Spiritual renaissance can reform society: Sri Sri

With millions of followers in India as well as across the globe, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has redefined the paradigm of spiritualism. In an exclusive interview with Zeenews.com’s Swati Chaturvedi on her show Kahiye Janab, the founder of Art of Living shares his views on corruption, spiritual awakening and lots more.

Swati: You have been involved in so many conflict resolutions. You were part of conflict resolution in Sri Lanka. Why have you not been able to do the same in India? Corruption is rampant in the country. The political divide is glaring.

Sri Sri: We constantly try to attempt conflict resolution in India as well. We went to Rajasthan during the Gujjar movement; we are also trying to resolve differences in the Maoist areas. We will definitely go and try to resolve conflicts wherever possible.

Swati: What do you have to say about the conflicts across the political spectrum?

Sri Sri: Real conflicts can always be resolved. But dramatised conflicts are something that cannot be done away with. How do you resolve a (dramatic) conflict which does not exist at all?

Swati: Are we forgetting the real issues and diverting our attention to just allegations and mud-slinging?


Sri Sri: Be it a social cause or a political cause, I feel everything is becoming more or less like a business. We are increasingly becoming a self-centred society. We are least bothered about working for the benefit of the society. Personal gain is the priority today. It is like - first me - then the party - and at last the country. That is why I keep saying, unless there is spiritual renaissance, reform is not possible.
Swati: Recently Digvijay Singh said Plan A - Baba Ramdev, Plan B - Anna, Plan C - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Don’t you feel hurt when political leaders pass such comments?

Sri Sri: You can’t help it you know. Everyone in this country has his/her right to express, display or exhibit ignorance. But the bottom-line is that the public knows everything.

Swati: There is so much chaos everywhere. Lokpal Bill is yet to be passed by Parliament. People are so restless. A youth even went to the extent of slapping Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. What do you feel when you see all this?

Sri Sri: The entire society is restless today. This is like a phase which comes and goes. This too shall pass and a renewed vigour and enthusiasm will replace everything.

Swati: You recently embarked on a series of Satsangs in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. What did you discover?

Sri Sri: It was more of a people’s yatra. People from tribal regions such as Sonbhadra and Chamauli walked almost 35 kilometres to be a part of the yatra. They also took pledge against paying bribes and corruption. It was overwhelming to see such a huge mass support. I think it is the spiritual awakening that enables people to follow rules and orders, maintain discipline and become upright.


Swati: So many allegations have been levelled against Team Anna. What do you have to say on the whole issue?

Sri Sri: This was expected. Those who speak about corruption or those who try to expose wrongdoings are bound to face such things. I agree that you should practice what you preach. If you are in the wrong, you can’t point fingers at others. It is very important to introspect. But it is also true that you cannot make a mountain out of a molehill. There are bigger scams and scandals that ought to be focussed upon. Petty things such as savings on airfares and such issues are not the real issue. The real issue is something else and that needs to be addressed. But yes, keeping a spotless image is a must.

Swati: Has aam-aadmi become a mere slogan?

Sri Sri: If you are empathetic towards the aam-aadmi, you should not think about the slogan. Working for the common man is what is required.

Swati: There is so much price rise. Inflation is taking a huge toll on the common people.

Sri Sri: Definitely there are problems and over the years they have aggravated. But I feel, at times, we should learn to take responsibility, stop this blame game and find solutions ourselves. It is always wise to find a solution to a problem rather than crib about it.

Swati: Is the alternative (if any) going to be better than this?

Sri Sri: People have become quite cynical. They have lost trust. They at times don’t even want to vote. But we always tell the people to cast their vote. I also feel that the youth can be a big medium of change. The future of our country lies in the hands of the youth. They have the power to change this country.

Swati: What according to you is the biggest problem that the country is facing today?

Sri Sri: Corruption, inflation and alcoholism.

Swati: People are beginning to have to a lot of faith in the civil society. How long will this last?

Sri Sri: There are tens of thousands of people in this civil society with thousands and thousands of ideas. It is not possible to have a homogenous group within groups. But the aim should be one. Right now the aim is to have a strong Lokpal Bill.

Swati: Is Lokpal Bill a magic wand?

Sri Sri: The Lokpal Bill alone cannot solve the ubiquitous corruption that seems to govern both politics and everyday life in India. It can only be removed by instilling the feeling of national kinship.

Swati: Can you name one leader who can bring a ray of hope?

Sri Sri: That is for the people to decide. I would only appeal to the people to weigh all the pros and cons before choosing their leader. They should not vote on the basis of caste or religion. They should also not exercise their franchise in lieu of money.

Swati: What is your message to the country and the leaders?

Sri Sri: Put your country first. Put it above everything else. Only the principles of humanism can lead the country towards prosperity.

Adaptation: Reema Sharma

Iranian makes world's tiniest microphone

Tehran: An Iranian scientist has claimed to have built the world's tiniest microphone that could be used to build "invisible" hearing aids, the ISNA news agency reported.

Bahram Azizollah Ganji of Noshirvani University in the northern city of Babol, who built the 0.5 mm X 0.5 mm microphone, said he would apply for the world record.

The device could be used for medical purposes to receive the exact sound of the heart for diagnosis of heart problems and examination of foetus' health.

It can also be used for fishing and surveillance systems under water to measure sound waves and ultrasound waves that would help identify marine animals, he said.

The tiny microphone can be used for telecommunication systems, information collection devices and defence systems.

The microphone that cannot be seen with the naked eye has a high sensitivity and low cost. Low power consumption is another advantage of the device.

Twin tragedy in Bengal

West Bengal witnessed twin man-made disasters just as the year 2011 was coming to a close. The December 09 tragic fire at Kolkata’s “super speciality” Advanced Medical and Research Institute (AMRI) has snuffed out lives of more than 90 people so far. The deceased are patients barring just four hospital staff. And if the fire was not enough, another catastrophe struck just four days later. At least 173 people died in Sangrampur and its adjourning villages in South 24 Parganas district after consuming toxic liquor. Those who died are the poorest of the poor like labourers, rickshaw-pullers and hawkers. Both the disasters are entirely man-made and could have been easily prevented. These two incidents put a question mark on the abysmal state of affairs in West Bengal.

AMRI hospital fire

Initial investigations suggest that the devastating fire in AMRI hospital - which was most likely triggered by an electric short-circuit - originated in the basement of the hospital. The basement meant to be a parking lot was apparently used for storing a vast amount of highly inflammable material like oxygen cylinders, PVC pipes, biochemical waste, wooden boxes, mattress, stock of diesel and other inflammatory material. All these are highly combustible.

It has been learnt that the hospital staff first played down the risk and wasted precious time by trying to douse the blaze on their own. That resulted in smoke getting sucked in by the central air-conditioning ducts. The toxic fumes soon engulfed the entire hospital building, slowly converting it into a death trap. When the hospital realised that that the situation was getting out of its control, they called the fire department.

No heed was paid to the patients who were shouting for help.

The local residents and patients’ kin who rushed to the spot were not allowed to get in as the security guards of the hospital apparently kept the gates locked from inside, preventing them from going inside for the victims’ rescue.

As the fire and fumes spread swiftly, the hospital staff abandoned the patients and managed to get away. All exit doors for patients were allegedly locked leaving them to choke to death.

By the time the fire brigade team reached the spot major damage had already been done. The fire brigade with the help of the locals evacuated and saved the injured from the jaws of death.

