Budget `08: Little for the IT industry

The last budget of the present Government was expected to be populist and short of any significant growth agenda and it did not belie those expectations.

With one eye firmly on the vote banks, the Finance Minister's whopping farmer loan write-offs and absence of any intent towards boosting industrial investments left many analysts cold! The "conscious shift in expenditure" towards health, education and the rural sector were all on expected lines and will serve to make our society more inclusive but many concerns persist.

There are many good initiatives that will have medium-term positive impact on businesses. Substantial outlays in Education with more IITs and Central universities announced will boost the availability of talent and hopefully elevate the levels of research which are abysmal at present. The focus on vocational education if implemented well in conjunction with the ITI schemes will alleviate the paucity of skilled manpower that is plaguing most of the growth sectors. And the significant albeit small investments in State Wide Area Networks and institutional connectivity will boost domestic and government consumption of IT products and services.

In the tax proposals, the two per cent reduction in the CENVAT rate and the reduction in excise duties in specific sectors are all steps in the right direction. New services under the tax net particularly customised software development is, however, not good news, and while some relief in personal tax is welcome, the lack of any movement in corporate tax is not good for industry.

Though there has been some tinkering with FBT on certain employee benefits, there have been absolutely no proposals for stimulating and sustaining growth in export sectors. Much more was expected here to ward off international competition and keep their smaller companies alive!

Other than these, very few of the IT sector's needs have been addressed. Least of all, the Damocles sword in the form of STPI benefits, will this see a scurry of companies to expensive SEZ options.

Will the industry continue to live with the anomalies on input services tax for the exports industry, FBT on ESOPs and transfer pricing issues for captive centres that are plaguing many companies today? We will need a detailed analysis of the fine print to get answers to this but the current mood is not one of optimism, particularly for small firms and the BPO sector.

Succour to the downtrodden is the hallmark of good governance, said the FM. But, let us hope this does not remain the hallmark of election year politics! A lot can still be done to ensure that the IT and BPO sector remains competitive and will enjoy the fruits of education and skills initiatives announced in the Budget.

Let us hope that during a year which will be tough for many sectors, particularly exports, there will be efforts taken to push a "flat" sentiment to a more positive one.

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Indian man stands on one foot to win car, place in record book

A contest sponsored by an Indian radio station asked participants to literally bond with their cars to win a new Hyundai i10. A slate of 24 contestants, rigorously screened through medical tests and counselling sessions, competed for the prize by standing on one foot while placing a palm on the vehicle. They had 10-minute breaks after the completion of each gruelling hour. The contest, known as Chipak ke Jeeto (Stick and Win), was billed as the "biggest endurance test of all times" by organizer BIG 92.7 FM. Contests were hosted simultaneously in several Indian cities with the winner of each event driving home in a new car. The three-day nail-biter concluded at 72 hours and 50 minutes as Raj Dongre of Mumbai grabbed the keys to the final prize vehicle and was entered into the Limca Book of Records, published by Coca-Cola India.

National Post

Vanishing People

MUMBAI: More than 11,000 people get lost in Mumbai every year, reveal police statistics, and around 20% of them are never found. The figures thrown up by government officials are alarming. The fact that more than 2,000 people never get back home every year means that each day around six Mumbaikars are lost to their families and friends for ever. An overwhelming majority—about two-thirds—of the people who go missing in Mumbai are, surprisingly, adults. Sociologists who deal with the problem say most of the people who leave home do so because of some strained relationship within the family or because they are mentally unstable; this accounts for so many adults in the missing population. Figures for 2007 show 11,168 people went missing in 2007 and 9,055 (some went missing before 2007) came back. And, of the 11,168 men, women and children who went missing last year, Bada Kabrastan alone received around 1,100 unclaimed bodies that seemed to have belonged to Muslims. Rights experts allege that cops rarely make an effort to tie up a missing-person information with an unclaimed body. But senior police officials say the fact that an overwhelming majority of people ultimately come back to their families shows that the force is doing its job properly. Joint commissioner of police (crime) Rakesh Maria said it was extremely difficult to trace people who left home on their own. "Some may leave home after a fight in the family, children often sulk and go missing if they are scolded and elopement of girls and boys in love is a frequent occurrence. All these cases are extremely difficult to trace," he added. The Missing Persons' Bureau (MBP) recently started sending e-mail messages, with details of missing persons, to other investigating agencies in the state and outside so that missing people could be traced faster, officials added. But sociologists say police can claim credit for very few of the lost-and-found cases. "It is mostly a network of family and friends or voluntary group or good Samaritans who are responsible for reunions," a sociologist said.

Times of India

Catch a monkey and win a price

Shimla: Catching a monkey in Himachal Pradesh would soon a become rewarding endeavour as wildlife officials here are thinking of involving the public and giving them a cash prize for catching the menacing simians.
"We are preparing a proposal to involve people in capturing monkeys by offering them monetary benefits," said Vinay Tandon, chief of the state wildlife department.
The proposal, if accepted by the government, will be introduced in monkey-infested zones. The captured animals will be shifted to primate protection centres that are to be set up in Shimla and Naduan in Hamirpur district.
Officials said Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had asked the wildlife department to prepare a proposal to catch monkeys and shift them to these primate protection parks.
The department is likely to offer Rs.400 for catching a monkey, the officials said. However, it isn't clear if there is a plan to train people to do so.
The state government is already carrying out monkey sterilisations in and around Shimla for the past one year. But of the 30,000 monkeys in the hill state, only 1,000 have been sterilised so far.
In the past, the government had captured monkeys with the help of experts from urban centres and shifted them to rural areas. This had angered villagers and farmers as the horses of simians had damaged standing crops. (IANS)

