The Chennai floods were a warning to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) that Mumbai too could witness a similar situation. Activists have alleged that the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) Act, 1966 mandates the marking of flood buffer zones in the development plan (DP). The BMC has, however, not marked such buffer zones in the proposed DP of (2014-2034) by the BMC. Buffer zone is a neutral area where land is designated for environmental purposes to build gardens or playgrounds. However, a buffer zone has different meanings in different context. Godfrey Pimenta, activist, Bombay East Indian Association, alleged, “Slum dwellers have encroached the land on the banks of Dahisar river, Mithi river, Oshiwara river and Poisar river. Due to these encroachments, when there is a flood-like situation in the city, the water gets collected in the city and does not disperse into the rivers. This is one of the reasons behind the city witnessing floods in July 2005.” According to the Indian Meteorological Department’s website, one of the reason why Chennai witnessed floods is because it failed to prevent encroachments on the banks of Adyar river and Cooum river, which it said was supposed to act as the main source for rain water drainage in Chennai. It also further states that IT corridors and knowledge corridors consisting of engineering colleges were also constructed on the banks of rivers in Chennai. Nicholas Almedia, activist, Watchdog Foundation, said, “If the law mandates to have buffer zone on the river banks, why has the BMC ignored it? Also, if municipal corporations in Thane and Nashik can follow the law in marking buffer zones for rivers in their DP, why can’t BMC do the same?”Source: The Asian Age
Friday, 11 December 2015
Chennai floods a warning for Mumbai?
The Chennai floods were a warning to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) that Mumbai too could witness a similar situation. Activists have alleged that the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) Act, 1966 mandates the marking of flood buffer zones in the development plan (DP). The BMC has, however, not marked such buffer zones in the proposed DP of (2014-2034) by the BMC. Buffer zone is a neutral area where land is designated for environmental purposes to build gardens or playgrounds. However, a buffer zone has different meanings in different context. Godfrey Pimenta, activist, Bombay East Indian Association, alleged, “Slum dwellers have encroached the land on the banks of Dahisar river, Mithi river, Oshiwara river and Poisar river. Due to these encroachments, when there is a flood-like situation in the city, the water gets collected in the city and does not disperse into the rivers. This is one of the reasons behind the city witnessing floods in July 2005.” According to the Indian Meteorological Department’s website, one of the reason why Chennai witnessed floods is because it failed to prevent encroachments on the banks of Adyar river and Cooum river, which it said was supposed to act as the main source for rain water drainage in Chennai. It also further states that IT corridors and knowledge corridors consisting of engineering colleges were also constructed on the banks of rivers in Chennai. Nicholas Almedia, activist, Watchdog Foundation, said, “If the law mandates to have buffer zone on the river banks, why has the BMC ignored it? Also, if municipal corporations in Thane and Nashik can follow the law in marking buffer zones for rivers in their DP, why can’t BMC do the same?”Source: The Asian Age
Exclusive: Shah Khan donates 1 crore for Chennai flood victims
Age Correspondent | Mumbai, Mumbai: Shah Rukh Khan, who is on a promotional spree of his next film ‘Dilwale’, recently lent his support to the victims of the Chennai floods. The Bollywood Badshah has donated a whopping amount of Rs 1 crore to the chief minister’s public relief fund on behalf of Red Chillies Entertainment and team ‘Dilwale’. Shah Rukh had personally issued a letter towards the relief fund dated on December 5th 2015. The actor, who starred in the 100cr blockbuster film ‘Chennai Express’, even took to his official Twitter account to express his concern towards the people of Chennai. Directed by Rohit Shetty, ‘Dilwale’ is staled to release on December 18th and stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon in leading roles. Source: http://www.asianage.com/
Wednesday, 9 December 2015
Rajinikanth donates Rs 10 Crore for victims
Superstar Rajinikanth has extended a helping hand for the victims of Chennai floods. He has donated 10 Crore rupees to the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund. According to an official statement, the donation was made through Sri Raghavendra Public Charitable Trust, owned by Rajinikanth. Actor Dhanush, who is married to Rajinikanth's daughter Aishwaryaa, also donated Rs 5 lakhs. Source: Video,
Monday, 7 December 2015
Sporadic rains in Chennai, flights to resume today
A Coast Guard helicopter drops relief material to residents in Chennai on Sunday. (Photo: PTI)
Intermittent rains Sunday and forecast of more over the next two days kept Chennai, its suburbs and coastal districts on their toes even as normal life appeared to be returning to the flood-ravaged areas. All flight operations, domestic and international, and train services from both Chennai Central and Egmore are to resume Monday as water levels in the Adyar and Cooum rivers receded enabling authorities to restore tracks Sunday afternoon. Throughout Sunday, there have been intermittent rains, which were at times heavy, in Chennai, its suburbs, Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur and Cuddalore districts where the weatherman has predicted more rains for the next 48 hours. Rain-battered Cuddalore is likely to get heavy to very heavy showers, the meteorological department said, adding that Sunday’s showers were due to a twin weather system, including formation of a new trough of low pressure over the Bay of Bengal along the Tamil Nadu coast. Chennai city, which has been experiencing intermittent rains, would continue to be cloudy and rain or thundershowers, at times heavy, are likely. Power supply has been restored in several areas, while it continued to be disconnected in many where water has not receded as a measure of precaution. Ravaged by heavy rains last week which crippled services, several private and public sector banks operated Monday. Several private and public sector banks functioned to clear the backlog caused by the rains which had paralysed ATM services. The state government has declared holidays for schools and colleges Monday. — PTI “... Availability of Chennai airport for all weather day and night operations for all flights for which domestic and international terminals will be available from 6 am of December 7, 2015,” an Airport Authority of India statement said here late Sunday evening. This followed an inspection by DGCA for night operations, an AAI spokesman said. The airport was shut down last Tuesday night after heavy downpour flooded the runway and all other operating areas. Civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathy Raju is likely to visit Chennai airport Monday to make an on-the-spot inspection. Altogether five passenger flights, all of Air India, took off from or landed at Chennai Airport till 5 pm Sunday. An Oman Air plane stranded at the Chennai airport departed for Muscat with two crew. Four ferry flights also took off or landed at the airport, AAI sources said. The Southern Railway has announced that 80 per cent trains, including long-distance, will be operational from tomorrow morning from both Chennai Central and Egmore terminals. Anantharaman, a top Southern Railway official, told reporters that the railway bridge in Saidapet over Adyar had made a lateral shift and engineers and staff worked day and night to fix it. At 1.45 pm Sunday, the clearance certificate was given after which Chennai Beach-Chenglepet services were resumed. In two or three days, 100 per cent normalcy will be restored from Chennai, he said. The railways ran 70 special trains carrying 45,000 passengers to their destinations. In all, 560 trains were cancelled during the floods. Meanwhile, airdropping of relief and aerial rescue efforts have been called off with overall improvement in the situation. “The water level in the city has gone down considerably after initial days of flooding, and since last evening all aerial rescue and relief operations have been called off. There are no further communications from either Tamil Nadu or the Centre to carry them out as the city is slowly returning to normalcy,” a top IAF official told In coordinated efforts over the last few days, the Indian Air Force and National Disaster Response Force had airlifted close to 1,500 people and transported them to safety, including 400 stranded students. Source: The Asian Age
Saturday, 5 December 2015
Tech companies step in to provide relief to rain-hit Chennai
Many tech companies have launched efforts to help citizens hit by the unprecedented floods in Chennai.
