Month: June 2009

Enough of Orkut and Facebook? Try this

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How about some virtual cutting chai? For Hyderabadis abroad, or those too busy or shy to socialise, this might prove to be manna from heaven. Started by a Chennai-boy Kaviraj, a localised networking site could become the next move in the evolution of Internet-based social netorking concepts. The website, dubbed areapal dot com claims to be distinct from other online networking sites like Orkut or Facebook, simply because “it would enable real world interactions within a locality,” said founder and entrepreneur Kaviraj.

Call for action against colleges fleecing BC students

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Hyderabad, June 27: The AP BC Welfare Association demanded that the Government take action against the colleges which were collecting tuition and special fees from the BC students at the time of admission against the Government orders. In a press release issued on Friday, association’s president R Krishnaiah stated that the Government by its order number 18 had stipulated that the colleges should not collect the tuition and special fees from the BC students at the time of admission.

Agarwals seek anticipatory bail

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Hyderabad, June 27: With police failing to nab the absconding family of ML Agarwal, whose daughter-in-law Radhika ended her life alleging dowry harassment, her parents on Friday approached the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) seeking its intervention in nabbing the accused.

Meanwhile, the Agarwal family has reportedly filed an anticipatory bail petition in a court. Former FAPCCI director and industrialist M L Agarwal’s daughterin- law, Radhika, hanged herself at her father’s house at Banjara Hills on June 18. She died the next day.

Murder bid foiled, 3 gangsters nabbed

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Hyderabad, June 27: Three persons, who hatched a plan to eliminate their rival history-sheeter gang, were nabbed on Friday, from whom police seized country-made fire arms, five live rounds and three daggers. The nabbed were Mohd Abdul Zaheer alias Zaheer, an electrician and resident of Moghal Nagar, Mohd Ashfaq, a history-sheeter of Kalapathar PS and Mohd Issaq alias Bada Issaq, a pick-pocketer from Talabkatta. Police said that Zaheer maintains a pick-pocketing gang along with his associates and operates in Lakdikapul, Mehdipatnam, Nampally and nearby areas.

Parents fidgety as they await report

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Hyderabad, June 27: The deadline set by the five-member Fee Regulatory Committee for complaints and suggestions to curb the exorbitant fee hikes in schools elapsed on Friday. But parents who admitted their children in schools, are in a fix because the committee’s final report is likely to come only in another week’s time, that too if everything falls in place. The Fee Regulatory Committee has not made its stand clear on whether they would issue an order ensuring that the ‘unduly hiked’ fee would be returned to the parents.

J-K to update its BPL list

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Srinagar, June 27: Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to set up a committee to update Below Poverty Line (BPL) list in the state.

The committee, comprising officers of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD), Rural Development and Revenue Departments will jointly scrutinise and reconcile BPL lists as prepared by CAPD and Rural Development Departments, an official spokesman said here today.

Crisis management plan for drought: Govt

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New Delhi, June 27: The government says it has a Crisis Management Plan (CMP) to deal with the drought the country may face in the wake of a delayed monsoon.

The plan, which has been charted out jointly by the agricultural ministry and the Co-operation Drought Management Division, refers to the programme to be pressed into action in the event of a crisis situation to minimise damage to life, property and environment.

Speed-up development work: Chand

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Srinagar, June 27: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand has asked government agencies to speed-up development work, keeping in mind future needs of the state.

“Develop healthy competition and coordination in completion of projects so that not only they get completed within targeted time-frame, but new development projects are also sanctioned from the Centre”, Chand told officers of National Building of Construction Corporation (NBCC), Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and Urban Environment Engineering Department (UEED) during a meet yesterday.

Three killed, two injured in road accident

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Nagercoil, June 27: Three persons, including the retired Deputy Collector of Dindigul, were crushed to death and two others injured when a car in which they were travelling dashed against a bridge near here today.

Police said the deceased were identified as Sumail(58), driver Subramaniam and maid servant Madi(19).

The injured Sujit(19), son of Sumail and another woman were admitted to a hospital here.

—Agencies

Indian markets inch up, Sensex closes 242 points higher

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Mumbai, June 27: Indian equities markets, which were trading in volatile conditions for the most part of the week, finished on a high on Friday, thanks to the strong global cues. A key index moved up 242 points from its previous weekly close.

The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) rose 1.67 percent or 242.75 points over the previous Friday’s close and ended trade at 14,764.64 points.

The broader S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) followed the Sensex, gaining 1.4 percent from its last close to end at 4,376 points.

Bandh in Patiala over death of youth

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Patiala, June 27: Patiala observed a bandh on Friday in protest against the death of a 20-year-old youth in a clash outside a liquor vend on Thursday night.

According to the police, the clash took place at Anardana Chowk area after Kala (20), a resident of Dhakka colony, was attacked by the staff and owner of an ahata adjoining the vend. They objected to his consuming liquor outside the drinking area. Kala was hit with bottles on his head and succumbed to his injuries last night.

Class X examination: many hail Sibal’s plan, but doubts persist

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Pune June 27: While educationists in the city welcomed the suggestion of Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal to do away with the Class X exams as it will reduce the stress on children, the SSC Board officials have raised some doubts over the logistic issues it can bring up.

“The capacity of junior colleges connected to high schools is less in the state and students have to move out to junior colleges attached to senior colleges after Class X. In that case, the students will have to appear for Class X exams,” they said.

for Oct exams with Himmat Shaala

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Pune, June 27: The city witnessed 84.21 per cent of successful candidates in SSC, implying that there are 2,71,721 students who couldn’t manage to get through.