Samachaar

Rags to riches story of an Indian Thief

Nadeem liked to splurge, mostly in hotels and casinos of Goa (Agencies Photo)
NEW DELHI: From herding cattle to gambling in tony Goa casinos, most wanted thief Nadeem Yousuf's is the proverbial rags to riches story. Born in a family of several children in a Ghaziabad village, Nadeem had to herd cattles for survival as a teenager but went on to become a master thief, rivalled perhaps only by the legendary Bunty chor. The investigations after his arrest by the crime branch earlier this week has left even the cops stunned. He has been found involved in more than 70 cases of burglaries reported not just from Ghaziabad and East Delhi but also north, south and southwest Delhi. While Bunty was more in-your-face, a master trickster, Nadeem was the quintessential thief who quietly went about the task of breaking into flats, while the owners were away, with help from his wife Shahana and brother-in-law Raees. These two were also arrested and there was no other member of the gang. Unlike Bunty, who came from a relatively urban background, Nadeem went to a government school and dropped out when he was in class V. Neither his father in Hapur's Bhojpur village could afford his education, nor he displayed any propensity towards books. In the village though, he learnt the art of using 'farmabardar' (a kind of iron rod), a house breaking implement much in demand among burglars all over north India. Nadeem used it to great effect and amassed a fortune — gold and diamond jewellery worth more than Rs 30 lakh, cars like Ikon, Honda City, Santro and two flats in Ghaziabad which he bought from stolen cash. The 33-year-old who couldn't afford a kurta now loved to flaunt Puma and Lacoste. He liked to splurge, mostly in hotels and casinos of Goa, but remained intensely devoted to his wife, according to the police. The cops have also learnt that he once spent Rs 4 lakh for a cabaret performance in Mumbai. As hard as he partied and lived life to the full, Nadeem never chased girls though, which perhaps explains the excellent relations he enjoyed with his wife. Shahana later told the police that she was proud of being Nadeem's wife. Police officers said that back home in Bhojpur, which has actually earned notoriety for producing burglars, Nadeem is looked upon as a hero for making it big. Nadeem's father was a fruit seller in Sahibabad. His first brush with crime was in 1995 when he stole cattle from a neighbouring village with help from his friend Saleem. He was arrested many times and sent to judicial custody. In the year 1999, he was caught in an attempt to murder case in his village. He later joined a gang headed by notorious criminal Arif. He was apprehended four times in Delhi. He was last released from jail in January 2007 on bail and he never turned up in court to face trial. On the contrary, he formed his own gang with only Shahana and Raees as members. In the next six months, he purchased a Maruti 800, Ford Ikon, Santro and Honda City cars. He used these cars to strike in posh colonies like Vasant Kunj, Vasant Vihar and in Noida.

Times of India

India's finest moments in 2007

Twenty20 World triumph
Dhoni-led Team India sans big names in the shape of Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid and Zaheer went into the event as rank outsiders after their dismal show in the preceding ICC World Cup in Carib. However the well-knit young turks had other plans for they played with a purpose before embarking on the inaugural T20 World Title. India saw off their arch rivals in the fiercely contested final at the Wanderers, Joburg by 5 runs. This victory was good for Indian cricket in many ways More...
India end 27-yr drought against Pakistan
Kumble, the skipper led India to jinx-breaking home series win against Pak 1-0. It was India's first Test series triumph against its traditional rivals at home in more than two decades--the last success came in 1980 under Sunil Gavaskar. Hosts completely dominated the injury-plagued Pakistanis in all departments in the three-game series. Hosts won the first Test at Kotla by six wickets while the second and third at Kolkata and Bangalore on lifeless strips petered out to a draw. More...
India halt English-jinx
Rahul Dravid-led India, with an ad-hoc support staff, managed a rare and creditable series win in England. After a 21 years long wait, India emulated Kapil's bunch who did it in1986. This victory certainly helped India salvage pride after World Cup debacle. India managed to draw the first of three-Test series at Lord's. Thanks to stubborn Dhoni (76* off 159), who held his innings at one end in the second essay to save his side the blushes. This one big effort boosted Indian morale going into second Test. More...
Dada's resurgence
Sourav Ganguly's comeback to Indian Cricket after the shabby treatment inflicted on him by board and media is the stuff of fairy tales. Ganguly made a came back into the Indian team exactly after nine months for South African Safari in Dec 2006-Jan2007 - four Tests and six ODIs. However his arrival wasn't marked by joy or euphoria but it was greeted with skepticism and cynical laughs: India was going thro' a lean patch having suffered a ODI series defeat against Australia in a neutral venue and followed it up with a shoddy display More...
Zaheer bounces back
Zaheer's comeback into Team India squad is a miracle of sorts. The 28-year-old left-arm seamer was dropped after a string of an inconsistent performances and nagging injuries in early quarter of 2006. However he worked his way into the Team India with an amazing 76-wicket haul for Worcesters in county cricket. He was drafted into South Africa-bound India squad in Dec 2006 after a 10-month lay-off. Zaheer sticked to an off-stump line and hardly erred in length and reaped rich harvests during SA Safari. More...
Brutal Yuvi
Yuvraj wrecked havoc on Stuart little Broad carting him for six sixes in an over after having spurred by comments made by Freddie Flint just before that fateful over. Yuvi hit baby Broad all over the park from backward point to extra covers to long-on to mid-wicket to square-leg oops.. There can never have been a more eloquent bat than Yuvraj's. It certainly drew admiration from the defeated England captain, Paul Collingwood. "The best striking I've ever seen," he declared. In the post-match press meeting, Yuvraj modestly played down the comparison with Sir Garfield Sobers. More...
Tendlya back in business
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the demi-god in this part of world, is back in business scoring a bucketful of runs this calendar year after a stop-start season last year. He was out of action for over four months last year due to tennis elbow and made a return in the latter half of the year for Lankan tri-series. Tendlya failed to deliver in Lankan series and the subsequent ICC Champions Trophy spurring a nation-wide debate--has age finally caught up with him. More...
VVS does it again
The middle-order batting mainstay of Team India VVS stood up and delivered the goods when it was needed most-the hallmark of true champion. After a quite season last year he cemented his place in Test squad with a series of fine match-saving and at times match-winning knocks in South Africa tour late last year and subsequent tours-England (away) and Pakistan (home). He anchored India innings and often saved his side from the jaws of humiliation. More...
Young Turks...
A new crop of players enriching Indian cricket. These young, talented, audacious and fearless cricketers have given the selectors a 'happy headache' in picking up the squads. T20 World triumph proved Team India's healthy bench strength. It is for the first time our selectors are facing a problem of plenty in both batting and bowling departments. In batting: we have Rohit Sharma, a strokemaker is a revelation in T20 World Cup. More...
Jumbo gets his due
Finally Anil Kumble the warrior was given his due though a belated one when he was appointed as Team India Test captain. However the gentle giant vindicated selectors decision leading his side to a clinical win against Pak in Test series. We had a glimpse of this master tactician in his debut match as captain in Kotla Test against Pak when he used Ganguly in sporadic spells which yielded the results. Dada with his military medium pace and a stump to stump line with a slight away movement just enough to troble right-handers. More...

