Country is happy and so am I: Anjali Tendulkar

Sachin’s wife Anjali regrets he missed another century, but considers the series win
as the greatest achievement

MUMBAI: History was made by India as they threw Australia from the champion’s throne by virtue of a 2-0 win in the best-of-three finals played this week.

The games had one thing in common, and that was Sachin Tendulkar’s brilliant form. He scored a classy unbeaten 117 in Sydney Cricket Ground and followed it up with a 91 at the Gabba, Brisbane.

Sachin’s wife, Dr Anjali Tendulkar, was delighted that her husband played a pivotal role in both the finals. “Of course it feels good when India win, and especially when Sachin scores runs. The whole country is happy with this win, and so am I,” Anjali told DNA after the thrilling second final at Brisbane.

Anjali felt that had Sachin scored another hundred it would have doubled the happiness, however she was most glad that India won the Commonwealth Bank series.

“I do feel unhappy but that’s ok. If he scores 91 to give India a good start and the team wins then it is fine. For Sachin, winning the matches for India is more important than scoring a hundred,” she added.

Sachin was hit by the ball during the match; however, Anjali is yet to speak to Sachin about his injury. “I spoke to him after the match, but I could not enquire about his injury because there was lot of noise behind,” she said.

News Source : Samachar

Tendulkar is ICC's world No. 1

Two match-winning knocks against Australia in the tri-series finals have propelled Sachin Tendulkar back to the position of world's number one ODI batsman displacing the vanquished Australian skipper Ricky Ponting in the ICC Rankings on Tuesday.

Tendulkar is seven rating points clear of Ponting, who had a miserable run with the bat during the series and struggled against a young Indian attack.

The Indian has reached the rank four years after he had last touched it, during the Asia Cup in 2004 in Sri Lanka.

South African captain Graeme Smith at the third spot follows the second-placed Ponting.

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who became the first Indian wicketkeeper to score more than 300 runs and effect 20 dismissals in a series, is at the 10th spot with 728 points, just five below ninth-placed Herschelle Gibbs.

Dhoni's deputy Yuvraj Singh occupies the 18th position with 691 points.

Meanwhile, the historic triumph has helped India gain three rating points to move just a fraction behind third-placed New Zealand in the ICC ODI Championship table, where Australia's lead on top was trimmed to a bare minimum.

Australia, which entered the series on 130 ratings points, dropped to 127 points, the same as second-placed South Africa but above Graeme Smith's side when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

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I was shocked to see what goes on for placements’ at IIMs

This fortnight, India’s top business schools—the Indian Institutes of Management in Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Kolkata—hold job placement weeks, where companies vie to recruit the best and the brightest of the batch. Companies jockey to recruit on the first day, known as Day Zero. On the condition of anonymity, a recruiter from one such company spoke to Mint’s Aparna Kalra on his experience.

I graduated from an IIM, so I am part of the IIM system but in my time placements were not the circus that they have become now.

I feel that all the gaming that is going on is completely unnecessary. The placements are also based on some socialist principles to ensure that everyone gets a job. They have to be based on market clearing forces.

They have to be more open and a rolling process as it is in business schools in the US. I have recruited at top schools there and the system was simple. Each company came with a list of candidates it wanted to interview, candidates showed up for the interview; at the end of the day the company got a chance to calibrate the candidates against each other and make offers. The candidates were given a lot of time, typically two months, to make up their minds.

When I started recruiting at IIMs three years ago, I was shocked to see what goes on for placements over there.

Companies and candidates squeezed into Day Zero. I-banks are the worst culprits. They will just not let a candidate go. They push the boundaries, make exploratory offers; “I will make you an offer if you accept it right now”.

The candidate is thinking: “If I don’t accept, I am not sure the company I go to next will have a slot for me”.

If you are a recruiter on Day Zero, you are calculating, “One hour into Day Zero, I better make some offers”, without meeting all the candidates.

Apart from pre-placement talks, there is very little time with the candidate. You select from a short interaction and hope like hell that the choices work.

All this is unnecessary. I talked to other companies and they said they have just become part of the system. Plus, the IIMs have socialist principles where a candidate cannot have more than two offers at the same time. This is to ensure that everyone gets a job.

Another pet peeve of mine is a loophole in the system which allows candidates with pre-placement offers (PPOs) to sit for other interviews. Or do a “dream” (interviewing with a company that the candidate dreams to work for). PPO is giving your word to a company that you will join. The loophole allows a candidate who has given his or her word to sit for an interview. This is unethical behaviour.

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Home to ‘shy’ wife after 35 years

The laddoo from wife Paramjit gave Kashmir Singh his taste of freedom at Attari.

