Petrol price cut by Re 1/litre

NEW DELHI: State-run fuel retailers on Monday decided to pare petrol price by 85 paise a litre, excluding local levies, to pass on to consumers the benefit of falling international rates. The second reduction in as many weeks would take effect from intervening midnight of Monday and Tuesday.

After including VAT, or local levies, the reduction in Delhi would be Rs 1 a litre and the petrol would cost Rs 67.29 per litre against Rs 68.34. In Mumbai, the fuel would cost Rs 1.07 less at Rs 74.14 per litre. In Kolkata, the price has been cut by an equal measure to Rs 74.72. It will cost Rs 70.34 a litre in Chennai against Rs 71.42 at present.

The price cut comes on back of the Rs 2 a litre reduction in rates effected on March 16. This was the steepest cut in rates in nine months, which after including VAT, resulted in a reduction of Rs 2.40 a litre.

Announcing the reduction, Indian Oil Corp (IOC), the nation's largest fuel retailer, said since the last price change international prices of petrol have declined from $122.74 per barrel to $119.23 a barrel. Also, the rupee-dollar exchange rate has marginally declined from Rs 54.40 to a US dollar to Rs 54.28.

The cut in petrol price follows two rounds of hike in rates since February. Petrol price was hiked by Rs 1.50 a litre on February 16 and then by Rs 1.40 per litre from March 2. Both the increases were excluding local VAT.

Oil firms calculate the retail price on 1st and 16th of every month, based on average imported oil price on the previous fortnight. The price change was to have been announced on March 31, but was deferred because of being a Sunday.

Though petrol price had been deregulated in June 2010, they have rarely moved in tandem with cost. This resulted in Rs 500 crore loss to IOC (Rs 1,150 crore loss to state fuel retailers) during 2012-13.

However, since January, when the government decided to cut subsidizes by asking oil firms to moderate prices in step with cost, petrol prices have moved in tune with cost.

Diesel prices continue to be regulated, but the government had in January authorized oil firms to hike their rates by 40-50 paise per litre every month till such time that the entire revenue loss on the fuel is completely wiped off.

Oil firms raised diesel prices by 50-51 paise per litre on three occasions since then.

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83 Chinese miners feared killed

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BEIJING: With rescuers finding 11 bodies more than two days after a goldmine subsided in Tibet, hopes of saving the remaining 72 miners receded with unnamed officials saying on Sunday they were feared dead. Hampering operations was the break-down of the excavator and severe damage to the narrow roads leading to the mine following the landslide.

The workers are buried 30 meters deep into the mine. Many rescuers were found digging into the debris with bare hands, state media said, adding that two of the buried workers are Tibetans, and that two are women. The administration said all the workers in the gold mine in Maizhokunggar County, 68 km from the regional capital of Lhasa, have been identified. The landslide covers an area of three sq km at the Jiama Copper Gold Polymetallic Mine.

The situation worsened at one pm on Saturday as snow began falling. The site is at a height of more than 4,600 metres, which is known to have caused altitude sickness to some of the rescuers working at minus three degree Celsius. Low temperature was also affecting the smell sense of sniffer dogs deployed for rescue work.

An army officer helping the rescue efforts said there were dangers of more landslides because the mountain surface had cracked. Until noon, more than 300,000 cubic meters of debris had been removed, he said.

In recent years, the Chinese government has been developing industries in Tibet which has large copper, chromium and bauxite reserves apart form other precious minerals and metals. But even as Tibet gets mined, the region remains one of China's poorest.

Wangchuktseten, a Tibetan scholar, was quoted by agencies as saying, "The Tibetan plateau is considered the lungs of Asia. Those short-sighted mining activities chase after quick benefits but ignore the environment for future generations."

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang ordered authorities to "spare no efforts" in their rescue work, the state-owned media reported.

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Pick top-quality leaders for our schools to build India's future: Azim Premji, Chairman, Wipro

Where the school leadership (principal, head teacher, etc) is good, the school is often good. I am sure this conclusion doesn’t surprise most of us.

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Azim Premji

There are multiple research studies across the world, including India, which attempt to identify schools where learning is genuinely happening, and to understand the factors that influence these outcomes. There are usually a few common factors that are characteristic of those schools where learning really happens. One of the most significant and consistent of these factors is the quality of school leadership.

Where the school leadership ( principal, head teacher, etc) is good, the school is often good. I am sure this conclusion doesn't surprise most of us.

Before we go any further, let me briefly touch upon what I think is good education.

In my view, good education is one that enables the growth and development of the child in multiple dimensions, so that she is able to fulfill and expand her potential, as also to become an active, contributing and concerned citizen of the world.

These multiple dimensions of development of the child that I referred to are cognitive, social, emotional, physical and ethical.

Humans, not just Students

While it's implicit in what I have stated, let me still point out that good education is not rote memorisation and getting good grades, it's about developing a good human being and an active citizen, so that we have a better society.

This understanding of good education that I have shared is certainly not new. It's there in our national policy documents, in the writings of scores of educationists and in our curricular goals.

In the context of this broader and deeper purpose of education, the role of a school leader becomes even more important. Let me share a few thoughts in this regard.

First, I think it's important that the school leader be the visible custodian of the purpose of education in her school. Else, it is very easy for us to slip into the ritualistic, rote-based, marks-driven education that we see all around us. Being a custodian is not easy — it will require battling many forces and continually convincing many people — but that I think is the natural task of any leader.

Second, education of this nature requires capable and confident teachers. For this, school leaders need to create an enabling environment where teachers can grow and develop. This requires a culture of trust, experimentation and openness.

Lead from the Front

Third, the kind of education that we have talked about is not merely an outcome of classroom instruction. It's significantly driven by school culture. And the school leader has the most determining role in shaping the school culture. Let's discuss five specific examples in this regard.

If we want our children to grow up with democratic values, then our schools must have democratic values. This means that the school leader must be able to foster a culture where there is reasoned discussion about everything, and things are not determined by hierarchy. In such a culture, the merit of each view and argument is the important factor, not who has expressed that view.

If we want our children to grow up with a scientific temper and intense curiosity, then the school culture must be that of rigorous inquiry and debate. Questioning must be encouraged, along with coaching for reasoning.