- Ola was the first to pitch in with the first of its kind initiative offering a boat service to help the rain victims. The company explained on Twitter that it had been "ferrying people out from water-logged areas" in the city after the water logged city streets became inaccessible to vehicular traffic. The online food delivery portal,
- Zomato launched a delivery service for people both from the city and outside to buy food for anyone who was in need and had it delivered to them. It is called the 'Meal for Flood relief' delivery service which offers two meal plans, meal for two priced at Rs100 and meal for four priced at Rs400. The delivery time for both meals is half an hour and for every meal ordered, Zomato also offers one for free.
- Paytm - one of India's largest mobile commerce platforms - too had launched an initiative 'Stay Safe' under which the company would give free talktime of worth Rs30 to any mobile number in the state. According to the company's blog, "If you would like to recharge anyone's mobile number so that they can remain connected during this tough time, please call us at 18001030033 and share the mobile number. We will recharge it with Rs30 worth of talk-time, free of cost". The e-commerce portal further said that people around the country had come forward to offer help through company's initiative - #staycharged.
Friday, 4 December 2015
Narendra Modi announces another Rs 1000-cr for Tamil Nadu, Met expects more rains
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa (Photo: Twitter) Modi in Chennai to take stock; Jayalalithaa conducts aerial survey
New Delhi: The heaviest rainfall in more than 100 years has devastated swathes of Tamil Nadu, with thousands forced to leave their submerged homes and schools, offices and a regional airport shut for a second day Thursday. At least 269 people had been killed in the state since heavy rains started in the beginning of November, said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, although no deaths have been reported in the latest deluge. Prime Minister Narendra Modi surveyed the destruction and flooding from an air force helicopter. Modi also met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to discuss the flood situation. The Prime Minister announced another Rs 1,000 crore assistance to the rain-hit state. "The Government of India stands by people of Tamil Nadu. I have directed Rs 1000 crore be released immediately for relief," said Modi. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa too went on an aerial survey and then met state officers to discuss relief. An aerial view of Chennai showed low-lying neighbourhoods as well the city's airport almost completely submerged. The Airport Authority of India said that the airport was likely to be closed until Sunday. Dozens of trains to the state have been delayed this week, and on Thursday the main train station was so heavily flooded that it had to shut down operations.
New Delhi: The heaviest rainfall in more than 100 years has devastated swathes of Tamil Nadu, with thousands forced to leave their submerged homes and schools, offices and a regional airport shut for a second day Thursday. At least 269 people had been killed in the state since heavy rains started in the beginning of November, said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, although no deaths have been reported in the latest deluge. Prime Minister Narendra Modi surveyed the destruction and flooding from an air force helicopter. Modi also met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to discuss the flood situation. The Prime Minister announced another Rs 1,000 crore assistance to the rain-hit state. "The Government of India stands by people of Tamil Nadu. I have directed Rs 1000 crore be released immediately for relief," said Modi. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa too went on an aerial survey and then met state officers to discuss relief. An aerial view of Chennai showed low-lying neighbourhoods as well the city's airport almost completely submerged. The Airport Authority of India said that the airport was likely to be closed until Sunday. Dozens of trains to the state have been delayed this week, and on Thursday the main train station was so heavily flooded that it had to shut down operations.
Singh said that railways officials convened an emergency meeting to get the station back on track quickly. Even though hundreds of Army, navy and local police and fire department rescuers were helping evacuate those trapped in their homes, Twitter and other social media were flooded with calls for help from across the city. Most of those still trapped were either the elderly or people with very young children. The state government cut power to several parts of Chennai as a safety measure to prevent electrocutions. Most deaths in the last month of rains have been due to drowning, electrocution and wall collapses. The Centre has described the situation in Chennai as "worrisome" and promised all possible support to the state government in the hour of crisis. Modi had earlier spoken to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to promise all possible support. Home Minister Rajnath Singh told Lok Sabha that 40 per cent of telephone and mobile connections were not working in the state. For the first time in over 40 years, the water has risen rapidly on the river breaching the road and the Maraimalai Adigal bridge in Saidapet cutting the arterial Anna Salai (Mount Road), rendering it out of bounds for motorists. "I can't even believe that this much water was possible in Chennai," one woman told a television channel as she stood in waist-deep water in the state capital. "We don't have any
food. We don't have any milk," she said, adding that she had stepped out to see if she could find a shop selling some food. "But I'm scared to walk down this road. The water comes up almost to my hips." Chennai has received more than 330 millimeters (13 inches) of rain over the last 24 hours, which is significantly higher than the regional average for the entire month of December, Singh said. While the downpour eased early Thursday, the Indian Meteorological Department has predicted more heavy rain in several parts of the state through the rest of the week. The rains have been caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal, the agency said. The Centre said it was making "all possible efforts" to provide succour and relief to the people of rain battered Chennai and other areas in Tamil Nadu. Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said the central government was in touch with the state government and the Union Home Secretary was continuously monitoring the situation in affected areas. "I have spoken to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. Centre is providing all assistance and will continue to help. Naval and Army forces have been mobilised and we have arranged helicopters but we can fly them in only after the situation improves. We are trying to reach wherever possible," he told reporters outside Parliament. The Union Urban Development Minister said the Chennai airport was shut and public transport heavily affected. "People have left their homes, power supply has been halted as a precautionary measure and schools closed... it is not a good situation. The government is making all possible effort to provide help to the poor and the middle class... I appreciate that the residents of Chennai are helping each other," he said. Rains abated in Chennai on Thursday giving relief to people tormented by the heavy downpour of the last three days but excessive discharge of water last night from Chembarambakkam lake on the outskirts flooded new areas of the city threatening to uproot people from their homes. The fresh flooding of the streets in the heart of the city in areas like Kodambakkam and T. Nagar and Ashok Nagar has been caused by the release of an estimated 30,000 cusecs of water from the Chembarambakkam lake, one of city's source of drinking water. For the first time in over 40 years, water has risen rapidly on the Adyar river breaching the road and the Maraimalai Adigal bridge in Saidapet. Water has cut off the arterial Anna Salai Road, rendering it out of bounds for motorists. India's main monsoon season runs from June through September, but the period between October to December -- also called the retreating monsoon -- brings the most rainfall to southeastern coastal areas. The extreme weather in Chennai comes as heads of state are meeting in Paris to try and work out a new treaty to limit global warming and deal with its effects. However, experts say the floods in the city are most directly linked to the El Nino weather pattern, when the waters of the Pacific Ocean get warmer than usual. "This year saw the strongest El Nino ever recorded," said G.P. Sharma, vice president of meteorology at Skymet, a private weather forecaster. He said that was indicative of an extremely heavy retreating monsoon. El Nino is one of the factors India's government-run Met office takes into account while forecasting the monsoon. This year, India had a weaker than usual summer monsoon, as it does in an El Nino year. Source: The Asian Age, Image: https://www.flickr.com
food. We don't have any milk," she said, adding that she had stepped out to see if she could find a shop selling some food. "But I'm scared to walk down this road. The water comes up almost to my hips." Chennai has received more than 330 millimeters (13 inches) of rain over the last 24 hours, which is significantly higher than the regional average for the entire month of December, Singh said. While the downpour eased early Thursday, the Indian Meteorological Department has predicted more heavy rain in several parts of the state through the rest of the week. The rains have been caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal, the agency said. The Centre said it was making "all possible efforts" to provide succour and relief to the people of rain battered Chennai and other areas in Tamil Nadu. Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said the central government was in touch with the state government and the Union Home Secretary was continuously monitoring the situation in affected areas. "I have spoken to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. Centre is providing all assistance and will continue to help. Naval and Army forces have been mobilised and we have arranged helicopters but we can fly them in only after the situation improves. We are trying to reach wherever possible," he told reporters outside Parliament. The Union Urban Development Minister said the Chennai airport was shut and public transport heavily affected. "People have left their homes, power supply has been halted as a precautionary measure and schools closed... it is not a good situation. The government is making all possible effort to provide help to the poor and the middle class... I appreciate that the residents of Chennai are helping each other," he said. Rains abated in Chennai on Thursday giving relief to people tormented by the heavy downpour of the last three days but excessive discharge of water last night from Chembarambakkam lake on the outskirts flooded new areas of the city threatening to uproot people from their homes. The fresh flooding of the streets in the heart of the city in areas like Kodambakkam and T. Nagar and Ashok Nagar has been caused by the release of an estimated 30,000 cusecs of water from the Chembarambakkam lake, one of city's source of drinking water. For the first time in over 40 years, water has risen rapidly on the Adyar river breaching the road and the Maraimalai Adigal bridge in Saidapet. Water has cut off the arterial Anna Salai Road, rendering it out of bounds for motorists. India's main monsoon season runs from June through September, but the period between October to December -- also called the retreating monsoon -- brings the most rainfall to southeastern coastal areas. The extreme weather in Chennai comes as heads of state are meeting in Paris to try and work out a new treaty to limit global warming and deal with its effects. However, experts say the floods in the city are most directly linked to the El Nino weather pattern, when the waters of the Pacific Ocean get warmer than usual. "This year saw the strongest El Nino ever recorded," said G.P. Sharma, vice president of meteorology at Skymet, a private weather forecaster. He said that was indicative of an extremely heavy retreating monsoon. El Nino is one of the factors India's government-run Met office takes into account while forecasting the monsoon. This year, India had a weaker than usual summer monsoon, as it does in an El Nino year. Source: The Asian Age, Image: https://www.flickr.com
Friday, 12 July 2013
Rs.550 crore given for alternate medicine systems: Azad
New Delhi, July 12 (IANS) More than Rs.550 crore have been given to various states for establishing centres for alternate medicine like homeopathy and ayurveda as part of the National Rural Health Mission, union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Friday. For mainstreaming of alternate systems of medicine under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), grants-in-aid amounting to more than Rs.550 crore have been given to the state and Union Territory governments, Azad said, addressing a function here. The money would be used for establishment of new facilities of homeopathy, ayurveda, siddha and unani streams of medicine in 803 primary health centres, 113 community health centres and 24 district hospitals, and for upgradation of 379 such hospitals and 415 dispensaries. “We have a pluralistic healthcare delivery system, where the government provides opportunities to every recognised medical system to develop and be practised, with a view to provide integrated and holistic healthcare,” he said. “We are open to patronising best practices and proven standards for the benefit of the people. That is why naturopathy is also a recognised system in India,” he said. State governments like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have recognised naturopathy. Azad said India had incorporated traditional medical services in the public health delivery system since the 1960s. Source: Dainik-Disha