“You are as shy as you were when I had left saying I would be back soon,” the 67-year-old said, hands trembling and eyes moist, after he crossed the border checkpost from Wagah in Pakistan this afternoon. Son Sheeshpal, daughters-in-law Manjeet and Sukhwinder, and childhood friend G.C. Bhardwaj struggled to hold back tears.

For Kashmir and Paramjit, 60, today’s reunion at the BSF office symbolised a love story that had survived 35 years of separation. “I thank my wife for doing so much for my release. She also took care of my children,” he said.

Paramjit, who had to work as a domestic help and do other odd jobs after her husband was arrested in 1973 in Rawalpindi and jailed on spying charges, appeared to have put the painful past behind her. “We don’t have much time to cry over what has happened. We must enjoy whatever time we have left with us. Let us go home together. There are people waiting for you,” she said.

After a briefing from intelligence agencies, a procedure followed for all such prisoners from Pakistan, Kashmir reached Nangal Choran, his village in Hoshiarpur, around 4.30pm to a tumultuous reception.

In their moment of happiness, the family didn’t forget to thank Ansar Burney, the Pakistan human rights minister who had worked for the release and persuaded President Pervez Musharraf to pardon Kashmir Singh, who had been handed the death penalty in the 70s.

“I am grateful to President Musharraf, Burney saab, the people of Pakistan and all those who looked after me in jail for giving me a second life,” Kashmir Singh said. Like his new life, his prison uniform had given way to new clothes.

Earlier in the day, Kashmir Singh gave Burney a long hug. “I was finding it difficult to control my tears when I was hugging Singh. I want that all Indians also hug Pakistanis with the same emotion,” the minister said, adding that he would take up the case of Sarabjit Singh, another Indian on death row in Pakistan.

After his release on Monday, Singh spent the night in a luxury hotel before being driven today by Pakistani officials to the border. The only signs of his days in jail were his meagre belongings, stuffed in a small plastic bag.

Kashmir would have been executed in 1978, after his mercy petition was rejected by then President Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry. Later, he was lost in the maze of Pakistani jails, waiting to be led away to the gallows any day.

Today, though, there was little sign of bitterness. “They (the Pakistani authorities) treated me well. I wasn’t beaten.”

Kashmir Singh said he hadn’t gone to Pakistan to smuggle goods or to spy for India. “I was not involved in anything. Nothing was found on me.”

Singh admitted it was a mistake to have gone without a passport. He said would go to Pakistan again, this time with a “passport and work for the good of both nations”.

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Kashmir Singh arrives to hero’s welcome

After languishing in Pakistani prisons for 35 years, 67-year-old Kashmir Singh took the last step to freedom when he crossed the border at Wagah in Amritsar district on Tuesday afternoon. While political party leaders and officials accorded him hero’s welcome, it was an emotional reunion for his family.

Mr. Singh, who received a presidential pardon, had been arrested in Rawalpindi in 1973 and sentenced to death by a military court on charges of espionage.

Charges denied

Talking to reporters at the border checkpost, he thanked Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and the caretaker Human Rights Minister, Ansar Burney, for granting him another lease of life. He, however, denied all charges against him.

Punjab’s Minister for Information and Public Relations Bikram Singh Majithia and Hoshiarpur MP Avinash Rai Khanna and garlanded Mr. Singh near the gates at the zero line. Officials then ushered him into an office room of the BSF post where, away from media gaze, close friends witnessed an emotional family reunion. His wife Paramjit Kaur, physically challenged son Shishpal Singh and some other relatives had been waiting anxiously for the moment since February 28, when news of his imminent release broke.

Praise for rights lawyer

An overwhelmed Mr. Singh recalled that his children were aged six, three and one when he left India. “Had I not seen them on television last night [Monday], I would not have recognised them now.” One his sons, Amarjit Singh, and daughter Manjit Kaur are travelling from Italy to meet their father.

He said he was extremely grateful to Mr. Burney who, as human rights lawyer, spotted him in the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore.

After a brief interrogation by intelligence officers, Mr. Singh was handed over to his family and relatives, who then left for their native village, Nangal Khiladiyan, in Hoshiarpur district in a cavalcade. At various spots en route, people organised impromptu receptions, where locals showered flower petals on him, distributed sweets and performed ‘Bhangra’ to the enthusiastic beats of the ‘dhol’ (drum).

Mr. Singh was accorded a big reception as he entered his village. He was taken in procession to the local Gurdwara and a temple. Drum beats, dancing and bursting of crackers marked the celebrations.

“Healthy and alert”

Mr. Singh’s childhood associate G.C. Bhardwaj, who retired as Deputy Director of All India Radio, told The Hindu on the phone that his friend appeared to be healthy and mentally alert. He said Mr. Singh appeared to be in a hurry to enquire about everybody he knew and was anxious to return to the village and see if the “major” landmarks still existed.

