Mayor shares failures, achievements

KANPUR: Mayor Jagatveeer Singh Drona on Saturday conceded that in the first year of his tenure, the municipal corporation had failed to meet people's expectations in the cleaning of nullahs and lifting of garbage. However, his first year as mayor had several achievements, said the mayor citing enhanced co-ordination among the corporators, officials, employees and the public.

The first person of the city said that desilting of nullah and lifting of garbage were hampered because of several reasons. However, the situation was better than previous years. He attributed his failure to perform up to expectations to limited resources, manpower and staff crunch.

He said city produced 1,200 tonnes of garbage daily. Despite efforts the corporation managed to life merely 1,000 tonnes of the garbage on daily basis. He said that A2Z and corporation employees both had been deployed to life garbage. "We are unable to lift the entire garbage produced by the city in a day. Hence 200 tonnes of garbage that is left in the city every day appears to be a big heap," the mayor said.

Blaming early monsoon for disturbing nullah cleaning exercise, he said that daily arrear of garbage was seeping into the nullahs with rainwater. When his attention was drawn towards the inquiry conducted by the commissioner, he said commissioner might not be satisfied therefore he ordered a probe.About staff crunch he said several posts were lying vacant. Six posts of deputy city commissioner were lying vacant along with two posts of assistant municipal commissioner. Every section of the corporation was battling staff crisis, he added.

Citing his achievements, Drona said municipal corporation realized around Rs 90 crore in previous financial year which was a record. Payment of Rs 28 crore arrears of VIth Pay Commission was also cleared. Developmen work worth Rs 114 crore was either finished or was underway. Every newly constructed road had a life of three years. When his attention was drawn towards roads being constructed without drains had led to waterlogging, the mayor said that bills of those roads were yet to be cleared. About error in house tax bills he said that round figure was allowed by him and it did not make much of a difference in the total bill amount.

Educated youths chuck plum jobs to enter PR polls

Educated youths chuck plum jobs to enter PR polls

MAHBUBNAGAR: Elections to local bodies have acquired significance this time as quite a few members of highly educated class are throwing their hat into the electoral ring.

Nearly half a dozen youths, with B Tech, BAMS, M Sc and B Ed are contesting the elections in the district by even resigning from their cozy jobs.

M Krishna of Yelkur village of Maldhakal mandal who is contesting in the elections said he felt it was the right time to enter politics to strengthen administration at village level. Krishna who has a B Tech degree said he wants to weed out corruption.

Another B Tech graduate M Balakrishna is contesting from Mulamalla village of Atmakur mandal. "From the inception of panchayat raj system only a single family is holding power in the village. How can decentralization take place when a single family is holding on to the post? I have joined the fray to bring about a change in the village," he said.

S Radhika, a software professional with an enviable monthly salary of Rs 60,000 in Hyderabad, has now entered the electoral fray for the post of sarpanch in Marripally village of Uppunuthala mandal. She is an M Sc (Computers) from Osmania University.

"A village should be self-contained and should not depend on cities for growth. But many villages still lack basic amenities. My main goal in getting into politics is to develop the village," she said.

Another woman candidate, M Shoba Rani, who has a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medical Science (BAMS) degree filed nomination for the Ajilapur village of Devarkadra mandal. Shoba is presently pursuing higher studies in ayurvedic medicine and is a contestant for the sarpanch post.

"There is too much of corruption and many schemes targeted at the rural people are not being implemented properly. As Rajiv Gandhi said out of the Re 1 sanctioned from the government, only 20 paise is reaching the village for development. This has to change," she said.

All the educated lot who are in fray have clear goals and have the conviction to reach them. Rajamani with M A, B Ed degrees is contesting from Jeklaru panchayat of Makthal mandal. "More educated people should come into politics. They can bring reforms in the society. Our villages are mainly agrarian. Farmers are cheated by middle men. My focus will be to educate farmers apart from providing better education facilities, sanitation and medical facilities," she said.

It may be mentioned here that in Khammam district, an MBBS graduate, Lakki Nani Raghu, has filed nomination for ward member in Kallur village panchayat. Similarly an M SC (Organic Chemistry) graduate, M Swapna, has filed nomination for the sarpanch post at Ashwaraopet village of Khammam.