Meanwhile, starling facts related to the cause of the carnage have come to light. During an inspection by fire department officials in September 29, AMRI was warned about the dangers lurking in its basement and had been asked to clean up its act by December 5. But the hospital did not bother to do so. And no follow up was done by the fire department. Another inspection was due in November 29, which did not take place. Just four days after the deadline expired, the carnage took place. This is not to dispute that AMRI flouted fire safety norms brazenly.

Investigations now reveal that the hospital deliberately delayed reporting to the fire station about the fire outbreak, precisely because it was concerned that it could be hauled up for not clearing its basement as promised.

Nothing can be more ironic than the fact that the hospital was awarded the number 1 ranking for Emergency Care in a national hospital survey by a leading national magazine.

The AMRI fire is the third such incident in West Bengal in present times. The state earlier witnessed ghastly fire at Stephen Court building of Park Street in 2010 and Nandaram market of Burrabazar in 2008. But, clearly no lessons have been learnt from past mistakes.

Just nine arrests have been made in the AMRI case so far. Seven directors of the hospital have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. In addition, two senior officials of the hospital were arrested in connection with the same case. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banejee has cancelled the license of the hospital and ordered a judicial probe into the fire tragedy.

But this little action won’t suffice for the mass murders. The case should be fast tracked and the perpetrators brought to justice at the earliest. A criminal negligence of this magnitude deserves exemplary punishment. The hospital management and the staff, those who forgot their oath to take care of the patients in the hour of crisis do not deserve any mercy. They should be charged with murder and be given the harshest possible sentence. In addition, heavy compensation should be slapped on the hospital management so that it is made to pay for its crime.

The civic authorities also should be made to share the punishment. They can’t wash their hands off. Well, the fire department had warned the hospital to clean up its basement once. But its duty doesn’t end there. Why didn’t it do any follow up? It has now been established that the hospital did not have the basic fire fighting system in place. Despite that how could the fire department issue a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the hospital? Heads should roll now and criminal proceedings should be undertaken against the officials who abjectly failed to fulfil their responsibilities.


Only punishing the guilty won’t suffice. Let us think about preventing similar disasters before they take place next time. It is a fact that a good number of upscale hospitals across the nation are running on conditional and provisional clearances. The government should address the issue before another AMRI takes place.

Bengal hooch tragedy

In Sangrampur and its adjourning villages of Diamond Harbour subdivision in South 24 Parganas district on the outskirts of Kolkata, villagers reported sick after consuming illicit liquor. They were rushed to the Diamond Harbour sub divisional hospital. Quite a few died on their way to the hospital. Thanks to the utter lack of faculties in the hospital, not many lives could be saved. Meanwhile, the death toll has touched 173 amid fears of more casualties, as condition of several of the victims are said to be critical.

The last body of the tragedy is yet to be counted, but it has triggered a familiar political blame game with the Trinamool and CPM leaders trading charges at each other. Senior Trinamool leader and state Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee accused the CPM of masterminding the hooch catastrophe. The CPM was quick to hit back saying such allegations were meant to cover up the lapses and challenged the state government to prove the veracity of the allegations.

West Bengal CM has ordered a CID probe into the incident. Only 12 arrests have been made so far in the case. Those arrested are only small time vendors. The officer-in-charge of the excise department in Diamond Harbour was suspended on charges of dereliction of duty. But the kingpin of the hooch racket Khonra Badshah alias Noor Islam Fakir along with his key lieutenant Salim are still on the run. Salim was overseeing the manufacturing and distribution of Badshah’s multi-crore illicit liquor business in Magrahat-Gocharan-Sangrampur belt. Interestingly, Badshah who used to be a CPM man had switched his loyalty to Trinamool Congress because of the change in power of the state. Both CPM and Trinamool now disown the Badshah.

Country liquor is a flourishing business in rural Bengal and has assumed the status of an “organised” industry. The operation syndicate of illicit liquor works through mobile manufacturing units set up in remote villages. Popularly known as cholai in Bengali, the killer hooch are manufactured and distributed right under the nose of the police and the excise department. In most of the cases, the police and the excise officials are party to the whole operation. Moreover, the illegal operation enjoys tacit political patronage.

It is time for the West Bengal government to act fast. Mass murderer hooch king Khonra Badshah and his team should be nabbed at the earliest and be dealt in the harshest possible manner. It is time the state government cracks down on the illegal liquor syndication.

1971: Some frittered gains

Some symbolisms are so sacred to a country that they are best left untouched. Observed and lauded each year with regality and solemnity. Celebrated with an unquestioning mind for the triumph they brought, and sense of pride they instilled.

While the ghosts of the past are best forgotten, glorious ones can be commemorated but never questioned.

The 1971 War has been a symbol of Indian pride. Its impact had been tremendously positive for two reasons: it vanquished comprehensively an arch enemy and restored shaky confidence in our military after the 1962 defeat at the hands of the Chinese and the ambiguous 1965 episode.

The War had at once created a new nation and established India’s supremacy in South Asia. It also put a seal on a debate that had earlier cleavaged a once vast country into two nations. The creation of Bangladesh settled the deliberation over the two-nation theory in favour of India. Jinnah had asked for Pakistan based on the view that Hindus and Muslims could not live together as one country and that Islam would prove to be the glue of the proposed new Republic.


Bangladesh proved Jinnah wrong. The idea of India was better – unity in diversity outlived a parochial communal notion. Multiple religions and ethnicities can survive and thrive, if only an accommodative attitude is fostered by the citizenry, while forcing supremacy of one over another plants seeds of revolt.

The 1971 victory also unveiled the Shimla Agreement - attested by Indira Gandhi and Zulfiqar Bhutto - which provisioned for all outstanding matters, including Kashmir, to be resolved bilaterally. This clause has been quoted oft and again at international fora by India whenever Pakistan has chosen to play dirty and tried to invite third party intervention.

Another positive was that the demand that Pakistan had pressed for regarding granting of corridor through mainland India to connect East Pakistan and West Pakistan was snuffed. Considering the penchant that Pakistan has to send-in mischief makers into other people’s territory, the cord running through India could have turned into a septic gash.

Unfortunately, we let the rival off too easily. Forty years later, we see more clearly the lost opportunities. Despite warnings from Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Indira Gandhi gave back strategically placed territory in the North-Western region, which had been captured by the Indian soldiers. We also released over 90,000 prisoners of war without a written guarantee of turning the Line of Control into an international border.

Zulfiqar Bhutto expectedly went back on his word and later promised to eat grass but acquire nuclear weapons, whereas Zia-ul-Haq came upon his favourite brainchild – the policy of bleeding India by a thousand cuts.

We also failed to strike while the iron was hot. After having handed Bangladesh its Independence, India should have insisted on once and for all solutions to the contentious Farakka Barrage, Teesta and Brahmaputra water disputes.

If there was time when we could have claimed back the Chittagong Hill Tract, it was then. The British had been rash when settling this land claim much like most of the border line, and we could have put forth pending arguments and claimed it as a prize for the aid we provided to our eastern neighbour, if for nothing else.

But we did nothing of the sort, relying on never ending goodwill and gratitude from Bangladeshis, which evaporated faster than boiling water.

A long term strategic loss, according to General JFR Jacob, has been the consolidation of the Pakistan Army operations. Jacob, who was one of the main architects of the 1971 victory, feels that by cutting off its East wing, India handed Pakistan the opportunity to concentrate its scattered forces into a single unbroken territory in the West, where it could be buttressed significantly. It would have been a problem for Pakistan to mobilize and upkeep their firepower in two separate regions over a long period to time.