Thats Cricket

The Indian Nanotechnology Enigma

India’s Economic Times have just reported on research that indicates that India’s nanotechnology spending is below global levels.

The operative word here is “Spending”. It seems they allocate the money they just can’t get around to spending it.

This is particularly perplexing given that the current president of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, is a great proponent of nanotechnology.

This lack of spending prompted the president to note in January of this year that "more than 20 per cent of the funds [for science spending] had remained under-utilised during 2005–2006," as reported in the Indian newspaper, The Hindu.

While the original article in the Hindu is no longer available online, TNTLog has a crucial quote from the piece:

"One may be tempted to ask what prompted the President to make such a remark now. It is quite likely that, having looked at the 2005-06 expenditure figures, he must have discovered, to his utter despair, that the Rs.200 crores allocated for the national Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Mission (Nano Mission), of which he was the prime moving force, had to be surrendered entirely unspent. The total amount unspent by the DST is 14.68 per cent of the total allocation in the 2005-06 budget, and the Nano Mission alone accounts for 12 per cent."

From an outside perspective it appears to be just bureaucracy gone awry.

India has an annual production of engineering graduates five times higher than the United States, and industries from textiles to automotive already taking advantage of nanotechnologies for both domestic and export markets. It has the scientists, the industries that can exploit nanotechnologies, and even the allocated funds for research—they just can’t spend it. A real headshaker.

As previously noted on this blog, there is a lot of concern among Western nations that the rest of the world—primarily Asia—is leaving the West behind in the nanotechnology race. Maybe this news will allay some of those fears.

Spectrum Online

Save the Indian Tiger

Royal Grace: The Tiger is the spirit of the Indian jungle, the symbol of India's wilderness-one we are pledged to preserve. Their dwindling numbers have given environmentalists around the world enough reason to panic.But given the enormous public support, the cause of the wild tiger is not a lost one.

Click here to enter your email and join the campaign to save the Indian tiger

Raj Thackeray arrested and out on bail already

Live report from all the Indian news channels are reporting that Raj Thackeray is already released on bail. He was arrested and released all in a blink of an eye for a mere surety bail amount of Rs15,000. Huge crowds and supporters of Raj Thackeray with tight police protection is seen leaving the court at climbing into the car. Probably on his way to plan his next move. I wonder what that would be. Can you believe?

Source: NDTV

American girl molested in Santiniketan

Santiniketan (West Bengal): An American girl student was allegedly molested in the Visva Bharati University campus here, police sources said on Tuesday.

The girl, a member of a 10-member student excursion team, was visiting the Kalo Bari (Black House) near Sangeet Bhawan in the campus on Monday when a miscreant tried to molest her, the sources said.
She and others immediately shouted for help which drew the attention of the security staff of the university who caught the miscreant and handed him to police.
The girl and other members of the foreign students team of eight girls and two boys had come to Santiniketan on an educational tour guided by a Kolkata-based organisation.
An official of the organisation later lodged a complaint of molestation with the police.
Superintendent of police of Birbhum L N Meena said the miscreant, identified as Sunny Mishra, was to some extent mentally retarded.
He said police had taken immediate action and talked to the foreign students and their guide.
University registrar Manimukt Mitra said, "We should not describe the incident as a result of security lapse. The security staff caught the miscreant immediately after he committed the crime.”

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Depression: Desire to fit in haunt singles on V-Day

New Delhi: Sneha Kumar, a 21-year-old college student, is single. She has friends but feels depressed in their company nowadays as their only point of discussion is 'plans for Valentine's Day'.
And in order not to feel left out, she is desperately seeking a valentine.
Psychology experts in India believe that youngsters nowadays only pretend to be in love so as to be able to say 'I have a valentine". Those who cannot fit in, end up with bouts of depression.
"It is not as if people are falling in love and so they are celebrating Valentine's Day; but because they want to celebrate the day, they pretend to fall in love," Sanjay Chugh, leading psychiatrist and founder chairman of the International Institute of Mental Health, told IANS.
Valentine's Day Gifts to make her squeal
Experts feel that media and peer pressure are two factors responsible for inducing a sense of emptiness within a person for not having a girlfriend or boyfriend.

"Those who are swayed by the media and peer pressure feel empty within, leading to depression at times. I think what one should seek is a stable relationship and not just for one particular day," said Samir Parikh, chief of the mental health and behavioural science department, Max Healthcare.
Chugh echoed his opinion. "It is like wherever you see the crowd, join it!"
He pointed out that Indians for long were not even aware of such a day or its significance. But ever since it got floated as a concept and got promoted endlessly, it caught everyone's fancy.
"Increased exposure leads to greater acceptability. So the more people got exposed to the concept of Valentine's Day, the more they accepted it till it finally became a religion to them," Chugh told IANS.
"I need to be with someone else or I will be the odd one out", "People will laugh at me and call me a loser" and "If I don't have someone in my life, it means there is something wrong with me" are some of the thoughts that can cloud a person's mind in the run-up to Valentine's Day.
"Feeling empty merely because of one day is not how one should react. The day should be spent like any other day with work and family. Also, if there is sustained need for a partner then one needs to focus on it - not because it's a (special) day but because it is an emotional need," Parikh explained.
The problem escalates in the case of people who already have problems with their self-image, moods or relationships, Chugh said.
He stressed that sitting alone, sulking and thinking about the fun others must be having will only make one more miserable.
"If they enjoy the day with family or friends, it will allow them to be more positive and confident about their own situation," he suggested.