If we want our children to grow up emotionally stable and in a state of well-being, then the school culture must be supportive, encouraging and accepting of the child. The school culture must not be that of fear and punishment. It must help the child discover her interests and abilities, not label them as "good" or "bad".

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10 romantic places to see before you die

10 romantic places to see before you die

There is a romantic in all of us. No matter how much we deny we'd still give anything to be in a place breathtakingly beautiful, and even better if we have someone special to share it with.

Of world's most romantic places Paris tops the chart as the city of eternal romance where even sipping champagne at a roadside cafe facing the Eiffel Tower holds a special meaning. While places like Paris, Venice, the French Riviera are synonymous with ever-lasting romance, we scoured a few other destinations that spell romance, albeit in an unconventional way. Avignon, for instance, and its picturesque purple fields of lavender, the rolling tea estates of Munnar in Kerala, the lonely jungle walks in Portugal's Madeira Island might appeal to your romantic side.

Valentine's Day or otherwise, the below 10 experiences are an absolute must-do before you die.

An evening in Paris
Paris is magical, and a dream-come-true for diehard romantics. An illuminated Eiffel Tower, the life-giving waters of the Seine, the masterpieces at Louvre, the intricate detailing on every structure lining the boulevards, the saucy Moulin Rouge shows, and an atmospheric dinner at the recently refurbished '58 Tour Eiffel' restaurant on the Eiffel Tower, come together in a dizzying array to give you a different perspective on life, love and eternity.

Avignon, where time stands still...
See Europe's biggest gothic structure, the Pope's Palace in Avignon in Southern France among other architectural gems set against the coastal beauty of the Rhone River. The Monastery of the Val de Benediction with its superior frescoes is of particular importance. Stroll down the cobbled streets of Saint Remy, the village which inspired Van Gogh's masterpiece 'Starry Night'. Walk about in vineyards and savour the finest French wines. Explore the gorgeous lavender fields of Avignon; it opens up a painter's canvas of rolling green valleys, sleepy homesteads interspersed by immense blue lavender fields.

The tranquil Cote d' Azur or 'French Riviera'
The charming port of St. Tropez sees chic Parisians and other international jet set spend a laidback vacation in their private yachts. Stunning coastal scenery mingles with a palpable sense of power, wealth and glamour in Nice, the capital of the French Riviera. It's a quaint world there, only its material offerings are exclusive, rich and one-off. From shopping in chic boutiques, museum-hopping, enjoying the quiet beaches, strolling around the Roman ruins, to eating out at quaint roadside cafes, the French Riviera is an ideal retreat for a much-in-love pair.

An artist's haven and a fashionista's hub, Milan
Home to Da Vinci's 'The Last Supper', and the world's top designer labels, Milan is beguiling and addictive. Do the town on coach or foot, and experience the grandeur of the massive marble Duomo, where every opera singer aspires to perform someday. Look up the oddball art pieces and furniture range at Castello Sforzesco. A walk in the evening while browsing the boutiques of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele arcade and the Corso Venezia is an ideal way to spend time in the Italian fashion capital with your beloved.

Venice, the city of canals on a gondola
Bards, painters and filmmakers for generations have glorified this tranquil Italian canal city in their works. A gondola ride on the Grand Canal through ancient bridges past pretty baroque houses of Venice is a feeling you will always hold close to your heart. It is a fine opportunity to soak up the Venetian way of life, the one thousand year old markets around Ponte di Rialto, and experience an architectural richness that makes up Italy's most romantic city.

Lake Como and the Italian Lake District
Affording dramatic mountain scenery, Lake Como is the serenest of the three Italian lakes. In fact, Europeans love coming here because the city of Como is also the silk capital of Italy, what with silk factory outlets and branded stores strewn across its every nook and cranny. It's a great idea to buy a pretty silk scarf or a printed silk dress for your partner on a trip down its narrow, scenic lanes. From Bellagio, an old-world town in the vicinity, you can take in panoramic views of the Alps and the aqua blue waters of Lake Como. Bellagio is characterised by old villas and luxuriant gardens.

The misty tea estates of Munnar
Not just is it the highest peak of the Western Ghats, the undulating, mist-covered tea estates, and gushing waterfalls, add to the other-worldly beauty of Munnar. Drive through dark, winding roads that look like an enchanted ribbon, and discover around every bend a starkly different view. The clouds hang so low that can reach out and touch them. Lush meadows sprayed with wild flowers, the quiet sound of the gurgling brooks through narrow rocks, the green lake at Echo Point, and the warm and hospitable local folks, make Munnar hauntingly romantic.

Witness a breaking dawn in Udaipur
Lovingly called 'city of lakes' and 'city of dawn', Udaipur's romantic appeal lies in the tranquil waters of Lake Pichola and the white marble Lake Palace at its heart. The city virtually came up on the banks of Lake Pichola after Maharana Udai Singh II discovered it following a prophesy by an ascetic who summoned him to rebuild his empire over Lake Pichola after his defeat in Chittorgarh at the hands of Mughal Emperor, Akbar. Set against the looming Aravalis, Udaipur's string of lakes, the sandstone City Palace on the eastern crest of Lake Pichola, the architectural structures dotting the city, the handicraft bazaars, local cuisine, and an idle pace of life are sure to bring you back for more.

Far away in the floating gardens of Madeira Island
Tossed on the sapphire blue waters of the Atlantic, just off the mainland of Portugal, the Madeira Island resembles a gigantic floating garden. Its capital city Funchal receives honeymooners from Europe who find glory in its fine wines, mild climate, bird songs, drunk-red rhododendron blossoms, forests of pine, terraced fields, secret gorges, and the glimmering blue Atlantic visible from every clearing in the jungle. Explore on foot a tired countryside sprawled on the crater of an extinct volcano which still resorts to wicker craft for a living. Follow a levada - an irrigational canal that winds through the jungles - and discover sights of immense natural beauty.

