The Indian Panorama

Month: September 2012

  • We can double exports by 2015, says Commerce Secretary

    We can double exports by 2015, says Commerce Secretary

    New Delhi (TIP): The Government’s target of doubling exports to $500 billion by 2015 is achievable, said S.R. Rao, Commerce Secretary.

    Speaking on the sidelines of a Confederation of Indian Industry Export summit here, he said, “The country can expect some policy announcements in the next 3-4 weeks which would encourage the industry and exporters.”

    When asked whether India will be able to achieve the $360-billion export target for this fiscal, he said, “it is difficult.”

    Underlining the significance of emerging economies in global trade flows, he said their share in global trade flows had risen to 42 per cent with South-South trade accounting for a large portion.

    “South-South trade has multiplied more than 10 times in the last two decades as compared to global trade which grew four-fold in this period,” said Rao.

    Adi Godrej, President, CII, and Chairman, Godrej Group, said if supply chains currently based in China are relocated, India needs to take advantage of that by finding ways to integrate itself more effectively in the new value chain.

    T.C.A. Ranganathan, CMD of Exim Bank of India, said that while the Government and industry have an equally important role to play in formulating an effective strategy, it is the strategy of individual corporations that will play a bigger role in achieving the export target.

    Last year India’s external merchandise trade was close to $780 billion contributing close to 47 per cent of the national GDP.

    “Our exports have breached the $300-billion mark though our imports remain a hefty $470 billion generating a large trade deficit, which is a matter of concern,” the Commerce Secretary said.

  • LONGORIA to re-launch her Las Vegas restaurant

    LONGORIA to re-launch her Las Vegas restaurant

    Actress Eva Longoria is planning to re-launch her Las Vegas restaurant as a top steakhouse for women.
    The actress had temporarily closed the Beso eatery and the Eve nightclub in 2011, just two years after its launch. However, Longoria and her business partners are working on revamping it and open it on the New Year’s Eve.
    According to food blog Eater Vegas, the restaurant will have a 1920s theme while the club will have a more theatrical element to it with sexy female performers on display, reports dailystar.co.uk.

  • CBDT unveils guidlines for advance pricing arrangements

    CBDT unveils guidlines for advance pricing arrangements

    India has allowed multinationals to ascertain in advance their potential tax liability relating to transactions with their Indian arms, a mechanism that can help address the frequent transfer pricing disputes.

    The Central Board of Direct Taxes, the apex direct taxes body, has announced the guidelines for advance pricing arrangements (APAs), marking a shift from aggressive approach that resulted in tax demand of over one lakh crore rupees on transfer pricing cases in the last two financial years.

    “The notification of the rules, which were much awaited, will provide greater clarity to taxpayers on the APA programme,” said Vijay Iyer, Partner & Transfer Pricing Leader, Ernst & Young.
    Transfer pricing refers to the pricing of assets, tangible and intangible, services, and funds transferred within an organisation in a cross border transaction to which tax administrations usually apply stringent rules to prevent transfer of income from high tax jurisdiction to low tax jurisdictions.

    An APA agreement between a taxpayer and the tax authorities will set out in advance the method of determining the transfer pricing for transactions between a subsidiary and parent.

    Once the company enters into such an agreement, it is absolved from the future litigation and also lot of compliance procedures.

    “The pre-filing consultation meeting with the CBDT would be one of the key items in the APA application process, and it is good to see that the taxpayers can get a first-hand feel of the CBDT’s thoughts on proposed transactions which the taxpayers plan to enter into with their associated enterprises,” Iyer said.

    The APA regime, as per the guidelines, will comprise unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral programmes.
    The rules will help provide certainty about their tax liability to multinationals who complained against aggressive stance of tax authorities in transfer pricing cases.
    The directorate of transfer Pricing had detected mis pricing of Rs. 67,768 crore in 2010-11 and Rs 43,531 crore in 2011-12, according to the finance ministry data.

    The finance ministry has already set up an APA directorate that will allow MNCs to avail the facility right away.
    “The APA team would include “experts” in economics, statistics, law or any other field as nominated by director general of income tax. This will surely complement the efforts of tax-payers & Revenue in concluding APAs,” said Rahul Mitra, leader, transfer pricing, PwC India

    The APA regime was announced in the budget and but the framework for entering into these arrangements had to be established.

    Taxpayers need to file an annual compliance report every year within a month from the date of filing the Income Tax Return. The Income tax Officer has to complete the audit of this report within six months from the date of filing.
    Experts are, however, wary about tax authorities assuming significant powers and say effectiveness of APAs would depend on the attitude of the officials.

    “Success of APA would depend on how the authorities negotiating the APA would deal with the applicant especially during the pre-filing meeting and also in the initial period of filing an APA”, said Mudigonda Vishweshwar, Senior Director, Deloitte in India.

    Tax experts have also feel some check is needed on the powers of tax authorities to amend or cancel agreements.
    “The CBDT has assumed wide powers to amend the agreement including right to cancel etc. This is uncalled for and in the event it’s a bilateral agreement we have to recognize that just as tax treaty cannot be amended unilaterally, a bilateral and multilateral APA cannot be altered without the foreign governments approval,” said Mukesh Bhutani, chairman, BMR Advisors.

  • I’ve accepted my curves and hips: WATSON

    I’ve accepted my curves and hips: WATSON

    “Harry Potter” actress Emma Watson admits that she doesn’t have a perfect body shape and says that it doesn’t bother her much.

    The 22-year-old wanted to have a “straight-up-and-down model look” but was not able to maintain that because of her curves.

    “I’ve accepted my body shape more as I’ve got older. I went through a stage of wanting to have that straight-up-and-down model look, but I have curves and hips, and in the end you have to accept yourself as you are,” contactmusic.com quoted Watson as saying.

    “My weight has fluctuated between a size 6 and a 10. I keep telling myself that I’m a human being, an imperfect human being who’s not made to look like a doll, and that who I am as a person is more important than whether at that moment I have a nice figure,” she added.