As an extension, Pakistan would also have to deal with a fairly large population that was pathetically poor and restive and would have consumed the Islamic Republic’s attention so completely that it would scarcely be left with time to create problems for others. This may be simplistic view and there can be several counterpoints to it because Pakistan, along with its eastern arm, could have also proved to be doubly problematic.

But it is important to revisit those episodes of our history that have become our holy cows. Not because we doubt the valour or spirit of our soldiers, but because we owe it to them that their sacrifices are not frittered away due to lack of depth and reasoning of our political masters.

More certainly because countries that don’t question history, only tend to repeat their mistakes.

Abuse becomes fashion in Indian society!

India entered 2011 in a celebratory mood winning the Cricket World Cup but the euphoria and the feel good factor soon gave way to an overall environment of negativity and uncertainty. While this is not something new for the country what came as a shock to all was how the land known for its rich social and cultural values slowly but surely was turning into a nation where abuse had become the cornerstone of public discourse.

With several public figures liberally use derogatory words without any reprimand, the year 2011 witnessed several incidents of abuse in public domain, a trend the country at best would like to forget as it steps into the new-year.

While the most talked movement this year against corruption witnessed a huge support from people and united them for a cause, it also had some grievous side effects. The fight against corruption led by Anna Hazare won hearts of millions of people but some defamatory statements in the event also hurt the sentiments of some. Abuse became the style and substance of an argument.


Ironically, abuse heralded itself as the in thing on the screen, coming from a man most respected for his maturity as an actor, as Om Puri spewed venom on ‘netas’ calling them Anpadh and Ganwar. Yeh anpadh hain, inka kya background hai? Aadhe se zyaada MP ganwaar hain... Puri said in front of crowd assembled in Ramlila ground.

Former IPS officer, Kiran Bedi also launched an attack on Parliamentarians by accusing them of people who wear “several masks”. Both incidents drew the ire of politicians as both the Houses of Parliament issued privilege notice against the duo.

Though, Om Puri apologized for his remarks later, Kiran Bedi refused to do so as she believed she had done no wrong. Right or wrong can be a matter of debate but what was beyond doubt was that abuse was here to stay.

Psychiatrist Dr Sandeep Vohra argues that reduction in human patience gave abuse a space in the society. He opines, “On the one hand abuse is becoming a fashion but on the other hand it shows decrease in tolerance, thoughts and emotions for others. It shows public anger without any fear.”

A Member of Parliament and Congress spokesperson, Manish Tewari too came under fire for terming social crusader Anna Hazare a person with 'myopic vision'. He also described senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, as 'a loose canon' for making derogatory remarks on the Congress party. He later apologized to Anna for his remarks.

But, the comment of Gandhian Anna Hazare surprised everyone when he made the infamous remark "just one slap" after Sharad Pawar was attacked by a youth in Delhi.

Recently the fight between two senior politicians from main rival parties (Rashid Alvi and SS Ahluwalia) almost got into fisticuffs when they fought over a leaked document of a Standing Committee to a scribe.

Dr Vohra asserts that abuse in public domain is a dangerous practice while advocating the need for caution while choosing your words.

While in each case apology was made by the people involved, the bad taste in India’s public discourse lingers on.

Once in David’s royal city

About 2000 years ago, in the town of Nazareth, lived a young and God fearing woman named Mary. She was betrothed to Joseph, a descendant of King David. One day an angel appeared and told her that she will be blessed with a child. She was terrified and asked how that could be possible as she was unmarried? To which the angel said that she has found favour in the eyes of God and she would bear the son of God. Mary, jubilant yet fearful, accepted God’s will.

When Joseph came to know that Mary was pregnant, he was worried and thought that he would break off the engagement quietly as he was a righteous man. But that night an angel appeared before him in dream and told him to take Mary home as his wife as she was with the Holy Spirit. The angel said that Mary would give birth to a son and they were to call him Jesus. Joseph obeyed and took Mary home as his wife.

Caesar Augustus announced that a census would be taken, of the whole empire. Judea in those times was a province of the Roman Empire and so Joseph set out with Mary to his hometown of Bethlehem, the ancient royal city of King David, to register their names. The journey was long and tiring as Mary was nearing the term of her pregnancy. At last they reached their destination and to their dismay they found that every inn had been filled up and there was not a single room left for them to stay. Seeing the state Mary was in, an innkeeper told them they could stay in the manger, where they would be sheltered from the cold night and there would be hay to sleep on. So they went into the manger, made themselves comfortable and during the night Mary gave birth to baby Jesus.

Just then, out in the pastures, some shepherds were keeping a watch over their flocks. The angels appeared before them and announced the good news of great joy for all people, that in the town of David, a savior had been born. They hurried off and found the baby, with Mary and Joseph, in a manger.

Meanwhile in Jerusalem, King Herod was in a state of anxiety as he heard the news that wise men from the east countries ware looking for a newborn child who would be the king of the Jews. King Herod was not well liked by his subjects. He was fearful that any news like this would pose serious threat to his position. So he summoned the wise men to ask them about their search. They told him that they had been reading the stars and had seen a sign that portended the birth of the king of Jews and they had come to honour him. King Herod was afraid and thought of killing the baby but he told the wise men to inform him of the child so that he too could worship him. So they went in search of the baby Jesus following the star they had seen which came to rest above a manger in Bethlehem. They found the baby being worshipped by the shepherds and they join in, honouring him with precious gifts fit for a king.

With no news from the wise men, as the angels had informed them of the king’s intention, King Herod ordered the killing of all children under the age of two as he meant to do away with a powerful threat to his throne. Meanwhile, Joseph had escaped with his family to Egypt and stayed there till Herod’s death.

All these came to pass as foretold in the Holy Scriptures. The Son of God was born in a lowly manger in the town of David, surrounded by terror, with wondrous display of God’s love for his children.

Doctors' strike claims 44 lives in Rajasthan

Jaipur: The indefinite strike of government doctors, demanding a hike in salary, entered the fifth day on Sunday and paralysed medical services in parts of Rajasthan.

Due to unavailability of medical assistance 44 people have died in different parts of Rajasthan. Patients in several district hospitals, primary health centers and dispensaries are suffering due to non-availability of doctors.

The authorities have so far suspended 41 striking doctors while 379 have been arrested under the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA).

Of the total of 8,503 doctors in government services, 5,600 are on strike, throwing the system out of gear.

Meanwhile, the state government has handed over three hospitals to Border Security Force (BSF) in Barmer, Jaisalmer and Bikaner.

The government has also published a list of private hospitals where the patients can get treated free of cost.

Now, you can insure marriage against losses!

New Delhi: Marriages are made in heaven, but they can very well turn sour on this earth, by way of getting cancelled or not proving to be fruitful after being consumed.

Seeing a business opportunity here, the insurance companies have come out with an innovative proposition, wherein they would insure the weddings against their postponement of cancellations for certain reasons.

The catch is that the insurer will not pay for marriages turning sour due to personal differences between the bride and the groom, and the claims would be entertained only for losses due to external factors like accidents, catastrophes or unintentional man-made disasters or disruptions.

At least two Indian insurance companies, ICICI Lombard and Bajaj Allianz, have come out with the exclusive 'Wedding Insurance' products, while some others are providing similar coverages under their more generalised insurance policies.

Experts say that the wedding insurance covers are currently being availed mostly by HNIs (High Net Worth Individuals) and celebrities, given the high costs attached with their weddings, but insurers also want to tap others for these policies as wedding bills are as such on rise across the board.