A pint of Guinness in Dublin
Head straight to the 250-year-old brewery, the Guinness Storehouse in Ireland's capital city and find out all there is to know about the world's most celebrated beer. From ground floor to the sky bar 'Gravity' on the seventh floor, the storehouse is an experience unlike any other. From taking you through the fine process of beer making to giving you a taste of their best brews, you can literally spend an entire day among great many varieties of beer. Take your date to Gravity in the evening and enjoy a few mugs of frosty beer with appetisers while looking over a brilliantly lit Dublin city. The haunting romanticism of the Irish Kilkenny and Malahide castles too are worth experiencing. Do it on a day trip from Dublin.

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Dress for success

No Comment Posted by admin on Mar 25, 2013

There is a reason why fashion brands are mushrooming around us. Everyone here is to make a statement. In a conversation with a editor of leading fashion magazine, she said, “With brands like Zara around us, the average Indian will finally get an opportunity to be stylish.” Yes, with all these global brands, we are only spoilt for choice. But, the question is do we really know the dos and don’ts of dressing? Or for that matter how to play up our positives?
Mitali Sagar and Summiyya Patni, managing partners, MISU Fashion Consultants say clothes speak a lot about your attitude and personality. It’s not clothes, even your mannerisms, perfume, accessories highlights your positives and negatives.
Clothes play a key role
One must avoid ill-fitting clothes. Also, ladies – get rid of those loose dowdy shirts, which seem to signal laziness. The same goes for men, who must especially take the length of their trousers, shirt cuffs, tie and jacket into consideration.
Also scrutinize yourself before leaving the house. It isn’t worth risking wearing that shirt with the ink stain on the side you think can be hidden with a jacket or briefcase.
Wrong colours to wear
The rules are flexible depending on the job in question, but in general, some colours to stay away from are reds, oranges and yellows. Red is a powerful colour and is associated with energy, passion, desire, power and aggression. Orange is similar to red in that it can stimulate strong emotions. Yellow promotes a wide range of emotions including cheer, goodwill, caution and even jealousy.
Shades of Purple and pink are both feminine colours and should be worn with discretion, especially in fields with a strong gender bias. Therefore, these colours can be used more as accent colours.
Black too is a colour that may show authority and power but may not give the right impression at an interview so use it as an accent or colour block it with another colour.
People notice shoes
Polish your shoes. Please avoid scruffy shoes or anything too obnoxious. Play it safe until you have the job and know what will fly in the work environment. Good taste is usually valued more than trendiness in corporate world.
Subtle is more
When it comes to accessories avoid anything that is overly attention grabbing or loud. It can distract others at work. Be frugal with jewellery. If your jewellery jingles, makes noise or can get caught on any of your clothes, leave it at home.
Avoid make-up bloopers
The most important thing to remember when wearing make up is that, it should highlight your assets and hide your flaws. Heavy eyeliner or dangerously wet and dark lipstick can often lead to disaster, especially during an interview. This may cause your witty and intelligent responses during the interview to fall on deaf/distracted ears.
But, some simple tricks can save you from such disasters. Use a matte lipstick, minimal and neat eyeliner, waterproof kohl and mascara, blush to highlight the cheekbones in a subtle shade that suits your skin. Remember that the concealer must look natural and stay on your face, not on your collar.
The right body language
In most situations, you have merely few seconds to make that first impression and once the interviewer has labelled you as submissive or confident, credible or uncertain, likable or arrogant, it is very difficult to change that opinion.
Follow some basic steps and ensure you make a great first impression. Adjust your posture before you walk through the door; stand tall with your head held up high and your shoulders pulled back. This will project competence and confidence.
Be conscious of your vocal pitch, as it tends to rise when people are anxious or nervous. Before the interview relax your voice into an “optimal pitch”.
Smile at the appropriate moments. Do NOT cross your arms as it comes off as defensive or reserved. Maintain an open posture, which will again exude confidence. Men must not cross their legs.

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Censor board not doing its job properly, Delhi high court says

During the hearing, the bench said the censor board has become “very generous” nowadays and “passing or giving” certificate to every film without any objection.

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Friday slammed the censor board for not doing its job "properly" and asked it and the Centre to respond to two separate PILs alleging vulgar contents in Salman Khan-starrer Dabangg 2 and Saif Ali Khan's Race 2.

"Nowadays, the censor board is not doing its duty properly," a bench comprising Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice VK Jain remarked while asking the information and broadcasting ministry, CBFC and producers of Dabangg 2 and Race 2 to file their responses by May 14.

While hearing the PIL of lawyer Sanjay Kumar seeking a ban on a "provocative item number" of Dabangg 2, the bench ordered deletion of names from an array of parties like Kareena Kapoor Khan, on whom the song was filmed, director Arbaaz Khan and musicians duo Sajid and Wajid.

"Why you have made the actress a party? This is not a criminal complaint. File a fresh memo of parties. Delete the name of the actress, director and musicians ..." Justice Jain asked during the hearing.

The bench, however, refused to stay the release of DVDs of Dabangg 2 and Race 2 and their further screening on TV channels. It, meanwhile, gave the petitioners liberty to approach it again if they receive information that the films are going to be shown on channels.

"We are not experts and have not seen the movies. How can we stay the films on the basis of photographs we saw here?" the bench said.

The other PIL, filed by social worker Teena Sharma, has sought an immediate ban on further screening of Race 2 in cinema halls and its telecast. It also sought deletion of explicit scenes and "vulgar" dialogues in the film.

'Board generous'

During the hearing, the bench said the censor board has become "very generous" nowadays and "passing or giving" certificate to every film without any objection.

"Nowadays, you have TV in each room of your house. We have now developed a culture that children sleep in a separate room and they are provided TV also ... Parents don't take their children to theatre with them now," it said, adding the content of films should not be "degraded" and it should be such that the whole family can watch them together.

One of PILs alleged "the lyrics of this famous song in Hindi film Dabangg 2, woman is compared to be a grilled chicken to be eaten up with alcohol! And other objectionable and slang words towards girl ..."

The petition has sought a direction to the I&B ministry to "take strict preventive measures and to adopt an effective mechanism to stop these kinds of vulgar songs and obscenity in Indian Films."

Earlier, the bench had disposed of Sharma's PIL against Race 2 and had directed the central government to look into the issue raised by her and take a decision within 15 days.

