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Amazon Leads Rs 375 Crore Investment In BankBazaar

July 2, 2015, 4:27 am
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Amazon.com Inc. has led a $60 million (Rs 375 crore) funding round in online financial products retailer BankBazaar.com.

The Chennai-based company sells third party financial products such as credit cards, home loans, and insurance products. It was founded in 2008 by Adhil Shetty, who is also the chief executive officer.

Other investors in this round included Fidelity Growth Partners and Mousse Partners. Existing investors Sequoia Capital and Walden International also participated.

"The company has made great strides in the last two years and become the premier consumer destination for financial products. With this fund raise, BankBazaar plans to innovate even more to provide the best and fastest experience for consumers", said Gautam Mago, Managing Director, Sequoia Capital, in a statement.

BankBazaar will use the funds to expand its operations, including hiring more people and upgrading its mobile app. It will also spend on marketing and branding efforts for new financial products it plans to offer. The bank has partnered with 23 banks, up from 10 in 2009.

"We are committed to enabling an easy, convenient and trustworthy purchase experience for consumers focusing on financial products be it loans, credit cards or any other personal finance products," said Shetty in a statement. He had left his job with Deloitte Touche Tomahatsu in New York in 2007 to come back and start the company a year later.

This is Amazon's second investment in India. It had acquired a minority stake in gift card company QwikCilver for $10 million in December. That round was led by Amazon Asia Pacific, the Singapore-based unit of the world's biggest online retailer.


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Babies React To The Hilarious Bobby Deol Parody Twitter Account

July 2, 2015, 4:33 am
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Actor Bobby Deol is on Twitter, but only the most fun version of the actor ever.

A parody account dedicated to Dharmendra's younger son, @bobbydeol_, has been gaining a lot of popularity over the past fortnight for its hilarious tweets. It has been featured on MissMalini.com, ScoopWhoop, and FirstPost, among others.

The tweets put out by this account are hilariously irreverent, usually riffing on Deol's often-disastrous choice of films and poking fun at his acting skills.

Pretty much everyone loves this account, including babies. No, seriously. Watch how they react to some of the tweets below.

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From Kashmir To Kanyakumari: The Glory Of Indian Weddings In Pictures

July 2, 2015, 5:51 am
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Across India, through its mind-boggling diversity of cultures and languages, one thing remains more or less similar--the centrality of weddings as the biggest social occasions. While the customs and rituals vary, there are some threads that run through them all--Mehndi, red sindoor and saat pheras, for instance, in Hindu weddings. Ultimately, all those beautiful rituals and customs and the happy faces of the bride and the groom make for a great visual spectacle.

So we asked several real Indian couples to share photos and experiences of the most important day of their lives. The weddings were very different from each other, but some ceremonies are common to many. The haldi ceremony, a beautification ritual where both the bride and groom are slathered in turmeric, is common in many parts. The bidai that involves a family bidding their daughter farewell as she leaves to live with her new family after the marriage is also a feature in many communities.

The Bengalis and Assamese engage in ululation at the main ceremony to mark the end of the official ceremony. “A traditional Bengali wedding used to be arranged by ghotoks or matchmakers (professional or friends and relatives) who were presented gifts if a match was realised,” says Delhi-based Joyeeta Bhattacharya. The entire affair then begins with pati-patro to fix an auspicious time and date of the wedding. “An important ritual during the actual ceremony is the saat pak where the bride circles the groom seven times, while covering her face with betel leaves,” she adds.

Another common rite across several communities is the bridegroom making a show of anger and pretends to run away just before the wedding. "The to-be groom pretends to leave the house or run away from his future marital responsibilities,” says Saroj Malpani who married her son off in true Marwari fashion a couple of years ago. “The uncle of the bride then has to persuade him to come back.” In Kannadiga and Tamil traditions, this rite is referred to as Kashi Yatra (literally translated: a journey to Kashi, a place of pilgrimage), whereas the Marwari sect refers to this practice as Janev. “Marwari weddings traditionally start with a Ganesh pooja, followed with Mahira Dastoor, a custom where the maternal uncles of the bride and grooms distribute gifts in the house,” says Delhi-based Anuj Maheshwari.

South Indian weddings are generally less elaborate than their North Indian counterparts (although this varies depends on castes and communities), but have their own host of rituals: During Telegu weddings, for instance, the bride and groom dunk a gooey mixture of jaggery, ghee and cumin seeds on each others heads,” says Paridhi Gupta. “This ceremony known as Jilakarra Bellamu officially marks their union as husband and wife.” Talk about setting expectations low.