Accordingly, Bajaj Allianz is offering wedding insurance with premium payments of as low as below Rs 4,000, and as high as close to Rs 15,000.

As per its website, it has four insurance options – Rs two lakh, Rs four lakh, Rs six lakh and Rs eight lakh and the indicative premiums for these four options range from Rs 3770 to Rs 14276.

The policy covers "wedding cancellation/postponement due to fire or any natural disaster, accident of bride/groom, accident of blood relations resulting within seven days of the wedding date, damage to property including the venue, burglary and even cases of food poisoning at the function."

Noting that wedding is an expensive, but 'once in a lifetime' event, Bajaj Allianz said that any postponement or cancellation involves a certain risk of monetary loss, and its wedding insurance acts as a safeguard against "unforeseen events that could postpone or cancel your wedding."

ICICI Lombard, on its part, provides insurance cover for the wedding cancellation, material damage to the property such as wedding venue, personal accident cover for insured person (bride or the groom) and any public liability arising out of the cancellation.
  
ICICI Lombard's insurance product covers cancellation or postponement of the wedding ceremonies due to factors ranging from fire, earthquake or burglary and theft at the venue.

Besides, it also covers for "sudden, unexplained, unintimated failure" of the bride or the groom to appear for the wedding ceremonies due to reasons like, death, personal injury or any major illness.

The expenses that would be covered include those for printing of cards and the advance payments for the venue, caterer, decorations, music, hotels and travel.

However, it would not cover the wedding cancellations due to factors like Bandh or civil unrest, any act of terrorism, kidnapping, complete breakdown of transportation services.

Also, any non-appearance of the bride or the groom coming on an air flight, other than as a passenger in a licensed commercial aircraft, without the knowledge and consent of the insurer, would also not be covered.

Any unexplained or mysterious disappearance or shortage in respect of the venue would also not be covered, neither the damages to the property that is "caused intentionally by the Insured or at insured's direction," ICICI Lombard says.

धरती से निकला खजाना, लूटने के लिए टूट पड़ी जनता

दाहोद (गुजरात)।यहां मंगलवार को एक मकान के निर्माण के दौरान हुई खुदाई में निकले खजाने के चलते कथोरिया बाजार इलाके में जबर्दस्त लूटपाट मच गई। दरअसल खुदाई के दौरान यहां से चांदी के सिक्कों से भरा एक बड़ा मटका निकला था। चंद मिनट में ही यह खबर पूरे इलाके में जंगल में आग की तरह फैल गई और लूटपाट मच गई।

मंगलवार को दाहोद के कथीरिया बाजार में मंसूरभाई कथीरिया के मकान के निर्माण कार्य के चलते खुदाई हो रही थी। लगभग 5-10 फिट का गड्ढा करने पर ही मजदूरों को एक बड़े आकार का मटका दिखाई दिया जो चांदी के सिक्कों से लबालब भरा हुआ था। यह दृश्य देखकर मजदूरों ने उसे लूटना शुरू कर दिया।

धीरे-धीरे यह बात फैलती चली गई और लोगों का हुजूम इस खजाने को लूटने टूट पड़ा। कुछ ही देर में लगभग पूरा मटका खाली कर दिया गया। इसी बीच किसी ने मकान मालिक मंसूरभाई को इसकी जानकारी दे दी और वे तुरंत यहां के लिए रवाना हुए। लेकिन जब तक वे यहां पहुंचे तब तक मजदूर समेत लूटपाट करने वाले सभी लोग घटना स्थल से फरार हो चुके थे।

सिक्के मुगल काल के हैं:

प्रत्यक्षदर्शियों के अनुसार इस मटके में लगभग 30-40 किलो वजन के सिक्के थे। सिक्कों का आकार वर्तमान में चल रहे 5 रुपए के सिक्के जैसा है, लेकिन उसकी मोटाई सिक्के से लगभग तिगुनी और वजन 15-20 ग्राम का है। इसके साथ ही सिक्कों पर उर्दू में इबारतें लिखी हुई हैं। जिसका मतलब है कि ये सिक्के मुगल काल के हैं यानी की 300-400 साल पुराने।

तस्वीरों में देखें कैसे गुस्साए युवक ने मारा शरद पवार को तमाचा

नई दिल्ली. महंगाई पर कृषि मंत्री शरद पवार को नई दिल्ली में पड़े तमाचे की खबर चंद मिनटों में ही मीडिया में सनसनी बन गई। तस्वीरों में देखिए भारतीय समाचार चैनलों के स्क्रीन शॉट।

सचिन के आउट होते ही कुछ ऐसे गिरे भारतीय विकेट, देखें वीडियो

नई दिल्ली। टीम इंडिया के पूर्व क्रिकेटर विनोद कांबली के सनसनीखेज खुलासा के बाद 1996 में भारत-श्रीलंका के बीच खेला गया विश्वकप सेमीफाइनल मुकाबला एक बार फिर सवालों के घेरे में आ गया है। निजी खबरिया चैनल स्टार न्यूज पर खुलासा करते हुए विनोद कांबली ने साफ-साफ कहा कि उन्हें यह शक है कि विश्व कप का सेमीफाइनल मुकाबला फिक्स था।

दरअसल, उस सेमीफाइनल मुकाबले में भारत का 98 के स्कोर पर दूसरा विकेट गिरा और देखते-देखते 120 के स्कोर पर 8 बल्लेबाज पवेलियन लौट गए। इसके बाद दर्शकों के उत्पात के बाद मैच को वहीं रोकना पड़ा और श्रीलंका को जीत दे दी गई।

हम आपको उस विवादास्पद मैच का वीडियो दिखा रहे हैं। देखिए किस तरह सचिन के आउट होते ही एक-एक कर भारतीय खिलाड़ी आउट होते गए। विनोद कांबली उस मैच में नाबाद थे और मैच रोके जाने के बाद वे अपने आंसुओं को रोक नहीं सके।

यहां लिया स्वयं भगवान् गणेश ने 'अवतार' भक्तों की लगी लंबी कतार !!!

हजारीबाग. झारखण्ड की राजधानी रांची से सटे हजारीबाग जिले के बड़कागांव प्रखंड अंतर्गत पारपैन गांव के किसान दौलत महतो के घर नौ नवंबर की शाम बकरी ने हाथी के आकार के बच्चे को जन्म दिया।

जिसकी लोग गणेश भगवान समझ कर पूजा अर्चना कर रहे हैं। बकरी के बच्चे के दोनों कान लंबे तथा बड़े हैं।

नाक की जगह हाथी के सूंढ के आकर की छोटी सूंढ है। जिससे बकरी का बच्चा दूध पी रहा है। बड़ी संख्या में लोग बकरी के बच्चे को देखने पहुंच रहे हैं। ग्रामीणों के बीच बकरी का बच्चा कौतुहल का केंद्र बना हुआ है।

गूगल ने मुफ्त शुरु की एक और बेहतरीन सेवा

लॉस एंजिलिस: गूगल ने आपके लिए एक और बेहतरीन सेवा की शुरुआत कर दी है। यह है गूगल म्यूजिक जिसमें  आप लाखों गानों का लुत्फ उठा सकेंगे।

गूगल म्यूजिक में 3 लाख गाने हैं और इसे ऐंड्रायड मार्केट से जोड़ दिया जाएगाजिससे ये स्मार्टफोन तथा वीडियो से जुड़ जाएंगे। गूगल म्यूजिक इंटरनेट से जु़ड़े उपकरणों मसलन स्मार्टफोन, कंप्यूटर, टेबलेट वगैरह से एक्सेस किया जा सकेगा। इसेक लिए उसने सोनी, ईएमआई, यूनीवर्सल म्यूजिक ग्रुप वगैरह से समझौता किया है। गूगल यूजर हर दिन एक गाना मुफ्त डाउनलोड कर सकते हैं। इस खबर के बाद गूगल के शेयर ऊपर चढ़ गए हैं।

आखिर क्यूं है ब्रह्मा का सिर्फ 'एक मंदिर', यहां छुपा है 'रहस्य'

जयपुर. राजस्थान के पुष्कर जिले में बना भगवान ब्रह्मा का मंदिर अपनी एक अनोखी विशेषता की वजह से न सिर्फ भारत में बल्कि पूरी दुनिया के लिए आकर्षण का केंद्र है. यह ब्रह्मा जी एकमात्र मंदिर है. भगवान ब्रह्मा को हिन्दू धर्म में संसार का रचनाकार माना जाता है.