Thursday, 28 February 2013
Interview with Actress Deepika Padukone
The actress who pumped your Heartbeat always from Om Shanti Om till the latest Race 2. The Actress who also says she might be 'Sexy' but not a 'Seductress'. The actress who is a Star and she still remains Down-To-Earth, Speaking about her Journey, Lifestyle, Link-Up's, Controversies.. Actress Deepika Padukone goes one-on-one with Faisal Saif. But you were always related to the word 'Sexy'.. I don’t believe in being in-your-face sexy. It is more of an attitude and not about clothes. But the film took it a step further and called for the character to be a sexy seductress. The entire body language had to spell it out. And as I said earlier, it’s nothing like the real me. I may be sexy, but I’m no seductress. And your character's in Race 2, Raam Leela, Chennai Express can be considered as Glamorous ones? But all my roles are so different from each other that it’s really interesting to be busy with work. Do you enjoy being in the latest bandwagon of 100 Crore Club? More than the box-office records or business figures of the film, It is the experience of shooting that I cherish. You will be shooting your upcoming film 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' in Kashmir? I have never shot in Kashmir before. I have heard so much about the place and seen its beauty only through Bollywood films. I am really looking forward to filming in the Valley. It is my first visit. It’s great that our filmmakers are rediscovering Kashmir. You were from Anupam Kher acting school, What was your first reaction when you faced the camera for the first time? I have absolutely no film background. I don't come from a film family and I had never been on a film set until my first film. In a lot of ways, it gave me a little information about what to expect. But at the same time, I think the best education I've had is to actually be on a film set and learn from there. How do you remain so down to earth despite being on the position of a 'Star'? Thank you so much for your compliments, But this because my parents who gave me this up-bringing. I look forward to my father who after gaining so much in life is still very humble and down to earth. He is my inspiration. And how was your journey as of a Down-To-Earth star? The journey was fabulous. Everyone has their Up's and Down's and everyone has to work hard. But for me, It was always a learning lesson on every step of my life. In every film, I think i have learnt something new. And it'll continue to be like that. What is Race 2? Would you tell us something about it and your character? Everyone in Race 2 has a 'Grey Shade'. Everyone wants to win the Race in the film. There's a lot of manipulations involved in each character. I play a character of a seductress called Aleena, Who uses her Looks to achieve whatever she wants. This is something very new to me. I have never played such a character in my career so far. How do you manage to deal with Controversies and Link-Up's around you? I don't react to them at all. I think all these things are a part of my profession. If i am an actress and i am into Limelight, People will definitely talk such things. I don't Focus on these things. I want people to enjoy my work. Source: India-EducationThursday, 14 February 2013
Stamps in honour of Ravi Shankar, Bhimsen Joshi to be released
The Department of Posts will release commemorative stamps this year honouring eminent musicians of India, including late Pandit Ravi Shankar, Bhimsen Joshi and D K Pattammal and legendary movie actors. Mallikarjun Mansur, Kumar Gandharva, Gangubai Hangal and Ustad Iliad Khan are the other great musicians who would be honoured in 'The Musicians' series, scheduled for release on July 2, a release said. Of the 52 stamps planned for release, some had been earmarked to commemorate legendary actors. "This is part of the plan to mark celebrations of 100 Years of Indian Cinema" A series of stamps on beautiful headgear of India, marvellous stepwells, the wild ass of Kutch and Ladakh, traditional Indian hand fans and boats of India have also been included in the year programme. Another series is planned on 'Means of Transport through the ages' in the country. The department would commemorate the Golden jubilee celebration of Bhakra Nangal dam, Gaiety Heritage Cultural Complex of Shimla (Jawaharlal's Nehru favourite place), Delhi Gymkhana club and 75th anniversary of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan this year, it said. Tribal dwellings across India, traditional embroidery of India, Intelligence Bureau, Railway workshops at Kanchrapara and jamalpur would also be brought to light through postal stamps in 2013. Under Defence themes, the Officer Training Academy of Chennai, INS Vikramaditya is also planned this year, the release said. Source: Hindustan Times
Deepika applies shades on her face for Rajnikanth
GaramGossips, By Gahoi Ad Online Media: Now that it is confirmed that Deepika Padukone will be playing the lady lead in Rajnikant’s Tamil film Kochadaiyyan, preparations have already begun. It is heard that the actress will have to get several shades darker so as to match her co-star Rajinikanth. A source close to the project reveals, “We’re applying a special imported technique to the film wherein the actors’ looks, including their skin-tone, has to be compatible. In Kochadaiyyan, the demands of digitalised
filmmaking are different. Deepika’s complexion is many shades lighter than Rajiniji’s. When we suggested that her skin colour should be suitably modified on screen, Deepika sportingly agreed.” Deepika’s complexion will be digitally darkened to match Rajni sir’s color. Co-producer Dr Murli Manohar told, “The demands and dynamics of the technique known as ‘performance-capturing’ that we’re using for the first time in Indian cinema are different. It requires many adjustments and modulation in the actors’ on-screen performance and personality. Deepika has an important role. She is completely in-sync with the unique technique and willing to do whatever is required.” Source: GaramGossips.com
Saturday, 26 January 2013
Auto driver’s daughter tops CA exam
Prema Jayakumar, 24, daughter of an autorickshaw driver at suburban Malad in Mumbai, conquered all odds to emerge as topper in the Chartered Accountancy (CA) exam. For her father Jayakumar Perumal, who had migrated to Mumbai from Sankarapuram in Villupuram district in 1990 hoping to find a job to take care of his wife and three children, it was double joy as his son Dhanraj too cleared CA in the first attempt along with elder sister Prema in the exam conducted in November 2012. The CA results were declared on Monday. “I am thrilled, obviously. This is my lifetime achievement. My brother and I achieved this with sheer hard work. And we both owe our success to the sacrifices made by our parents, with their loving support throughout,” Prema told this newspaper over the phone, adding that her life’s ambition “from now will be to ensure that our parents live in comfort”. The family lives in a one-room chawl and all the three children — two girls and a boy —studied in the local municipal school that had Tamil as second language. Prema stood first in her class right through school. She got the second rank in B.Com in Mumbai University, securing 90 per cent marks. It was very tough for Jayakumar to bring up the kids with his meagre income driving an auto, until Prema started earning a small allowance doing her articleship with Kishore Seth and Company during her CA preparation. The first daughter had studied only up to school final before Jayakumar got her married off. Asked if the crowded environment in the chawl distract her while preparing for the tough CA exam, Prema said, “Nothing would disturb if one is strongly focused.” Source: The Asian Age