Dinaz Rustomji, who married her daughter off recently, reveals the reason behind serving fish at a traditional Parsi wedding feast: “It is a symbol of good luck, just like fire is an important symbol in our faith,” she says.

Here are pictures and snippets of various customs from different regions, religions and communities of India. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but we would love to see more in the comments.




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WATCH: Chris Martin's Surprise Set At Summer House Cafe In Delhi

July 2, 2015, 5:59 am
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Late on Wednesday night, a few extremely lucky people — including the likes of music composer Vishal Dadlani, folk-rocker Raghu Dixit, actress Freida Pinto, and comedy collective All India Bakchod — had the opportunity to watch Coldplay frontman Chris Martin perform a solo, acoustic set at Summer House Cafe, a bar in Delhi's Hauz Khas Village.

Over much of Thursday, as the news percolated through social media, several people went through all seven stages of grief at having missed out on this epic evening.







Fret not, Coldplay fans who missed out. The good folks at A Little Anarky Films have managed to edit and upload a video featuring Martin strumming a guitar and singing (with much prompting from the audience) 'Viva La Vida', 'Fix You', and 'Paradise'.

Check out the video above.




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US To Deepen Security Relationship With India: Pentagon

July 2, 2015, 9:24 am
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WASHINGTON -- Amid US' push for its Asia pivot strategy, the Pentagon has said it would "deepen" its security relationship with India to maintaining regional peace and building capabilities to provide for missile defence, cyber security and maritime security.

In its 'National Military Strategy' for 2015, the Pentagon said countries like Russia, China and North Korea pose security threats to the US and its allies.

Reiterating that the US "will press forward with the rebalance" to the Asia-Pacific region, the 24-page report? said it will strengthen its alliances with Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand.

"We also will deepen our security relationship with India and build upon our partnerships with New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. Such efforts are essential to maintaining regional peace and building capabilities to provide for missile defence, cyber security, maritime security, and disaster relief," it said.

The Pentagon said it supports China's rise and encourages it to become a partner for greater international security.

"However, China's actions are adding tension to the Asia-Pacific region. For example, its claims to nearly the entire South China Sea are inconsistent with international law," it said.

"The international community continues to call on China to settle such issues cooperatively and without coercion.

China has responded with aggressive land reclamation efforts that will allow it to position military forces astride vital international sea lanes," the report said yesterday.

While Russia has contributed in select security areas, such as counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism, it also has repeatedly demonstrated that it does not respect the sovereignty of its neighbours and it is willing to use force to achieve its goals, the report said.

"Russia's military actions are undermining regional security directly and through proxy forces. These actions violate numerous agreements that Russia has signed in which it committed to act in accordance with international norms," it said.

In 2012, President Obama announced the so called 'pivot to Asia' that involves rebalancing America's global military weight to Asia for strengthening its traditional alliances in Asia and building new partnerships, including with India, in the wake of a more assertive China.



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Actress Hema Malini Injured In Car Accident In Rajasthan; One Child Killed In The Mishap

July 2, 2015, 9:45 am
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Veteran actress and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Hema Malini has been injured in a road accident in Rajasthan while a child was killed in the mishap on Thursday night. The 66-year-old actress was on her way to Jaipur on Thursday night, according to ANI. She was rushed to Fortis hospital in Jaipur with head injuries.

According to preliminary reports, she was on her way from her constituency in Mathura to Jaipur when her Mercedes collided with an Alto car near Dausa, which is about 60 kilometres from Jaipur.

"I am being told the Mercedes was speeding. It drove over the divider," said senior police officer Rajinder Tyagi to ANI.

One girl child died in the accident while another child has been referred to a hospital in Jaipur, confirmed Shankar Lal Sharma, BJP MLA in Dausa, to reporters on Thursday night. Four others, including two women related to the child, who were in the Alto are severely injured. More details are awaited.







"The accident occurred on national highway 11 near Dausa Midway at around 9 pm when the car in which Hema Malini was travelling collided with another car," said a police official. "One five-year old was killed who was in the other car. Four others who were injured in the accident have been admitted in Dausa hospital."

Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje tweeted out that all medical help was being extended to those involved in the accident.




"Hema ji herself stepped in the car after the accident (sic)," said Sharma. "She also walked inside the hospital by herself."















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India 'Goofed Up' The Handling Of IC-814 Flight Hijack Crisis In 1999, Says Ex-RAW Chief

July 2, 2015, 11:58 pm
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The core response team that was put to action after an Air India flight was hijacked by Kashmiri terror group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen in 1999, majorly mishandled the crisis, resulting in the release of a terrorist who later attacked the Indian Parliament, a top intelligence official has said.

Former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah never wanted India to release militants in exchange for safety of hostages in 1989 and 1999, writes AS Dulat, former chief of intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in his new book 'The Vajpayee Years.'