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Kidney kingpin's connections under scanner

With the CBI having gained custody of kidney racket kingpin Amit Kumar till February 22, the focus is on the connections that he claims to have, including a list of bureaucrats.The investigating agency will also be looking for more detail on the list of donors and recipients as well as investigating the doctor's foreign connections.The CBI will also look for evidence about the connections with the underworld and Bollywood.

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New Species of Lizard found in India

Satara: A distinctive new species of ground-dwelling lizard (gecko) of the genus Hemidactylus is described from the plateaus of the Satara district in Maharashtra, India.

It’s a member of a group of chiefly terrestrial Indian Hemidactylus species that have undivided, or only partly divided subdigital lamellae. This new species has been discovered by Mr. Varad B. Giri of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Mumbai and Dr Aaron M. Bauer of Villanova University, USA.

At present this species is only known from the type locality, which lies in the south-central part of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. This region is unique in the presence of large laterite or basaltic plateaus on the crests of mountains. Mostly semi-evergreen forest characterises the valley vegetation.

Most of the plateaus support sparse vegetation, which is mostly evident in monsoon and in summer they look barren. Apart from their unique ecological features, these plateaus have a unique floral and faunal diversity.

The northern Western Ghats, especially the parts in Maharashtra, are relatively unexplored and there is little information regarding the amphibians and reptiles of this region.

In the last four years three new species of amphibians have been discovered from Maharashtra. All these new discoveries were the result of localised surveys with moderate search efforts. With intensive and systematic surveys it will be possible to further increase our knowledge of reptiles of the northern Western Ghats.

In Maharashtra, there are excellent examples of the highly diverse and intact Western Ghats forests, but in the Satara district the forest is more fragmented and is increasingly degraded by human exploitation.

Though herpetologically unexplored, the occurrence of a new ground dwelling Hemidactylus highlights the uniqueness of this region. As this area has large expanses of plateaus, efforts are now being made to confirm the occurrence of this species from other likely areas.

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Central forces rushed to Maharashtra

With violence spreading to new areas in Maharashtra following the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's (MNS) campaign against north Indians, additional central paramilitary forces were rushed to the state to control the situation on Tuesday.

''The Home Ministry is providing central forces to the state government as requested by it. Rapid Action Force (RAF) units are already positioned in Mumbai,'' a senior MHA official said.

He said the Centre was in ''close and continuous touch'' with the state government.

The Home Ministry has advised Maharashtra to make all necessary arrangements to ensure that peace is maintained all over the state and activities of mischief-mongers are effectively checked, he added.

Violence spread to Nashik where MNS activists attacked fruit vendors hailing from north India. Reports said that Pune, Aurangabad, Nanded, Latur and Amravati too witnessed some trouble.

State-run buses were targeted by the rioters in Pune as eight buses were stoned in three separate places in the city.

In Nashik, 25 MNS activists, including two municipal corporators, were rounded up following attacks on fruit-vendors and pelting of stones.

MNS corporators Sunanda Kharote from Ward No 34 and Vijay Ovhal from Ward No 37, were taken into custody, party corporator Pratap Mehrolia said.

Vehicles were also attacked in Amravati as state transport buses were stoned on the Amravati-Badnera road.

In the line of fire

As a fallout of the vicious campaign by MNS chief Raj Thackeray, north Indians have begun to leave the town. Nashik Police Commissioner S M Saiyad has denied these reports.

Meanwhile, Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh said that the Centre should intervene in the Maharashtra issue. The Centre so far has taken no initiative to curb the ongoing spate of violence in the state.

MNS leader Raj Thackeray, the man who started it all, is poised to be arrested along with Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi.

Fearing major eruptions, the state government is keeping a close eye on the law and order situation in the state.

Earlier in the day, a senior police officer visited the area around Raj Thackeray's house to supervise security arrangements. There's been a similar buildup at Abu Azmi's residence in the Colaba area. The MNS chief and Abu Azmi were both charged by the police for inciting violence.

Speaking to NDTV, Abu Azmi said that there would be no riots even if he were arrested, as he has told his party workers to maintain calm. (With PTI inputs)

Aviation fuel cut

Andrapadesh goverment plans to cut sales tax on aviantion fuel. The goverment has decided to cut the turbine fuel from 33% to only 4% just after the annuncement of the biggest airport in India is about to open in Hyderabad.

News from NDTV

Tiger count declining

The latest census count of the Indian tigers in the wild have fallen. It is now almost 50% less tigers in India right now. Standing at 1411 tigers, it is down from the previous count of 3

News from NDTV

Raj Thackeray likely to be arrested today

Mumbai, Feb 12 (ANI): Mumbai police is likely to arrest Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray today for allegedly disturbing harmony among different communities in the city.
The Mumbai Police had lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against Raj on Monday.
The FIR was registered at Vikroli police station. Raj is booked under non-bailable Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for inciting voilence in the city.
Mumbai was rocked by voilence on Februaury 3 when Raj had outraged people from Bihar by calling the Chhat festival a ‘drama’.
The Raj Thackeray-led MNS has been targeting north Indian migrants living in the metropolis and taken objection to celebrations like Chhat puja and Uttar Pradesh Diwas in Maharashtra.
He also criticised film star Amitabh Bachchan, calling him an out and out regionalist, for favouring Uttar Pradesh over Maharashtra. He scathingly referred to West Bengal ’s Communists as non-liberal and unsecular.
He criticised English and Hindi language journalists while addressing a press conference, for reporting in a biased manner on his activities over the last few days on Saturday.
Barring both English and Hindi language journalists from a “Marathi only” press conference, Raj appeared more obstinate than ever on his insistence that those wanting to live in Maharashtra should adopt the ways of Maharashtrians.
Earlier, violence had rocked Maharashtra as the Samajwadi Party (SP), which is largely based in Uttar Pradesh, took out a rally despite the threat of disruption by Thackeray. (ANI)

Kidney kingpin adds twist in probe

In a new twist to the kidney transplant racket, CBI sources say that Dr Amit Kumar has said he was running a clinic in Noida in a house owned by a senior UP bureaucrat, who is close to Chief Minister Mayawati.

