Indian [email protected] RNI No: APENG/2010/35309 www.indianhorizon.org Volume Issue No: 183 No: 6 Horizon English Daily [email protected] Postal Registration Order No HD/1188/2014-16 In memory of Dr Asima Kemal and Prof. Dr. Salim W Kemal Published from Hyderabad & New Delhi Pages 12 + 4 pull out (P16) Hyderabad, Monday, July 6, 2015 RJD to protest withholding caste Census data: Lalu Bojjala to take up Section 8 with Prez today P-2 Price: 3.00 Hillary Clinton accuses China of stealing US secrets P-8 P-5 College dean helping Vyapam probe found dead in Delhi Briefs “Whiskey and some medicines were found near his bed. Nothing had been visibly disturbed in the room, and no external injuries were seen on his body,” Ramdan Timings Sahar - 4:14 Iftar - 7:00 EU could grant emergency loans to Athens: Martin Schulz BERLIN, July 5 (IANS) Europe will not “desert” the people of Greece regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s referendum and may provide it emergency loans, the head of the European Parliament said on Sunday. Martin Schulz told Germany’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper that the Athens government had manoeuvred the heavily-indebted country “into a dead end”. “Perhaps we will have to give emergency bridging loans to Greece so that public service can be maintained and needy people get the money they need to survive,” he said. “For that, money would be available short term in Brussels,” the European Parliament president said in the interview. But he warned this would not be a lasting solution. Greeks are voting in a tightly fought referendum on whether to support the terms of the country’s potential bailout deal with its international creditors. New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Arun Sharma, the dean of a medical college in Madhya Pradesh assisting the police probing the Vyapam scam, was on Sunday found dead in a hotel room here, police said. His body was found at Uppal Hotel near the Indira Gandhi International Airport. He was on his way to Tripura as a member of an inspection team of the Medical Council of India. Sharma, 64, whose college is in Jabalpur, was assisting the Special Task Force probing the recruitment scam in the Madhya Pradesh Vyavsayik Pareeksha Mandal (Vyapam) by providing documents on fake medical entrance examinees in the state-run college, police said. Delhi Police declined to comment on Sharma’s death. “We have contacted his son. He said his father was a sugar patient. The family is on its way to Delhi,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police R.A. Sanjeev. The officer said the victim checked into Uppal Hotel Saturday evening and wanted to be waken up on Sunday morning. When he did not respond to the wake up calls, the hotel staff suspected something was wrong and called the police. “The door to his suite was broken into in the presence of police. The dean was found on his bed,” the officer said. “Whiskey and some medicines were found near his bed. Nothing had been visibly disturbed in the room, and no external injuries were seen on his body,” he added. The body has been sent for autopsy. “We will await for the autopsy report before we can say what caused his death,” said Sanjeev. The admission and recruitment racket in the Madhya Pradesh Vyavsayik Pareeksha Mandal (Vyapam) or the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board apparently involves politicians, officials and businessmen. More than 40 people associated with the scam have died since 2013. The most highprofile death was of Shailesh Yadav, son of Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav. Shailesh, 50, was found dead at his father’s residence in the Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow on March 25. Police reviews security for govt’s Ifthar party Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): Police personnel got ready to make Ifthar party being hosted by the State government in the city on July 12 a big success. The police organized a review meeting at Haj House at Nampally on Sunday on security arrangements for the programs to be conducted in 100 mosques on July 12. Muslim religious heads, Imams and representatives of mosques attended the meeting. Speaking on the occasion, ACB Director General A K Khan urged the section concerned to make the program a big success. Stating that there was a chance that women too may attend the Ifhtar parties in July 12, Khan suggested to police personnel to see that there should not be any stampede during the distribution of saris to women. He asked the Muslim elders to bring any loopholes and mistakes take place on that day to the notice of police. Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy said both Cyberabad and Hyderabad police wings would work in tandem on that day and asked the Mosque Committees to extend cooperation in this regard. Home Minister Rajnath Singh honoring family members of soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation, at a rally in Modha village of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. PTI Complaint against Lalit Modi over tweets defaming Pranab New Delhi, July 5 (PTI) Rashtrapati Bhavan has filed a complaint with Delhi Police against former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi for posting “defamatory” tweets against President Pranab Mukherjee and his secretary Omita Paul. The complaint sent to Delhi Police Commissioner from the President’s Secretariat has screenshots of June 23 and June 25 tweets annexed to it, besides an 80-page file that Modi, being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged money laundering, had attached to his tweets. The document shows a picture of the President, his secretary and businessman Vivek Nagpal, who Modi alleged, had taken favours from Mr. Mukherjee during his days in the Finance Ministry. Modi had alleged that Mr. Mukherjee, in his stint as Fi- nance Minister, pushed the ED to act against him after he raised questions about the shareholding pattern in Kochi franchise of IPL leading to the resignation of Shashi Tharoor from the Union Cabinet. Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi has forwarded the complaint to the Economic Offences Wing (EoW) of Delhi Police for necessary action, official sources said, adding no case has been registered so far. Legal opinion is being sought whether the case could be registered under Section 499 and 500 of IPC for criminal defamation as the tweets intended to bring disrepute to the President and his office. The other option available with the Delhi Police could be to approach a local court seeking a restraint order for Twitter to block the account. HYDERABAD WEATHER FORECAST Max Min 35 25 FAJAR ZOHAR ASAR MAGRIB ISHA 4:25 12:21 3:43 6:55 8:16 Shiv Sena was not born for power, Uddhav Thackeray says MUMBAI, July 5 (PTI) Shiv Sena will get absolute majority in Maharashtra one day if the people of the state decide to do so, party president Uddhav Thackeray said here on Sunday. “Shiv Sena was not born merely for power. If it is in Maharashtra’s destiny, then (one day) people will say that they will give power only to the Shiv Sena,” Thackeray said. “That day will come,” he said. The Sena leader was speaking at an event organized by his party to distribute vehicles to unemployed Marathi youth, at Sewree in South Mumbai. “People didn’t give absolute power to us in the last assem- bly elections. However, I did not say: ‘What next?’ I don’t do such politics,” Thackeray said. In a veiled reference to the allegations of ‘scams’ faced by some BJP ministers, Thackeray said, “Nowadays we see corruption everywhere, in media, on TV”. Meanwhile, Republican Party of India (Athawale), one of BJP’s ruling alliance partners in Maharashtra, also cautioned the Devendra Fadnavis-led government to stay away from scams. Will do everything possible to make India innovation hub, says PM Modi in ‘Digital Dialogue’ New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday promised to do everything possible to make enterprise and innovation easier so that India emerges as an innovation hub and keeps pace with the fast changing world. “The world is changing, quicker than ever before and we cannot remain oblivious to that. If we don’t innovate, if we don’t come up with cutting edge products there will be stagnation,” he said in a ‘Digital Dialogue’, and added, “On the part of the government, I assure absolute support.” Responding to numerous suggestions with regard to digitalisation received through the day on a specially-created platform on social media, Modi said, “We are doing everything possible to make enterprise and innovation easier. We have covered substantial ground in the last 14 months and want to do a lot more in the future.” He said his government wants India to emerge as the innovation hub where the next big ideas emerge, driven by the power of technology. Exhorting people to keep innovating as “innovation is what will help us grow faster”, the Prime Minister particularly encouraged the start-ups, saying they are “the engines of exponential growth, manifesting the power of innovation”. He said that several big companies of today are startups of yesterday. “They were born with a spirit of enterprise and adventure kept alive due to hard work and perseverance and today have become shining beacons of innovation,” he noted. To a question on challenges to the road map of Digital India, Modi said, “When we have taken up such an ambitious initiative and that too at such a large scale, there will be several challenges. Dayanidhi Maran was evasive during questioning; may be called again: CBI New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Former Telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran was “evasive” during his questioning by CBI in a case of alleged abuse of his office in getting installed high capacity BSNL lines at his residences to facilitate speedy transmission of programmes to a TV firm owned by his brother and could be called again. Highly-placed CBI sources claimed the 48-year-old Maran, who held Telecom and IT portfolio in UPA-I from 2004 to 2007, was “evasive on many points” during his 22-hour questioning over three days beginning last Wednesday. The sources said his replies to other points were being verified and he may be called again for questioning after the assessment has been completed. Efforts to reach Maran for comments failed as he neither answered telephone calls nor replied to text messages. Maran had told reporters on Thursday outside the CBI headquarters that he had submitted documents collected through RTI from MTNL and BSNL, which he claimed, showed he had not violated any norms or guidelines of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). CBI had registered a case naming Maran, the then Chief General Manager (CGM), BSNL, K Bramhanathan and then CGM of Chennai Telephones M P Veluswami for allegedly entering into a criminal conspiracy and causing a huge financial loss to the government exchequer. In its FIR, CBI had said over 323 high data capacity lines were installed at Maran’s residences in Chennai and Delhi, but subsequent probe led to discovery of over 770 such lines.The CBI began its probe in 2011, nearly four years after receiving complaints that a ‘virtual’ telephone exchange had been configured at Maran’s house for illicit use by Sun TV network owned by his brother Kalanithi. 2 Indian Horizon, Hyderabad City News Brief Dawat-E-Ifthar likely on July 12 Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): Telangana Government is likely to deferred DawathE-Ifthar party as part of Ramzan festival to Muslim Brethren on July 12 instead of previously set date of July 8. According to informed sources, the government has deferred the date to a new date for some reasons. Deputy Chief Minister Mahamood Ali reportedly said that they have postponed the Ifthar party at Nizam College to July 12, it is learnt. It may be noted here that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has announced Rs 26 cr for conducting the Ramzan festival across the state. KCR also announced Rs 1,000 salary to each of Imams and Mouzars of about 5000 mosques in the state and also offered to distribute free clothes worth Rs 500 to each of 1.95 lakh poor Muslims on the occasion. KTR to launch e-Health Center at Jadcherla Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): Health Minister, Dr C Lakshma Reddy today said that Jadcherla in Mahabubnagar district will soon get an e Health Centre. Participating in Harithaharam program at Jadcherla town here on Sunday, the minister said that IT Minister KT Rama Rao will launch the e-health center. This center will be linked with district hospital online to provide 24 hour medical services to the people. On becoming operational, the project will sure prove handy as it caters to the timely needs of the patients with doctors giving suggestions and instructions on keeping healthy, Lakshma Reddy stated. Soon this type of facility will be extended to all districts in a phased manner, the minister noted. Certificates verification for lectureship from July 8 Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): Those who have qualified in State Eligibility Test (SET) -2014 can verify their certificates from July 8 to 17, according to sources. The SET is meant for appointment of lecturers in universities and colleges across the state. The verification of the certificates will be done at the regional centers from 10.30 am to 5 pm, according to information. I won’t leave Congress: Danam Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): Refuting reports that he was planning to join the ruling TRS, GHCC president Danam Nagender has made it clear that he would remain in the party. He alleged that some leaders in the party were trying to send him out and giving false information to the party high command. Speaking to the media here on Sunday, Danam said apart from launching a ‘Padayatra’ in the Greater Hyderabad on citizens’ problems, he would also tour all Telangana districts to strengthen the Congress party. Referring to the exit of former APCC chief D Srinivas, the former minister said DS lost respect, which he received in the Congress. He suggested to the ruling party to give posts to students and stop ‘Operation Aakarsh’. Warning Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao against dictatorial attitude, Danam said KCR too would face the fate of former chief minister Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy. “Everyone knows what Kiran Kumar Reddy was doing now”, he said. Throwing a challenge to TRS over GHMC elections, Danam asked the Seemandhra voters living in Hyderabad to give a fitting verdict to the TRS. One held for duping youths Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): CCS Marketing Intelligence Team here today nabbed one K. Sathish alias Swamy alias Ravi at Punjagutta for collecting huge amounts from innocent people and cheating them. The police said the accused gave a false advertisement in a Telugu newspaper offering Data Entry work at the rate of Rs 90 per page. When those interested in the work called the accused on the given numbers, the accused asked them to deposit Rs 3,000 towards security deposit. The accused was carrying on his fraudulent business from D. No. 101, Kranthisikhara Apartments, 1st Floor, B-Block, Panjagutta, Somajiguda. The police also seized a Lap Top of Sony make, three Samsung mobile phones, Andhra Bank Debit Card and State Bank Debit Card, three notebooks and a cash of Rs 95,000. After collecting money, the accused evaded their calls. While three of the victims approached police so far, enquiries are been caused to know the details of other victims, who were cheated by the offender. Team led by G. Shankar Raju, Inspector, D. Prashanth, SI with staff cracked the case and apprehended the accused under the supervision of ACP Cyber Crimes, Dr B.Anu Radha. CPI condoles demise of Chava Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): Communist Party of India (CPI) Telangana State Council today expressed deep condolences over the death of CPI senior leader and Telangana Peasants Armed Struggle fighter Chava Venkateshwara Rao (90) in Khammam. In a pressnote, CPI national general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, CPI national secretary Dr K Narayana, CPI Telangana State secretary Chada Venkat Reddy and Telangana Martyrs Memorial Trust secretary Kandimalla Prathap Reddy expressed condolences over the demise of Chava and conveyed sympathy to the family members of Chava. The CPI leaders stated that Chava worked with party veterans like late Nallamala Giri Prasad, Razab Ali and Puvvada Nageswar Rao for development of party in Khammam district. They said Chava worked for the development of Communist movements till his last breath. Chava wished the unity of the CPI and CPM, they added. TDP slams KCR for luring MLAs from other parties Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): Launching a scathing attack on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, TDP today said the former, instead of repenting for his misdeeds of luring MLAs from other parties, was targeting the Opposition parties. Addressing the media here jointly, Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy and Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu questioned KCR as to how his party could secure 85 MLAs’ votes where it has a strength of only 63 MLAs. Who has given ministership to MLAs of other party”, they asked. Gali Muddukrishnam Naidu alleged that there was a quid pro quo between TRS and Jagan. Both KCR and Jagan were opposing Pattiseema as they do not want water to be made available to Rayalaseema, he said. Taking a dig at Jagan, Muddukrishnama Naidu said Jagan’s name can be listed in Guinness Book World Records. As an Opposition leader Jagan was facing 11 cases against him and was in jail for 16 months. Jagan was meeting President Pranab Mukherjee in a bid to get rid of the criminal cases. Jagan should raise Section 8 with the President and protect the interests of AP people, he added. Telangana Tourism announces special packages for Godavari Pushkaralu Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): The Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation has announced introduction of tour packages coinciding with the upcoming Godavari Pushkaralu. Christina Z. Chonghtu, Managing Director of Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation, in a statement, has informed several packages will be operated from Hyderabad to various destinations from July 13 to 25 for the tourists/pilgrims, who intend to have holy dip in sacred river Godavari. The first one is a day long tour that covers Hyderabad-Dharmapuri-KondagattuVemulavada. It starts at 6 am and ends at 9.30 pm. The second is between Hyderabad and Nizamabda-Basar temple. While the third tour covers HyderabadKaleshwari via Warangal, the fourth one is between Hyderabad and Bhadrachalam. The corporation is planning some more similar tours, according to TSTDC. Details and other packages can be accessed on a Toll Free no.1800 425 46464. Monday, July 6, 2015 Peddapalli to get 100-bed hospital: KCR Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): Government General Hospital at Peddapalli will soon be upgraded into a 100-bedded hospital with all basic amenities, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has said. Planting a sapling at Peddapalli town in Karimnagar district as part of “Telanganaku Haritha Haaram project” on Sunday, the Chief Minister vowed to restore canals through SRSP project. Alleging that precious wood of the forests were looted as the previous government neglected the greenery that led to ecological imbalance, KCR said this would compel monkeys to stray into villages and towns. The problem should go by active involvement of the people in the massive afforestation program, KCR exhorted. As part of the program, every house will get four to six saplings to be planted, he said, adding that the government will not seek votes if it failed to keep the promise of supplying potable waters to every household. The government has taken all steps to avoid power cuts, he said, adding that steps would be taken to release waters to the tail-end areas. “To help the poor girls, widows and old aged, we are implementing many welfare schemes like Kalyana Lakshmi, Shaadi Mubarak and pensions”, KCR noted. The Government will release adequate funds for rapid growth of Peddapalli town, he declared amidst wild applause from the people. Former Aam Aadmi Party leader Yogendra Yadav at the launch of Swaraj Abhiyan-a programme where volunteers in every state will reach out to farmers to understand their problems and establish a dialogue with them-in Telangana on Sunday. (PTI Photo) I will start Godavari Pushkaralu on July 14: KCR Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today said that he will participate in Godavari Pushkaralu at Dharmapuri on July 14. He was participating in Harithaharm program of planting saplings at Dharmapuri in Karimnagar district. KCR announced Bojjala to take up Section 8 with President today Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): Disgruntled by the exposure of Cashfor-Vote scam, the Telugu Desam government has decided to take up the issue of Section 8 of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014 with President Pranab Mukherjee at Bolaram here on Monday. Speaking to mediapersons here on Sunday, AP minister Bojjala Gopala Krishna Reddy said they will appeal to the President on the need for invoking Section 8 in Hyderabad, the joint capital of two Telugu States for 10 years. “There are several issues that compel us to demand for invocation of Section 8. We will not relent on the issue and make a strong pitch with the President on the need to enforce this section”, he remarked. Accusing the Telangana Government of creating problems for the AP government, Bojjala said there is a need for resolving Digital 5K Run held at Raahgiri Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): “Rahagiri Day which is a street event, that provides citizens with the opportunity to reclaim their streets, connect with their community, celebrate their city , completes today 25 weeks successfully. The Raahgiri Day was started on January 18. Digital 5K Run was organised on Sunday by ITE & C Dept, STPI, Cykul, Hyderabad Runners, HYSEA and NASSCOM. Nearly 1500 people participated in the Run. Jayesh Ranjan, flagged of the Run. Being the milestone day, Raahgiri witnessed huge turn out on Sunday. Nearly 3500 people visited the Raahgiri Day. Speaking on the occasion, Jayesh Ranjan said the 5K Run would spread to the new areas in the cityHe also unveiled teaser campaign “Carfree Thursday Initiative”. He also gave away appreciation certificates to all those behind making Raahgiri a huge success. The good old Sack Race, the traditional rural game was back with bang. Lot of IT folks had a gala time with Sack Race. Also called as gunny sack race, it is a competitive game. It is a traditional children game. But, people of all ages played the sack race. I had a gala time doing this informed Subba Raju of SLP. It reminded me of my good old days said Rajitha an IT employees. the issues related AP Reorganisation Act by sitting across the table. He also alleged that Leader of Opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, who was adopting dual standards on Pattiseema project should make his stance clear. Jagan Reddy, while seeking waters to Rayalaseema through this project, he was deploring the same in Andhra region that Pattiseema will desert the Godavari region, he charged. Reddy’s remarks assume significance in the wake of cash scam rattled their government and threw them in defence. While Chief Minsiter N Chandrababu Naidu was infuriated at his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao on the alleged phone tapping and cash scam issues. In a bid to corner the ruling party in Telangana, Chandrababu was pressing his ministerial colleagues to the President for Section 8. Rolling Cycle Tyres was another interesting street game drew lot of participation. What Club has announced Grow Green Challenge. Jayesh Ranjan started the challenge by planting a sapling. He nominated five more to plant trees. The August Fest Team, which organizes India’s largest Start Up Conference on August 29 and 30 created awareness about the same. It is by far the biggest conference on Startups, said Adi Vemuru, a core team member. It will have incredible talks by global business leaders. 