In the first instance, terrorists in Kashmir had kidnapped Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the current chief minister of the state, who was then the union home minister. The Indian government had released five hardcore terrorists in exchange for her.

"How has it come from one to three to five militants? Even if it was my own daughter, I would not release them," Abdullah is quoted as saying in an Indian Express report. He was then convinced to change his stance by cabinet ministers IK Gujral (who later became prime minister), Arif Mohammad Khan and MK Narayanan, the intelligence bureau chief.

"If you want to go ahead and release them, do it. But I want to lodge my protest," Abdullah had said. Dulat said in a recent interview that India ended up releasing more terrorists than what the JKLF terrorists had asked for.

Abdullah was certain that if the government stood its ground, the terrorists would have released Rubaiya Sayeed unharmed. If the government caved, it would set a precedent. "We will have to pay for it," he told Gujral and Khan.

RAW is the external intelligence wing of the Indian government, responsible for gathering information outside India, while the IB is responsible for domestic intelligence gathering.

In the second instance a decade later, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen terrorists hijacked an Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in its way to Delhi from Kathmandu, Nepal. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister then, heading a nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition. The plane was parked in Amritsar for five hours, and then was allowed to fly out to Lahore in Pakistan from where it went to Dubai and finally to Taliban territory in Kandahar, Afghanistan. This is considered a major goof-up which strengthened the hijackers' hand considerably, a fact that Dulat has admitted.

Abdullah had again opposed releasing three most wanted terrorists, including Maulana Masood Azhar who later organized the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament. "I said then whatever you are doing is wrong, and I am saying it again. I don't agree with it," Abdullah had told Dulat, who was again in the thick of action.

Abdullah also told Jaswant Singh, the foreign minister, that releasing the terrorists was a wrong move. "Aap jo bhi kar rahe hain, galat kar rahe hain," he said in a phone call to Singh. A frustrated Abdullah then went to the governor GS Saxena, also a former RAW chief like Dulat, to hand over his resignation.

“These fellows want these terrorists released and I’ve told the RAW chief I won’t be party to it. I would rather resign and that’s what I have come to do. These bloody fellows don’t know what they are doing," he is quoted as saying. Saxena managed to change Abdullah's mind, saying that there was no other option but to do what the central government had decided.

Dulat says in the book that then foreign minister Jaswant Singh was a lonely man. He was roundly blamed for India's meek response, which had been decided in consultation with Vajpayee and the cabinet. “Jaswant was a very lonely man. He showed up in Kandahar for the swap, a lonely man on whom everybody who had felt frustrated in India with the whole incident, focused their frustration".

Dulat says India had wanted a commando raid on the plane when it was parked in Dubai, but the authorities there refused to cooperate. That was a striking example of how powerless India was at the time. "We tried to prevail on the Americans to put pressure on the UAE to allow us a raid, but India found itself isolated internationally. Nothing seemed to be going our way."

The terrorists were released later in exchange for hostages, one of whom was killed by the hijackers. The rest were flown back to Delhi on a Air India flight.


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After IIPM Shuts Down, Twitter Has A Field Day With Arindam Chaudhuri Jokes

July 3, 2015, 1:32 am
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The Indian Institute of Planning and Mangament (IIPM) founded by business guru Arindam Chaudhuri is winding up its operations everywhere in the country except Delhi, where it will be operative only as a research and training institute.

IIPM has had a controversial run with Chaudhuri constantly at loggerheads with the University Grants Commission (UGC). UGC has accused the institute of offering unrecognized courses and degrees to students. While there is no clarification on what will happen to those who have an IIPM degree, social media had a field day thinking up alternate career plans for IIPM's flamboyant founder.

Also Read: IIPM To Shut All Campuses Except Delhi, To Stop Offering MBA, BBA Programmes

This Twitter user suggested Chaudhuri should make use of his time and get back to education.




Startup investor Mahesh Murthy suggested that Chaudhuri may now try his luck at Housing.com, now that the real estate firm is running without a CEO. Housing.com's former CEO Rahul Yadav was sacked recently by the board for "poor management of the company and bad behaviour with various stakeholders".




Some suggested Chaudhuri join hands with the sacked CEO.




Politics is always an option.




A long and successful career advertising shampoos.




Write a book, they said.






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Poll: Which Indian Woman Should Be On The 100 Rupee Note?

July 3, 2015, 1:42 am
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Why hasn't this happened already? Following in the footsteps of United States, Indians across the country are petitioning to put an Indian woman on their currency.

Last month, US decided to feature a woman on its $10 bill in 2020 -- the 100th anniversary of the Constitution's 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. A decision on who that woman will be is yet to be made.