However, sources in the UP government deny any wrongdoing by the bureaucrat. They say he does own the house but that it was on rent.

They say the house was rented out by a couple first and then a company, but did not have a clinic.

''We are going to establish the entire network,'' said G Mohanty, spokesperson, CBI.

Meanwhile, the CBI today got custody of Dr Kumar till February 22. He will have to be produced before a special CBI court in Ambala on the same day.

On Sunday he was produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at his residence instead of an open court. Media was not allowed in. So nobody has an idea what transpired during the hearing.

The CBI says it's going to be a lengthy interrogation. Dr Kumar may be taken to other cities in India where he allegedly carried out illegal kidney transplants.

He will also be questioned about the claims made by his business associate Dr Upendra, who was arrested on January 24 from Dr Kumar's clinic in Gurgaon.

Dr Upendra had said that Dr Kumar had connections in the underworld, Bollywood and among politicians and bureaucrats.

The last fortnight has made it clear that the kidney racket in not limited to a place or a state, and with Dr Kumar in their custody, the CBI has its work cut out.

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Indians dissatisfied with Gulf jobs, want change

DUBAI: Rising inflation and weakening of Gulf currencies have taken a toll on the Middle East job market, with majority of Indian and Pakistani workers unhappy with their current jobs and willing to look for a change, a new survey said.

According to the ArabianBsiness.com salary survey released on Sunday, 69 per cent of workers were more likely to quit their jobs this year.

Only 16 per cent of Indian and 13 per cent of Pakistani workers said they were less likely to switch jobs.

The attractiveness of the Gulf region for expatriate workers has taken a hammering over the last two years due to the rising cost of living and weakening of Gulf currencies linked to the declining US dollar.

Inflation surged to record highs across the Gulf last year, registering a rise of 14 per cent in Qatar, 7.6 per cent in Oman, 6.2 per cent in Kuwait, 6 per cent in Saudi Arabia, 4.9 per cent in Bahrain and 9.3 per cent in the UAE.

The businesses in Gulf countries, where the number of Indian workers is estimated to between four and six million, face a tough year ahead in retaining staff with majority of the workers expressing willingness to quit their jobs this year, the survey said.

Data from the annual survey shows a sharp decline in job loyalty across the Gulf states. In Saudi Arabia, 69 per cent were planning a job change while in the UAE the figure stood at 68 per cent.

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Display 'No Smoking' board or pay fine

NEW DELHI: Display "No Smoking" board in front of your restaurant or guest house or be ready to face policemen knocking your doors asking you to pay a fine of up to Rs 500.

The Delhi Police have issued a warning to commercial establishments to display "No Smoking Area: Smoking here is an Offence" board at their entrance and other prominent areas in the building.

"It is mandatory for the owners to display this signboard in the premises or otherwise they will have to face the punishment prescribed in the law," a senior police official said.

The warning to eating houses, restaurants, hotels, guest houses and cinema halls operating in the national capital was issued under the provisions of Delhi Prohibition of Smoking and Non-Smokers Health Protection Act of 1996.

According to Section ten of the Act, the owner or manager or in-charge of affairs of every place of public work or use shall display and exhibit a board at a conspicuous place or places in and outside the premises visited or used by general public prominently stating that the place is a "No Smoking Zone" and that "Smoking is an Offence".

Any person, who contravenes the provision shall be punished with a fine which may extend to Rs 100 and in case of second or subsequent offence, shall be slapped with a minimum fine of Rs 200, but which may extend up to Rs 500.

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We aren't married: Saif, Bebo

Saif Ali Khanhas rubbished the reports of his marriage with Kareena Kapoor though he maintains that he'll definitely going to get married to Bebo but not before three or four years.

According to initial reports nikaah ceremony took place at Saif's residence in Bandra. It was also said that Khan family witnessed the ceremony but Kapoor family kept away.

Saif cleared the air by saying, 'Right now we have our careers to look out for. I’m worried such rumours will affect Kareena’s career. At this juncture the last thing she needs is to have people eagerly marrying her off.

The fact is, yes, we are seriously involved, and the relationship will come to a logical conclusion like marriage. But when it does, we’ll announce it properly.'

Meanwhile, Kareena has not taken kindly to the reports on their alleged marriage. 'What nonsense,' she exclaimed yesterday, 'there is no truth to it. We are not married and there’s no immediate plan. I can’t throw away my career, which is equally important, just like that.'

Saif and Kareena have been going steady for quite some time now. They fell in love while shooting for their film Tashan. Kareena dumped his long time boyfriend Shahid Kapoor and fell for Saif, who was hungry for love after his breakup with Rozza. The couple has been in the news ever since.

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Katrina:No valentine with Sallu

Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif, who gave a string of hits last year but couldn't manage to earn a single nomination in the best actress category in any of the major awards, says she is unfazed as long as her fans are happy with her work.

How unfair can life be? I wasn't even nominated for the best actress category,' quipped Katrina and added: 'however, in the STAR Gold's Idea Sabsey Favourite Kaun 2008 awards, my fans voted me their Sabsey Favourite Heroine.'

'If my audience and fans appreciate my work and are with me, what else I can ask for?' said the actress, who was in the capital on Friday to launch Mayar Group's a+ MediSpa, a medical spa.

She forayed in filmdom with 'Boom' and after about a dozen flops, the ice maiden struck gold with four blockbusters - 'Namastey London', 'Apne', 'Partner' and 'Welcome'.