क्या है इतिहास इस मंदिर का

ऐतिहासिक तौर पर यह माना जाता है कि इस मंदिर का निर्माण 14वीं शताब्दी में हुआ था. लेकिन पौराणिक मान्यता के अनुसार यह मंदिर लगभग 2000 वर्ष प्राचीन है.संगमरमर और पत्थर से बना यह मंदिर पुष्कर झील के पास स्थित है जिसका शिखर लाल रंग से रंग हुआ है. इस मंदिर के केंद्र में भगवान ब्रह्मा के साथ उनकी दूसरी पत्नी गायत्री कि प्रतिमा भी स्थापित है. इस मंदिर का यहाँ की स्थानीय गुर्जर समुदाय से विशेष लगाव है. मंदिर की देख-रेख में लगे पुरोहित वर्ग भी इसी समुदाय के लोग हैं. ऐसी मान्यता है कि भगवान ब्रह्मा की दूसरी पत्नी गायत्री भीगुर्जर समुदाय से थीं.

कैसे नाम पड़ा 'पुष्कर'

हिन्दू धर्मग्रन्थ पद्म पुराण के मुताबिक धरती पर वज्रनाश नामक राक्षस ने उत्पात मचा रखा था. ब्रह्मा जी ने जब उसका वध किया तो उनके हाथों से तीन जगहों पर पुष्प गिरा. इन तीनों जगहों पर तीन झीलें बनी. इसी घटना के बाद इस स्थान का नाम पुष्कर पड़ा. इस घटना के बाद ब्रह्मा ने यज्ञ करने का फैसला किया.

पूर्णाहुति के लिए उनके साथ उनकी पत्नी सरस्वती का साथ होना जरुरी था लेकिन उनके न मिलने की वजह से उन्होंने गुर्जर समुदाय की एक कन्या 'गायत्री' से विवाह कर इस यज्ञ को पूर्ण किया. लेकिन उसी दौरान देवी सरस्वती वहां पहुंची और ब्रह्मा के बगल में दूसरी कन्या को बैठा देख क्रोधित हो गईं. उन्होंने ब्रह्मा जी को श्राप दिया कि देवता होने के बावजूद कभी भी उनकी पूजा नहीं होगी. हालाँकि बाद में इस श्राप के असर को कम करने के लिए उन्होंने यह वरदान दिया कि एक मात्र पुष्कर में उनकी उपासना संभव होगी.

चूंकि विष्णु ने भी इस काम में ब्रह्मा जी की मदद की थी इसलिए  देवी सरस्वती ने उन्हें यह श्राप दिया कि उन्हें अपनी पत्नी से विरह का कष्ट सहन करना पड़ेगा. इसी कारण उन्हें मानवरूप में राम का जन्म लेना पड़ा और 14 साल के वनबास के दौरान  उन्हें पत्नी से अलग रहना पड़ा था.

उद्देश्य: इस वीडियो को आप तक पहुंचाने का मकसद पुष्कर की पवित्र भूमि में छिपे रहस्य को आप तक पहुँचाना है.

मारने से पहले कैसे गद्दाफी को पाइप से खींच कर ट्रक पर लादा गया

लीबिया के तानाशाह गद्दाफी को गुरुवार को विद्रोहियों ने सिर्त में मार गिराया। देखे गद्दाफी की मौत का वीडियो। यह वीडियो मोबाइल से बनाया गया है।

गद्दाफी को जिस वक्‍त उसके गृह नगर में पकड़ा गया, उस वक्‍त वह एक नाले में छुपा बैठा था। हालांकि वह घायल था और लहुलुहान गद्दाफी ने हाथ खड़े कर दिए और दया की भीख मांगने लगा। उसके आखिरी शब्‍द थे, ‘मेरे बच्‍चों, मुझे मत मारो।’

घंटे भर के भीतर ही वह मारा गया। हालांकि इससे पहले लड़ाकों ने गद्दाफी के बाल खींचे और खून से लथपथ शरीर को ट्रक पर लादा। हालांकि तानाशाह के आखिरी पल के दौरान क्‍या हुआ, इस बारे में कई तरह की खबरें आ रही हैं। लेकिन आखिरी पल के वीडियो से कुछ संकेत मिलते हैं कि वहां क्‍या हुआ होगा।


जब गद्दाफी पकड़ा गया तो वहां मौजूद एक शख्‍स ने इसका वीडियो शूट किया। जब लड़ाके उसे बाल पकड़ कर ट्रक पर लाद रहे थे तो किसी ने आवाज लगाई, ‘उसे मत मारो, उसे जिंदा रहने दो।’ लेकिन लड़ाकों ने एक नहीं सुनी और तानाशाह के शरीर को गोलियों से छलनी कर दिया। एनटीसी के एक सूत्र के मुताबिक लड़ाकों ने गद्दाफी को जिंदा पकड़ा था। पहले उसे पीटा गया फिर गोली मार दी गई। 

Biological computers come closer to reality

London: Scientists have claimed that they can build some of the basic components for digital devices out of bacteria and DNA, suggesting a new generation of biological computing devices.

The researchers, from Imperial College London, have demonstrated that they can build logic gates, which are used for processing information in devices such as computers and microprocessors, out of harmless gut bacteria and DNA.

These are the most advanced biological logic gates ever created by scientists.

“Logic gates are the fundamental building blocks in silicon circuitry that our entire digital age is based on,” said professor Richard Kitney, co-author of study from the Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation and the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London.

“Without them, we could not process digital information. Now that we have demonstrated that we can replicate these parts using bacteria and DNA, we hope that our work could lead to a new generation of biological processors, whose applications in information processing could be as important as their electronic equivalents,” he added
Although still a long way off, the team suggest that these biological logic gates could one day form the building blocks in microscopic biological computers.

The scientists constructed a type of logic gate called an “AND Gate” from bacteria called Escherichia coli (E.Coli), which is normally found in the lower intestine.

The team altered the E.Coli with modified DNA, which reprogrammed it to perform the same switching on and off process as its electronic equivalent when stimulated by chemicals.

The researchers were also able to demonstrate that the biological logic gates could be connected together to form more complex components in a similar way that electronic components are made.
In another experiment, the researchers created a “NOT gate” and combined it with the AND gate to produce the more complex “NAND gate”.

The next stage of the research will see the team trying to develop more complex circuitry that comprises multiple logic gates.

The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications.

Congress’ hidden agenda

The Congress party does not want to come back to power in 2014. At least so it seems. Otherwise, why else would it act the way it is acting right now? Why else would it turn complacent? Why else would it stay away from the ‘aam aadmi’ in whose very name it got elected? Why else would it sleep in its ivory tower?