  • Indian drug companies break into world’s fastest growing list

    Indian drug companies break into world’s fastest growing list

    Mumbai (tip): In yet another instance of India Inc occupying a larger seat in the global league tables, three out of the top 10 fastest-growing generic companies globally are now from India. Besides being an indication of the acceptance of domestic pharmaceutical companies and their growing clout, this is also a stamp of their command on manufacturing processes, innovation and marketing muscle at a global scale.

    On the list is Glenmark Pharmaceuticals which, with a growth of 37%, is the fifth fastest-growing generic company globally, followed by Dr Reddy’s which grew 34% in FY 2011-12, according to global pharmaceutical research firm, EvaluatePharma. The third domestic company on the list, Sun Pharma witnessed a growth of 29%, occupying the eighth rank, right below its subsidiary Taro which had a 33% growth (Taro reports its own numbers since it’s listed in the US, while the domestic company has started combining the Israel-based company’s financials since September 2010).
    The club of the fastest growing generic companies in the world is dominated by US companies, led by US-based Sagent Pharma, which witnessed a huge growth of 106% during the period, according to the research firm’s latest analysis.

    Perrigo, another US company, is the world’s second fastest-growing company with an 80% growth. Nichi-Iko Pharmaceutical of Japan is on the third slot, posting a growth of 79%, while Watson Pharma of US grew 46% during the period.

    Pharma companies have taken advantage of the blockbuster drugs which are losing patent protection, and have already raked in millions of dollars by introducing their copy-cat versions. For instance, Dr Reddy’s launched generic versions of blockbuster drugs Zyprexa and Plavix, while Ranbaxy mopped up huge revenues from sales of generic Lipitor.

    Significant product launches, market exclusivity of drugs going off-patent, and growth in regulated markets have contributed to the development, industry experts say.

    According to Sujay Shetty, India leader for pharma and life sciences at PwC India, “This shows the growing significance of domestic companies in terms of quality, portfolio strategy and certain significant first-to-file (FTF) products. Strong revenues from regulated markets are another factor which contributed to the huge growth. Most of the companies have sales of around 50% coming from US, which is the largest market for generics globally. Domestic companies like Dr Reddy’s capitalized on key FTF opportunities, while others including Sun Pharma posted gains on account of US sales.”

    The growth in domestic companies has also been driven by their robust home businesses. The Indian pharma market is clocking a growth of around 15-20% year-on-year.

  • Helmet gives fighter pilots ‘X-ray’ vision

    Helmet gives fighter pilots ‘X-ray’ vision

    London (TIP): A new ‘Top Gun’ Xray helmet for fighter pilots can allow them to see through their aircraft walls, even if they are looking down.

    The Striker helmet, made by a UK firm, interacts with cameras dotted all over the plane. Sensors in the helmet are able to tell exactly where the pilot is looking.

    When matched up with cameras around the plane, the helmet system is able to superimpose a picture from the outside of the plane onto the pilots display, allowing them to see through the plane, the BBC news said.

    “If a pilot wears a Striker helmet — essentially a helmet with an integrated display – when he sees something on the ground he can just turn his head, put a symbol across on to the point of interest, press a button, and the system will calculate the object’s co-ordinates ,” Alan Jowett of BAE Systems said.

    The technology can even pass the information to a weapon such as an unmanned drone, said Peter Robbie, vice-president of business development at European aerospace and defence firm EADS.

    “The UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) would be an additional weapons carrier, and the pilot could pass targeting information to it. So if he sees a target, by pressing a button it would become the unmanned vehicle’s target,” Robbie said. “The pilot could authorize it to drop a missile and then monitor through his helmet where it is going to go,” he said.

    The Striker helmet can also be fitted with dual night vision goggles, and BAE says it is even developing a 3D audio system to allow pilots to hear information from all around them.

  • Eva Green reveals the secret behind her strength

    Eva Green reveals the secret behind her strength

    Eva Green, who has been hailed as one of the best Bond girls ever following her role as Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, has revealed the warnings her mother gave her regarding acting.

    The 32-year-old French actress made her controversial screen debut three years before then in The Dreamers in which she spent much of the film naked.

    My mother Marlene Jobert was scared for me to become an actress like her. She knew I was too sensitive and fragile, the Sun quoted her as saying.

    So I have learned from her how to appear to be tougher than I really am. She said: You want to be an actress? Then act as if you are not scared of anything.

    Her advice made me feel alive. I was constantly encouraged to express myself and truly live my life.

    After doing three years at a drama school in Paris, I moved to England to do more training and try to perfect my English.

    My father, Walter, is Swedish, so I am a real mix of nations. My mother was worried for me taking my first big film, The Dreamers.

  • Stem cell jab restores feeling in paralysed

    Stem cell jab restores feeling in paralysed

    London (tip): Scientists have developed a new stem cell therapy which can help people with broken spines to recover feelings in previously paralysed body areas.

    Two of the three patients have reported a positive outcome after receiving injections of neural stem cells, doctors at the Zurich University said. Doctors say the ultimate aim is to help those paralysed by injury to walk again, The Telgraph reported.

    The trial worked on the theory that injected adult stem cells would transform themselves into spinal cord nerves, reconnecting brain and lower body.

    Professor Armin Curt, who lead the study, described the result as “fundamental” .

    “To find something that can repair the spinal cord is a huge breakthrough. If we can show that something has changed for the better (as a result of stem cell therapy) that’s fundamental,” he said.

    He presented the findings at the annual conference of the International Spinal Cord Society in London on Monday.
    “We think these stem cells are one of the first tools we have for actually repairing the central nervous system. To see this kind of change in patients who truly have the worst-of-the-worst type of injury to the spinal cord is very exciting,” Dr Stephen Huhn, from the firm, said.

    The three patients, who all had complete spinal injury and could feel nothing below their nipples, were each given a dose of 20 million ‘adult’ neural stem cells about six months ago. This was primarily a safety trial, and Curt said monitoring had shown “a very good safety profile”.

    Detailed questioning and objective tests also showed signals were passing up the injured spine to the brain, when they had not before.

    One of the patients, a 46-year-old Norwegian financial consultant, said, “I’ve noticed changes. When somebody touches my stomach, I can feel something. I can’t be specific, but I can sense it.”
    Stem cell research for spinal injury “requires an incremental approach where we build the therapy one brick at a time” , Huhn said. Walking was not the only aim: people paralysed also wanted to regain sensation, bowel and sexual function, he said.

  • Hit and Run

    Hit and Run

    MOVIE REVIEW

    Cast: Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Tom Arnold, Michael Rosenbaum, Bradley Cooper
    Direction: David Palmer and Dax Shepard
    Genre: Drama
    Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes

    Story: It’s LA calling… for love birds Annie Bean and Yul Perrkins. In other words, time to hit the road… and run!

    Movie Review: They — Annie Bean ( Kristen Bell) and Yul Perrkins ( Dax Shepard) — hit the road to LA to take up a job out there is pretty clear. But why all that run? That’s because their road trip gets really complicated (and pretty funny) when they are chased by a friend from the past, Alex Dmitri ( Bradley Cooper), the ever-swearing Randy Anderson ( Tom Arnold), a jealous ex-boyfriend Gil Rathbinn ( Michael Rosenbaum) and the rest. But why are they chased in the first place?

    Yul is a self-proclaimed member of the witness protection programme who is happy to live a life of peace with the woman he loves. But when it’s career calling for Annie one has to move on – something that has Yul all worked up… not so much for the shift, as much for the return-to-his-criminal-past now. But then there are a lot of bad guys who’re waiting to settle scores with him.

    Now that’s where all that comedy comes from. Add to that Tom Arnold’s exceptional urge to swear, packaged with his accident-prone-to-the-core way to life. Next it’s the road trip that continue to get crazier, thereby adding some comic relief to the otherwise slow pace of the movie. Don’t go looking for high speed chase and state-of-the-art shoot outs. Just settle for some situational comedy amidst the backdrop of Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Let My Love Open the Door, and you’d say this one is watchable.

  • Now, burn your belly fat in just one shot

    Now, burn your belly fat in just one shot

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Soon you can get rid of that beer belly with a single jab! Researchers have developed an injection of a tiny capsule, containing heat-generating cells, which they claim can burn abdominal fat. The mice injected with the capsule in the abdomen initially lost about 20% of belly fat.

    Researchers were surprised to see that the injected cells even acted like “missionaries”, converting existing belly fat cells into so-called thermogenic cells, which use them to generate heat. Over time, the mice gained back some weight, but they resisted any dramatic weight gain on a high-fat diet and burned away more than a fifth of the cells that make up their visceral fat which surrounds the organs and is linked to higher risk for Type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Scientists took advantage of the heat-generating properties of a so-called ‘good fat’ in body, to cut back on the white cells that compose the visceral fat.

    They combined those brown fat thermogenic cells with genetically modified cells missing an enzyme that leads to visceral fat growth. The engineered cells were placed inside a gel-like capsule that allowed for release of its contents without triggering an immune response.

    “With a very small number of cells, the effect of the injection of this capsule was more pronounced at the beginning, when the mice dramatically lost about 10% of their weight,” said Ouliana Ziouzenkova, assistant professor of human nutrition at Ohio State University and lead author of the study.

    “They gained back some weight after that. But then we started to look at how much visceral fat was present, and we saw about a 20% reduction in those lipids,” he said.

  • Glasses help the hearing impaired ‘see’ sounds

    Glasses help the hearing impaired ‘see’ sounds

    LONDON (TIP):
    Scientists have developed glasses that allow a deaf person to “see” when a loud sound such as the honk of a car is made and give an indication of where it came from.

    Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon in South Korea made a pair of glasses for deaf people who lack access to such potentially life-saving cues.

    An array of seven microphones, mounted on the frame of the glasses, pinpoints the location of such sounds and relays that directional information to the wearer through a set of LEDs embedded inside the frame, the New Scientist reported. The glasses will only flash alerts on sounds louder than a threshold level, which is defined by the wearer.

    The prototype requires a user to carry a laptop around in a backpack to process the signal. However, lead researcher Yang-Hann Kim has stressed that the device is a first iteration that will be miniaturised over the next few years. The KAIST team presented the work at the InterNoise conference in New York City.

  • Now, you can name an asteroid at a Nasa contest

    Now, you can name an asteroid at a Nasa contest

    HOUSTON (TIP):
    Students worldwide have a chance to name an asteroid, which is the subject of an upcoming Nasa mission. The mission, scheduled to be launched in 2016 is called Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx ).

    It will return samples from the surface of the near-Earth asteroid called (101955)1999 RQ36 and it could hold clues to the origin of the solar system and organic molecules that may have seeded life on Earth.
    The competition is open to students under the age of 18 from anywhere in the world. Each contestant can submit one name, up to 16 characters long. Entries must include a short explanation and rationale for the name. Submissions must be made by an adult on behalf of the student. The contest deadline is December 2, 2012.

  • CREATION OF EARTH

    CREATION OF EARTH

    Before the world, Sky or stars were made, there was darkness. It was everywhere, and it was empty; but for all its emptiness it was neither dead nor cold. It was warm, damp and lively, endless ripping and eddying throughout the universe. If people had existed and been able to see it, it would have seemed like against creature without shape, breathing softly as it slept. And if they had been able to listen, they would have heard its ripples gradually transform themselves to sound. A word began. At first it was no more than a whisper, but it swelled and grew to a billow of sound, a gentle syllable endlessly repeating itself, folding back on itself, coiling and twisting till it filled all space.OM … OM … OM… .

    As the word unfolded and speared, calm as a heartbeat, it turned the rippling universe into an endless, unfathomable ocean. Deep in the water bobbed a seed as the ocean currents ebbed and flowed, they carried it to the surface to become allowing golden egg. The egg rocked on the water, and wave tips reflected its radiance to every corner of the darkness roundabout. As it rocked, the sacred word “OM” went on cradling it, enfolding it the way rose-petals enfold the flower-heart deep inside. The sound was in and out and roundabout, and inside the eggshell, it formed itself into Brahma, the First Father, Creator of Worlds.

    When Brahma was ready to be born, he hatched like a chick from the golden egg. From half the shell he made the sky; from the other he made the earth; he set air between them to keep them apart. The sky shell winkled in the smoke of space like a myriad stars, or life water-drops glistening in an upturned bowl. The earth-shell bobbed on the sea, until Brahma anchored it with rocks and mountain-peaks. The air between the shells sometimes took its form the golden light above, and was clear and pure; at other times it gathered dampness from the sea below, and blanketed the earth with storms.

    When the earth was ready, Brahma drew out of himself six elements: thought, hearing, sight, touch, taste and smell. He blended the element to make living things of every kind. He showed the earth with plants, and gave them two gifts; the sense of touch and the power to remark themselves with seeds and fruits. He stocked the land with animals and the sea with fish, and set tthe air whirring with birds and insects-and to each of them he gave seven gifts: the sense of touch, taste, hearing, sight, and smell, the power to reproduce themselves and the power of movement. The world throbbed with life, as its new creatures squawked, hissed, chattered, buzzed, yelped, whistled and barked on every side.

    So Brahma created all living things, and gave them gifts. One thing only he kept from them: though. The world was their playground, and they had senses to enjoy it why should they need thought as well? Until the time came when he made a creature worthy of possessing intelligence, Brahma locked it inside himself. Many age passed, and he spent them roaming the world delighting in his own creation. Sometimes he rode a lotus-boat. With his hands he picked up all kinds of objects and carried them: a pink lotus-flower, a string of prayer, a sacred book, golden pot.

    After a time, Brahma divided himself and made another being, Saraswati. As soon as she existed, Brahma fell passionately in love with her. He gazed fondly at her, and she lowered her eyes and modestly stepped to one side, out of his gaze. At once a second head appeared on Brahma’s neck, gazing at her lovingly as before. She stepped behind him, and a third head grew; she stepped to his other side, and a fourth head grew; she soared into the air above him, and a fifth head grew, looking up. Brahma said, “Come down, Saraswati. Help me make angles to live in light, demons to live in darkness, and the human race to live on earth.” Saraswati is wooped back down to earth and married him.

    Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge and of all the arts, especially music. She holds: Flowers, prayer-beads, finger-drumor palm-leaf book; she plays a wire-string edveena, and her music fills the world with sweetness of the gods.

  • GANESHA WINS THE MANGO

    GANESHA WINS THE MANGO

    Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati lived in Kailash with their two children -Ganesha and Kartikeya. Kartikeya was a beautiful boy with strong limbs, where as Ganesha had the head of an elephant and was pot-bellied with short stubby legs.

    Kartikeya’s vehicle was the swift peacock and Ganesha’s vehicle was a mouse. But both of them were brave, caring, intelligent andwere loved by all.

    Once Sage Narada – a mischievous sage visited Kailash to see Shiva and Parvati. Narada claimed that he had come to pay respects to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. However the real reason for Narada’s visit was to see who among the two brothers was more intelligent. Neither Shiva nor Parvati were fooled. They both knew that Narada was upto some mischief, but however they were not sure as to what Narada had in mind.

    Sage Narada with a mischievous twinkle brought out a mango. He presented the mango to Shiva, ‘Lord, this mango is a very special mango. It is sweeter than the nectar of the Gods and whoever eats this mango would become wise and learned.
    ‘Thanking Narada, Shiva was about to cut the mango and give half of it to Parvati, when Narada stopped him. ‘My Lord! Please do not cut the mango! The mango has to be eaten by one person only. If it is cut or shared, it would lose its value.

    ‘Shiva frowned and immediately handed over the mango for Parvati to eat. He smiled,’ Enjoy the fruit, my dear!
    ‘Parvati hesitated as she too was unwilling to eat something which her husband would not eat. ‘I do not want to eat anything which I cannot share with my husband.’ She said returning the mango to Sage Narada.
    Narada pretended to be crestfallen that his offering was rejected by the Lord and the Goddess.
    At that time Ganesha and Kartikeya came inside their home to find their parents talking seriously with Sage Narada.
    ‘What is happening? What is in your hands, Sage Narada? Kartikeya came up from behind and asked Narada, eying the mango.

    ”Oh this…’ Narada said with innocent eyes, pulling up the mango. ‘The Lord and the Goddess rejected an offering that a poor soul like me gave them.’ The mango looked deliciously ripe and its aroma wafted through the entire home. Ganesha looked at the mango, licked his lipsa nd patted his stomach. Wondering why his parents had rejected such a delicious gift, Ganesha asked his mother, ‘Why did you refuse the mango, mother?’

    Parvati explained how the mango could not be shared. She finished saying that neither of them wanted to eat the mango without offering it to the other and so they were returning the gift.

    The aroma wafted even more strongly as Kartikeya said, ‘Mother I will take it, it smells so delicious… and I like mangoes too…

    ‘Ganesha interrupted, ‘I saw it first, I want it…I like eating.. it is mine….’ Ganesha yelled as he tried snatching the mango from Narada’s hand, only to be stopped by his brother Kartikeya. Narada safely moved to the side, lest he come to any harm due to the fight between the brothers. His mission accomplished he watched the fight with twinkling eyes. Both Shiva and Parvati realized that Narada had created a rift between the two brothers with his mischief. Shiva angrily shouted at Narada, ‘You came here to start this fight! I hope you are satisfied now…’ He blazed at Narada. Unmindful of their father’s out burst, Kartikeya and Ganesha were yelling loudly at each other.
    They looked ready to rain blows at each other. Narada shook his head, pretending to look shocked, ‘I had no idea that the children would fight for the mango, my Lord! You cannot blame me for this! Your Lord should remember, I had offered the mango to you and not to the children. If I had known this would happen, I would never have brought the mango here.’ Shiva angrily shook his head, not believing Narada, ‘You purposely brought this mango, knowing this would happen…’Parvati knew it was time she intervened, as Shiva, Ganesha and Kartikeya were all angry. She held up her hands, ‘This does not have to be this way .

    We can resolve this. Stop it….’Shiva stopped advancing towards Narada and looked at Parvati. Both Ganesha and Kartikeya stopped their bickering and looked at their mother expectantly. ‘We will organize a competition, who ever wins the competition, gets the mango, ok?’ Parvati said with a quiet smile. Both the brothers nodded realizing that this was the only solution. Now that his sons were not fighting, Shiva was also pacified. ‘Mother, shall I suggest the competition?

    ‘ Narada asked playfully, plainly happy that Shiva was not angry with him any more. Parvati nodded. Then Narada said, ‘Who ever goes around the world three times and returns first would win the mango. ‘Kartikeya smiled. There was no way Ganesha could win this competition. Kartikeya was sure he was going to get the mango. Without saying another word, Kartikeya ran to his peacock and starting his flight around the world.

    Ganesha was perturbed. He knew that he could not run faster than his brother and neither could his mouse match the speed of the Kartikeya’s peacock. He was wondering what to do, when an idea struck him.

    Meanwhile Kartikeya after circling the world three times came home to claim the mango.

    Much to his amazement, he saw the mango in his brother’s hands. Kartikeya could not believe that Ganesha had circled the world faster than him and had claimed the mango! Bewildered he turned to his mother, ‘How did Ganesha complete the race first?’

    It was Sage Narada who replied, ‘Ganesha said that Shiva and Parvati were his parents and were his whole world. He had asked Shiva and Parvati to stand together and had circled them three times and had taken the mango. ‘Kartikeya looked long at his brother whohad the mango in his hands. He knew that his brother had beaten him fair. Kartikeya smiled.

    Ganesha smiled back and offered the mango to Kartikeya! We all follow the path of either Ganesha or Kartikeya in our lives. Some of us gather knowledge by traveling the world – like Kartikeya, where as some of us gather knowledge by staying at the same place and observing people- like Ganesha.

  • TEAS that make you slim

    TEAS that make you slim

    The brew that energizes can also help you lose weight. Here’s how…It’s widely known that just one cup of tea can prevent strokes, arthritis, tooth decay and even keep cancer at bay. While it’s regarded as nature’s tranquilizer for its soothing properties, the brew also has another great benefit – it helps shed weight. Scientists have shown that tea has high levels of compounds that battle the absorption of fat. Here are 5 teas that can result in slimmer you…
    STAR ANISE TEA:
    promotes digestion. Star anise, the fruit of a small evergreen tree (Illicium verum) native to China, can be used in the treatment of digestive troubles such an upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea etc. One may drink a tea made from it by steeping a whole pod in one cup of hot water for 10minutes. Strain this and sweeten it if required. Sip on this slowly when an upset stomach occurs.

    PEPPERMINT TEA:
    Controls what you eat. If you like peppermint tea then try and rotate that with a green tea drink as both speed up digestion and thus help you burn more calories. The peppermint leaves can be used to make a light, refreshing tea, which can be drunk either hot or chilled. To prepare the tea, take a tablespoon of fresh or dried leaves and add them to boiling water and let it steep for four to five minutes. Strain and add honey, if needed.

    GREEN TEA:
    Builds metabolism. Research says the chemical EGCG found in green tea that speeds up the body’s metabolism, is responsible for helping people lose the kilos – it can burn a whopping 70 calories a day! Green tea also raises the level of antioxidants. It’s believed the antioxidant catechins in green tea boost metabolism and helps burn fat(can burn a whopping 70 calories aday!) Steeping time for the tea: two to three minutes at 85 Degrees Celsius.

    ROSE TEA:
    prevents constipation. One of the oldest flavoring teas available, rose tea – made by mixing fresh roses and the bud of the tea – has a major therapeutic effect on the human body. Apart from clearing toxins and beautifying the skin, rose tea contains vitamins A, B3, C, D and E and is known to act against infections. It also prevents constipation and helps one lose weight.

    OOLONG TEA:
    guards against obesity. Research reveals that oolong, a semi-fermented tea may have a stronger effect than even green tea. It promotes fat burnings said to help reduce cholesterol and the concentration of fat in the body. About two cups per day is recommended. Steep oolong tea anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes, for a more full-bodied cup.

  • TUMMY TUCK vs DIET & EXERCISE

    TUMMY TUCK vs DIET & EXERCISE

    A flat and shapely abdomen tells a lot about you – that you take care of yourself, that your overall health is sound and most importantly, you officially get the stamp of ‘drool worthy’ on you! It is said that a tummy tuck is a shortcut to sexy, flat abs. But plastic surgeons and cosmetologists say that with the help of exercises and a good diet, one can do even better.
    Benefits of exercise are multifarious
    “The benefits of a healthy diet and exercise are multifarious. Besides improving your general well-being, these two are very good ways to beat a tummy tuck,” says Dr Swati Srivastava, dermatologist

    A senior cosmetic surgeon, Dr Mohan Thomas, believes that a flat abdomen means you are healthy. He says, “This not only indicates optimal strength and endurance of the person, but also his nutritional choices and a healthy lifestyle. So, if diet and exercise are taken care of from a very early stage in one’s life, the chances for a surgical tummy tuck are considerably low.”

    Dr Sunita More, plastic surgeon, states that diet and exercise can beat a tummy tuck in unmarried women with a good skin tone and less body fat in the tummy region.
    Healthy diet can work wonders
    A healthy diet, combined with the right exercise, is a sure-shot way to a flatter tummy, say experts. However, one needs to be focused and knowledgeable. Dr Srivastava says, “Reduced calorie and fat intake in diet will make your body use its reserves of stored fat. Exercising daily will increase the body’s metabolism and strengthen the core muscles of the abdomen. For this, you should do more of cardio workouts and abdomen strengthening exercises. Crunches will definitely help in achieving a flat tummy.”

    Dr Thomas adds, “Changing your eating and exercise habits will also shrink your stomach, though it will take more time.”

    Tummy tuck needs maintenance
    Even if you opt for a tummy tuck, to maintain the results of the surgery, you would need to do regular exercises and eat a proper, nutritious diet, keeping in mind your calorie in take.
    Dr Srivastava asserts, “When abdomen and back-strengthening exercises are done synergistically along with a well-balanced diet, a good tucked-in tummy can be achieved.”

    Ugly folds and pregnancy
    Lifestyle, a technically advanced society and added stress levels have lead to an obesity epidemic. Once the weight gain has occurred, it is possible to reduce it through exercise and diet, say experts. “But this leaves an oversized envelope of skin, which had covered a fatter you. The skin, too, can remodel to some extent, but then it will leave some ugly folds,” states Dr Thomas.

    This is a problem particularly in females who tend to get fat deposits around the lower abdomen, post pregnancy. During pregnancy, there is a phenomenal increase in the girth of the abdomen because of the growing foet us.
    After delivery, however, there is significant recoil. Nonetheless, there is a fair chance of those loose folds of skin and muscle, which once covered the pregnant abdomen, remaining. With diet and exercise, only the fat issue can be addressed. Minor muscle abnormalities may also get toned up in some.”However, in vast majority, the lower abdomen is never the same as it was in theirpre-pregnant state,” he adds.

  • Sonakshi to romance Saif in next film

    Sonakshi to romance Saif in next film

    The actress will play a Bengali damsel in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Bullet Raja. She has romanced Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar in Dabangg and Rowdy Rathore. And now, 25-year-old Sonakshi Sinha has been signed opposite Saif Ali Khan, 42, in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Bullet Raja.

    Interestingly, for the film that is based on the UP mafia, the actress who has portrayed the rustic northern belle with elan in her previous ventures will be seen as a Bengali damsel.

    “As soon as Saif returned to Mumbai, Tigmanshu had a lengthy meeting with him to discuss the heroine. He was very keen to have Sonakshi on board and was convinced she could pull off the role with ease,” a source said.

    Sonakshi, on the other hand is excited about this new project. “She loves Tigmanshu’s films and is looking forward to working with him,” added the source. Apparently, the actress is excited to play a Bengali girl, which would be different from her village belle avatar in Dabangg and ‘ Patna ki phuljhadi’ role in Rowdy Rathore.

    Apart from Sonakshi, Jimmy Shergill, who has worked with Tigmanshu in Saheb Biwi Gangster, has also been brought on board.

    Sonakshi whose film Son Of Sardar is all set for release this Diwali, has left for Muscat to shoot Milan Luthria’s Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Part 2 along with Akshay. Bullet Raja, produced by Brandsmith Motion Pictures, will thus go on floors by November this year.

  • DINING WITH FRIENDS CAN MAKE YOU FAT

    DINING WITH FRIENDS CAN MAKE YOU FAT

    Dining with a friend could be bad for those on a diet – it tempts you into eating unhealthy dishes from the menu, just to keep him or her in good humor, says a study. Researchers led by Eric Robinson, psychologist at the University of Birmingham, believe it may help to explain why groups of friends often put on weight at the same time and why some women complain that they get heavier when they find a boyfriend – they start to copy his eating habits.

    “There is a lot of evidence that points towards this idea that your friends make you fat. If you have got friends or people you know who have put on weight recently, then you will put on weight too,” said Robinson.”We found that pairing people with unhealthy eating partners reduced the amount of healthy food they were eating. They tended to pick the foods that were high in calories,” added Robinson, the British Journal of Nutrition reported.

    “Recognizing that this effect is real could help people who are trying to watch what they eat. They could even look at a menu and try to decide what they are eating before those they are with to help avoid being influenced,” the Telegraph quoting Robinson, said.

    The research asked 100 female volunteers to select from a choice of food consisting of healthy fruit and vegetables or unhealthy foods including crisps, pastries and cocktail sausages.

    They found that when they were eating with someone who had been asked to pick unhealthy options, the volunteers also picked far more of these compared to when they ate alone or with someone who chose healthier foods.
    Suzanne Higgs, reader in the psychobiology of appetite and study co-author, added: “This research underlines the social nature of eating and how this influences our behavior.”

  • Sherlyn Chopra reveals her sex secrets

    Sherlyn Chopra reveals her sex secrets

    Sherlyn Chopra is making waves online once again! The Playboy model and actress created furore on Sunday night when she started tweeting intimate details about her sex life. Needless to say, the twitterati was completely zapped!

    For the past couple of days, Sherlyn Chopra’s timeline has been flooded with all kinds of tweets, which can only be categorised as pornographic. The gal, who wanted to add her followers’ base, started the barrage, when she tweeted that she has stopped sleeping with people for commercial purpose.

    After that she went on revealing her sex secrets and her fetish for cucumber to satiate her carnal desires, which had her ardent followers, whom she calls her ‘lovers’, getting into a frenzy and appreciating each part of her body in graphic details. Many others wrote odes and poems dedicated to their own ‘cucumbers’ and their haute babe!

    Soon, Sherlyn finally crossed 100k mark of followers on twitter! Well-planned and executed marketing strategy Sherlyn! And the gal is now objecting to some of the most bold tweets being deleted! She tweeted: “Most of you ask me as to why my tweets containing highly sexual content get deleted…I urge u to direct this Q to/at Twitter!”

  • From Sydney With Love

    From Sydney With Love

    Story: Rohit loves Megha. Megha loves Rohit. But Raj love Megha too. But Lubaina loves Raj. All this and more, against the backdrop of Sydney harbor.

    Movie Review: Now here is a movie that gives away way too much in its title: You know it’s a love story. You know it’s bound to be shot in Sydney. And on those two fronts you are not really disappointed. After all, Sydney does not really need a strong plot to look all that rocking. And if it’s love (and a story around it) that we’re talking about, who needs intellectual stuff. But then that does not mean you can just walk away with anything in mind.
    In this case, it’s primarily the low-on-EQ (Emotional Quotient) stuff that takes away all that charm from a movie with an otherwise fresh star cast. Too many people falling in love with each other; no explanations on how getting out of that love nest (read mess) is a cakewalk; too many sweet nothings but no real somethings between the love birds. Next is Megha, a small — very, very small — town girl from nowhere, who lands up in Sydney, falls in love and is completely taken aback.

    Why? How can she fall in love when ‘baba’ has sent her overseas for higher studies! How can she live there any further when she just ended up getting a little naughty (of course, it’s the post-one-sip magic) with the very man she loves! The outcome: Our super hero is caught running between Sydney and the village to woo his lady love.
    Hard to digest — even with those great Aussie shots, gaana shaana, typical Indianisms, a couple of not-so-bad jokes — considering the cast is all young. Sure we can do better next time

    Movie review
    Cast: Sharad Malhotra, Prateek Chakravorty, Bidita Bag, Reshmi Ghosh, Karan Sagoo, Evelyn Sharma
    Direction: Prateek Chakravorty
    Genre: Romantic Comedy

  • THINGS TO REMEMBER before going to bed

    THINGS TO REMEMBER before going to bed

    After your daily dose of prime-time viewing, you brush your teeth, pop your vitamins and hit the sack? No you don’t. Is your hair and skin ready for bed just yet? You have to prep your skin and hair before you hit snooze
    Hair

    • First of all do not sleep with dirty hair. You’ll be clogging your poresif you do. Wash your hair if it idirty. This way you’ll also besaving time in the morning.
    • Secondly, don’t sleep with wet hair. Your hair should be almost dry when you sleep unless you want to wake up with your hair sticking out in weird angles.
    • Comb out all the product you have used in the day.
    • Make sure to sleep with tangle free hair.
    • Vitamin E is food for the hair (and also the skin). Cut a vitamin E capsule and apply it to your problem areas.
    • Falling hair, dry scalp, thinning hair,frayed ends – it works wonders on them all.
    • Tie your hair in a high pony so that the scalp is able to breath. Avoid tying it too tight as hair on the crown starts thinning first. Tying hair loosely is necessary, especially if you have long hair; your hair might get tugged while you are asleep.
    • Pull you hair up right to the hairline at the front (close to your forehead). Comb softly and tie it up in a top knot. It’s like working against the natural
    • direction of the hair.When you open your hair in the morning, it will look full bodied, as if you have blow-dried it.

    Face

    • Cleansing, mositurising and sun protection are the three golden words for your skin care regime.
    • Wipe off every last bit of make up using a cleansing lotion.
    • Wash your face with a good face wash.
    • Use a moisturiser with anti-oxidants regardless of your skin type. This is
      the least you can do for your skin and something that you must start doing
      in early 20s.
    • Indian climate and skin are extremely prone to tanning. Use a skin lightening agent before you start noticing a tan. Exfoliation is not as simple as it seems.
    • People can over-zealously scrub skin, sapping it of its natural oils. Instead, splash a lot of hot water (not scalding hot) on your face to open up the pores. Take a dollop of mild face wash on a soft sponge and work up a lather while scrubbing the face gently in circular motions. This is more than enough rather than exfoliating with harsh substances.However, remember that withoutsunscreen all this is no good.

    Eyes
    Darkening and fine lines appeararound the eyes before anywhere else.Use a slightly stronger anti-aging creamaround the under-eye area.
    Hands and feet
    Since there are no oil glands on yourhands and feet, they tend to get drierand hence age faster. In the quest ofmaintaining their facial looks, peopleoften neglect their hands and feet. Usemore creamy products for your hands(up to the forearms), preferablysomething with alpha-hydroxy acids.

  • Bipasha to launch her 2nd fitness DVD

    Bipasha to launch her 2nd fitness DVD

    Bipasha Basu has zeroed in on the name of her second fitness DVD — it is called ” Break Free”. The actress, who aims to grow in the business of fitness under her brand BB Love Yourself, says her new offering is for all those who hate gym.
    “I have named the second DVD ‘Break Free’. It will come out around two weeks after the release of ‘Raaz 3’,” Bipasha said. The promotions of ” Raaz 3″ are keeping the 33-year-old busy for now. But she is also looking forward to make her new DVD available to her fans at the earliest. Her first DVD, released in 2010, was called “BB Love Yourself: Fit and Fabulous You”. It was a 60-day routine for weight-loss.

  • Badal Responds Summons Not Properly Served

    Badal Responds Summons Not Properly Served

    Requests 90 Days Extension to Defend Charges of Human Rights Violation

    NEW YORK (TIP): Responding to the US Court Summons, Prakash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of State of Punjab in India through its attorneys sought additional 90 days to defend the charges of commanding and shielding the officers responsible for custodial torture and extra judicial killings of Sikhs. On August 08, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin issued Summons against Badal who was in Wisconsin on a private visit to attend the marriage ceremony of the business tycoon Darshan Singh Dhaliwal’s daughter. Badal has hired two top law firms, New York based “Kirkland & Ellis LLP” and Milwaukee based “Michael Best and Friedrich LLP”, to defend him against the charges of continuous human rights violations in the State of Punjab during his regime as the Chief Minister. On August 30, representing Badal, attorney Michelle L. Jacobs submitted a motion before the US court asking “to dismiss for failure to effectuate service; or in the alternative for an additional 90 days to file a responsive pleading”.

    Defending Badal attorney Jacobs in the motion argued that “On information and belief, the defendant was not personally served with Summons at Oak Creek High School, Wisconsin, and service of Summons as claimed by plaintiffs is “invalid and procedurally deficient”. The motion further argues that “the importance of proper service is paramount in this case because the plaintiffs’ sole claim for jurisdiction and venue against the defendant, a foreign citizen, is based on plaintiffs’ assertion that the defendant was present in the state of Wisconsin within the territorial boundaries of this district at or around the time of filing this complaint. The complaint alleges no other connection to the State and Eastern District of Wisconsin.

    ” According to attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), since the issuance of summons against Badal, scores of Sikhs who have suffered torture and human rights abuses during the Badal regime have come forward with proofs of abuses and want to be part of the case against Badal before US Court. SFJ will amend the complaint against Badal to add additional charges, plaintiffs and witnesses who have suffered custodial abuses and torture, added attorney Pannun.

    Since the issuance of summons against Badal, the family members of the plaintiffs Jagtar Singh, Jeet Singh, Gurdeep Kaur and Avtar Singh are being frequented by the Punjab Police and threatened with dire consequences. Citing the threats and continuous harassment by Badal regime of the family members of plaintiffs back home, attorney Pannun stated that such threats by Badal regime not only prove continued human rights violations but also corroborate the charges of abuse in the past by the Badal regime. The lawsuit against Badal has been filed under Alien Torts Claims Act and Torture Victims Protection Act on the charges of custodial torture and shielding the Police officers responsible for torture, extra judicial killings and continuous human rights violations against the Sikh community in Punjab

  • Congress activists Protest attempts to malign the party and India government

    Congress activists Protest attempts to malign the party and India government

    Juned Qazi, Atma Singh, Zinda Singh, Karamjit Dhaliwal and their supporters hold a protest demonstration near the Consulate General of India on the sidewalk of the busy Fifth Avenue in New York City September 2

    NEW YORK (TIP): Peeved by attempts by a group of persons to malign the Congress party and the UPA government of India, a group of Congress activists from New Jersey and New York staged a colorful demonstration near the office of the Indian Consulate General in New York. The demonstrators held banners and posters in support of the Indian Government led by Prime Minister and leaders of India’s Congress Party Sonia Gandhi and Digvijay Singh. Displaying banner of Congress party and its secular messages they chanted slogans in favor of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

    The demonstration was led by Juned Qazi and supported by Atma Singh, Zinda Singh and Karanjit Dhaliwal.. Their fellow protestors held the Indian Tricolor. The demonstrators began assembling at the sidewalk around Noon when New Yorkers were heading towards the Central Part for a lazy Sunday. Many stopped to take snaps of the activists holding placards. Not far from the pro-Congress protestors stood a group of anti-Congress demonstrators who were shouting slogans against the Congress and the Government of India, which they claimed, was supporting radical Islam and promoting Jihad in India. The anti-Congress protesters were led by pro-Hindu activists, who blamed India’s ruling Congress party for supporting Islamist infiltrators in North East India.

    In response, Congress supporters blamed Kartaria for spoiling the name of India in USA. “These people have no right to protest against Congress because they divide the country on religious lines”, said Atma Singh. “India’s leadership is secular and it is keeping the country united.” Challenging the contention of anti- Congress demonstrations they put the blame of violence in India on pro-Hindu parties and radical Hindu organizations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal , Rashtriya Svayamsewak Sangh and others. Chanting slogans like “VHP and RSS, Murderers of peace and Gandhi”, the young activists said that these parties were dividing the country on religious grounds.

    Qazi, a well known supporter of Digvijay Singh, the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and a senior Congress leader, shouted slogans in favor of secular and pluralistic India. He claimed that Congress party led by Sonia Gandhi was the true secular party that has brought prosperity in India. “Congress symbolized peace and progress and helped to keep India united. On the other hand a number of opposition parties led by pro-Hindu groups such as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, were engaged in dividing the nation and destroying it.” Juned Qazi said that Congress was a true secular party in India which ruled for most of the 66 years. It led the country towards prosperity and progress. “It is the duty of every Indian to support Congress which represents secular forces and unity in India”, said Qazi.

    Raising slogans about India’s secular and pluralistic government, Zinda Singh, who has been closely associated with Congress party in India for almost 30 years , said that India’s leadership was comprised of persons belonging to all major religions. “The President of India belonged to Hindu community while the Vice President is a Muslim and the Prime Minister belonged to the Sikh community.” According to Qazi, the demonstration gathered strength with the help of enthusiastic support and slogan shouting of fellow activists owing allegiance to Congress, such as, Pankaj Mathur, Rumpi Bindra, Paul Singh, Rahul Dev Singh, Sonia Keer Sodhi, Shaheen Khan, Atul Mathur, Taiyab Poonawala, Jasmitter Singh and Saeed Patel.

  • Ishwar Singh Makes History First Sikh to Deliver Invocation at RNC

    Ishwar Singh Makes History First Sikh to Deliver Invocation at RNC

    Ishwar Singh, president of the Sikh Society of Central Florida, delivered an invocation on the third night of the Republican National Convention. (Getty Images)

    TAMPA, FL (TIP): As a crowd of 15,000 people lowered their heads at the Tampa Bay Times Forum Building Aug. 29 evening, Ishwar Singh, president of the Sikh Society of Central Florida, made history as the first-ever Sikh American to deliver an invocation at a national convention. “Almighty God, we call you many names but you are one. Keep your divine hands over all the delegates and candidates as they help steer the future of this great nation.

    Remind us of our purpose to love and serve one another and create a more peaceful world,” said Singh, who shared the platform with several amputees who had lost limbs in American wars. Singh asked for protection of law enforcement and for residents of the Gulf Coast, who were bracing for battle against Hurricane Isaac.