Mr. Bhardwaj, who has vivid memories of playing soccer with Mr. Singh, was among the few who relentlessly carried their campaign for his release. They began seeking justice way back in 1985 when Pakistan released Milkh Raj of Fazilka town, who also faced similar charges.

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Apex court stays ban on Jodha Akbar

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the orders passed by the Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Uttaranchal governments banning the screening of ‘Jodha Akbar.’

A Bench consisting of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justices R.V. Raveendran and J.M. Panchal granted the stay till March 14 when the filing of a petition by the producer of the Hindi film, UTV Software Communication, was mentioned by senior counsel Ashok Desai. The matter is listed for further hearing that day.

Mr. Desai said full clearance had been obtained from the Central Board of Film Certification for screening the film. Still the States, one after another, passed administrative orders banning the screening and if others also issued similar directives, “we will have Bharat darshan.”

Quoting the apex court judgment in the case involving the Tamil film ‘Ore Oru Gramathile’, produced by S. Rangarajan (former publisher of The Hindu), Mr. Desai said freedom of expression could not be suppressed on account of a threat of demonstrations and processions or threat of violence.

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Tendulkar came good at the right time: Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni led the Indian team to a historic win against world champions Australia in the Commonwealth Bank Series at Gabba in Brisbane on Tuesday.

Not many people had given much chance to the young Indian team against Ricky Ponting's team but in the end Dhoni and his young warriors aided by ageing pro Sachin Tendulkar showed that Aussie can be beaten.

"Of course it was very important because I believe that this is the building stage of my team. Youngsters are in and we have left a few seniors out of the side and there were a lot of questions asked about whether the team can do well in Australia. They say the conditions are tough here to topple the best team in the world," Dhoni said at the post-match awards ceremony.

Dhoni admitted that the team was under pressure at the beginning of the tri-series.

"After the start the way we played the Twenty20 game, the pressure was on us especially in the batting department. The bowlers were doing well through out the series. But the way we improved our batting and the way we were backing each other and the way we were enjoying each other's success was an important point," the Indian skipper said.

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Doctor from Andhra found dead in US

An Andhra Pradesh doctor pursuing his postgraduation in Pennsylvania was found dead over the weekend, the fourth Indian student to meet a violent end in the US in the past three months.

The 29-year-old student of internal medicine, Akkaldevi Srinivas, was expected to return home in the next two months to practise in Karimnagar town and marry fiancée Jayashree. They got engaged last November when Srinivas was here on holiday.

His family members at Korutla in Karimnagar district said they found out about the death late on Sunday. Srinivas is believed to have died on Friday night.

An MBBS student of the 1995 batch of Gandhi Medical College in Hyderabad, Srinivas had joined Scranton State University for an MD programme in 2005 after completing his MS. He went to the US in 2002.

His phone allegedly went dead on Friday. Worried, his family contacted friends and relatives in the US, and came across a police bulletin about Srinivas’s death. Further enquiries confirmed the report.

His parents, Bhagyalakshmi and Anjaiaha, were shocked. They suspect Srinivas was killed in his room by someone who had come to rob him.

“His body has several knife injuries and cuts,” said one of his associates at the university who identified the body.

“Dr Srinivas has been hit with hard substances on his head and there were several bruises on his body,” said his father, a retired state government employee.

But PTI later said preliminary investigation by the police pointed at suicide.

A friend of Srinivas informed the family that the doctor’s body was found on Saturday in a pool of blood with stab wounds on his neck.

Anjaiaha has left for the US to bring home his son’s body.

His family members have appealed to the government for assistance to bring back the body and get the incident investigated.

Two PhD students from Andhra — Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allan — were killed in their Louisiana University campus apartment in December 2007. The police are yet to catch the assailants.

Abhijeet Mahato, a 29-year-old PhD student from Orissa at Duke University, was found shot dead in January. An estimated 80,000 Indian students study annually in the US — the largest number from any country.

In the wake of the recent spate of attacks on students, the Indian embassy in the US has asked the student community to keep it informed about their whereabouts and contact numbers.

The embassy has also asked the students to leave their forwarding numbers in India with it.

News Source : Samachar

Gilchrist walks, into the sunset

Adam Gilchrist, the most dashing wicketkeeper-batsman in the history of the game, bid farewell to international cricket on Tuesday after ending up on the losing side when India beat Australia in the tri-series finals here.

Gilchrist, who led his team to a historic Test series win against India in 2004-05, announced his retirement from international cricket during the Test series against India in January, ending his illustrious career spanning over 12 years.

However, while his Test farewell went fine with Australia clinching it 2-1, the one-day retirement turned out to be disappointing as India won the best-of-three tri-series 2-0.