It seems that the Congress has been afflicted with an auto-immune disorder that is causing it to be in a perennial self-destructive mode. Manmohan Singh may dodge genuine questions by blaming the opposition for its current mess, but everybody except perhaps the Congressmen know that this is not true. The opposition too is equally, if not more, inept and indifferent to the concerns of the common man. Moreover, the opposition does not need to do anything when they are getting everything on their platter. First, the Congress is doing all the wrongs that it can possibly do. Second, where the Congress leaves a gap, people like Anna step in to help them.

As much implausible and inexplicable as it may seem to any rational thinking mind, the reality remains that the Congress is caught between a hard place and a rock, ironically, of its own making. One need not go far back in history to prove this. A recap of events of the recent past shall suffice. UPA-II has been hit by a series of scams like CWG, Adarsh Housing and 2G Spectrum allocation, to name a few. What has been the Congress’ response? An endorsement of A Raja by none other than the Prime Minister, who is ironically the Congress’ exhibit of honesty. Kapil Sibal, a senior member of the Cabinet, even went on to say that there was no loss to the exchequer due to 2G spectrum allocation. Ultimately, the government had to bow down to public pressure and the legal framework, but only when it was too late to take any credit for.

Next came the Anna movement. The government could have doused the fire in the initial stages but, what it did was typical. It let the movement spread in April, 2011 in the hope that the movement would die down soon. It was oblivious to the public mood and the movement became a household name. The government woke up and invited members of the civil society to be a part of the Lokpal Bill Drafting Committee. Its intentions were still far from noble. In its trademark condescending attitude, it thought that the people can be fooled into accepting a toothless Bill. This was not to happen. Having burnt its fingers once was not enough. The government added fuel to the fire by manhandling people gathered at Baba Ramdev’s fast. The government’s flip-flops of welcoming Baba Ramdev and then rejecting him, arresting Anna Hazare and then releasing him, did it no good.

Congress is synonymous with the Gandhi family. If Sonia Gandhi was away during the Anna crisis then what did its heir apparent, who is time and again endorsed by many Congressmen, do? Sleep walk through the crisis only to mumble a few words in the Parliament many days later. What happened to this self-proclaimed messiah of the ‘aam aadmi’?

The Congress is a master at procrastination. The Telangana protests are a befitting example. The government has been going back and forth on its promises. It will keep doing this till the whole state of Andhra Pradesh gets burned. Brand ‘Hyderabad’ has already taken a beating in business circles.

The latest round of Pranab-Chidambaram tussle paints a very sorry picture of the Congress. The letter in question could have gone unnoticed had the Congress not taken a week to think of what to do. It took them a series of meetings with Sonia Gandhi to come up with a few sentences! Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram are bigwigs in the Congress and the former is considered Congress’ Man Friday. Inspite of all their political experience and intelligence, they could not fathom that they need to show solidarity to the public at large at the first whiff of any tiff? And, after over a week when they did address the media together, they did so with such sad and sullen faces that the whole purpose gets defeated. It seemed like two quarrelling kids were reprimanded by their mother and ordered to shake hands, much to their dismay.

UPA-II has many achievements up its sleeve like the Right to Education and NREGA. But, what is happening on the ground? The common man, especially the poor, does not understand any policy till he experiences it.

In this day and age of instant and continuous communication, Congress is conspicuous by its absence. Whatever little they communicate when pushed to the wall, is either to deny the existence of any problem or to point fingers at the BJP. Moreover, it is constantly running down its PM. Strangely, if the Congress does anything good, the Gandhis are given credit and when anything goes wrong, it must be the PM’s doing.

The PM has reshuffled his Cabinet twice in the recent past but, both have been a damp squib. Did the PM even try to explain why he did what he did? Was it not important to dispel any misgivings? Jairam Ramesh, the former Union Minister of Environment and Forests, worked hard to bring some attention to the oft-neglected nature and environment. Instead of encashing on the hard work that he was striving to do, the Congress let the opposition play the anti-industrialisation or the anti-progress card against him.

A week back, the Planning Commission came up with an income threshold of Rs 32 and Rs 26 as the daily income level in urban and rural areas, respectively for classifying people as Below Poverty Line. There are many myths floating around like Rs 32 is a family’s daily income. On the other hand, the truth is that this figure shall get multiplied by the number of family members. Though even after this multiplication the figure would not have become palatable but, at least it would have allayed one doubt, if not all. Instead of explaining the rationale, the government tried to distance itself by saying that the Planning Commission is a separate body. Later, the latter distanced itself from the figures, adding to the confusion.

The effectiveness of a message depends on many factors like the timing, medium of communication and the messenger. In the age of the Internet and 24X7 news channels, news travels faster than light. So, it is very important that the right information is communicated fast. The Congress somehow likes to maintain some distance from its people. Moreover, whenever it decides to communicate, it does through the comforts of a TV studio or a press conference, at times to a self-selected few. At those rare occasions when people like Rahul Gandhi do meet the ‘aam aadmi’, they make superfluous promises and claims. His visits to Bhatta Parsaul and to the tribals of Orissa are two such examples.

The best, in fact the worst, part of the Congress’ communication strategy is the choice of its messengers. Digvijay Singh can say anything anytime about anybody including the PM and get away with it. Then, there is the no-holds-barred Mani Shankar Aiyar who thinks high of nobody except himself. The latest spokesperson of the Congress is Renuka Chowdhary, a lady who criticises anybody who tries to raise a finger at the Congress. She never shudders to openly declare repeatedly that irrespective of what people say, the party knows what they are doing. A spokesperson is the representative of a party, whose responsibility is to address the concerns of the common man and not reprimand them for raising concerns. Some humility and introspection would do her no harm.

Industry confidence is at a low, India’s global image is taking a beating, inflation is at its peak, unemployment is high, criminals are becoming bolder, the common man is despondent and the list goes on. If the government is asked about these concerns, it would say yet again that the world economy and the opposition are to blame. When was the ‘bad’ a benchmark anyways?

It is a given that the Congress is on the path to destruction. What is intriguing is that the Congress has some genuine and talented people, who are intelligent enough to understand the current crisis but, what is stopping them from taking action is a mystery? Maybe the Congress does want to go on a sabbatical in 2014. Maybe because Rahul Gandhi needs more time. Maybe because Sonia Gandhi cannot think of any other Manmohan-like candidate. Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambram, Kapil Sibal, Salman Khurshid and the like may be too assertive for her to handle. Maybe because Pranab Mukherjee hinted at being interested in becoming the President rather than the PM in 2014.

Maybe the Congress has realized that being in opposition is easier, where all one has to do is to find faults at whatever the government does, taking a moral high ground. Maybe it wants to show to the people that the BJP would be no better, if in power.

'Adolf Hitler died in Argentina, not Berlin'

London: A new book has claimed that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler did not kill himself in Berlin in 1945 but ended his days in Argentina.

British journalist Gerrard Williams said he and co-author Simon Dunstan found an “overwhelming amount of evidence” to suggest Hitler died an old man in South America.

Many historians say the Nazi leader died in his Berlin bunker in 1945 - but Williams claims their research, looking at newly de-classified documents and forensic tests, challenges this.

“We didn’t want to re-write history, but the evidence we’ve discovered about the escape of Adolf Hitler is just too overwhelming to ignore,” Williams told Sky News.