300 plus investors are expected to participate. Fifty plus investor companies, 50 plus start up pitches and 40 plus short films will be screened informed Adi. Subba Raju Pericherla and team of StartUp Leadership Program(SLP) created awareness about their SLP Program. A few employees of the Bank of America performed a rock music. Murali Nannapaneni of Hyderabad Runners said idea behind organizing Digital 5K Run was to create awareness about digital empowerment. Cyberabad DCP Karthikeya also graced the occasion. He presented saplings to the winners of the quiz. The Cyberabad Police had created awareness about Haritha Haram, the massive tree plantation initiative, Government of Telangana has taken up. They conducted quiz and gave away saplings as prizes and also certificates. A lot of people participated with great interest in the quiz that he prayed the god for statehood and will now keep the promise of getting back to the area as the chief minister to launch the Pushkaralu on July 14. I will announce the needed funds for development of Dharmapuri on the occasion. KCR stated that MLA, K Eshwar will soon be made a minister. He appealed to the people to make success the greenery program by active participation. Later, at Adilabad, the Chief Minister launched Gudem Lift Irrigation project at Dandepally mandal. The project is taken up by spending Rs 125 cr for lifting of 3 tmc waters in the area. Irrigation & CAD Dept release 1227 cr for Lower Penganga Project Hyderabad, July 5 (IHNN): In the reference read above, the Commissioner, P & D of Godavari Basin, has requested the Government to accord administrative approval to Lower Penganga Inter State Project for utilization of 5.12 TMC of water for Irrigation and Drinking needs in Adilabad District. After careful examination of the proposal, Government hereby accord administrative approval to Lower Penganga Inter State Project for utilization of 5.12 TMC of water for Irrigation and Drinking needs in Adilabad District for an amount of Rs.1227 crores(Rupees One thousand Two Hundred and Twenty Seven crores only). The above amount shall be debited from the Head of Account 4700-01-227-11-26/27-530-531. The Commissioner, Planning & Development of Godavari Basin, Hyderabad shall take necessary action accordingly. This order issues with the concurrence of Finance(W&P) Department vide their U.O.No.6806/122/W&P/A1/2015, dated.05.06.2015. Hijras demand employment & protection Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): Demanding that the State government provide employment and protection, Telangana Hijra Transgender Samithi staged a dharna at Indira Park here on Sunday. The transgender alleged that the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments were not recognizing the transgender community and not implementing the Supreme Court judgment. They alleged that they were subjected to physical attacks and brutalities on over 60 transgender people in Hyderabad alone in the last one year. The Hijras and transgender people were fighting for their lives on the streets because of discrimination and exclusion from all jobs, education, housing and all welfare measures. It was the responsibility of the government not to continue the social exclusion of transgender people and support the community by implementing the spirit of the NALSA ruling and fully aid in the debate. Kemal Publications Excellent modern multi colour offset press. Services for quality printing Newspapers, Magazines, Journals, Books, Text Books, Company Annual Reports etc. Please Contact: Ph: 9885183853: 040-66616611 E-Mail: [email protected]. [email protected] Indian Horizon, Hyderabad President Pranab Mukherjee visits Yadadri President Pranab Mukherjee being presented a memento from Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao during his visit to Sri Lakshmi Narsimha Swamy Temple at Yadgirigutta district Nalgonda in Telengana on Sunday. (PTI Photo) Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): President Pranab Mukherjee today paid a visit to Sri Lakshmi-Narasimha Swamy temple at Yadadri (Yadagirigutta) in Nalgonda district and took part in the special pujas performed to the presiding deity. The country’s first citizen was accorded rousing welcome by Endowment Minister Indrakaran Reddy, Temple EO Geetha and priests with “Poorna Kumbham” amidst chanting of Vedic hymns. Governor ESL Narasimhan, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, ministers and others accompanied the President in the ritual that went on for about a couple of hours at the abode of Lord Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy. Along with his son and MP Abhijith Mukherjee, Pranab offered silk clothes to the presiding deity and also had a darshan of the Goddess Lakshmi and Anjaneya Swamy. The Chief Minister presented an attractive photograph of the Lord and Yadadri Development Authority to the President and took blessing by touching his feet. KCR briefed Mukherjee of his government’s plans to develop the temple on par with Tirumala. Mukherjee, who visited Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh last 3 State Monday, July 6, 2015 week, is the fourth Indian president to visit Yadagirigutta. First president Rajendra Prasad visited the temple in 1959 and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in 1963. Shankar Dayal Sharma prayed at Yadgirigutta in 1995. Only a few officials were allowed to attend the event as the police top-brass of the State and Centre spread security blanket at the hill shrine. Shops and other business establishments remained closed at the temple during the President’s stay. Earlier, the President, who is on southern sojourn, has reached Yadadri by a helicopter. Kotha Majeru village in the grip of a viral fever epidemic Machilipatnam, Jul 5 (PTI): Kotha Majeru village in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh is in the grip of a viral fever epidemic as well as other related infections, a senior health official said here today. District Medical and Health Officer R Nagamalleswari said that more than 150 villagers including children have been admitted to various hospitals in the district. Speaking to PTI, the official said that water contamination might be the cause of the epidemic. “Today, we have set up a medical camp in the village to monitor the situation,” she said. Meanwhile, A private hospital from Vijayawada has sent its team of doctors to conduct a medical camp in the village today. Deputy Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly who is also the local MLA, Mandali Budha Prasad, rushed to the village and instructed officials to take measures to tackle the situation. Annual Day Function of Global College of Education, B.Ed held at Sir Syed Conference Hall, Madina Education Centre, Mr.K.M. Arifuddin, Secretary, address the students at Nampally, Hyderabad. Dr.K. Hymavathi, Principal, Lecturers and Students are also present. (Photo: IHNN) Toronto Varsity team visits Hyderabad to shape future of Telangana children Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): A four-member Team Attollo from University of Toronto, Canada, a Hult Prize Global Finalist 2015 arrived here for field testing and to impact over one million children below six years by 2020 in the State of Telangana. Team Attollo was keen on building their Indian headquarters at Hyderabad and approached the Telangana government for this support. They are currently collaborating with Pratham and Vikas High School in Hyderabad for field testing. Speaking to mediapersons here on Sunday, Attollo cofounder Lak Chinta said the Hult Prize Global is co-hosted by Bill Clinton and Hult Prize Foundations. The competition amongst the six remaining global teas will be held at the Clinton Global Initiative Conference on September 26 to 30, 2015. The judging panel includes Nobel Laureates, world leaders and fortune 500 CEOs, in the presence of 2,000 audience that includes President Bill Clinton, he said. Lak Chinta said children aged three and under from poorer areas are often underexposed by 30 million words compared to their counterparts in the affluent countries. This can have an effect on their cognitive development that lasts into adulthood. “Our product “Talking Stickers” will help develop literacy and vocabulary skills in children 0-6 years of age so that they can be primary school ready and be able to successfully reach their cognitive potential. By using a combination of picture books with QR code stickers and a simple low cost-electronic reader, Team Attollo’s solution allows parents to teach their children new words and increase vocabulary in a simple, low-cost and effective manner. With more than one million children below six years living under poverty in Telangana State, Attollo’s innovation will help building and investing the Burglary gang busted; 3 held Ira Singhal who got the First rank in the Civil Services Exams 2014 in Hyderabad on Saturday. (PTI Photo) CPI to stage ‘Mahadharna’ on July 15 Hyderabad, July 5 (NSS): Alleging that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was passing time only with assurances, the Communist Party of India (CPI) Telangana State Council has said it will organise a ‘Mahadharna’ at Indira Park on July 15 demanding that the State government distribute land pattas to the homeless poor. After releasing a Mahadharna poster along with CPI former MP Syed Azeez Pasha, CPI Greater Hyderabad South Zone secretary E T Narsimha, CPI-Telangana State secretary Chada Venkat Reddy has alleged that the Chief Minister was failing to fulfil the assurances made during the elections. He also alleged that KCR failed to implement his assurance of construction of “double bedroom” houses for one lakh houseless poor in Greater Hyderabad. He suggested that the KCR government call for an allparty meeting to discuss the problems if there was any in allotting land pattas to the poor. He also made it clear that the CPI would continue its fight on behalf of the people till the government solved the problems. Azeez Pasha said KCR was showering sops on the people keeping the Greater Hyderabad elections in view and made it clear that the people would revolt in case the Chief Minister failed to fulfil the same. The government, which announced during the Swatch Hyderabad program that it will allot Rs 50 lakh to each division. Visakhapatnam, Jul 5 (PTI): An alleged gang of burglars was busted here with the arrest of three persons, police said, adding that booty worth Rs 3 lakh has been recovered from the accused. According to police, the trio of M Chinna Naidu, K Chandrasekhar and Nammi Srinu, was arrested last night. The accused are involved in 11 house theft cases under different police stations in the city, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-II) Dr G Ram Gopal Naik told mediapersons here. About 80-gm of gold ornaments, silver items weighing around 2.7kg, and a motorcycle -- collectively worth around Rs 3 lakh -- were recovered from the accused, he added. Police said that a resident of Pendhurthy area on the outskirts of the city had recently lodged a complaint of a theft at his house on June 20. As there was a series of such cases in the city, a special police team under the supervision of the DCP (Zone-II) was formed to nab the perpetrators. The modus operandi of the accused was to do a recce of the streets on motorcycles during day time and identify the houses whose residents were away. They would then break into such houses at night with one person keeping watch outside, the DCP said. Police said they hope to bust more such gangs operating in the city. Three children drown at Appikonda beach Visakhapatnam, Jul 5 (PTI): Three school students who had gone to swim at the Appikonda beach, which somes under the Steel Plant police station limits, drowned in the sea today evening, the police said. According to the police, six students, who are children of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) employees, residing in Sector 4 and 5 in the Ukkunagaram Township, had gone to the beach in future of Telangana children, he said. “We believe, we can solve the issue of poverty by empowering the underprivileged children of Telangana an opportunity to live and experience the Golden Telangana. We are also looking towards developing the product locally in Hyderabad for 10 million children globally. Lak Chinta, born in Hyderabad and trained as a neuroscientist, has come back to give back to his people, a hope for every parent for their children’s future. If the State government likes to collaborate, the Team Attollo will deliver Talking Stickers to over one million children under the age of six years by 2020. Man and his son killed in clash between two families Kannada Actress Sanjana with the Kingfisher Derby trophy during its unveiling at Bangalore Turf Club on Sunday. (PTI Photo) 12 held for forging land documents in AP Anantapur, Jul 5 (PTI): Police today claimed to have busted a racket allegedly involved in creating fake pattadar passbooks (a land document) and arrested twelve persons. The alleged forgery, which involves manipulating the entries of land, ownership titles and details of land valuation, runs into over Rs one crore, a senior police officer said. “Twelve gang members were arrested and more than 17,000 fake pattadar passbooks were recovered from them,” SP Rajasekhara Babu told reporters here. Police seized cash worth Rs 1 lakh, a printer, rubber stamps of various the afternoon. While they were swimming, they were caught in a strong current, which took them deep into the sea. While three of them managed to swim safely to the shore with the help of fishermen, their friends drowned in he sea. Police inspector B Venkata Rao said that the six children who had gone to the beach are students of Class VIII and Class IX of DAV Public School in VSP Township. Despite fishermen’s warnings, students ventured into the sea. After a few minutes, a big wave surged towards them and carried revenue officers, a four-wheeler and a sickle from the accused who were picked up from various places in the district. Police suspect the accused were the part of a bigger syndicate also comprising Village Revenue Officers (VROs). The SP said the accused could have obtained loans from banks through the forged passbooks or even grabbed plots of land. Pattadar passbook is a document in the form of a small bound book containing all details of land owned by a person (pattadar) and is issued by Revenue officials. The members of the gang, who are operating from the district headquarters, are widely distributed in rural areas, including Battalapalli and Dharmavaram, he further said. them deep into the sea, he said. Noticing that the children are in troubled waters, fishermen managed to savee three of them, while the other three drowned in the sea, he said. The body of one of these three children was retrieved by the police and local fishermen, while the bodies of the two other children are still stated to be missing, he said. The student whose body has been retrieved has been identified as Prasanna Kumar (13), while those students whose bodies are missing have been identified as Roopesh (14) and Akhilesh (14). Hyderabad, Jul 5 (PTI): A 55-year-old man and his son were killed, while his another son was injured after a clash between two families in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh today. The incident occurred in Vasanthapuram locality of Kovur mandal this afternoon, resulting in the death of T Nageswara Rao and his son Nagaraju (20), besides injuring Rao’s elder son Murali, Kovur circle inspector Ashokvardhan said. The clash brokeout between close relatives due to suspicion of an “affair” between two members of the two families, the police inspector said, adding Rao and his sons were attacked with sharp weapons. “A police picket has been set up and the situation is under control. A hunt has been launched to nab the absconding accused. A case under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code has been booked,” the police officer said. Two people killed in accident Machilipatnam, Jul 5 (PTI): Two people were killed in a hit and run incident in Krishna district, a police official said here today. According to the Inaguduru police, V Nagaraju (24) and Ankamma (20) were travelling in a motorcycle early on Sunday morning, when an unknown vehicle rammed into it. The victims succumbed to serious injuries and died on the spot. Both the victims belong to Machilipatnam, the police said. ADVERTISEMENTS INVITED To Advertise in INDIAN HORIZON English Daily at concessional rates. Pleasing display, Wider reach Please contact: 040-66616611, 66839818, or Email: [email protected], [email protected], 4 Indian Horizon, Hyderabad South Short Takes Marriage assistance distributed Virudhunagar, Jul 5 (PTI): Tamil Nadu Revenue Minister R B Udhayakumar and Special Schemes implementation project Minister K T Rajendra Balaji today distributed marriage assistance to the tune of Rs 4.29 crore to 897 beneficiaries under “Thalikku Thangam” (Gold for mangalya sutra) scheme here. Udhyakumar said Tamil Nadu stood first in the distribution of welfare schemes for the people. There were fourteen welfare schemes being implemented in the state and every household was benefitted under one scheme or the other,he said. Balaji said the Government’s schemes like free cattle schemes aimed at economically developing poor people. Nigerian students taken into custody for assaulting conductor Bengaluru, Jul 5 (PTI): Six Nigerian students were taken into custody today for allegedly assaulting a bus conductor following an altercation between them over travel passes. “We have taken into custody six Nigerian students for assaulting a bus conductor who asked them to produce their travel passes,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Sandeep Patil told PTI here. The refusal of the Nigerians to produce passes resulted in a verbal duel between them and the conductor after which the latter was assaulted, Patil said. Police have registered a cased based on the complaint by the conductor and driver of the bus, Patil said. Glass door at Chennai airport collapses Dutch students develop solar-powered family car Chennai, Jul 5 (PTI): In yet another such instance, a glass door at the airport gave way here, but none was injured, officials said. The incident happened at Gate No 2 of domestic arrival area, generally used for VIP movement, they said. Puducherry Governor Lt General Ajay Kumar Singh was among those who had to pass through the area. With the incident happening prior to his exit, he waited briefly and then proceeded out, officials said. Since the inauguration of the Rs 2,000 crore airport complex in 2013, instances of glass panels breaking or false ceilings giving away have become a regular affair here. Madurai Jul 5 (PTI): The new chariot of Sri Sundararaja Perumal temple at Alagar kovil near here will be rolled out on its trial run before the Adi Car festival on Monday, according to the temple Executive officer-in-charge K Chelladurai. The new car had been made at a cost of Rs 85 lakh. Vishwa Brahmana Seer Sri Subwana Theertha Prabhu met the carpenters. Rs 62 lakh worth gold biscuits seized Kozhikode, Jul 5 (PTI): As many as 20 gold biscuits totally weighing about 2.33 kgs and valued at Rs 62.21 lakh were seized from a passenger who arrived at the nearby Karipur airport from Dubai today, Air Customs Intelligence officials said. The gold biscuits were concealed under the floor mat of the aircraft, Air Customs Assistant Commissioner J Anand Kumar said. On suspicion, one V A Harish (35) of Kasargod who was seated near the hidden gold biscuits was questioned and he admitted to the crime. He was arrested, Kumar said. Panneerselvam inaugurates feast at famous Pandi Kovil Madurai, Jul (PTI): Tamil Nadu Finance Minister O Panneerselvam today inaugurated the feast at the famous Pandi Kovil, a border deity of this city, organised to mark the victory of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa from the R K Nagar assemby constituency. The feast had been arranged by AIADMK workers, Speaking on the occasion Panneerselvam said Jayalalithaa had achieved a great victory in the byelection whith a huge margin. Minister for Cooperation Sellur K Raju said Tamils all over the world were celebrating Jayalalithaa’s victory. Smuggled cigarettes seized Suspicious foreign dhow intercepted off Kerala coast Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 5 (PTI): A suspicious foreign fishing ‘dhow’, seen off the Alapuzha coast, was intercepted by the Coast Guard and brought to Vizhinjam here today. A 12-member crew from Iran who were in the dhow have been taken into custody by Kerala police and are being interrogated. A Coast Guard official told PTI that the interception was based on intelligence inputs from central and state agencies, including Kerala police. Satellite phones, which are prohibited, were found in the dhow. Vizhinjam police said interrogation of the crew was going on and the examination of the dhow was in progress. Police conducts Storming Operation Chennai, Jul 5 (PTI): In its