For Gundugula and Dhammapet gram panchayats, two MBA graduates have filed papers. B Krishna Kumari and A Balaji are promising to bring changes in the village and educate people about the many schemes meant for them.

Several PG and B Ed degree holders too have filed their nominations. In some areas, the educated candidates are being supported by all parties so that they can get elected unanimously.

"With educated people in fray, the local governments can only become stronger. Once elected, they should stick to their motto of developing villages," said Lok Satta party president Jayaprakash Narayan.

A person in jail cannot fight polls for legislative bodies: SC

New Delhi: A person, who is in jail or in police custody, cannot contest election to legislative bodies, the Supreme Court has held, bringing to an end an era of undertrial politicians fighting polls from behind bars.

In another path breaking verdict to prevent criminal elements from entering Parliament and state assemblies, the apex court ruled that only an "elector" can contest the polls and he/she ceases the right to cast vote due to confinement in prison or being in custody of police.

The court, however, made it clear that disqualification would not be applicable to person subjected to preventive detention under any law.

Referring to the Representation of Peoples' Act, a bench of justices AK Patnaik and SJ Mukhopadhayay said that the Act (Section 4 & 5)lays down the qualifications for membership of the House of the People and Legislative Assembly and one of the qualifications laid down is that he must be an elector.

The bench said Section 62(5) of the Act says that no person shall vote at any election if he is confined in a prison, whether under a sentence of imprisonment or transportation or otherwise, or is in the lawful custody of the police.

Reading Sections 4, 5 and 62(5) together, the apex court came to the conclusion that a person in jail or police custody cannot contest election.

The court passed the order on a appeal filed by the Chief Election Commissioner and others challenging a Patna High Court order barring people in police custody to contest polls.

"We do not find any infirmity in the findings of the High Court in the impugned common order that a person who has no right to vote by virtue of the provisions of sub-section (5) of Section 62 of the 1951 Act is not an elector and is therefore not qualified to contest the election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of a State," the apex court said.


In a landmark judgement on Wednesday, the same bench had struck down a provision in the Representation of Peoples Act that protects a convicted lawmaker from disqualification on the ground of pendency of appeal in higher courts.

The bench had also made it clear that MPs, MLAs and MLCs would stand disqualified on the date of conviction.

Legal experts said the two verdicts will force political parties to make sure that candidates facing criminal charges are not fielded.

The court had in its yesterday's judgement held that Parliament exceeded its powers by enacting the provision (Section 8(4) of the Representation of Peoples Act) that gives a convicted lawmaker the power to remain in office on the ground that appeals have been filed and pending.

The sub-section 8(4), which was struck down, said a lawmaker cannot be disqualified for three months from the conviction and if in that period he or she files an appeal against till its disposal by a higher court.

PTI 

Despite stunted growth, Joby Mathews wins gold at World Arm Wrestling Championship

Navin Nair CNN-IBN

New Delhi: Joby Mathew, a man who did not allowed severe disabilities to come in the way of his ambitions, has won a gold medal at the World Arm Wrestling Championship. Despite having 60 per cent disability since birth, Mathew has also won 10 world medals in the last one decade.

The 36-year-old man, who suffers from Bilateral Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency or in simpler terms stunted growth of the legs since birth, has been a World Arm Wrestling champion twice. What his legs could not, he has achieved with his arms and a bundle of raw courage and grit.

"I don't have legs, so I cannot play football or basketball. Hence I focused on my arm power and started arm wrestling in school days. Soon, I was defeating every one," Mathew said.

In March 2008 at Leon in Spain, Mathew became a World Arm Wrestling champion in the normal category. The same year he also won the championship in the disabled category. Mathew even drives a specially modified car and also hits the gymnasium regularly.

"There is so much to learn for all of us from Joby. It's just his determination that keeps him going," Mathew's trainer Shaji said.

"When Joby Mathew addressed us for the first time, he motivated us with his challenges and achievements. He is an inspiration to us," Krishnan R Menon said.

When Mathew isn't thinking of sports, he dons the role of a husband, and a father to his three-year-old son. And with a supportive wife by his side, he has converted his disability into his biggest strength.

"One ambition which remains is to scale the Mount Everest. I want to achieve that in eight years from now after having undergone proper training," Mathew said.

But as the world champion goes on breaking every possible barrier in sports, there is one thing that he is still waiting for and that is recognition because he too has done his nation proud in whatever way he could.

