Wednesday, March 29, 2017

IT company in Domlur grows its own veggies


This is a wonderful initiative that was taken by a two decade old IT firm in Domlur, Bengaluru. The company made use of a piece of vacant land in its premises to grow vegetables. There was a 4-acre land adjacent to its office where there were a cricket and basketball ground and, still, one acre was vacant and they decided to utilize that land.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 25 March 2017.
All it took was a bit of innovation to convert an empty open space into a garden to grow vegetables for the kitchen. Right now, this IT company not only grows its own vegetable but also sells them at reduced rates. The products cover cabbage, spinach, tomato, sweet corn, okra, beans, carrot, beetroot, radish, bitter gourd, and coriander.
There is a vegetable market in the premises where employees can buy the fresh produce at a discount and it has been going on for the last three months. Initially, the products were given to the employees free of charge. But, it is now sold at 20 per cent less than the market rate. There is a tie-up with HOPCOMS who help them to determine the rate of the vegetables on the day of the mini-market. The money received is pumped back into the system to procure seeds, manure, setting up a rainwater harvesting plant and other related activities.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Ajmer airport to be operational by Independence Day


AS per saltest indications, Ajmer airport to be operational by Independence Day. It is believed to be in the final phase of completion and teams from different technical departments are visiting the airport to verify security and management systems.
Flights were supposed to start from March-April this year but it was further delayed for few months due to a number of reasons that included a land dispute. The latest news s that the airport will start trial this year in mid-July and regular services will start from August 15 - its maiden flight would be to Delhi.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 16 March 2017.
Ajmer airport will also connect to other cities like Jaipur, Chennai, Mumbai and some companies have assured to provide services from Ajmer in a charter plane with 70-80 seats. Incidentally, the foundation stone of Ajmer airport was laid down by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and some BJP minister will now inaugurate it. The demand for an airport in Ajmer had been there since 1982 because it is a tourist spot and thousands of tourists and devotees visit Ajmer and Pushkar every month including foreign dignitaries.
Security measures like scanners and security doors are already installed in the airport and terminal is ready for passengers.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Ranchi to crackdown on hookah bars


The Ranchi administration plans to crackdown on hookah bars. There are over a dozen hookah bars that operate on premises of hotels, restaurants and pubs and are, in effect, promoting smoking in a public place. A database is being prepared of establishments in the city that have hookah bars.
Jharkhand does not have any provision for a hookah bar licence, but it violates the law of smoking in public places.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 17 March 2017.
A hotel or restaurant gets licence for a specific commercial purpose and it does not cover hookah bars. Owners of restaurants, pubs and hotels simply convert a part of the premises to start a hookah bar.
Shops that sell tobacco products within the 100-metre radius of a school or a college will also face a crackdown and these shops must prominently display boards saying sale of tobacco to minors is prohibited.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Friday, March 17, 2017

Rajasthan offers adventure sports like paragliding and solo flights to attract tourists


Rajsamand in Rajasthan plans to woo tourists by offering them adventure sports like paragliding and solo flights. The district administration has granted licence to an expert pilot who will impart coaching to people from next month. A suitable and safe venue for training has already been identified at Morjan hills in Kesuli village.
The adventure sports training is expected to give boost to tourism and also generate employment opportunities for the local youths.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 17 March 2017.
Paragliding is a recreational sport and is the closest one can get to fulfil their dream of free flight. In India, it is performed by using a light-weight, foot-launched aircraft that has no rigid structure. The pilot is attached to this structure by means of a harness and a fabric wing aids in the flight of the individual.
Any healthy person above the age of 12 can learn paragliding and, the training schedule would be of 10 days duration when the pilot would be taught how to master the basic techniques of paragliding like launching, turning and landing. Once he gets hold of that, he can undertake a solo flight. Equipment like safety belts, and helmets have already been procured. Paragliding courses are pretty expensive and are commonly available in China, Norway, Australia, Canada. In India, there are a few schools that offer courses in paragliding, solo flights and tandem flights.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Rohtang tunnel will boost tourism potential in Himachal Pradesh