weekly ‘Storming Operation’ conducted by the City Police here last night, 106 persons were nabbed for drunken driving. The City Police carry out the weekly excercise to nab offenders and wanted persons besides conducting vehicle checks as part of their crime-prevention activities. On Saturday night, similar ‘Storming Operation’ was held across the city in which 707 persons were detained for suspicion and another 106 persons for drunken driving, a City Police release here today said. Meanwhile, the Video Piracy Cell of the police nabbed a ‘key offender’ involved in producing pirated DVDs and CDs of newly released films. The VPC held Daulat Basha on Saturday and recovered DVDs of new releases including Kamal Haasan-starrer ‘Papanasam’ and ‘Romeo Juliet’ and porn movies, the release said. Coimbatore, Jul 5 (PTI): Customs officials at the airport here today seized a huge quantity of foreign cigarettes from a passenger coming Rs 1 crore gold seized from Sharjah. On suspicion on the movement from passenger of Abudan, a native of Madurai, the official searched his baggage and found 1,880 packets Chennai, Jul 5 (PTI): Gold worth Rs one crore of Dunhill cigarettes, police said. The value of was seized from a 35-year-old man who arrived the seizure was about Rs.50,000 and further in- at the international airport here from Doha toterrogation was on, they said. day. Siraj was found concealing three kg of the precious metal in his body, airport officials said. Three arrested for stabThe passenger has been detained, they said. bing bus conductor Madurai, Jul 5 (PTI): Three persons who allegedly stabbed a conductor of a running bus were arrested today, police said. They said Dharmaraj, who is working at Tiruparankunram bus depot, was stabbed by the three persons at Pazhanganatham when he asked them to buy tickets last night. The conductor was rushed to the Government hospital here. District committee member removed from party Coimbatore, Jul 5 (PTI): Senior CPI(M) District Committee member T K Selvaraj was today removed from primary membership of the party for indulging in anti party activities. Selvaraj remained aloof from party activities for the last four months and found indulging in anti-party activities, party District Secretary V Ramamurthi, said in a release here. Selvaraj was instrumental in getting crores worth Government contract works for his son, which was against the principles of the CPI(M), the release said. External Affairs Committee to visit Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 5 (PTI): The External Affairs Committee (EAC) of Parliament, chaired by Shashi Tharoor, MP, will visit here tomorrow as part of their tour to three states. Fourteen MPs and the officials from Lok Sabha Secretariat will visit the Regional Passport Office (Passport Seva Kendra) and the office of Protector of Immigrants (PoE), both coming under the Ministry of External Affairs, a release said here today. The committee will also hold discussions with the representatives of MEA, Regional Passport Office, Police, Postal, CPWD authorities, agencies involved in the implementation of Passport Seva Project, the representatives of MOIA and PoE Office on the functioning of the above institutions, it said. The MPs who are part of the delegation are Arka Keshari Deo, Anantkumar Hegde, Jose K Mani, Magantti Venkateswara Rao, Mohammed Salim, Mamtaz Sanghamita, Ram Swaroop Sharma, Sharad Tripathi, Chhedi Paswan, Satyavrat Chaturvedi, Ram Kumar Kashyap, DP Tripathi and Pavan K Varma. Monday, July 6, 2015 BJP president meets party core group leaders Bengaluru, Jul 5 (PTI): BJP President Amit Shah today met party core group leaders of southern states and discussed about the preparations for the next assembly elections. “Our national president met the core group leaders of the southern states to discuss the upcoming election and preparations,” BJP National General Secretary Muralidhar Rao told reporters here at a day-long ‘Maha Sampark Abhiyan’ meeting of the party’s office-bearers, legislators and MPs from southern states here. Rao said the focus of Shah’s speech was on expansion and strengthening the party in the south and capacity building of its leadership. “The entire speech of the party president was on organisation expansion, strengthening and capacity building of party leadership. This has been the focus of today’s exercise,” he said. The Maha Sampark Abhiyan was attended by district presidents and state-level officebearers of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Puducherry. Tamil Nadu and Kerala will be going for assembly elec- BJP National President Amit Shah with party leaders Ananth Kumar and B S Yeduyurappa during the Maha Sampark Abhiyan in Bengaluru on Sunday. (PTI Photo) tions in 2016. “Shah stated that for party expansion and its consolidation in the south it is very important to place before people the achievements of the Centre and take party’s ideology to them,” Rao said. To address the problem of absence of party offices at district levels of the southern states, Shah talked about the party’s plan to set up district offices by December 2016, he said. “The party will create infrastructure by December 2016 where each district will have party office. We want to set up this infrastructure because this is the weak area, particularly in the south,” he said. Shah said that after providing infrastructure, the party would conduct training programmes of its fifteen lakh workers. “We are planning to im- Undue benefits of Rs 156 crore provided to IT companies: CAG Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 5 (PTI): Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found that due to absence of guidelines, IT parks under Information Technology Department in Kerala, extended undue benefits amounting to Rs 156.90 crore to 11 major co-developers. CAG in the audit report for the year ended March 2014 of land issues in three IT parks also said nearly 64 per cent of land provided for IT development across the state still remained unutilised since 1990. The audit was conducted covering the period April 2009 to March 2014 to examine the allotment and utilisation of land in IT parks -- Technopark, Thiruvanatha- puram, Info Park, Kochi and Cyber Park, Kozhikode. The audit observed various irregularities such as absence of standardised procedures, dilution of terms of agreement in the allotment of land to co-developers. In Technopark Phase II, land to two major IT companies were allotted at subsidised rates without any basis, resulting in short recovery of Rs 22.53 crores. Similarly, neither the rule or criteria to govern fixation and collection of lease rent were stipulated nor the agreements prescribed a uniform rate of lease rent to be paid by codevelopers, resulting in undue benefits to some of them. part training to 15 lakh party workers - without training the party will become an electioneering machinery, in which BJP is not interested,” Rao said quoting Shah. “Mere winning of elections and mere electioneering is not the focus of the party. The party should work towards political transformation and social empowerment,” he added quoting the party president. Constable arrested on charge of facilitating gold smuggling Kochi, Jul 5 (PTI): Busting an international racket involved in gold smuggling, Customs officials today arrested a Kerala police constable, who worked on deputation as immigration official at Kochi International Airport here, for allegedly facilitating the illegal trade. Customs sources said 28-year-old Febin K Basheer, while working as Immigration Assistant under Intelligence Bureau (IB) from 2011 to April 2015, allegedly helped Naushad -- the kingpin of the racket which is suspected to have smuggled 1500 kgs of gold from Dubai through the airport in 16 months. Febin, who had returned to Kerala police’s A R Camp after completing his service, was summoned to Customs office today before being arrested, they said. Two of his relatives have also been taken into custody by the Special Intelligence and Investigation Branch of Customs. The customs team headed by K N Raghavan and Deputy Commissioner Palaniyandi, which busted the racket, believes that Febin allegedly got Rs eight crore during the period for facilitating smuggling at the airport. TN requests Centre to increase Hajj pilgrims quota Chennai, Jul 5 (PTI): Tamil Nadu government today requested the Centre to increase its quota of Hajj pilgrims for this year and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in this regard. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa told the Prime Minister that the state Hajj Committee has received 15,032 applications for this year’s pilgrimage, but it had been “allotted 2,585 seats only” by the Hajj Committee of India. “As per the guidelines for Hajj 2015, out of the quota,1,699 pilgrims have been selected under the reserved category,while 886 seats have been utilized for the general category pilgrims. This leaves 12,000 disappointed applicants,” she said in a letter to Modi. Earlier, the Centre had released additional seats over and above the quota, enabling a larger number of pilgrims from Tamil Nadu to perform Hajj--3,696 in 2013 and 2,858 in 2014, she said in the letter which was released by the state government. “The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India may be requested to release additional quota for Tamil Nadu to enable more pilgrims to perform the Hajj this year,” she told the Prime Minister. TN’s first environment friendly bio-toilet commissioned Madurai, Jul 5 (PTI): Tamil Nadu’s first environment friendly bio-toilet has been commissioned at Kappalur Panchayat in the district. The bio-toilet was introduced under a state government scheme to eradicate open defecation. Kappalur was chosen as the first village to have the facility, an official release said. Border Security Force display their weapons during an interaction with civilians “Know Your Army” at Cubbon Park in Bengaluru on Sunday. (PTI Photo) Steps taken to check diseases: Minister Mangaluru, Jul 5 (PTI): Health Department was takingnecessary steps to check the spread of communicable diseases in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka Health Minister U T Khader said here today. People need not panic over reports of malaria and dengue as the department had initiated measures for disease control. Rapid action teams had been formed and nodal offiers appointed in all taluks in the district to monitor the teams, he told reporters. Action would be taken against officials, doctors and nurses if any lapse was found on their part in providing treatment to patients with communicable diseases, he said. Khader said four deaths had been so far reported from the district due to dengue and malaria. In all the cases, the patients were admitted to the hospitals only after their condition worsened, he said, adding, fever should not be ignored and early treatment was required. The minister said Dakshina Kannad district, situated on a river bank and which received heavy rains, was prone to diseases like dengue and malaria unless proper measures were taken by people to see that their living surroundings were clean. The Health department had also issued directions to the urban development authorities, corporations and panchayats to ensure cleanliness in their areas. Fogging machines were being used in different places and special teams had been formed for this. Indian Horizon Hyderabad OROP protest stays, meeting with Parrikar likely New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Protests over delay in implementation of the promised ‘One Rank, One Pension’ scheme continued for the 21st day in the national capital with a relay hunger-strike by 75 exservicemen on Sunday. “A meeting with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is expected in the coming week, and the protesting ex-servicemen hope to reach a breakthrough,” Group Captain V.K. Gandhi (retd), Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement general secretary, told IANS. “We are hoping to meet the minister this week, whenever he gives us time... We are hopeful of a positive outcome from the meeting,” the retired Indian Air Force officer told IANS. Parrikar had earlier this week called the protesting RJD to protest withholding caste Census data: Lalu Patna, July 5 (IANS) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday announced that his party would compel the Bharatiya Janata Partyled central government to make public the castebased Census data. The former Bihar chief minister said people of the country have right to know the details of castebased Census and the Narendra Modi-led government should make the data public soon.“Centre should make the caste ex-servicemen and said the ‘One Rank One Pension’ (OROP) file had come back from the union finance ministry.The minister had said complications around implementation of the OROP have been sorted out now. However, no date for the implementation of the scheme was given. The veterans started their protest on June 14, and a relay hunger-strike began from June 15. Omar congratulates J&K candidates who cracked civil services Srinagar, Jul 5 (PTI) Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today congratulated the candidates from the state who qualified the UPSC civil services examinations, saying their hard-work against all odds provided inspiration to the youth here. “I congratulate the successful UPSC candidates from the state. Their individual stories of struggle and hard-work against all odds provided inspiration not only to the youth of the state but also for policymakers who should endeavour to facilitate youth empowerment,” Omar said here. Nine candidates, including three women, from Jammu and Kashmir cracked the Indian Ad- Deeba Fahat (R) with her mother after qualified the prestigious UPSC Civil Service examination, at their residence in Anantnag District of South Kashmir on Sunday. PTI ministrative Services (IAS) exams, the results of which were declared yesterday. The former chief minister lauded 22-year-old candidate, Athar Amir-ul-Shafi Khan from south Kashmir’s Anantnag district who is the youngest of the lot from the state. “22-year-old Athar’s success should be a beacon of inspiration for our youngsters. His success should inspire many teenagers, school students and college students to strive for excellence,” Omar said.The National Conference (NC) working president said the hard-work of those successful candidates who had been affected by the floods last year was inspiring.“The stories of hard-work and dedication by these youngsters are inspiring. It is the duty of policy-makers to do everything necessary to facilitate the growth and empowerment of our youth and the trend of growing success in UPSC exams by our candidates is certainly a shot-in-the-arm for that cause,” he said. He said it was equally important to encourage those who tried their best but could not make it to the UPSC list this year. “They should not be disheartened but should rather treat this as an opportunity that motivates them to work harder and never give in,” the NC Working President said. He also congratulated all the candidates from other states of the country who qualified the exams. census public instead of withholding the data on numerical strength of different castes,” Lalu Prasad said while addressing his party workers here to celebrate 19th anniversary of the RJD.“People have right to know it and every caste should know its strength and weakness in terms of population and other things,” he said.He warned the Modi government that RJD would not remain silent if the central government delayed making public the data on numerical Assam, Meghalaya losing Rs 700 cr to illegal cigarette trade Guwahati, Jul 5 (PTI) Assam and Meghalaya are incurring revenue losses to the tune of Rs 700 crore every year due to illegal trade of cigarettes, which are manufactured locally as well as are smuggled from the neighbouring nations. According to senior officials in Assam and Meghalaya governments, almost 23 crore of illegal tax-evaded cigarette sticks are sold in these two states every month.“Assam is the trading hub as well as the biggest and fastest growing market for illegal cigarettes in North East.Over 200 million illegal cigarettes are supplied to the state every month. Consequently, the government suffers an annual tax loss of around Rs 600 crore,” a senior official in Assam’s Finance Department told PTI. ? ?The illegal trade consists of tax-evaded domestically produced cigarettes and contraband cigarettes, which are smuggled from other countries including neighbouring nations, the official added.?Similarly in Meghalaya, a senior government official said the state is losing Rs 90 crore of revenue annually due to trading of around 3 crore illegal cigarettes every month. strength of the poorest of the poor, marginalised and downtrodden sections of the society.“Prime Minister Modi should explain to people as to why the caste data was withheld,” he said. Lalu Prasad said RJD and its allies the Janata DalUnited (JD-U), Congress and National Congress Party (NCP) would raise this isRJD chief Lalu Prasad addressing party workers dursue in the upcoming Bihar ing the 19th foundation day of the Rashtriya Janta Dal assembly polls. party in Patna on Sunday. PTI Declaring that he along with the party workers Prasad urged the party and express their opposiwould take out a march leaders and workers to join tion to withholding of the in Patna on July 13, Lalu the march in large numbers caste Census. Journalist covering Goa ‘examining’ pardon for Vyapam scam convicted former minister cremated Panaji, July 5 (IANS) The Goa article grants powers to the state New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Journalist Akshay Singh, who died dramatically in Madhya Pradesh while covering the Vyapam scam, was cremated here on Sunday, with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attending it.His body was brought from Jhabua on Sunday morning. He was in Madhya Pradesh to do a story on the recent deaths related to the Madhya Pradesh Vyavsayik Pareeksha Mandal (Vyapam) scandal. The journalist’s family and friends attended the cremation at the Nigambodh ghat. Other political leaders who attended the cremation included Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Congress leader Ajay Maken and Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay. Kejriwal and Gandhi also spoke with the journalist’s family.On Saturday, Akshay Singh was in Meghnagar in Jhabua to talk to the family members of scam-accused Namrata Damor, who herself was found dead under mysterious circumstances.Jhabua Superintendent of Police Abid Khan told IANS that Akshay Singh and his two colleagues interviewed the family for around an hour, after which the journalist suddenly fell ill. BJP offers sops to voters in Bihar ahead of council polls Patna, Jul 5 (PTI) Apparently sensing that the outcome of legislative council polls on July 7 may set the tone for the Assembly polls in Bihar later this year, the BJP today rained sops, including hikes in various allowances to representatives of three-tier panchayati raj institutions. The NDA in the event of being elected to power in the Assembly polls will double monthly allowance for the ward members of gram panchayat to Rs 1000 from Rs 500 announced by the incumbent JD(U) government, former Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said in a statement. In addition, the ward members will be entitled to a bicycle each and a handpump will be installed on their recommendation in the villages, he said. The monthly allowance for the ward members of the urban civil bodies too will be doubled from the amount announced by the present government, Modi said.In an allurement to mukhiyas, the senior BJP leader said the NDA government would raise their monthly allowance to Rs 4000 from Rs 2500 proposed by the JD(U) government, while the deputy mukhiyas monthly allowance will be raised to Rs 2000 from Rs 1200. The monthly allowance of pramukhs too will be hiked to Rs 12,000 against Rs 10,000 proposed by the state government, while the deputies of pramukhs called as ‘up-pramukh’ will get Rs 6000 against Rs 5000 proposed by the incumbent government, the former deputy chief minister said.The zila parishad chairpersons’ monthly allowance will be hiked to Rs 16,000 against Rs 12,000 proposed by the state government and the deputy chairpersons of zila parishad will get Rs 12,000 from Rs 10,000 announced by the incumbent government, he said. 5 Nation Monday July 6, 2015 governor to “grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the State extends”. Pacheco, a former archives and archaeology minister, whose party is part of the ruling BJP-led coalition government in Goa, was jailed on June 1 after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction in the 2006 case, in which Pacheco was accused of assaulting a government employee.The minister is currently jailed at Sada sub jail in Vasco, located 40 km south of Panaji. Besides the 2006 assault case, Pacheco is also being tried for a wide range of criminal cases which include culpable homicide, bigamy, assault and extortion. government is “examining” a request from the partner of former minister Francisco Pacheco, who is serving a six month sentence following his conviction in an assault case, seeking the latter’s pardon.Chief Secretary R.K. Srivastava told IANS on the sidelines of a media function here on Saturday that he had received the application for pardon forwarded to his office by Goa Governor Mridula Sinha. “We have received (the petition). I am examining it,” Srivastava told IANS, a day after the state Bharatiya Janata Party president Vinay Tendulkar rooted for a pardon for Pacheco, on grounds of good behaviour in prison.The pardon application has been filed by Pacheco’s partner Viola, who has requested the governor to grant pardon to the former minister under article 161 of the constitution.The BJP-PDP coalition ensure Left to jointly transparency at all levels: Dy CM contest Bihar elections Jammu, July 5 (PTI) Jammu man” Singh said.He said corrupt Artists perform during 100 years celebration of ‘Gitanjali” at Netaji Indoour Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday. PTI Bringing back Dawood is a matter of doing, not talking: Jyoti AHMEDABAD, July 5 (PTI): Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti on Sunday said the issue of bringing back underworld don Dawood Ibrahim to India was a “matter of doing and not talking.”To a query by reporters here that the Centre wants to bring back Dawood to India, but his aide Chhota Shakeel has reportedly said the government cannot nab him, Jyoti said much more has been spoken on the issue.