappa's trial for graft in the illegal mining scam that has caused a loss of over Rs.16,000 crore to the state.
Over 12 hours after the BJP directed him to quit immediately, Yeddyurappa announced that he would resign July 31 and work for the party.
New Delhi, July 29 :) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajnath Singh Friday said the new chief minister of Karnataka would be elected on the basis of consensus and the outgoing B.S. Yeddyurappa would also be consulted.
'We will be talking to all the senior leaders there (Karnataka), including Yeddyurappa ji and will try to select a leader based on consensus,' Singh told a news channel here before leaving for Karnataka.
'He is a senior leader of Karnataka and will definitely participate in the talks,' Singh added about Yeddyurappa, who was Thursday asked to quit by the BJP after he was indicted by the Lokayukta in connection with illegal mining.
When asked whether the new chief minister would be a legislator or an MP, Singh said, 'I can't say anything right now.'
Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde has sought Yeddyurappa's trial for graft in the illegal mining scam that has caused a loss of over Rs.16,000 crore to the state.
Over 12 hours after the BJP directed him to quit immediately, Yeddyurappa announced that he would resign July 31 and work for the party.
Court rebukes Kalmadi; asks why he wants to attend parliament
suchithkc
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Thursday snubbed Congress MP and sacked Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi, who asked for permission to attend parliament, and said the government would not fall if he didn't attend the session.
"There is no such important issue going to take place in parliament that if you (Kalmadi) do not attend the session then the government will fall," Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw observed.
The court also asked Kalmadi's counsel what his client would do attending parliament.
The parliament session is being broadcast on television news channels throughout the day, he said. Therefore, he may write a question on a piece on paper, which can be tabled before the house.
"What we notice here is that he hardly has any attendance..." the court observed.
The court supported Additional Solicitor General (ASG) A.S. Chandhiok's arguments that if a government servant was not allowed to attend any top meetings when they are in custody, how could Kalmadi.
The court also issued notice to the home ministry and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the petition by Kalmadi, who is in Tihar jail on charges of financial irregularities ahead of the Games.
Justice Endlaw sought the responses by Monday (Aug 1) and directed Kalmadi to file an affidavit of his attendance record of the last five years in parliament.
Kalmadi's counsel Ashok Desai said it would be difficult for him to get the attendance record of last five years. The court then said: "If five years would not be possible, then file the attendance record of the last session."
"The accused shall also file an affidavit containing information about the type of questions being asked during the parliament session in last five years," said the court.
"He has been parliamentarian since 1982. It his right to attend the session," Kalmadi's counsel argued, citing earlier court orders of different states that allowed former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, as also Rajesh Ranjan of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), to attend the session while in police custody.
The home ministry and CBI opposed Kalmadi's application saying he could influence witnesses while attending the session. The monsoon session of parliament begins Aug 1.
The court also directed Kalmadi's counsel to file his latest medical report. Kalmadi underwent a brain scan at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Thursday.
He dismissed reports that he was suffering from dementia and told reporters outside AIIMS: "I'm perfectly all right."
Kalmadi was arrested April 25. The CBI May 20 filed its first chargesheet in the corruption case against him and 10 others.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Thursday snubbed Congress MP and sacked Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi, who asked for permission to attend parliament, and said the government would not fall if he didn't attend the session.
"There is no such important issue going to take place in parliament that if you (Kalmadi) do not attend the session then the government will fall," Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw observed.
The court also asked Kalmadi's counsel what his client would do attending parliament.
The parliament session is being broadcast on television news channels throughout the day, he said. Therefore, he may write a question on a piece on paper, which can be tabled before the house.
"What we notice here is that he hardly has any attendance..." the court observed.
The court supported Additional Solicitor General (ASG) A.S. Chandhiok's arguments that if a government servant was not allowed to attend any top meetings when they are in custody, how could Kalmadi.
The court also issued notice to the home ministry and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the petition by Kalmadi, who is in Tihar jail on charges of financial irregularities ahead of the Games.
Justice Endlaw sought the responses by Monday (Aug 1) and directed Kalmadi to file an affidavit of his attendance record of the last five years in parliament.
Kalmadi's counsel Ashok Desai said it would be difficult for him to get the attendance record of last five years. The court then said: "If five years would not be possible, then file the attendance record of the last session."
"The accused shall also file an affidavit containing information about the type of questions being asked during the parliament session in last five years," said the court.
"He has been parliamentarian since 1982. It his right to attend the session," Kalmadi's counsel argued, citing earlier court orders of different states that allowed former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, as also Rajesh Ranjan of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), to attend the session while in police custody.
The home ministry and CBI opposed Kalmadi's application saying he could influence witnesses while attending the session. The monsoon session of parliament begins Aug 1.
The court also directed Kalmadi's counsel to file his latest medical report. Kalmadi underwent a brain scan at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Thursday.
He dismissed reports that he was suffering from dementia and told reporters outside AIIMS: "I'm perfectly all right."
Kalmadi was arrested April 25. The CBI May 20 filed its first chargesheet in the corruption case against him and 10 others.
Cabinet drafts Lokpal bill, activists say too weak
suchithkc
NEW DELHI - The cabinet on Thursday finished drafting the Lokpal bill aimed at curbing graft in the government, but activists slammed it saying it was not tough enough to fight widespread corruption which poses a risk to economic growth.
The bill seeks to set up a Lokpal to investigate charges of corruption against ministers and lawmakers, but does not cover the prime minister, judges and bureaucrats.
The bill will need parliamentary approval to become law. It is set to be introduced in parliament next week, Law Minister Salman Khursheed said.
"It has been this government's agenda to bring greater transparency in functioning, this is an example of that," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said.
Slamming the bill as too weak because it did not cover the prime minister and judges, Anna Hazare, the social activist whose hunger strike in April forced the government to begin drafting the bill, said he would begin a second fast against corruption, raising the sceptre of a fresh wave of anti-government protests.
"They have not cheated Anna Hazare, they have cheated the country's people," Anna Hazare, an activist whose four-day long fast for the bill in April drew wide support from a public angered by a slew of graft scandals, told Times Now television.
"For this reason I, along with the entire nation, will sit on protest ... till I have no life in my body.
"People have to take this as another battle for independence and take to the streets to fight corruption."
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has taken on the government over graft, said it did not "appreciate" the non-inclusion of the prime minister in the bill.
Khursheed said bringing a serving prime minister in the Lokpal's remit would affect his ability to work effectively.
He added that the law permitted a probe after the prime minister's term had ended.
"Anyone who challenges this procedure is not challenging the government of the day, is actually challenging the parliament of our country. It is for them to decide if they want to challenge the parliament of our country or not," he said.
India ranks 78 on Transparency International's global list of corruption perceptions and global consultancy KPMG has said graft could stunt the country's economic growth.
Hazare's fast in April had struck a chord with tens of thousands of Indians fed up with a series of corruption scandals in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's second term, which have been linked to members of his government and party.
Last month, yoga guru Swami Ramdev and thousands of his followers staged a mass hunger strike in New Delhi to demand reforms, including the death penalty for corrupt officials. Dozens were injured when the government sent a phalanx of police in with batons and tear gas to break up their peaceful protest.
The corruption charges have eroded Singh's authority, paralysed policymaking, and weighed on India's growth potential.
Two ministers have resigned, one of whom is A. Raja, who faces allegations he caused a loss of $39 billion to the government by rigging the issuance of lucrative 2G telecoms licences.
NEW DELHI - The cabinet on Thursday finished drafting the Lokpal bill aimed at curbing graft in the government, but activists slammed it saying it was not tough enough to fight widespread corruption which poses a risk to economic growth.
The bill seeks to set up a Lokpal to investigate charges of corruption against ministers and lawmakers, but does not cover the prime minister, judges and bureaucrats.
The bill will need parliamentary approval to become law. It is set to be introduced in parliament next week, Law Minister Salman Khursheed said.
"It has been this government's agenda to bring greater transparency in functioning, this is an example of that," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said.
Slamming the bill as too weak because it did not cover the prime minister and judges, Anna Hazare, the social activist whose hunger strike in April forced the government to begin drafting the bill, said he would begin a second fast against corruption, raising the sceptre of a fresh wave of anti-government protests.
"They have not cheated Anna Hazare, they have cheated the country's people," Anna Hazare, an activist whose four-day long fast for the bill in April drew wide support from a public angered by a slew of graft scandals, told Times Now television.
"For this reason I, along with the entire nation, will sit on protest ... till I have no life in my body.
"People have to take this as another battle for independence and take to the streets to fight corruption."
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has taken on the government over graft, said it did not "appreciate" the non-inclusion of the prime minister in the bill.
Khursheed said bringing a serving prime minister in the Lokpal's remit would affect his ability to work effectively.
He added that the law permitted a probe after the prime minister's term had ended.
"Anyone who challenges this procedure is not challenging the government of the day, is actually challenging the parliament of our country. It is for them to decide if they want to challenge the parliament of our country or not," he said.
India ranks 78 on Transparency International's global list of corruption perceptions and global consultancy KPMG has said graft could stunt the country's economic growth.
Hazare's fast in April had struck a chord with tens of thousands of Indians fed up with a series of corruption scandals in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's second term, which have been linked to members of his government and party.
Last month, yoga guru Swami Ramdev and thousands of his followers staged a mass hunger strike in New Delhi to demand reforms, including the death penalty for corrupt officials. Dozens were injured when the government sent a phalanx of police in with batons and tear gas to break up their peaceful protest.
The corruption charges have eroded Singh's authority, paralysed policymaking, and weighed on India's growth potential.
Two ministers have resigned, one of whom is A. Raja, who faces allegations he caused a loss of $39 billion to the government by rigging the issuance of lucrative 2G telecoms licences.
Draft vetoes PM and Anna
suchithkc
New Delhi, July 28: The Union cabinet today approved the Lokpal bill after overruling Manmohan Singh, who again advocated bringing the Prime Minister within the corruption ombudsman's ambit.
The higher judiciary, conduct of MPs inside Parliament, and the lower bureaucracy too have been kept out of the Lokpal's jurisdiction.
Anna Hazare, whose civil society group had insisted on all these sections and the Prime Minister being included, termed the draft a "cruel joke" and announced he would go ahead with his threatened fast from August 16.
Asked about Hazare's threat, law minister Salman Khurshid said: "The bill will become the property of Parliament once it is introduced. The members can then make amendments. It is up to the Hazare group members to decide whether they want to challenge Parliament. In that case, those who handle law-and-order problems (home ministry)... they will address that."
Manmohan Singh had reaffirmed his stand at the start of the cabinet meeting but senior ministers, particularly those with a background in law, explained its pitfalls.
The Congress had already decided to keep the Prime Minister out of the Lokpal's reach.
Singh gave in to the majority view and the cabinet decided to allow the Lokpal to look into corruption charges against a Prime Minister after he or she has demitted office.
"We don't want to create an environment of instability in the country," Khurshid said, defending the decision.
While Khurshid hoped India would never have a Prime Minister who would need to be investigated, information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni rationalised Singh's stand, saying: "A leader of his personality and integrity will obviously want no protection."
Officers of under-secretary rank and above have been kept within the Lokpal's ambit though Hazare's team had insisted on covering the entire bureaucracy.
Khurshid said the higher judiciary had been kept out as the Congress wanted a strong and independent judicial system.
On excluding the conduct of MPs inside Parliament, he said: "The members enjoy certain constitutional protection and we were not rewriting the Constitution."
The bill will be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament, probably within the first two days after it begins on August 1. The bill is much stronger than the original draft proposed by the government.
Asked how many of the Hazare group's suggestions the government had accepted, Khurshid said: "They gave 40 principles and we have accepted 34."
He said the government had benefited through its interaction with the joint drafting committee's civil society members, who made constructive suggestions on a consolidated fund and autonomy for the Lokpal, and the need to free it from the requirement of sanction for prosecution.
Ambit
The Lokpal will have a chairperson and eight members and can probe corruption allegations against ministers, MPs (sitting and former), Group A officers, chairpersons or members of boards, corporations, authorities, public sector companies, societies, trusts, autonomous bodies established by an act of Parliament, and NGOs wholly or substantially funded by the government.
It will not need sanction to prosecute and can attach any property acquired by a public servant through illegal means. But the government has rejected the demand for summary dismissal of officials, giving them an opportunity to defend themselves.
"We don't want to give unreasonable protection, nor do we want to throw them to the wolves," Khurshid said.