Once the construction of the 8.8-Km horseshoe shaped Rohtang tunnel is completed, the tourist footfalls in the picturesque, remote Lahaul Valley in Himachal Pradesh is expected to rise. The government will provide basic infrastructure and other facilities to attract tourists to the valley in Lahaul-Spiti district.
Efforts are on to identify necessary land for construction of an airport in the district.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 16 March 2017.
The rafting stretch from Darcha to Jispa on the Bhaga river and from Kaza bridge to Tabo has been notified by the state government and, in the period 2015 to 2017, Rs.40 lakh has been sanctioned and utilized to develop and beautify the Buddhist Gompas. In addition, these is a proposal of installing a ski lift in Keylong, the district headquarters. It is under process.
The Rohtang tunnel was scheduled to be completed by 2015 but the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), a wing of the Defence Ministry, aims to open it now for traffic in 2019. The project is a joint effort of the BRO in collaboration with Strabag-Afcons, a 60:40 joint venture between Strabag SE of Austria and India's Afcons Infrastructure Ltd.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Greylag geese arrive in the Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh


Greylag geese are migratory birds and have arrived in the Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh. Along with them are other birds like the migratory waterfowl, including the iconic wetland species. Their arrival is strange because it is virtually the middle of March.
Five geese were seen near the observatory tower of the lake in the company of mixed flocks of Eurasian coots, Northern pintail ducks, Common pochards, Eurasian wigeons, Tufted ducks etc. Nowadays, the geese do not come to the Sukhna in very large numbers or stay for long duration.
This is reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 16 March 2017.
The presence of the Greylag goose in good numbers and for lengthy duration of stay means the quality of a wetland is healthy. This species likes to roost, forage and generally just loaf around a wetland where it is not disturbed. They are never seen in a village pond neither in the depths of the south. It characteristic is its constant honking and it resonates across a wetland.
The bill, legs and feet of this species of geese are pink in color and not grey. It feeds at night and day, and is known to be a favored gamebird for hunters and poachers across the globe.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

International team of wildlife biologists fear many species are moving towards extinction


A 43-member team of wildlife experts from Australia, China, India, Kenya, and the US have predicted that several species of wildlife is under threat of extinction. Their joint study reveals that India tops a list of 24 countries where nearly 40 per cent of large herbivores and carnivores are threatened.
They have called for renewed conservation efforts.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 15 March 2017.
The tiger, elephant and rhinoceros are among India's threatened species while the nilgai, kiang and the leopard are among non-threatened species. As far as China is concerned, its threatened species include the giant panda, Asian elephant and the snow leopard.
In the opinion of the scientists, the reasons attributed to this situation are expansion of farm and livestock areas, illegal hunting, deforestation and human population growth which means loss of habitat for the animals.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Lack of toilet sense of Indians delay International flights


In the latest instance of of "toilet abuse", a Delhi-Chicago Air India flight took off with only eight out of the 12 toilets functioning. It was a 17-hour flight and, even the eight toilets went out of order one by one. As a result, with no toilets available, the over 340 passengers, including seven infants, had to wait till landing for relieving themselves.
This incident reveals the lack of toilet sense of Indians.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 15 March 2017.
Aircraft toilets get blocked if a passenger throws any object into the toilet, like a plastic bottle, soiled diapers, a bunch of tissue papers. Such objects damage its vacuum flush system and, in such cases, the object has to be located, removed and system flushed. This is a time-consuming process and the flight is delayed.
In the older days, a blue liquid chemical was used to flush the toilet system and, in case of a blockage, hot water was an answer. Today, aircraft like the Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 have a vacuum flush which is advanced technology and, once it is blocked, there is nothing much the cabin attendants can do except make a log entry.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Monday, March 13, 2017

