"My success is due to hardwork and discipline" : Saina

 Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal today said that it is sheer hardwork and discipline that has helped her to reach where she is today.

 Asked to name two things that makes here special, Saina said hard work and discipline enabled her to emerge as a top-ranking badminton player.

 The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro is still some time away but Saina feels that her victory in Denmark augers well for her.
 When fellow Olympic medallist Gagan Narang asked what changes does she want to see in the sporting scenario, she said,I want sportspersons to get good facilities so that they can excel in life.
 Replying to a query, Saina said she had ice cream whenever she won a tournament which she cannot have as she had to maintain her fitness.
 When Narang questioned as to what would be her message, she said the youth should have self-belief and discipline to excel in their chosen field. The women are no inferior to men and they can do what they do.
 To a query on her plans to set up an academy in Bangalore, she said she was offered help by the Haryana and Karnataka governments.
 Saina said that meditation helps her to keep her mind cool and maintain mental strength.
 To another query, she said the burning desire to win keeps her motivated and free from fatigue. Narang also stressed that passion and fire keeps the motivation going.

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India Inc.cheers young faces in new cabinet

Amid the dashed hopes for a larger role for Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, India Inc. on Sunday cheered the induction of youths in the reshuffled cabinet.

 

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) president R.V. Kanoria said, "It is good to see a couple of young faces with independent charge in the Union cabinet."

"We wish the new team all success in taking economic reforms forward and put the economy on a higher growth trajectory," the FICCI chief added.

Described as members of Rahul Gandhi's youth brigade, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot were elevated to ministers of state with independent charge for power and corporate affairs respectively, while party spokesperson Manish Tewari has now been given independent charge of the information and broadcasting ministry as minister of state.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said Sunday the cabinet reshuffle showed that India?s young demographics is starting to get reflected in the country's political leadership.

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DMK not against Kudankulam nuclear power plant

DMK President M Karunanidhi today clarified that his party was not against the controversial Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, saying, DMK always supports industrial growth in a scientific manner.
Speaking to reporters here, the 88-year-old former Chief Minister said, We are not against developmental projects like Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. We are in favour of industrial growth in a scientific manner.
He was replying to a question on Union Minister V Narayanasamy's reported observation that DMK initially supported the Kudankulam power project, but later backed out.

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"Varsities not producing well-educated graduates"

The university system was not producing “well-educated” graduates to meet needs of Indian companies, giving an opportunity to firms to enter the sector in the “guise” of training, Minister of State for Higher Education Shashi Tharoor said.
He also said that the national education policy in the past has been out of step with the times.
“The major problem remains that our national education policy in the past has remained out of step with the time. Whereas countries in the Middle-East and China are going out of their way to woo foreign universities to set up campuses in their countries, India turned away many academic suitors who have come calling in recent years,” he said.
Speaking at a two-day Higher Education Summit, Mr. Tharoor said, “Companies are entering the higher education space in the guise of training. Our University system simply is not producing well educated graduates to meet the needs of Indian companies today.”
The HRD Minister said there will be no need for many Indian students to go abroad to study if good higher education institutes were set up in the country. “We will also work towards putting our reform agenda back on track,” he said.
Mr. Tharoor said there is a proposal to establish 50 centres for research in frontier areas of science, design innovation centres, innovation centres in different universities and also research parts of the IITs and other technical institutions.
“If finally established, it would transform the research environment in our country,” he said.
Mr. Tharoor favoured expediting setting up of National Mission for teachers and recommendations of the Narayana Murthy Committee and the Kakodkar Committee besides increasing the spending of 2 per cent on research.
The minister said with the ranks of educated unemployed in the country swelling in the absence of adequate employment opportunities, there is possibility of their falling prey to the activities of terrorists and Maoists.
“We must give them a better chance of employment through more and improved educational possibilities. My message is it is time to let a thousand educational flowers bloom,” he said.
He said even though India with 621 universities and 33,500 colleges has one of the largest network of higher education institutes across the world and second in terms of student enrolment, our gross enrolment ratio of 18.8 per cent in 2011 is still less than the world average of 26 per cent.
He said there was need to develop higher levels of education and skill development and an environment must be created in which not only the economy grows rapidly but also enhances good quality employment.
Mr. Tharoor said as India aims to grow at 8.2 to 8.5 per cent GDP, the country needs to invest in education and help improve the quality of education.