Aggrieved by "inaction" on the part of the government, Sharma had approached the court again which on Friday issued the notices to the Centre and others.

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How Airtel, Tata DoCoMo and others are poaching customers

Some vendors are using the Supreme Court judgement to poach each other's customers by sending misleading, SMSes, calls and e-mails.

MUMBAI: "Under Court order, your operator is about to shut operations. All users are requested to port out." In case you've received a similar message, you've probably been at the receiving end of predatory tactics telecom vendors are practicing as they fight for revenue in a shrinking pie of users. Then, depending on the originating network, there is a sales pitch for better plans or faster and easier porting to that network.

Some vendors are using the Supreme Court judgement to poach each other's customers by sending misleading, SMSs, calls and e-mails. The primary targets are Aircel, Telenor, MTS, and Loop Mobile customers, and even biggies like Vodafone. A bulk message that recently went out to one lakh Vodafone customers said: "Due to termination of license Vodafone's services are soon to shut in Mumbai. To retain your number port out to a new operator". Vodafone has identified the source of this message and is currently taking legal action, said a company e-mail to ET.

Another message to Aircel customers and vendors read, "Important notice - MTS Loop and Aircel are shutting services in Mumbai. You are requested to join Vodafone's superior network and earn more profit". In Uttar Pradesh, where Telenor has a bulk of its customer base, an Airtel poster urged customers to port out along with a regional newspaper headline to prove Telenor was shutting shop. Airtel and Tata DoCoMo lines have been calling Aircel customers with the same message.

In February last year, the Supreme Court revoked 122 telecom licences associated with the 2G scam. However, the court said that the companies were entitled to win back their licences by participating in a fresh airwave auction. When the auction was conducted in November, companies won back some of the licences, while others were lost.

As a result, companies such as Telenor, Videocon, MTS and Loop shut services in select areas and not in others. Neither Vodafone nor Aircel's operations in Mumbai are impacted by the SC judgement.

"In the 9 circles where MTS India now has its final footprint, the company has extensively engaged with all its customer. This has been done to ensure that attempts to spread any kind of misinformation are duly checked," said a Sistema Shyam spokesman. The company runs mobile services under the MTS brand.

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Coca-Cola tries to bring India, Pakistan together via its new vending machines

An upscale mall in South Delhi has a Coca-Cola vending machine that not only dispenses Coke, Thums Up and other beverages of the firm but will very seen connect India and Pakistan.

NEW DELHI: An upscale mall in South Delhi has a Coca-Cola vending machine that not only dispenses Coke, Thums Up and other beverages of the firm but will very soon connect India and Pakistan.

Once a similar machine is installed in Karachi or another Pakistan city, users of the two vending machines can see and virtually touch each other, a person in the know said.

The beverages major has quietly launched an online campaign that seeks to connect people in not-so-friendly countries through vending machines, starting with India and Pakistan this year.

"This year, two countries will show that what unites us is stronger than what sets us apart and come together to share a Coca-Cola," says the commercial launched on YouTube.

A company spokesperson said it was too early to comment on specific plans, on how the beverage maker plans to scale up the concept.

This world peace initiative is part of the firm's happiness project. "A moment of happiness has the power to bring the world together," it says.

In another initiative, Coca-Cola recently set up a 'hug machine' in Singapore-a vending machine with red and white message announcing the consumer to 'hug' it, after which the consumer would be given a free Coke. The 'hug machine' generated 112 million impressions within one day. In Istanbul, it had installed a vending machine that gave away free Coke if people could prove they were indeed a couple.

Coca-Cola is spending heavily on social media globally, though the spends are still small compared to what it spends on traditional mass media.

"Brands can't work remotely anymore so it is important to listen and engage to consumers," Wendy Clark, senior VP, integrated marketing communications and capabilities, at Coca-Cola had told ET last month.

"We make consumers part of our marketing channel, sharing content and engaging with them all the time," Clark had said, adding that the company was looking at investing in innovative ways to connect on social media.

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Infrastructure projects worth Rs 7 lakh crore stuck in red tape

An analysis of data for the power projects, including a few linked to transmission, shows that they have been hit hard by the delay in environmental and forest clearances with as many as 37 projects stuck for lack of approvals.

NEW DELHI: Projects worth over Rs 7 lakh crore — which is equivalent to almost half the government spending in the current financial year — are held up in the absence of environmental and forest clearances, land and fuel, putting strain on the creaky infrastructure in the country and becoming an obstacle for an economy striving to get into a high growth trajectory.

According to data compiled by state-run banks for a meeting with finance minister P Chidambaram, the amount is locked up in 215 projects spread across power, roads, ports, cement and steel, each with an estimated cost of Rs 250 crore or more. Any delay will push up the overall cost of setting up the projects, bankers said. It also increases the risk for the public sector banks, which have already disbursed loans amounting to Rs 54,000 crore.

"The delays tend to have an impact on other projects as well and it results in a vicious cycle and impacts overall sentiment," said Arvind Mahajan, head of infrastructure and government practice at consulting firm KPMG.

Although the government is betting on the Cabinet committee on investment to remove the hurdles, experts say it is not sufficient. "What we are doing is patchwork, which will not work," said Vinayak Chatterjee, chairman of Feedback Infrastructure, a consulting firm where L&T, IDFC and HDFC are also shareholders.

The biggest hold-up is in the power sector (Rs 5.39 lakh crore), followed by roads (Rs 1.23 crore) and steel (over Rs 32,500 crore). Even flagship projects like the ultra-mega power projects such as Sasan and Coastal Andhra are held up, although they were bid out ostensibly with all approvals in place.

Power sector hit hard

An analysis of data for the power projects, including a few linked to transmission, shows that they have been hit hard by the delay in environmental and forest clearances with as many as 37 projects stuck for lack of approvals. In a few cases, like in Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand, state agencies have held up the green clearances. In terms of value, the cost of these projects adds up to a staggering Rs 1.92 lakh crore.

Chatterjee suggested that the government could prepare a map of the country with zones demarcated for activities. Besides, he said the Centre and state agencies need to stop passing the buck on green clearances.