The Lokpal will have its own investigation and prosecution wings but can draw manpower from the CBI till the full-fledged system is put in place. It cannot punish and will refer the cases to the high court.
Every investigation will be time-bound and the Lokpal must seek high court permission for every three-month extension.
There will be a seven-year limitation period for the cases to be taken up, which means a case will be alive for seven years since the date of cognisance of the complaint. In civil cases, there is usually a two-year limitation period.
Asked if the seven-year period was enough as some Prime Ministers can remain in office for two full terms or more, the law minister said a standing committee could look into this matter.
Members
At least half the Lokpal's members, including the chairperson, will be from the judiciary. The chairperson will be a serving or retired Supreme Court judge while the non-judicial members will be eminent people with at least 25 years of service and known for "impeccable integrity".
The Lokpal can be removed only through a presidential reference to the Supreme Court. Anybody who has served on the Lokpal can neither join politics nor contest elections.
The selection panel will include the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, a cabinet minister recommended by the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India, a high court chief justice, and an eminent jurist.
New Delhi, July 28: The Union cabinet today approved the Lokpal bill after overruling Manmohan Singh, who again advocated bringing the Prime Minister within the corruption ombudsman's ambit.
The higher judiciary, conduct of MPs inside Parliament, and the lower bureaucracy too have been kept out of the Lokpal's jurisdiction.
Anna Hazare, whose civil society group had insisted on all these sections and the Prime Minister being included, termed the draft a "cruel joke" and announced he would go ahead with his threatened fast from August 16.
Asked about Hazare's threat, law minister Salman Khurshid said: "The bill will become the property of Parliament once it is introduced. The members can then make amendments. It is up to the Hazare group members to decide whether they want to challenge Parliament. In that case, those who handle law-and-order problems (home ministry)... they will address that."
Manmohan Singh had reaffirmed his stand at the start of the cabinet meeting but senior ministers, particularly those with a background in law, explained its pitfalls.
The Congress had already decided to keep the Prime Minister out of the Lokpal's reach.
Singh gave in to the majority view and the cabinet decided to allow the Lokpal to look into corruption charges against a Prime Minister after he or she has demitted office.
"We don't want to create an environment of instability in the country," Khurshid said, defending the decision.
While Khurshid hoped India would never have a Prime Minister who would need to be investigated, information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni rationalised Singh's stand, saying: "A leader of his personality and integrity will obviously want no protection."
Officers of under-secretary rank and above have been kept within the Lokpal's ambit though Hazare's team had insisted on covering the entire bureaucracy.
Khurshid said the higher judiciary had been kept out as the Congress wanted a strong and independent judicial system.
On excluding the conduct of MPs inside Parliament, he said: "The members enjoy certain constitutional protection and we were not rewriting the Constitution."
The bill will be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament, probably within the first two days after it begins on August 1. The bill is much stronger than the original draft proposed by the government.
Asked how many of the Hazare group's suggestions the government had accepted, Khurshid said: "They gave 40 principles and we have accepted 34."
He said the government had benefited through its interaction with the joint drafting committee's civil society members, who made constructive suggestions on a consolidated fund and autonomy for the Lokpal, and the need to free it from the requirement of sanction for prosecution.
Ambit
The Lokpal will have a chairperson and eight members and can probe corruption allegations against ministers, MPs (sitting and former), Group A officers, chairpersons or members of boards, corporations, authorities, public sector companies, societies, trusts, autonomous bodies established by an act of Parliament, and NGOs wholly or substantially funded by the government.
It will not need sanction to prosecute and can attach any property acquired by a public servant through illegal means. But the government has rejected the demand for summary dismissal of officials, giving them an opportunity to defend themselves.
"We don't want to give unreasonable protection, nor do we want to throw them to the wolves," Khurshid said.
The Lokpal will have its own investigation and prosecution wings but can draw manpower from the CBI till the full-fledged system is put in place. It cannot punish and will refer the cases to the high court.
Every investigation will be time-bound and the Lokpal must seek high court permission for every three-month extension.
There will be a seven-year limitation period for the cases to be taken up, which means a case will be alive for seven years since the date of cognisance of the complaint. In civil cases, there is usually a two-year limitation period.
Asked if the seven-year period was enough as some Prime Ministers can remain in office for two full terms or more, the law minister said a standing committee could look into this matter.
Members
At least half the Lokpal's members, including the chairperson, will be from the judiciary. The chairperson will be a serving or retired Supreme Court judge while the non-judicial members will be eminent people with at least 25 years of service and known for "impeccable integrity".
The Lokpal can be removed only through a presidential reference to the Supreme Court. Anybody who has served on the Lokpal can neither join politics nor contest elections.
The selection panel will include the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, a cabinet minister recommended by the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India, a high court chief justice, and an eminent jurist.
Hazare sees a 'cruel joke'
suchithkc
ew Delhi, July 28: Anna Hazare's team today said the Lokpal bill was a "cruel joke" on the country and warned that people would teach the government a lesson after the Gandhian begins his fast at Jantar Mantar from August 16.
The group also said the Supreme Court would strike down the legislation as unconstitutional if it kept the Prime Minister out of the ambit of the proposed anti-corruption ombudsman. "It is a deceit on the nation," Hazare said in Maharashtra, adding that he would go ahead with his indefinite hunger strike.
Hazare group members Kiran Bedi and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan warned that the bill, once enacted, would encourage state governments to keep chief ministers out of the ambit of the Lokayukta.
"I don't think it will be a very strong Lokpal bill," Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, a member of the joint drafting committee, said. Arvind Kejriwal said the bill would fail to address any kind of corruption ' high or low.
The activists said the government had proposed a "fractured Lokpal" to suit corporate interests and "fool" people. "The entire country will protest with me at Jantar Mantar on August 16.… This is not Hazare's protest but the entire country's," Hazare said in Maharashtra.
Bhushan said the ministers who were part of the joint drafting committee displayed "total illiteracy" of constitutional law. "This bill will be struck down by the Supreme Court within a minute if they give immunity to the Prime Minister," he said.
The group said "there was nothing for the common man" in the bill. Bhushan said exclusion of the lower bureaucracy meant corruption in everyday life, such as in the public distribution system or diversion of medicines from government hospitals, had been left out of the Lokpal's ambit. "This bill is a cruel joke on the people," he added.
ew Delhi, July 28: Anna Hazare's team today said the Lokpal bill was a "cruel joke" on the country and warned that people would teach the government a lesson after the Gandhian begins his fast at Jantar Mantar from August 16.
The group also said the Supreme Court would strike down the legislation as unconstitutional if it kept the Prime Minister out of the ambit of the proposed anti-corruption ombudsman. "It is a deceit on the nation," Hazare said in Maharashtra, adding that he would go ahead with his indefinite hunger strike.
Hazare group members Kiran Bedi and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan warned that the bill, once enacted, would encourage state governments to keep chief ministers out of the ambit of the Lokayukta.
"I don't think it will be a very strong Lokpal bill," Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, a member of the joint drafting committee, said. Arvind Kejriwal said the bill would fail to address any kind of corruption ' high or low.
The activists said the government had proposed a "fractured Lokpal" to suit corporate interests and "fool" people. "The entire country will protest with me at Jantar Mantar on August 16.… This is not Hazare's protest but the entire country's," Hazare said in Maharashtra.
Bhushan said the ministers who were part of the joint drafting committee displayed "total illiteracy" of constitutional law. "This bill will be struck down by the Supreme Court within a minute if they give immunity to the Prime Minister," he said.
The group said "there was nothing for the common man" in the bill. Bhushan said exclusion of the lower bureaucracy meant corruption in everyday life, such as in the public distribution system or diversion of medicines from government hospitals, had been left out of the Lokpal's ambit. "This bill is a cruel joke on the people," he added.
Lokpal Bill row: Delhi Police denies Team Anna permission to hold fast
suchithkc
New Delhi, July 29 ): Delhi Police on Friday denied permission to veteran social activist Anna Hazare to hold an indefinite hunger strike at the Jantar Mantar here on August 16.
The Delhi Police referred to the Supreme Court's 2009 order to deny team Anna permission for the indefinite strike anywhere in Delhi, the Times Now channel reports.
The police, in its letter to Hazare, said that as Parliament would be in session, no group could be allowed to capture the entire space at Jantar Mantar, as many groups come out on protests during that period.
The letter further states that if team Anna wished they could hold their strikes in Delhi's outskirts, or give a definite time limit during which they would be allowed a sit-in protest.
Charging the government of bringing a fractured Lokpal Bill, Hazare had said on Thursday in Maharashtra's Ralegaon Siddi town that he would protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on August 16.
"The entire country will protest with me at Jantar Mantar on August 16...This is not Hazare's protest but the entire country's. The people need to look at this as a second fight for their freedom and they should all come out on the streets," Hazare said.
The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the official draft of the Lokpal Bill and trashed the key proposals moved by Team Anna.
The Bill provides for the establishment of the institution of Lokpal to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
The Bill envisages setting up the institution of Lokpal consisting of a chairperson and eight members with the stipulation that half of the members shall be judicial members.
It will have its own Investigation Wing and Prosecution Wing with such officers and staff as are necessary to carry out its functions.
The Lokpal shall inquire into allegations of corruption made in respect of Prime Minister, after he has demitted office; a Minister of the Union; a Member of Parliament; any Group "A" officer or equivalent; Chairperson or member or officer equivalent to Group "A" in any body/ Board/ corporation/ authority/ company/ society/ trust/ autonomous body established by an Act of Parliament or wholly or partly financed or controlled by the Central Government; any director, manager, secretary or other officer of a society or association of persons or trust wholly or partly financed or aided by the government or in receipt of any donations from the public and whose annual income exceeds such amount as the Central Government may by notification specify.
However, the organisations created for religious purposes and receiving public donations would be outside the purview of Lokpal.
The Lokpal shall not require sanction or approval under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 or Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in cases where prosecution is proposed.
The Lokpal will also have powers to attach the property of corrupt public servants acquired through corrupt means.
New Delhi, July 29 ): Delhi Police on Friday denied permission to veteran social activist Anna Hazare to hold an indefinite hunger strike at the Jantar Mantar here on August 16.
The Delhi Police referred to the Supreme Court's 2009 order to deny team Anna permission for the indefinite strike anywhere in Delhi, the Times Now channel reports.
The police, in its letter to Hazare, said that as Parliament would be in session, no group could be allowed to capture the entire space at Jantar Mantar, as many groups come out on protests during that period.
The letter further states that if team Anna wished they could hold their strikes in Delhi's outskirts, or give a definite time limit during which they would be allowed a sit-in protest.
Charging the government of bringing a fractured Lokpal Bill, Hazare had said on Thursday in Maharashtra's Ralegaon Siddi town that he would protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on August 16.
"The entire country will protest with me at Jantar Mantar on August 16...This is not Hazare's protest but the entire country's. The people need to look at this as a second fight for their freedom and they should all come out on the streets," Hazare said.
The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the official draft of the Lokpal Bill and trashed the key proposals moved by Team Anna.
The Bill provides for the establishment of the institution of Lokpal to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
The Bill envisages setting up the institution of Lokpal consisting of a chairperson and eight members with the stipulation that half of the members shall be judicial members.
It will have its own Investigation Wing and Prosecution Wing with such officers and staff as are necessary to carry out its functions.
The Lokpal shall inquire into allegations of corruption made in respect of Prime Minister, after he has demitted office; a Minister of the Union; a Member of Parliament; any Group "A" officer or equivalent; Chairperson or member or officer equivalent to Group "A" in any body/ Board/ corporation/ authority/ company/ society/ trust/ autonomous body established by an Act of Parliament or wholly or partly financed or controlled by the Central Government; any director, manager, secretary or other officer of a society or association of persons or trust wholly or partly financed or aided by the government or in receipt of any donations from the public and whose annual income exceeds such amount as the Central Government may by notification specify.
However, the organisations created for religious purposes and receiving public donations would be outside the purview of Lokpal.
The Lokpal shall not require sanction or approval under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 or Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in cases where prosecution is proposed.
The Lokpal will also have powers to attach the property of corrupt public servants acquired through corrupt means.