Referring to a few world-class institutes like IIT’s and IIMs and some colleges, the Minister said, “These are still islands in a sea of mediocrity”.
Citing a UGC survey of 1,471 colleges and 111 universities, he said 73 per cent of the colleges and 68 per cent of the universities are found to be of medium or low quality.
He also said that a FICCI survey has revealed in 2009 that 64 per cent employers are “somewhat satisfied” with the quality of new graduates coming out of engineering institutes.
The minister lamented that spending on education is only 1.22 per cent of GDP, against USA’s 3.1 per cent or South Korea’s 2.4 per cent. He also said that the student-teacher ratio in India was 26:1 against the global average of 15:1.
He said the rapid expansion of higher education sector has also led to shortage of faculty.

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A common man was arrested for allegedly duping a teenage girl

A common man was arrested for allegedly duping a teenage girl of Rs 3 lakh in cash and gold ornaments under the pretext of marrying her and creating a fake profile on a social networking site, police said on Wednesday. The accused identified as Rajapathi (31) was apprehended from Bowenpally area of the city and Rs 4,75,000 cash and gold ornaments weighing approximately 18.5 tolas which he had pledged to a gold financing firm were recovered, ADG (CID) S V Ramana Murthy said.

Rajapathi, who is merely 3.5 feet tall, morphed his actual photograph with the image of a handsome youth to create the fake profile on a couple of social networking sites, he said.
Explaining the modus operandi, Murthy said Rajapathi proposed the girl to marry him to which she agreed. Though he avoided meeting her in person, Rajapathi made her believe that his was the genuine proposal, he said, adding the accused asked the girl to fund his medical expenses claiming that he has some kidney ailment.
The accused himself collected Rs 3 lakh in cash and 50 tolas of gold from the victim during January to October by posing himself as friend of Rajapathi, Murthy said, adding he would identify himself as Sreedhar while collecting the cash and would tell the victim that Rajapathi was in hospital.
However, sensing that something was amiss, the girl filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police station on October 17 following which the investigation was carried out.
Police said the accused told them during investigation that he had also trapped two girls using the similar modus operandi and confessed to the crime.

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Marri Sasidhar Reddy warns students against suicides over Telangaana Issue

Sanathnagar Congress MLA, Marri Shashidhar Reddy has asked students not to end their lives for the cause of Telangana. He also requested the Centre to soon take a decision on the Telangana issue. 

It may be recalled that Santosh, a BSc student at Osmania University committed suicide on Wednesday over delay in declaring separate statehood for Telangana. The incident sparked wide protests from students as well as Telangana supporters, creating a tense atmosphere in the campus.

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Rs 6.7 crore seized cash belongs to Bala sai Baba?

A real estate businessman Rama Rao from Kurnool on Thursday claimed the Rs. 6.70 crore cash which was found in a three-wheeler and seized by the police on Wednesday before the DGP office, according to the police.

 

But he backed off when rumors suggested that the money belonged to the godman Balasai Baba also of Kurnool who has an ashram in Hyderabad, according to sources.

The police on Thursday afternoon announced that a businessman Rama Rao claimed the money and they are questioning him. The police had sought an explanation from him as to why he transported such a huge amount in an auto rickshaw without any security and why the auto driver fled when he saw the police.

According to the police Rama Rao said that he had sent the money to buy land in Hyderabad.