Currently busy shooting for 'Race', 'Main Yuvraj' and Siddharth Anand's yet-to-be titled film, how does the busy bee unwind herself?

'Take off the costume and make-up as soon as the shoot is over! And get a spa treatment. It is extremely relaxing. Unfortunately, the kind of lifestyle and schedule we have, we hardly get time,' says the actress.

'Not only actors, but I have seen a lot of directors and journalists with skin problems and believe me, all that can be cured by a spa treatment,' she claimed.

The actress also said very few people know the difference between being fit and healthy.

'It is not only important to be fit and look good; one must feel good from inside and that can happen only if you are healthy.

For instance, our cooks put a lot of oil in our food, which increases the cholesterol level and is bad for health. How many of us are aware of it and take care,' the actress says.

'Hence, in an industry where we use a lot of make-up and a fast moving world it is extremely important to take care of the skin and health. Do pamper yourself,' stressed Katrina.

Commenting on her Valentines Day plans she said: 'I would be in Las Vegas on V-Day. I am going there to attend an Indian cultural festival.'

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Margao police bust sex racket, five arrested

MARGAO, FEB 10 — In a major operation, the Margao police has busted a sex racket at Fradilem in Navelim and arrested five persons, including three main accused and two customers.
Three call girls, who were found at the premises when the raid took place on late Saturday night, are being treated as victims and have been sent to Shelter Home, Merces.
These three girls, aged between 19-20 years, were procured by the main accused for the purpose of prostitution. Two of the girls were hailing from Velsao and Panchwadi, while one is believed to be a native of Karnataka.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of Margao police station headed by PI Santosh Dessai raided a residential house belonging to a woman, Savita Lingudkar — located around 100-meter away from the Chapel and found the three girls, two customers and the accused inside.
Besides arresting the woman, two others, who were reportedly operating as pimps, were taken into custody along with the two customers.
All the five accused have been remanded to five days police custody by a local court here today.
PI Dessai said they acted on concrete information that the residential house was being allegedly used as a brothel since the last three months. “Our interrogations are progressing in a satisfactory manner. More arrests are likely”, he added.
He said the accused have been arrested under section 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 of the Immoral Traffic Act, adding that the accused have also been charged for conducting the activity within 100-meter from the Chapel.

Cases registered against Raj Thackeray, Azmi

Mumbai, Feb 11 (UNI) The city police today registered a case against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Abu Asim Azmi for inciting violence. Deputy Commissioner of Police Dattatraya Karale told UNI over phone that a case was registered against Raj Thackeray at the Vikhroli police station while a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Abu Asim Azmi at Shivaji Park police station. Mr Karale said the two leaders have been booked under sections 153, 153(a) and 153(b) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The action was initated after the approval of the Home Department in this regard. Both the leaders had allegedly made inflammatory speeches during the last week which had led to rioting in the city. Mr Azmi had allegedly said that nearly 20,000 people will be brought into Maharashtra from Uttar Pradesh and will be distributed ''Lathis''.

Kim on Virgin Islands

Kim Sharma (TOI Photo) More pics

Before we get the adrenaline rushing, let us clarify what we mean by ‘virgin way’.



Apparently, actress Kim Sharma is headed to the Virgin Islands of the Philippines. And is packing her bags with all the beachwear that she can fit in. But this is no pleasure trip. The beach-girl is headed there for a shooting schedule of the film Loot. Supposed to be an action-packed flick, Kim still believes that she has enough and more to do in the film, and that the scope to perform is ample. “I’m not going to be just a show-piece,” she promises. Never mind show-piece or not, the junta wants to know more about the two-piece, Kimmie!





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India's girl with 8 limbs

Laxmi Tatma was born in a poor family in a small village in (India) Bihar’s Araria District. Lakshmi has two bodies fused at the spine and sharing a circulation. One body is complete, with a near-perfect set of internal organs. The other is a "parasitical twin". The Indian toddler was born on the celebration day of the four-armed Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity after whom she is named.

Lakshmi is the four armed goddess of prosperity, and that's what they named her.

Dr Sharan Patil, the orthopaedic surgeon at Sparsh hospital, which is part of Narayana Health City, told reporters that the first incision was made at 8.45am. "There were a few unexpected things but we were able to manoeuvre them satisfactorily. Things are progressing to our satisfaction and Lakshmi is stable," he said.

Doctors began operating Tuesday on a 2-year-old girl born with four arms and four legs in an extensive surgery that they hope will leave the girl with a normal body, a hospital official said.

Thirty doctors are beginning a marathon surgery to try to give the girl a normal body, and say she has an 80% chance of survival. Let see an video broadcast by guardian.co.uk

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India's Vast Languages

Here is an interesting site with a list of India's diverse language. It tell you the history behind each language and how the script looks like.

Click here to go to the site

Indian History on the Net

This must be the most resourceful site on Indian History. It has detailed report starting from the Indus Valley civilization to detailed notes on the people of India.

Click here to go to the site

Indian Answers - Indeed Great !!

Most of us who lived outside have been through one of these. The next

time you get asked an annoying Indian question, answer it like this...

Q. What does that red dot on women's forehead mean?
A. Well, in ancient times, Indian men used to practice archery by
aiming at their wife's red dot. In fact, that is one of the reasons
why they had many wives. You see, once they mastered the art and hit
the target....

Q. You're from India, aren't you? I have read so much about the
country. All the wonderful places, the forests, the snake charmers,
the elephants. Do you still use elephants for transportation?
[note: This one we were actually asked in August '93 by a real estate
agent when house-hunting in Boston.]
A. Absolutely. In fact we used to have our own elephant in our house.
But later, we started elephant-pooling with our neighbors, to save the
air. You see elephants have an "emissions" problem.....

Q. Does India have cars?
A. No. We ride elephants to work. The government is trying to
encourage ride-sharing schemes.

Q. Does India have TV?
A. No. We only have cable.

Q. Are all Indians vegetarian?
A. Yes. Even tigers are vegetarian in India.

Q. How come you speak English so well?
A. You see when the British were ruling India,they employed Indians as
servants. It took too long for the Indians to learn English. So the
British isolated an "English-language" gene and infused their
servants' babies with it and since then all babies born are born
speaking English.