The 36-year-old, who played 96 Tests, nonetheless finished his career while at the top of the table of the game's leading wicketkeepers by dismissals, with 416 dismissals (379 caught, 37 stumped) in Tests.

He compiled 5570 Test runs for an average of 47.60 and scored 9612 runs in 287 ODIs for an average of 35.89.

Gilchrist, who played some of his most breath-taking knocks against India, will be remembered for being the captain of the team which conquered the 'final frontier' when they beat India at home in 2004-05 for the first time in 35 years.

The Australian vice-captain has scored 17 centuries, maximum by a wicketkeeper. Gilchrist made it to the Australian squad at a relatively advanced age when he replaced Ian Healy in the side. He gradually became one of the key members in the all conquering Australian team and lent depth to the batting order.

Gilchrist's stellar career also includes the second fastest ever century in Test history -- against England in December 2006 in Perth. He reached his hundred in 57 balls, one more than Sir Viv Richards. In the same innings he broke the record for the most runs in an over during an Ashes Test, plundering 24 from Monty Panesar.

He has also scored hundreds against all nine Test opponents and has also hit more sixes than any other batsman in Test history, recording his 100th six during the recent match against Sri Lanka in Hobart in 2007.

Gilchrist has to his credit the feat of claiming 10 dismissals in a Test against New Zealand at Hamilton in 2000, the first Australian to do so and the third 'keeper from any country to capture as many victims in a single Test.

A three-time ICC Cricket World Cup winner, Gilchrist passed 50 in every World Cup final he played, which must be as important an achievement as any other.

In April 2007, Gilchrist lit up Kensington Oval in Barbados with 149 from 104 balls in the World Cup final against Sri Lanka.

He also holds the ODI dismissal record with 454 dismissals in his 277 ODI's (401 caught, 53 stumped).

In Tests, Gilchrist's unbeaten 149 against Pakistan when all seemed lost, his epic 204 against South Africa in Johannesburg and his 57-delivery century against England will be the high points.
Gilchrist was also among the very few batsmen in contemporary cricket who believed in walking without waiting for the umpire's decision.

News Source : Samachar

ICC rankings: India gains points

The triumph on Tuesday has helped India gain three rating points to move just a fraction behind third-placed New Zealand even as Australia’s lead on top of the ICC ODI Championship table was trimmed to a bare minimum.

Australia, which entered the series on 130 ratings points, dropped to 127 points, the same as second-placed South Africa but above Graeme Smith’s side when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

India, in contrast, gained three rating points from the tri-series which it won 2-0. India now sits alongside New Zealand on 113 points but behind Daniel Vettori’s side when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

Sri Lanka slips

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, which was the third team in the tri-series, dropped one rating point to return home on 107 after failing to qualify for the final. The scenario has left South Africa’s fate in its own hands as it goes head-to-head with Bangladesh in a three-match ODI series from March 9.

If South Africa sweeps the series, it will reclaim the top spot it surrendered to Ricky Ponting’s side during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 in the West Indies.

However, if Bangladesh manages to win just a game, Australia will open a two-point gap with South Africa which will drop to 125 rating points.

Australia top seed With the last game of the series between South Africa and Bangladesh set to be played on March 15, Australia has been confirmed as the top seed for this September’s ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan as the cut-off date for seedings is March 12, six months before the scheduled start of the tournament.

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‘We bearded the lion in its own den’

India’s 2-0 sweep of the triangular series finals against Australia at Brisbane on Tuesday was hailed by former Test cricketers as historic.

“It was a historic victory and reminded me of the 1971 (Test series) victories over the West Indies and England (away from home). It was a great team effort,” said former India captain Ajit Wadekar.

Wadekar also praised Sachin Tendulkar’s efforts in both of the matches of the final besides praising the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni

“Dhoni has led very well and the team is a nice blend of youth and experience. Sachin (Tendulkar) made a hell of a difference,” he said.

Former Test batsman Ashok Mankad said: “We have bearded the lion in its own den. It was a fantastic effort, winning it 2-0 against the World champions.”

Former Test left-arm spinner Bapu Nadkarni said “It was a Super Tuesday after Super Sunday (when India won the first of the finals and the under-19 team emerged triumphant). They looked very confident during the first finals and continued in the same vein today,” he said.

“The (Aussie) domination is not over yet, but they are scared of India now. We have made a big dent. They have to accept it,” he added.

Chief Selector Dilip Vengsarkar said: “It was a fantastic and historic victory after a 23-year gap,” he said, referring to India’s last win in the 1983 World Cup. “To defeat the top team over last one decade shows that India is fast closing in on Australia,” he said.

Vengsarkar also praised Dhoni for his “marvellous” captaincy and Sachin Tendulkar for his “focus” since landing in Australia.