The other critical factor hobbling the power sector seems to be the availability of fuel — coal as well as gas. As many as 31 projects are held up with the proposed investment pegged at around Rs 1.4 lakh crore. There is, however, an element of double counting as banks have cited multiple factors for the delay of projects. For instance, the Athena power project in Chhattisgarh has been delayed due to the absence of fuel, and also due to the fact that around 90 acres of land is yet to be acquired, Allahabad Bank has told the finance ministry.

There may be another reason for counting the same project in multiple places: different banks have given different reasons for delay in the same project. For instance, Andhra Bank has said that Sasan Power, the 4,000 mega watt ultra-mega power plant, is held up as clearance from the ministry of environment and forests for coal blocks is pending. Bank of Baroda has said there was a delay in handing over land.

Adani Power Maharashtra's project seems to suffer from even more complications that range from land acquisition to green clearances, delay in award of coal blocks as well as equipment related issues.

For the sector as a whole, land is the third biggest problem as lenders have cited it as the reason behind the delay in 26 projects, with investment adding up to nearly Rs 1.47 lakh crore.

But when it comes to highways, land is the single biggest roadblock, delaying 48 projects across the country. The next biggest culprit is environmental clearances although approvals are expected to be faster after the recent rapprochement between the National Highways Authority of India and the environment and forests ministry.

Although NHAI and the highways ministry have cited lack of bank funding to developers as a major reason for the lack of interest in new projects, lenders have told the finance ministry that it is the inability of agencies such as railways to give right of way that has put over a dozen projects in the slow lane.

Banks would make you believe that funding is not an issue. At least that's what they have told the finance ministry.

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Dad says Facebook photo of son with gun brought cops to house

A New Jersey man says that, on the basis of mere hearsay about a Facebook photo of his 11-year-old son with a .22 rifle, police and child protection arrive at his door and demand entry.

The picture that allegedly caused official concern.

(Credit: Shawn Moore/Facebook)

I am sure there are several 11-year-old boys who are terribly proficient at handling a gun.
But, given that I wouldn't trust an 11-year-old boy with a popsicle, I would just as well not be anywhere near them.
This, however, doesn't appear to have been the policy of the authorities in New Jersey. They were allegedly alarmed by a Facebook photo of Josh Moore, aged 11, holding a .22 rifle, and they allegedly wanted to get very near him.
The photo had been posted by his father, Shawn, to Facebook. It showed Josh, in his camouflage outfit and rather bright sneakers.
Shawn Moore told his story to a forum on the Delaware Open Carry Web site.
He said he received a text from his wife that police and alleged members of the Department of Youth and Family Services had paid their home a visit. It was, allegedly, not a social call.
Indeed, he posted a picture of police in what he describes as "tactical gear."
He says the authorities demanded to enter the house in Carneys Point, N.J., and check his guns. His lawyer, on a cell phone speakerphone, was privy to all the discussions.

Moore insisted that he wouldn't open the safe where his guns are kept-- as no warrant was allegedly presented to him -- and that a lady from the Department of Youth and Family Services refused to identify herself.
The Associated Press says that neither the department nor the police were prepared to comment on the alleged visitation and its purpose.
Moore said none of his visitors had actually seen the photo. He alleges they had merely received a phone call reporting its details.
The rifle was reportedly Josh Moore's 11th birthday gift.
Somehow, guns and Facebook have proved to constitute an often uncomfortable marriage of the medium and the message.
Recently, a Pennsylvania police chief was suspended after an especially fetching image of him, a comely lady friend, and a couple of guns appeared on the site.
The more we insist on exposing who we are to people we don't know, the more hullabaloo seems to inevitably develop.

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Study says social media revolution set to get bigger

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  AP With all the potential in social media in India, the utilisation of this force for marketing is still in its infancy.
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You’ve heard all those jokes about Facebook addiction? Well, they are for real.

According to a recent report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India, Facebook is the leading website accessed by 97 per cent of all social media users in India. And the average frequency of social networking access (using the mobile phone) is: yes, seven days a week.

These figures, however, are not startling to anyone in the social media; they only indicate a certain incremental change from the previous years. Saurabh Parmar, founder, Brandlogist, and digital marketing professor, points out a couple of discrepancies: for instance, Facebook says its numbers have crossed 62 million in India, while the study pegs the total number of social media users at 62 million.

Some of the other numbers are surprising, he says. “How many people use G+? The study puts it at the second most popular social media site.” The study also says about 35 per cent of the social networking base is from small towns. “If this is true, then this is a surprise. All along we were thinking that social media are dominated by people from big cities, and we have been targeting content, advertisements and offers for them,” says Naga Chokkanathan, social media and customer experience management consultant.

With all this potential in social media in the country, the utilisation of this force for marketing is still in its infancy, say analysts.

Barring a few exceptions, most brands are still relying on the traditional advertising avenues.

“Brands are surprised when we tell them that FB is seven to eight times the size of the largest print publication, larger than TV channels. Today, almost every brand is on FB, but just as a checklist. They are not yet talking about how you can drive marketing via social media,” says Mr. Parmar.

But, this is going to change very fast, Mr. Chokkanathan says. “Pretty soon, people are going to expect rapid communication via social media channels and this will become a hygiene factor instead of a ‘Good To Have’ thing.”

As for Twitter, though it creates a comfortable-pal zone among its regular users, different strategies are needed to market brands. This is to be clarified, especially given the way people use it in India, compared to the U.S., explains Karthik Srinivasan, blogger, PR professional and social media observer.

An interesting but expected takeaway from the study is the overwhelming use of mobile phones to access digital content. “After all, there are more phones than PCs here,” says Mr. Chokkanathan. Mr. Srinivasan insists that it is only going to grow in the coming years. “We are getting a plethora of smart phones in the below-Rs. 20,000 category and prices are falling year after year. Bandwidth charges notwithstanding, this would drive social media usage a lot more than PC-based access. Add tablets to the mix and things seem even more promising.”

Experts also point to a long-pending but imminent revolution in the social media space in the coming years: the inclusion of regional language content. “Social media being largely a personal mode of communication, people prefer to communicate in their native language. We see a huge growth in this, but user-created content in regional languages is going to become really huge and stay,” says Mr.Chokkanathan. In fact, it is going to be something for IAMAI to seriously consider and delve deeper into the future reports, adds Mr. Srinivasan.