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Out of 421 GCs passing out of IMA
Gentlemen Cadets (GC) from the country passing out at this year’s Indian Military Academy (IMA) parade on December 8, Uttar Pradesh has the maximum share with a total of 76 GCs coming from the most populous state of the country.The demographic statistics of GCs passing out of 131 regular and other parallel courses released by the IMA today had Uttar Pradesh topping the list followed by Haryana with 50 GCs. Uttarakhand stands third with 46 GCs (10.92 per cent). The youth of the small hill state of Uttarakhand with a population of over 1 crore have shown excellent results in terms of its representation in the academy in recent years.There are 30 GCs from Maharashtra, 25 from Rajasthan, 23 from Madhya Pradesh, 22 from Himachal Pradesh, 20 each from Punjab and Delhi and 11 from Kerala. Similarly, 14 GCs from the trouble-torn state of Jammu and Kashmir will pass out whereas four GCs are from the terror-infested Manipur in the North-East. Nagaland and Tripura have one GC each. There are 10 GCs from West Bengal and 13 GCs each from Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. Five GCs are from Tamil Nadu and nine are from the southern state of Karnataka.The Union Territory of Chandigarh has four GCs. Jharkhand too has five GCs. Five GCs are from Gujarat, four are from Assam, two from Chattisgarh, five GCs are from Orissa and two GCs from Meghalaya. Among other highlights of the parade, there is one GC from Nepal who has opted to join the Indian Army. According to the Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty, Nepalese citizens can be absorbed as commissioned officers in the Indian Army. Source: Atrashastra, Image: photobucket.com
Monday, 31 December 2012
Wedding bells for five Bollywood beauties! (2012 in Retrospect)
(IANS) Marriage is no more a roadblock for Bollywood beauties and this year five actresses, including reigning queens Kareena Kapoor and Vidya Balan, tied the knot with thier long-time beaus. Genelia D'Souza, Esha Deol and Lisa Ray too joined the bandwagon. Also, it has been a welcome change to see actresses doing everything traditionally - either within their homes or at temples. IANS gives you a lowdown on Bollywood actresses' weddings of the year: (1) Kareena Kapoor: Bollywood 'heroine' Kareena shut gossip-mongers when she sealed her four-year-old relationship with actor Saif Ali Khan Oct 16. The revelry was as big and fat as one would've expected, but there is no doubt that it turned out to be a well-guarded event. Whether it was a pre-wedding rooftop bash, a simple registered marriage affair, a 'nikaah' ceremony at various venues or their grand 'Walima' (reception) in the
national capital - Saifeena gave a fairy tale effect to their romance - with the privacy they rightfully deserved. "(2) Vidya Balan: "Ooh la la" girl Vidya Balan's nuptials with Disney UTV managing director Siddharth Roy Kapoor turned out to be another classic case in point for a celebrity's "private affair". Attended by close friends and family members, the Dec 14 wedding in Mumbai was as simple as it could be - weaving together both - Siddharth's
Punjabi and Vidya's Tamil traditions. (3) Genelia D'Souza: Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh set out on their Bollywood journey together with "Tujhe Meri Kasam" in 2003. Who knew that would be the start of a life-long journey for them. One of Bollywood's cutest real life couples, they managed to keep tight-lipped about their relationship for almost eight years. They had a Maharashtrian-style wedding Feb 3, followed by a simple church wedding. Their wedding reception, of course, was attended by almost the entire
Mumbai film fraternity. (4) Esha Deol: Esha Deol married her businessman beau Bharat Takhtani June 29 in a traditional south Indian ceremony, complete with women in classy Kanjivarams, at Mumbai's Iskcon temple. A Krishna devotee, Esha preferred to keep her nuptials low-key, though a star-
studded mehndi took place a day earlier and a reception followed a day after their wedding. (5) Lisa Ray: Indo-Canadian actress Lisa Rey exchanged wedding vows Oct 20 with management consultant Jason Dehni in California's Napa Valley, where they had also got engaged. Lisa had said in an interview that they wrote their own vows and only exchanged garlands as that's how her father wanted it. She chose only Indian designers to craft her trousseau for her special day - she wore a gown by Wendell Rodricks, and later changed into a Satya Paul sari. Source: News Track Indiae
Saturday, 22 December 2012
Ramanujan - A Genius Mathematician
The celebration of the 125th birth anniversary of mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan was kicked off at Delhi University in India on Monday. The university is holding a six-day international conference - The Legacy of Srinivasa Ramanujan - which will see a number of renowned mathematicians give lectures on Ramanujan and his work. Ramanujan was a prodigious Indian mathematician who, despite having no formal training in advanced mathematical concepts, mastered trigonometry at the age of 12 and went on to make great contributions to mathematical concepts such as number theory, infinite series and continued fractions. The conference was inaugurated by the Minister of Human Resource Development, MM Pallam Raju. During the conference's first day there were lectures on the life and notebook of Ramanujan. There were also lectures on topics such as Quantum Modular Forms and Holomorphic Projection. The university is also holding a competition on encryption for its undergraduate students. The winning teams will get to visit those places where Ramanujan worked in Chennai and Trinity College, Cambridge. The last day of the conference will also see the conferment of the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize, an annual prize that is given to a mathematician under the age of 32 who has contributed in a field influences by Ramanujan. The Ramanujan Journal, an international publication, was launched to publish work in all areas of mathematics influenced by his work. On the 125th anniversary of his birth, India declared the birthday of Ramanujan, December 22, as “National Mathematics Day.” The declaration was made last year by Dr. Manmohan Singh in Chennai, who stated this year, 2012, as the National Mathematics Year. Source: Vedic Views Monday, 17 December 2012
Neetu Chandra to do a Korean film?