Chennakeshava temple in Belur is 900-years old


The Chennakeshava temple in Belur, situated 220-Km from Benglauru attracts plenty of tourists every year and has turned 900 years old but there is hardly any celebrations to mark the historic occasion. The temple is well known for its Shilabalika sculptures and was constructed in 1117 AD to mark the victory of Gangaraja, a general in Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana's army, over the invading Chola army a year earlier.
More than 10,000 people visit the temple during weekends.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 13 March 2017.
Heritage and tourism buffs are disappointed at the failure of the state government to exploit the occasion and hardsell Belur, Halebidu and Talakadu as the most popular tourist destinations of Karnataka. Belur was the Hoysala capital, while Halebidu, also in Hassan district, is 16-Km away.
Incidentally, the Chennakeshava temple has been proposed for the UNESCO World Heritage status for its 12th century architecture four years ago. Darpana Sundari (Lady with a mirror) which is carved on the walls of Belur temple and the carvings on the pillars are unique.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Ro-Ro ferries built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) idling in Kochi


Ro-Ro ferries or roll in-roll out ferries are useful for transporting vehicles over water - the vehicles are driven in through one side and go out through the other, thereby saving considerable time. Two of these have been built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for operation in the busy Vypeen-Fort Kochi sector but are yet to begin service. There was a Pappy service operating on the route but it was unilaterally withdrawal by its owner citing non-payment of dues by the contractor.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 11 March 2017.
'Ro-Ro' vessels are also known as ‘floating bridges’. Each of them costs ₹3.80 crore, weighs 150 tonnes and can carry another 60 tonnes right from two-wheelers to lorries and passengers and have been built in India for the first time but, the Kochi Corporation has not yet taken delivery. The reasons are delay in the construction of landing terminals at Vypeen and Fort Kochi.
Incidentally, the initiative to introduce these Ro-Ro vessels after an accident of a recklessly-driven fishing boat when it rammed into a ramshackle ferry in September 2015 - it led to death of 11 commuters.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Srinagar-Jammu national highway closed for fourth day due to heavy rainfall and snow


Heavy rain and snowfall has cut off Kashmir from the rest of the country and the Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed for the fourth consecutive day. It was difficult to restore the nearly 300-Km highway which is the only all-weather surface link between Kashmir and rest of the country because of continuous rain and snowfall.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 11 March 2017.
Over two feet of snow had accumulated on the ground at Jawahar Tunnel, one feet at Zig and four inches in Qazigund town but, the real problem is the continuous landslides and falling stones triggered by incessant rains in Ramban sector. Huge boulders and sliding stones have totally blocked the highway at various places between Banihal and Ramban axis.
The famous ski resort of Gulmarg, which experienced over two feet of fresh snow during this week, continued to be the coldest recorded place in the state. Pahalgam hill resort in south Kashmir is the base camp during the annual Amarnath yatra and, it also witnessed a fall of two degrees in the night temperature.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Friday, March 10, 2017

NASA locates India's 'lost' Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft


Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft is India's first lunar probe and it was believed to have been lost because Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) lost contact with it on August 29, 2009, almost a year after it was launched on October 22, 2008.
Scientists of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California have discovered that it is not lost but still circling nearly 200-Km above the surface of the Moon. NASA has located it by using a new ground-based radar technique.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 10 March 2017.
NASA was searching for its own LRO and it was quite easy because they were working in league with the mission's navigators and had precise orbit data where it was located. However, finding Chandrayaan-1 required a bit more detective work. This was because o its size - it is a very small cube about 1.5 meters on each side and is about half the size of a smart car. Finding such a tiny object was a challenge.
The JPL team used NASA's 70-metre antenna at NASA's Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California to send out a powerful beam of microwaves directed towards the Moon. The radar echoes bounced back from lunar orbit were then received by the 100-meter Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia. That is how the lost Chandrayaan-1 was found 380,000 kilometres away.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Basanta Utsav in Visva-Bharati - time limit set for revelers to return to hostels