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Confident Modi shows ambition for PM post

Modi refused to be drawn into questions on communal violence of 2002.

NEW DELHI: Showcasing himself in Delhi for the third time in a row since he was re-elected as Gujarat CM, Narendra Modi on Saturday exuded a growing confidence to move into the national arena, but fended off questions about the 2002 riots.

Addressing a fawning audience at a media function that included the industry heads and political class among others, Modi gamely took a direct question on whether he is aspiring to move to the Centre as the Prime Minister. Although his reply skated around the issue, the unabashed sales pitch for Gujarat left few doubts about the readiness to take up a role at the Centre ahead of 2014 polls.

For a good one hour, he showcased his Gujarat model , starting with a film presentation of his achievements , and sold the development dream to be transported to the Centre and be replicated in the rest of the country. In fact, when asked whether his jealous colleagues were blocking him from coming to Delhi, he said, "I am already in Delhi."

The bold show was significant for the contrast it offered to stubbornness with which he had kept himself confined to Gujarat. At the outset, the host had introduced Modi by suggesting that he was ready to switch his focus from hardline Hindutva to development.

Modi indeed harped on his achievements. But he refused to be drawn into questions on communal violence of 2002. To the suggestion that wounds of Gujarat riots had not healed yet, Modi said that his perception was different. He glossed over another question on whether he regretted the loss of lives on his watch, saying that he addressed the issue on umpteenth occasions. "You can have all of my replies by doing a web search".

He also elaborated on his recent definition of secularism as "India first" to defiantly declare that his ideal of India was one where all had equal rights and none, minorities included, special protection. He suggested that secularism in its present form was influenced by vote bank considerations. But there was no caginess when he was asked if what was good for Gujarat could work in the rest of the country. Dipping into management glossary, he talked of "mindset change" and "out-of-the-box"thinking , buttressing his claim of a different leadership style.

The confidence was also evident from the way he brushed aside the question on the assessment that his projection as PM will cause Nitish Kumar to walk out of NDA: perhaps a significant pointer on the eve of a rally being organized by the Bihar CM in Capital.

Although being organized around the theme of "special status" for Bihar, the rally in Delhi is being seen as a prelude to Nitish's potential break up with BJP over Modi.

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Fisherman missing after ship rams boat

• 
  The Hindu Family members of Anandan (inset), were distraught as an extensive search by fishermen failed to find the 45-year-old. 
• 
    Anandan

Two others rescued from sea; fishermen associations call for action against vessel

T. Anandan (45), a fisherman from Tiruvottiyur Kuppam, went missing in the sea in the early hours of Saturday after the boat he was in was hit by a ship. The small fibre reinforced plastic boat was cut in half and two others — R. Viji (30) and S. Santhosh (19) — swam around for two hours before they were rescued by another fishing boat.

“We left the shore at 3 a.m. and around 4.30 a.m., our engine stalled. When we were trying to repair it, the ship suddenly came upon us and we had no time to move. It all happened very quickly. I called out Anandan anna’s name and when I heard a voice, swam towards it to find Santhosh. Somehow, we managed to float,” said a distraught Viji. Santosh and Viji said the ship was on its way to Chennai Port.

The duo was rescued around 6.30 a.m. by a boat that had gone out to sea. They searched for Anandan till 1.30 p.m. “We were out to catch the flying kola fish. He was wearing a black t-shirt, white shorts, a cap and a lungi,” said Santhosh.

Anandan has two daughters and a son. Nandini, his younger daughter, had helped him get ready last night. “He asked me to take care of our mother as she was unwell,” she recalled.

The rescue missions suffered a set-back as the fishermen were unable to make calls from the sea. “We had no signal and therefore could not and alert our friends on shore,” said Viji. Only after the two returned did the word spread and a massive search was launched by the fisherfolk. Around 200 men in 50 boats scoured the area. But they were only able to retrieve a portion of the boat.

Fishermen said that mobile phones fall silent near Chennai Port, MGR Samadhi and the Light House as these areas are not covered by the telecom towers. “Signal is available only upto a distance of 5 km into the sea,” said Kuppan, a fisherman.

Fishing Harbour police have registered a man missing case. The police are likely to inform Coast Guard officials, who in turn will launch a search operation.

Fishermen associations called upon the police to take action against the errant ship that ran into the boat.

“The ship did not even bother to stop and help the fishermen. Two years ago, a similar incident took place. Three fishermen went missing but no action has been taken so far,” said M. D. Dayalan of Indian Fishermen Association.

Ko. Su. Mani of Tamil Nadu Meenavar Makkal Sangam said that action must be taken against the owner of the ship. He also sought compensation for the owner of the boat. Nanjil Ravi of the Akila Indiya Meenavar Sangam said that the family must be provided some kind of interim relief.

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Sex in space may be dangerous, study says

Human reproduction would not respond well to changes in gravity, according to work performed by a biologist at the University of Montreal.

Grave consequences of sex without gravity.

I've always imagined that being up in space isn't really so much fun.
Yes, the views are nice, but the claustrophobia must be entirely stifling. What are you supposed to do up there, for days on end? You can't just work all the time.
The temptation, then, might be to occasionally enjoy a little recreation in the procreative sphere.
Sex would surely offer a touch of vigorous exercise and a little human community.
However, now research has emerged suggesting that sex up there could be dangerous.
My regular reading of Medical Daily spawned the information that a research team led by biologist Dr. Anja Geitmann of Montreal University, performed a study in which they considered whether conception in space was a good conception.
Sadly, it appears it may not be.
The changes in gravity make cell growth erratic and unstable. Yes, the team was only studying plant cells. But these operate on a system similar to the human, in so far as the process involves male to female sperm-cell (pollen) transfer.
Geitmann admitted that scientific thinking hasn't yet gone all the way to determining precisely what might happen in intergalactic conception.
She told the Daily Mail: "Intracellular transport processes are particularly sensitive to disturbance, with dramatic consequences for cell functioning. How these processes are affected by a change in gravity is poorly understood."