Former Indian captain Ajay Jadeja said it was an “incredible effort” by the young team. “I think it is unbelievable. We have beaten them twice in a row and that is quite an achievement,” he said.

Navjot Singh Sidhu rated the victory as one of the five best wins recorded by India in the history. “It is definitely one of the top five wins recorded by India in its history. The lions have roared and they have announced their arrival. Indian cricket has a bright future,” the former opener said.

Former Test batsman Chandu Borde, who was the cricket manager of the team in England last year, also praised the efforts of the team besides hailing the administrators for standing by the team during the Harbhajan Singh race row.

“It’s a victory for not only the players but also the administrators who stood behind the team during the Harbhajan Singh episode to boost the players’ confidence,” the former captain said. — PTI

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Shah Rukh’s dreamz unlimited

Actor Shah Rukh Khan wants to build an underground parking lot and a swimming pool behind his Bandra residence. He has applied to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seeking permission to construct a 20,000-sq-ft underground parking lot and a swimming pool measuring only slightly less, on the ground floor of the six-storey building he has built behind his sea-facing heritage bungalow Mannat at Bandra (West).

Civic officials said the proposal has been forwarded to the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority.

As Khan’s bungalow and building fall under the Coastal Regulation Zone — an ecologically sensitive area near the sea — permission from the Authority is needed to undertake any construction there.

The plan, said civic sources, is related to changes in Khan’s building, which houses the actor’s extra living room, guest room, gym and some offices.

Ashok Shintre, chief engineer (Development Plan, BMC), said: “The plan came to us through Khan’s architect and we have sent it for a No-Objection Certificate to the state coastal zone authority as the changes to be made are for a plot under 2 hectares in area (approximately 2 lakh sq ft). If it were more than that, we would have sent it to the Central Authority,” Shintre said.

Confirming that the coastal zone authority has received the proposal from the civic body, an official said no decision had been taken.

“It will be brought before the Authority in one of its meetings, when such proposals are tabled for clearance,” he added, refusing to divulge when the proposal would be discussed.

Chairman of the Authority Shyamlal Goyal was not available for comment.

Khan’s building is already entangled in a legal suit following a petition filed by non-governmental organisation Bhrashtachar Nirmulan Sanghatana last year, alleging that it encroached on the proposed road in the city development plan and the balconies jutted out of the plot boundary.

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Kudos from President, Prime Minister

President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday congratulated Team India which won the Commonwealth Bank Series.

“It is a fabulous victory. This is a victory based on teamwork and strong determination,” the President said in a message.

The Prime Minister intervened in the Rajya Sabha debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address to congratulate the team. — PTI

New Delhi Special Correspondent writes:

Union Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar praised the players for their “magnificent” performance.

The dedication and spirit with which the series was played was brilliant, he said.

In Mumbai the BCCI announced a cash award of Rs. 10 crore to the team.

News Source : Samachar

Desperate Asian women faking virginity in Britain

Some Asian women in Britain are going to great lengths to fake their virginity, driven to desperation by concepts of 'honour' in a community where myths about their first sexual experience is still widely held, an Asian radio station reported.

If found to have sex before marriage, the lives of some young Asian women can be at risk and they can be driven away from their homes, experts and community workers told the BBC Asian Network documentary Like a Virgin, broadcast on Monday.

As a result, desperate young women are using fake blood and even going in for reconstructive surgery to fake their virginity, the investigative radio documentary reported.

In an echo of social attitudes held in many parts of the Indian subcontinent, the programme found that most of the 17 to 21 year old men interviewed in the region of West Midlands - home to a large number of Asians - preferred women to be virgins at marriage.

Concepts of honour are strongly held among some conservative Asian communities in Britain and have been linked not only to the practice of forced marriage but also, in some cases, the murder of young women.

An adviser formerly with the national sexual health charity Brook said she personally received requests for information on faking virginity on a daily basis from young Asian women - and that she provided the information because she feared for the safety of these women.

She said: ''They would sometimes come in to the centre because they were concerned about the fact that maybe they had had unprotected sex with a boyfriend and they were concerned about whether other men would know they had had sex before and were not a virgin.''

''The discussions would then go around some of the myths around virginity that girls bleed on the first time of having sexual intercourse. So we were able to say, 'lots of girls don't'.

''The problem is that lots of men and lots of people within the (Asian) community believe that that is true, and therefore they (young women) are very concerned that they will get married and they won't bleed and their husband will believe they weren't a virgin at marriage and all the problems that would cause them in life.''

Social stigma

She said women were using red dye and mock blood that can be bought from novelty shops that they inserted into their vaginas or spread on the bed sheet after having sex. One Pakistani woman said she knew someone who had used a bottle of red ink - and got away with it. ''Her mother-in-law was very happy,'' said the woman.