Kim Ki-duk the Korean film-maker who is noted for his art-house cinematic works was in India to showcase five of his films at IFFI took my details
Neetu Chandra who was in the Korean Embassy in New Delhi on December 12 to receive her 4th Dan Black Belt for Taekwondo says that there could be another surprise in store. “Kim Ki-duk the Korean film-maker who is noted for his art-house cinematic works was in India to showcase five of his films at IFFI. He took my details after seeing my home production Deswa. In fact, he recommended my name to the Korean government for the 4th Dan and we are discussing other things too,” said an excited Chandra hinting that it could be a Korean film. Presently, the actress is awaiting her Tamil film Aadhi Bhagavan which is releasing on January 11 and a Greek film Home Sweet Home which releases in March. “I also have two Hindi films in which I am playing the solo lead, but I cannot talk about them because I am bound by contract,” said the actress who is looking forward to doing an action film because as she says, she would be perfect for such a part! Source: Screen-India, Image: photobucket.com
Friday, 14 December 2012
Vidya Balan ties knot with Siddharth Roy Kapur
Bollywood actress Vidya Balan tied the knot with UTV head Siddharth Roy Kapur on Friday in a ceremony which saw a mix of both Punjabi and Tamil traditions. The wedding rituals went on for over an hour at the well-decorated Green Mile Bungalow in Bandra in the presence of family members of the bride and groom. “The wedding ceremony is still on, it is a mix of both Punjabi and Tamil traditions. The food served is South Indian,” a source close to Vidya said. The 34-year-old actress underwent three changes in costume during the wedding ceremony, one of them being a mustard saree with a pink blouse, matching the groom's yellow kurta and pink turban. The wedding festivities for the couple began on December 11 with a private dinner which was followed by a mehendi ceremony on December 12. The couple will reportedly be hosting a reception in Chennai. Vidya, who never confirmed rumours about her relationship with Siddharth, stayed mum about her wedding as well and the celebrations are being kept as private as possible. The 'Kahaani' actress, who was born in Kerala and grew up in Mumbai, made her Bollywood debut with the 2005 film 'Parineeta'. Source: Screen India, Image: photobucket.com
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
Hamid Ansari re-elected as India's vice prez for 2nd term
UPA candidate Hamid Ansari was on Tuesday re-elected India's Vice President, defeating NDA nominee Jaswant Singh. Lok Sabha secretary general TK Vishwanathan, the returning officer for the poll, made the announcement about Ansari's re-election minutes after the counting ended on Tuesday evening at Parliament House. Ansari polled 490 first preference votes out of 728 valid votes cast in the election. Jaswant Singh polled 238 votes. Polling in the vice presidential election was held earlier in the day. Vishwanathan said that 787 members were eligible to cast vote and 736 exercised their franchise. Eight votes were found invalid. He said that Ansari needed 365 votes to be declared elected. “Therefore, Mr. Ansari is duly elected as vice president of India,” Vishwanathan announced. Ansari, who sought re-election for a second term, was backed
by the Congress, most other parties of the ruling United Progressive Alliance, those supporting the alliance from outside and some Left parties. Jaswant Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader and a former minister, had the backing of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as well as the AIADMK. The vice president is elected by members of an electoral college consisting of members of both houses of parliament in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote. Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha are also entitled to take part in the election. 47 out of the total 787 MPs in both Houses did not cast their votes, who include ailing Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh who is admitted in a Chennai Hospital. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said 21 members from BJD, 11 from TDP, 6 from Congress and supporting parties, including Deshmukh, and two nominated members did not cast their votes. BJP members Shatrughan Sinha was sick while Dilip Singh Judev could not come as his mother was not well. Trinamool Congress members Kakoli Dastidar and Kabir Suman were abroad. So was SP member Brij Bhushan Singh. Out of the total 790 members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha that form the electoral college for Vice Presidential election, 3 are vacant with Pranab Mukherjee becoming President, Vijay Bahuguna Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and the election of BJP MP J Shanta having been set aside by a high court. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and BJP leader LK Advani were among the members from both houses of Parliament who voted Tuesday to elect India's 14th vice president. 75-year-old Ansari, whose candidature has been supported by Left parties and UPA allies like SP and BSP, appears set to fend off the contest put up by NDA nominee Jaswant Singh. BJD, TDP and RSP had declared that they would abstain from voting. Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is ill and admitted to a Chennai hospital. The three parties together have 34 members in both Houses of Parliament. With the total number of voting members reduced to 752, the halfway mark for Ansari has become 377. UPA managers claim to have the declared support of nearly 500 members. BJP leaders LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Murli Manohar Joshi, BSP supremo Mayawati and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had cast their ballots before noon. It began at 10:00am and continued till 5:00pm. The counting of votes took place at 6:00pm and results declared at around 7:30pm. A career diplomat and scholar, 75-year-old Ansari appears set to get a second term as Vice President by emerging a clear winner in a direct contest with veteran BJP leader Singh, a former finance, defence and foreign minister of the country. Ansari is the second person after philosopher and statesman S Radhakrishnan to hold the high office twice. UPA managers were confident that 75-year-old Ansari was set to get at least 500 votes in a contest in which Ansari had a definite edge as far as the arithmetic is concerned. Congress itself has 204 members in Lok Sabha and 71 in Rajya Sabha. UPA constituents Trinamool Congress has 19 MPs in Lok Sabha and 9 in Rajya Sabha, DMK has 18 members in Lok Sabha and 7 in Rajya Sabha, NCP 9 in Lok Sabha and 7 in Rajya Sabha and RLD has 5 in Lok Sabha. National Conference has 3 in Lok Sabha and 2 in Rajya Sabha. Besides, SP with its 22 members in Lok Sabha and 9 in Rajya Sabha and BSP with its 21 in Lok Sabha and 15 in Rajya Sabha were backing Ansari who was also being backed by the entire Left block with 38 members in both Houses of Parliament. Unlike the Presidential poll held in July, which had split NDA with JD-U and Shiv Sena breaking ranks to vote for UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee, Jaswant Singh has the backing of a united NDA for his vice presidential bid. BJP has 114 members in Lok Sabha and 49 in Rajya Sabha, JD-U 20 and 9, Shiv Sena 11 and 4 and SAD 4 and 3. While AIADMK, which has 14 MPs in Parliament, on Monday announced its support to Singh's candidature, BJD with 18 members in Lok Sabha and 7 in the Rajya Sabha has decided to abstain from voting. Ahead of the poll, UPA chaiperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday hosted a lunch for UPA constituents and the parties supporting it from outside, which projected a complete picture of unity. Trinamool Congress MPs attended Gandhi's lunch and the party is expected to go public with its support Ansari ahead of the polls. Not only all UPA constituents but also the chiefs of Samajwadi Party and BSP Mualyam Singh Yadav and Mayawati attended the lunch. The two leaders, arch rival in Uttar Pradesh politics, had not attended any such programme together for several years. At the AICC headquarters, party general secretary Digvijay Singh held interactions with several MPs, especially those from UP, to ensure voting is done properly during the Vice Presidential poll and no vote goes waste. The balloting will take place from 10 am to 5 pm. A total of 42 papers were filed by 31 candidates during the 14-day nomination process, of which four sets of papers submitted by Ansari and three sets submitted by Singh were accepted. The nomination papers of 29 others were rejected on various grounds. Though the numbers are stacked highly against Singh, BJP is making all efforts to put up a respectable fight. In Chennai, Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa on Monday extended AIADMK's support to Singh, saying she firmly believes that there has to be an opposition in a true democracy. Source: Hindustan Times ***