Equally importantly, she said: "Researchers already knew humans, animals, and plants have evolved in response to Earth's gravity and they are able to sense it."
The team's work, published in PLOS One, offers a pessimistic view of space's reproductive capabilities.
Geitmann's fellow researcher, Dr. Youssef Chebli, told the Mail: "Our findings have implications for human health as similar effects are likely to occur in human cells such as neurons where long-distance intracellular transport is crucial."
The fear is that disruption in cell growth caused by gravity shifts might lead to diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's.
NASA doesn't actually forbid sex in space, though married couples are not allowed to go on the same mission.
And retired porn star Coco Brown is, allegedly, in training to become the first porn star to perform in space.
However, it seems that those who will choose, in the future, to have sex in the beyond will have to take similar precautions to those who have no interest in creating even more babies than exist already down here.

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Petrol becomes cheaper by Rs 2.40 per litre

Petrol becomes cheaper by Rs 2.40 per litre

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NEW DELHI: Petrol prices have been reduced by Rs 2.40 per litre from Saturday, the second-biggest cut since 2008, when crude oil had crashed dramatically after soaring to a record close to $150 a barrel.

However the widely expected increase in diesel prices has been deferred as the government is concerned about protests in the crucial budget session of Parliament, officials said.

Petrol prices excluding state taxes have been reduced by Rs 2 a litre across the country. Retail prices would fall up to Rs 2.62 in cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad, where taxes are high.

IOC, BPCLBSE 0.72 % and HPCLBSE -0.13 % have decided to pass to the consumers the entire benefit of the $5 per barrel fall in international crude oil. Company executives said oil firms had suffered a revenue loss of Rs 1,130 crore from petrol sales in 2012-13.

"We (state oil companies) have acted as responsible corporate citizens. We recently raised petrol rates because of soaring international prices. Now, when prices have subsided, we must pass on the benefits instead of recovering our past losses," IOCBSE 2.11 % chairman RS Butola told ET.

IOC incurred Rs 500 crore revenue losses in the current fiscal year because it could not raise petrol rates in tandem with its market prices due to political reasons. Oil companies are free to fix petrol rates since fuel pricing was deregulated in June 2010. Industry executives said the oil ministry, worried about the political fallout while Parliament is in session, told oil companies to wait for some time.

"Diesel price is expected to be raised by about 50 paise per litre soon after the Budget session is over," one official said requesting anonymity. The Cabinet has empowered oil companies to raise diesel rates in small dozes every month till all of the 11 per litre losses are eliminated, but state oil firms take tacit permission of the oil ministry before taking fuel-pricing decisions.

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Nokia's Chennai Staff Gets Salary Hike by 200 Percent

Bangalore: Nokia has lately entered into a wage pact with one third of its Chennai manufacturing facility employees with a salary hike up by 200 percent.

Out of 9000, around 3000 employees at the Chennai facility will now be earning 21000, from 7000 that they received before. Other employees are also said to receive hikes of varying degrees.

Once an undisputed leader in the mobile phone sales, Nokia was losing on market shares to rivals like Apple and Samsung. However, the company is now hoping on getting back with its Lumia series of Smartphones that it introduced recently.

Based on certain policies Nokia was not ready to share the details of the agreement between company and its employees as told to ET.

Also Employees will make around 3500 a month in the first year of employment. They will receive a dearness allowance of 300 in the second year and in the third year, their salary will be hiked to 10, 800 a month.

Nokia has also set up death relief funds for its employees, where 5 lakhs will be given to the family of the employee dyeing of natural causes.

Nokia plant was set up at Sriperumbudur in 2006. The company has invested over 1800 crore in scaling up manufacturing operations. This plant, which is Nokia’s largest handset manufacturing facility in the world employs over 9000 people out of which women constitute 55 percent.

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Airtel launches free limited roaming offer for prepaid customers in Delhi

Press Trust of India, March 09, 2013

Bharti Airtel Tuesday launched a new roaming scheme for its prepaid customers in Delhi which will enable them to receive free incoming calls in five states."With this pack, Airtel prepaid mobile customers can now get up to 30 days of free incoming calls while travelling to Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand and West Bengal (except Kolkata) on a recharge of Rs. 21," Bharti Airtel said in a statement.
Airtel's Delhi customer at present are charged Re 1 for incoming calls, Re 1 for local outgoing calls and Rs. 1.5 paise for STD calls on roaming, the company said.
The company has also announced the launch of high quality voice service for its subscribers in Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi and Nigeria in the African subcontinent.
"Airtel becomes the third operator to launch a mobile HD voice service in Africa. Further launches will be scheduled in 2013," the company said in a statement.
With HD voice, customers can talk normally and be heard clearly, without having to raise their voice, even in noisier environments.
"Surveys confirm that customers place a high value on HD voice," Airtel Africa Chief Marketing Officer Andre Beyers said, adding, "the new service will enrich end-user experience for Airtel subscribers".
Mobile HD voice enables high-quality voice calls because it reduces background noise often heard on a regular call.
It is based on AMR (Adaptive Multi Rate) wideband technology (W-AMR) which operates with nine different bit rates, providing high-quality voice calls.
Compared to the current narrow-band speech codec device, the W-AMR speech-compression algorithm doubles voice bandwidth and produces better results.

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National roaming to be free before October: Telecom Minister

Press Trust of India, March 09, 2013

Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal Thursday said the government will try to start national free roaming for customers before October.

"TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) has floated a consultation paper on it (national free roaming)...so when TRAI's recommendations come, we will try to start free roaming before October," Sibal told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of National Internet Registry.

In December, TRAI had floated a pre-consultation paper seeking inputs from stakeholders on tariff for national roaming services.

It sought views of stakeholders on aspects of national roaming services like the cost components of call rates to be considered, the manner of cost recovery in case incoming calls are to be made free, the tariff for video calls and SMSes while roaming, the need for permitting special tariff vouchers for roaming customers, etc.

At present, telecom operators have to pay various charges such as termination charges and interconnection charges, for completing call of their customers on to other networks which get added to the final cost of the call for the customer.