“This is a matter of doing, not talking,” she further said. Notably, senior advocate Ram Jethmalani had recently stated that Dawood, a key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, was willing to surrender to Indian authorities but Sharad Pawar, the then Chief Minister heading a Congress government in Maharashtra, had rejected the offer.However, the NCP chief had yesterday said that Jethmalani had contacted him over Dawood’s willingness to surrender. BJP MP’’s kin held for trying to hold panchayat illegally Muzaffarnagar, July 5 (PTI) A relative of Union minister Sanjiv Balyan was today arrested and later released after he tried to hold a meeting here without permission from district authorities. Rahul Kutbti, said to be the cousin of Balyan, had announced to hold a panchayat in his attempt to improve the relations between Hindu and Muslim communities. But district authorities in Shahpur had refused to grant the permission. Today, Kutbi came with some supporters?and tried to hold a meeting. He was arrested and taken to police station from where he was later released.The district had witnessed large scale riots in 2013 between the two communities. and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh today said the government has ensured transparency and a corruptionfree administration at all levels. Addressing a religious gathering at Hiranagar in Kathua district today, Singh added, “Care has been taken to ensure equitable developmental of all three regions of the state.” Singh said during a short span of four months, endeavor has been made to provide a hasslefree government approachable to all sections of society irrespective of caste, creed, religion and region.“Our government is working for the benefits of common Girl killed in Bengal, rape suspected Kolkata, July 5 (IANS) A seven-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and killed by a man in West Bengal and police suspect she was raped before being strangulated, an officer said on and tainted officials have been shunted out of the government and it would be a continuous process. He also asked people to proactively involve themselves in the process so that menace of corruption is eradicated completely. Referring to the new recruitment policy, the Deputy Chief Minister said this would fast-track employment in government sector and benefit a number of unemployed and educated youths.He said government is also making efforts to invite corporate sector to invest in Jammu and Kashmir which will also help generate employment opportunities. Sunday.The incident took place on Friday night in North Dinajpur district’s Rarira village. Police arrested the accused on Saturday after locals discovered the body and informed them. “We have arrested the accused. He was presented before a court today (Sunday) which New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) The CPI-M and five other Left parties on Sunday announced that they will jointly contest the coming Bihar elections “as an independent, united bloc”. The decision was taken by the Communist Party of IndiaMarxist (CPI-M), Communist Party of India (CPI), Forward Bloc, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist-Liberation and Socialist Unity Centre of India-Communist (SUCI-C).The meeting was attended by Sitaram Yechury and Prakash Karat from CPI-M, Sudhakar Reddy and D. Raja from CPI. remanded him to police custody for five days,” Superintendent of Police Syed Waquar Raza said. “Until the autopsy reports come, we cannot say if the girl was raped. Prima facie, it appears the victim was subjected to sexual assault before being strangulated,” Raza said. Darjeeling landslides: Toll hits 34, rescue operations continue and were feared dead, an official said.“The body of 45-year-old Ramesh Rai was recovered from 8 Mile area in Kalimpong,” Darjeeling district magistrate Anurag Srivastava said.He said rescue and relief operations, in- cluding the search for those missing, continued but inclement weather and fresh landslides were hampering the process. “The landslides have affected around 3,000 people. We are running 33 relief camps across the district,” Srivastava addedThe National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the state disaster management department and the army were jointly carrying out rescue work while the General Reserve Engineering Force was working on a war-footing to restore snapped road-links. 26 hurt in clashes after undertrial lynched by guards in UP jail Saturday evening. Agitated with his act, the jail guards assaulted Yadav, who later died at the district hospital, he said. When the inmates came to know about the undertrial’s death, they clashed with the jail guards and indulged in violence, the SP said, adding 26 people, including six policemen, were injured in the incident. Police lobbed tear gas shells, used water cannon and fired rubber bullets in a bid to control the situation, which was brought under control in some time, he said. The SP said that the matter is under investigation. Siliguri/Kolkata, July 5 (IANS) With the recovery of one more body on Sunday, the toll in the landslides in West Bengal’s Darjeeling hills rose to 34, while at least 10 more people remained on the missing-list JAUNPUR July 5 (PTI): An undertrial lodged at a district jail here was beaten to death allegedly by prison guards for harassing a female colleague following which the inmates clashed with jail officials injuring 26 people, including six policemen. Superintendent of Police Bharat Singh said that the inmate, Shyam Kumar Yadav, had harassed a female jail guard on 6 Indian Horizon Hyderabad EDIT Indian Horizon Monday July 6, 2015 Modi’s positives should not be swamped by negatives BY AMULYA GANGULI Monday July 6, 2015 Indian education should start reforms with a clear vision of history and the modern life challenges We must admit frankly and honestly that India is suffering for the lack of right decisions taken under the pressure of nationalism or revivalism. Thus, we are loosing even the slight touch we could keep with the modern technology that had made strides elsewhere and Indian universities perhaps will not ever touch them with the policy and speed they have chosen. Even it is doubtful that what technological progress inventions are making and how our over enthusiasm of saving cultural heritage has kept us blind and ignorant of the modern progress elsewhere. We will start today with evaluating the medium of English as medium of instruction selected and trying to impose English and trying to impose it at the child`s early stage education and before he is able to understand the basic concept in life. All over the world, everyone starts early education in mother tongue and at a later stage, when the child is able to understand the basic concept of life, child`s mother tongue S o, even as the economy is certified by the Reserve Bank governor to be on the mend, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to take the country into a digital age with more e-governance, it is the daily stumbles of ministers and mandarins that are attracting greater attention. While these missteps may be difficult to prevent, given the casual manner in which rules tend to be flouted by the rich and powerful, a prompt and decisive intervention from the highest levels will be an effective counter to the impression that the government is being overwhelmed by various problems. The prime minister’s decision to step into the rumpus caused by the deplaning of passengers in Leh, Ladakh, to accommodate VIPs is a sign that the norms are being tightened. But there has to be more such steps at a time when the various controversies range from la’affaire Lalit Modi to the mysterious deaths of the accused and witnesses associated with a scam in Madhya Pradesh to the holding up of an international flight so that a member of a chief minister’s staff can fetch his passport from home or the non-submission of e-tenders (even as e-governance is being hailed) by a Maharashtra minister for the purchase of fire extinguishers. Collectively, the drip-drip of allegations can erode the government’s image. It will not be until the economy reaches a high plateau of an 8-9 percent growth rate, or the prime minister’s fabled penchant for enforcing discipline begins to visibly bear fruit on more than one occasion, that the government will be able to breathe easily. The only success which the government has been able to achieve so far is to prevent a major communal flare-up. This accomplishment cannot but disappoint Congressmen like Mani Shankar Aiyar who was hoping for a “Godhra moment” to tarnish Narendra Modi’s name. Related to this achievement is the government’s success in taming the saffron hotheads. As a result, the incidents of ‘ghar wapsi’ and ‘love jehad’ have tapered off, suggesting that a stern message is all that is needed to bring the doctrinaire elements to book. What is curious, however, is why the government has been unwilling to take pre-emptive action against the fundamentalists so that they will not be able to queer the pitch to start with. Had that been done, much of its image problems could have been avoided. The anticipatory steps might have been expected since the umbilical connections between those in the government and the extremists outside would have warned the former what to expect. Yet, we have the instances of madrasas (Muslim schools) being downgraded in Maharashtra or the National Investigative Agency’s lawyers being asked to go slow on Hindu militants, which cannot but reinforce the perception of the government being guided by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Arguably, by the time the economy picks up and the daily gaffes are curbed, the next general election will not be far away. In the meantime, the state elections in Bihar, Assam, West Bengal and elsewhere, apart from the various byelections, may not always yield results in the BJP’s favour, thereby denting its confidence. Since the run-up to a general election is not the time to take what may be unpopular decisions, whatever the government has to do on the economic front has to be done now. If any “bitter medicine” is to be administered, as the prime minister said right at the beginning of his tenure, this is the time for it to be given. But as long as the government continues to grapple with the various controversies, any movement even on ushering in governance via mobile phones, as Modi promised, or ensuring Swachh Bharat, let alone on the economy, will be tentative. What the fate of the Congress in the last general election has shown is that the government must always be proactive about its plus points. Otherwise, an accumulation of negative impressions can be fatal. As is known, the poverty reduction under the Manmohan Singh government was the fastest in the country’s history. This was stated by none other than the present government’s chief economic adviser, Arvind Subramanian. Notwithstanding this remarkable achievement, the Congress crashed to its worst defeat in its history simply because the many scams, big and small, undermined the party’s and the government’s credibility. If the Modi government wants to avoid a similar outcome, it will have to match its performance with promise. And the promise is not only the one on economic growth but also on transparency in official functioning based on trust and credibility. However, trust cannot be gained by rejecting a Right to Information (RTI) application seeking details on the former cricket impresario, Lalit Modi’s passport. Nor can it be enhanced if a minister of state in the external affairs ministry accuses those seeking such information as conducting a “supari” (contract) operation. This was the point which L.K. Advani made when he recalled how he resigned when a momentary shadow was cast on his reputation with the mention of his name in a hawala transaction. Considering that the octogenarian leader is expected to indicate the marg or path which the party should follow, his advice should not be ignored. IANS we adopt as medium of institution, which the child needs for understanding wider aspects of life. Even English should have been introduced much later and certainly not before the child understand his/ her own cultural values and related concepts of life. All the reforms MPs say parliament canteen subsidy can be done away with BY SREEPARNA CHAKRABARTY in English language have gone through in America and other countries in the commonwealth the English language is not suitable for early education even for the children, whose mother tongue is English and English offers many hurdles. Indians were forced to learn English to help the British administrators in running the country, as they had earlier to learn Urdu to communicate with Indians, as Urdu had already become a common language of India and both for education, administration, commerce and Judiciary were using Urdu most conveniently all over India. The British were apprehensive of not having the chances of establishing the superiority of ruling class by replacing Urdu with English what damage it has done to the progress of India is not properly assessed upto this date . The Indian government made the fundamental mistake in making Hindi as a national language because it was well-known to the government and rulers that this will not be accepted anywhere in India except the Hindi speaking small belt. The second mistake which they made was to adopt English for administration and this created the mess, both in the administration as well as in education. The basic misunderstanding was that Hindi language by U nder fire for gorging on cheap food at the Parliament House canteen, many MPs feel the subsidy being given can be done away with as it was only creating a “bad press”. An RTI query had recently revealed that the government faced a loss of around Rs. 14 crore (over $2 million) in 2013-14 because of subsidy at the more than half-a-dozen canteens in the parliament complex. Most members of parliament IANS spoke to said an issue was being created out of nothing over the subsidy as most government canteens provide similar benefits. “I think the amount of money being spent on subsidizing the food is creating much bad press. It is something which can be done away with,” Sikkim MP P.D. Rai (Sikkim Democratic Front) told IANS. A policy decision should also be taken to do away with all kinds of subsidies being given in government institutions across the board, he added. “This aspect has not been explored yet. There are numerous Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) and other government institutions which offer subsidized food at their canteens,” he said. CPI-M member from Kerala M.B. Rajesh told IANS: “I don’t know why people are making such a hue and cry about it. It is not only the MPs but also other peo- ple like journalists and parliament staff who eat at the canteen. If taking away this subsidy is the solution to all issues, then it is ok.” “We are wasting our time on silly issues,” he added. An MP can at present have a three-course lunch at the parliament canteen for a mere Rs. 38. The canteens were much in news lately when Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked into one of them for a simple vegetarian lunch. The low prices at which MPs and other designated people can feed themselves have not been revised since 2010 by an authorized committee headed by TRS MP Jithendra Reddy. Reddy was not available for comment. However, BJP MP Arjun Ram Meghwal told IANS: “The prices are revised every three-four years. We will discuss it in the committee and the government can take a decision.” The subsidy has been in place since 1952. The canteen facilities are also availed of by the Rajya Sabha secretariat, the Lok Sabha secretariat and the media. Privately, however, many MPs maintain that the situation is much overrated. Meghwal said: “Some of the MPs stay alone, they have to eat when parliament is in session.” According to Rajesh, the problem is that most Indians think all MPs are very rich. “In the public mind, only one category of MPs are there, those who are very rich. Fifty percent of MPs are like that, but some others like us are also there who are not rich,” Rajesh said, adding that outside parliament, there are many more richer people, who get bigger subsidies. (An MP’s salary is Rs.50,000 per month plus other perks.) “There is a thinking that rates at the parliament canteen are very cheap. But the fact is that quality is also like that (nothing to write home about),” he added. Many MPs claimed they don’t eat at the parliament canteen at all. “I only take lunch at the parliament canteen. All my other meals are at home,” Rajesh said. A very senior MP, who didn’t want to be named, said apart from MPs, there were many others who are dependent on the parliament canteens. “There are more than 9,000 employees of parliament who benefit from the canteen facilities,” the MP told IANS. He added that parliament doesn’t even function for 100 days per year and it was unfair to say that huge losses were being accrued due to the subsidy. Whatever the arguments might be, the fact remains that a look at the menu of the parliament canteens shows why they have come under the public eye. Yellow dal, considered to be the poor man’s food in India, costs just Rs.1.50 for a single bowl, while a bowl of kheer costs only Rs 5.50. Similarly, a small fruit cake is for Rs 9.50 and a helping of fruit salad is for Rs 7. At the higher end, a chicken curry costs Rs.45 and the newly-introduced Hyderabadi biryani - an improvement over its predecessor - costs Rs.51. Delhi government to install jammers at exam centres BY GAURAV SHARMA that time had not acquired the status of a literary language. Hindi had many dialects and they tried to make it a national language adopting the pattern of Urdu. Certainly Hindi diction has its own charm and it shins for feminine conversational medium but, once it is used as an educational and literary language, they had to take in limitless Sanskrit words and various literary formulas. Sanskrit itself had gone through number of changes and those changes into various dialects of every region. There were several forms in Hindi or great books. To make it an state academic and literary language and adopt it for science and technology, let us be very frank to admit that Urdu should drop the habit of using Arabic and Persian words, rather than adopting the first Indian culturally free flown terms from Indian source or retain the terms as it is used all over the world in various languages commonly. This is the first step to take for starting reform in Indian education system. The other steps we will suggest in our other editorials or articles in course of time. IANS T he AAP government has decided to install jammers to prevent cheating with the help of high-tech electronic gadgets in examinations held for Delhi government jobs. The growing use of electronic devices in written tests has the city government worried over the possibility of incompetent candidates entering the government. "After successfully using the jammers in a clerk-level exam on a pilot basis a couple of months ago, the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) has decided to use the device in its critical exams," a government official told IANS. Set up in 1996, DSSSB conducts written tests and interviews for middle and lower level jobs in the state government and civic agencies. A mobile phone jammer is an instrument used to prevent cellular phones from receiving signals from base stations. When used, the jammer effectively disables cellular phones. It transmits on the same radio frequencies as the cell phone, disrupting the communication between the phone and the cell-phone base station in the tower. "Nowadays students are using technology to pass exams which is the other facet of technol- ogy. You remember 'Munna Bhai MBBS', don't you," added the official. "Munna Bhai MBBS" is a Bollywood movie in which the protagonist - a local goon - is shown taking a medical exam with the help of a tiny earphone. "Applications have been invited from various service providers of phone jammers," an official said. According to the tender, the agency will have to ensure that sufficient number of jammers are supplied and installed to block cell phone and blue tooth services at the exam centre. Another requirement is that jammers work with or without electric supply for the entire duration of the exams without any technical fault. Various gadgets are available in the market that can be customized to fit into salwar-kameez sets, sports bras, jackets, shirts and regular buttons. In May, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to install phone jammers at exam centres to prevent paper leaks and other malpractices. The directive had come after alleged cheating in the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT). Many aspirants had sim cards stitched to their shirts and had blue-tooth devices. Over 350 calls were made to the various exam centres. Readers Response and contribution Welcome IANS Monday July 6, 2015 The state of higher education in India The craving to control the best institutions predates Irani and even her predecessor, the highly educated polymath Kapil Sibal BY RAVI MENON W hen Smriti Irani was chosen to be India’s Minister for Human Resources Development in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet, sceptics immediately pounced on her lack of formal education. Many felt otherwise, for she is feisty, energetic and articulate and these qualities, it was felt, would more than make up for her dubious academic qualifications. Has she shattered these high expectations? Are her oratorical skills being fritted away? Combativeness is a strength but not always. She should get off the back of centres of higher learning like the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) and other schools of excellence. And what indeed is the state of higher education in India? The Congress party’s Mani Shankar Aiyar and the historian Ramachandra Guha have written extensively on Irani’s failings and the trend seen since her appointment of creeping ‘saffronisation’ of education. Many readers may contest the use of the expression ‘saffronisation’ in this context, for it means different things to different people and to some it might seem as an attempt to devalue, deride and mock the glory of ancient India. The study of Sanskrit at the expense of German made headlines recently and Irani’s combativeness was put to good use, as there are scholarly essays that argue that learning Sanskrit can be of great value in computer programming and coding. Ancient India has much to teach modern India and Shashi Tharoor wrote an excellent article extolling the virtues of ancient India but stressing the need for a healthy dose of scientific temper while reading these scripts from antiquity. Sadly it is this recent obsession