Month: October 2013

CCEA approves scheme to reform state higher education system

by

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs Thursday approved the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a centrally-sponsored scheme (CSS) for reforming the state higher education system.

An official release said RUSA, spread over two plan periods, will aim to for improving access, equity and quality in the state higher education system.

“With over 96 percent of students enrolled in the state higher education system, there is a need for state colleges and universities to be strengthened through strategic central funding and some certain much-needed reforms,” it said.

Indian charged of raping teenage girl in US

by

An Indian, extradited to the US following an Interpol alert for allegedly raping a 14-year-old American girl in 2009, has been charged with rape, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.

Amit Singh, 32, was extradited to the US from India last week and has been arraigned on a grand jury indictment charging him with rape in the first and second degrees, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.

He was remanded by Judge Angelo Delligatti and is due back in court on October 11, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said. He faces 25 years in prison.

If I ever have a child, I wish its a girl: Salman

by

Actor Salmam Khan, who is busy shooting for his film “Jai Ho”, has managed to take out time to create awareness of the “Girl Child, Women Empowerment” programme, and says if he ever has a child, he wishes it should be a girl.

“If I ever have a child.. Insh’allah I will… I wish its a girl. I want a girl child,” Salman told IANS at the press conference of the social cause.

Salman Khan is supporting the cause along with Miss Universe Olivia Culpo and Sanjana Jon who is in India for 10 days for the awareness programme.

Salman asks how can you kill the child even before its birth.

Women spend 18,000 pounds on face products in a lifetime

by

Beauty comes at a price! The average woman in the UK shells out over 18,000 pounds in her lifetime to keep her face glowing, according to a new study.

The study showed women will spend an average of 9,525.91 pounds buying make-up and 8,523.97 pounds on removal products.

Women spend most on moisturisers, closely followed by foundation but face wipes are the most commonly brought item, with women buying, on average, five packs a year.

‘Besharam’ mints over Rs.20 crore on opening day

by

The critics panned Abhinav Singh Kashyap’s “Besharam” as illogical and a movie that “lacks merit”. However, the bad reviews notwithstanding, the film minted Rs.21.56 crore on the opening day.

Co-produced by Himanshu Mehra, Sanjeev Gupta and Reliance Entertainment, the film was made at a budget of Rs.60 crore plus the cost of promotions, marketing and advertising. The film hit 3,600 screens in India and 700 screens overseas when it released Wednesday on Gandhi Jayanti.

For Lalu, jail not a new experience

by

Jail will not be new for former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad, who has spent time, held court, cooked food and virtually run the party and the state government from behind bars in his over four decade-long political career, leaders close to him said here.

“People may not be aware that he had spent more than two years in jail as a student leader in the early 1970s,” said political activist Satya Narain Madan, who has known Lalu Prasad since the popular JP (Jaya Prakash Narayan-led) movement against the Emergency.

Rahul Gandhi will become PM one day: Tharoor

by

Union Minister Shashi Tharoor today said he was optimistic about seeing the Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi becoming the prime minister one day.

“I certainly hope that one day he (Rahul) will,” Tharoor told reporters here replying to a question on whether Gandhi would become Prime Minister as he appeared to be taking all major decisions for the party.

Paswan calls on convicted Lalu

by

Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan along with his son Chirag called on the jailed RJD chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav here today, saying the alliance between the two parties “is unbreakable”.

“Our alliance is unbreakable. We will together fight against communal forces,” Paswan told reporters after meeting Yadav.

To a query, he said his party was interested to fight against communal forces along with the UPA, but it was up to the Congress to decide.

Fernandes exhort youth to be part of crusade against HIV/AIDS

by

Union Minister of Road, Transport and Highways, Oscar Fernandes today exhorted the youths to be a part of the crusade against HIV/AIDS plaguing the country.

“Be a volunteer to spread awareness on HIV and AIDS… If you be a part of the crusade then half of the battle could be won,” Fernandes said while addressing the advocacy rally on HIV/AIDS under the multi-media campaign here this evening.

Talking to others for non-Cong, non-BJP option: Yechury

by

CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury today said here that his party was talking to other like-minded parties to provide a non-Congress and non-BJP alternative in the 2014 general elections.

He said while speaking to reporters at the Centre for Indian Trade Unions office here this evening.

Asked about the five-year-jail term for RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in fodder scam, Yechury said the law had taken its course.

On the controversial ordinance on tainted legislators, he said CPM was opposed to it from the outset, but Congress should explain its change of heart.

Banana Jam

by

Ingredients:

2 kg ripe Bananas (chopped)
4 tbsp Lemon Juice
3 cups Sugar
1 Clove
Cochineal Red Color (as desired)

How to make Banana Jam:

Put banana pieces in a large saucepan and add sufficient water. Cook on medium flame until the chopped bananas get tender. Take the saucepan off the flame.
Strain the cooked banana through a cloth, reserving the liquid.
Mix the liquid with sugar, lemon juice, and clove in the same pan. Allow it to simmer while also stirring continuously on medium flame until thickened. Remove the foam forming on the surface.

Brett Lee backs selectors’ decision to withdraw ‘injured’ Clarke from India tour

by

Former Australian Test fast bowler Brett Lee has said that he believes the selectors were right in withdrawing captain Michael Clarke from Australia’s one-day tour of India to make sure that he is fully fit for the Ashes series, which starts in Brisbane on November 21.

The timing of the India trip has raised eyebrows given England will arrive here more than a week before Australia return from the subcontinent.