On the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) allowing Norwegian telecom firm Telenor's Indian arm to adjust Rs. 1,658 crore licence fee it paid in 2008 against the final price it has to pay for buying spectrum, he said the decision is for other firms as well.

"The decision taken by EGoM that all those entities whose licences were cancelled and who participated in the auction and as these companies have paid the money, that adjustment will be done in this licence. It is not only for Telenor but for other entities also," Sibal said.

An EGoM on spectrum headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram had met yesterday on issues related to spectrum auction.

"The structure is same, majority holding is of Telenor. That's why we did it. It will only be adjusted, not refunded," the Minister added.

Sibal also launched the National Internet Registry (NIR), which will reduce the cost of processing IP addresses. NIR is entrusted with the task of coordinating IP address allocation with other Internet resource management function at national level in the country.

Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY) had earlier endorsed the operations of NIR to National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI). NIXI was recognised by the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) in March last year.

NIR has been named as Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers (IRINN). IRINN, a division under NIXI, provides allocation and registration services of Internet Protocol Addresses (IPv4 and IPv6) and autonomous systems numbers to its affiliates to the Indian Internet communities.

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How offices turn complaint departments

When people air their complaints, they can receive validation that a problem is real, and move closer to a solution.

There is the ideal life, and then there is life as it really exists. We have various ways of expressing discontent over this inevitable gap, and one of the most common is complaining.

The workplace is no exception. The office is too hot or too cold. Brenda has been making personal calls all day. The boss is making me work on a Saturday. More seriously: that manager is a bully. I think that person's behavior was unethical. My salary is much lower than everyone else's.

Imagine a workplace with no complaining at all, and a totalitarian government comes to mind. "If we suppress our dissatisfaction, it will come out in other ways, and it will reduce our cognitive function," says Sigal Barsade, a management professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania who studies emotions in the workplace.

But complaining can also damage a workplace, she says - either because a legitimate complaint is not addressed or because complaining has spread like a contagion from worker to worker.

"You can get a complaining culture," she says.

The work settings with the highest morale and the greatest collegiality are those in which "people can feel free to respectfully complain," says Robin Kowalski, a psychology professor at Clemson University in South Carolina. When people air their complaints, they can receive validation that a problem is real, and move closer to a solution.

Kowalski began studying complaints after searching for a research specialty and bemoaning to an academic colleague that all the best psychology topics were taken. He said jokingly: "You're so good at complaining - maybe that's what you should investigate." She found that surprisingly little research had been done on behavior that is universal.

Kowalski defines complaining as "an expression of dissatisfaction, whether you feel dissatisfied or not" - and that is part of what makes the topic so complex.

Complaining can help break the ice and strengthen bonds with others. ("Can you believe they expect us to finish that report by tomorrow?") It can be a way to present yourself in a certain light - for example, an executive at a business dinner may complain about the food to show he has discriminating tastes, Kowalski says.

It can be also be a form of one-upmanship, she adds. If one worker complains about her heavy workload, another worker may feel compelled to say: You think you've got it bad? You should see what I have to do! Often, though, complainers really are dissatisfied about something. In that case, venting about it can serve as an emotional catharsis, Kowalski says.

Sometimes a session of venting is enough, if the problem is minor. But if it's serious, merely complaining will not be enough. To help a complainer whose problem is more weighty, Barsade recommends a two-pronged approach. First, simply listen and express empathy. Then, maybe the next day, try to give the complainer advice, or get him or her to look at the situation from multiple perspectives and work toward a realistic solution.

We all know that certain people are temperamentally disposed to complain, and there is an extreme version of this type, Kowalski says: "the help-rejecting complainer." Work becomes the focus of all the wrongs that have been done to that person.

"They complain incessantly," she says, "and you're not going to offer them any solution that they've not already thought of."

These employees are at high risk of being fired. They can help foment a wave of complaining that spreads quickly as other workers become more aware of their own dissatisfaction, she says, causing morale to plummet. Other employees may find it useful to tune out this type of employee or redirect the conversation away from the complaint, she says.

But incessant complaining could also signal a serious underlying problem in the workplace, she adds, which is why managers must be able to distinguish between authentic and inauthentic complaints. Not resolving an authentic complaint could result in workplace incivility, lower productivity, higher absenteeism and possibly even legal action.

What is the most effective way to complain, provided you don't just enjoy it for its own sake? Make sure to deliver your complaint to the person who can actually do something about it, Kowalski says. Complaining to colleagues about your pay is unproductive: your boss needs to hear your case.

"Complaining," she says, "has to be strategic, and it has to be done in moderation, in order to have positive outcomes."

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When a rock comes hurtling through a train window

  

Passengers routinely pull down the metal shutters when trains pass through certain stretches of the city. 

It’s not just passengers who are at risk, loco pilots and other staff also are

It was just a trial run but vandals hurled a stone and made a gaping hole in the window of a coach of the brand new double-decker train, scheduled to run between Bangalore and Chennai, on Friday. No one was injured, fortunately.

Regulars know the hazards of keeping train windows open and South Western Railway (SWR) officials are finding themselves at their wits’ end. Rules under Section 145 (B) and 147 of the Railways Act, 1989 mention a mere Rs. 500 penalty if the stone pelting does not result in injury or death. “The process of arresting the offenders and presenting them before the court is lengthy, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) official.

“Sometimes, offenders are let off by the court because they are poor or minors.”

The 4.5-km stretch between Hebbal and Banaswadi has seen any number of stone-throwing vandals but only four have been prosecuted in the last two months. And only 13 have been prosecuted in the city over the last one year. The instances are also common in Nayandahalli area and the stretch between Malleswaram and Sriramapura.

A frequent traveller to Mysore said passengers routinely pull down the metal shutters every time the train passes through Nayandahalli and Kengeri.

RPF inspector C.S. Chengappa said, “Most of the offenders are minors, whom we counsel in their parents’ presence. In the last couple of months, we caught four adults and prosecuted them.” He added that instances of such vandalism had been on the rise in recent times.

According to Sandeep Mehra, Additional Division Railway Manager, SWR, stone throwing not only injures passengers — some of them severely — but also loco pilots and other railway staff.

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