These 10 countries already have women on their currency notes: Syria, Philippines, Turkey, Mexico, Argentina, New Zealand, Israel, Sweden, Australian and England.

While US currency carry images of several of its historical figures, Indian notes only feature Mahatma Gandhi. Last year, the RBI decided against including any other national leader's image on banknotes saying that no other personality could better represent the ethos of the country than Mahatma Gandhi.

This petition for an Indian woman's image on banknotes begs to differ.

"They have been contributors in every field, playing leading, formative roles in many walks of life. They have been equal participants, contributors, leaders and organisers of the struggle for Indian Independence at the grassroots," says the petition, which was started by Poonam Singh, last month.

The petition, addressed to the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, and the Governor of the RBI, had received 356 signatures on Thursday afternoon. Its target is 500.

If we want to change things for Indian women, there may be no single magical solution. But perhaps to highlight the work of Indian women, past and present, in contributing to Indian society would be a beginning? We would like to hold their lives up as role models for our current and future generations to look up to.

And what better way to achieve this, than to put these faces on a common everyday object, like a currency note? As this also happens to be a token of economic power, it has a symbolic purpose too.


In a separate post, the petitioner also suggests possible candidates: Aruna Asaf Ali, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Pandita Ramabai, Cornelia Sorabji, Bhikaji Cama and Savitribai Phule. You can vote for them here.

All of these names are great choices. But there are many, many other worthy candidates, including the queen of Jhansi, Sarojini Naidu, Mother Teresa and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit.

Vote for the Indian woman you want to see on currency notes.








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19-Year-Old Bravery Award Winner Who Helped Police Crack Delhi Blasts Case, Now Lives On The Streets

July 3, 2015, 2:49 am
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A 12-year-old boy was selling balloons when he saw two terrorists plant bombs inside a trash can on Delhi's Barakhamba Road on September 13, 2008. That was the day Rohan's (name changed) life was turned around completely.

At least 30 people were killed and over 100 injured in five blasts in the national capital. Rohan, who was only 12 then, helped police identify the two militants who were responsible for the Delhi blasts.

At next year’s Republic Day, he was awarded the President’s Gallantry award. An NGO in Delhi called Apna Ghar Salaam Balak Trust took the young boy in.

Seven years later, Rohan is back on the road as the NGO had to let him go after he turned 18. He now lives with 23 other people near Hanuman Mandir and is struggling to complete his studies.

"I have to appear for three exams in October to pass class 12 but there is no way I can study under the present conditions,” Rohan told Hindustan Times.

Rohan is looking for some support and a place to live in to finish his education, as his class 12 exams are scheduled for October.

Sunil Kumar Aledia from the Centre for Holistic Development (CHD) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to rehabilitate Rohan, reports The Hindu. "It would be a national shame if we are not able to take care of him,” Aledi told The Hindu.

Rohan's father told HT that the government has promised to offer Rohan a job after he finishes his class 12 exams.

"I was promised a decent chance at completing my studies and getting a good job. I hope they keep their word,” Rohan was quoted as saying.



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Meet 7 Of India's Bravest Green Warriors Who Keep Our Wildlife Sanctuaries Safe

July 3, 2015, 3:02 am
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Seven conservationists will be awarded this month for their outstanding work in preserving Indian wildlife sanctuaries. These men have actively contributed to saving forests and protecting endangered fauna, sometimes at the cost of their own lives.

Each of these green soldiers shall be presented with a Wildlife Warrior Award, an initiative taken by NGO HCMWF (Hem Chand Mahindra Wildlife Foundation) and wildlife magazine Saveus.

The initiative was started in 2013 and has till now honoured the work of people from the more recognised areas such as Corbett and Ranthambore. This year however, the project shifted its focus to the lesser-known sanctuaries. Though not as popular, they host a wide variety of flora and fauna often targeted by poachers. These sanctuaries survive on small budgets and present hostile working conditions.

Here are the seven heroes who continue to preserve the Indian eco-system despite all odds.






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Socio Economic And Caste Census Of 2011 Paints A Grim Picture Of Rural India

July 3, 2015, 3:31 am
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NEW DELHI — The Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 today painted a grim picture of rural India, indicating that one out of three families living in villages is landless and depends on manual labour for livelihood.

The SECC 2011, also the first paperless census conducted on hand-held electronic devices by the government, said 23.52 per cent rural families have no literate adult above 25 years, suggesting a poor state of education among rural masses.

The census, carried out in 640 districts under the aegis of the Rural Development Ministry, was released jointly by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birendra Singh.