Mike Gatting says fighting corruption one of modern cricket’s ‘biggest challenges’

by

Former England captain Mike Gatting has said that fighting corruption is one of the biggest challenges that modern cricket is facing today.

Gatting, who played 79 Tests in before his retirement in 1995 having scored 4,409 runs at an average of 35.55, is also notorious for courting controversy twice, once because of the Shakoor Rana incident in 1987 and then due to his role in the rebel tours of South Africa in 1990.

America’s biggest newspapers slam Republicans over shutdown

by

America’s biggest newspapers have slammed the Republicans for the government shutdown, which would the country millions.

Of the ten most widely-read papers in America, not even a single editorial board thinks that the House GOP caucus was going about things the right way, the Huffington Post reports.

Below are excerpts from a few papers’ editorials:

The Wall Street Journal:

‘We’re not done yet’, al Shabaab says after Kenya mall massacre

by

Terrorist group al Shabaab has reportedly threatened to carry out more attacks after the bloody massacre at Westgate mall attack left 67 people dead and dozens injured

‘We’re not done yet’ was the message that the terror group gave to Kenya.

According to CNN, in the coming days, members of Parliament are expected to grill intelligence officials to find out more about how the attack occurred.

TRS chief K T Rama Rao welcomes Cabinet’s nod to Telangana

by

(ANI): Telangana Rashtra Samithi ( TRS) President K T Rama Rao on Thursday welcomed the Union Cabinet’s approval on the formation of Telangana from the existing state of Andhra Pradesh, and said that there is no problem in having two Telugu speaking states in the country.

We welcome the decision of the Union Cabinet, and we are now waiting for the Telangana Bill to be introduced as soon as possible. This decision has been taken in the nation’s interest and it will be accepted and abided by all leaders,” he told media here today.

Vice President Ansari calls for provision of better medical services to people

by

Vice President M. Hamid Ansari on Thursday said that India has to go a long way in providing better medical services and treatment to the people of the country.

Ansari was addressing a function to conclude the ‘Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of Holy Family Hospital’ here today.

He recalled his first visit to this hospital way back in 1957 when it was a very secluded place out of the city and now it is in the center of the city which proves the foresightedness and vision of it’s founders.

It’s a victory of Telangana people, says deputy CM

by

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha Thursday said the union cabinet’s decision to carve out separate Telangana state is a victory of Telangana people.

Rajanarasimha also described it as the victory of Congress and the victory of truth. He thanked Congress president Sonia Gandhi for keeping her promise to Telangana people.

“She recognized the sacrifices made by people of Telangana… she has done justice. The people of Telangana will always be grateful to her,” he told reporters Thursday night.

Telangana approval is an attempt to woo voters: Jagan Reddy

by

YSR Congress Party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Thursday accused the Union Government of trying to woo voters by approving the formation of Telangana, and demanded the resignation of cabinet members who have ignored and betrayed the state of Andhra Pradesh. “Never in the past have we seen a situation where the Union Government has taken such unilateral decision to woo voters. Infact the whole process of having a national assembly has been ridiculed. This is very unfortunate for us.

TRS chief K T Rama Rao welcomes Cabinet’s nod to Telangana

by

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President K T Rama Rao on Thursday welcomed the Union Cabinet’s approval on the formation of Telangana from the existing state of Andhra Pradesh, and said that there is no problem in having two Telugu speaking states in the country. We welcome the decision of the Union Cabinet, and we are now waiting for the Telangana Bill to be introduced as soon as possible. This decision has been taken in the nation’s interest and it will be accepted and abided by all leaders,” he told media here today.

DU student’s video footage clicked in toilet

by

A Delhi University (DU) student allegedly made video footage of a 25-year-old MSc student Thursday with his mobile phone when she was in the toilet, said police.

The victim, who is in the final year of her MSc in Chemistry, filed a complaint with north Delhi’s Maurice Nagar police station claiming that a college students shot a video of her when she was in toilet.

The victim, in her complaint, said the student fled from the spot when she raised alarm after seeing him.

Fodder scam: Sir, I am innocent, pleads Lalu Prasad

by

Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, who was sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs five lakh in a 17-year-old fodder scam case, on Thursday claimed that he was falsely implicated.

“Sir, I am innocent. I have been falsely framed in the case,” a subdued Prasad pleaded during a video conference from the Birsa Munda Central Jail to Special CBI Judge Pravas Kumar Singh, who pronounced the quantum of sentence for 37 of the 45 convicts.

The video conferencing was held on security grounds, a court official said.

BJP expecting Lok Sabha polls to be announced ‘anytime’: Venkaiah Naidu

by

The BJP was expecting the Lok Sabha polls to be announced ‘anytime now’, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said on Thursday.

“We are expecting that the Lok Sabha polls could be announced anytime now. If it is held in December, we have 100 days, and if in March then 150 days,” Naidu told a press conference here after addressing party workers.

The BJP campaign committee had decided to expedite the election campaign process across the country. “A total of 100 rallies will be held across the country,” he said.

Jaitley letter to PM a political anticipatory bail plea: BJP

by

Congress on Thursday ridiculed as “political anticipatory bail application” BJP leader Arun Jaitley’s letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh alleging that the government was misusing investigating agencies like CBI, IB and NIA to settle scores with BJP and Narendra Modi.

“Do agree with a Twitter friend that Mr Jaitley’s complain of CBI to PM and not CJI is actually a Political Anticipatory Bail Application,” party general secretary Shakeel Ahmed tweeted.