A variation of the above ---
"You speak very good English."
Response: Thanks. So do you.

Q. Are you a Hindi?
A. Yes. I am spoken everyday in Northern India.

Q. Do you speak Hindu?
A. Yes, I also speak Jewish, Islam and Christianity.

Q. Is it true that everyone there is very corrupt?
A. Yes, in fact, I had to bribe my parents so that they would let me
go to school.

Q. India is very hot, isn't it?
A. It is so hot there that all the water boils spontaneously. That is
why tea is such a popular drink in India.

Q. Are there any business companies in India?
A. No. All Indians live on the Gandhian prinicples of
self-sufficiency. We all make our own clothes and grow our own food.
That is why you see all these thin skinny Indians -- it is a lot of hard
work.

Q. Indians cannot eat beef, huh?
A. Cows provide milk which is an essential part of our diet. So eating
cows is forbidden. However in order to decrease the population of the
country, the government is trying to encourage everyone to eat human
meat.

Q. India is such a religious place. Do you meditate regularly?
A. Yes, sometimes I meditate for weeks without food and drink. But it
is difficult to keep my job, because I have to miss work when I
meditate like that. But the bosses there do the same thing. That is
why things are so inefficient there.

Q. I saw on TV that people there walk on burning coals. Why do they do
that?
A. We don't have shoes. So we burn the bottom of our feet to make it
hard so that we can walk.

Q. Why do you sometimes wear Indian clothes to work?
A. I prefer it to coming naked.

Q. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving day in India?
A. By roasting an A*******....

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UFO Sighting and Strange Signals reported again in Indian Ocean – sub tectonic experiment?

An old news that i found while surfing, i never knew that India had UFO sightings, have you? Read the following and tell me what you think.

People are again reporting heavy UFO sighting in Nicobar Island, Andaman, India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka coastal areas. The animals in these areas are again showing strange behavior. The fishermen and their families this time are taking these signs seriously and are refusing to move near the ocean. The tribal people of Andaman Nicobar Island have again moved to the high grounds. The sea birds are also showing strange signals.
The UFO sightings happen at night with strange lights. The continuation of tremors of 6 or less Richter scale seems never ending. The ships traveling between India’s mainland and the Andaman-Nocobar Island as well commercial fishermen in Indian Ocean are reporting strange signals as well as jamming of their radio channels.
According to some experts, these are signs of possible experimentation with tectonic plates by some entity. People in Nicobar island complaints something is going on under the ocean – deep underground – many miles below the water surface. The pattern of aftershocks is also strange. Normally on plotting the same they show a gradual decrease in the moving average of Richter scale reported. This time no pattern can be found. After one large aftershock, a considerable time lapses before the next one. It seems someone is controlling the after shocks and making sure plates are not over stressed. Andaman and Nicobar islands has experienced 121 aftershocks between 5.2 and 6.2 Richter scale. The Geologists in India are closely tracking these aftershocks and cannot find a pattern. The only pattern that can be found is a large lapse after a considerable aftershock.A sailor in the Shipping Authority of India Limited who also sailed in transatlantic shipping routes says, this part of the Indian ocean resembles now Bermuda triangle region.In Burmuda triangle part of Atlantic ocean manifest strange behavior and ships as well as aircrafts vanish.But there is a difference. Here the disturbance seems to be coming from the tectonic plate levels.One explanation can be some entity doing underground research with moving plates. It is known that some countries have research projects on creating artificial earthquakes. The other possibility is bizarre. Many in Indian coastal areas now believe that the UFO sighting before the Tsunami had something to do with the Tsunami.

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Ghost stories from India

A Ghost Scared of Yamraj by siddharth
I have heard the stories of ghosts and paranormal experiences of people in older times from my grandmother. But today, no one believes in such things because we are living in the 21st century where such incidents are considered to be a symbol of mockery. But the supernatural happening that occurred ...
Barnstorm Kashmir by Sam
During this summer vacation -- back in Kashmir -- every morning we would get up to hear the latest lowdown about Abdullah, the ghost in our neighbor's newly built home. My sis would religiously narrate the Jinn's slate of activities from the previous day. She would in turn get the dope straight from...
Black Magic by Gujral
This has been the most dreadful experience in my life. I had never imagined I would see such a day. Me and one of my friends used to go to private tuition in a quite remote place. I have always heard of black magic stories but always took them for a joke. My grandmother and my mum always said that m...
Ghost that Looked Like Me by Bliss006
I would like to tell you guys a small story that happened years ago in Mumbai. I was about 9 years old at that time. During the summer vacation my uncle used to take me and my other siblings to a nearby park to play. Every evening we went to the park, played on the swings, the slide and the jungle g...
Ghosts of a Couple by anil desai
I was in college and was required to stay in Bombay India with my maternal uncle. Since the accommodation was short, I was required to stay on the room in the terrace at the end of the staircase. The lights in the terrace were put off after 12 midnight. I did not get good sleep so I came out of the ...