According to the census, there are a total number of 24.39 crore households in the country, of which 17.91 crore live in villages. Of these, 10.69 crore households are considered as deprived.

The deprivation data reveal that 5.37 crore (29.97 per cent) households in rural areas are "landless deriving a major part of their income from manual labour". As many as 2.37 crore (13.25 per cent) families in villages live in houses of one room with 'kaccha' walls and roof.

It further said 21.53 per cent, or 3.86 crore, families living in villages belong to SC/ST categories.

Releasing the census, Jaitley said, "It's after seven-eight decades that we have this document after 1932 of the caste census... It's going to be very important document for all policy makers both at central and state governments... this document will help us target groups for support in terms of policy planning."

The data, Singh said, "addresses the multi-dimensionality of poverty and provides a unique opportunity for a convergent, evidence based planning with a Gram Panchayat as unit".

Singh added a caveat, saying though the name of the census suggests caste, it does not include castes.

"The name of the report indicates (caste), but caste is not reflected in our data ... still the name is Socio Economic and Caste Census," he said. .

"We are now on the cusp of a huge development shift that will move the numbers of poverty to the names of the village that needs government intervention. The idea is to deal with all aspects of the family simultaneously," Singh said.

The census further said just 4.6 per cent of all rural households in the country pay income tax.

As for sources of income, 9.16 crore households (51.14 per cent) depend on manual casual labour followed by cultivation (30.10 per cent).

It further said 2.5 crore (14.01 per cent) rural families are dependent on income from other sources which include government service, private sector and PSUs.

Besides, 4.08 lakh households fall back on rag-picking while 6.68 lakh depend on begging and charity alms.

"It's also a document which contains various details with regard to the specifics of regions, communities, caste groups, economic groups and give us an opportunity to measure the progress which households in India have made.

"Who are the ones who have qualitatively moved up in terms of quality of life and who are the ones in terms of geographical regions, social groupings which in future planning need to be targeted," Jaitley said.

"The data is an opportunity to make evidence-based selection, prioritisation and targeting of beneficiaries in different programmes," Singh added.

The Rural Development Ministry has taken a decision to use the SECC data in all its programmes.

"SECC data would have meaningful use in housing for all, education and skills thrust, MGNREGA, the National Food Security Act, interventions for differently-abled, interventions for women-led households, and targeting of households/individual entitlements on evidence of deprivation, etc," he said.

It paves the way for a Mission Antyodaya to work simultaneously in addressing the poverty of households through a Gram Panchayat Poverty Reduction Plan, he added.

The basic idea, the Minister said, is to implement a convergent, integrated poverty reduction plan, with Gram Panchayats and deprived households as a priority.



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Guess Who's Playing Emran Hashmi's Wife In Azhar?

July 3, 2015, 3:46 am
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Actress Nargis Fakhri will play former Indian cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin's wife Sangeeta Bijlani in upcoming biopic 'Azhar'.

Emraan Hashmi will be playing the role of the former cricketer and Nargis will play his on-screen wife. "We have locked Nargis to play Sangeeta Bijlani in the film. She fit the bill in terms of looks, style and glamour. We did the look test with her. She is a talented actress and we are glad to have her on board," sources said.

In order to get into the skin of the character, Nargis will attend some workshops. For this role, names of actresses like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nimrat Kaur had cropped up. Besides Nargis, there will another actress in the film as well. "There will be another heroine that too will be an established one. We are yet to decide who we should cast," the source added.

'Azhar' will trace the journey of Azharuddin's career and his personal life, which have witnessed many ups and down. The film is likely to go on floors next month.




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Make In India: Airbus, Mahindra Announce Joint Venture To Make Helicopters For India's Armed Forces

July 3, 2015, 4:28 am
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NEW DELHI — Airbus Helicopters said on Friday that it will partner with Mahindra Defence, a unit of the $16.9 billion Mahindra Group, to produce helicopters in India.

The joint venture will be the first private manufacturer of military helicopters under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' initiative. Airbus Helicopters is a unit of Europe's Airbus Group.

“We have extensive expertise in engineering, automotive and fixed-wing sectors and have made substantial investments in aero components manufacturing, while Airbus Helicopters offers best-in-class rotorcraft platforms," said S. P. Shukla, Group President, Aerospace and Defence Sector and Chairman, Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd. in a statement.

Mahindra Aerospace is also in the process of manufacturing a 10-seat turboprop Airvan 10, which is scheduled for certification this year.

“The tie-up is in line with our intent to develop an indigenous industrial ecosystem dedicated to helicopters. The joint venture will be dedicated to supplying the Indian Armed Forces with made-in-India, state-of-the-art helicopters of high reliability, quality and safety standard based on combat-proven platforms," said said Guillaume Faury, President and CEO, Airbus Helicopters in the statement.