The Rorschach Effect in Indian Politics
Amit Varma
Consider this man: He runs a village in rural Maharashtra as if it is his personal fiefdom, like an authoritarian feudal lord. He is a fan of Shivaji, and admires him for once chopping off the hands of a man who committed a crime. In that vein, he passes an order that anyone found drinking alcohol will be tied to a pole in front of the village temple and publicly flogged. Several men undergo this, one of whom, a vice sarpanch of the village, says: "I was drinking. I was ... tied to the pole and flogged two-three times. It is normal. [He] will try to make you understand once or twice and thereafter, he will beat you badly." He believes in "rigid implementation" of family planning, including forced vasectomies. Male labourers in his village are paid Rs 50 a day, while female labourers get just Rs 30. He supports Narendra Modi, and is politically active, routinely resorting to a form of blackmail known as threatening to fast unto death until his demands are met. He believes that corrupt people should be hanged -- literally hanged to death. He is Anna Hazare.
In the last month or so, the 71-year-old Hazare has become a middle-class hero and a "youth icon" in India. This is baffling, given the biographical details in the above paragraph. (I got them from Hartosh Singh Bal's article for Open magazine and Mukul Sharma's piece in Kafila.) Hazare is popularly described as Gandhian, but, as Bal points out, if the forced vasectomies are anything to go by, he brings Sanjay Gandhi to mind more than Mahatma Gandhi. Sure, he is fighting against corruption, but both his method (of blackmail via the hunger fast) and his remedy (creating an alternative center of power and discretion instead of tackling the root causes of corruption) are dubious. Then why has middle-class India turned him into such a hero?
I believe it is because we are lazy. It is true that we are disgusted by corruption. We are sick of reading about the telecom scandal, the Radia tapes, the Commeonwealth games. More than that, corruption has become a virus that plagues our everyday lives, and we're appalled by it. But we're too damn lazy to go out and vote and actually participate in our democracy. We're apathetic, and believe, perhaps correctly, that our feeble middle-class vote won't make a difference. And yet, we want to express our disgust at the way things are, take the moral high ground, and feel like we really are doing something, because hey, that helps our self esteem. Then along comes this venerable activist who wears khadi, lives a spartan life, speaks out against corruption in high places, and goes on a hunger strike to influence the implentation of a bill that aims to tackle corruption. Naturally, we make him the repository of our hopes and our values, speak out in his defence at parties and cafes while hanging out with friends, and even light candles in his support. And there, our job as citizens is done.
The intellectual laziness here is obvious. We make him our hero though we know little else about him, and when his weird history comes to light, we rationalise it away. We ignore the fact that the Lokpal Bill, which he is fighting for, does nothing to tackle the root causes of corruption, and might actually be a step in the wrong direction. We treat attacks on our new hero -- if the behaviour of some of his defenders on TV is anything to go by -- as personal attacks on us. We start dealing in absolutes, as if anyone against Hazare must, by default, be a supporter of corruption and the status quo.
The Anna Hazare phenomenon is what one could term the Rorschach Effect in Politics. A couple of years ago, Barack Obama wisely pointed out, "I am like a Rorschach test." During his presidential campaign, his supporters saw in him whatever they wanted to: an anti-Bush, a liberal messiah, a pragmatic and non-partisan moderate, and suchlike, some of it without any evidence, some of it contradictory. (Similarly, his opponents projected their fears or fantasies onto him.) Needless to say, when he did come to power, he disappointed many who had voted for him, because hey, he couldn't possibly live up to being everything to everybody. (For example, lefty pacifists were disappointed that he stepped up the war in Afghanistan, even though that's exactly what he said he'd do while campaigning.) He was a blank slate no more.
Hazare is a similar beneficiary of the Rorschach Effect. Although he has been an activist for decades, he's exploded into the national consciousness in just the last few weeks. And a politically powerless middle class has projected its hopes, its self-righteousness and its sense of moral superiority onto him. But Hazare is no Mahatma Gandhi, and I think disillusionment, both with the man and the Lokpal Bill, is bound to set in sooner or later. Unless indifference and apathy precede it.
* * * *
Another of Rorschach's children is Rahul Gandhi. He's been hailed as a youth icon and the face of new India, and Page 3 celebs routinely describe him as one of their favourite politicians. But apart from the fact that he's good looking and belongs to the Nehru-Gandhi family, we know very little about him. What are the values that he stands for? What are his views on economic freedom and the license raj? What are his views on freedom of speech? (If he supports it, is he then in favour of repealing the ban on Satanic Verses?) What does he feel about reservations? (He has spoken out against the caste system, and reservations do, after all, perpetuate discrimination on the basis of caste.) He has spoken out for inner-party democracy, which India needs so badly, but is he doing anything to drive the Congress towards a system where party leaders are elected from below, not anointed from above? Does he hope to be prime minister one day? If so, why? What kind of a person is he, really?
Gandhi is as blank a slate as you can get, in the sense that he won't address any of these issues, and most of the public pronouncements we hear from him are platitudes that express good intention, which is meaningless. If that is a deliberate political strategy, it is masterful. Whether it will work, in this age of identity politics when votebanks are fragmented and all politics is local, is uncertain. But I guarantee you one thing: he'll have middle-class support.
* * * *
My column today is meant to address the nature of middle-class support for Anna Hazare, not the folly of it, but if you're interested in checking out some of the arguments against it, do read these pieces by me, Mohit Satyanand, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Shuddhabrata Sengupta and Salil Tripathi. A common response to these has been: At least Hazare is doing something; what solution do you offer?
My response to that is that firstly, as the pieces above argue, the solution he is offering could actually make the problem worse, and are a step in the wrong direction. That is reason enough to oppose it without needing to propose an alternative. Secondly, the alternative is obvious: if we are to tackle the root cause of corruption, then we should campaign against excess government power and discretion, starting with any particular domain that grabs our fancy. That said, I don't think I'll see Anna Hazare go on hunger strike anytime soon protesting against the license-and-permit raj or all the redundant rent-seeking ministries in government. And while I will continue writing about these issues, as I have for years in the only form of protest most writers are capable of, I will not be going on a hunger strike anytime soon. Why risk acidity?
Amit Varma, the winner of the 2007 Bastiat Prize for Journalism, is the author of the bestselling novel My Friend Sancho. He writes the popular blog, India Uncut.
Consider this man: He runs a village in rural Maharashtra as if it is his personal fiefdom, like an authoritarian feudal lord. He is a fan of Shivaji, and admires him for once chopping off the hands of a man who committed a crime. In that vein, he passes an order that anyone found drinking alcohol will be tied to a pole in front of the village temple and publicly flogged. Several men undergo this, one of whom, a vice sarpanch of the village, says: "I was drinking. I was ... tied to the pole and flogged two-three times. It is normal. [He] will try to make you understand once or twice and thereafter, he will beat you badly." He believes in "rigid implementation" of family planning, including forced vasectomies. Male labourers in his village are paid Rs 50 a day, while female labourers get just Rs 30. He supports Narendra Modi, and is politically active, routinely resorting to a form of blackmail known as threatening to fast unto death until his demands are met. He believes that corrupt people should be hanged -- literally hanged to death. He is Anna Hazare.
In the last month or so, the 71-year-old Hazare has become a middle-class hero and a "youth icon" in India. This is baffling, given the biographical details in the above paragraph. (I got them from Hartosh Singh Bal's article for Open magazine and Mukul Sharma's piece in Kafila.) Hazare is popularly described as Gandhian, but, as Bal points out, if the forced vasectomies are anything to go by, he brings Sanjay Gandhi to mind more than Mahatma Gandhi. Sure, he is fighting against corruption, but both his method (of blackmail via the hunger fast) and his remedy (creating an alternative center of power and discretion instead of tackling the root causes of corruption) are dubious. Then why has middle-class India turned him into such a hero?
I believe it is because we are lazy. It is true that we are disgusted by corruption. We are sick of reading about the telecom scandal, the Radia tapes, the Commeonwealth games. More than that, corruption has become a virus that plagues our everyday lives, and we're appalled by it. But we're too damn lazy to go out and vote and actually participate in our democracy. We're apathetic, and believe, perhaps correctly, that our feeble middle-class vote won't make a difference. And yet, we want to express our disgust at the way things are, take the moral high ground, and feel like we really are doing something, because hey, that helps our self esteem. Then along comes this venerable activist who wears khadi, lives a spartan life, speaks out against corruption in high places, and goes on a hunger strike to influence the implentation of a bill that aims to tackle corruption. Naturally, we make him the repository of our hopes and our values, speak out in his defence at parties and cafes while hanging out with friends, and even light candles in his support. And there, our job as citizens is done.
The intellectual laziness here is obvious. We make him our hero though we know little else about him, and when his weird history comes to light, we rationalise it away. We ignore the fact that the Lokpal Bill, which he is fighting for, does nothing to tackle the root causes of corruption, and might actually be a step in the wrong direction. We treat attacks on our new hero -- if the behaviour of some of his defenders on TV is anything to go by -- as personal attacks on us. We start dealing in absolutes, as if anyone against Hazare must, by default, be a supporter of corruption and the status quo.
The Anna Hazare phenomenon is what one could term the Rorschach Effect in Politics. A couple of years ago, Barack Obama wisely pointed out, "I am like a Rorschach test." During his presidential campaign, his supporters saw in him whatever they wanted to: an anti-Bush, a liberal messiah, a pragmatic and non-partisan moderate, and suchlike, some of it without any evidence, some of it contradictory. (Similarly, his opponents projected their fears or fantasies onto him.) Needless to say, when he did come to power, he disappointed many who had voted for him, because hey, he couldn't possibly live up to being everything to everybody. (For example, lefty pacifists were disappointed that he stepped up the war in Afghanistan, even though that's exactly what he said he'd do while campaigning.) He was a blank slate no more.
Hazare is a similar beneficiary of the Rorschach Effect. Although he has been an activist for decades, he's exploded into the national consciousness in just the last few weeks. And a politically powerless middle class has projected its hopes, its self-righteousness and its sense of moral superiority onto him. But Hazare is no Mahatma Gandhi, and I think disillusionment, both with the man and the Lokpal Bill, is bound to set in sooner or later. Unless indifference and apathy precede it.
* * * *
Another of Rorschach's children is Rahul Gandhi. He's been hailed as a youth icon and the face of new India, and Page 3 celebs routinely describe him as one of their favourite politicians. But apart from the fact that he's good looking and belongs to the Nehru-Gandhi family, we know very little about him. What are the values that he stands for? What are his views on economic freedom and the license raj? What are his views on freedom of speech? (If he supports it, is he then in favour of repealing the ban on Satanic Verses?) What does he feel about reservations? (He has spoken out against the caste system, and reservations do, after all, perpetuate discrimination on the basis of caste.) He has spoken out for inner-party democracy, which India needs so badly, but is he doing anything to drive the Congress towards a system where party leaders are elected from below, not anointed from above? Does he hope to be prime minister one day? If so, why? What kind of a person is he, really?
Gandhi is as blank a slate as you can get, in the sense that he won't address any of these issues, and most of the public pronouncements we hear from him are platitudes that express good intention, which is meaningless. If that is a deliberate political strategy, it is masterful. Whether it will work, in this age of identity politics when votebanks are fragmented and all politics is local, is uncertain. But I guarantee you one thing: he'll have middle-class support.
* * * *
My column today is meant to address the nature of middle-class support for Anna Hazare, not the folly of it, but if you're interested in checking out some of the arguments against it, do read these pieces by me, Mohit Satyanand, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Shuddhabrata Sengupta and Salil Tripathi. A common response to these has been: At least Hazare is doing something; what solution do you offer?
My response to that is that firstly, as the pieces above argue, the solution he is offering could actually make the problem worse, and are a step in the wrong direction. That is reason enough to oppose it without needing to propose an alternative. Secondly, the alternative is obvious: if we are to tackle the root cause of corruption, then we should campaign against excess government power and discretion, starting with any particular domain that grabs our fancy. That said, I don't think I'll see Anna Hazare go on hunger strike anytime soon protesting against the license-and-permit raj or all the redundant rent-seeking ministries in government. And while I will continue writing about these issues, as I have for years in the only form of protest most writers are capable of, I will not be going on a hunger strike anytime soon. Why risk acidity?
Amit Varma, the winner of the 2007 Bastiat Prize for Journalism, is the author of the bestselling novel My Friend Sancho. He writes the popular blog, India Uncut.
If I committed crime, so did Tatas: Chandolia
suchithkc
New Delhi, July 29 :Targeting the Tatas and lobbyist Niira Radia, former communications minister A. Raja's ex-personal secretary R.K. Chandolia Friday said if he could be accused in the 2G spectrum scam, then so should they.
Chandolia began his arguments in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court by opposing the charges against him and saying he was a government official who was following the order of superiors.
'The deal took place between Radia and the Tatas, they are not in jail, and my client who is not involved is in the dock,' Chandolia's counsel Vijay Aggarwal told CBI special judge O.P. Saini.