According to reliable sources, police suspect that the amount could have been shifted from the trust of Balasai Baba. However, the police have not confirmed that the money belonged to the trust, but police are probing this angle also.

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Chintalapudi Congress MLA Resigned

Chintalapudi Congress MLA Maddala Rajesh Kumar, who joined YSRCP recently, has sent resignation to Assembly Speaker N Manohar on Thursday.

 

He submitted his resignation in the speaker's office in the morning. He raised a banner of revolt against Congress leadership and switched loyalty to YSRCP.

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Sharmila padayatra enters Kurnool district

YSR Congress Party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's sister Sharmila's 'Maro Praja Prastanam' Padayatra has entered in Kurnool district on Thursday.

After successfully completing her walkthan in Ananthapur district, Sharmila entered the district at Muddikera village around 4.30 in the evening. Sharmila was accorded a grand  reception by Muddikera villagers. She later garlanded the statue of late YSR, which was erected in the village.

While she was paying her respects to the legendary chief minister, everyone gathered there to support Sharmila. The yatra which was began on October 18, was completed in YSR district and Ananthapur district so far.

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Jayaprada to enter AP politics ? : A Gossip

Film actress and MP Jayaprada is all set to join a new political party. But the suspense is that the party has not been named nor identified.

 

Jayaprada, who was in Hyderabad to inaugurate a jewellery showroom said that she had left her heart in Andhra Pradesh and would like to enter AP politics soon.

Jayaprada did not name any party, but said said that she will abide by the majority people's decision. She also said that she cannot reveal all the details now as she is a member of the Parliament.

However, she made it clear that she will join the party by the majority's decision. It is being rumored that she may switch her loyalties to a strong party which has a huge rising supporter base in the state.

Jayaprada Nahata is an MP from Rampur constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

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Controversial film : A Woman in Bramhanism receives ban ruling

The committee which was appointed to watch the movie 'A woman in Braamminism' has recommended a ban on the movie.

 

The chairperson of the committee, Nilam Sawhney, principal secretary, women and child welfare department, had watched the film along with eight other members on November 5 and felt that there was a lot of obscenity and vulgarity in it.
The committee also felt that since the movie would hurt the sentiments of the Brahmin community, it should not be released.
The committee report was sent to the government by the member-convener RV Chandravan, who is the managing director of the AP Film, TV and Theatre Development Corporation, and by the commissioner of the information and public relations department.

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Prohibitory orders extended in old Hyderabad

In view of the continued communal tensions, the police today extended prohibitory orders in the limits of five police stations in the old city.

 

The prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC would continue for three more days during night in the limits of Charminar, Hussaini Alam, Mirchowk, Shalibanda and Moghalpura police stations of South Zone, Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma said.

Earlier, prohibitory orders in seven police stations limits were imposed on November 6 which ended today.

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I will tell about Congress cheating in every village says KCR

Announcing plans to intensify the movement for a separate Telangana state, Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao Thursday alleged that the Congress had once again cheated the region's people though he had agreed to merge his party with the latter.

A two-day brainstorming meet of the TRS concluded at Karimnagar today.

KCR admitted that his visit to Delhi and the talks with Congress leadership failed to extract a positive statement from the party, though he agreed to merge the TRS with the Congress, if the latter delivered the Telangana state comprising 10 districts with Hyderabad as its capital.

He said he had gone to Delhi at the invitation of the Congress. "The Congress party has once again cheated people of Telangana and I will tell this to people in every village," said KCR, who earlier announced he will start visiting villages in the region from Nov 30.

"I was silent all these days as part of a strategy. Today, I have broken the silence. From tomorrow you will see Narasimha avatar of KCR," he quipped when a reporter asked about his future course of action.

Terming the Bharatiya Janata Party as a communal party, the TRS chief said though it was now supporting the Telangana demand, it was difficult for his party to join hands with it.

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Obama win could mean pressure on India to open up more

Wednesday, 07 November 2012 21:34.