In an initiative to help these students get over their failure and create an optimistic approach towards their future, Maharashtra Education Society (MES) and Ahmednagar Shaharwasiya Mitra Mandal have organised Himmat Shaala, a school where the students will be taught the basic syllabus along with motivational techniques.

Job losses possible at JLR, Tata warns

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London, June 27: Jaguar Land Rover has lost £281m in the 10 months to March, helping its parent company, Tata Motors, to its first loss in eight years and prompting it to warn there could be further job losses at its British subsidiary.

The Indian group, which paid £1.15bn for JLR in March 2008, recorded an annual loss of 15.1 billion rupees (£189m), compared with 21.7 billion rupees profit in the previous year, as the global automotive industry has been devastated by recession.

Stress killed Michael Jackson, says ex-publicist

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Washington, June 27: The stress of the upcoming concerts in London – which would have earned him $50 million to $100 million to get out of debt – killed Michael Jackson, says a former publicist.

The King of Pop, who had earned $750 million, was reportedly in debt between $300 and $500 million when he died Thursday.

He was working hard for his 50-date comeback ‘This Is It’ tour beginning July 13 in London.

Canadian Stuart Backerman, who was Michael Jackson’s close confidante and publicist from 2002 to 2004, told the local Vancouver Sun Friday that stress killed the pop star.

Teenager burnt to death for resisting rape

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Lucknow, June 27: A 15-year-old Dalit girl was burnt to death by two young men after she resisted a rape attempt in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district, police said Saturday.

Pinki, a resident of Kacchigarhi village in Muzaffarnagar, 350 km from state capital Lucknow, was set on fire by her neighbours Pramod and Praveen, in their early 20s, after they failed to rape her Thursday.

The girl received about 70 percent burn injuries and died Friday.

ID cards planned for India’s 1.1 billion

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New Delhi, June 27: India is to embark on an ambitious plan to provide each of its 1.1 billion-plus citizens with a national identity card and has picked an industrialist who helped to spearhead the country’s IT revolution to lead the project.

Nandan Nilekani, the entrepreneur who helped the best-selling author Thomas Friedman to coin the phrase and book title “The world is flat”, was asked by the government to help to create what would be the largest citizens’ database in a democracy. Only China has a larger scheme.

IT raids on Lucknow gutka manufacturer: income worth Rs 18 crore detected

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Lucknow, June 27: The two-day search and seizures by the Income Tax Department on Lucknow-based gutka manufacturer and hotelier Chaurasiya & Sons has detected undisclosed income worth over Rs 18 crore.

The Group runs the Pukar gutka business under the banner of Durga Trading Company. The cash, jewellery and the Fixed-Deposit Receipts seized were estimated to be worth over Rs 7 crore.

Younis asks Pakistani players to revise their IPL contracts

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Lahore, June 27: With the World Twenty20 title on his sleeves, skipper Younis Khan asked his players to renew their contracts with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises, asserting that they deserve more than what they are getting. ”After all, these players are now World champions and highly marketable. There is more value on their performances.

UN troubleshooter discusses Ban visit in Myanmar

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Yangon, June 27: The UN special envoy to Myanmar met the junta’s Foreign Minister as he paves the way for a visit by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expected to focus on the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Ibrahim Gambari met for the second time in his two-day trip with Foreign Minister Nyan Win in the country’s remote administrative capital Naypyidaw before flying to Yangon to round off a low-key visit, Myanmar officials said.

School building roof collapses: 25 labourers injured

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Rajnandgaon, June 27: Twenty five labourers, including 14 women, were injured after being buried under the rubbles of a roof of a private school’s under construction building at this district’s Indamara village, police said today.

About 40 labourers and local villagers were endeavouring to construct the building’s second floor when its centring broke down causing the roof collapse last evening.

Injured were rushed to the district hospital.

Nagpur-resident building contractor was not present at the time of mishap. A case was registered and probe was in progress, police added.

Obama dismisses Ahmadinejad’s apology demand

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Washington, June 27: Toughening his stand on Iran, US President Barack Obama dismissed a demand for apology from his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, saying that the leader should think about his “obligations” towards his people.

“I would suggest that Ahmadinejad think carefully about the obligations to his own people. And he might want to consider looking at the families of those who have been beaten or shot or detained. And that is where I think Ahmadinejad and others need to answer their questions.”

Recipe: Lapsi

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Try this rich and delicious traditional Rajasthani recipe.

Ingredients:
• 1 cup dalia
• 1 tbsp Almonds & Pistachios (chopped)
• 1 ½ cup Sugar or 2 cups Jaggery
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
• 3 cups Water
• 1 cup Ghee

Procedure:
• Heat ghee in a heavy pan and then add dalia to it. Stir and cook till the dalia turns golden and aroma starts to come out.
• In the meantime, melt sugar or jaggery in 1 cup water. Keep it aside.
• Boil and add remaining water to roasted dalia. Stir gently and cook it till the dalia turns soft.

2 drwon in Kashmir waters

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Srinagar, June 27 : A 20-year-old youth drowned while taking a bath in the Dal Lake to beat the searing heat while another boy drowned in river Jehlum.

Official sources said today that Ghulam Murtaza, working in a house boat, was taking a bath when he drowned in the Dal.

However, he was immediately rescued by on lookers and taken to hospital where he was declared brought dead.

In another incident, a minor boy named Abid ahmad Dar was playing with his brother on the bank of river Jehlum at Barsoo when he suddenly slipped and fell into the waters, resulting in his death.