Scientists seek patent for chicken-gongura pickle

Hyderabad: City-based National Research Centre on Meat’s  application for patent for  its ‘chicken-gongura pickle’ was published by the official journal of the Controller General of Patents this month, and it is one step away from being granted a patent.

NRCM scientists claim that they have invented an effective process for extraction of meat and broth from the deboned chicken and they are using gongura as a natural acidifier instead of vinegar to make the pickle.

NRCM senior scientist Dr B.M. Naveena, one of the inventors of the process, said, “Traditionally, people make gongura pickle or chicken pickle. Our’s is chicken-gongura pickle with a specific process involving at least eight steps. It is made without the use of vinegar, citric acid or lemon. That is the difference. Three steps in the process are entirely different and new.” NRCM said the chicken-gongura pickle can be stored for up to five months at room temperature sealed in polyester pouches.

Legal experts say such patent claims need to be examined properly and the scientists have to prove their innovation with documentary evidence.

Nalsar University professor Dr Madabushi Sridhar said, “Many households have traditional recipies for making non-vegetarian pickles. NRCM will have to prove how its method is different. If the process  invented by NRCM is not different, they can’t be given monopoly on the chicken-gongura pickle. Mmore importantly, the combination of  chicken and gongura is a mere aggregation and cannot be claimed.”

Villagers rescue 43 foreigners

DEHRADUN: Villagers from Didsari near Uttarkashi, whose houses were washed away, rescued 43 foreigners stuck in the Himalayas for over a week. The tourists from the US, UK, Sri Lanka and other nations were there to participate in a 'Himalayan retreat'.

"We're alive because of the villagers. They saw us struggling to get out of the centre up on the hills and came to help though they themselves struggled for food, water and shelter," said Catherine from Canada, one of the survivors. She said 40% houses in Didsari villages were washed away.

The foreigners arrived at the Uttarkashi Tapovan - a yoga centre — on June 14. "On June 16, we saw the bridge — the only link between the town and the hilly region — washed away. The water scaled up the ashram's steps. We were scared. Some stayed up all night to check the water level. The villages lower down were badly hit," said Anjali Mehta, an NRI from the US. She said they contacted embassies of the US, Brazil and Canada and others to send helicopters. Nothing helped. Some of them then climbed down towards the village.

"Ram, Kuldeep, Shikhar were the boys who came to help with their families. Some of the boys trained at the National Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) helped us walk down the steep slope to the Maneri helipad," said Mehta. The tourists now plan to help the villagers financially and with rations. "When we left, some said they had only two days of ration left," said a tourist. NIM's principal Col Ajay Kothiyal said these trained locals had so far rescued 6,000. "They know how to fix ropes, create new tracks etc to bring down people, especially old and sick."

Varanasi police to act as guardians for mentally challenged kids

VARANASI: The Varanasi police will soon be in an Avatar of guardians for the mentally challenged children of the district.

It sounds surprising but the Varanasi police are all set to take this responsibility as a part of community policing. It will be formally launched by the ADG (law and order) Arun Kumar on Saturday.

This initiative is a brainchild of a deputy SP and circle officer Sadar, Rahul Kumar, who got this idea during his past posting in Noida where several parents of mentally challenged children met him with the worries about future of their wards.

After it he studied the problem and also worked with some NGOs on this issue. But when he got posting in rural belt here he noticed that many of those children are ill-treated or even killed to end their claim on property. The trafficking of these children and killing for other reasons also takes place for monetary reasons but most of these cases remain unreported.

After it he conducted survey in Rohania, Jansa and Lohta police station area of his circle that resulted in detection of 300 mentally disabled children. However, the records of social welfare department shows only 200 such children in the entire district.

Not only this but before meeting the SSP AK Mishra to give a proposal for launching this programme as a part of community policing he also sought help of Dr Tulsi of Deva International Society for Child Care, who is also one of the directors Association for Rehabilitation under National Trust Initiative of Marketing (ARUNIM national trust) of ministry of disability affairs of government of India.

When Rahul and Dr Tulsi met the SSP with this proposal he also agreed for this initiative. They said that this programme is aimed at searching each and every mentally disabled child, ensuring availability of certificates of ailment for each mentally retarded child from CMO, benefits of the schemes of ministry of disability affairs, ARUNIM national trust, their training and counseling with the help of NGOs.