It would be business after the electoral rhetoric, India's government, politicians and industry said Wednesday after US president Barrack Obama won a second term in office, hoping he will encourage more trade and investment and a strategic partnership between the two countries.

But pressure could also rise on India to expedite big-ticket economic reforms like opening up the insurance, defence and agriculture sectors after liberalisation of the retail trade and ramp up military cooperation, observers said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh congratulated Obama on his win and said: "We have not only advanced cooperation across the full spectrum of our bilateral relationship, but also deepened our engagement in the pursuit of global peace, stability and prosperity."

"No doubt that there is much more we can do together to further strengthen the India-US partnership and thereby advance peace and stability, expand mutual economic opportunities, harness the potential of science and technology, innovation and higher education and empower our people to address global challenges."

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram welcomed Obama's victory and hoped that Indo-US relations will get stronger, especially economic relations.
Industry lobbies FICCI and CII also applauded the Obama re-election.

"A historic second term for Obama augurs well for the now established India-US strategic and economic partnership," said R.V. Kanoria, FICCI president.
CII president Adi Godrej said Indian industry is hopeful that both countries will strengthen economic ties by "lowering barriers to trade and investment".

"The 2nd term of a US President is the more fascinating one. With politicking out of the way, it's time to build the real legacy," tweeted Anand Mahindra, managing director of Mahindra Group.

Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said India's pharmaceutical and software industries could benefit from Obama's healthcare reforms.
"He wants the healthcare system to become efficient, and that is where the IT industry stands to gain. And he wants it to be affordable, and that is how India's generic drug makers stand to gain," she said speaking at the World Economic Forum event in Gurgaon.

The $100 billion IT industry is hoping for the best. Both Kris Gopalakrishnan of Infosys and N. Chandrasekharan of TCS  hoped that the Obama administration would a "pragmatic" approach.

One of India's grouse during Obama's first term as president has been the challenges the IT companies faced was the rising visa fees and getting visas for their workers. The Indian government has described these as "highly discriminatory" .

Phaneesh Murthy of iGate Corp, however, said the Obama re-election was not the "best news for India or the IT outsourcing industry."
He said the election rhetoric could continue into 2013 and that would determine the "full implications".

Unemployment was a major issue in the election and Obama had criticised US firms "exporting" jobs, seeking to tax them more and use that money to help those companies that keep jobs at home.

Trade and investment analysts said there would be significant issues for India in the years ahead, such as its immigration concerns and US worries about investment barriers.

Washington sees India is vital for its national interests, both as a big export market for US goods and a strong strategic ally, given China's growing assertion in the Asia-Pacific.

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Commenting on Twitter, FB 'not same as chatting in pub'

Now, posting any comment on social networks like Twitter and Facebook is no longer the same as a chat down the pub, two prominent British media lawyers have said. Media lawyers Niri Shan and Lorna Caddy explained that when we post material online, we act as publishers and our publications are subject to the same laws as those of professional publishers, such as newspapers.

According to the lawyers, the court's ruling in cases involving social networks, suggest that the public cannot treat Twitter and Facebook as they would a casual chat in the pub, the Telegraph reports.

The remarks came as a UK District Judge Andrew Shaw recently ordered nine people to pay footballer, Ched Evan's, rape victim 624 pounds after they admitted disclosing her identity on Twitter and Facebook.

They were charged with publishing material likely to lead members of the public to identify the complainant in a rape case, the paper said.

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Facebook tracks real-time voters in US election

Facebook users in the US can let the world know they voted in the US presidential election Tuesday, with results displaying on a real-time map on the popular social networking site.

"This map is a representation of people on Facebook who clicked an Election Day prompt to share with their friends that they're voting in the 2012 US election," said the Facebook team in a post on the website.

While Facebook masks the identity of which users voted, other information on those who self-reported their trip to the polls is available, such as their age, gender, and geographic location.