His counsel said: 'If the crime is done by my client, then Tata and Radia are also on equal footing.'
Chandolia's counsel argued he just followed the orders of A. Raja. 'It was Raja who took Niira Radia's help... and my client just followed the orders,' said Chandolia's counsel.
'Radia called the office that time, my client had picked up the phone and she wanted speak to Raja. As he was not there she asked him to tell Raja that the KTV problem has been sorted out,' said Aggarwal.
'My client only conveyed what happened, how can he be a conspirator?' he asked. The counsel also added there are no recorded conversations of Chandolia.
The counsel further questioned the CBI's role. 'We all know that CBI is the most clean agency, but it does not have guts to touch the Tatas and Radia.'
Defending Chandolia, the counsel told the court that his client was a personal assistant and had no major role to play.
'He was just assisting the minister in his day to day work and he was not supposed to apply his mind and he only did what his master (Raja) said...
'Can an assistant ask the master what decision have they made? How is he concerned and what is his role?' the counsel argued.
Chandolia is lodged in Tihar jail along with Raja.
New Delhi, July 29 :Targeting the Tatas and lobbyist Niira Radia, former communications minister A. Raja's ex-personal secretary R.K. Chandolia Friday said if he could be accused in the 2G spectrum scam, then so should they.
Chandolia began his arguments in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court by opposing the charges against him and saying he was a government official who was following the order of superiors.
'The deal took place between Radia and the Tatas, they are not in jail, and my client who is not involved is in the dock,' Chandolia's counsel Vijay Aggarwal told CBI special judge O.P. Saini.
His counsel said: 'If the crime is done by my client, then Tata and Radia are also on equal footing.'
Chandolia's counsel argued he just followed the orders of A. Raja. 'It was Raja who took Niira Radia's help... and my client just followed the orders,' said Chandolia's counsel.
'Radia called the office that time, my client had picked up the phone and she wanted speak to Raja. As he was not there she asked him to tell Raja that the KTV problem has been sorted out,' said Aggarwal.
'My client only conveyed what happened, how can he be a conspirator?' he asked. The counsel also added there are no recorded conversations of Chandolia.
The counsel further questioned the CBI's role. 'We all know that CBI is the most clean agency, but it does not have guts to touch the Tatas and Radia.'
Defending Chandolia, the counsel told the court that his client was a personal assistant and had no major role to play.
'He was just assisting the minister in his day to day work and he was not supposed to apply his mind and he only did what his master (Raja) said...
'Can an assistant ask the master what decision have they made? How is he concerned and what is his role?' the counsel argued.
Chandolia is lodged in Tihar jail along with Raja.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Rakhi Sawant's hot & sexy offer to Ramdev
suchithkc
At last the multimillinoire bachelor, yoga guru and the latest crusader of corrupt free India Baba Ramdev will be free from his satyagraha, as the b-town oomph quotient and media favourite Rakhi Sawant has promised a life time tiltation to the yogi who may become a bhogi....
While the ruling party will be happy to know that Rakhi who was once eyeing Rahul Gandhi is now fallen head over heels to this saffron clad famous yoga teacher who has become more famous by his 'Clean India' andolan (protest) stolen from the veteran Aanna Hazare and now there are chances of his popularity breaking all TRPs for the day if he says 'yes' to B-town seducer Rakhi Sawant.
Rakhi dropped a bomb in Delhi yesterday when she said, "Swami is hot, sexy. Haven't you ever seen his flat tummy? Bas ek baar shaadi ki mala unpe daal doon, unki aankh fadakna bhi band ho jayegi.
Well on her shift to Baba Ramdev from Rahul Rakhi explains, "Mujhe nahin lagta Soniaji ke saath meri daal galegi. So I wouldn't mind marrying Swami Ramdev. He has loads of money and drives expensive cars. If this wedding happens, you all will get to see a glamorous sadhvi. Wouldn't that be interesting?"
Rakhi refused to address the yoga guru as 'Baba', because "Baba toh aap logon ke liye hain. Mere liye toh woh Swami hi hain. I hope he doesn't call me 'behen'.
And that's not all, the bimbo also has her future plan sorted out, she has even decided on the cover poster of the future yoga DVD that will be released after their marriage. The thrilled Rakhi says, "The yoga DVD which we will release will be far more sensuous and hot than Shilpa's. It will find several takers."
But the naughty Rakhi fears cops in her meeting with her sawariyaan, she says, "I'm just a bit scared of the cops, who might bash me up just as they bashed his followers. Lekin agar pyaar kiya toh danda kya?"
Yes it will be the most interesting pair if this happens by any chance, post your comments and say whether Rakhi is the ideal choice for Baba and if not then who....
At last the multimillinoire bachelor, yoga guru and the latest crusader of corrupt free India Baba Ramdev will be free from his satyagraha, as the b-town oomph quotient and media favourite Rakhi Sawant has promised a life time tiltation to the yogi who may become a bhogi....
While the ruling party will be happy to know that Rakhi who was once eyeing Rahul Gandhi is now fallen head over heels to this saffron clad famous yoga teacher who has become more famous by his 'Clean India' andolan (protest) stolen from the veteran Aanna Hazare and now there are chances of his popularity breaking all TRPs for the day if he says 'yes' to B-town seducer Rakhi Sawant.
Rakhi dropped a bomb in Delhi yesterday when she said, "Swami is hot, sexy. Haven't you ever seen his flat tummy? Bas ek baar shaadi ki mala unpe daal doon, unki aankh fadakna bhi band ho jayegi.
Well on her shift to Baba Ramdev from Rahul Rakhi explains, "Mujhe nahin lagta Soniaji ke saath meri daal galegi. So I wouldn't mind marrying Swami Ramdev. He has loads of money and drives expensive cars. If this wedding happens, you all will get to see a glamorous sadhvi. Wouldn't that be interesting?"
Rakhi refused to address the yoga guru as 'Baba', because "Baba toh aap logon ke liye hain. Mere liye toh woh Swami hi hain. I hope he doesn't call me 'behen'.
And that's not all, the bimbo also has her future plan sorted out, she has even decided on the cover poster of the future yoga DVD that will be released after their marriage. The thrilled Rakhi says, "The yoga DVD which we will release will be far more sensuous and hot than Shilpa's. It will find several takers."
But the naughty Rakhi fears cops in her meeting with her sawariyaan, she says, "I'm just a bit scared of the cops, who might bash me up just as they bashed his followers. Lekin agar pyaar kiya toh danda kya?"
Yes it will be the most interesting pair if this happens by any chance, post your comments and say whether Rakhi is the ideal choice for Baba and if not then who....
Monday, July 25, 2011
Bareilly baby boy with 34 fingers and toes sets new Guinness record
suchithkc
Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh): Akshat, a baby boy over the age of one, registered his name in the Guinness world records for having a total of 34 fingers and toes.
He has set the record for having the highest number of fingers and toes and hails from the Bareilly district in Uttar Pradesh.
Amrita Saxena, the mother of the child, said it was difficult for her to believe that her son broke the world record, until a family friend convinced her.
"He (family friend) read on the internet about the baby born in China with 31 fingers. Then he said that my boy has broken the record of having 34 fingers. At first, I was not convinced at all. It was hard to believe that my son has broken the record. But later, he along with my husband and my younger sister registered the data in the Internet. Then I was asked to submit certain documents after which his name was in the Guinness World Records," added Saxena.
Doctors attending to the child informed the mediapersons that it was a rare phenomenon and diagnosed it as polydactyly.
"The person who is diagnosed with it is polydactylic. It is due to certain defects in the bone development of the uterus. The reason behind this defect can be either developmental congenital formation or chromosomal anomalies, which is due to maternal infection or drugs," said Dr. Parul Gupta, a gynaecologist.
Gupta further explained that this congenital physical anomaly could be easily cured by performing a surgery.
"Yes, it is absolutely curable. Mostly people go for plastic surgery. And sometimes when polydactyly is minimal, it can be cured normally, without an operation. And if there is a major problem, then people prefer to go for a plastic surgery," added Gupta.
Meanwhile Saxena was a little worried for her son's future. She aspires for her son to lead a 'normal' life and wants him to undergo proper treatment for it.
It is quite interesting to know that Polydactyly or polydactylism is also known as hyperdactyly. It is a congenital physical anomaly in humans, dogs, and cats having supernumerary fingers or toes.
Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh): Akshat, a baby boy over the age of one, registered his name in the Guinness world records for having a total of 34 fingers and toes.
He has set the record for having the highest number of fingers and toes and hails from the Bareilly district in Uttar Pradesh.
Amrita Saxena, the mother of the child, said it was difficult for her to believe that her son broke the world record, until a family friend convinced her.
"He (family friend) read on the internet about the baby born in China with 31 fingers. Then he said that my boy has broken the record of having 34 fingers. At first, I was not convinced at all. It was hard to believe that my son has broken the record. But later, he along with my husband and my younger sister registered the data in the Internet. Then I was asked to submit certain documents after which his name was in the Guinness World Records," added Saxena.
Doctors attending to the child informed the mediapersons that it was a rare phenomenon and diagnosed it as polydactyly.
"The person who is diagnosed with it is polydactylic. It is due to certain defects in the bone development of the uterus. The reason behind this defect can be either developmental congenital formation or chromosomal anomalies, which is due to maternal infection or drugs," said Dr. Parul Gupta, a gynaecologist.
Gupta further explained that this congenital physical anomaly could be easily cured by performing a surgery.
"Yes, it is absolutely curable. Mostly people go for plastic surgery. And sometimes when polydactyly is minimal, it can be cured normally, without an operation. And if there is a major problem, then people prefer to go for a plastic surgery," added Gupta.
Meanwhile Saxena was a little worried for her son's future. She aspires for her son to lead a 'normal' life and wants him to undergo proper treatment for it.
It is quite interesting to know that Polydactyly or polydactylism is also known as hyperdactyly. It is a congenital physical anomaly in humans, dogs, and cats having supernumerary fingers or toes.
Indian herbs 'contain natural antibiotics to fight oral cancer'
suchithkc
Washington, May 20 : A new research has investigated the potency of Indian wild plants against bacterial and fungal infections in the mouths of oral cancer patients.
Researchers from Rohtak, India, tested extracts from several plants used in traditional or folk medicine against microbials found in the mouths of oral cancer patients.
Of the 40 patients involved in the study, 35 had compromised immune systems with severely reduced neutrophil counts. Eight of the plants tested were able to significantly affect the growth of organisms collected by oral swab, and pure cultures of bacteria and fungi grown in the lab. This included wild asparagus, desert date, false daisy, curry tree, caster oil plant and fenugreek.
"Natural medicines are increasingly important in treating disease and traditional knowledge provides a starting point in the search for plant-based medicines. Importantly we found that the extraction process had a huge effect on both the specificity and efficacy of the plant extracts against microbes," said Dr Jaya Parkash Yadav.
"Nevertheless several of the plants tested were broad spectrum antibiotics able to combat bacteria including E. coli, S. aureus and the fungi Candida and Aspergillus. Both desert date and caster oil plant were especially able to target bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are known to be difficult to treat with conventional antibiotics," Yadav added.
"Although the plants tested had a lower potency than conventional antibiotics they offer hope against resistant species. These results are a starting point for further testing in the lab and clinic," added Yadav.
The study has been published by BioMed Central's open access journal Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials.
Washington, May 20 : A new research has investigated the potency of Indian wild plants against bacterial and fungal infections in the mouths of oral cancer patients.
Researchers from Rohtak, India, tested extracts from several plants used in traditional or folk medicine against microbials found in the mouths of oral cancer patients.
Of the 40 patients involved in the study, 35 had compromised immune systems with severely reduced neutrophil counts. Eight of the plants tested were able to significantly affect the growth of organisms collected by oral swab, and pure cultures of bacteria and fungi grown in the lab. This included wild asparagus, desert date, false daisy, curry tree, caster oil plant and fenugreek.
"Natural medicines are increasingly important in treating disease and traditional knowledge provides a starting point in the search for plant-based medicines. Importantly we found that the extraction process had a huge effect on both the specificity and efficacy of the plant extracts against microbes," said Dr Jaya Parkash Yadav.
"Nevertheless several of the plants tested were broad spectrum antibiotics able to combat bacteria including E. coli, S. aureus and the fungi Candida and Aspergillus. Both desert date and caster oil plant were especially able to target bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are known to be difficult to treat with conventional antibiotics," Yadav added.