with Hindu exceptionalism that clouds a fuller understanding of India, modern or ancient. India’s higher education system is impressive but only on paper; though the third largest in the world behind the United States and China, it sadly lacks internationally recognised schools except for a few. And even these appear only in the top 100 or 200, barring the Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru, which ranked 22nd in 2014, the IIMA, which was ranked 7th by the Financial Times in 2011 and the University of Calcutta, ranked 38 in 2005. Incidentally, this was the first multi-disciplinary university in modern India, established in 1857. The trends seen world-wide show a close linkage between higher educational institutions and research bodies, whether in the private or public domain. There is an umbilical connection here as research drives the surge for excellence and it is a two way process; both sides benefit. India, though an early entrant to scientific research, concentrated heavily on establishing and funding autonomous institutions that until very recently were completely isolated from universities or seats of higher learning. Countries like Taiwan and South Korea, much later entrants, did not make these mistakes and are way ahead of India. Autonomy is another key mantra in spawning world famous universities. W.R. Niblett, Professor of higher education, University of London notes that “The first justification of university autonomy lies here; if any subject is to be studied in a way as to yield truth and insight … it must be studied not just instrumentally but autonomously and this applies to business management and veterinary science”. How does this square with Irani’s drive to throttle the IIM’s autonomy granted to it years ago? The IIMs, and in particular IIMA, need our special attention. The IIM Bill 2015 that Irani is vigorously championing and is the cause of a flurry of debates and public activism requires close scrutiny. First, the two oldest IIMs, Calcutta and Ahmedabad, and others that followed, were created as autonomous institutions for the very reasons put forward by Professor Niblett. They are publicly funded to an extent but they have always been out of reach of the Indian University establishment and that is precisely the reason why they do not have degree awarding rights. Consequently these institutions hand out diplomas but in no way has that dimmed the prestige and recognition conferred on its alumina. Why then would these institutions give up their hard earned rights? The IIM Bill 2015 has some merits but at the heart of this draft legislation is the overweening craving to control and wield influence on these institutions. And to be fair to Irani this predates her and even her predecessor, the highly educated polymath Kapil Sibal of the Congress party, who was attempting to do the same thing. Recently The Hindu newspaper thundered in its editorial ‘Give IIMs their freedom’ and questioned the purpose of this bill pointing out ominously that the word ‘regulate’ finds repeated mention in the bill. IIMA was formed in 1961 and the book ‘The IIMA Story’ by Praful Anubhai tells us how it was born, who were the key players and what has made it synonymous with success. Its founding fathers were two famous Gujaratis — Vikram Sarabhai and Kasturbhai Lalbhai — and IIMA was one of the first public-private partnerships in education in India. Would a prime minister who takes such enormous pride in his Gujarati roots let any harm come to this prized asset? Will Irani, one of Modi’s storm troopers, be asked to step down? COURTESY : GULF NEWS 7 OP-ED Indian Horizon Hyderabad GREECE SHOULD VOTE FOR THE RULE OF LAW Today’s referendum is first, second and third about whether the country wants a chance to save itself BY PHILIP STEPHENS G reece cannot win from Sunday’s referendum. Rejection of the terms demanded by the country’s creditors would accelerate the slide into economic chaos and, more than likely, exit from the euro. A vote of no-confidence in the Syriza government’s negotiating strategy — a “Yes” vote as framed by obscure language of the referendum — would maroon Greece in political no-man’s land. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras would be stripped of all authority, but it is not at all obvious how, or by whom, he would be replaced. Even by the eccentric standards of Syriza, Tsipras’ latest antics have been extraordinary. Rejection of the Eurozone’s bailout conditions was followed by the coup de theatre of the referendum. As the government defaulted on an International Monetary Fund (IMF) payment and banks began to run out of money, an abrupt reversal saw Tsipras suggest he could call off the vote and accept the creditors’ terms with only small adjustments. No deal. So in a second volte-face he denounced his interlocutors as “sirens of destruction” and blackmailers. Which is it Tsipras? An argument between borrower and creditors about the detail of pension cuts and tax increases or an attempt by “extremist conservative forces” in Berlin and beyond to shackle Greece in permanent penury? Even now, the prime minister struggles to make up his mind. As one weary European official has been heard say, negotiating with hardline ideologues is always challenging; finding common ground with adolescent ideologues is impossible. Those who want to see Greece return to prosperity within the European Union (EU) will hope for a ‘Yes’ vote in today’s plebiscite, even if it is not much more than the lesser of two evils. Syriza claims that a ‘No’ vote would force the Eurozone back to the negotiating table. Wrong. Other Eurozone governments do not feel in any way bound by it. Why should they? Trust has evaporated. Tsipras has never quite grasped that other nations too have democracies. A ‘No’ would be taken as a decision to return to the Drachma. Europe, as well as Greece, would be greatly impoverished by the emergence of another failing state in the Balkans. No one, though, should imagine that by defying Syriza and voting ‘Yes’ Greece will be mapping out a shortcut back to sustainable growth and rising living standards. Greece’s destiny is in its own hands. Sure, it needs debt relief. Only last week the IMF said that, at a minimum, sustainability requires significant extension of debt maturities. But none of this can be unconditional. Debt write-offs might provide immediate relief, but ultimately would be worthless without radical reform of the state. So the real argument should be about sequencing. Above all else, a sustained Greek recovery requires the application of the rule of law. Curiously, before this year’s election, Tsipras was promising just that: A drive against the oligarchs, cartels, clientelism and corruption that have long disfigured Greek society and suffocated enterprise. As things have turned out, Syriza has preferred to look after its own clients. His many twists and turns have driven Tsipras’ interlocutors to despair, but what has most dismayed them has been the absence of a serious effort to clean up governance. The striking thing about the conditions set out in the Eurozone’s last, rejected, bailout plan was how many of them were about governance: Measures to improve transparency in decision-making, confront price-fixing, deter corruption, stamp out fraud and, to put it simply, enforce the law. These are reforms calculated to serve the people of Greece. Is it really blackmail to ask Athens to clamp down on tax evasion or to ban the price-rigging that forces citizens to pay at least twice as much as need be for vital medicines? The rest of Europe can take no comfort from Greece’s predicament. Fair as it may be, blaming Syriza does not solve anything. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she cannot recall when Europe last faced such challenging times. She is right. The threats are not just from Grexit, from the waves of immigrants crossing the Mediterranean or the terrorists making Europe their target. The continent has been witnessing at once a collapse of confidence and a deep erosion of what used to be called solidarity. Travelling around Europe these past few months I have heard finance ministers and central bankers insist that the Eurozone would ride out a Greek exit. They would say that, of course, but I think they believe it. What such judgements miss is the cumulative impact, the psychological shift that would follow even a partial failure of the EU’s most ambitious integration project. Among most of the political elites there remains a conviction that the future belongs to the EU’s model of shared sovereignty. And yes, Grexit may well accelerate the pace of integration within the Eurozone so as to create an economic alongside the monetary union. But public moods across the continent have soured. Cooperation has become consciously transactional and governments far more reluctant to locate their national interests in broader mutual advantage. For all that Tsipras has sought to make the precise question incomprehensible, today’s referendum is first, second and third about whether Greece wants a chance to save itself. The consequences of its choice, though, will reach well beyond Athens. COURTESY : GULF NEWS Will Ahmadinejad come in from the cold? Any breakdown in Tehran’s current negotiations with the P5+1 may present the newly-formed party Yekta with a golden opportunity to campaign on an egalitarian economic platform BY SHAHIR SHAHIDSALESS L ast month, a group of former cabinet ministers, former members of parliament and other former officials close to Iran’s former controversial president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, announced the formation of a party called Yekta, meaning Unique, but also an acronym for ‘Comrades for the Effectiveness and Transformation of Islamic Iran’ in Persian. Iran’s Ministry of Interior, controlled by President Hassan Rouhani’s camp and the moderates who are fierce opponents of Ahmadinejad’s camp, declared the formation of Yekta “illegal” unless the party gets permission from and registers with the ministry. However, founders of Yekta maintained that their group was not a formal party. They asserted that Yekta was a front that pursued a specific discourse and sought “to impact all the [political] issues of the country”. According to Hamid Reza Haji Babaie, former minister of education under Ahmadinejad and temporary spokesman of Yekta, the front’s purpose is “rooted in the discourse of Imam [Ayatollah Khomeini] and the Leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] which is the duty of all who believe in the Guardianship of the Jurist to follow”. Members of Yekta who, according to their opponents, “are driving in the dark with their headlights off”, do not want to incite anyone at this point. They realise that strong sensitivities remain against Ahmadinejad, mainly among the middle class in large cities. Publicly, they seek to avoid associations with Ahmadinejad, fearing that early revelation of such a connection may have dire political consequences. The conclusion of Ahmadinejad’s second term in 2013 left Iran economically and politically bankrupt. Furthermore, the country’s domestic political environment was immensely securitised. The landslide victory of Rouhani, one of the leading members of the moderate camp in 2013, left observers with the impression that Ahmadinejad’s return would be unimaginable in the near future. Apparently, Ahmadinejad himself is not convinced of this. Heshmatollah Falahat Pisheh, a former member of the parliament and renowned Iranian political analyst, alluding to the formation of Yekta, recently said that Ahmadinejad has crafted a mechanism to become active in Iran’s politics. “Undoubtedly, Ahmadinejad has plans to return as president,” he asserted. Falahat Pisheh added, “Some of Ahmadinejad’s advisers posit that by gaining a popular base through promotion of a populist agenda, he could attract the support of some Principalist [conservative] factions, representing a significant political shift [in Iran].” Ahmadinejad left office on bad terms with many Principalists. Interestingly, however, the head of one Principalist faction in parliament, Gulam Ali Haddad Adel, a close ally of Ayatollah Khamenei (Haddad Adel’s daughter married Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ayatollah Khamenei), now says that the Yekta can help unite the Principalists. Ahmadinejad rose to power in 2005 almost out of nowhere. His rise was primarily attributed to two factors: First, his widespread support from the Principalists and their grassroots supporters in opposition to moderates/reformists. Second, middle class urbanites that were attracted to his slogans about social and economic justice, as well as war against corruption and economic monopoly. Ahmadinejad was never a Principalist, hardliner, conservative or revolutionary. His agenda was to grab power exclusively and to stay in power. He was a perfect Machiavellian who possessed an endless thirst for power. In pursuit of his goal, he embarked on a multidimensional plan. Domestically, he would attack moderates and reformists, thus seeking to eliminate his most threatening rivals. At the same time, he bought the support of hardliners and the Supreme Leader who, although unlike hardliners does not consider talks with the Americans a red line, does seek a more robust foreign policy and also opposes Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami’s conciliatory foreign policy. Internationally, Ahmadinejad pursued a dual approach towards foreign policy. He publicly attacked the US and Israel to gain popularity within Iran’s conservative circles and also outside Iran, within the Islamic world. He sought political clout in the Islamic world so that America could not ignore him. At the same time, he made overt but veiled suggestions towards rapprochement. Covertly, he would make more significant efforts towards rapprochement with the US. The logic behind this strategy was that if he covertly succeeded in striking a deal with the United States, he would then proclaim success publicly. Following the revelation, he would launch a propaganda campaign claiming that the deal was due to his courageous and aggressive stance, making him a national hero who was able to bring America to its knees. According to Barbara Slavin, journalist and Iran expert, former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice told her in early 2006: “We were getting pinged in a lot of places, from the United Nations, to Baghdad and the Afghan capital, Kabul, with messages saying the Iranians wanted to talk.” In a conciliatory effort unprecedented since the Islamic republic’s formation, Ahmadinejad wrote a congratulatory letter to US President Barack Obama, which went unanswered. He also offered to meet Obama in his interview with Larry King in 2010. As explained in the book co-written by this author, while he publicly attacked the US, a former US official said: “I have met Mashaei [Ahmadinejad’s confidante] eight times seeking an opening to talks and relations between Iran and the US.” Ahmadinejad was hopeful, until the very end of his presidency, that he could establish strong, grassroots support by bringing the US-Iran conflict to closure and securing an end to sanctions against Iran. Responding to the question of how Ahmadinejad could regain popular support, Pisheh contends: “By invoking justice and working on the low-income portion of Iran’s society, especially at a time when people’s living and economic hardships are not yet resolved.” There is a hidden factor in this argument and that is the fate of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 (US, Britain, France, Russia, China plus Germany). If the talks succeed, after years of isolation, the reasonable easing or removal of sanctions will lay the foundation of an economic boom in the aftermath of a nuclear deal. Governments, industrial giants, entrepreneurs, traders and marketers are eying a wealth of opportunities in Iran’s huge and untapped frontier market. Holistic approach for Smart Cities mission: Need for a reference framework BY SUJAYA RATHI AND SHRIMOYEE BHATTACHARYA W ith the simultaneous launch of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Housing for All and the coveted Smart Cities Mission (SCM) on June 25, 2015, it was a landmark day in the evolution of India's urban agenda. The message of convergence emerging from the common launch of all three programmes will hopefully be sustained in the future while implementing them. The Smart City guidelines seek the convergence of different schemes like AMRUT, Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), National Heritage City Development and Augmen- tation Yojana (HRIDAY), Digital India, Skill Development, Housing for All, construction of Museums funded by the culture department and other programmes connected with social infrastructure such as health, education and culture. SCM, with an outlay of Rs.48,000 crore ($7.5 billion), is expected to enhance the quality of life in 100 cities, which will be identified over the next few months. Since the initial declaration of building Smart Cities in the BJP's election manifesto in early 2014, the Modi government's plans on this front have been taking shape slowly, and will need time to evolve. The SCM guidelines highlight the need for a holistic approach to ur- ban development. This will require an integration of physical, institutional, social and economic infrastructure. Thus emerges the need for a strategically articulated framework to address a city's urban challenges, which will greatly aid this process of integration. This framework should focus on a more processoriented path than a simple projectoriented path. The guidelines provided by the government do not mention a specific definition of Smart City. There are, however, four key imperatives that emerge from the guidelines along with various other perspectives on smart cities obtained from both academic literature and deliberations in India over COURTESY : GULF NEWS the last 15 months. The first imperative is that a city needs to be sustainable in order to be smart. This will mean that the interventions under the Smart Cities Mission need to align their goals, objectives and processes to the overarching principle of sustainability. The Draft Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) released by the United Nations can be a useful and handy reference. The key principles emerging from SDGs include ensuring well-being, equity, efficiency, and embedding foresight in all plans and actions. Adhering to these principles at all stages of all programmes will ensure consistency in the outcomes achieved and thus enable the muchintended convergence of programmes sought by the Smart Cities Mission Guidelines. The second imperative that emerges is the importance of imbibing the characteristics of good governance for achieving sustainability. IANS The views expressed in these columns are the writers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Indian Horizon or its management.-Editor 8 Indian Horizon Hyderabad International Greeks vote in landmark referendum on debt deal Athens, July 5 (IANS) Greeks were participating on Sunday in a landmark referendum on terms of agreement on the next debt deal with the country’s lenders. The voting was unfolding smoothly and without problems at polling stations throughout the country, officials said. Greece President Prokopis Pavlopoulos appealed to Greeks to remain united regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s vote, ANA-MPA news agency reported.According to the Greek ministry of internal affairs and administrative reform, about 8.5 million people are eligible to vote in the referendum. The referendum would be considered valid if at least 40 percent of registered voters participate in the vote, TASS news agency reported.The polling began at 7 a.m and is scheduled to close at 7 p.m. (9.30 IST). It would determine if Greece would avert a looming disorderly default or exit the eurozone.Ahead of the referendum, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras gave a call to the citizens to vote against the creditor proposals for austerity reforms, thus throwing into question the country’s continuance in the eurozone.He said the creditors’ proposals were clearly violating the pan-European rules and the right to employment, equality and dignity. He urged the Greek people to say “no” to the proposals and the “no” vote would be the chief argument which the government would use as the basis for improving the parameters of the agreement during further consultations with the creditors. Monday, July 6, 2015 Hillary Clinton accuses China of stealing US secrets Washington, July 5 (IANS) US Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has accused China of stealing commercial secrets and government information, saying the country is “trying to hack into everything that doesn’t move in America”, and urged vigilance, BBC reported on Sunday. US officials, earlier this year, named China as the chief suspect in the massive hack of the records of a US government agency. But China denied any involvement, and called US claims “irresponsible”.Speaking at a cam- paign event in New Hampshire, Clinton, the former secretary of state, said China was stealing secrets from defence contractors and had taken “huge amounts of government information, all looking for an advantage”. Clintion said she wanted to see China’s peaceful rise but that the US needed to stay “fully vigilant”.