“There is no forensic evidence for his, or Eva Braun’s deaths, and the stories from the eyewitnesses to their continued survival in Argentina are compelling,” he claimed.

The book titled ‘Grey Wolf: The Escape Of Adolf Hitler’ claims the Fuhrer and his mistress Eva Braun were secretly flown out of Germany in April 1945 and taken to fascist-controlled Argentina.

It is alleged Hitler lived in the country for 17 years, initially raising his two daughters, until his death in 1962.

The book also accuses US intelligence of being complicit in the scam in return for access to Nazi war technology.

“Stalin, Eisenhower and Hoover of the FBI all knew there was no proof of him dying in the bunker,” Williams told the paper.

He added that the book’s new findings prove the “Hitler” skull fragments held by the Russians are actually that of a young woman.

We don’t want to bleed anymore

When the general secretary of the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi walked into the RML Hospital premises on September 07 after the Delhi High Court blast, slogans were shouted against him. And so were against other politicians who came to empathise with the victims and their families. This in many ways is symbolic of the growing frustration of the general public with those who govern them and the apathy with which they are treated.

India has been attacked again and again. Sample this – On March 12, 1993, Mumbai serial bombings shook the financial capital of the country killing more than 250 people. The main accused, Dawood Ibrahim is yet to be extradited to India from Pakistan. On December 13, 2001, more than a dozen people, including five gunmen, were killed in an attack on Parliament. On September 24, 2002, terrorists attacked Akshardham temple in Gujarat. In August 2003, two taxis packed with explosives blew up in Mumbai at crowded areas killing more than 50 people.

In October 2005, three bombs placed in Delhi markets, crowded with Diwali shoppers killed around 62 people and injured hundreds. In July 2006, seven bombs placed on Mumbai's local trains killed over 200 people. Eight serial blasts rocked Jaipur in a span of 12 minutes in May 2008. On November 26, 2008, attacks on ten locations in Mumbai left more than 180 dead. Pakistani national, Ajmal Kasab has been sentenced to death with an appeal pending before the Supreme Court.

The list, sadly, goes on…

The Ram Pradhan Committee formed after 26/11 attacks to look into the lapses and recommend measures to stop further attacks, called for radical transformation of the police force. In spite of its recommendations, the beat constable is still unequipped, CCTV cameras still do not work and the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad established in 2004 is reportedly working at some 30 percent of the strength as compared to the numbers sanctioned by the government.


National Intelligence Grid was given approval by the Union Cabinet in June this year, months after the idea was first mooted. The project aimed at facilitating information-sharing among law enforcement agencies to combat terror was apparently delayed because of objections from other ministries, especially that of defence and finance, as they felt that the home ministry would have an unlimited access to all the information.

National Counter Terrorism Council (NCTC), an umbrella body to fight terror is also in the pipeline. Not sure when it will see the light of the day.

Delhi Chief Minister, after the High Court blast, had remarked that “multiplicity of agencies” created functional problem in combating terror and solving cases. To which the Home Minister P Chidambaram had replied that no single body can alone handle internal and external intelligence, policing and counter-terrorism. How often have we heard the government talk in different languages? And if statements like these do no create confusion in the minds of the citizens then what does?

On May 25, 2011, a blast took place at the Delhi High Court car park. Nonetheless it did nothing to wake up the authorities.

Home Minister recently said that Af-Pak was the epicentre of terror and that home-grown terror modules are fertilised from outside. And to a foreign television channel he said, “As far as cross-border terrorism is concerned, we have to continue to put pressure on Pakistan.”

The Indian Mujahideen gained notoriety in 2008 after taking responsibility for blasts in Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Delhi and Assam, even though it had been active since 2003. As per intelligence reports, the IM is being controlled from across the border. It was also reported recently that militants trying to infiltrate into India by June had exceeded the figures of 2010.

In this scenario what good are the photo-ops between SM Krishna and Hina Rabbani Khar, especially if the perpetrators of 26/11 cannot be brought to book? Yes, we cannot change our neighbours but we can certainly change the way we talk to them. Yes, trade and commerce are important issues, but not at the cost of losing innocent lives.

P Chidambram, was supposedly pulled back when he decided to tighten the noose around the Maoists, due to pressures from certain quarters and certain political parties. After the Batkal encounter case in Delhi, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, decided to visit Azamgarh. The Afzal Guru hanging case has long been in the public domain for the people to read between the lines. Isn’t it time we stop the policy of appeasement and vote-banks at the cost of bloodshed?

Congress leader Renuka Chowdhry said in a recent television debate, “Do you think that the terrorists will stop if we have a CCTV? What do you do when terrorists are ready to die?” After the serial blasts in Mumbai in July, Prithviraj Chavan, CM of Maharashtra lamented, “Terror groups are active and are able to strike at will.” Instead of statements like these, we need our leaders to send out a stern message to all terror groups that India will go after them in hot pursuit. And we also need a strong anti-terror law in place.

We have generic information about impending attacks but are we in a position to have specific and actionable and preventive attacks. Do our intelligence agencies depend too much on technical intelligence? Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed the same concern at a recent event when he said that security establishment needed to improve its, “human intelligence capabilities”.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley said in a television interview, post the Delhi HC blast, “The most dangerous thing is that in the last six or so blasts, the cases are by and large unsolved.”

Think over this – On December 7, 2010, a bomb went off at a Varanasi ghat killing a two-year old girl with no arrests made in the case so far. On December 19, 2010, gunmen on motorbikes shot at a tourist bus injuring two persons. It was considered to be IM’s handiwork. The case is unsolved. On July 13, 2011, triple blasts in Mumbai killed 21 persons, with IM being the prime suspect. ATS is investigating, with an arrest only very recently. On April 6, 2011, two blasts took place in Maligaon in Assam which killed 7 persons. Investigation is on, ULFA are the main suspects. Inspite of some arrests, it is said that the main culprit is still in the run. And the very recent May 25, 2011, Delhi High Court car park blast with no casualties. It too remains unsolved. And add to it the 7/11 blast again at Delhi HC – not much headway in this case either.

Yes, it is a cause for alarm if cases of terror attacks are unsolved for a long period of time.

Amidst all these spare a thought for the victims of the bomb blasts – past and present and if I may add with a dread – the future. The citizens don’t want to be saluted anymore for their so called resilience and die-hard-spirit – what they want is to live in peace and dignity. And anyways what choice do they have than to get up and get going the next day?

Yes, maybe terror attacks all over the world cannot be prevented all the time. Nonetheless, it is important for the government and the intelligence agencies of the day to be perceived as trying to do their best.

IIM aspirants, here's cracking new CAT format

New Delhi: With the CAT exams undergoing a format change this year, MBA aspirants are anxious, to say the least. But experts say starting out with the right section and scanning the questions before attempting the paper could help you crack it.

The Common Admission Test (CAT) -- the gateway to pursuing MBA from the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) among other prestigious institutions - will be held from October 22 to November 18 this year.

Nearly 205,000 students have registered this time against the 3,000 IIM seats. This marginally exceeds last year's registrations of 204,000.

In the new exam pattern, the CAT paper will have only two sections instead of three. Till last year, the paper was divided into Quantitative Ability, Verbal Ability, and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning.

From this year, the first section will focus on Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation and the second on Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning.

These two sections will now have to be tackled sequentially with separate time limits unlike earlier when students could divide their time between the sections as per their priority.

"There are different sections; one student may be strong in Quantitative Ability and weak in Verbal Ability. Till last time, he had the liberty to decide which section he wanted to spend more time on," says Ulhas Vairagkar, director of TIME Institute, Delhi.