"Although the plants tested had a lower potency than conventional antibiotics they offer hope against resistant species. These results are a starting point for further testing in the lab and clinic," added Yadav.
The study has been published by BioMed Central's open access journal Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials.
New drug target could effectively treat breast cancer
suchithkc
London, May 23 : Researchers from the Imperial College London have identified a new protein involved in the development of drug resistance in breast cancer which could be a target for new treatments.
In a mouse model of breast cancer, blocking production of the protein using genetic techniques caused tumours to shrink. The scientists are now looking for new drugs, which could achieve a similar effect.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, affecting about 46,000 women each year. More than two thirds of breast tumours contain oestrogen receptors, meaning that they require the hormone oestrogen to grow and they can be treated with anti-oestrogen drugs such as tamoxifen. However, many patients develop resistance to these treatments so that the drugs eventually cease to be effective.
In the present study, researchers found that blocking a protein called LMTK3 in human cancer cells that were resistant to tamoxifen made the cells more responsive to the drug. In a mouse model of the disease, using genetic techniques to block the production of LMTK3 led to a significant decrease in the size of breast tumours.
The researchers also measured levels of LMTK3 in tissue samples taken from women with breast cancer. They found that women who had higher levels of LMTK3 in their tumours tended to live less long and were less likely to respond to hormone therapy. In addition, they found that particular mutations in the gene coding for LMTK3 also correlated with how long a patient would survive.
The study was published recently in the journal Nature Medicine.
London, May 23 : Researchers from the Imperial College London have identified a new protein involved in the development of drug resistance in breast cancer which could be a target for new treatments.
In a mouse model of breast cancer, blocking production of the protein using genetic techniques caused tumours to shrink. The scientists are now looking for new drugs, which could achieve a similar effect.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, affecting about 46,000 women each year. More than two thirds of breast tumours contain oestrogen receptors, meaning that they require the hormone oestrogen to grow and they can be treated with anti-oestrogen drugs such as tamoxifen. However, many patients develop resistance to these treatments so that the drugs eventually cease to be effective.
In the present study, researchers found that blocking a protein called LMTK3 in human cancer cells that were resistant to tamoxifen made the cells more responsive to the drug. In a mouse model of the disease, using genetic techniques to block the production of LMTK3 led to a significant decrease in the size of breast tumours.
The researchers also measured levels of LMTK3 in tissue samples taken from women with breast cancer. They found that women who had higher levels of LMTK3 in their tumours tended to live less long and were less likely to respond to hormone therapy. In addition, they found that particular mutations in the gene coding for LMTK3 also correlated with how long a patient would survive.
The study was published recently in the journal Nature Medicine.
Its true, fibre-rich foods guard against bowel cancer
suchithkc
London, May 23 ): Leading scientists have found more evidence than ever before that foods rich in fibre prevent bowel cancer.
They found that three servings a day of cereal fibre and whole grains reduce the risk of the disease, reports the Scotsman.
Experts from Imperial College London came to the conclusion following analysis of the most up-to-date research on the bowel cancer.
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), which commissioned the study, said it recommended people eat a plant-based diet including fibre-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and pulses such as beans.
London, May 23 ): Leading scientists have found more evidence than ever before that foods rich in fibre prevent bowel cancer.
They found that three servings a day of cereal fibre and whole grains reduce the risk of the disease, reports the Scotsman.
Experts from Imperial College London came to the conclusion following analysis of the most up-to-date research on the bowel cancer.
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), which commissioned the study, said it recommended people eat a plant-based diet including fibre-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and pulses such as beans.
Brisk walking benefits men with prostate cancer
suchithkc
Washington, May 25 : Brisk walking seems to benefit patients with prostate cancer in early stages, says a new study based on a survey of 1,455 US men diagnosed with the condition.
Scientists from the University of California and the Harvard School of Public Health, found that men who walked briskly, for at least three hours every week after diagnosis, were nearly 60 percent less likely to require a second bout of treatment.
'The important point was the intensity of the activity - the walking had to be brisk for men to experience a benefit,' said study co-author Erin Richman, postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco, reports the journal Cancer Research.
The new study complements an earlier Harvard finding that physical activity post diagnosis could reduce disease-related mortality in a distinct population of men with prostate cancer, according to a California statement.
After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer among men in the US, and more than 217,000 US men are diagnosed with the disease every year, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Vigorous exercise and brisk walking have been consistently shown to have significant benefits on cardiovascular health, diabetes and many other diseases.
Washington, May 25 : Brisk walking seems to benefit patients with prostate cancer in early stages, says a new study based on a survey of 1,455 US men diagnosed with the condition.
Scientists from the University of California and the Harvard School of Public Health, found that men who walked briskly, for at least three hours every week after diagnosis, were nearly 60 percent less likely to require a second bout of treatment.
'The important point was the intensity of the activity - the walking had to be brisk for men to experience a benefit,' said study co-author Erin Richman, postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco, reports the journal Cancer Research.
The new study complements an earlier Harvard finding that physical activity post diagnosis could reduce disease-related mortality in a distinct population of men with prostate cancer, according to a California statement.
After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer among men in the US, and more than 217,000 US men are diagnosed with the disease every year, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Vigorous exercise and brisk walking have been consistently shown to have significant benefits on cardiovascular health, diabetes and many other diseases.
Here is the first man to be cured of HIV- AIDS
suchithkc
Timothy Ray Brown, 45, from San Francisco Bay Area, is in the news – as the first man cured of HIV- AIDS. “I think so,” he calmly tells his interviewers who ask if he actually is cured.
Brown has been facing cameras, gun mikes and diagnostic kits ever since the publication of a research paper on his unique case in the journal Blood in December 2010.
The researchers led by Kristina Allers and Gero Hutter at Charite University Medicine Berlin documented what can be dubbed as a miracle.
The successful reconstitution of a set of white blood cells that the HIV eats up in Brown’s body is a “very rare” occurrence, they noted.
Brown, who was tested HIV back in 1995 in Germany, was later diagnosed with another disease — leukaemia or blood cancer that involves an abnormal increase in white blood cell.
He was treated with bone marrow stem cell transplant — a cure for blood cancer. The stem cells came from a donor with a rare gene mutation that involves immunity to HIV — again a rare occurrence.
The mechanism involved special white blood cells called CD4+ helper T cells. When a dangerous material like a bacterium or a virus is detected in the body, immune cells immediately stimulate these special cells.
The helper T cells further activate and direct other immune cells to fight the disease. HIV specifically attacks helper T cells, making the body unable to launch a counter offensive against invaders.
Hence, AIDS patients suffer from other lethal infections. The researchers in Berlin showed that after stem cell therapy Brown’s body had reconstitution of CD4+ T cells at a systemic level and specifically in his gut mucosal immune system.
“While the patient remains without any sign of HIV infection,” they wrote. Brown has quit taking his HIV medication. The secret is that if the white cells could be manipulated to a state in which they are no longer infected or infectable by HIV that would mean a functional cure.
Researchers, however, have warned that though the study offers promise, it is not a surefire cure from the dreaded disease — transplants are risky, and this involved a very rare transplant. Brown is a rather lucky man. He said in a recent interview that appeared in the San Francisco media about his cure: “It makes me very happy — very, very happy.”
Timothy Ray Brown, 45, from San Francisco Bay Area, is in the news – as the first man cured of HIV- AIDS. “I think so,” he calmly tells his interviewers who ask if he actually is cured.
Brown has been facing cameras, gun mikes and diagnostic kits ever since the publication of a research paper on his unique case in the journal Blood in December 2010.
The researchers led by Kristina Allers and Gero Hutter at Charite University Medicine Berlin documented what can be dubbed as a miracle.
The successful reconstitution of a set of white blood cells that the HIV eats up in Brown’s body is a “very rare” occurrence, they noted.
Brown, who was tested HIV back in 1995 in Germany, was later diagnosed with another disease — leukaemia or blood cancer that involves an abnormal increase in white blood cell.
He was treated with bone marrow stem cell transplant — a cure for blood cancer. The stem cells came from a donor with a rare gene mutation that involves immunity to HIV — again a rare occurrence.
The mechanism involved special white blood cells called CD4+ helper T cells. When a dangerous material like a bacterium or a virus is detected in the body, immune cells immediately stimulate these special cells.
The helper T cells further activate and direct other immune cells to fight the disease. HIV specifically attacks helper T cells, making the body unable to launch a counter offensive against invaders.
Hence, AIDS patients suffer from other lethal infections. The researchers in Berlin showed that after stem cell therapy Brown’s body had reconstitution of CD4+ T cells at a systemic level and specifically in his gut mucosal immune system.
“While the patient remains without any sign of HIV infection,” they wrote. Brown has quit taking his HIV medication. The secret is that if the white cells could be manipulated to a state in which they are no longer infected or infectable by HIV that would mean a functional cure.
Researchers, however, have warned that though the study offers promise, it is not a surefire cure from the dreaded disease — transplants are risky, and this involved a very rare transplant. Brown is a rather lucky man. He said in a recent interview that appeared in the San Francisco media about his cure: “It makes me very happy — very, very happy.”
CURIOUS CASE OF NITIN GUPTA (RIVALDO) - Ashutosh Sharma
This is excerts from a fellow blogger....u must read tis...!!!
CURIOUS CASE OF NITIN GUPTA (RIVALDO) - Ashutosh Sharma
My reply to Nitin Gupta (Rivaldo) article about Rahul Gandhi's statement on U.P.'s farmer conditions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Nitin,
I read your article about Rahul Gandhi and I must say I like the way you play with words and communicate your thoughts. I came to know about “ENTERTAINMENT ENGINEERS” couple of months ago and I have watched your videos and plays on YouTube and I must say they are awesome.
I don’t support any political party and I condemn what Mayawati is doing in U.P. and also what other political parties are doing in other states. I just want to bring your attention on few points you might be interested in and rephrase your article.
RAHUL VINCI and THE HARVARD
Rahul Gandhi was dropped out from college, however he never claimed himself as Harvard graduate. Infact, he completed his BA from Rollins College, University of Florida and after that he read for MPhil at Trinity College, Cambridge, and later worked at Monitor Group's London offices as a management consultant. I would also like to bring your attention to one more fact that Mr. Rajiv Gandhi was also said to be a drop out from Cambridge but we all remember him as a great leader.
Vinci was the pseudonym he had to adopt for security reasons during his stay in U.S. and England where he completed his education. His father was assassinated by LTTE and he changed his surname for the security reasons, there are so many people who change their complete identities because of life threats and live rest of their live with new name, but he can't even do that because he is no common man.
RESPECT FOR GANDHI and USE OF HIS SURNAME
I don’t know how many people respect or support Mr. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ideologies, I certainly don’t, however i agree that he was a great personality and national figure and holds a great place in the world history.
But, Gandhi family’s surname has nothing to do with MAHATAMA GANDHI. If you don’t remember, I would like to remind you that Indira Gandhi was married to Mr. Feroz Gandhi and the surname came from there and not because they endorse Gandhism.
YOUTH ICON
“He is neither YOUNG nor ICONIC”- to this statement I would like to say that most of the time I like your humor and sarcasm but this time it was a sad line.
Rahul Gandhi started his political career at the age of 33 in 2003 and that’s quite young Mr. Gupta, especially when you talk about Indian politicians who are not ready to leave their seats even at the age of 60.
Every day hundreds and thousands of people travel in Mumbai local and they are not considered as icon but Rahul Gandhi travelled for once and considered Iconic, justified because common man can’t afford luxury cars and aircrafts to travel but he can and still he travelled from local, that made him look different. If you try to look at the pictures published in TOI that day and read the comments from fellow passengers, you will come to know that people loved the experience because no other leader ever did that.
He going to remote villages and staying there, even if he is doing it for publicity, people connects with him and for them he is different from other regular leaders.
As far as the question of he being youth icon is concerned, he never asked anyone to give him awards or even nominate him, its people who nominated him and voted for him. He won YOUTH ICON award along with Omar Abdullah and Aishwarya Rai and I must tell you he is 2-3 months younger to Mr. Omar and 3 years older than Mrs. Bachchan. So if you are cribbing about you have not been nominated for the category, don’t be disappointed, there must be many engineering graduates who consider you their icon.
RAHUL GANDHI DETENTION AT U.S. AIRPORT
Detention or arrest was because of the cash or identity mistake is not yet confirmed. And, do you think that U.S. officials will leave anyone breaking the law just because Indian P.M. asked them to do so. I doubt it and that too when someone like George Bush was the president of U.S. at that time. I think you forgot how Mr. George Fernandes was mistreated at US airport.