Underlining the seriousness of the issue, the adviser said she agreed to provide information on how to fake virginity because ''for some young women the risks to them and their personal safety were so great that if they were not able to fake it then the consequences could have been dire.''

A community worker who works with young Asians in west London said some girls have had to flee their homes and go into shelter ''because their life is on the line. Somebody may have found out''.

Linda Cardozo, a gynaecologist at Kings College Hospital in London, said some desperate Asian women were seeking reconstructive hymen-repair surgery, but that it was ''quite difficult to achieve'' the repair because there may not always be enough tissues to bring together.

In any case, there was no guarantee that the woman would bleed.

The main aim of hymen repair is to bleed on wedding night, but of course there are many women who don't bleed on their wedding night, whether they are virgins or not.

This is because the hymen may be very stretchy, they may have used tampons for menstruation, they may have had lot of exercise and subtle tissues and therefore there are many women who have their first intercourse without bleeding at all.

''So there's no guarantee these women will achieve the aim they set out to achieve,'' the doctor added.

Although some 24 such repairs had been performed in the state health sector, the vast majority of such surgeries are thought to take place in the private sector, which each surgery costs between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds.

News Source : Samachar

Shape up or face action, airlines tell air hostesses

NEW DELHI: Shed flab or face action seems to be the mantra of state-run airliners with regard to overweight airhostesses as three leading public carriers have grounded 43 out-of-shape stewards.

Indian Airlines and Air India, now merged into one entity, have grounded 22 and 16 overweight airhostesses respectively, while Alliance Air has taken action against five stewards so far, the government told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

"Such cabin crew are asked to reappear for weight check periodically and are assigned flight duty once they conform to the prescribed weight limits," civil aviation minister Praful Patel said in a written reply to a question. He said cabin crew who continue to remain overweight are evaluated by a medical board, and based on its assessment and recommendations, further action is taken as per the Terms of Employment.

To a question on safety, Patel said four incidents of breach of separation were reported at the Delhi airport last year and steps are being taken to avert recurrence of such incidents.

The steps include modernization of air traffic services, implementation of safety management system at Delhi airport, modification of standard operating and coordination procedure for simultaneous runway operations and flexible use of airspace for reducing traffic congestion.

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India beats Australia in a thriller to claim cricket tri-series

NIGHT TO REMEMBER: The Indian team basks in the afterglow of its historic triumph in the final edition of the tri-series in Australia. M.S. Dhoni’s side overcame Australia in a dramatic second final in Brisbane by nine runs on Tuesday.

Brisbane: India made history here on Tuesday as Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men held their nerve to win a tense second final against Australia by nine runs and triumph in the Commonwealth Bank ODI tri-series.

India’s first tournament victory in the competition came in the final edition of the ODI tri-series in Australia. In the first match of the best-of-three finals on Sunday, India had beaten the home team by six wickets.

Scenes of joy were witnessed in the Indian camp moments after a battling James Hopes (63 off 80 balls) holed out to mid-wicket off Irfan Pathan with just two deliveries of the final over remaining. The ecstatic Indian cricketers, their supporters cheering them on, ran a victory lap with the national flag.

Paceman Praveen Kumar, whose three-wicket burst with the new ball reduced Australia to 32 for three, was named the ‘Man of the Finals.’ Australia’s left-arm paceman Nathan Bracken was adjudged the ‘Player of the Tournament’ for his outstanding bowling right through the tri-series.

India, opting to bat, made 258 for nine in 50 overs. Sachin Tendulkar, following up his unbeaten 117 in the first final at the SCG, scored 91 (121b, 7x4). The maestro’s opening partnership of 94 in 20.5 overs with Robin Uthappa (30) laid a solid foundation for the side.

India lost its way towards the end of the innings but a fighting 37-ball 36 from skipper Dhoni ensured that the Aussies chased a competitive total. Then, Praveen used the conditions better than his Australian counterparts.

Matthew Hayden (55 off 68 balls) and Andrew Symonds (42 off 56) revived Australia’s hopes after the early collapse but the dismissal of both the batsmen in the 26th over of the innings put considerable pressure on the host. Michael Hussey and Hopes kept Australia in the hunt but the Indians displayed good end-game skills.

The match signalled the end of the careers of legendary batsman-wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist and left-arm chinaman bowler Brad Hogg.

News Source : Samachar

China cites India, hikes defence budget to $57 billion

BEIJING: China on Tuesday announced a nearly 17.6 per cent hike in defence spending. It cited the high defence spending by India and other countries as part of its justification to enhance military expenditure to $57.22bn.

China spent just 1.4 per cent of its gross domestic product on defence against 2.5 per cent by India, Jiang Enzhul, spokesperson for the National People's Congress told reporters on Tuesday ahead of the annual NPC session beginning on Wednesday.