As per the guidelines of ministry the district magistrate becomes the legal guardian of such child after identification but cent percent identification of those children is proving a difficult task in existing system. To make the programme effective the SSP decided that each beat constable will adopt two of the mentally disabled child. These cops will check the condition of beneficiaries and also progress in their health and behaviour on weekly basis. The men in khaki are hoping that their initiative will ensure the availability of benefits of government schemes for these children apart from their safety.

3 cooks saved 100 pilgrims from dying of starvation

INDORE: At a time when some state governments selectively helped and airlifted pilgrims of their state from flood-landslide torn Uttarakhand, three young cooks and sweet makers from Madhya Pradesh and Delhi exemplified unity and integrity in troubled times.

Forming part of an 81-strong group of pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh, including Indore, Rewa and Guna, the three young cooks Virendra Thakur (Sagar), Gal Bahadur Singh (Satna) and Hari Om (Delhi) not only ensured timely succor to their group members, but also prevented 50-100 pilgrims from other states, from being starved to death in the jungles near Mussoorie.

The group coordinated by a tour and travel operator from Indore, after offering prayers at Yamunotri shrine managed to climb down to a place near Mussoorie and erected a camp by themselves between June 17 and June 19.

"The trio started a big kitchen at the camp to ensure timely breakfast, lunch and dinner to the entire group, that had not eaten anything for two days," a member of the group Ravi Chauhan told TOI.

Chauhan, a native of Indore's Veena Nagar locality, who returned home with 23 other Indoreans (forming the group) on Tuesday, recounted that just when the big kitchen was started by the three young cooks, out of the provision which the group took along with it, the group came across 50-100 pilgrims from other states stranded in nearby jungles.

"These pilgrims (including children) hailing from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and UP, besides Chatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh were hungry and thirsty for at least three days and were virtually begging for food and water. Even before we could decide on how to help these pilgrims, the three cooks sprung into action," Chauhan added.

With the consent of the group from Madhya Pradesh, the cooks opened a totally free of cost bhandara for the other pilgrims, serving them timely lunch and dinner.

"Overwhelmed by their spirit, the members of the group even skipped one time food to ensure that our group as well as other pilgrims were served proper lunch and dinner from June 18 to June 20, before the army men came to the rescue of the stranded pilgrims," Chauhan reminisced.

The pilgrims, particularly those from Gujarat, included many wealthy families who had turned into virtual beggars, after having lost their vehicles and valuables in the flood and landslide were ready to got to any extent to save themselves from being starved to death.

Braveheart from Jaipur travels to rain-ravaged Uttarakhand to help victims

JAIPUR: He is a habitual rescuer. Be it serial blasts or a fire incident, 35-year-old AbhishekPandit is the most sought after person by the fire department and the Jaipur police. This time Abhishek along with a 50-member team of volunteers rushed to Dehradun on June 18. He is still there to help the stranded people. Likewise, many others volunteers from Jaipur have gone to Rishikesh irrespective of the fact that they have no relative trapped there.

On June 11, 2011, when a house-cum-chemical factory caught fire in the Walled City, Abhishek arrived on the scene within minutes and rescued three women trapped inside the compound. He was even felicitated by the Jaipur police and civil defence team for his work.

"I was going through the reports of devastation at Gauri Ghat, Kedarnath, Badrinath and other temples. On June 18 I packed my bags and rushed to Rishikesh to help the victims. Later I went to a few villages which had witnessed heavy destruction," said Abhishek, a native of Baba Harish Chandra Marg in the Walled City over phone from Dehradun.

He is with a team of 50 youngsters who have gone with relief material including blankets, biscuit packets, water bottles and first-aid boxes.

"We are in touch with the Army and are urging them to take us in the rescue teams. I have shown my certificates including an appreciation letter by the government of Rajasthan. They said they don't have permission to allow civilians to participate in the rescue operation," said Abhishek.

He said that in the last couple of days the volunteers visited local hospitals in Dehradun where they supplied water, blankets, quilts and other aid to the victims.

"None of my relatives are in Uttarakhand but I know at this time any kind of help and work can help the government authorities here who are engaged in the rescue work," he said.