“China’s military is growing very quickly, they’re establishing military installations that again threaten countries we have treaties with, like the Philippines, because they are building on contested property,” she said. ‘India’s abstention against vote on Israel significant shift’ Jerusalem, Jul 5 (PTI) India’s abstention in a vote at the UNHCR on a UN report critical of Israel’s Gaza war last year is being seen here as a “significant shift” in New Delhi’s policy, a “testament to strong ties” which are “taking off” under the new NDA regime, experts have said. In a “historic first” in UN votes on Israel, India did not vote for the Palestinians, but rather abstained, wrote a commentator while others described it as “dra- Deadly strikes by US-led coalition targeting IS in Raqqa BEIRUT July 5 (PTI): US-led coalition aircraft unleashed a series of airstrikes targeting the Islamic State group’s stronghold of Raqqa in eastern Syria, killing at least 10 militants and wounding many others, the coalition and the group said today. At least 16 airstrikes were reported yesterday and today, triggering successive explosions that shook the city and created panic among residents, activists said. The US-led coalition often targets IS-held towns and cities in Syria, but the overnight strikes on Raqqa were rare in matic” and an “unprecedented achievement for Israel”. They said the move indicated a major “take off” in ties indicated also by an announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Israel, the first by an Indian Premier. “That India’s representative in Geneva abstained on Friday is a significant shift testament to Suicide blast at northeast Nigeria church, 5 dead The pack passes through the city center of Utrecht during the ceremonial procession prior to the start of the second stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 166 kilometers (103 miles) with start in Utrecht and finish in Neeltje Jans, Netherlands, Sunday, July 5, 2015. AP/PTI WORLD SNIPPETS Nepal Maoist chief to visit India Kathmandu, July 5 (IANS) Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as ‘Prachanda’, will visit India from July 14 to 19 on an invitation from the Indian government, his party said on Sunday. “Our chairman is visiting India,” UCPN (Maoist) vice chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha told IANS, adding that details of Dahal’s visit and agenda will be made public later. The Nepali Maoist leader’s visit to India comes at a time when the country’s constitution-drafting process is gaining momentum and disagreements have cropped up among some sections of the political class. Therefore, Dahal’s visit is widely seen as a political one. Dahal’s five-day visit will give India an opportunity to engage with the Nepali Maoist leadership and to take stock of the political situation in the Himalayan nation. Another Maoist leader told IANS that Dahal’s visit will also help the leader to understand as to what India thinks about Nepal’s constitutional process, besides issues related to the country’s development and prospects of a Nepal-India-China trilateral cooperation. Dalai Lama to celebrate 80th birthday in California Los Angeles, Jul 5 (AFP) The Dalai Lama launches three days of celebrations today in California for his 80th birthday at what is billed as a Global Compassion Summit but which is expected to draw protests. Thousands of followers and fans of the Tibetan spiritual leader are to attend events in Anaheim and at the University of Irvine, including on his actual birthday tomorrow.“This milestone occasion is a joyous opportunity for people to come together in celebration of His Holiness’ life and achievements,” said Venerable Lama Tenzin Dhonden, founder of the non-profit Friends of the Dalai Lama.“On this very special birthday we will have a chance to celebrate his accomplishments in many areas and hear his exciting view for the years to come.” The celebrations start with a speech by the Dalai Lama today on “awakening compassion” and the “transformative power of creativity and art” at the Honda Center in Anaheim, south of Los Angeles. Lebanese Hezbollah, Syrian army enter rebel-held border city Beirut July 5 (PTI): The Syrian army and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters said on Sunday they had entered the rebel-held city of Zabadani on the second day of a major offensive to capture the border area around the Beirut-Damascus highway. The army, backed by Hezbollah, has long sought to wrest control of Zabadani, near the Lebanese border, from the rebels who have held it since 2012, a year after the start of the Syrian civil war. The Lebanese Shi`ite group Hezbollah`s al Manar television station said its fighters and the Syrian army had entered the Jamaiyat district in the western part of Zabadani, about 45 km (30 miles) northwest of the capital Damascus. Footage showed ground troops entering parts of the city lying in a lush agricultural plain surrounded by a mountain range shared to the east with Lebanon. The offensive began on Saturday and was preceded by several days of aerial and artillery bombing of outposts held by a coalition of mainly Sunni Muslim jihadist fighters defending the city.The Syrian army also said on state television their fighters had seized the Sultani district, east of the city, while Hezbollah said it now had encircled the northern portion. POTISKUM (NIGERIA), Jul 5 (PTI): A woman suicide bomber blew up in the midst of a crowded evangelical Christian church service in northeast Nigeria on Sunday and killed at least five people, witnesses said.It is the latest in a string of bombings and shooting attacks blamed on the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram that has killed some 200 people in the past week.Nearly 100 men and boys praying in a mosque were gunned down on Wednesday. Police rushed to the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Potiskum, the largest city in northeastern Yobe state. Wailing women and stunned men wandered aimlessly. One congregant said the blast came from a woman who was in the congregation. She said she was too scared to give her name. An AP reporter counted five bodies from the blast in the morgue of the local hospital, where a wounded woman was being treated.Nigeria’s the strong ties that have developed between Israel and India over the last 20 years, and which are taking off now under Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” a columnist wrote. “This is a huge development for India, one of the leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement, which as a movement always voted against Israel,” he noted. Indian-Americans raise USD 75,000 for eye hospital in Bihar President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday condemned the latest attacks as barbaric and said they underline the need for an expanded multinational army to crush the extremists. Boko Haram took control of a large swath of northeast Nigeria last year and declared an Islamic caliphate. As it stepped up crossborder attacks, Nigeria and its neighbours formed a multinational army that this year drove them out of towns and villages. conducted to date in Syria, and it will have debilitating effects on Daesh’s ability to move” from Raqqa. Raqqa is the de facto capital of the so-called Islamic caliphate declared a year ago by the Islamic State group in territories it controls in Iraq and Syria. An IS-affiliated militant website confirmed the strikes on the center of the city, saying 10 people were killed and dozens wounded. It also published purported photos of dead victims, including two of young boys suggesting they were civilians. their intensity. In a statement issued early today, the coalition said it had conducted 16 airstrikes throughout Raqqa, destroying vital IS-controlled structures and transit routes in Syria. “The significant airstrikes tonight were executed to deny Daesh the ability to move military capabilities throughout Syria and into Iraq,” said coalition spokesman lt col Thomas Gilleran, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. “This was one of the largest deliberate engagements we have Washington, Jul 5 (PTI) Indian-Americans have raised USD 75,000 at a recent fund raiser in California to build a state- ofthe-art 200-bed super speciality eye-hospital in Bihar.The Shankara Eye Foundation and the Bihar Foundation USA have pledged to raise USD 4 million towards the initial capital cost of the project, that aims to conduct 25,000 free surgeries every year. It would benefit more than one lakh people of Bihar every year, said Rai Rajiv Kumar Sinha, vice chairman of Bihar Foundation of USA.The foundation held its fund raiser in the last week of June in Cupertino Community hall, San Francisco bay area, a media release said yesterday. The annual function of Bihar Foundation was attended by eminent Bihari-Americans. Dr Jayant Kumar, project officer of the foundation, announced the USD 75,000 donation on behalf of the project core committee as the first foundational step towards success of the project. Israeli daily Haaretz saw India’s abstention as reflective of “a significant policy change” by Delhi, which traditionally voted in favour of all anti-Israel resolutions in UN institutions. “Friday’s abstention was another sign of warming ties between India and Israel since the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014,” it said. Runaway terrorist shot dead in Saudi Arabia Riyadh, July 5 (IANS) A terrorist, who escaped a raid at a house in Saudi Arabia’s Taif city, was killed in a shootout with police, the interior ministry said here on Sunday. Yousef Abdullatif Shabab AlGhamdi was killed in a hideout on Saturday after he exchanged gunfire with security forces, refusing to surrender, Arab News cited the ministry as saying in a statement. Al-Ghamdi on Friday escaped the raid at a house in Taif city in Mecca province, during which three of his colleagues were captured, police said.Security forces seized flags of Islamic State, gun silencers and computers from the house. Indian aviation experts to inspect Nepal’s second intelligence airport Kathmandu July 5 (PTI): A team of Indian aviation experts will arrive here tomorrow to inspect any possible damage to Nepal’s only international airport due to the powerful April 25 quake besides offering help in constructing a second international airport along the border with India. The four-member engineering team led by executive director of Airport Au- On his native turf, Pope Francis touches on cherished issues QUITO July 5 (PTI): History’s first Latin American pope returns to Spanish-speaking South America for the first time on Sunday, bringing a message of solidarity with the region’s poor, who are expected to turn out in droves to welcome their native son home.“The pope of the poor” chose to visit Ecuador, Bolivia thority of India H S Suresh will carry out inspection of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and also pay a field visit to the Simara Airport proposed at Nijgadh in Bara district, 200 km south from here, officials said. According to a senior government official, the team is arriving here to assess possible damage caused by the two major earthquakes and the subsequent and Paraguay specifically because they are among the poorest and most marginal nations of a region that claims 40 per cent of the world’s Catholics. He’s skipping his homeland of Argentina, at least partly to avoid papal entanglement in this year’s presidential election. The trip starts in Ecuador, where falling world prices for oil and minerals threaten to fray the social safety net woven by President Rafael Correa, who has been buffeted for nearly a month by the most serious anti-government street protests of his more than eight years in power. Pak Urdu novelist Abdullah Hussain dead Lahore, Jul 5 (PTI) Eminent Pakistani Urdu novelist Abdullah Hussain who authored the bestseller and critically- acclaimed ‘Udas Naslain’ passed away here.Hussain was 84. He was suffering from blood cancer for the past one year and his condition deteriorated on Friday.He breathed his last yesterday at his Lahore residence.Hussai, whose real name was Mohammad Khan, is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.Besides ‘Udas Naslain’ - considered a masterpiece of Urdu literature, he will be remembered for his other famous novels - ‘Baagh’, ‘Nadaar Loag’ - and short stories ‘Faraib and Nashaib’. President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed deep grief and sorrow over his death that they described as a loss to the nation.In their separate messages to the bereaved family, they extended their heartfelt condolences while lauding the services rendered by him for promotion of the national language and enrichment of Urdu literature.Born on August 14, 1931 in Gujrat, Hussain did his schooling and also graduation from Zameendar College in the city. aftershocks at the country’s only international airport and provide necessary support to ensure its faultless operation. They will inspect whether the physical structure as well as communication and navigation system of the airport were damaged by the earthquake or not, said Suresh Acharya, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. The Indian side is also willing to extend Pope Francis is likely to raise environmental concerns with Mr. Correa and the leader of Bolivia who have promoted mining and oil drilling in wilderness areas given his recent encyclical on the need to protect nature and the poor who suffer most when it is exploited.In that document, Pope Francis called for a new development model that rejects today’s profit-at-all cost mentality in favour of a Christian view of economic progress that respects human rights, safeguards the planet and involves all sectors of society, the poor and marginalized included. Saudi-led strikes kill 30 in northern Yemen, Houthis say Sanaa July 5 (PTI): Air strikes by Saudiled forces killed 30 civilians in an attack on a market in northern Yemen on Sunday, the Houthi-run news agency Saba said, as U.N. mediators pushed for a humanitarian pause in fighting that has killed nearly 3,000 since March. Saba also said Houthi forces launched rockets against a number of Saudi army positions, including a military airport in the southern city of Najran, in response to what it described as Saudi aggression against Yemen. An Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been pounding the Iran-backed Houthi forces and allied army units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh since March in a campaign to restore exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power. support, if necessary, to repair damage and renovate the airport in the aftermath of the quake, he added. International help following the devastating quake was hampered due to congestion at the only airport at their disposal. Cracks had developed on the runway due to landing of heavy aircraft following which the airport was briefly closed down for repair. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry uses crutches as he arrives to inform the media in front of Palais Coburg where closed-door nuclear talks with Iran take place in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, July 5, 2015. Kerry is recovering from surgery to repair a broken right femur he suffered during a biking accident. AP/ PTI Ulterior motives behind sanctions on Iran: Khamenei Tehran, July 5 (IANS) Sanctions against Iran have nothing to do with the country’s nuclear activities or human rights record, there are other motives behind the bans, said Leader of Iran Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Addressing a group of university professors and researchers on Saturday night, Ayatollah Khamenei said those who have imposed sanctions on Iran were themselves the ones who foster terrorism and commit human rights violations, reports Press TV.The Leader said the sanctions against Tehran have been imposed because Iran has emerged as a nation, a movement and an identity guided by principles against the hegemonic system.“Their objective is to prevent Iran from reaching a prominent civilizational status,” Khamenei said.The Leader also highlighted the special role of professors in educating a generation of self-reliable, confident and diligent youths who will further move Iran toward progress. 9 Business Indian Horizon Hyderabad Monday, July 6, 2015 Low inflation offers scope of RBI rate cut to boost growth: SBI Deutsche Bank’s $1-bn investment faces fresh probe Mumbai Jul 5 (PTI): With questions being raised about a USD onebillion debt market investment of Deutsche Bank and others, financial regulators RBI and Sebi are having a fresh look at the case to ensure compliance to their norms. Besides, they are also reviewing their regulations for greater clarity in this area and to ensure there is no room for any ambiguity. This follows reports that Deutsche Bank and some other foreign investors put in nearly USD one billion in the Indian debt securities through Guernsey-based UTI International, which is registered with Sebi as a foreign investor and is also a subsidiary of UTI Mutual Fund. There are allegations that these foreign investors could have breached the foreign investment limits for the debt market by routing the investment through UTI Mutual Fund. When contacted, UTI Mutual Fund CEO Leo Puri told PTI that “the investment is fully within the existing regulations”. “Let me tell you that it is a completely legitimate transaction which has already been approved by both Sebi and RBI,” Puri said, but added that Sebi has “subsequently wished to look into it” again. Deutsche Bank India refused to comment on the matter. Sebi Chairman U K Sinha had earlier said the regulator has not found anything wrong in the transaction so far. “In case we find the transaction to be illegal, we will definitely have our view on it,” Sinha told PTI on the sidelines of an industry function here last week. Replying to a query in this regard, an RBI spokesperson said, “We are aware of the transaction. Investments by FPIs in mutual funds fall under the corporate bond limit of USD 51 billion. “We are, however, reviewing the regulation to ensure greater clarity in this area and that there is no room for any ambiguity.” According to the market experts, the issue is mainly about the regulations being silent on whether an foreign investor can use the foreign subsidiary of a domestic mutual fund for investments in the debt instruments. ebi Chairman U K Sinha had earlier said the regulator has not found anything wrong in the transaction so far. “In case we find the transaction to be illegal, we will definitely have our view on it,” Sinha told PTI on the sidelines of an industry function here last week.Foreign portfolio investors throng to the domestic debt market due to higher rates being offered by the Indian papers which is 7-8 per cent, while the pricing on similar papers offered in the US and the other developed markets is less than 2 per cent. FPI inflows into the domestic mutual fund industry touched USD 6.4 billion as on June 15. This was USD 16.2 billion in fiscal 2015, according to a Kotak Equities report. New Delhi Jul 5 (PTI): State Bank of India has pitched for further rate cut by the Reserve Bank to ‘pump up domestic demand’ as inflation is low. “With ebbing inflationary pressures there may be further scope for monetary stimulus to pump up domestic demand,” SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya said. RBI, in June 2 monetary policy review, cut the repo rate (short-term lending rate) from 7.5 per cent to 7.25, but left all other policy tools like cash reserve requirement unchanged at 4 per cent and Statutory Liquidity Ratio at 21.5 per cent. It had left the key rate unchanged in the April policy fearing rising inflation. India is poised to recover moderately with industrial production gaining momentum, Bhattacharya said in a message to shareholders. “Interestingly, the risk of deficit monsoon seems to be dissipating with more than adequate rainfall in June 2015,” she said. “Looking ahead, boost to exports in the backdrop of global economic recovery and improvement in domestic investment climate, backed by various initiatives of the government, supports favourable growth outlook,” she added. She said SBI is taking steps to clamp down on bad loans that include web-based tracking of assets and “regular calls” to stressed accounts in retail as well as real estate segments. In addition, the bank has initiated ‘Dynamic Credit Rating’ review of borrowal accounts to capture deterioration in credit quality promptly and to initiate corrective action and facilitate correct pricing of risk. State Bank of India has pitched for further rate cut by the Reserve Bank to ‘pump up domestic demand’ as inflation is low. “With ebbing inflationary pressures there may be further scope for monetary stimulus to pump up domestic demand,” SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya said. “During the year (201415), the bank has embarked on a number of initiatives to clamp down on NPAs. Some of them are web-based Assets Tracking & Monitoring and regular calls to stressed accounts (SMAs) in Retail segment and Real Estate sector to prevent slippages...,” she said. The bank’s exposure in retail segment, which includes housing, auto, education and personal loans, increased to Rs 2.72 lakh crore, from Rs 2.37 lakh crore at the end of March 2014. “Looking ahead, boost to exports in the backdrop of global economic recovery and improvement in domestic investment climate, backed by various initiatives of the government, supports favourable growth outlook,” she added. Of the gross NPAs, retail was Rs 2,528 crore at the end of March 2015. It has come down from Rs 3,034 crore at the end of 2013-14. New GDP numbers based on scientific methodology: Arvind Panagariya New Delhi Jul 5 (PTI): Brushing aside criticism against new GDP numbers, Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya has said they are based on scientific methodology and there are no compelling objections against the new series of National Accounts. “Scientifically speaking, we can’t reject a change that is methodologically sound just because the outcome it produces fails to agree with our intuition. In such circumstances, we must critically examine our own intuition,” Panagariya said in an interview to PTI. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) had adopted the new series of National Accounts with 2011-12 as base year and subsequently revised the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate to 6.9 per cent in 2013-14 from 4.7 per cent and 5.1 in 2012-13 from 4.5 per cent. It CSO has estimated economic growth at 7.3 per cent for 2014-15, slightly lower than its earlier advance estimate of 7.4 per cent. Several domestic and global experts as also RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian. 8-10% growth, anti-poverty measures needed: FM New Delhi Jul 5 (PTI): Pitching for passage of land acquisition and GST bills in Parliament, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said policy reforms and 8-10 per cent economic growth are a must to eliminate poverty. With Congress and other opposition parties threatening to disrupt the upcoming monsoon session, Jaitley said the message from the Socio Economic and Caste Census is clear that “growth and economic reforms help the poor as do targeted schemes”. The Cen- sus results, released on Friday last, have painted a grim picture of the rural India, highlighting that one out of three families living in villages is landless and depends on manual labour for livelihood. Jaitley said improving this situation is the “number one priority of this government”. “Growth or redistribution? Policy reforms or targeted anti-poverty schemes? We believe these are false choices. Both are necessary,” the Minister said in a Facebook post. The way out to elimi- nate deprivation, Jaitley said, “is to achieve rapid economic growth of 8-10 per cent so that good jobs are created for all Indians quickly. That is why the government is promoting investment.” He said for the government to eradicate deprivation most effectively and quickly, “a permanent, formal sector, well-paid job is the best antipoverty measure”. The latest data, the Minister said, indicates that the investment cycle is slowly turning around and stalled projects were coming on stream at a faster pace. In this regard, he added, “passing the GST and reforming the land law will accelerate this investment turnaround.” With Congress and other opposition parties threatening to disrupt the upcoming monsoon session, Jaitley said the message from the Socio Economic and Caste Census is clear that “growth and economic reforms help the poor as do targeted schemes”. The Census results, released on Friday last, have painted a grim picture of the rural India, highlighting that one out of three families living in villages is landless and depends on manual labour for livelihood. Jaitley said improving this situation is the “number one priority of this government”. These bills, which are with different committees of Parliament, may face tough time as the opposition is expected to disrupt the functioning of the Houses in view of the Lalit Modi controversy. The monsoon session begins on July 21. The Congress has demanded resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Ambani gets 205-times of median ‘Compliance window not pay; ITC’s Deveshwar 439-times revenue mobilisation measure’ New Delhi Jul 5 (PTI): Billionaire industrialist and India’s richest Mukesh Ambani has not taken a pay hike for seven years, but his salary is over 205-times that of the median employee remuneration at Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL). However, this ratio stands much higher at 439 times in case of ITC Ltd Executive Chairman Y C Deveshar. The same ratio stands much lower at 89-times in case of IT major Wipro’s Chairman and Managing Director Azim Premji, and just at 19-times for mortgage giant HDFC’s Chairman Deepak Parekh for the latest fiscal 2014-15. However, HDFC Bank’s Managing Director Aditya Puri got a remuneration that was 117-times of the median employee pay at the bank, while for ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar it was 97 times and at over 74 times for Axis Bank’s Managing Director and CEO Shikha Sharma. For IT giant Infosys’ CEO Vishal Sikka, his pay was 116 times of the median employee pay at the company. The same ratio for HUL’s CEO Sanjiv Mehta was 93 times, but much higher at 293 times for Vedanta Limited’s Chairman Navin Agarwal. Listed companies have begun disclosing these ratios, as also other comparisons such as salary hikes for the top management personnel and an average staff, for the first time pursuant to the new Companies Act and Sebi’s latest Corporate Governance Code coming into force. While a majority of the companies are still in the process of disclosing these details, the disclosures made so far by the top companies show a wide variance in these ratios, while there is also a huge difference between the pay hike figures for the top management personnel and an average staff member in many cases. However, there are a few cases where the increase in the median employee remuneration is almost equal or even higher than the same for the CEOs and other key management personnel. In case of RIL, Chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani has kept his salary capped at Rs 15 crore for seven years now, while the median remuneration of employees increased by 3.71 percent to Rs 7.29 lakh during 2014-15. The total remuneration of Key Managerial Personnel in fact dipped by 1.93 percent to Rs 73.28 crore. ITC Chairman Y C Deveshwar’s remuneration rose by 24 percent during the year, as against a rise of 14 percent in the company’s median employee remuneration. The overall Key Managerial Personnel remuneration rose by 20 percent. Deveshwar’s gross remuneration in 2014-15 stood at over Rs 15 crore, but his net pay was much lower at Rs 7.3 crore. In case of Wipro, Premji saw his pay decline by 53 percent to Rs 4.78 crore, while Median Employee Remuneration rose by 9.5 percent. Wipro CEO T K Kurien got a pay package that was 170 times of the median employee remuneration, while he got a hike of 39 percent. At HDFC Ltd also, Vice Chairman and CEO Keki Mistry’s remuneration was 83 times of the median employee pay, while the same for Managing Director Renu Sud Karnad was 77 times. The remuneration rose by 15 percent for both Mistry and Karnad, while the increase in the median remuneration of employees in fiscal year 2014-15 stood at 16 percent. At HDFC Bank, Managing Director Aditya Puri saw his remuneration rise by 15 percent, while the percentage increase in the median remuneration of the employees. New Delhi Jul 5 (PTI): The onetime compliance window provided to undisclosed foreign asset holders to come clean under the black money law is not a revenue mobilisation exercise, Revenue Secretary Shaktikanta Das has said. “Compliance window is not meant to be a revenue mobilisation measure. It is the last opportunity for those having undeclared assets abroad to come clean,” Das told PTI, when asked how much the government is targeting to collect from the disclosures. He did not comment on the amount the government expects during the 90-day voluntary disclosure window. Another official said the government has not put any target for unearthing black money during this period. “Lets see how it goes. We don’t want ‘x’ amount of money to come as taxes or ‘y’ amount to be disclosed. This is an exercise to weed out black money. We will see how it progresses.” The government will provide clarifications if it is felt during the course of the compliance window that there are any doubts on any of the provisions, the official said. The Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign In- come and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, which came into effect from July 1, provides for a 90-day compliance window under which persons having undisclosed foreign assets and income can come clean by declaring them and paying a total of 60 per cent tax and penalty. Those disclosing assets and income within the compliance window, which expires on September 30, has to pay tax and penalty by December 31, 2015. In case they do not declare their overseas assets, they will be liable to pay tax and penalty of 120 per cent and face jail term. The one-time compliance window provided to undisclosed foreign asset holders to come clean under the black money law is not a revenue mobilisation exercise, Revenue Secretary Shaktikanta Das has said. “Compliance window is not meant to be a revenue mobilisation measure. It is the last opportunity for those having undeclared assets abroad to come clean,” Das told PTI, when asked how much the government is targeting to collect from the disclosures. While the declaration can be either filed physically or electronically, the revenue department has said that those who received tax notices up to June 30 cannot take advantage of the compliance window. The rules said all deposits made in an undisclosed overseas bank account since opening will be clubbed while assets like immovable property, shares and jewellery will be valued at fair market price for levy of tax and penalty under the new black money law. The one-time compliance window provided to undisclosed foreign asset holders to come clean under the black money law is not a revenue mobilisation exercise, Revenue Secretary Shaktikanta Das has said. “Compliance window is not meant to be a revenue mobilisation measure. It is the last opportunity for those having undeclared assets abroad to come clean,” Das told PTI, when asked how much the government is targeting to collect from the disclosures. It also said that Indians against whom information has been received from foreign nations on overseas accounts or assets will not be able to file declaration under the window. 10 Sports off the pace in the first year of their new partnership with Honda. At the previous race in Austria, both drivers collected 25 place grid penalties -- with only 20 cars competing -- as a result of engine and gearbox problems. Neither finished on Sunday. Saturday`s Silverstone agony was compounded when the team put one of Button`s tyres on Alonso`s car -- prompting another joke by the Briton that it explained why his team mate had been “so quick”. “It wasn`t the highlight of the year,” said Button, diplomatically, of once again going out in the first phase of qualifying. “In front of the home crowd you always want to have a great weekend and I think the fans understand the position Kvitova joins Wimbledon exodus, Federer, Murray into last 16 London Jul 5 (PTI): Petra Kvitova, the defending champion, crashed out of Wimbledon on Saturday while Roger Federer and Andy Murray both needed four sets to secure their passage into the second week. Czech second seed Kvitova, who also won the 2011 title, lost 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to veteran campaigner Jelena Jankovic who goes on to play 2012 runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska for a spot in the quarterfinals. Kvitova`s earliest loss at the All England Club since 2009 leaves just Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki and Lucie Safarova as the last remaining top 10 seeds going into the second week. “I`m overwhelmed. I`m so excited. My heart is still pumping,” said the 30-year-old Jankovic on reaching the last 16 for the fifth time. Kvitova has now bowed out of the last four Grand Slams before the quarter-finals. “It`s not great to lose in the third round. Not to be in the second week of the favourite tournament for me is really sad,” she said. Seven-time champion Roger Federer defeated big-serving Australian Sam Groth 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2. The 33-year-old Swiss, chasing an 18th major title, will next face Spanish 20th seed Roberto Bautista Agut. Groth had the consolation of hitting the second fastest serve ever at the tournament -- 147.2-miles (236.9-kilometres) per hour.Murray survived a shoulder injury scare to make the last 16 with a 6-2, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 win over Italy`s Andreas Seppi. Murray, the 2013 champion, required a medical time-out for treatment on his right shoulder after dropping the first game of the fourth set. But the world number three then reeled off six games in succession to set up a clash against Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals. “The shoulder is fine. The trainer came out and manipulated my back. He gave it a few good cracks,” said Murray. “It`s a 90-kilo guy lying on top of me so it`s not that pleasant. He said the shoulder was like a machine gun going off when he laid on top of me.” Karlovic became the oldest man in 39 years to reach the last 16 when he beat French 13th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The 36-year-old giant fired 41 aces in a 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (11/9) win. The 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych, the Czech sixth seed, saw off Spain`s Pablo Andujar 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3). He next faces Gilles Simon who beat Gael Monfils 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 2-6, 6-2. Their all-French clash started on Court One but was completed at 10:30pm (2130GMT) under the roof and lights of Centre Court after darkness fell. Dreadlocked German qualifier Dustin Brown was unable to follow his triumph over Rafael Nadal when he slumped to a 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-3 defeat to Serbian 22nd seed Viktor Troicki. Qualifier Brown joins Lukas Rosol, Steve Darcis and Nick Kyrgios who all lost their next match at Wimbledon after knocking out Nadal over the last four years. Troicki goes on to face Canada`s Vasek Pospisil, who beat British wildcard James Ward 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 8-6. It is the 29-year-old Serb`s first last-16 run at Wimbledon since 2012 and his best performance at a Grand Slam since returning from a 12-month drugs ban in July last year.US Open champion Marin Cilic took just two games to see off John Isner on Saturday after returning to finish their third round match poised at 10-10 in the final set. Croatian Cilic, the ninth seed, beat the US 17th seed 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 12-10 in a match that lasted four hours and 31 minutes in total after it had been suspended late Friday due to bad light. Cilic next faces wildcard Denis Kudla, the last American man in the tournament. Danish fifth seed Wozniacki reached the last 16 for the fourth time with a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win over Italy`s Camila Giorgi. Monday, July 6, 2015 Virat has a lot of qualities to match his aggression: Sir Vivian Richards Jenson Button has little to smile about at Silverstone Silverstone Jul 5 (PTI): Jenson Button joked he would like to see reverse starting grids introduced into Formula One with immediate effect but the McLaren driver had little to smile about otherwise at the British Grand Prix on Saturday. Qualifying 18th, with Spanish team mate and double world champion Fernando Alonso 17th, the Briton was quicker only than the two tail-end Manor Marussia drivers who have what is essentially a modified 2014 car. McLaren, the second most successful team in the history of the sport, are enduring a nightmare with no immediate end in sight. They have had their worst ever start to a season and scored just four points in eight races with a car that is way Indian Horizon Hyderabad New Delhi Jul 5 (PTI): He has always admired Virat Kohli’s batting qualities and Sir Vivian Richards feels that one should not be too critical of the Indian Test captain’s on-field aggression as he possesses the “quality” to match his attitude. “I see nothing wrong in Virat’s attitude. He is very different from (MS) Dhoni. I believe if you are showing passion and aggression on the field, you should have the game quality to match that. Virat has the quality. He can give back as good as he gets. I like people who have stomach for a good fight and Virat is one of them,” Richards, one of the greatest to have ever played the game, told PTI during an interview. “Virat brings in a lot of vibrancy and the future of Indian cricket looks bright,” he added. Asked about Kohli’s failure in England against the moving delivery and the recent slump in ODIs, the legend dismissed the notion of any kind of technical glitch in his batting. “He is still a very young man. He is only 26. There is so much more to come from him. Whatever I have seen of Virat, he looks like a young man, who wants to improve his game. When you play international cricket, there will be a few problems here and there. But there are two things you need -- positive attitude and tenacity,” the 63-year-old veteran of 121 Tests and 187 ODIs said. Richards also gave a positive reply to a query whether he was willing to help out the Indian batsmen provided BCCI approaches him. “Why not? I would be quite happy to help out the young Indian batsmen if their cricket board wants me to help them. I believe I have enormous amount of information and knowledge which could prove beneficial for youngsters. If BCCI wants, I can put my hand up and would like to help talented Double Jamaican sprint delight, but Dibaba misses world record Paris: Jamaican sprinters Asafa Powell and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce made up for the absence of injured Usain Bolt by storming to double 100m glory in the Diamond League meet in Paris on Saturday. But there was heartbreak for Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba who narrowly missed out on breaking her older sister Tirunesh`s world record in the women`s 5000m. Former 100m world record holder Powell held his nerve to power through the line in 9.81 seconds, Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut equalling the European record of 9.86sec in second ahead of American Michael Rodgers (9.99). “It was a great race and I got a good start!” beamed Powell. “I need to keep my focus and run fast like that. in the draw after defending champion Petra Kvitova, Simona Halep, Ana Ivanovic, Ekaterina Makarova, Carla Suarez Navarro and Angelique Kerber all failed to get past the first week. While one of the Williams sisters could face Sharapova or Safarova in the semi-finals -- both face unseeded opposition on Monday -- Wozniacki cannot meet any of them before the final and only has lower-ranked players in her way. Venus said she and her 33-year-old sister knew each other`s game inside out. “There`s no easy points against Serena,” the 35-yearold said. “Competing with each other has nothing to do with whether we`re close or not. “Just knowing what the “I saw Jimmy was close and I thought `wow`.” Defending twotime Olympic 100m champion Fraser-Pryce is not doubling up at the world championships in Beijing, saying her coach Stephen Francis wanted to regain her explosive start. That certainly did not hinder her at the Stade de France as she blasted to an impressive victory in 10.75sec, ahead of Nigerian Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor (10.80) and American English Gardner (10.97). “When you have good “Test cricket is the ultimate examination for any cricketer. I believe ICC in collaboration with various cricket boards should ensure that Test cricket’s position should not be in trouble. “As far as West Indies cricketers are concerned, I would ideally want the WICB to ensure that all top cricketers are available to play Test cricket subject to which they would be allowed to play in lucrative T20 leagues like Indian Premier League. Playing in IPL is important but it can be used as a platform or an incentive for showing. runners you always run fast,” said Fraser-Pryce. “That`s the motivation for me. “But I have room to improve in my technique and in the start.” In a gripping 5000m, Dibaba and compatriot Almaz Ayana were glued together until the last lap when the former struck out. But her efforts were to no avail as she fell an agonising 4.26sec short of her sister`s record of 14:11.15 set in Oslo in 2008. There was the unusual sight in the women`s shot put of seeing double Olympic. Chile stun Argentina to win first Copa America crown Santiago Jul 5 (PTI): Chile wrecked Lionel Messi`s dream of a first international title with a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Argentina to end their 99-year wait for a Copa America crown here Saturday. Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez struck the winning spot-kick for Chile, as the hosts clinched a 4-1 shootout victory when the game ended goalless after extra time. Sanchez chipped the decisive penalty down the middle past Sergio Romero to spark wild celebrations in front of a 45,000 capacity crowd at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago. Chile took control of the shoot-out when Gonzalo Higuain blazed his penalty over the bar before Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo saved Ever Banega`s spot-kick. Argen- tina captain Messi, aiming to inspire the South American giants to a first international title in 22 years, could only look on distraught as Chile celebrated. The four-time world footballer of the year had repeatedly spoken of his desperation to win a title with Argentina after winning everything at club level with Barcelona. But the 28-year-old superstar was to suffer more disappointment, only 12 months after enduring another agonising extratime defeat in last year`s World Cup final against Germany in Brazil. Chile`s win was their first ever victory over Argentina in the Copa America.”It is a dream come true. We have worked so hard for this,” said Chile star Arturo Vidal. The midfielder said Chile had been determined to Wimbledon 2015: Williams sisters clash, Sharapova, Wozniacki sitting pretty London Jul 5 (PTI): Tennis titans Serena and Venus Williams clash in the Wimbledon last 16 on Monday, while Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki will fancy their title chances as two of the four top 10 players still standing. The 26th clash between the Williams sisters, who have won the Wimbledon title five times each over the last 15 years, will be the first at the All England Club since the 2009 final. And with either world number one Serena or 16th-seeded Venus certain to fall, the second week at Wimbledon is looking appetising for the other silverware contenders in southwest London. Serena, Sharapova, Wozniacki and Lucie Safarova are the only top 10 seeds remaining cricketers,” said the Antiguan who had tormented bowlers across the globe during his playing days. While he is associated with the Caribbean Premier League in his capacity of ‘Brand Ambassador’, Richards still maintains strictly that the traditional form of the game is paramount for any cricketer who wants to seriously pursue the sport. In fact, Richards feels the WICB should ensure that top players are available to play Test cricket and allowing them in the IPL should depend on their willingness to play the longer format. other one goes through. If I see her in a match in a tight spot, I know exactly what that feels like. I think that`s a unique relationship, that is pretty rare in sport, that she and I share.”Serena holds the US, Australian and French Open titles but reckons Venus is in better form. “It will be a really good match. I`m practicing next to her every day and I`m in awe of how she`s doing,” she said. Fourth seed Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion, faces Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan for a spot in the quarter-finals. The Russian won Wimbledon in 2004 but since has only made it past the fourth round once since 2006. “I`ll definitely go out there and try to change that result around,” the world`s highest-earning sportswoman said. Danish fifth seed Wozniacki is the biggest name remaining in her half of the draw and the former world number one faces Spanish 20th seed Garbine Muguruza in the fourth round. With the men`s and women`s last 16 all taking place Monday, Wozniacki, chasing a maiden Grand Slam title, is looking forward to a bumper day of tennis. “It`s unique because you get the top players playing tough matches,” she said. “For sure, some of them are going to be on outside courts. Also people who come here and watch it live will have a field day. It`s going to be great.”The dearth of remaining top 10 players means sixth seed Lucie Safarova, who ghosted through the first week, is now also looking like a serious contender. Last month`s French Open runner-up, the Czech reached the Wimbledon semi-finals last year and faces Coco Vandeweghe, the US world number 47. Another former world number one, Jelena Jankovic, is hungry for more after knocking out Kvitova. “I want to get to where I think I belong,” the Serbian 28th seed said. She