What Jiang did not mention is that India's military expenses at $26.18 billion (Rs 105,600 crores) were less than half of China's expenditure in absolute terms. Finance minister P Chidambaram announced last week that Indian defence spending will rise 10 per cent to reach Rs 105,600 crores in the 2008-09 budget.

"We do not seek expansion. The purpose is to safeguard our sovereignty, security and territorial integrity," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at another press conference on Wednesday.

A lot of Chinese military expenditure is made under different heads, sources said. Much of the infrastructure that China has built along the border with India has been created with dual usage in mind enabling both civilians and uniformed forces to take advantage of them, informed sources said. This includes both rail and road infrastructure.

"China's expanding and improving military capabilities are changing East Asian military balances," a Pentagon report from Washington said hours before the Chinese government announced the rise in defence expenditure on Wednesday. The report expressed concern over growing arsenal of missiles arrayed against Taiwan. China regards Taiwan as part of its own territory and has been striving for the unification of the two areas.

Jiang said military expenses accounted for 14.1 per cent of India's overall spending while China spent just 7.2 per cent of its total budget on defence. Developed countries spent a lot more with the United States allocating 4.6 per cent of its GDP to defence and Britain spending three per cent of its GDP, he said. The figure for France is 2 per cent and Russia 2.63 per cent of GDP.

The NPC spokesman said that China's approach to defence was defensive in nature and merely designed to safeguard the country's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Its military forces do not "pose a threat to any country".

Much of the new increase in the 2008 defence budget would go to meet the enhanced pay of soldiers and officers and to offset the impact of price hikes besides spending some money on education and training with an improved focus on the use of information technologies.

"There are all sorts of comments on China's defence budget", he said. He was obviously referring to the statements by the United States accusing China about the lack of transparency in military spending. The moderate rise in military spending seen in recent years in China has been possible because of the development in the economy in general and an improvement in government revenue.

Between 2003 and 2007, China's military spending increases at an average of 15.8 per cent a year. This is much less as compared to the growth in government revenue at 22.1 per cent a year, he said.

News Source : Samachar

India Down Under: A bittersweet symphony

India's tour of Australia is now complete with some sweet, some bitter memories. Here's looking at some of those incidents when cricket took a backseat and left a sour taste in the mouth.

The Sydney fiasco
Cricket took a backseat in the second Test at Sydney. India had a right to feel, correctly so, that the umpires had done them in. India had at least half a dozen calls against them. With one over left in the game, India let Australia win narrowly when a draw really should have been the result. But a day before that, the cricket world erupted with Andrew Symonds claiming Harbhajan Singh had racially abused him. After the game ended, after a prolonged meeting with umpires, players and board representatives, match referee Mike Procter labelled Harbhajan guilty. The Indian players took offence, saying they would not leave Sydney before the charges were taken back. BCCI stepped in and said the tour would not go on if Harbhajan was not declared innocent. In Adelaide later that month, the ICC appeals commissioner upheld India's plea, bringing down Harbhajan's punishment to 50 per cent of his match fee. Australia felt aggrieved at this, India felt vindicated.

The egg on Muralitharan
There's a reason Muttiah Muralitharan has had apprehensions travelling to Australia. The umpiring has been unkind to him, and the crowd vicious and occasionally racist. Hence, the alarm bells rang in Hobart when an uncouth being in Hobart pelted the Lankan with eggs when he was out for dinner. The Lankans were gracious enough to laugh off the incident, with captain Mahela Jayawardene saying Murali would have chased down the goons had the traffic signal not turned green, allowing them to escape in their car.

Harbhajan gets a send-off
India were hot Australia's trail chasing 318 - again in Sydney. Harbhajan, having played a cameo to revive India's hopes, got out. As he walked off the park, there was a brief exchange of words between him and Ponting. Harbhajan later said Ponting was taunting him. "Show us what you've got," Ponting told Harbhajan, who responded by saying that he had made more runs in the summer than the off-colour Aussie captain. This, according to Harbhajan, peeved Ponting and he abused the Indian and ran back to the team huddle before Harbhajan could respond. Ponting and Adam Gilchrist later said this was just part of the whole story.

Ishant vs Symonds
Earlier, in the same game in Sydney, Ishant Sharma had bowled out Andrew Symonds. Symonds appeared to say something to Ishant on his way back, and the Indian responded by showing the batsman the way to the pavilion. While Ishant was summoned and fined for what was a clear breach of the ICC Code of Conduct, Symonds did was not even called by the match referee for what could have been use of abusive language against the Indian. It led to further bad blood between the two sides, with many feeling that the Australian got off lightly.