There were many speculations to Rahul’s detention, one of that was US security people doubted him for carrying some disease and he was examined medically in detention.
FAILED IN HINDI EXAM
There are many great leaders like APJ Abdul Kalam or business personalities like Narayan Murthy who cannot speak proper Hindi because it’s not their mother tongue but they are exceptionally good in their respective fields and we admire them and respect them. Our own Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too is not very good with the language, so we should mock at him too. Right?
Rahul Gandhi's most of the education happened abroad and also his mother is of Italian origin. If this is a crime then send all the people like Sidhharth Mallya, Shashi Tharoor out of India.
SONIA GANDHI’s SACRIFICE
She never claimed that she has made any sacrifice. Infact, It was her party members sitting inside the assembly house and outside on the streets, requesting her to be the P.M. of the nation. She never asked to name her as the third most powerful women in the world.
SUBRAMANYAM SWAMI’s REPORTS
Mr. Gupta, he is a leader from Janta Party, so it’s his responsibility to dig out all the scams and cases which can give bad name to Congress. When their party was in power, Congress did the same.
Our problem is, we don’t have an option to choose between RIGHT and WRONG. We are bound to choose between Less Wrong and More Wrong.
Once again, I am not supporting any party or politician. I am just saying that blame game will never lead us to anywhere. If we elect our leaders, we should support them and if we can’t support them and are unhappy, then join the system and change it. But, we cannot do that too because our father’s don’t have millions to give us and we need to earn and work to live. On this it reminds me one saying that “Losers Give Excuses”. If you can’t do anything then just writing random article would not help.
Cheers!!!
CURIOUS CASE OF NITIN GUPTA (RIVALDO) - Ashutosh Sharma
My reply to Nitin Gupta (Rivaldo) article about Rahul Gandhi's statement on U.P.'s farmer conditions.
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Hi Nitin,
I read your article about Rahul Gandhi and I must say I like the way you play with words and communicate your thoughts. I came to know about “ENTERTAINMENT ENGINEERS” couple of months ago and I have watched your videos and plays on YouTube and I must say they are awesome.
I don’t support any political party and I condemn what Mayawati is doing in U.P. and also what other political parties are doing in other states. I just want to bring your attention on few points you might be interested in and rephrase your article.
RAHUL VINCI and THE HARVARD
Rahul Gandhi was dropped out from college, however he never claimed himself as Harvard graduate. Infact, he completed his BA from Rollins College, University of Florida and after that he read for MPhil at Trinity College, Cambridge, and later worked at Monitor Group's London offices as a management consultant. I would also like to bring your attention to one more fact that Mr. Rajiv Gandhi was also said to be a drop out from Cambridge but we all remember him as a great leader.
Vinci was the pseudonym he had to adopt for security reasons during his stay in U.S. and England where he completed his education. His father was assassinated by LTTE and he changed his surname for the security reasons, there are so many people who change their complete identities because of life threats and live rest of their live with new name, but he can't even do that because he is no common man.
RESPECT FOR GANDHI and USE OF HIS SURNAME
I don’t know how many people respect or support Mr. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ideologies, I certainly don’t, however i agree that he was a great personality and national figure and holds a great place in the world history.
But, Gandhi family’s surname has nothing to do with MAHATAMA GANDHI. If you don’t remember, I would like to remind you that Indira Gandhi was married to Mr. Feroz Gandhi and the surname came from there and not because they endorse Gandhism.
YOUTH ICON
“He is neither YOUNG nor ICONIC”- to this statement I would like to say that most of the time I like your humor and sarcasm but this time it was a sad line.
Rahul Gandhi started his political career at the age of 33 in 2003 and that’s quite young Mr. Gupta, especially when you talk about Indian politicians who are not ready to leave their seats even at the age of 60.
Every day hundreds and thousands of people travel in Mumbai local and they are not considered as icon but Rahul Gandhi travelled for once and considered Iconic, justified because common man can’t afford luxury cars and aircrafts to travel but he can and still he travelled from local, that made him look different. If you try to look at the pictures published in TOI that day and read the comments from fellow passengers, you will come to know that people loved the experience because no other leader ever did that.
He going to remote villages and staying there, even if he is doing it for publicity, people connects with him and for them he is different from other regular leaders.
As far as the question of he being youth icon is concerned, he never asked anyone to give him awards or even nominate him, its people who nominated him and voted for him. He won YOUTH ICON award along with Omar Abdullah and Aishwarya Rai and I must tell you he is 2-3 months younger to Mr. Omar and 3 years older than Mrs. Bachchan. So if you are cribbing about you have not been nominated for the category, don’t be disappointed, there must be many engineering graduates who consider you their icon.
RAHUL GANDHI DETENTION AT U.S. AIRPORT
Detention or arrest was because of the cash or identity mistake is not yet confirmed. And, do you think that U.S. officials will leave anyone breaking the law just because Indian P.M. asked them to do so. I doubt it and that too when someone like George Bush was the president of U.S. at that time. I think you forgot how Mr. George Fernandes was mistreated at US airport.
There were many speculations to Rahul’s detention, one of that was US security people doubted him for carrying some disease and he was examined medically in detention.
FAILED IN HINDI EXAM
There are many great leaders like APJ Abdul Kalam or business personalities like Narayan Murthy who cannot speak proper Hindi because it’s not their mother tongue but they are exceptionally good in their respective fields and we admire them and respect them. Our own Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too is not very good with the language, so we should mock at him too. Right?
Rahul Gandhi's most of the education happened abroad and also his mother is of Italian origin. If this is a crime then send all the people like Sidhharth Mallya, Shashi Tharoor out of India.
SONIA GANDHI’s SACRIFICE
She never claimed that she has made any sacrifice. Infact, It was her party members sitting inside the assembly house and outside on the streets, requesting her to be the P.M. of the nation. She never asked to name her as the third most powerful women in the world.
SUBRAMANYAM SWAMI’s REPORTS
Mr. Gupta, he is a leader from Janta Party, so it’s his responsibility to dig out all the scams and cases which can give bad name to Congress. When their party was in power, Congress did the same.
Our problem is, we don’t have an option to choose between RIGHT and WRONG. We are bound to choose between Less Wrong and More Wrong.
Once again, I am not supporting any party or politician. I am just saying that blame game will never lead us to anywhere. If we elect our leaders, we should support them and if we can’t support them and are unhappy, then join the system and change it. But, we cannot do that too because our father’s don’t have millions to give us and we need to earn and work to live. On this it reminds me one saying that “Losers Give Excuses”. If you can’t do anything then just writing random article would not help.
Cheers!!!
Karnataka mining scam: Yeddyurappa rules out resignation
suchithkc
Bangalore, July 25 ): Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today ruled out his resignation in the wake of the Lokayukta report indicting him on the illegal mining issue.
"Lokayukta Justice (retired) Santosh Hegde, so far officially has not submitted the report to the Government. As soon as I receive the report from Lokayukta, then I will be able to reply to all the queries," he told reporters at the Bangalore Airport, on arrival from Mauritius.
"Till now, I have high respect for Lokayukta Santosh Hegde. All of us are eagerly awaiting his report. The moment we get the report, I will give the reaction of the Government to the six crore people of Karnataka", he added.
He further said he will hold a press conference at 4.30 p.m. today.
The Lokayukta had earlier reported that he was being pressurised by a minister and an official representative of the state based in New Delhi to drop charges against Yeddyurappa.
The Lokayukta conducted inquiry into the cases of illegal mining and distribution of government land.
In his report, Justice Hegde is reported to have mentioned that Yeddyurappa was indirectly involved in an illegal mining scam and his close family members were directly involved in it.
Justice Hedge termed the scam of illegal mining as huge and added that, within a span of 14 months, scam to the tune of rupees 1800 crores has already taken place in the state.
Hegde, who is also the former judge of Supreme Court, submitted his report to the Chief Secretary on Friday.
Bangalore, July 25 ): Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today ruled out his resignation in the wake of the Lokayukta report indicting him on the illegal mining issue.
"Lokayukta Justice (retired) Santosh Hegde, so far officially has not submitted the report to the Government. As soon as I receive the report from Lokayukta, then I will be able to reply to all the queries," he told reporters at the Bangalore Airport, on arrival from Mauritius.
"Till now, I have high respect for Lokayukta Santosh Hegde. All of us are eagerly awaiting his report. The moment we get the report, I will give the reaction of the Government to the six crore people of Karnataka", he added.
He further said he will hold a press conference at 4.30 p.m. today.
The Lokayukta had earlier reported that he was being pressurised by a minister and an official representative of the state based in New Delhi to drop charges against Yeddyurappa.
The Lokayukta conducted inquiry into the cases of illegal mining and distribution of government land.
In his report, Justice Hegde is reported to have mentioned that Yeddyurappa was indirectly involved in an illegal mining scam and his close family members were directly involved in it.
Justice Hedge termed the scam of illegal mining as huge and added that, within a span of 14 months, scam to the tune of rupees 1800 crores has already taken place in the state.
Hegde, who is also the former judge of Supreme Court, submitted his report to the Chief Secretary on Friday.
2G transactions known to PM, Chidambaram: Raja
suchithkc
New Delhi, July 25 : Transactions made in the allocation of 2G spectrum were known to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the then finance minister P. Chidambaram, former communications minister A. Raja alleged Monday.
Raja's counsel told Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini that his client had not done anything wrong in his decision of not auctioning 2G spectrum and that he was merely following the policies pursued by his predecessors and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
'The decision to increase the cap on foreign direct investment (FDI) from 49 percent to 74 percent was a cabinet decision of which prime minister was a part,' said Senior counsel Sushil Kumar, appearing for Raja.
'The matter (about sale of equity by spectrum licencees) was discussed between the prime minister and the then finance minister,' he submitted.
'The then finance minister, who is now home minister, had said in front of the prime minister that dilution of shares does not amount to sale of 2G licence as per the corporate law,' said Sushil Kumar.
Raja's counsel stated that if my client was being prosecuted for following a certain policy then all telecom ministers since 1993 were liable to be prosecuted as they too followed the same policy.
'If the policy pursued by Raja was wrong, then all former telecom ministers since 1993 should also be lodged in jail,' said Sushil Kumar.
'As telecom minister Arun Shourie distributed 26 licences while Dayanidhi Maran distributed 25 and Raja distributed 122 licences,' he said, adding that the numbers made no difference.
It was to be noted that none of them auctioned the spectrum, he said.
'If they had done no wrong, why am I being questioned? Let them deny that they had not done what I did. I was just following the 2003 cabinet decision that is not to auction 2G spectrum. If I am following the law, I am not liable to be prosecuted. Infact, I should be rewarded,' said Raja.
Defending Raja, his counsel said that because of his policy mobile phone call rates came down.
'The CBI, however, is maintaining that when DB Realty gave its shares (in Swan Telecom) to bring in money, it amounted to sale and so is the case with Unitech (Wireless). But, when Tata Tele services gives its shares to bring in foreign direct investment, it, according to the CBI, does not amount to sale,' Raja's counsel said.
'Telenor buying a stake in Unitech wireless and Etisalat buying a stake in DB Realty - the finance minister approved it in the presence of the prime minister. Let the PM deny it,' he said.
The CBI Saturday concluded its arguments on the framing of charges in the 2G phone spectrum case.
Fourteen accused and three companies are charged with causing a loss of Rs.30,984 crore to the exchequer by selling the scarce resource, also called radio frequency that helps carry telecom signals, to private players cheap.
Raja, who was arrested Feb 2 for his alleged role in the 2G scam, Monday began his arguments opposing charges of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy against him.
All the 14 accused, including DMK MP Kanimozhi, are presently lodged in Tihar Jail here.
New Delhi, July 25 : Transactions made in the allocation of 2G spectrum were known to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the then finance minister P. Chidambaram, former communications minister A. Raja alleged Monday.
Raja's counsel told Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini that his client had not done anything wrong in his decision of not auctioning 2G spectrum and that he was merely following the policies pursued by his predecessors and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
'The decision to increase the cap on foreign direct investment (FDI) from 49 percent to 74 percent was a cabinet decision of which prime minister was a part,' said Senior counsel Sushil Kumar, appearing for Raja.
'The matter (about sale of equity by spectrum licencees) was discussed between the prime minister and the then finance minister,' he submitted.
'The then finance minister, who is now home minister, had said in front of the prime minister that dilution of shares does not amount to sale of 2G licence as per the corporate law,' said Sushil Kumar.