The Basanta Utsav in Visva-Bharati is a major festival celebrated to welcome spring and the authorities have issued a notification that students must return to their departments or hostels within an hour of the completion of the festivities.
This is issued because there have been complaints lodged by students in the past of teasing. Even after the end of the official song-and-dance programs in the ashram ground, many students continue to hold sessions in smaller groups. In view of the large number of people who come (roughly 1.5 lakh every year) proper care has to be taken. This year, the festival is on March 12.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 8 March 2017.
Apart from the Basanta Utsav program on the dais, thousands of students participate in a procession that starts from the Patha Bhavana campus and ends in front of the main dais. Even after the cultural program of songs and dances, many of the remain on the campus for hours.
In order to keep a check, additional CCTV cameras would be installed to monitor the crowd on the campus. Four temporary watch towers are also being constructed for policemen to keep an eye on the visitors. Students have also welcomed the move of the authorities.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Monday, March 6, 2017

Thieves are stealing fish from the Jayanti Sarovar in Jamshedpur


The Jayanti Sarovar located in the premises of the Tata Zoo in Jamshedpur is spread over 20-acre and large fish like rohu and katla flourish in the waters but thieves steal the prized catch at night and the anglers are a worried lot.
Mombers of the Jamshedpur Angling Club (JAC) have now formed squads of eight or ten enthusiasts who will provide coverage at night from 10pm to 4am. They have already been doing it for the last five days with members taking turns for night duty. They have obtained necessary from the local police.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 7 March 2017.
The anglers complain that the security at the Tata zoo is very lax and private security guards of the zoo operate with the thieves, who enter the lake area from the zoo - the gates of Jubilee Park close at 9pm and reopen at 7am. It seems the thieves jump the zoo wall from the Marine Drive side and walk home with their booty by using the same route and are usually active between 12.30am and 2.30am.
Jamshedpur Angling Club (JAC)releases fingerlings into the lake every year but the stock keeps reducing drastically because of the theft.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Demand increases for Yoga teachers of Rishikesh in foreign countries


Rishikesh is the yoga capital of India and it is exporting yoga teachers to Southeast Asia as well as China where the demand for yoga is at an all-time high. Right now, these is nearly 1,500 Indian yoga teachers in China and 70 to 80% of them hail from Rishikesh and Haridwar which are home to a number of yoga schools where these teachers have perfected their skills.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 7 March 2017.
One of the teachers who has been teaching yoga in China for over a decade now and learnt his asanas at an ashram in Rishikesh received the title of 'The Most Beautiful Yogi of China' last year. He runs his own studio 'WeYoga' in Beijing and has revealed that in spite of there being others who teach yoga, Indian teachers are the most preferred.
According to a report from Beijing, yoga is growing rapidly and becoming popular in China with the number of people involved in practicing it rising from 4 million in 2009 to 10 million in 2014. In 2009, there wee about 1.1 lakh professional coaches — both local and from across the globe — and thst number had shot to 2.3 lakh by 2014.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Bengal plans to set up Tourist Amenity Centres (TAC) on major tourist routes


Bengal has seen more than 14 lakh foreign tourists last year. It is one of the top five foreign destinations in the country and the state government plans to develop its tourism infrastructure. As part of this, it will be setting up Tourist Amenity Centres (TAC) in the state and also along the national highways that pass through Bengal to ensure hassle-free journeys for both domestic and foreign travelers.
Each Tourist Amenity Centres (TAC) along the highways will be where tourists can comfortably rest and eat. They will have a cafeteria, a medical store and a shop selling essential commodities apart a separate ramp for people with disabilities, a feeding room for babies and separate toilets for men and women. They can also avail of free WiFi and parking space.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 6 March 2017.
Initially, seven such centres will be developed — four along the Kolkata-Bakkhali route in South 24-Parganas and three along the Kolaghat-Digha route. Talks are on with major oil companies to help develop the TACs under the public-private partnership model.
Tourism is high on the agenda of Bengal. A short film 'Beautiful Bengal', featuring Shah Rukh Khan, was released to promote Bengal tourism. The tourism department has plans to launch a promotional campaign to attract foreign tourists during Durga Puja. A heritage tram ride has also been introduced in the city of Kolkata.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Renuka Wildlife Sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh to get a pair of Royal Bengal tigers