'Obnoxious little weed'
Just before the CB Series finals, Matthew Hayden thought it would be funny to go on radio and call Harbhajan Singh an 'obnoxious little weed'. Hayden even said he fancied getting Ishant Sharma in a boxing ring. Cricket Australia stepped in and reprimanded Haydos. Indians thought he got off lightly, Aussie cricketers were enraged this was another instance of their board pandering to the BCCI's whims.

Monkeygate Part 2, almost
In the most recent hullabaloo, the Australian media cooked up a story on how Harbhajan Singh made monkey gestures to racially taunt the Sydney crowd in the first CB Series final. One paper even said the Indian spat at a spectator. There was no conclusive evidence to back the outlandish claims and the matter was given a prompt burial by the ICC.

News Source : Samachar

Delhi Police uncover sex racket

Delhi Police's crime branch uncovered a sex racket on Tuesday.

Eleven girls and a boy have been taken in custody.

The accused had allegedly been operating a friendship club since August 2007.

News Source : Samachar

Dhoni lashes out at Australian media

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni lashed out at the Australian media for their unrelenting attempt to pin down Harbhajan Singh all summer after his side had won their first-ever tri-series title here on Tuesday.

"Tomorrow we would be gone. They now need someone to replace him (to keep themselves occupied)," said a calm Indian captain.

"Sometimes it wasn't clear if it was only Harbhajan or Michael Jackson (they were covering)," Dhoni said after India beat the Australians by nine runs to win the best-of-three finals by a 2-0 margin.

Dhoni commended Harbhajan for standing up to the pressure and gave a backhanded compliment to the Australian cricketers and media for keeping him stirred.

"As a captain it helped me. More controversies and he became more determined. He is an aggressive, expressive player - someone who fights hard and wins the game.

"The backlash worked for us. After sometime we got used to it. We knew everyday we open the newspaper there would be something.

"The best thing about human beings is that they get used to it. Maybe now in India, I would search the net for what is going on in Australia (now that we wouldn't be here)," he said.

Dhoni made a few path-breaking decisions on this tour by way of encouraging youngsters as well as playing five specialist bowlers most of the times.

"At certain times, you need to decide whether an extra batsman or an extra bowler would work in your favour. If a batting side is not doing well, you try to keep them down by playing specialist bowlers."

Dhoni refused to take any credit for his side's triumph and had an interesting theory to explain why he retained his calm in moments of extreme crisis during the second finals at Gabba.

"Everyone is under pressure. If bowlers are trying to do well then even batsmen are trying to finish off the job. By delaying things and taking your time, you are putting extra pressure on them.

"Captain ka role nahin hota (It's not captain alone). It's ultimately how your players react under pressure (that matters)."

Dhoni chose the moment to assert that this would be the core side of an Indian team in coming months.

"This is the core side. We may have more spinners at home and a few new faces might come in but this would be the core."

Dhoni also explained the reason for including Piyush Chawla in the two finals as well as his opinion on Robin Uthappa as an opener.

"We wanted to surprise Australia with Piyush Chawla in the finals. He mixes it well; he varies his pace and has a googly that turns on any wicket. He is also very consistent with his line and length. He would become a better bowler with exposure.

"As for Robin, he can do more damage at number six or seven. If he settles down as an opener, he would buy a few more games for himself."

As for himself, Dhoni was happy to get a few extra days break for himself and openly expressed his worry about the amount of cricket being played.

"I haven't driven a bike for a long time. If the series had gone to the last game, we would've boarded the flight on March 9 and hardly got time for ourself as there is a meeting on March 17 or 18.

"We need some rest, either you take a break or god gives you the break. After all everybody is human and constant cricket can exhaust you in the end. You need time to recover, rest is important. As they say, Rest is Best for Test."

News Source : Samachar

Salman, Suneil Shetty support Raj Thackeray

The support building up for Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray just got extra muscle on Tuesday.

The MNS leader had already got support from the Marathi film fraternity, now it's coming in from Bollywood as well.

After actor Nana Patekar signed a petition pledging his support against the gag order on Thackeray, it is now the Khan khandaan that's backing the north Indian immigrant basher.

Salman Khan, brother Sohail Khan and writer father Salim Khan signed the petition on Tuesday supporting the MNS leader. Joining them is also Suneil Shetty.

The MNS had launched a signature campaign in support of Thackeray, who was gagged by the high court after his inflammatory comments launched a series of violent incidents in the state last month.

The letter, being distributed by the cine artists association already got Patekar's signature on Friday along with some others.

In a letter attached to the petition, Patekar pointed out that the manner in which Thackeray made his point is debatable, but preserving the Marathi language and culture is an important issue.

Raj Thackeray had led violent movement against north Indians working in Maharashtra especially Mumbai.

Thousands of poor labourers from Bihar and UP had fled the state, which generated widespread criticism from across the country.

News Source : Samachar