The Indian government will spend $620 billion between 2014-2022, of which half will be capital expenditure said a February report by industry association FICCI and financial services company Centrum Capital Ltd. That represents a huge opportunity for Indian firms and major companies such as Mahindra Group, Reliance Group, Adani Group, Bharat Forge Ltd, Reliance Industries Ltd, the Tata Group, Larsen and Toubro Ltd., and the Godrej Group have announced their forays in the defence sector.



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New Socio-Economic Survey Highlights Plight Of Rural Households

July 3, 2015, 5:32 am
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Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Rural Development Minister Rao Birendra Singh released the results of the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC 2011) today, the first exercise of this nature since independence. It shows that most of the rural population is engaged in unorganised jobs, and that scheduled caste and scheduled tribe households are faced with lower income and opportunities compared with overall figures.

A total of 17.91 crore rural households were surveyed across India. Only 5 percent had a salaried government job, and 3.57 percent had a salaried private sector job. That means over 90 percent of rural India is engaged in unsalaried work. Also the private sector is a smaller provider of jobs in rural India compared with the government. The percentage figures of salaried employment are even lower for scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST).

And almost 51.14 percent or 9.16 crore people are engaged in manual casual labour, the survey shows, pointing to lack of development and other job options.

The highest earning member in 74.49 percent of households makes less than Rs 5,000 a month. When it comes to scheduled castes, the number rises to 83.56 percent (out of total of 3.3 crore SC households surveyed), and 86.57 percent of ST households (out of 1.96 households).

This is also reflected in ownership of vehicles. 17.43 percent of all households own a two-wheeler. But only 11.27 percent of SC and 8.42 percent of ST households can afford that.

Only 4.58 percent of households pay income tax or professional tax. The vast majority falls below the government's tax slabs which is an indicator of the low levels of income overall.

Mobile phone ownership far outstrips landlines. That is not a surprise because other studies have shown that India has leapfrogged into the mobile age before landlines could spread to rural areas. 68.35 percent of all households own a mobile phone. The figure for SC households is comparable at 66.64 percent but drops sharply for ST households in which only 41.4 percent have a mobile phone and 57.37 percent have no communication device at all.

25.63 percent of all households surveyed own cultivated land. The figures are lower for ST and SC households. More worrying is the fact that 29.7 percent own land that is not cultivated. For ST households, that figure is as high as 42.71 percent. In other words, such households have land that's of little use.

Such lands, which are not yielding any income, might be useful to buy for building factories and industries if the Land Bill is passed in parliament. That will create jobs, which will raise incomes of households which are hardly earning anything from sitting on unproductive land.

The caste census and survey results for urban households will be released later.


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Comedian Kapil Sharma Takes Break From Show Due To Ill Health

July 3, 2015, 5:38 am
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Stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma is taking a break from his popular TV show Comedy Nights with Kapil because of bad health.

The 34-year-old funnyman, whose show is one of the most favourite places for Bollywood stars to promote their upcoming films, will shoot the "last episode" with superstar Salman Khan before taking the break.

Kapil took to twitter to share the news with his followers.

"Hello friends. Hope All well... But I am not well.. Advised for bed rest... Shooting last episode with @BeingSalmanKhan coming back soon," he wrote.




Kapil came with this unique comedy show in 2013 and since then he has been continuously shooting for it without any break.

He also travelled to Dubai to shoot a special series for his comedy show and is scheduled to travel across the US and Canada for live shows in the end of this month.






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St Stephens Molestation Case: Audio Recording Allegedly Has College Principal Pressuring Complainant

July 3, 2015, 5:41 am
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NEW DELHI -- The emergence of a new audio tape in the St Stephens molestation case has triggered a fresh row over the shameful incident that allegedly took place in the premises of the renowned college. The female research student, who has alleged that she was molested by her PhD guide, has submitted an audio clipping to Delhi Police where the Stephens principal Valson Thampu allegedly asks her to "take back" her complaint and encourages her to rethink if she wants to go ahead with the sexual harassment allegations.

Police on Friday said it was evaluating the evidence provided by the woman.

"Whenever any evidence in given to us by the complainant, we evaluate the evidence. We will evaluate the audio clip, if we find anything incriminatory then we will take appropriate action," Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi told media persons here.

Court Stays Professor's Arrest

Meanwhile Delhi High Court today has ordered a stay on Kumar's arrest till August 17. The court also sought a reply from police on a plea by Kumar seeking anticipatory bail in the case.

Justice Indermeet Kaur also issued notice to Delhi Police on Kumar's plea directing it to file a status report with regard to the progress made in the investigation of the case before next date of hearing.