The total time for the exam has been increased from 135 minutes to 140 minutes, and 70 minutes each have been fixed for the two sections.

"Now you have to be good at both the sections. Even if you are good at one section and complete it before time, you cannot carry it forward. That is one thing which can have an impact on a student's performance," Vairagkar said.

According to Vairagkar, time management will be the most important factor for students this time.

"Among the two sections, you should start with the section you are strong in. Then, it is very important to read all the questions before you start solving because there can be easier questions in the latter part of the paper," he added.

According to him, a student should allot about 2.3 minutes to each question, "and in no case should they put more than 2.5 minutes in one question".

One of the most difficult competitive exams in India, scores of professionals also appear for CAT every year in pursuit of a better career, besides graduates.

Rekha Tripathi, 25, is one of them.

She left a lucrative engineering job to appear for the exam. She feels she has taken a risk but is hopeful.

"There is a new format which makes the exam this year critical. I can only keep my fingers crossed," she says.

H.P.S. Sethi, director of RKS Learning, which runs an online CAT trial test website, testbag.com, says a week before the exam, practice is the most important thing.

"At this time, nothing new can be learnt. If students just practise, it can bring five to seven percent improvement even in the last week," he said.

"Practise fewer papers, but the mistakes should be rectified. There are several websites which offer free sample papers. It is best to practise online since the papers will be online," he says.

Giving his golden tips, Vairagkar says the most important part is not to go with any fixed target in terms of solving questions.

"If a student fixes a target of 22 questions and is able to attempt only 16, he must not think that the paper has gone badly.

"It can be because the paper was difficult and attempting more questions, when you are not sure, only increases the risk of being wrong," he adds.

Parasharan Chari, academic head at Endeavour Tutorials in Ahmedabad, told IANS on phone, "Some are strong at mathematical questions, some may be strong in the verbal. Earlier students could divide their time according to their strength. They could save time in quantitative questions and apply it to the verbal section or vice-versa, which is not possible this time."

"But the good thing is students are relieved of time management stress as the time is already divided," he said. "All other things are the same, the syllabus has not changed. Earlier, there were three sections with 20 questions each, now there are two with 30 questions each," he said.

This year, the maximum number of candidates scheduled to take the exam are from New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune.

ममता ने फिर दिया रतन टाटा को झटका

सत्ता में आने के बाद पहली बार कोलकाता में हो रहे निवेशक सम्मेलन में एक अजीब सी बात देखने में आई है। नई मुख्यमंत्री ममता बनर्जी ने जिन बड़े उद्योगपतियों को कोलकाता बुलाया है उनमें टाटा समूह के चेयरमैन रतन टाटा का नाम नहीं है।

शनिवार को होने वाली इस बैठक में देश के सभी बड़े उद्योगपतियों को आमंत्रण दिया गया है। इनमें मुकेश अंबानी, अनिल अंबानी, अदि गोदरेज, सी के बिड़ला, सज्जन जिंदल, सुब्रत रॉय सहारा वगैरह हैं। लेकिन इनमें सिर्फ अदि गोदरेज ने ही आने के बारे में हामी भरी है।दिलचस्प बात यह है कि टाटा समूह की कंपनियों के डायरेक्टर वगैरह बुलाए गए हैं और उनमें से कई इसमें भाग भी लेंगे। टाटा समूह की कई कंपनियां कोलकाता तथा बंगाल में काम कर रही हैं। ममता उनसे संबंध नहीं बिगाड़ना चाहती हैं।

गुजरात की ही तर्ज पर ममता बनर्जी भी यह इन्वेस्टर मीट कर रही हैं। देखना है कि वह नरेन्द्र मोदी की तरह उद्योगों को बुला पाती हैं भी या नहीं

सिर्फ 9 हजार में घूमिए गोवा

जी हां इस 9 हजार में रहना, खाना पीना, घूमना और हवाई किराया सब शामिल है। कई ट्रेवल कंपनियां बेहद सस्ती दरों पर सस्ती ट्रिप ऑफर कर  रही हैं। फ्लाइट शॉप ट्रेवल एजेंसी केवल 8,999 रुपए में गोवा का पूरा पैकेज ऑफर कर रही है इस पैकेज में आने जाने का किराया, रहना, ब्रेकफास्ट  और और घूमना शामिल है। इसके साथ ही कंपनी फेयरवेल गिफ्ट भी यात्रियों को देगी।

यात्रा डॉट कॉम भी 10 हजार रुपए के आसपास गोवा का टूर ऑफर कर रही है जिसमें आने जाने का हवाई किराया रहना और डेली ब्रेकफास्ट शामिल  है। आपको बता दें कि इन सस्ते ऑफर का कारण यात्रियों को लुभाना नहीं है बल्कि इसका कारण मॉनसून है। जी हां जुलाई के पहले हफ्ते से ही  देशभर में मॉनसून के आने जाने के बाद सैलानियों की संख्या काफी गिर जाती है जिसके कारण टूर कंपनियां सस्ते टूर पैकेज ऑफर करती हैं।

अनिल अंबानी के कंप्यूटर पर हैकर्स ने कर दिया हमला!

भारतीय कारोबार जगत से एक चौंकाने वाली खबर सामने आ रही है। खबर है कि अज्ञात हैकरों ने दिग्गज कारोबारी अनिल अंबानी के कंप्यूटर तक पहुंच बनाने की कोशिश की है। हालांकि फिलहाल यह साफ नहीं हो पाया है कि इसमें उन्हे किसी हद तक कामयाबी मिली है।

यह घटना पिछले महीने 8 तारीख की है। बताया जा रहा है कि मुंबई पुलिस का साइबर क्राइम सेल इस मामले की जांच में जुट गया है। कहा जा रहा है कि फिशिंग मेल के जरिए अनिल अंबानी के कंप्यूटर तक पहुंच बनाने की कोशिश की गई।

इस पूरे मामले पर मुंबई पुलिस के एडिशनल कमिश्नर देवेन भारती ने बताया, 'हमें एडीएजी से शिकायत मिली है। मामले की जांच चल रही है। सप्ताह- -दस दिन में सुराग मिलने की उम्मीद है।

अनिल अंबानी का आया नया फरमान, उड़े कर्मचारियों के होश

अनिल अंबानी की कंपनी रिलायंस कम्यूनिकेशन के एक फैसले ने कर्मचारियों के होश उड़ा दिए हैं दरअसल कंपनी लगातार घटते मुनाफे की मार झेल रही थी जिससे छुटकारा पाने के लिए कंपनी अपने वायरलैस  कारोबार के ढांचे में सुधार की कवायद शुरु करने वाली है और इस कवायद के चलते कंपनी के 700 कर्मचारियों को अपनी नौकरी से हाथ धोना पड़ सकता है।

यह कंपनी के कुल कर्मचारियों का दस प्रतिशत है। कंपनी को पिछली आठ तिमाहियों से लगातार घाटा झेलना पड़ रहा है कंपनी पर कुल 7 अरब डॉलर का कर्ज है जिसे कम करने के लिए कंपनी अपने टेलीकॉक टावर कारोबार को बेचने की योजना बना रही है।  

अनिल अंबानी की कंपनी एडीएजी भारी कर्जे तले दबी है जिससे छुटकारा पाने के लिए वो कई तरह के प्रयास कर रही है पिछले साल कंपनी ने अपने टावर कारोबार को बेचने की कोशिश की थी लेकिन वो सफल नहीं हुई थी।