Facebook's team will also use its so-called "Talk Meter" to monitor and measure overall chatter and the most used terms and phrases on the site during Election Day.

Facebook ranks topics on a scale of 1-to-10 and posts results on its US Politics on Facebook page.

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Fake profiles nuisence @ Amala Paul

The menace of fake profiles on social networking sites is haunting Amala Paul once again.

Few days ago, she had specifically told her followers that her real Twitter handle is @amala_ams and urged them not to follow or believe some of her other fake profiles. She even asked those handling the fake profiles to stop tweeting because it was misleading most of her fans.

Today, she found out that there were more fake profiles on her name. “Again tellin u all these accounts are fake ..u baseless ppl stop doing this ..deactivate it immediately @amalapaul @Amalapaul_ #suethem! One more faker joining the list @amalapaul8 …whew! ! I am in no way associated with these ..seems like a group of miscreants here! !Kill,” she posted on Twitter.

She’s currently in Hyderabad where she’s shooting for a song for her upcoming Telugu film Nayak. Lawrence is the choreographer of the song and the actress was delighted to work with him for the first time. The film has Ram Charan, Kajal and Amala Paul in lead roles. V V Vinayak is directing the film.

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Sharmila covers 93 villages so far: YSRCP

Sharmila, who is undertaking 'Maro Praja Prasthanam' Padayatra on behalf of YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, has touched 93 villages, three municipalities and one corporation walking through a distance of 258 km as on 20th day on Tuesday.

YSRCP Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakara Reddy told media persons in Hyderabad today that more than 12 lakh people followed Sharmila till Tuesday during her padayatra.
Sharmila has interacted with thousands of people trying to know their problems so far during the course of the padayatra and will continue to do so through the length and breadth of her scheduled 3000 km walkathon, he said.

Karunakar Reddy said that Sharmila’s padayatra is like a waxing moon while TDP president Chandrababu Naidu’s 'Vasutnna Mee Kosam'  was like a waning moon. “Jagan Mohan Reddy has been thinking of people’s welfare despite his being in jail due to the conspiracy of the Congress and TDP,” he said. "People are watching the Government’s anti-people actions and TDP’s support to it," he added.

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KCR calls upon people to 'bury' Congress party

Declaring that it would contest the 2014 general elections on its own, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has set a target of 15 Lok Sabha and 100 assembly seats, party chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao said in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

The sub-regional party, fighting for statehood to Telangana, made it clear that it would have no alliance with any party in the next elections.

The party took the decision on the first day of the two-day brainstorming meet, which began at Karimnagar Wednesday, called to chalk out future course of action to achieve its goal of Telangana state.

Terming the Congress party a "villain", Rao called upon people to "bury" that party in the region.

KCR, hit out at the Congress saying it had once again betrayed the people of Telangana. He told party leaders that he had gone to Delhi at the invitation of the Congress party, which stopped talks on Telangana.

KCR also said he would visit villages across Telangana starting on Nov 30.

The party plans to hold a public meeting at Suryapet on Nov 23 and protests across Telangana on Nov 29 to mark the third anniversary of KCR's 11-day hunger strike Nov 29, 2009.

It was after the hunger strike that the central government announced its decision to initiate the process for formation of Telangana state. It later backtracked, saying there is need for consultations and a consensus.

Admitting some differences with Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC), KCR ruled out leaving the JAC. He recalled that it was the TRS which took the initiative to form the JAC.

He said he would soon call JAC convenor M. Kodandaram and other leaders for talks to sort out issues.

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Botsa dismisses reports on leadership change

PCC Chief Botsa Satyanarayana today dismissed speculation about change of guard in the state.

On media reports that he and Chief Minister Kiran Reddy might be replaced by the Congress high command, Botsa told reporters that such reports were incorrect and uncalled for.

When asked about reports that he had abused his official position for the recent wedding of his daughter at his native Vizianagaram, Botsa said he would bow his head if the charges were proved.

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