Raja's counsel stated that if my client was being prosecuted for following a certain policy then all telecom ministers since 1993 were liable to be prosecuted as they too followed the same policy.
'If the policy pursued by Raja was wrong, then all former telecom ministers since 1993 should also be lodged in jail,' said Sushil Kumar.
'As telecom minister Arun Shourie distributed 26 licences while Dayanidhi Maran distributed 25 and Raja distributed 122 licences,' he said, adding that the numbers made no difference.
It was to be noted that none of them auctioned the spectrum, he said.
'If they had done no wrong, why am I being questioned? Let them deny that they had not done what I did. I was just following the 2003 cabinet decision that is not to auction 2G spectrum. If I am following the law, I am not liable to be prosecuted. Infact, I should be rewarded,' said Raja.
Defending Raja, his counsel said that because of his policy mobile phone call rates came down.
'The CBI, however, is maintaining that when DB Realty gave its shares (in Swan Telecom) to bring in money, it amounted to sale and so is the case with Unitech (Wireless). But, when Tata Tele services gives its shares to bring in foreign direct investment, it, according to the CBI, does not amount to sale,' Raja's counsel said.
'Telenor buying a stake in Unitech wireless and Etisalat buying a stake in DB Realty - the finance minister approved it in the presence of the prime minister. Let the PM deny it,' he said.
The CBI Saturday concluded its arguments on the framing of charges in the 2G phone spectrum case.
Fourteen accused and three companies are charged with causing a loss of Rs.30,984 crore to the exchequer by selling the scarce resource, also called radio frequency that helps carry telecom signals, to private players cheap.
Raja, who was arrested Feb 2 for his alleged role in the 2G scam, Monday began his arguments opposing charges of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy against him.
All the 14 accused, including DMK MP Kanimozhi, are presently lodged in Tihar Jail here.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Google+ Pulls In 20 Million in 3 Week
suchithkc
When Google Inc. launched its Google+ social-networking site three weeks ago, executives handed out sailor hats to the hundreds of employees working on the project, symbolizing their year-long journey to that point.
So far, the sailing has been mostly smooth. On Wednesday, Web-traffic watcher comScore Inc. estimated Google+ has had 20 million unique visitors since its launch, including five million visitors from the U.S. A Google spokeswoman declined comment.
ComScore, whose estimates are based on a "global measurement panel" of two million Internet users, similar to the approach Nielsen uses to measure television ratings,doesn't have data on the number of minutes people spent on Google+.
Still, the growth of Google+ has impressed observers because access to it is by invitation only, meaning people can join only if a current member invites them. And the company hasn't yet marketed the service to the more than one billion monthly visitors who use its search engine, Gmail and other services
Google+ lets people share comments, articles, photos and videos with various "circles" of friends or contacts, or they can share content publicly with any userwho wants to view their posts. Eventually, Google plans to incorporate features of Google+ in its other services, such as its YouTube video site.
"I've never seen anything grow this quickly," said Andrew Lipsman, vice president of industry analysis at comScore. The only other site that has accumulated as many new visitors in a short period of time is Twitter in 2009, he said, "but that happened over several months."
The new data follow comments by Google CEO Larry Page last week that Google+ had more than 10 million users.Mr. Page said Google+'s traction was evidence that there are "more opportunities for Google today than ever before."
Of course, Google has a long way to go to reach the scale of Facebook Inc., which has more than 750 million users, and Twitter Inc., which has more than 200 million registered accounts.
With Google+, Google is aiming to match rivals like Facebook, which used personal information posted by its members to create a multibillion-dollar advertising business that lets marketers target specific demographic groups or people with certain interests. Google also hopes the service can become a home for brands and celebrities.
The data Google obtains about people's interests could also help it change the way its Web-search engine works. Sites in its search results could potentially be ranked based on what users and their friends like or find useful, Google engineers have said.
In addition to adding numerous features over time, Google will eventually allow software developers to create "social" games and other applications that would run on top of Google+, similar to Facebook's successful "platform" for applications, people familiar with the matter have said.
Google+ also has unique technology, such as a "hangouts" feature, that lets people do "video chats" using their computer webcams, speaking to numerous friends simultaneously. The company plans to include Google+ in its suite of online software for businesses.
In an email to investors Tuesday, Barclays Capital equity researchers said that "given positive initial traction from users we believe Google is now better positioned to compete and integrate social cues across its products than before, which could drive increased relevancy in search going forward."
Even some privacy advocates who lambasted Buzz, Google's prior social-networking effort, have lauded Google+. "The product has been designed to make it easier to share with one group of your friends while retaining some measure of privacy with respect to your family, coworkers or other groups of friends," said Peter Eckersley, a senior technologist at privacy-advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation, in an email.
But Mr. Eckersley added: "Google+ won't be as good for protecting your privacy against Google or against governments or lawyers with the power to compel Google to turn over your information."
Ben Hopper, a 29-year-old photographer in London who joined Google+ just after it launched, said "it feels a little empty right now" compared with Facebook, where he has more than 4,000 "friends." But he said that he "needs to be everywhere to show my photography," and if Google+ becomes integrated with Gmail, Google's email service, "for me it will have the upper hand."
When Google Inc. launched its Google+ social-networking site three weeks ago, executives handed out sailor hats to the hundreds of employees working on the project, symbolizing their year-long journey to that point.
So far, the sailing has been mostly smooth. On Wednesday, Web-traffic watcher comScore Inc. estimated Google+ has had 20 million unique visitors since its launch, including five million visitors from the U.S. A Google spokeswoman declined comment.
ComScore, whose estimates are based on a "global measurement panel" of two million Internet users, similar to the approach Nielsen uses to measure television ratings,doesn't have data on the number of minutes people spent on Google+.
Still, the growth of Google+ has impressed observers because access to it is by invitation only, meaning people can join only if a current member invites them. And the company hasn't yet marketed the service to the more than one billion monthly visitors who use its search engine, Gmail and other services
Google+ lets people share comments, articles, photos and videos with various "circles" of friends or contacts, or they can share content publicly with any userwho wants to view their posts. Eventually, Google plans to incorporate features of Google+ in its other services, such as its YouTube video site.
"I've never seen anything grow this quickly," said Andrew Lipsman, vice president of industry analysis at comScore. The only other site that has accumulated as many new visitors in a short period of time is Twitter in 2009, he said, "but that happened over several months."
The new data follow comments by Google CEO Larry Page last week that Google+ had more than 10 million users.Mr. Page said Google+'s traction was evidence that there are "more opportunities for Google today than ever before."
Of course, Google has a long way to go to reach the scale of Facebook Inc., which has more than 750 million users, and Twitter Inc., which has more than 200 million registered accounts.
With Google+, Google is aiming to match rivals like Facebook, which used personal information posted by its members to create a multibillion-dollar advertising business that lets marketers target specific demographic groups or people with certain interests. Google also hopes the service can become a home for brands and celebrities.
The data Google obtains about people's interests could also help it change the way its Web-search engine works. Sites in its search results could potentially be ranked based on what users and their friends like or find useful, Google engineers have said.
In addition to adding numerous features over time, Google will eventually allow software developers to create "social" games and other applications that would run on top of Google+, similar to Facebook's successful "platform" for applications, people familiar with the matter have said.
Google+ also has unique technology, such as a "hangouts" feature, that lets people do "video chats" using their computer webcams, speaking to numerous friends simultaneously. The company plans to include Google+ in its suite of online software for businesses.
In an email to investors Tuesday, Barclays Capital equity researchers said that "given positive initial traction from users we believe Google is now better positioned to compete and integrate social cues across its products than before, which could drive increased relevancy in search going forward."
Even some privacy advocates who lambasted Buzz, Google's prior social-networking effort, have lauded Google+. "The product has been designed to make it easier to share with one group of your friends while retaining some measure of privacy with respect to your family, coworkers or other groups of friends," said Peter Eckersley, a senior technologist at privacy-advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation, in an email.
But Mr. Eckersley added: "Google+ won't be as good for protecting your privacy against Google or against governments or lawyers with the power to compel Google to turn over your information."
Ben Hopper, a 29-year-old photographer in London who joined Google+ just after it launched, said "it feels a little empty right now" compared with Facebook, where he has more than 4,000 "friends." But he said that he "needs to be everywhere to show my photography," and if Google+ becomes integrated with Gmail, Google's email service, "for me it will have the upper hand."
The 'ridiculous' Harry Potter alternate ending
suchithkc
A British journalist claims J.K. Rowling had some rather odd ideas about how to conclude her blockbuster book series — but his story is irking skeptics
One perk of being friends with J.K. Rowling? According to British investigative journalist Greg Palast, who claims to have struck up an unlikely friendship with the Harry Potter author, Rowling's pals get exclusive insight into the best-selling author's creative mind. Palast insists that Rowling told him about an alternate ending she considered for the series, one that she ditched in favor of the more cinematic final showdown at Hogwarts. Palast posted the account on his blog, but many Potter fans aren't buying it. How might the series have ended? Here, a brief guide. (Warning: Many spoilers lie ahead.)
How was the series supposedly going to end?
The most shocking twist in the alternate ending is that Lord Voldemort lives. There's no, as Palast describes it, "second-rate 'Show Down at the OK Corral'" at Hogwarts. Instead, the final battle between Harry and Voldemort takes place in the Forbidden Forest, where the Dark Lord is surrounded by soul-sucking Dementors. Voldemort has each Dementor kiss his wand, creating a "horrific" curse to kill Harry with. But then, somehow, the spirits of Voldemort's dead parents show up to unexpectedly comfort Harry. Their very presence causes Voldemort to grow younger. The now-youthful villain's curse rebounds off Harry's scar, just like it had when Potter was a mere infant, and strikes Voldemort, freezing him as a statue, living for eternity as a child in his parents' loving embrace. "Never able to leave. And never wanting to."
And the epilogue?
The final Potter book, The Deathly Hallows, ends with a a rather precious flash-forward to now-married couples Harry and Ginny, and Ron and Hermione, sending off their own broods of young wizards to Hogwarts for the first time. The alternate ending supposedly peeks even further into the future, to the year 2130. Harry is (a very old) headmaster at Hogwarts, Ginny has turned herself into a bird who doesn't grow old, and Harry has wiped all memory of Voldemort and his dark days from the minds of the wizarding world — though the statue of the young Dark Lord and his parents stands on Hogwarts' grounds. The story ends with allusions that Harry's great, great grandson may be the next great dark wizard.
How did Palast come by this tale?
The two writers had books on the bestsellers list at the same time, Palast says, and he became "buds" with Rowling after he told her that his twins were fans of her work. They often engaged in writerly conversations about drafts and edits, which led Rowling to share her original idea for an ending. He says he wrote down every detail of their conversation, and decided to publish it because "that's the danger of befriending an investigative reporter."
What are fans saying?
Palast is a respected writer for Britain's Guardian, so many say it's hard to believe he'd make this up. Still, "we aren't sure we buy it," says Andrea Reiher at Zap2it. Even with all the caveats that Palast presents ("Keep in mind that I'm working from mental notes," for example), there's "more than a couple of problems" with this "ridiculous" alternate version, says Emma Mustich at Salon.
What's so implausible about it?
For starters, Rowling was diligent about teasing twists that would play into later moments in her series. So it's unlikely that, at the last moment, she'd introduce a curse "we had never heard of," says Reiher. Plus, it's unlikely — and not very poignant — that Voldemort's parents would protect him, says Mustich, given that he killed his father and, growing up in an orphanage, has no emotional history with them. The epilogue is problematic, too. Given what we know about Harry, it's almost certain that he'd want his fellow wizards to remember the dark days, "so as not to become complacent in the tranquility of the present." Read Palast's account here, and judge for yourself.
A British journalist claims J.K. Rowling had some rather odd ideas about how to conclude her blockbuster book series — but his story is irking skeptics
One perk of being friends with J.K. Rowling? According to British investigative journalist Greg Palast, who claims to have struck up an unlikely friendship with the Harry Potter author, Rowling's pals get exclusive insight into the best-selling author's creative mind. Palast insists that Rowling told him about an alternate ending she considered for the series, one that she ditched in favor of the more cinematic final showdown at Hogwarts. Palast posted the account on his blog, but many Potter fans aren't buying it. How might the series have ended? Here, a brief guide. (Warning: Many spoilers lie ahead.)
How was the series supposedly going to end?