"Notice. Status report be filed by the respondent (Delhi Police). Meanwhile, the petitioner (Kumar) should join the investigation as and when asked by the respondent," the judge said, adding that till next date of hearing, August 17, the petitioner will not be arrested.

Read: Professor Steps Down From Post Of Bursar

The court's order came on the plea filed by Kumar, an Assistant Professor in the college's Chemistry Department, challenging the trial court's June 23 order by which the relief sought by him was declined.

Senior advocate N Hariharan, appearing for Kumar, sought anticipatory bail, claiming that the allegations levelled by the girl were "concocted" and there was not a single eyewitness to any of the incidents mentioned in the complaint.

Hariharan, also assisted by advocate Nitin Kumar Swaroop, informed the court that most of the allegations levelled by the girl were of October 2013 and the mail she had annexed in the complaint clearly says that her work was not in progress so she had sought help from the accused.

"No allegation of molestation was levelled in the mail or the complaint she (girl) wrote to the college principal. The allegation levelled in the FIR were false and fabricated," Kumar's counsel said.

Kumar's plea for relief also stated that the professor could not have molested or followed the girl as he was 85 per cent physically disabled and walked with the help of a stick.

Calls For Thampu's Resignation

Ashish Joshi, the media coordinator of the Association of Old Stephanians, on Friday said that principal Valson Thampu should be immediately sacked following the complaint that he attempted to shield Kumar.

"As Stephanians, we are aghast and shocked that our principal of such a prestigious college has stooped to such a level that he has been pressurising the sexual harassment victim to take back her complaint and hash up the matter. Yesterday, she has filed the recordings of the conversation with Mr. Thampu and Satish Kumar where they can be heard saying that and pressurising her to take down her case and Satish Kumar saying that I will complete your PhD," Joshi said to ANI.

He said that Thampu does not deserve to be the principal even for a single day.

"In fact, the association of Old Stephanians have issued a press release and we have demanded that the supreme body and the governing council of St. Stephens College should immediately sack the principal. And we have also sought action against Vice Chancellor, Mr. Dinesh Singh, of Delhi University for turning a blind eye because this is the fifth sexual harassment case in our college and all previous four cases have been hushed up like this," said Joshi.

"And the reason for this is also that Mr. Thampu has been emboldened because eminent Stephanians like Mani Shankar Iyer, Kapil Sibal, Shashi Tharoor, Manmohan Sarin (former judge and now a member of the governing body), have just turned a blind eye and ignored the illegalities of Mr. Thampu," he added.

Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Friday staged a protest outside the college, climbing trees and compound of the college while waving ABVP flags. The Delhi University's Students Union (DUSU) too today staged a protest, demanding Thampu's resignation.

However, Delhi University today said it is the college's internal matter and the varsity has no say in it.

"St Stephen's college is a minority institution run by the Church of North India. It is an internal matter of the college which has to be dealt by them in accordance with the act of Parliament on sexual harassment," a senior varsity official said.

"DU has no say in the matter and the college's Governing Body (GB) is the supreme administrative body to take any action in this regard."

The HRD ministry also refused to intervene in the matter saying such issues are to be handled by the institution's Internal Complaints Committee as per Supreme Court guidelines.

A research scholar at St Stephen's had approached police on June 19 alleging that she was molested by Satish Kumar, a professor in the college's Chemistry department.

The complainant has also accused Stephen's principal Valson Thampu of shielding the accused and "criminally intimidating" her to close the matter in the college itself in order to not cause any delay or problems in the completion of her Ph.D.

The student had on June 19 lodged an FIR, alleging that she was sexually assaulted by her PhD guide and that the college principal tried to protect him when the matter was reported to the college authorities.

In a seven-page complaint that an assistant professor had harassed her for two years.

(with agency inputs)



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AAP MLA Bhavna Gaur Now In Fake Degree Row

July 3, 2015, 6:46 am
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NEW DELHI -- After former Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar, another AAP legislator Bhavna Gaur has come under scanner over her educational qualifications with a Delhi court taking cognizance of a complaint seeking criminal prosecution of the MLA for allegedly furnishing false details in the affidavits for Assembly polls.

Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma admitted the complaint which alleged discrepancies in details related to educational qualifications in her affidavits filed with the Election Commission in last two Assembly polls held here in December 2013 and February 2015.

The development comes less than a month after another AAP MLA Jitender Singh Tomar was arrested and had to resign as law minister over charge of having fake degrees.

Complainant Samarendra Nath Verma has filed the petition under provision of 125 A of the Representation of People Act dealing with penalty for filing false affidavit.

The offence under Section 125A of the Act entails a jail term of up to six months or fine or both.