faces Agnieszka Radwanska, the 2012 beaten Wimbledon finalist. “Right now, tennis is very on a high level. Every match is really tight,” said the Polish 13th seed. Victoria Azarenka, the 2012 and 2013 Australian Open champion. win the Copa America after exiting the World Cup last year on penalties. “We talked about it in Brazil that we were going to win the Copa America,” Sanchez said. “This is really a great generation, we deserve this.” Chile`s Argentina-born coach Jorge Sampaoli said his side had deserved to win. “We had to play a great game against one of the world`s best teams for the quality of players,” Sampaoli said. “We should have won in 90 minutes, but ended up getting justice.” Argentina`s players meanwhile were left pondering another heartbreaking loss. Midfielder Javier Mascherano has now played in three losing Argentina teams in Copa America finals, and was also a member of the team beaten in the World Cup final. “Three Copa America finals, three defeats ... I can`t explain the losing streak,” a dejected Mascherano said. “We just didn`t seem to have that little bit of luck that you sometimes need to have to win in finals. Is it karma? I don`t know.” Argentina coach Gerardo Martino meanwhile lamented his side`s failure to take chances. “They were very clear chances that should have changed the outcome of the game,” Martino said. Earlier, Chile had begun the final at a ferocious pace before Argentina gradually managed to gain a foothold in the game. While Chile pressed forward relentlessly and launched a series of forays into Argentinian territory, it was the tournament favourites who had the better chances in the first half. Argentina. Fara Williams seals bronze for England at Women`s World Cup A 108th-minute penalty converted by Fara Williams gave England third place with a 1-0 win over Germany in the Women`s World Cup on Saturday. It was a first ever win by sixth-ranked England over world number one team Germany. he third place play-off went into extra time in Edmonton`s Commonwealth Stadium after the teams were locked 0-0 at the end of 90 minutes. But England were awarded a penalty just minutes into the second period of extra time after Lianne Sanderson was pulled down by Tabea Kemme. And Williams slotted in past former world goalkeeper of the year Nadine Angerer, who playing her final match for Germany, dived the wrong way. England`s run to their first ever semi-final had ended with heartbreak when an own-goal by defender Laura Bassett in injury time handed holders Japan a 2-1 win and ticket to the final. Germany, winners in 2003 and 2007, lost 2-0 to the United States in their semi-final. Japan play the United States in Sunday`s final in Vancouver which will be a rematch of the 2011 championship game. England had never beaten Germany in 20 previous meetings with their most recent loss a 3-0 drubbing at Wembley Stadium last year during which World Cup top scorer Celia Sasic scored twice. England skipper Steph Houghton did well to back clear a goal-ward bound shot after just nine minutes in an evenly matched first half. The defender, who had just received treatment for a painful ankle knock, lunged to clear after Jo Potter headed past her own goalkeeper Karen Bardsley following a Bianca Schmidt header across goal. Entertainment Indian Horizon Hyderabad Monday, July 6, 2015 ‘Terminator Genisys’ review: A treat for Schwarzenegger’s fans This film is based on characters designed by James Cameron and Gale Ann Hurd from the “Terminator” series which began way back in 1984. A battle for survival between the nearly-extinct human race and Cyberdyne Systems’ world-spanning synthetic intelligence, Skynet which during the course of time created the Terminators, who were used against individual human targets, forms the crux of this time-travel Sci-fiction series. “Terminator Genisys”, is the fifth edition of this series. Narrated from the leader of the human resistance force, John Connor’s (Jason Clarke) point of view, the narration rolls off circa Aug 2027, with his voiceover revealing, “Skynet is a threat to all humanity that existed. 3 billion people died in a nuclear fire. Survivors called it the judgement day. I was born after the judgement day.” And then it is revealed, that after yet another assault on a Skynet facility, John sends his friend Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back in time, to 1984 to protect his mother, Sarah (Emilia Clarke) from a Terminator assassin and thereby ensures his own existence. Unfortunately, an unexpected turn of events creates an altered timeline and instead of meeting a scared waitress, Sarah with John in her womb, Kyle meets a skilled fighter who is protected by a Terminator guardian who she fondly calls, “Pops” (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Now confused, Reese laments about the time travel mechanism. Meanwhile, he also suffers from bouts of vision which reveal to him that “When Genisys, the latest technical application comes online, Judgement day begins.” Unsure about the turn of events and where it will lead him, forms the crux of this edition, which figuratively leads to John’s genesis too. On the performance front, this edition seems to be Arnold Schwarzeneggera¿s show. He is simply dynamic and self-aware with his broad jaw-gritting smile and pouting, “I am old but not obsolete.” It is also fascinating to see a bout of Arnold Vs Arnold in the film. Jai Courtney as Kyle is charismatic, whereas Jason Clarke as John Connor gets lost in his myriad avatars and Emilia Clarke, as the agile and spunky Sarah is fairly competent. With Scriptwriters - Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier’s plot jumping timelines and narrated in a non-linear fashion, along with the characters replicating themselves, makes this viewing a big jigsaw puzzle, which even fans of this series will find hard to assemble. The breaking point comes in the last scene, when you can’t relate to Kyle speaking to John who is not Sarah’s son! Mounted on an epic scale with visuals in neon blue and golden hued frames with cool CCI images incorporated, the film is glossy and mind-boggling. Director Alan Taylor’s pace of the narration is racy and he is technically savvy to deliver a well-synchronised action film, on par with the last four editions. There is nothing new about a love triangle. One has witnessed it a million times and so, “Bezubaan Ishq” lacks novelty and offers nothing spectacular. This love story revolves around Suhani (Mugdha Godse), an ultramodern Gujarati girl who addresses her grandmother (Farida Jalal) “Cinderella dadi” for being strict. Her life is all about partying, drinking and enjoying herself. She also breaks into bouts of impulsive, aggressive and violent behaviour at the slightest provocation, and it is soon diagnosed as Intermittent Explosive Disorder ‘Second Hand Husband’ review: Fails to impress “Second Hand Husband” may sound interesting enough to get you to enter the theatre, but within minutes of the film you realise that the title is a wee bit deceptive. The narrative as expected is not from the girl’s point of view, but quite the opposite. Set in Model Town, Punjab, the film revolves around the painstaking efforts by a divorced hotelier Rajveer (Gippy), to get his ex-wife Neha (Geeta) married off in order to escape paying a hefty alimony. Of course, his motive behind this is also to get married to his love interest, Gurpreet (Tina). Packed with rom-com tropes, the plot meshes the lives of Ajit (Dharmendra), Rajveer’s boss and owner of a four-star hotel, along with that of Rajesh (Vijay), a widowed police inspector, who is constantly in search of a life partner. The writing in Smeep Kang’s script is devoid of freshness. The characters are stereotypical and not well-etched. Set in a Punjabi milieu, the situations and their treatment, though realistic, offer no novelty to the narration. The punches and gags too are oftheard and the dialogues cheesy. The performances after a while get monotonous and irksome to watch, as the script itself is limiting. Dharmendra, as the philandering and alcoholic hotelier, though charming, is jaded. He neither reinvents himself nor gives a fresh perspective to this oft-played Punjabi character. Similarly, Ravi Kishen in a min- iscule role as Gurpreet’s brother is nondescript and tedious to watch. Constantly screeching, he hams his way through his screentime. Rati as Beant Kaur, and Deepshikha as Kajal Varma are equally wasted. Most of the actors look as if they have stepped out of their typical moulds, with no newness in their portrayals. On the contrary, Sanjay Mishra as the other divorce lawyer, though typecast, is amusing and natural, as is Vijay. Gippy, a well- ‘Bezubaan Ishq’ review: This love story says nothing (IED). Her doctor suggests, “Get her married as love is the only solution for this medical problem.” And seemingly so, her father Rashmikant Patel (Darshan Jariwala) broaches the subject with his best friend and business partner, Vipul Shah (Muni Jha). The families decide to get Suhani married to her childhood friend, Vipul’s son, the caring Swaagat (Nishant Malkani). Though not in love with Suhani, Swaagat agrees to marry her as he feels that, “Suhani should be happy for ever.” For the wedding, Rashmikant’s brother, Mansukhbhai (Sa- chin Khedekar) arrives from London, with his wife and daughter Rumzum (Sneha Ullal). After the engagement ceremony and before the wedding, the youngsters plan to visit Rajasthan. There, the inevitable happens when Swaagat realises that he is falling in love with Rumzum. Nishant Malkani has a fairly decent screen presence. He is charming and by far the best of the trio. There is something pleasant and appealing about him. Doe-eyed and with a half-smile, he is endearing as Swaagat. The girls are a big let down. ‘Guddu Rangeela’ review: Worthwhile entertainer ‘Guddu Rangeela’; Language: Hindi; Cast: Arshad Warsi, Ronit Roy, Amit Sadh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Shri Swara, Sandeep Goyat and Dibyendu Bhattacharya; Director: Subhash Kapoor While the mere mention of ‘Guddu Rangeela’ conjures the image of a frivolous and frothy tale of two bumpkins, in reality this one is quite a dynamite. What starts of seemingly as the tale of two small-time musicians with an orchestra in Haryana, Guddu (Amit Sadh) and Rangeela (Arshad Warsi), who are also parttime informants aiding robberies to make a fast buck, unfurls as a layered revenge saga with khap politics as the backdrop. While Guddu is always aspiring to strike it big, Rangeela is principled, even if he indulges in petty crime. His single-handed motive is to collect money to pay his lawyer for a case he has been fighting for the past ten years. Again, it is only to earn a large sum of money quickly, that he agrees to kidnap Baby (Aditi Rao Hydari) and that too because he is in the dark about the real purpose behind it. A sound and nuanced screenplay with well-etched characters, Guddu Rangeela is a ‘paisa vasool’ (worth the money) entertainer, with social messages, action, drama and humour in abundance. The dialogues are sharp, hard-hitting and witty, laced with the right amount of humour, albeit in the Haryanvi dialect. Amit Sadh as the jovial, flirtatious and ambitious Guddu, brings the right amount of energy and realism to his character, play- ing his role with convivial ease and flourish. He is the perfect complement to his cousin Rangeela on screen. Arshad Warsi as Rangeela, is in full form after a long time and an absolute treat to watch. His entry with the famous song, ‘Kal raat Mata ka mujhe email aaya hai’ seems a tad frivolous, but his character blossoms into a well-rounded one, as his story is unravelled. Humour, action and emotions, Arshad as Rangeela is always in command and has the audience one with him in empathy. Ronit Roy as the powerful and corrupt self-proclaimed muscleman Billu Pehalwan portrays his character effortlessly with the right degree of rugged ruthlessness. Aditi Rao Hydari unfortunately pales in comparison to these three actors. She is convincing, but does not render a powerful performance. Some of the lesser known actors who essay the characters of ‘Bangali’ the Informer, the police inspector and his aide, light up the screen with their brilliant performances. The antakshari scene with the constable outside the bathroom, is nothing short of absolute talent, proving that an actor needs only one scene to shine. The background score by Hitesh Sonik and music by Amit Trivedi enhance the flavour of the film. The lyrics, are not only poetry, but enmeshed with humour too, capture the essence of the film’s setting so aptly. The cinematography by Jamie Fowlds is smooth and picture perfect and can’t go unnoticed. Quality writing apart, Subhash Kapoor’s direction exudes intelligence and maturity. His astute handling of a complex drama, with strong messages, camouflaged in entertainment, is extraordinary. There is never a dull moment and the script is crisp and well-contained. It is after a long time that one witnesses action scenes which are engaging and not merely technically-sound and robotic. 11 known face in Punjabi films, in the lead role as Rajveer, though sporting the demeanour of an actor of a bygone era, displays some promise. He seems earnest and delivers what is required of him. He is aptly supported by Geeta and actor Govinda’s daughter Tina. Unfortunately, in a significant but small role, Tina has no scope to display her talent and the film is probably a wrong choice for a debut vehicle. They have saved the best for the last. Indeed, the only good part of “Second Hand Husband” is perhaps the surprise element which comes in the penultimate scene of the film. This is a wasted opportunity. Equally unexploited is the rap song “Bad baby meri’ with funny lyrics, although poorly rendered. Steeped in mediocrity in every aspect, “Second Hand Husband”, has no riveting or dramatic moments to wow you. Nothing grips you in this convoluted rom-com. Watch it if Punjabi humour pleases your palate. ‘Papanasam’ review: Where actor Kamal supersedes the star The Kamal Haasan we get to see in “Papanasam”, the Tamil remake of Malayalam blockbuster “Drishyam”, is the actor that made him a legend; an acting idol for many contemporary and upcoming actors. Not the star he has grown into in recent years trying to don multiple hats - direct, write, sing, and produce - all at once. And it had become a major concern not because Kamal is bad at these things, but mostly because it made the actor we all love overpowered by the star. So when Kamal, in “Papanasam”, showcases what he can do when he concentrates on only acting, plain acting, it’s a treat to watch him on screen, even if it means for three long hours. For those who’ve watched the original, its faithful remake “Papanasam” doesn’t come as a surprise, yet Kamal’s presence along with the flawless ensemble performance of the supporting cast makes it a riveting thriller. The Kamal Haasan we get to see in “Papanasam”, the Tamil remake of Malayalam blockbuster “Drishyam”, is the actor that made him a legend; an acting idol for many contemporary and upcoming actors. Kamal plays Suyambulingam, a cable-TV operator and a cinematic fanatic, whose world revolves around his family; his wife and two daughters. If one of the joys of watching “Papanasam” is to see Kamal, for once, just act, the other is to see the ease with which he slips into the shoes of a villager. Because it’s been a long time since he has played anything close to what we see of him in this film. And it’s terrific to see Kamal play a role that doesn’t require you to brush up your basics about bombs, chemistry, world economy, terrorism, chaos theory et al. “Papanasam” is a thriller as much as it’s a family drama. It’s about two families and how difficult it is to raise children today. For instance, when Gautami eavesdrops on a conversation in which her daughter talks about being photographed by some kid in school, her instant reaction is funny, but totally understandable. There’s also a wonderful stretch where Kamal feels bad for making his children do things they are not supposed to do and feels guilty about it, only to quickly realise anybody in his place would’ve reacted the same way. In another beautiful scene towards the end, members of both the families meet and talk about their children. While one family admits to have not raised their child well, the other talks about how selfish they were to save theirs. The film also focuses on so many other things like class divide, abuse of power, police brutality, and finally on the impact of cinema on our lives. In cinema, it’s tough to differentiate between a truth and a lie because everything that’s shown is mostly taken for granted. We get exactly that in “Papanasama, in which Kamal is the creator, who makes everybody around him believe the lies he shows them. The film also has a few lovely meta references like the onscreen romance between Kamal and Gautami, who are real life partners. Like Suyambulingam, Kamal too has two daughters and is an avid film lover. Director Jeethu Joseph needs special mention for bringing back the Kamal we love watching onscreen and also for extracting stellar performances from other actors such as Ananth Mahadevan and Asha Sharath. Ananth’s scene with Kamal in the end is one of the reasons why the film shouldn’t be missed. Nivetha, who missed being part of the original, is terrific. “Papanasam” is the best and the most faithful remake of the original. 12 Entertainment Indian Horizon Hyderabad Monday, July 6, 2015 Indian Horizon Salman Khan unperturbed by protest against 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' Kohli enjoys Anushka's performance at IPL opener While several religious groups, including the VHP and the Bajrang Dal, have led protests against Kabir Khan's "Bajrangi Bhaijaan", Salman Khan, the co-producer of the film, is not bothered at all. "If they are a religious group then the basic thing they should know that every religion respects the other person's religion," Salman said at an event here Friday to launch special Eid song "Aaj ki party" from the film, along with Kabir Khan, composer Pritam and singer Mika Singh. "Every religion preaches only one thing: 'to follow your religion and to be respectful and to respect the other person's beliefs and religion.' I don't think anyone can protest on this," he said. A right-wing groups are demanding the film's title be changed as it hurts the sentiments of Hindus. Courtesy:SantaBanta.com Star batsman and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli was seen savouring the moves as his girlfriend, Bollywood beauty Anushka Sharma, set the floor afire with her performance at the glitzy opening ceremony of the Indian Premier League here on tuesday. TV cameras kept zooming at Kohli as Anushka gyrated to the tunes of her popular movie songs at the Salt Lake Stadium here. eemingly embarrassed at first, the cricket icon was later seen smiling and watching the actress. The hot and happening couple was on Monday spotted at the Kolkata airport together during their arrival for the IPL opener. Courtesy:Bollylife.com When Deepika drove on a highway for the first time! Fawad Khan signed by Farhan Akhtar for Mr. Chaloo While we all know that Shoojit Sircar's family comedy drama, Piku is a very special film for Deepika Padukone, not many know that one of the reasons the film is close to the actor's heart is because it helped her brush her driving skills! A source close to the film tells us that one of the sequences in the films required Deepika at the wheel as she drives Amitabh and Irrfan on the highway and that shot infact gave Deepika to drive once more! The actor reveals, " For the first time in my life I drove on a highway while shooting for Piku. In fact, on one of the last days of Is Shraddha Kapoor turning into a method actor for Rock On 2? the shoot, I drove my team back from the location on the highway to our hotel. It was a great experience. I have now started driving more often in Mumbai too." Now we bet her fans would love to catch a glimpse of their super star doing that! Courtesy:Bollylife.com No actor from Pakistan in recent years has made the kind of impact that Fawad Khan made with Khoobsurat. For this Fawad cannot thank the Khoobsurat producers Anil and Rhea Kapoor enough. Says a source, "Fawad is suddenly a hot proposition in Bollywood. Every major production house is woo- ing him. He has agreed to do Karan Johar's Kapoor And Sons to be directed by Shakun Batra, and Farhan Akhtar's production Mr Chaloo to be directed by Reema Kagti." In Mr Chaloo Fawad would be paired with Priyanka Chopra. Fawad's role was originally offered to Saif Ali Khan who backed out due to monetary differences. Shahid Kapoor was under negotiation after Saif. But he didn't want to do a role rejected by Saif. Fawad's entry into Mr Chaloo means the end of Reema Kagti's ordeal of waiting for a replacement hero after Saif backed out so unprofessionally leaving the project in the lurch. Courtesy:Bollywoodhungama.com The Rock On 2 actress will be visiting the North East to meet indie bands Shraddha Kapoor has signed Excel Entertainment’s Rock On 2 opposite Farhan Akhtar and Arjun Rampal. She will definitely be singing in the film and in order to understand the nuances of her character the actress has decided to visit Shillong and meet the indie bands and artists there because she has heard about how talented, zesty and innovative they are. Shraddha’s trip to Shillong will be a learning experience for her in two ways. Firstly she will learn new details about her own character in Rock On 2 by meeting musicians in Shillong and secondly she would get to know a lot more about music from the indie bands! About her prep work for Rock On 2, Shraddha says, “There are a lot of talented artists in Shillong and I would really like to meet them. I am sure spending time with them would be a great learning experience.” Ms Kapoor’s journey to Shillong to understand music and artists better can be seen as her attempt at method acting. Shraddha will visit Shillong, where Rock On 2 will be shot, she will spend time in the locales with musicians trying to get under the skin of her character! We think it’s pretty chill of Shraddha to try out new things for her Rock On 2 role! What do you think? Courtesy:Bollylife.com Printed, published & Owned by Dr.Rahimuddin Kemal, Printed at Kemal Publication's, H.No-8-2-618/3, Road No. 11, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. 500034, TS. Editor Mr.Fahim Kemal. Published from Dil-a-Veez, H.No.8-2-618/3, Road No. 11, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad-500034.TS. India. Phone Nos: 040 66839818: Fax No: 040 23373717. Email: [email protected] [email protected]
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