Monday, 30 July 2012
Where Elephants are Kings
By TARSH THEKAEKARA: New Delhi: I grew up in a small town on the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, cradled in the Nilgiri hills. I grew up in a small town on the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, cradled in the Nilgiri hills. I now work as a conbservationist in the same area. Gudalur sits at the start of the mountains, at the edge of the Mudumalai Reserve. Till about 10 years ago, few roads, and only a handful of jeeps passed through the area. The forests and the land belonged to wildlife, and to elephants in particular. They routinely broke down fences and houses, damaged crops, chased jeeps and were the centre of most conversations. Electric fences were introduced only in the last decade, but the elephants invariably outsmarted them - a tusker learnt his tusks were electricity-proof, and used them to carefully snap the wires and a matriarch learnt dead wood could be used to smash through the fencing. But they were respected animals, whose rights were recognised as they never attacked or damaged property without reason. Wildlife sightings routinely happened from my home, we didn’t need to venture into the Reserve. Sloth bears were seen frequently, and with wild boars, were the most feared as they are the only animals that attack without provocation. Gaur grazed in large herds, and we often stopped and watched the light brown calves (which hardly resembled their jet-black parents) playing in the small open grassy patches between the trees. And the rains, most years the monsoon went on for almost six months. It was always cold and wet. The smell of damp lingered in the air, and anything left untouched got covered with mould. But everything teemed with life. Every year, the trees in the estates would be lopped to allow in sunlight and the undergrowth around houses would be cleared, but foliage grew back with surprising vigour. Snakes, mostly rat snakes, but also the occasional cobra and krait, and frogs visited houses. Centipedes, millipedes, ants, spiders, moths and innumerable other life forms shared our kitchen and bedrooms. But life has changed over the years. It was once a wild landscape in which a few
Image Link Flickr
people lived. Now it is a human landscape in which a few animals manage to survive. In the last decade, the human population has increased, tourists come in troves and the small town has become a big town, where everyone is less keen on having biodiverse homes. Over the years, I have learnt a lot more about this wider landscape, and have come to appreciate it more. The Nilgiri hills are a part of the Western Ghats, a 150-million-year-old rock formation, that is more than twice as old as the Himalayas. It is one of the world’s eight hottest biodiversity hotspots, with over 2,000 endemic plants species. It encompasses a host of protected areas, some UNESCO biosphere reserves, and is home to some of India’s largest populations of elephants and tigers. After deliberations in St Petersburg, the World Heritage Committee recently added the Western Ghats to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and the fuzzy feeling has not yet subsided among conservation and environmental circles. Though they rise above 2,600 m, geological experts don’t classify the Western Ghats as true mountains. They were formed when the Gondwana landmass broke up about 150 million years ago, and India began to move away from Madagascar. The high altitudes meant that plants and animals evolved very differently in these hills from the rest of the country. These mountain forests are like little islands in the sky, teeming with plant and animal life. Even casual observers, once they look past the tigers and elephants, will notice the phenomenal diversity. Within a 30 km radius, the landscape changes from African grasslands to lush dense rainforests to windy hilly slopes. The Segur plateau and Moyar Valley, for example, at
Image Link Flickr
about 600 m above sea level, are dry and opens rub forests. Expansive grassy areas inhabited by blackbuck, remind you of the grasslands in Africa. Then you move into the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, with the deciduous forests. Further west the trees become taller and permanently green, forests become wetter and more leech infested as you head into the rainforests. Move up the hills and at about 1,500 m, the forests redefine themselves to adapt to the cold and mist. Large evergreen trees become small and stunted and their barks sprout almost hair-like lichens, typical of cloud forests. Rolling undulating grasslands colonise the windy open hill slopes in between the forest patches. You are now in the Shola-grassland mosaic, home to the Nilgiri tahr. Though a tiger hunts only about once a week, it could theoretically hunt a blackbuck for breakfast in an almost arid scrub jungle, walk about 20 km up the hills into a sky island, and hunt a Nilgiri tahr for dinner! The megafaunal diversity is just the tip of the iceberg. Ecstatic naturalists have written volumes about the flowers (orchids in particular), butterflies and insects, trees, plants, grasses and even the mosses and lichen. And this is just in the Nilgiris. The Western Ghats start with the Satpura Range in the north, coming around Daman and Diu and Mumbai as far as the Sahyadris, they continue into the Anamalai hills into Kodaikanal in the east and south to Munnar, going all the way past Thiruvananthapuram. They run for about 1,600 km long, and cover about 1,40,000 sq km. Numerous ethnic groups live in this region, and it is safe to say this is also one of the most culturally diverse places on the earth. Paul Hockings, a British anthropologist at the University of Illinois, at Chicago, has just compiled a multi-volume encyclopedia on the Nilgiris alone. In a somewhat simplistic summary of the early colonial writing on the region, he describes it as a place with a “variety of tribal people — hunters, foragers, pastoralists, swidden farmers, sorcerers, peasant farmers, mahouts — and with the most exotic customs one could think of”. While we must celebrate this ethnic and environmental diversity of the Western Ghats, we must first understand the implications of a “World Heritage Site” tag. The Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by UNESCO in 1972. It was a unique global agreement, that for the first time brought together the conservation of both nature and culture. The Egyptian Pyramids, for example, are also a WHS. India is also signatory to this convention, and all states that are party to it are encouraged to nominate sites to the World Heritage Committee to be considered for inclusion in the World Heritage List. UNESCO provides technical guidance to help countries protect their cultural and natural heritage, and also gives some financial assistance through the World Heritage Fund (annually about US$4 million for the 962 WHSs, according to the UNESCO WHS website). More than the financial assistance, it raises the global conservation profile of the site, and helps generate awareness both locally and internationally.Sustainable development for the people living in these heritage landscapes is a central tenant of WHS. But the downside is that the convention is not hard law. So despite all the fanfare, there is not going to be any added legal provisions by which the Western Ghats can now be protected. So will this tag change ground realities? On one hand, the tag on its own will not ensure that the cluster of 39 World Heritage Sites in the in the Western Ghats will be much better protected. Some conservationists are concerned that the selection of only 39 sites (8,000 sq km) within the Ghats is arbitrary, and will open up the remaining 1,32,000 sq km for destruction. But the tag will also bring in more international attention, and can be used by conservationists and civil society groups to stall some of the large-scale industrial and mining processes that are destroying the hills, so that the elephants might once more roam free into the mist. The author is founder of The Shola Trust, working on people-based nature conservation in the Nilgiris. Source: Financial Express,