The court has now fixed the matter for next hearing on July 25.

As per the complaint, during the 2013 Assembly polls Gaur, an MLA from Palam constituency, had mentioned her highest qualification as 12th while during the elections held in 2015, she mentioned her highest educational qualification as BA and B.Ed in her affidavit filed along with her nomination paper.

"The complainant failed to understand, how just within a span of 14 months (period between filing of her first affidavit in 2013 and 2015), she obtained additional qualifications of BA and B.Ed., whereas normal time required for finishing the aforesaid courses taken together would be five years (three years for BA and two years for B.Ed.)," the complaint said.

"The accused (Gaur) must have filed false affidavit related to her qualifications either on November 12, 2013, or on January 15, 2015, before the Returning officer in that only one version on oath on her qualifications can be correct," it said.



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Rag Pickers To Be Recognised With National Award

July 3, 2015, 6:55 am
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NEW DELHI -- Now, rag pickers' services will be recognised by the government which has decided to give national award for their contribution to keep India clean.

"There are millions of rag pickers in the country. This informal sector has saved the country. They are doing a good job and I have decided to recognise their efforts. We will grant national award," Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said at an event on waste management here.

The national award, with a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh, will be given to three best rag pickers and three associations involved in innovation of best practices, he added.

Stating that rag pickers are helping to some extent in handling waste, the Minister pitched for setting up of a credible agency like Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) that can guide municipal bodies to take measures to address waste management in a scientific way.

"At present, agencies that handle solid waste are working on contractual basis and this has failed miserably. Handling waste cannot always be a profitable business. We have suggested that the Urban Ministry build a credible agency like DMRC that can give scientific guidance," he said.

The Minister also mentioned that there are adequate funds for waste management. "What is lacking is scientific guidance to handle different kinds of waste," he said.

Expressing concern over the large quantity of untreated waste and sewage in the country, Javadekar said that current rules have been revised to ensure every village of over 5,000 population has a waste treatment plant.

The country generates 62 million tonnes of waste annually. "This is expected to increase to 165 million tonnes by 2030 and 450 million tonnes by 2050," he said adding that the worrying fact is that 68 per cent of waste and sewage is not treated in the country at present.

He said the new draft norms on waste management, which aim to put in place a strong mechanism to address concerns related to different kinds of waste, would be implemented from August-end after seeking public comments.



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FTII Strike: No Resolution Even As Students Meet Arun Jaitley, Senior I&B Officials

July 3, 2015, 7:41 am
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NEW DELHI -- Even as a delegation of students and alumni members of FTII Pune met with Information & Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley seeking removal of TV actor and BJP's Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of the governing council of the prestigious institute, it seems that no resolution was achieved.

"We were given a lot of assurances but the main issue has not been resolved yet," said one of the students to media after the meeting in Jaitley's North Block Finance Ministry office. Those representing the FTII students included Oscar-winner Resul Pookutty and filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli.

The I&B Ministry had invited the students to speak with them in New Delhi to find a solution. Current students and alumni have joined hands in a protest since last month in what they have called a "saffronisation" of the institute. Chauhan, a BJP worker, and best known for his role as 'Yudhisthira' in the televised Mahabharata show, lacks the technical expertise to be the premier film institute's chairperson, students have said, and have refused to attend classes since June 9.

The delegation also held an "inconclusive" meeting for two hours with the senior ministry officials, who heard their demands, according to sources, reported PTI. However, some who attended the meeting said there were some "positive" indications of resolving the issue.

PTI sources said that the ministry officials included Joint Secretary (films) K Sanjay Murti and had a detailed discussion with the students.

ftii students protest
Police on Friday arrest students who were protesting against Gajendra Chauhan's appointment.

Earlier, agitating students of FTII took their protest to the heart of the national capital as they held a demonstration seeking immediate revocation of Chauhan's appointment.

The students staged their protest outside Shastri Bhavan, which houses the Information and Broadcasting Ministry office.

Students from Jawahar Lal University (JNU) and other professional institutes too joined the protests with FTII students in the capital this afternoon.

Meanwhile Chauhan on Friday said he has got to know from media reports that he would not be removed from the post of FTII chairman.

"I am not aware of the exact result that has come out officially. I have come to know from the media reports that I won't be removed from the position. I will speak to the officials there and let you know," Chauhan told ANI.

He said he was confident that the ministry will find a solution.

"I got to know about the meeting through media. I will accept whatever they decide. I have been saying that protest is not the solution to the problem. It is good that they sat down together to find a solution," he said to PTI.

"I am sad that I did not get a chance to perform. I was given a responsibility but I am being prevented from fulfilling it."



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