Mehsana chips in with helping hand

AHMEDABAD: A group of citizens from Mehsana will set off for Dehradun with relief material for flood-ravaged Uttarakhand on June 26. Mitra Mandal, the group, will go door-to-door to markets, societies and different parts of the town for three days to collect donations for victims.

"We collected food items like rice, jaggery, cooking oil, biscuits from wholesale market on the very first day. The footwear market has promised to donate 1,000 pairs of shoes," said Jaydeep Dabhi, president of Mitra Mandal. They will start their journey to Uttarakhand in trucks and hand over the collection to the Army.

The Gujarat government on Monday held a review meeting to enable easy transit and provide greater relief to those affected by the flash floods in Uttarakhand.

The Gujarat government announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia each for the kin of pilgrims from Gujarat who died whle on the char dham yatra. Moreover, the state government has decided to grant another Rs 3 crore to the Uttarakhand government as part of the relief package. Earlier, the government had announced Rs 2 crore relief. The total amount now is Rs 5 crore.

Auto driver’s son leaves IT job for army

MUMBAI: Graduating out of a top college and then landing a lucrative job with the Larsen and Toubro seem a dream career graph for many. But Abhay Kadam (21), son of an auto rickshaw driver, felt there was more to life than taking up the offer and climbing up the corporate ladder.

Today, Kadam is among the chosen few selected for commission in the Indian Army, a career path seldom trodden by youngsters from the financial capital. Of the 1.49 lakh candidates who took the Combined Defence Services exam, 239 were picked after a round of an examination and medical test conducted by the UPSC. And Abhay is beside himself with excitement at the opportunity he has got to watch life on the line, to be present there to tell the real cost of a war and the price of peace. "How do I explain the thrill I feel to be able to serve the country, without sounding dramatic or fake ?" he said. It is probably only natural that Abhay made the choice. "My grandfather and great-grandfather were both jawaans in the Maratha infantry," he said.

But taking the final decision was not easy for Abhay, who kept dreaming of a "bright future". Every evening, as his father walked home, after dropping off his rented auto at the owner's place with the day's earnings, Abhay pondered on how to make it big in life, how to free his family from the cycle of the Rs-9,000-a-month income.

"Abhay initially wanted to join the merchant navy, which pays handsomely. But when he joined the NCC and interacted with officers, he was attracted to the uniform," said his trainer, Rtd Lt Col Pradeep Brahmankar. Abhay is a Naval wing NCC cadet and has done his NCC 'C' certificate in 'B' grade. His only possession from those days is a bronze medal he won in the 1,200-m race in college. Abhay is now filled with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction as he looks at his selection letter and remembers his life so far—his schooldays, the time he spent at B N Bandodkar College in Thane, his small tenement with paints peeling off its walls. "A chapter is over. Another one will begin. I am ready for it."

Boy, 13, cracks IIT-JEE

Patna: A Bihar farmer’s 13-yearold son has become India’s youngest student to crack the IIT-JEE for the second consecutive year as he was unhappy with his rank last year.

Satyam Kumar, from Bakhorapur village in Bhojpur district, had secured an all-India rank of 8,137 in 2012 at the age of 12 and cleared the IIT-JEE (Advanced) this year with an all-India rank of 679.

In 2012, Satyam had sat for the IIT entrance tests even before passing his Class XII examinations, in which he had appeared with a special permission from the CBSE. For the IIT entrance, he received coaching in Kota.

“He has shown extraordinary academic skills since his early childhood and always worked hard with a regular timetable,” said his proud father Sidhnath Singh.

With his two successive achievements in the IIT entrance tests, Satyam has broken the record set by Sahal Kaushik of Delhi, who cleared the IIT-JEE at the age of 14 in 2010.

Deeply interested in the wonders and possibilities in information technology, he is keen on setting up a more innovative social networking company like Facebook getting a computer engineering degree from the IIT in Mumbai or Kanpur.

Meanwhile, the underprivileged students of “Super 30” here have yet again made it big at the IIT entrance examination with 28 out of the total 30 students qualifying.

Narendra Modi lands in Uttarakhand, flies out with 15,000 Gujaratis

DEHRADUN: In the two days that NarendraModi has been in Uttarakhand, he has managed to completely rile not just the Congress government of Vijay Bahuguna but also the administrative staff involved in rescue operations at Kedarnath, Badrinath and Uttarkashi. But above all, he has also managed to bring home some 15,000 stranded Gujarati pilgrims.