Image Link Flickr
people lived. Now it is a human landscape in which a few animals manage to survive. In the last decade, the human population has increased, tourists come in troves and the small town has become a big town, where everyone is less keen on having biodiverse homes. Over the years, I have learnt a lot more about this wider landscape, and have come to appreciate it more. The Nilgiri hills are a part of the Western Ghats, a 150-million-year-old rock formation, that is more than twice as old as the Himalayas. It is one of the world’s eight hottest biodiversity hotspots, with over 2,000 endemic plants species. It encompasses a host of protected areas, some UNESCO biosphere reserves, and is home to some of India’s largest populations of elephants and tigers. After deliberations in St Petersburg, the World Heritage Committee recently added the Western Ghats to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and the fuzzy feeling has not yet subsided among conservation and environmental circles. Though they rise above 2,600 m, geological experts don’t classify the Western Ghats as true mountains. They were formed when the Gondwana landmass broke up about 150 million years ago, and India began to move away from Madagascar. The high altitudes meant that plants and animals evolved very differently in these hills from the rest of the country. These mountain forests are like little islands in the sky, teeming with plant and animal life. Even casual observers, once they look past the tigers and elephants, will notice the phenomenal diversity. Within a 30 km radius, the landscape changes from African grasslands to lush dense rainforests to windy hilly slopes. The Segur plateau and Moyar Valley, for example, at
Image Link Flickr
about 600 m above sea level, are dry and opens rub forests. Expansive grassy areas inhabited by blackbuck, remind you of the grasslands in Africa. Then you move into the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, with the deciduous forests. Further west the trees become taller and permanently green, forests become wetter and more leech infested as you head into the rainforests. Move up the hills and at about 1,500 m, the forests redefine themselves to adapt to the cold and mist. Large evergreen trees become small and stunted and their barks sprout almost hair-like lichens, typical of cloud forests. Rolling undulating grasslands colonise the windy open hill slopes in between the forest patches. You are now in the Shola-grassland mosaic, home to the Nilgiri tahr. Though a tiger hunts only about once a week, it could theoretically hunt a blackbuck for breakfast in an almost arid scrub jungle, walk about 20 km up the hills into a sky island, and hunt a Nilgiri tahr for dinner! The megafaunal diversity is just the tip of the iceberg. Ecstatic naturalists have written volumes about the flowers (orchids in particular), butterflies and insects, trees, plants, grasses and even the mosses and lichen. And this is just in the Nilgiris. The Western Ghats start with the Satpura Range in the north, coming around Daman and Diu and Mumbai as far as the Sahyadris, they continue into the Anamalai hills into Kodaikanal in the east and south to Munnar, going all the way past Thiruvananthapuram. They run for about 1,600 km long, and cover about 1,40,000 sq km. Numerous ethnic groups live in this region, and it is safe to say this is also one of the most culturally diverse places on the earth. Paul Hockings, a British anthropologist at the University of Illinois, at Chicago, has just compiled a multi-volume encyclopedia on the Nilgiris alone. In a somewhat simplistic summary of the early colonial writing on the region, he describes it as a place with a “variety of tribal people — hunters, foragers, pastoralists, swidden farmers, sorcerers, peasant farmers, mahouts — and with the most exotic customs one could think of”. While we must celebrate this ethnic and environmental diversity of the Western Ghats, we must first understand the implications of a “World Heritage Site” tag. The Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by UNESCO in 1972. It was a unique global agreement, that for the first time brought together the conservation of both nature and culture. The Egyptian Pyramids, for example, are also a WHS. India is also signatory to this convention, and all states that are party to it are encouraged to nominate sites to the World Heritage Committee to be considered for inclusion in the World Heritage List. UNESCO provides technical guidance to help countries protect their cultural and natural heritage, and also gives some financial assistance through the World Heritage Fund (annually about US$4 million for the 962 WHSs, according to the UNESCO WHS website). More than the financial assistance, it raises the global conservation profile of the site, and helps generate awareness both locally and internationally.Sustainable development for the people living in these heritage landscapes is a central tenant of WHS. But the downside is that the convention is not hard law. So despite all the fanfare, there is not going to be any added legal provisions by which the Western Ghats can now be protected. So will this tag change ground realities? On one hand, the tag on its own will not ensure that the cluster of 39 World Heritage Sites in the in the Western Ghats will be much better protected. Some conservationists are concerned that the selection of only 39 sites (8,000 sq km) within the Ghats is arbitrary, and will open up the remaining 1,32,000 sq km for destruction. But the tag will also bring in more international attention, and can be used by conservationists and civil society groups to stall some of the large-scale industrial and mining processes that are destroying the hills, so that the elephants might once more roam free into the mist. The author is founder of The Shola Trust, working on people-based nature conservation in the Nilgiris. Source: Financial Express,
Sunday, 29 July 2012
Vikram’s Thandavam to release on 15 August
Know Your Destiny: Director A L Vijay is planning to release his much-awaited Thanadavam on 15 August. Starring Vikram, Anushka and Amy Jackson, the movie produced by UTV Pitucres is gearing up fast. He says,' a major portion of the movie occurs in USA and the crew ill pack up to US after completing the Chennai schedule' There are six songs in the movie set to tunes the G V Prakash. Vikram is upbeat that Thandavam will make it big. A few portions of the movie were shot in New Delhi recently.Source: Know Your Destiny
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Shruti Haasan to act with Ram?
Earlier we reported that actor Ram, director Santosh Srinivas and producer Bellam Konda Suresh have joined their hands for a new movie, which Ram claimed is not a sequel to ‘Kandireega’. The latest buzz is that the producer is keen to rope in Shruthi Haasan for the lead opposite Ram. Shruti, who has proved her mettle with ‘3’ recently and won critical acclaim, is currently in demand.Since Ram is foraying into Tamil, Shruti's presence might help the movie for obvious reasons. In the event of Bellamkonda Suresh wanting to dub the movie, it will only help the makers, since the Hassan girl is a popular actress in Tamil industry. The movie’s cast includes a host of comedians such as Brahmanandam, Dharmavarapu, Raghu Babu, Sayaji Shinde, MS Narayana and others to ensure it has loads of laughter. SS Thaman is the music composer. Vetri's cinematography and Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao's editing will be the technical highlights. Currently, the diva is busy in the shoot of Pawan Kalyan's much anticipated film ‘Gabbar Singh’, directed by Harish Shankar. She is unavailable to comment as she is busy shaking a leg with Pawan in Switzerland Source: The Hans India, Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki