The Indian Panorama

Month: November 2012

  • Law Minister to Review Judge Gag Clause in Judicial Bill

    Law Minister to Review Judge Gag Clause in Judicial Bill

    NEW DELHI (TIP): In a departure from the rigid stand taken by his predecessor, Union law minister Ashwani Kumar has sought to review the controversial clause in the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill that prohibits judges from making unwarranted comments against any constitutional authority in open court during hearing of cases.

    Kumar, who called for the file immediately after joining office, has hinted to his officials that Section 3(2)(g) of the bill that has been at the centre of a spat between the higher judiciary and the government, should be dropped and a revised draft of the bill be introduced in the winter session of Parliament. Former law minister Salman Khurshid, who has taken over as external affairs minister, was firm that the specific provision would stay in the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill 2012. Khurshid had said the government had taken note of certain remarks by some higher courts on constitutional bodies and other authorities in open court, which were seldom reflected in writing during judicial pronouncements.

    “That is why a specific provision has been proposed to be made under Section 3 of the chapter on judicial standards to be followed by judges, in the Judicial Standards Bill,” Khurshid had said. Section 3(2)(g) of the bill prohibits judges from making unwarranted comments against the conduct of any constitutional or statutory authority at the time of hearing matters, which are pending before them or are likely to arise for judicial determination. The government also proposes to accord statutory sanction to the Restatement of Values of Judicial Life, which was adopted by a resolution at the full court meeting of the Supreme Court in 1997, by making it a part of the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill.

    The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on March 29 and is pending consideration in Rajya Sabha after the introduction of fresh amendments. After changes are incorporated and the bill is passed by the upper House, it will again have to be presented in the Lok Sabha. The spat between the judiciary and the government over the gag clause has been going on for some time with critics saying that judges make comments to play to the gallery as many such observations don’t find mention in the verdicts. Judges themselves are split on the issue. Some say that the questions they raise on constitutional authorities may put a misleading picture on the issue under consideration.

  • Why We need to Remember God

    Why We need to Remember God

    What is reality? Neither reasoning nor arguments can unravel the mystery of reality. Perhaps as human beings we are unable to grasp reality on account of our limited intellect and understanding. Anything determined by intellect is an intellectually concocted thing.

    That is not reality. Absolute reality cannot be manufactured by a conditioned soul suffering from limitations of birth, death and disease.

    Supreme reality always exists; it cannot be manufactured by mind. Krishna says mind is material; that it is apara parakriti, not para. Para prakriti is superior energy, while apara is not.

    Apara is composed of eight elements — earth, water, air, space, heat, mind, intelligence, perverted ego. Because of being the outcome of material energy of the Supreme, we have material mind. We are unable to know transcendental reality which is beyond comprehension. We need to find ways to see transcendental truth without having to manufacture it. Hence the need for darshan shastra.

    This means we don’t have to create God for God is already present. Absolute reality is existing eternally and is self effulgent, the cause of all causes. When the Supreme Lord with self effulgence of transcendental knowledge is experienced, everything falls into perspective.

    Brahma is said to have performed penance of one hundred years and more and then the knowledge was revealed to him. Without the grace of the Supreme, we may get the apparent but not actual meaning.

    Externally, no one can know. The only way is to submit to spiritual channel. That is why my gurudeva Srila Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Goswami Thakura said that I pay my obeisances to preceptorial channel. Transcendental knowledge descends. Who am I? What is ultimate reality? What is this world? What relation we have with world and the Supreme? All will be imparted. Any time one can get knowledge and immediately all problems will be solved.

    We have got misconception of our self. We are averse to the Supreme Lord, hence are suffering. The best way of getting grace is to chant the Supreme’s name. Krishna and Gita are not different.

    Name of God, Vedas and the Supreme are not different. Transcendental name and form of the Supreme are not different. Chanting the names of God is something you can do anytime, anywhere.

    Suppose you wish to draw water from a deep well but the rope snaps and the bucket falls into the water. How to pull it back from the well? We will have to try all means – fling another rope with hook to snag the bucket in the hope that at least one of the attempts will be successful.

    Similarly when fall into the ‘well’ of the material world, the Supreme comes to us in the form of various avatars with different name in the hope of ‘hooking’ us to bail us out. Hence chanting the names of God is beneficial. One sure way of ensuring we keep remembering the names of God is to give those names to your children.

    Ajamil has named his younger son Narayan. At the time of death, the messengers came to take him to the land of death, out of sheer fear he called out the name of his son. Immediately Lord Narayana ensured that Yamaraj’s messenger did not take him away. We should have firm belief. If we have belief we will get everything; else we cannot get it. Have faith. This is darshan shastra.

  • India Lags in Pictorial Warnings on Cigarettes

    India Lags in Pictorial Warnings on Cigarettes

    MUMBAI: When it comes to pictorial warnings on tobacco packets, India ranks a low 123 among 198 countries surveyed on the warnings parameter. While experts agree that pictorial warnings on tobacco packets is a proven strategy that deters people from smoking or chewing tobacco, the ground reality is that less than 40% of the display area on cigarette and tobacco packets is covered by the warnings in India. This finding was part of the ‘Cigarette Package Health Warnings: International Status Report’, released at a recent WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) conference.

    India ranks 123 among the countries surveyed on the size and fulfillment of requirements for picture- based warnings on packets. Under the FCTC, an international treaty signed and ratified by India, the countries are required to carry health warnings on all packages of tobacco products describing the harmful effects of tobacco use. The warnings “should be 50% or more of the principal display areas, but shall be no less than 30% of the display areas”, and include pictorial warnings. Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, oncologist at Tata Memorial Hospital who has been working against cigarette and tobacco products, said pictorial warnings serve as a deterrent to a first-time user.

    “The tobacco industry has exploited loopholes in the pictorial warning notifications to subvert the law. While smokeless tobacco packets have gory pictorial warnings of mouth cancer, the picture quality is so bad that they become meaningless. Moreover, the cigarette industry chooses the least graphic warning— photo of a lung—that has literally no impact on a user’s mind.”

    International guidelines under the FCTC recommend that warnings should be as large as is achievable, should include a rotating series of graphic pictures and should be on both the front and back of packages. Examples of pictures that appear on packages include a diseased lung or mouth, a patient in a hospital bed and a child exposed to secondhand smoke. However, the written warnings may not help much in compelling smokers to quit, say doctors. “Nearly 20-25% of Indian children are users of tobacco and nearly one-third users in India are illiterate,” said Chaturvedi.

    “They cannot read the warning printed in Hindi or English. Pictorial warnings work better for them,” he added. “Considering that Australia has passed a law that mandates plain packaging of cigarettes packs to discourage branding, we still have a long way to go to get the message across to a user,” said Surabhi Shastri of ‘Smokefree Mumbai’ campaign.

  • Proof That God Does Exist

    Proof That God Does Exist

    Vedanta says that Brahmn is ultimate reality. All other beings and things are unreal. But when we ask questions about the nature of Brahmn, the Upanishads describe it as neti, neti – not this, not this. Therefore, they describe the ultimate reality, Brahmn, in negative terms alone. Swami Sivananda is not satisfied with the negative description of Brahmn because it is impossible for the mind to conceive of an absolute nothing. He argues that ‘Brahmn is not void. It is not blankness or emptiness’. It is not shunyata.

    Brahmn, he upholds, is paripoorna, full, because all desires melt there. Brahmn to him ‘is something, after seeing which there is nothing more to be seen, after becoming which there is nothing more to become, after knowing which there remains nothing to be known’. Brahmn is that which is allpervading, which surrounds us from all sides – around, above, and below. It is satchidananda or existence, knowledge and bliss.

    It is that which has no other. It is without a second, endless, eternal, one and one alone. It is everlasting, the one continuous experiencewhole. Hence Swami Sivananda has described Brahmn in term of positive attributes. He upholds that Brahmn has six attributes: ‘jnana,divine wisdom; vairagya, dispassion; aishwarya, power; bala, strength; sri, wealth and kirti, fame.’. He is nitya, eternal; ananta, infinite and ananda, supreme bliss. He is unchanging amidst changing phenomena.

    He is permanent amidst the impermanent, and imperishable amidst the perishable. He is what the Gita calls “Jyotishamapi tat jyoti, Light of all lights,”. He is the Adhisthana or support of the phenomenal world. Brahmn is the sutradhara, string-puller of all bodies of beings.

    He is the antaryamin, inner ruler of all beings. He is in you and you are in Him. Each of the five primary elements is a manifestation of His qualities. Brahmn is swatantra or independent. He has satkama, good desires and satsankalpa, pure will. Since karmas are jada or insentient, on their own they cannot yield fruits, so it is Brahmn who dispenses fruits of actions of jivas. He is all-merciful; quenching the thirst of jivas.

    He satiates our hunger. He dispenses justice to all. The five activities of God are: Srishti, Creation;, sthiti, preservation, samhara, destruction, tirodhana or tirobhava, veiling; and anugraha, grace, Swami Sivananda accepts that Brahmn is beyond the reach of the senses and mind that is why its existence cannot be proved by scientific experimentation.

    It is purely a question of faith and refers to the intuitive side of man. However, His existence can be inferred by certain empirical facts or common experiences in daily life. One can also prove the existence of Brahmn conceptually.

    One cannot think of impurity, duality, disagreement, variety and mortality without thinking of purity, oneness, agreement, unity and immortality. The possibility of the relative implies reality of the Absolute. Finally, Swami Sivananda questions an atheist who wants conclusive proof for the existence of Brahmn: ‘Can you give proof for the non-existence of Brahmn?’ He asserts that no one has succeeded in proving that Brahmn does not exist. ‘Whether the owl accepts the presence of light or not, there is always light’.

    Likewise, whether you accept the existence of Brahmn or not, He always exists. Even the one who claims the non-existence of Brahmn is himself Brahmn. Likewise, the one who claims that there is only shunya, void, forgets that that the knower who knows the shunya is himself Brahmn.

  • Where’s The Rs 1.76L Crore, Congress Asks CAG After 2G Auction Flop

    Where’s The Rs 1.76L Crore, Congress Asks CAG After 2G Auction Flop

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Congress on Thursday seized on the low yields of the 2G spectrum auction to attack the federal auditor’s Rs 1.76 lakh crore revenue loss projection, setting the stage for another round of bitter feuding with the opposition. After the Supreme Court-ordered 2G auction yielded just Rs 9,407 crore, information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari hit out at the comptroller and auditor general, saying, “Mr CAG, where is the 1.76 lakh crore? I think it is time for some serious introspection.” He also attacked the main opposition BJP, saying, “It is high time the BJP and some of the other opposition parties, which had made this their holy grail and swansong of politics over the last two years, publicly apologize.”

  • Indore Mall files Case: CBI to Probe Digvijaya

    Indore Mall files Case: CBI to Probe Digvijaya

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The CBI has registered a case in connection with alleged irregularities in the construction of a high-end mall in Indore, including the role of then Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh. CBI sources said the agency acted on the orders of the Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh high court which had directed it to probe “roles of senior officials, the then CM, chief secretary and environment minister” among others.

    The case relates to allegations that the mall was illegally built on a residential plot of one lakh square feet, with undue concessions from the then state government under Singh, who is Congress general secretary at present. In its order on October 19, a division bench of Justices P K Jaiswal and Moolchand Garg had directed the CBI to probe the matter and report back in six months. The bench gave the direction on a plea by social activist Mahesh Garg who had filed a complaint with the state Economic Offences Wing in 2009 which had given a clean chit to Singh.

    Soon after the court order, Singh welcomed the probe and said on social networking site Twitter, “Permission was given for it (mall) during my tenure as chief minister. The BJP government’s Economic Offences Wing has already investigated the matter and found nothing against me.”

  • ‘Indians Largely Vacation Deprived’

    ‘Indians Largely Vacation Deprived’

    MUMBAI (TIP): Indians are largely “vacation deprived”, they readily cancel holiday plans when faced with last-minute work assignments and fear that important decisions will occur in office in their absence. These were some of the findings that came out of an annual analysis of vacation habits among people across the globe. Japan tops the list with the maximum (62%) unused vacation days followed by Korea (30%), while India and Australia tied for the fourth position, with Indians leaving 25% of vacation days unused. The survey was carried out online among 8,600 employed people across 22 countries.

    “In India, while the bosses have softened their stance on leaves as compared to last year, the median numbers of leaves given has dropped significantly from 25 in 2011 to 20 this year,” said Manmeet Ahluwalia, marketing head (India), Expedia.co.in, a travel portal that conducted the survey. “Indians still rank second globally in the number of people logging in during vacation with 47% checking regularly and 39% checking on work sometimes. These trends indicate the increasing levels of stress and further highlight the importance of a good break,” he said. While most Europeans have 25-30 days of vacation each year. Asia had the least vacation days.

    Majority of Delhiites dump vacation, encash it
    While Delhiites were keen to not take holidays and exchange the days for money, those from Mumbai could not go on vacations as they were poor at planning ahead. A study, called vacation deprivation survey, done by an online company found that Indians were largely vacation deprived and the reasons varied from city to city. “Last year, the top reasons for not taking a vacation, given by employees in Delhi was that their bosses did not approve of it. This year, a majority of respondents (36%) said they wanted to encash their vacation days,” the survey said. As for respondents from south, in addition to saving vacation days (37%) and lack of planning (33%).

    When it came to cancelling a vacation for a last-minute job Delhiites at 68% lead the pack, followed by those form Mumbai (59%) and southern Indian cities (56%). Holiday preference for Indians varied from beaches (32%) to romantic destinations (33%). “People from Delhi prefer romantic holidays (39%), while those from Mumbai like beach holidays (38%),” said the survey.

  • Survival skills for Diabetes

    Survival skills for Diabetes

    Diabetes affects millions of people and is a very serious lifelong health problem.

    However, keeping diabetes in control is a difficult task as more than half of the care for diabetes is self driven.

    This makes it important to be selfaware and skilled in these care methods. We share a few steps to help you manage diabetes better.

    Diabetes and its treatment
    Diabetes is a condition that causes high blood sugar. It cannot be completely cured but it can definitely be managed. There are basically two types of diabetes, the first being Type 1 diabetes, wherein the body’s immune system destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Due to low insulin level, it is treated with daily insulin injections and a healthy diet. The second type is Type 2 diabetes, here the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or does not use insulin efficiently. It is treated by implementing a diet modification, exercise plan or oral medication.

    Time-to-time medication
    Medicines and injections are very important to manage your diabetes level. Whichever medicines your doctor prescribes for you, take detailed information about its dosage, and follow it the way advised by your doctor. Whenever you make any appointment with any healthcare professional, take the list of all the medicines you have been advised to manage your diabetes level, to avoid any medicinal complications.

    The right food
    You need to take heed to what you eat to manage diabetes. Follow a diet planned for you by your dietician to maintain your weight and to lower your blood sugar. Never skip meals and eat three small meals to keep blood sugar level in control.

    Self-tests
    Testing your blood sugar is the next important thing to do. This will give your healthcare the necessary information required so that he can balance between your diet, physical activity and medications accordingly. If your blood sugar falls below 70 or is FOR DIABETES above 240 more than two times in a week then call your doctor.

    High and low blood sugar
    An unbalanced blood sugar level can lead to serious complications. If your blood sugars are low (less than 70) treat it immediately with 15 grams of carbohydrates like 3-4 glucose tablets, ½ juice or 1 cup skimmed milk. After this wait for 15 minutes and retest your blood sugar level. If it is still low then treat it again with 15 grams of carbohydrate. Whereas, if you have high blood sugar level, then test your blood sugar every 4 hours, drink at least 8 glasses of water to prevent dehydration and consume 45-50 grams of carbohydrates every four hours. Examples of 45-50 grams of carbohydrates are orange or grape juice 1 ½ cups, canned fruit 1 ½ cups, toast 3 slice and regular yoghurt 1 cup. If you have type 1 diabetes and your blood sugar is greater than 240, test for ketones at every meal.

    Preventive exams
    Prevent small cuts to convert it into major complications. If you are a diabetic patient even tiny cuts can develop into a major infection that may require amputating that part of your body. Hence, check your feet daily. Go for an eye check up and complete body check up to prevent long term complications.

  • Files of 9 Secretaries to PMs Destroyed

    Files of 9 Secretaries to PMs Destroyed

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The government has admitted in response to an RTI that it has destroyed the files of nine of the 22 secretaries/principal secretaries to the Prime Minister. This was disclosed in response to an innocuous query regarding the pay given to the secretary or principal secretary to the premier. In its reply, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that it did not have information on nine officials, including H V R Iyengar — secretary to the first PM Jawajaharlal Nehru — and others like A V Pai, P N Haksar and B G Deshmukh.

    The RTI application was filed by Dev Ashish Bhattacharya, who had sought to know the name, pay scale and tenure of the secretary to the President and secretary in the PMO. There also appeared to be no method to the process of “destruction” of records with Pai’s records destroyed on February 28, 1978, while his successor Dharma Vira’s personal file was destroyed four years earlier in 1974. Incidentally, the PMO has given the pay scale of P C Alexander and Sarla Grewal as Rs 3,500, but destroyed the file of their successor B G Deshmukh in 2001. Similarly, as secretary to the PM, P N Dhar was in the pay grade of Rs 3,500 but information on his successors like V Shankar and Krishnaswamy Rao Sahib is unavailable as their personal files have been “destroyed”.

    The government’s policy for destruction or preservation of records is guided by the Public Records Act. According to government sources in the know, each department has a policy for keeping and destruction of public records depending on the sensitivity and utility of the information. A source said, “Records are destroyed according to the departmental policy and there is a process followed. It is difficult to say why one set of files was destroyed before the others.”

    The President secretariat even denied information to Bhattacharya, arguing that such details were not readily available and would require compilation that would disproportionately divert resources of the public authority.

  • Ghaziabad to Host Interpol Program

    Ghaziabad to Host Interpol Program

    NEW DELHI (TIP): India has requested Interpol to come up with a special notice for terror cases, which is not a part of the existing red corner notice. The request was made at the recently concluded general assembly of Interpol in Rome, which was attended by home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and CBI director A P Singh. “It will simplify the process for all the investigating agencies to know about terror suspects if the notice’s colour or style is changed,” said an officer. Interpol is reported to be examining the request.

    In the general assembly, it was also decided that Interpol will hold training programmes at the CBI academy in Ghaziabad, for the Asia-Pacific nations. Training will be imparted to law enforcement officers of various countries on bio-terrorism, investigation of maritime piracy and anti-corruption cases, and there will be focused attention on fugitives involved in terror cases. “This was agreed upon at the Interpol’s 81st general assembly which was held in Rome last week. In a series of meetings, Interpol secretary general, Ronald Noble, sought India’s contribution for officers to the Interpol Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) in Singapore. He also emphasized on the development of a mechanism for informal cooperation with national central bureau (NCB) – India, relating to investigation of cyber crimes,” said CBI spokesperson Dharini Mishra.

    CBI officials also held separate meetings with Saudi Arabia, the US, South Africa, the Netherlands, France, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Jordan, Bhutan, Portugal, South Korea and others to discuss pending bilateral policing issues like letters rogatory, extradition requests etc. Issues discussed at the Interpol general assembly included cooperation in combating terrorism, crime against children and environmental crime, international notices system, disaster victim identification, intellectual property crime, human trafficking, Interpol travel documents, stolen travel document database, Interpol confidentiality regime and Interpol databases . The Interpol general secretariat resolved to support NCB’s to combat transnational organized crime, corruption and money laundering and recover criminal proceeds.

    The general assembly also decided to set up a communication system to respond in real time to requests for help from countries on cyber crime.

  • Cooking Gas KYC Deadline Extended

    Cooking Gas KYC Deadline Extended

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The government on Thursday extended till November 30 the deadline for cooking gas consumers with multiple connections to complete verification of their details. This is the second extension granted by the government for state-run fuel retailers to complete the KYC (know your customer) process to weed out duplicate or ghost connections. The retailers started the exercise in August after the government modified the LPG control order.

    The exercise was to end by October 30. After the Centre in September capped the supply of subsidized cylinders to six a year per household, cooking gas dealers were swamped by consumers rushing in to fill the KYC form. Following consumer complaints of difficulty in completing the process, the deadline was extended to November 15. This has once again been extended by another fortnight.

    An IOC official said only those consumers who have multiple connections need to comply with the process. Others who have to go through the process are consumers whose names figure in the list published on the websites of the companies and those seeking new connections.

  • Man Who Tried to Click Chidambaram Sent to Jail

    Man Who Tried to Click Chidambaram Sent to Jail

    CHENNAI (TIP): Ameer Thwaha, 35, who was detained for trying to take photographs of Union finance minister P Chidambaram was sent to Puzhal prison on Thursday even as the minister wanted him released.

    Chidambaram, in a statement on Thursday, said he was not aware of the arrest. “I do not know why police detained the person. I have asked my office to get in touch with the Tamil Nadu police and request them to release the person immediately,” he said. “I was surprised and disappointed to learn that a person who reportedly attempted to take some pictures of me was detained by police at Chennai airport. I did not know about the incident until the media reported it yesterday evening,” he added.

    Earlier, Thwaha was detained in October after he clicked pictures of a Dreamliner plane and abruptly got out before it was to take off. Thwaha’s posts on a social networking site show that he had a penchant for planes and airports. A photograph posted by him early this month shows him leaping, with a flight taking off in the background. The photo was shot near an airport. Responding to comments from his friends, Thwaha posted: “This is our airport, dear … Cochin International Airport.” He also loves taking photographs with celebrities and VIPs at airports. Among his photographs are one with film director Priyadarshan at Kochi airport, and another with actor John Abraham. Thwaha told police during questioning that his penchant to take pictures of celebrities started after he got positive comments on a photograph that he had posted on a social networking site. However, his explanations did not convince the police.

    Ameer Thwaha also told police that he loves to travel by Air India’s Dreamliner. He had posted pictures of the aircraft when he boarded the plane to fly to Delhi from Chennai. However, he disembarked before the flight was to take off, for some unexplained reason.

  • Foods that Fight Osteoporosis

    Foods that Fight Osteoporosis

    Osteoporosis is a disease wherein the bones become very weak and fragile. People with osteoporosis have an increased risk for fractured bones,even from minor falls or accidents.

    It is always considered that elderly women are prone to osteoporosis, but this is not true. Damage to the bone starts at an early age. In order to maintain strong and healthy bones and prevent osteoporosis, you need to take certain precautions from an early age. Today, Dr. Kamna Desai gives us some tips. Follow these 15 tips to improve your bone status and avert osteoporosis…

    Milk and milk products
    Include a healthy proportion of low fat milk and milk products (cheese, yogurt, paneer, skimmed milk powder) in your
    meals. The calcium and proteins in the milk makes the bones strong and healthy.

    Nuts
    Having a fistful of nuts daily provides one’s body with the required minerals like calcium, magnesium, manganese and
    phosphorus. Almonds and Pistachios in particular are good sources of calcium.

    Vegetables
    Include brocolli, chinese cabbage,cauliflower, beetroot and okra in your daily diet to strengthen your bones.

    Ragi
    Ragi has around 330 mg to 350 mg of calcium per 100gms of dry weight which makes it one of the most sought after cereal for improving the bone status.

    Dates
    Dates are particularly good sources of calcium with manganese. Copper and magnesium helps in improving the bone
    mineral density.

    Sunlight
    Some amount of sun exposure is required to produce vitamin D beneath our skin. Vitamin D along with calcium helps in strengthening the bone health of individuals

    Fruits
    Include fruits like like oranges, guava, strawberries, and pineapples etc, these fruits will provide vitamin C to the body which in turn will strengthen our bones. Also include banana and apple.

    Dark green leafy vegetables
    Though dark green leafy vegetables are touted as one of the major means for improving one’s calcium status.

    This one could be tricky because spinach has good amount of calcium but the presence of oxalate prevents the absorption of calcium. Instead opt for collard greens, mustard greens, methi, amaranth, mustard green and turnip greens for getting enough calcium in the diet.

  • Casteist Remark in Private No Offence: Court

    Casteist Remark in Private No Offence: Court

    NEW DELHI (TIP): A trial court has observed that one cannot be prosecuted for hurling castiest abuses at a person from scheduled caste or tribe unless it is proved that the incident took place in “full public view”. Additional sessions judge Rajnish Bhatnagar made the observation, referring to a provision of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes(Prevention of Atrocities) Act and discharging three members of a family of charges under the Act.

    “From the bare reading of this section, it is apparent that the alleged abuses must have been given by the accused to the complainant in full ‘public view’. In order to bring home the point that this ingredient is not fulfilled even if the allegations are found to be correct though the abuses have not been given in full public view,” the court said. It, however, clarified the accused, which included man, his wife and their son, be tried by a magisterial court under the IPC for allegedly hurting the complainant and wrongfully restraining him. Initially, the accused were also charged for insulting and humiliating a member of scheduled caste member in violation of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

  • Obama’s Choice for Secretary of State: Fried Rice vs Stale Kerry

    Obama’s Choice for Secretary of State: Fried Rice vs Stale Kerry

    WASHINGTON (TIP): A furious political scrap has erupted in full public view in the US capital over a potential successor to Hillary Clinton in the State Department. Republican lawmakers have threatened to block the confirmation of Susan Rice, the US envoy to UN, if President Obama nominates her for Secretary of State. The President has dared them to take him on.

    At the heart of the wrangle are charges from lawmakers that Rice misled them on the events in Benghazi, Libya, when she suggested that the killing of the U.S ambassador there was the result of a spontaneous uprising rather than a terrorist attack. They have demanded an inquiry into the incident and have said they have no confidence in Rice, who is an Obama acolyte and one of three candidates in running to succeed Clinton, John Kerry and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon being the other two.

    But at a White House press conference on Wednesday — his first since March — Obama bristled at suggestions that he would be forced to back down if he nominated Rice, and strongly defended the UN ambassador. Rice, the President grated, made her presentation at the request of the White House and gave her best understanding of the intelligence that had been provided to her. If McCain and Graham and others want to go after somebody, ”they should go after me. And I’m happy to have that discussion with them.” “But for them to go after the UN ambassador, who had nothing to do with Benghazi and was simply making a presentation based on intelligence that she had received and to besmirch her reputation is outrageous,” Obama fumed, adding if they are going after Rice because she’s an easy target, ”then they’ve got a problem with me.” It was the most combative President Obama got during the hour long session with the media in the East Room, although the press conference also touched on two other explosive topics — the Petraeus affair and the fiscal cliff issue. Other than that minor eruption, the President, who appeared to have banished his gray hair overnight, exuded good cheer and confidence after his famous election win. Obama maintained he had not made a decision on naming Rice but “if I think that she would be the best person to serve America in the capacity, then I will nominate her. That’s not a determination that I’ve made yet.”

    The current Foggy Bottom incumbent, who has expressed her desire to step down, was meanwhile in Perth, Australia, on her final farewell tours. Opinion is divided on whether Obama will expend political capital in pushing Rice should McCain and Graham dig in their heels and fry her nomination. Democrats have 53 seats in the Senate and the support of two Independents; they need 60 votes to pull Rice through, not an impossible task. But the President also has the option of drafting Rice as his National Security Advisor — a staff position that does not require Senate confirmation — and sending his current NSA Tom Donilon to State. Another possibility is that he may nominate John Kerry — the Senate will happily confirm one of its own — although it will reduce the Democrats’ strength in the chamber.

    Capitals across the world are watching the developments. Whichever way it goes, New Delhi mandarins say they can live with it in the spirit of accepting what is inevitable, although they lean towards Rice despite occasional run-ins with her at the United Nations. Rice recently went on a private trip to India — including a mandatory visit to Agra — but found time to exchange notes with NSA Shiv Shankar Menon and Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, an exercise that reportedly went off well. Kerry on the other hand — despite his longer engagement with foreign policy and India — invites a roll of the eyebrows because of his ardent championing of US aid to Pakistan to buy its support. That stale policy, repeated every few years, is now deemed a failure.

  • How to maintain your Modular Kitchen

    How to maintain your Modular Kitchen

    Modular kitchens have redefined modern homes. However, it’s not an easy job to design and maintain them.They are easy and convenient. Modular kitchens are here to stay and promise to make kitchen work easier. If you are confused with how to go about getting your own modular kitchen set-up, here’s a quick guide to help you make an informed decision.

    PLAN IT: When getting a kitchen designed, don’t go by what appears in the store, because that set up is meant to make the kitchen space look good. Ask yourself if it will translate well into your space. Better yet, get a good interior designer to help you out. They can help you get the right blend of beauty and function, within your assigned budget.

    MATERIAL MATTERS: This is the most basic factor that you should take into consideration. From material like plywood and chipboard, there can be a lot of confusion over what is what. Wood-free kitchens can be made using alternative material like steel, glass, stone and Coria. Another factor to look at is thickness of the material use and the kind of support system used for the cabinets. You do not want shelves coming unhinged because of excess weight or a child hanging on to it! Preference should be for high quality than price, as Indian lifestyle demands excessive maintenance of kitchen.

    Here’s where the options are plenty and it’s easy to get lost. The first step is to identify your style of usage and then figuring out the best combination. Every type of material has its pros and cons and make sure you are well versed with the one you finally purchase as you do not want to damage your new kitchen.

    THE LOOK: Choose bright colours and you won’t go wrong; after all, the kitchen should be a bright and happy place to be in. There’s no shortage of shades to choose from and you can get the colours you want to match your walls as well.

    It’s not just about your kitchen being well lit, its also about the working spacing being well lit. Make sure overhead cabinets don’t cast shadows on your workspace on the countertop. If they do, you should consider getting light fixtures installed under the overhead cabinet to specifically light up your workspace.

    You will be spending time in your kitchen, so it needs to be customised you suit your needs. That includes height of the cabinets and depth of the countertops.


    APPLIANCES:     Standard appliances in a kitchen include the sink and the faucet. For sinks, get one with good width and depth so that all your cookware can fit in straight and does not have to be kept angled. With faucets, choose one, which is tall and has a long handle for ease of use.

    A variety of fixtures are available for specific items of the kitchen, like racks for the knives, plates, utensils, and spoons etc. Don’t forget electrical sockets, as they too can be given special space.

  • No Evidence of Security Breach in Petraeus Scandal: Obama

    No Evidence of Security Breach in Petraeus Scandal: Obama

    WASHINGTON (TIP): US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that he has “no evidence” of security breach in connection with the resignation of CIA chief David Petraeus over an extramarital affair. “I have no evidence at this point, from what I’ve seen, that classified information was disclosed that would have had a negative impact on our national security,” Obama told reporters in his first news conference since his reelection last week.

    Speaking from the East Room of the White House, Obama addressed a range of issues Wednesday, including a possible standoff with Republicans over his proposed tax hikes for the wealthiest Americans, the deadly attack on US Embassy in Libya, his plans to deal with Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and the civil war in Syria. Obama was clearly eager to move on from questions about the salacious circumstances surrounding Petraeus’ exit from the CIA, saying he is “withholding judgment” on a decision by the FBI to wait until after the Nov 6 election to inform the White House of Petraeus’ affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell.

    The FBI is said to have learned of the illicit relationship this past summer amid an investigation into Broadwell’s alleged cyberharassment of a woman she reportedly perceived as a rival for the US spy chief’s affections. Law enforcement officials cited by US media have said they withheld information about the case from top US officials because it had not reached the threshold of a national security concern. “It’s also possible that had we been told, you’d be sitting here asking: ‘Why were you interfering in a criminal investigation?’” Obama told reporters. The Petraeus case has also ensnared Gen John Allen, the top American commander in Afghanistan, who is being investigated for possible “inappropriate communications” with a Florida socialite allegedly harassed by Broadwell via anonymous emails. Petraeus is scheduled to testify before a US Senate committee Thursday about the Sep 11 attack on an American embassy compound in Benghazi, which left four Americans diplomats dead, including the US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.

    Obama also said Wednesday that he planned to “make a push in the coming months” to “open up a dialogue” with Iran and dissuade Tehran from pursuing a nuclear weapon. “We’re not going to let Iran get a nuclear weapon, but I think there is still a window of time for us to resolve this diplomatically,” Obama said. On the matter of the Syrian Civil War, Obama said Wednesday that he is not prepared to recognize the Syrian opposition as a “government in exile”, though he said he does consider the umbrella group seeking to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad “a legitimate representative of the aspirations of the Syrian people.”

  • Emma Stone crowned Best Dressed Woman of 2012

    Emma Stone crowned Best Dressed Woman of 2012

    Emma Stone has pipped Kristen Stewart and Tom Cruise’s daughter Suri, to be named as the best dressed woman of 2012 by InStyle magazine.

    Stone was closely followed by Diane Kruger, while Kristen Stewart took third place, the Daily Mail reported. Alexa Chung, Victoria Beckham, the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Moss and Florence Welch, all secured five of the top ten places.

    The youngest to make the list was six-year-old Suri, who came in at number 9. No stranger to best dressed lists, the budding fashionista tops the polls regularly in both child and adult categories

    Also making the list was Pixie Geldolf who came 23rd in the list. One-time chart topper Cheryl Cole took 42nd place while Emma Watson took 48th. Men making the list included, David Beckham, Andrew Garfield, Ryan Gosling, Robert Pattinson and Eddie Redmayne. “From Emma Stone to Frieda Pinto, Instyle’s top 50 best dressed women, men (and little girls) each have a very individual inspirational style,” Eilidh MacAskill, Editor of InStyle, said.

  • Lovllien Kaurr bereaved

    Lovllien Kaurr bereaved

    NEW YORK (TIP): New York resident Lovllien Kaurr’s revered mother Sardarni Harjit Kaur Gulati wife of late Sardar Man Singh Gulati of Amritsar Cantt. passed away on November 6. She was 76. She has been ailing for more than three years, after having lost her only son Satinder Singh Gulati under tragic circumstances. Lovllien Kaurr, as also her two sisters, and a number of close relations of Sardarni Harjit Kaur Gulati were by her bedside when she breathed her last. An Akhand Paath Sahib and Antim ardas were organized for peace to the departed soul on November 9 at which a large number of relations and friends were present. Sardarni Harjit Kaur Gulati leaves behind three daughter, a daughter in law and many grand children. The Indian Panorama condoles the death of Sardarni Harjit Kaur Gulati and offers sympathies to her New York based daughter Lovllien Kaurr who has been associated with The Indian Panorama for a long time.

  • Dr Ami Bera Comes to Washington; Third Indian-American Elected to Congress

    Dr Ami Bera Comes to Washington; Third Indian-American Elected to Congress

    WASHINGTON (TIP): An Indian- American physician from California has become only the third person of Indianorigin to be elected to the US House of Representatives, attesting to the incremental progress the thriving community is making in politics and public life in America. The Sacramento County Registrar of Voters announced on Friday that Ami Bera had increased his lead to 2.2 per cent against sitting Congressman Dan Lungren in last week’s election, surging ahead by 5,696 votes after the latest round of counting, a margin Bera and his supporters think is insurmountable.

    The regular counting without absentee ballots and provisional votes had seen the two rivals less than 200 votes apart. “Today’s update shows that we’ve processed another 38,510 ballots since Tuesday’s update. This leaves an estimated 7,782 vbm (vote by mail) and of course the 31,000 provisional ballots left to process,” the County Registrar said. Next update is scheduled for Monday. But Associated Press and the local media, not to speak of Bera himself, called the race for the Indian-American Democrat, for whom this was a second shot at the seat. “It’s increasingly clear that the voters of Sacramento County want new leadership that puts the people first. Our lead continues to widen and we are confident that this election will be resolved in our favor,” Bera said in a statement.

    Lungren is yet to concede the race, but Bera is already in Washington DC for an orientation course for new lawmakers, which incidentally is being led by a committee headed by Lungren. Earlier this week, Bera, who describes himself as a Unitarian, attended the White House Diwali celebration along with Tulsi Gabbard, another newly elected lawmaker from Hawaii who is a self-described Hindu- American. Bera is only the third Indian elected to the US Congress after Dalip Singh Saund, who was a mathematician with farming interests, and Bobby Jindal, who is a health policy expert and currently governor of Louisiana. Saund in fact was the first person of non-Abrahamic faith elected to the U.S Congress and the only Indian- American so far to clock three terms.

    Like his Indian-American predecessors, Bera too has an impressive academic record in keeping with the community’s cachet. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of California at Irvine, and went on to get an MD in 1991. He served as Associate Dean for Admissions at the UC Davis School of Medicine and later as the Chief Medical Officer for the County of Sacramento. His wife Janine is also a physician and they have a 14-year young daughter, Sydra. “As a first generation American, born and raised in California, the promise of America has been the story of my life,” Bera told voters in his election pitch, promising to work for a “more compassionate, sensible, and sustainable America.”

  • Cameron Diaz not dating Tom Cruise

    Cameron Diaz not dating Tom Cruise

    Actress Cameron Diaz has denied rumours that she is dating Tom Cruise. The rumours surfaced after Diaz was pictured with Cruise and fellow actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem as she celebrated her 40th birthday Aug 30.

    Earlier, Cruise’s representative had slammed the reports and now Diaz denies it. “I happened to bump into Penelope Cruz, Javier, Tom and his son in a hotel and joined them for dinner. At midnight I said, ‘I’m 40’.

    So we took pictures and then said ‘Goodnight, see you later, blah, blah, blah’ and I haven’t seen him since.” “But the next thing I know, apparently I am dating him and it’s full on and he is coming after me,” she added.

    The actress made the clarification on a chat show. Diaz was in a relationship with baseball player Alex Rodriguez for an year but parted ways in September 2011.

  • Sienna posed Nude during Pregnancy

    Sienna posed Nude during Pregnancy

    Sienna Miller posed nude for a portrait just weeks before she gave birth to her daughter Marlowe, it has been revealed. The 30-yearold actress posed for British artist Jonathan Yeo in July shortly before her due date, letting him capture her in the later stages of her pregnancy.

    Jonathan, whose previous work includes paintings of Dennis Hopper and Nicole Kidman, described the portrait as a “‘tribute to Sienna’s courage and self-confidence’” and praised her for stripping off for the artwork. “I can think of many figures whose public currency in part revolves around their appearance, who would prefer to hide themselves away for nine months,” Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

    “Sienna is usually so petite and a wonderful fashion clotheshorse and the fact she is transformed means it has all the more impact,” he said.

    Miller, who gave birth to her first child with actor husband Tom Sturridge, first met the artist in Los Angeles, California, eight years ago and the pair have remained close friends since.

    This portrait will be the sixth she has sat for in his London studio and Jonathan thinks it is the most important artwork so far.

  • CIA Opens Investigation Into David Petraeus Scandal

    CIA Opens Investigation Into David Petraeus Scandal

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The CIA has launched an internal inquiry following the resignation of its director David Petraeus, who confessed to an extramarital affair, a spokesman for the US intelligence agency said on Thursday. “If there are lessons to be learned from this case, we’ll use them to improve,” said the spokesman, Preston Golson. “But we’re not getting ahead of ourselves. An investigation is exploratory and doesn’t presuppose any particular outcome,” he added.

    Petraeus, who was already the most celebrated US general of his generation before he took the helm at the CIA last year, resigned last week to pre-empt the revelation that he had had an affair with his biographer. The scandal sent shockwaves through the Washington security establishment and entangled the US commander of allied forces in Afghanistan, General John Allen, whose career is on hold pending a Pentagon investigation. Petraeus has kept a low profile since his resignation, but he will be in the limelight once again on Friday when he heads to Capitol Hill to testify before two congressional committees over a deadly attack on a US mission in Libya. The 60-year-old retired general is not expected to face charges, but FBI agents seized a trove of documents from the home of his mistress, 40-year-old Paula Broadwell, and may act if she improperly received classified material. US Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday that the FBI had not found any “national security threat” in the course of its investigation.

    Petraeus’s resignation also triggered speculation that its timing — three days after President Barack Obama’s re-election — was political or was linked to the probe into the killing of four Americans at the Benghazi consulate. Petraeus has yet to speak publicly, but he told a friend, CNN Headline News anchor Kyra Phillips, that the scandal had nothing to do with Benghazi and that he had never passed secret documents to his lover. “He was very clear that he screwed up terribly — it was all his fault — even that he felt fortunate to have a wife who is far better than he deserves,” Phillips said, after a series of calls to Petraeus. “He has insisted to me that he has never passed classified information to Paula Broadwell,” she added. “He has said this has nothing to do with Benghazi and he wants to testify. He will testify.” Petraeus will face both the House and Senate intelligence committees on Friday as they probe the September 11 attack on the consulate in Benghazi, in which Ambassador Chris Stevens and three more Americans died. Two of the dead were former Navy SEALs working as paramilitary agents for Petraeus’ CIA, and questions have been raised about whether the agency or the State Department was responsible for security at the exposed outpost. Broadwell herself further muddied the waters by suggesting in a public speech that the CIA team in Benghazi was holding local prisoners and that this was what inspired Islamist militants to launch their assault.

    The CIA has firmly denied her claim, made before the scandal broke. Petraeus met Broadwell in 2006 when she was studying for a doctorate at Harvard. They hit it off and she was invited to follow him to Afghanistan to study his command for what was to become a fawning biography. The four-star general retired from the military last year and took over at the CIA. Shortly afterwards, according to Petraeus’ friends, he and Broadwell became lovers, and remained so until they split around four months ago. The affair came to light as a result of an FBI inquiry that was launched in May when Jill Kelley, a 37-yearold Tampa socialite who hosted parties for officers at US Central Command in Florida, complained of threatening emails. Agents traced the anonymous mails to Broadwell’s computer and found that she had been jealous of Kelley’s rapport with both Petraeus and Allen. While investigating cyberstalking they uncovered sexually explicit emails between Petraeus and Broadwell. The investigation might have remained secret, but an FBI agent raised concerns with a congressman and the scandal broke. This week, Allen was pulled into the drama, when it was revealed he had written hundreds of emails to Kelley, some of them reportedly “flirtatious”, and the Pentagon launched an inquiry into his conduct.

  • Movie Review:Trouble with the Curve

    Movie Review:Trouble with the Curve

    Cast: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake
    Direction: Robert Lorenz
    Genre: Drama
    Duration: 1 hour 51 minutes

    STORY: A cranky old baseball scout is forced to face his daughter, past regrets on what could be his last assignments…

    MOVIE REVIEW: Gus Lobel (Clint Eastwood) has been one of the best Baseball scouts around for a long time. His experienced judgement is however doubted by a younger sports manager who believes mathematical statistics are more important than understanding of the game and the player.

    Gus is given one last chance to prove his mettle and that he still has it in him. Gus’ estranged daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) decides to accompany him on his last recruiting assignment. The two end up ‘talking’ for a change,venting the anger, bottled up emotions and unspoken words.

    True to Eastwood’s style, Trouble with the Curve is purely an emotional human drama, revolving around buried emotions. The pace is slow but that doesn’t matter as the father-daughter strained relationship touches your heart. You can identify with their dilemmas, rapport, and reservations.

    Their issues are as realistic as they can get. An aloof father who’s super protective of his daughter, daughter joining her father on his last trip, keeping aside their past only to save his job..Trouble with the Curve is a film which every father should watch with his daughter. Justin Timberlake plays an unimportant role but is impressive. The film belongs to Amy Adams.

    The actress is brilliant as the girl dealing with a constant fear of losing the people she loves. Clint Eastwood is good as ever. No significant events happen in the film, it’s about how you deal with situations when life happens to you. It’s a simple story, brilliantly told.

  • 4 Dead, 17 Injured As Train Hits Texas Parade

    4 Dead, 17 Injured As Train Hits Texas Parade

    WASHINGTON (TIP): A train crashed into a parade float carrying veterans in the US state of Texas on Thursday, killing four people and injuring 17 others, local media reported. The float was carrying veterans and their wives as part of the annual Show of Support parade in the town of Midland, the Midland Reporter-Telegram reported, citing city officials. According to the newspaper, 10 of the injured are in critical condition. Seven are in stable condition.