The most shocking twist in the alternate ending is that Lord Voldemort lives. There's no, as Palast describes it, "second-rate 'Show Down at the OK Corral'" at Hogwarts. Instead, the final battle between Harry and Voldemort takes place in the Forbidden Forest, where the Dark Lord is surrounded by soul-sucking Dementors. Voldemort has each Dementor kiss his wand, creating a "horrific" curse to kill Harry with. But then, somehow, the spirits of Voldemort's dead parents show up to unexpectedly comfort Harry. Their very presence causes Voldemort to grow younger. The now-youthful villain's curse rebounds off Harry's scar, just like it had when Potter was a mere infant, and strikes Voldemort, freezing him as a statue, living for eternity as a child in his parents' loving embrace. "Never able to leave. And never wanting to."
And the epilogue?
The final Potter book, The Deathly Hallows, ends with a a rather precious flash-forward to now-married couples Harry and Ginny, and Ron and Hermione, sending off their own broods of young wizards to Hogwarts for the first time. The alternate ending supposedly peeks even further into the future, to the year 2130. Harry is (a very old) headmaster at Hogwarts, Ginny has turned herself into a bird who doesn't grow old, and Harry has wiped all memory of Voldemort and his dark days from the minds of the wizarding world — though the statue of the young Dark Lord and his parents stands on Hogwarts' grounds. The story ends with allusions that Harry's great, great grandson may be the next great dark wizard.
How did Palast come by this tale?
The two writers had books on the bestsellers list at the same time, Palast says, and he became "buds" with Rowling after he told her that his twins were fans of her work. They often engaged in writerly conversations about drafts and edits, which led Rowling to share her original idea for an ending. He says he wrote down every detail of their conversation, and decided to publish it because "that's the danger of befriending an investigative reporter."
What are fans saying?
Palast is a respected writer for Britain's Guardian, so many say it's hard to believe he'd make this up. Still, "we aren't sure we buy it," says Andrea Reiher at Zap2it. Even with all the caveats that Palast presents ("Keep in mind that I'm working from mental notes," for example), there's "more than a couple of problems" with this "ridiculous" alternate version, says Emma Mustich at Salon.
What's so implausible about it?
For starters, Rowling was diligent about teasing twists that would play into later moments in her series. So it's unlikely that, at the last moment, she'd introduce a curse "we had never heard of," says Reiher. Plus, it's unlikely — and not very poignant — that Voldemort's parents would protect him, says Mustich, given that he killed his father and, growing up in an orphanage, has no emotional history with them. The epilogue is problematic, too. Given what we know about Harry, it's almost certain that he'd want his fellow wizards to remember the dark days, "so as not to become complacent in the tranquility of the present." Read Palast's account here, and judge for yourself.
Apple's $76 billion problem: By the numbers
suchithkc
Steve Jobs and Co. are sitting on a huge pile of cash — more than the GDP of many of the world's countries and enough to buy a big chunk of Facebook
After having its best quarter ever, Apple's cash pile has grown to a whopping $76.2 billion as of the June quarter. The tremendous sum has prompted speculation as to what the company could, and should, do with the cash — from buying Hulu to paying investor dividends. Here, a brief guide by the numbers:
$76.2 billion
Size of the cash stockpile Apple has built up. It's "just an enormous war chest of money," says analyst Howard Silverblatt.
$46 billion
Amount of cash Apple had amassed last year when analyst Toni Sacconaghi wrote an open letter to the Apple board urging them to do something with all that money. Now, Sacconaghi says the company has "a level of cash that's preposterous by any metric." He wants Apple to either issue a dividend or buy back shares.
126
Number of countries that have a gross domestic product of less than $76.2 billion. They include Costa Rica, Ecuador, Bulgaria, and Sri Lanka. "It's sort of a silly comparison," says Bryan Chaffin at The Mac Observer. "GDP doesn’t equate to corporate cash on hand... A company's annual revenues are a better comparison to a country's GDP."
$100.32 billion
Apple's revenue for the last four quarters
$103.57 billion
Vietnam's GDP for 2010, ranking it 56th amongst the world's countries
$60.9 billion
Size of Microsoft Corp.'s cash stockpile
$39.1 billion
Size of Google Inc.'s cash stockpile
$70 to $200 billion
Estimated valuation of Facebook. "Apple should consider pouring every cent it has into the acquisition of Facebook," says Louis Bedigian in Forbes. It's not cheap, and it's likely Apple doesn't have enough cash to acquire it whole, but the "website is enormous, influential, and has a worldwide presence unlike any other."
Over $2 billion
Estimated value of the the online video service Hulu, which Apple is rumored to be considering purchasing. "Hulu would add a new element to their arsenal from a streaming and subscription standpoint," says analyst Brian Marshall, as quoted at Bloomberg
$400 million
Amount of Apple's biggest purchase of a company to date. In 1996, it bought NeXT Software Inc., returning Steve Jobs to the fold.
$2.6 billion
Amount Apple paid in June for patents belonging to Nortel Networks Corp. The patents are seen as huge assets in the smartphone and tablet wars. Apple bought them as part of a consortium that included Microsoft, Sony, and RIM and paid $4.5 billion total. Notably absent from the gang: Google.
$900 million
Amount Google had previously offered for the Nortel patents. Google's bid was dwarfed by the consortium. It's "under attack by many companies since the success of its Android OS," says Nancy Gohring at PC World.
About $361 billion
Apple's current market cap, making it the second largest company in the world
About $196 billion
Google's current market cap
$407 billion
Exxon Mobil Corp.'s valuation, making it the world's biggest publicly traded company. Many think Apple can overtake it by year's end, says Cromwell Schubarth in the Sacramento Business Journal.
Sources: Bloomberg, Forbes, Google Finance (2), Mac Observer, PC World, Reuters, Sacramento Business Journal, Wall Street Journal, World Bank
Steve Jobs and Co. are sitting on a huge pile of cash — more than the GDP of many of the world's countries and enough to buy a big chunk of Facebook
After having its best quarter ever, Apple's cash pile has grown to a whopping $76.2 billion as of the June quarter. The tremendous sum has prompted speculation as to what the company could, and should, do with the cash — from buying Hulu to paying investor dividends. Here, a brief guide by the numbers:
$76.2 billion
Size of the cash stockpile Apple has built up. It's "just an enormous war chest of money," says analyst Howard Silverblatt.
$46 billion
Amount of cash Apple had amassed last year when analyst Toni Sacconaghi wrote an open letter to the Apple board urging them to do something with all that money. Now, Sacconaghi says the company has "a level of cash that's preposterous by any metric." He wants Apple to either issue a dividend or buy back shares.
126
Number of countries that have a gross domestic product of less than $76.2 billion. They include Costa Rica, Ecuador, Bulgaria, and Sri Lanka. "It's sort of a silly comparison," says Bryan Chaffin at The Mac Observer. "GDP doesn’t equate to corporate cash on hand... A company's annual revenues are a better comparison to a country's GDP."
$100.32 billion
Apple's revenue for the last four quarters
$103.57 billion
Vietnam's GDP for 2010, ranking it 56th amongst the world's countries
$60.9 billion
Size of Microsoft Corp.'s cash stockpile
$39.1 billion
Size of Google Inc.'s cash stockpile
$70 to $200 billion
Estimated valuation of Facebook. "Apple should consider pouring every cent it has into the acquisition of Facebook," says Louis Bedigian in Forbes. It's not cheap, and it's likely Apple doesn't have enough cash to acquire it whole, but the "website is enormous, influential, and has a worldwide presence unlike any other."
Over $2 billion
Estimated value of the the online video service Hulu, which Apple is rumored to be considering purchasing. "Hulu would add a new element to their arsenal from a streaming and subscription standpoint," says analyst Brian Marshall, as quoted at Bloomberg
$400 million
Amount of Apple's biggest purchase of a company to date. In 1996, it bought NeXT Software Inc., returning Steve Jobs to the fold.
$2.6 billion
Amount Apple paid in June for patents belonging to Nortel Networks Corp. The patents are seen as huge assets in the smartphone and tablet wars. Apple bought them as part of a consortium that included Microsoft, Sony, and RIM and paid $4.5 billion total. Notably absent from the gang: Google.
$900 million
Amount Google had previously offered for the Nortel patents. Google's bid was dwarfed by the consortium. It's "under attack by many companies since the success of its Android OS," says Nancy Gohring at PC World.
About $361 billion
Apple's current market cap, making it the second largest company in the world
About $196 billion
Google's current market cap
$407 billion
Exxon Mobil Corp.'s valuation, making it the world's biggest publicly traded company. Many think Apple can overtake it by year's end, says Cromwell Schubarth in the Sacramento Business Journal.
Sources: Bloomberg, Forbes, Google Finance (2), Mac Observer, PC World, Reuters, Sacramento Business Journal, Wall Street Journal, World Bank
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Hitler ordered sex dolls for Nazi troops
suchithkc
London, July 11 :Adolf Hitler ordered the Nazis to develop sex dolls for his soldiers so that they would not be affected with diseases after having sex with prostitutes, says a new book.
The synthetic sex dolls - that were smaller than life-size and called 'gynoids' - were made from silicone and designed to prevent soldiers from being hit by diseases like syphilis, the Daily Mail reported.
Hungarian actress Kathe von Nagy was reportedly asked if the doll could be modelled on her but she refused.
The doll was later 'left bland' with only blonde hair and blue eyes so that 'soldiers could apply their own fantasy', the book said.
Author Graeme Donald uncovered the sex doll 'Borghild Project' while researching the history of the Barbie doll.
He wrote the sex doll story in his book, 'Mussolini's Barber', a compilation of bizarre tales.
The doll project began in 1940 after Hitler's SS chief Henrich Himmler wrote: 'The greatest danger in Paris is the widespread and uncontrolled presence of whores, picking up clients in bars, dance halls, and other places. It is our duty to prevent soldiers from risking their health just for the sake of a quick adventure.'
A trial of the dolls was conducted at the German barracks in St. Hellier. Himmler was reportedly so impressed that he immediately ordered 50 of them.
However, in 1942 he changed his mind and the whole project was axed. All evidence was destroyed in the bombing of Dresden, says the daily.
German sculptor Arthur Rink - one of the team members who designed the doll at the Racial Hygiene and Demographic Biology Research Unit - revealed the truth about the doll.
Graeme Donald said: 'I was looking at the weird things on the periphery of major events when I came across this story. I was actually researching the history of the Barbie doll that was based on a German sex doll of the 1950s.'
'Ruth and Elliot Handler from America visited Germany in 1956 and saw the Lilli dolls that were sold in barbers' shops and nightclubs - and were not for children.'
'Ruth didn't realise this and bought one and realised later they were not toys. But Ruth and her husband used the doll as a foundation for what became Barbie.'
London, July 11 :Adolf Hitler ordered the Nazis to develop sex dolls for his soldiers so that they would not be affected with diseases after having sex with prostitutes, says a new book.
The synthetic sex dolls - that were smaller than life-size and called 'gynoids' - were made from silicone and designed to prevent soldiers from being hit by diseases like syphilis, the Daily Mail reported.
Hungarian actress Kathe von Nagy was reportedly asked if the doll could be modelled on her but she refused.
The doll was later 'left bland' with only blonde hair and blue eyes so that 'soldiers could apply their own fantasy', the book said.
Author Graeme Donald uncovered the sex doll 'Borghild Project' while researching the history of the Barbie doll.
He wrote the sex doll story in his book, 'Mussolini's Barber', a compilation of bizarre tales.
The doll project began in 1940 after Hitler's SS chief Henrich Himmler wrote: 'The greatest danger in Paris is the widespread and uncontrolled presence of whores, picking up clients in bars, dance halls, and other places. It is our duty to prevent soldiers from risking their health just for the sake of a quick adventure.'
A trial of the dolls was conducted at the German barracks in St. Hellier. Himmler was reportedly so impressed that he immediately ordered 50 of them.
However, in 1942 he changed his mind and the whole project was axed. All evidence was destroyed in the bombing of Dresden, says the daily.
German sculptor Arthur Rink - one of the team members who designed the doll at the Racial Hygiene and Demographic Biology Research Unit - revealed the truth about the doll.
Graeme Donald said: 'I was looking at the weird things on the periphery of major events when I came across this story. I was actually researching the history of the Barbie doll that was based on a German sex doll of the 1950s.'
'Ruth and Elliot Handler from America visited Germany in 1956 and saw the Lilli dolls that were sold in barbers' shops and nightclubs - and were not for children.'
'Ruth didn't realise this and bought one and realised later they were not toys. But Ruth and her husband used the doll as a foundation for what became Barbie.'
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