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The Developing India

The Tata Group of India has entered the final fray of buying JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) from Ford. Jaguar and Land Rover are arguably the royalties among the current noveau riche crop of car marquees. In the same breath, the Tata Group has unveiled the one-lakh-rupee (BD1,000) car.
Priced at $2,500 the car is the cheapest ever made in the world. This mass model will leave Model T, or the people's carrier VW Beetle far behind in its utter vision of democratising the car market. Straddling opposite, often paradoxical poles has been a forte of the Tatas - from small cars to heavy vehicles, tea to information technology, steel to hotels and much more from the portfolio of the Tatas. Tata is only an example or rather on-the-face manifestation of how this world constantly juggles with paradoxes.
We do not have to go far. Last evening, a European colleagues of mine, was narrating his experience at a health centre he had visited in the course of his CPR formalities. He said he had not expected such an unending sweaty queue of blue collared sub-continental CPR aspirants. I informed him that some of those aspirants may have spent close to $ 2,500 by mortgaging their only house or some precious jewellery, just to get themselves a life of physical toil so that they can feed their children or provide some medical care to their ailing parents - and mind you I am not getting sentimental about the whole thing because most of us staying in Bahrain for more than two years have numbed ourselves off to this all pervasive reality.
The other day I was exchanging notes on real estate with a South African colleague (aren't we all doing it these days during most of our leisure time!). He informed me that a good spacious villa can be had for $ 0.5 million in Johannesburg. I was surprised, but not to the extent he was, when I told him that it's literally impossible to buy a villa in Mumbai and some regular sized apartments are priced more than $12m! Dichotomies and more dichotomies.
Much is being said about India gearing to be the new superpower, about its galloping economy, about the success Indian businesses are meeting all over the world, the increasing numbers of Indian executives at all levels in all sectors in all countries and the role they have played in creating modern Gulf economies, as business managers or brick layers. Paradoxically, this same country carries the ignominy of approximately 250m population below the poverty line and the same country has its citizens living dismal lives in foreign countries. To people with deeper insights, above stories are only pieces of an iceberg - threads in the fabric of paradox which makes the world of reality. Any passing alien will be dumb found when he sees filthy ghettoes behind the shining Manhattan skyscrapers, dusty faces of Sierra Leone miners striving for shining precious things called diamond, desperate workers on the scaffoldings making the world's tallest sky kissers, impoverished farmers (hundreds commit suicide every year in India seeing their kids bellowing with hunger) tilling the land to fill the world's stomach, workers spreading greenery in the desert sweating in the sweltering Gulf sun.
Maybe that's the way the Creator had intended it. Or maybe it's just a fleeting aberration in the long (some say more than 4.6 billion years old already) march of time. I saw my son being born six months back and I also saw a suicide bomber exploding himself,at Benazir Bhutto's rally.

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How did India gets its name?

We all love our beloved motherland India, but how many of you actually know how India got its name? Below you will find and explanation i found in Yahoo answers which I think actually explains everything, what do you guys think?

The name India is derived from Indus, which is derived from the Old Persian word Hindu, from Sanskrit Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the Indus River. The Constitution of India and common usage in Hindi also recognise Bharat as an official name of equal status. A third name, هندوستان, Hindustan (Persian: Land of the Hindus), has been in use since the 12th century, though its contemporary use is unevenly applied.

A few facts about India:

The name `India’ is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.The number system was invented by India. Aryabhatta was the scientist who invented the digit zero.Sanskrit is considered as the mother of all higher languages. This is because it is the most precise, and therefore suitable language for computer software. ( a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987 ). Chess was invented in India. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus also orignated from India.Quadratic equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 ( i.e 10 to the power of 53 ) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C. during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera: 10*12( 10 to the power of 12 ).The' place value system' and the 'decimal system' were developed in 100 BC in India.The first six Mogul Emperor's of India ruled in an unbroken succession from father to son for two hundred years, from 1526 to 1707.The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara temple at Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu. The shikhara is made from a single ' 80-tonne ' piece of granite. Also, this magnificient temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola India is.......the Largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest country in the world AND one of the most ancient and living civilizations (at least 10, 000 years old). The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh.Built in 1893 after levelling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level. India has the most post offices in the world !The largest employer in the world is the Indian railway system, employing over a million people !The World's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The father of medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.Although modern images & descriptions of India often show poverty, India was one of the richest countries till the time of British in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth and was looking for route to India when he discovered America by mistake.The art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh 6000 over years ago. The very word 'Navigation' is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. His calculations was Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: ( 5th century ) 365.258756484 days.The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, which was long before the European mathematicians.Until 1896, India was the only source for diamonds to the world. The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.Sushruta is regarded as the father of surgery. Over 2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones and also plastic surgery and brain surgeries.Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism, physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.

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Indian Beauty Secrets

Here is something i found while i was on my routing surfing. This is a great site which has lots of beauty secrets from all corners of India. Have a look at it, below is a few lines that might just interest you.

"Looking attractive is one of the primary requisites of a good personality".....says Maya Paranjpe an authority on Indian Beauty in Mumbai, India ! So what makes us beautiful....is it the hair, make up, body?

Beauty is surely in the eyes of the beholder....but we have to take care of our outer appearance just as we enrich ourselves from within.

Feeling a little "blah" after a busy and stressful holiday or summer season? Then rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit with a little post-holiday pampering. It's easy to recreate many of your favorite spa treatments in the privacy of your own home, for a fraction of the price, and on your own schedule—no appointment necessary!

Link to the site

Bollywood Surfing

Following is very new and fantastic survey done among the bollywood actors / actress ..... It shows which all Indian sites are used by some of the actors

Sharook khan :



SRK is always a gmae savy . It has been revealed that SRK logs into the indian gaming site http://www.zapak.com along with his kid very often !!

Madhuri Dixit :



Madhuri has admitted that she cant be without the net . She keeps her conatacts updated in GTALK and is also a regular user of Indian Website http://www.Rediff.com

Preity zinta :



Preity is often seen in Yahoo answers and she also uses the Indian site http://www.Indianpad.com .

Priyanka Chopra :



Priyanka is a well known book reader and surfer . She is seen often using the Amazon service "Shelfari" . She also bookmarks her favorite links in the Indian based site http://www.Strollby.com ( Infact it is rumored that she owns this site along with her friends ) !!

Salman Khan :



Salman regularly checks his Orkut contacts and loags into Fropper.com often . He also checks out http://www.behindwoods.com often

Asin :



The Malayalam / Tamil actress uses http://www.galatta.com !

Shahid kapoor :



This young actor is a regular blogger and has an Blogspot account . He is also in Yahoo messenger often and uses http://www.behindwoods.com also .

Kajol :



Kajol and Ajay are regular users of the classifieds site http://www.Sulekha.com - they also hang around in other Indian based promotion websites !