The Renuka Wildlife Sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh (HP) was once famous for its Lion Safari and will now open its doors to a pair of Royal Bengal Tigers from Delhi. It will be through an animal exchange program and the state government will send three leopards in exchange from Shimla, which has 12 leopards at the moment. These animals are found in abundance in the jungles in HP.
There are no lions left in the Renuka Wildlife sanctuary in Sirmour district after the death of the last one two years ago.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 5 February 2017.
In order to accommodate the tigers, special enclosures are to be built. These enclosures must have a deep foundation. These tigers would be kept for captive display in the zoo in the sanctuary. The wildlife wing’s plan on tiger breeding would, however, depend on the pair that is provided to the state.
The Renuka zoo is the first one in HP and, was established in 1957. A pair of Asiatic lions was brought to this zoo from Uttar Pradesh in 1974. Over the years, the lions grew in numbers and at one time, there were more than two dozen. THe sanctuary is spread across 4.028 square kilometres and houses a zoo, which has some leopards, 20 barking deers, 40 Sambars, 20 Indian ducks and three Black Bears and Cheetal.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Nilgiris see 36 deaths due to man-animal conflict in last two years


A total of thirty-six people were killed by wild animals in the Nilgiris in 2015-16 and forest officials feel this is due to the man-animal conflict arising from change in land use pattern and crop cultivation close to reserve forest areas. Moreover, in spite of being cautioned, the locals venture into forest lands.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 5 February 2017.
While the past two years saw 18 human deaths each in the Nilgiris, the total number in 2014 was 12. Most of the deaths in the past two years were due to elephant attacks, that too in private lands where the animals had strayed into. With regular increase in the population of both animal and human, the conflict arises when resources are shared.
Another reason is the fragmentation of undeveloped lands. The animals are attracted by banana, sugarcane, paddy and coconut cultivation in the fringe areas of forest and intrude into these areas in search of food and in the process destroy the fields also.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Porn claims the life of a 50-year-old Japanese man


It was a tragedy for a lonely Japanese man in his 50s - he loved porn and had got hold of books and magazines related to porn - it added up to more than six tons. And that us what led to his unfortunate death. The pile of magazines toppled and fell on him and he lay buried beneath the pile of porn material.
His body was discovered after nearly six months by his landlord when he entered the flat to find out why his tenant had not paid the rent for so long.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 5 February 2017.
The man's unnatural death came to light when a member of the cleaning team revealed that his company had been hired to remove the magazines discreetly so that neighbours and the man's family were spared the shame. The dead man is a 50-year-old former carmaker and had died after being buried underneath under a pile of the pornographic magazines. It is still not known whether he suffered a heart attack and fallen into the stacks of magazines which had then fallen on top of him, or whether he was crushed by the mass of paper.
It seems every available space in the flat was filled with piles of magazines and were also stacked on tables and on shelves. Despite his trimming, at the time of his death the total collection of porn magazines weighed in at six metric tons (13,228 pounds).


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Risk of travel by boat in Kochi backwaters a matter of concern


Travel by boat in the backwaters of Kochi is normal but there are many risks associated with such travel because many of the vessels operating in the region have thrown caution to the winds in terms of meeting crucial requirements.
The Transport Minister has pointed out that out of the 51 vessels used for operating ferry services in the State, 14 were wooden boats that were over 25 years old, and most of the remaining ones were over 15 years old. This was refuted by the Kerala State Water Transport Department (KSWTD) authorities. They have clarified that none of the boats operated by the department in Kochi were that old. They have added that all the boats meet the safety standards stipulated by the State government and carry life-saving gear and modern communication equipment.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 4 March 2017.
On Marine Drive, there are private boats that take tourists out into the backwaters, some time in blatant violation of safety norms. In spite of strict warnings, boats that should not carry guests on the upper deck, do so by adding a temporary deck. Some of the boats have life jackets more than a decade old sourced from the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department under the tsunami relief program.
As per official estimates, close to 400 tourist boats are operated in the Vembanad lake and surrounding water bodies.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Study on Sunderbans reveal that sea level rise has had very little effect


A joint study carried out by scientists from India, Bangladesh and Belgium has found that the 10,000sqkm Sunderbans have lost only 120sqkm (1.2 per cent) land over the past 35 years and this is a negligible loss in relation of the observed annual sea-level rise of 6mm.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 4 March 2017.
The researchers are from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing in Dehradun, Jagannath University in Dhaka and Vrije University in Brussels and they have based their conclusions on a study of satellite imagery study. It has detected significant loss in mangrove forest density but very loss of land.
The Sunderbans are rich in biodiversity and, as per the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), it is home to over 35 reptile species, 120 commercial fish species, 300 bird species and 32 mammal species, including the tiger. The reasons for reduction in the dense mangrove forest cover is more on the Indian side attributed to expansion of human settlements and agriculture on the Indian side. Simultaneously, on the Bangladesh side, it is due to shrimp farming.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Odisha eyeing a large chunk of the religious tourism pie


Odisha has set its eyes on a large chunk of the religious tourism pie because of the direct international flights that are set to commence between Bhubaneswar and Kuala Lumpur next month. Odisha wants to focus on promoting Buddhist tourism.
With the air connection to Kuala Lumpur will bring Odisha on the of Buddhist tourism map and efforts would be made to woo Buddhist tourists from South Asian and South East Asian countries.
This is reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 4 March 2017.
Odisha tourism is pursuing a Rs 100 crore project for developing the Buddhist Circuit of Odisha under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of Central Government. The concept of religious tourism has changed over the years and it is now much mire than visiting temples, monuments or archaeological sites. Religious tourism today embraces yoga, performing arts, temple food and cuisine, and festivals.
The Govardhan Eco-village has been awarded for being a sustainable tourism model, by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Friday, March 3, 2017

Kochi Metro to exploit all advertisement options to generate funds


Kochi Metro plans to exploit every advertisement option to generate funds like having dedicated spaces on the metro pillars, medians and portals for advertisements in the Aluva-Maharaja’s College Ground corridor - that way it expects to rake in revenue for the operation and maintenance of the metro.
The Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has already invited tenders from agencies who are interested in leasing out specified advertisement spaces on these structures with a view to raise revenue from non-ticketing sources.
This hs been reported in thehindu.com dated 1 March 2017.
The metro agency has laid down norms for placing advertisements, including the material to be used and all designs must be approved by the agency before they are placed within framed boards. It is not permitted to paint advertisement directly on the metro pillars.
Another source to generate finance is through advertisements on the interior and exterior of trains and in metro stations. The KMRL is short-listing banks who are interested to set up ATMs in metro stations.
Apart from advertisements, there will be vertical gardens to adorn the space on metro pillars. Every sixth pillar will be covered with a vertical garden, to enliven the corridor. Moreover, the space within the median beneath the metro viaduct will be landscaped using ornamental plants which do not need much watering.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Mango season has arrived with Alphonso


Alphonso mangoes have started to arrive in Kolhapur. The city has received around 1,000 boxes (one box contains four to six dozens) of alphonsos last week from Devgad and other varieties from Malvan, Sawantwadi, and Ratnagiri could begin to arrive within a month along with mangoes from southern states.
Obviously, the mango season has begun but they are costly.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 2 March 2017.
The price of the popular Konkan hapus mangoes at the wholesale market is between Rs 4,000-Rs 6,000 per box with each box having 4-6 dozen. Smaller boxes of one or two dozens ell at between Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500. The prices are yet to come down and in case anyone is offering the hapus at lower rates, they could be fake ones.
The mango season will continue till end May and, in due course of time, the market be flooded with other varieties like the Banganapalli, Bangalora, Neelum, Rumani, and Totapuri.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city