The Gujarat CM, who flew in on Friday evening, held a meeting till 1am with his crack rescue team of five IAS, one IPS, one IFS and two GAS (Gujarat Administrative Service) officers. Two DSPs and five police inspectors were also part of his delegation. They sat again with the nitty-gritty of evacuation in a huddle that a senior BJP leader said lasted till 1am on Sunday.

Around 80 Toyota Innovas have been requisitioned to ferry Gujaratis to safer places in Dehradun as have four Boeings. On Saturday, 25 luxury buses transported a bunch of grateful people to Delhi. The efforts are being coordinated by two of the senior-most IAS officers of Gujarat, one currently stationed in Delhi and another in Uttarakhand.

As if that was not enough to thumb his nose at a government accused of large-scale mismanagement in handling the crisis, Modi later in the day even offered to "completely rebuild" the temple at Kedarnath using "the latest technology available" in such a way that no natural calamity would ever shake it again. The Uttarakhand CM is believed to have dismissed the statement.

What cannot be dismissed, though, is Modi's now trademark style of micro-management, something his supporters say is the need of the hour for India. "It's amazing what he has done here," said Anil Baluni, a BJP leader. "If someone doesn't like it, what can we do?'

Modi's men have not only para-dropped a complete medical team in Hardwar, they have also set up camps across th flood-hit regions. Prominent BJP workers in villages across the state are dealing directly with members of the rescue committee, telling them where food is to be sent, people given shelter and medicines administered. That seems to have helped. When a car owned by a Gujarati was stuck in a road-block by angry residents demanding aid in Badkot, Uttarkashi, an urgent message was immediately sent out by an IAS officer and the vehicle taken to safety.

Asked about the "new model" of rescue and relief operation by Modi that has helped 15,000 Gujaratis get out of Uttarakhand, an angry Congress legislator said, "See, that's what we mean. His model works only for Gujaratis."

Six Rajasthan hill forts on Unesco heritage list

JAIPUR: Six of Rajasthan's hill forts have made it to Unesco's World Heritage List: Chittorgarh Fort, Kumbhalgarh Fort (Rajsamand), Ranthambore Fort (Sawai Madhopur), Jaisalmer Fort, Amber Fort (Jaipur) and Gagron Fort (Jhalawar).

"The selection of these forts is a reflection of our past work," said tourism, art and culture minister Bina Kak. The listing of the forts was approved at the 37th meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Friday.

Kak said the selection of these forts, located in different cities, as a serial cultural property, was the first of its kind ever by Unesco. She said with this selection the six forts would receive enhanced international recognition — the way Jantar Mantar in Jaipur did after being selected in the World Heritage List in 2010.

Five of the forts had been nominated last year too, but Unesco had rejected them. This year the government added Jaisalmer Fort, reworked the documents and re-nominated the other five. Four of the forts are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and two by the Rajasthan State Archaeological Survey.

The state government had sent the nomination dossier of the forts to the World Heritage Site centre in January 2011. A two-member team from the advisory body of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) had met state government and ASI officials in Jaipur in November 2012. Following this, the ICOMOS recommended that the hill forts be made part of the World Heritage Site list.

All the forts represent Rajput military architecture. The structural remains or ruins range from the eighth to the 19th Century and comprise multi-gated approaches through massive and high fortification walls, palaces, temples, memorials and water reservoirs.

Modi rocks, even in the Himalayas!

During a visit to China's countryside outside Beijing last week, one found many places on the highway which had warning signboards which said 'Rockfall site'. The most fragile hill slopes were, however, properly treated with a plaster binding and tightly covered with a steel mesh which would have checked a landslide. Also met during the trip, two Nepalese journalists who were all praise for Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and had heard some of his inspiring speeches on YouTube. A devout Hindu and chief editor of a leading Nepalese daily, one of them had felt blessed when he came to India some years back for the 'Char Dham' yatra, the route of which now lies devastated in the Uttarakhand flash floods.

Had met Modi for the first time in Ahmedabad sometime in mid-1999 at the official bungalow of the then mayor of Ahmedabad. Was struck by the number of rings this persona non grata for the Keshubhai Patel regime was wearing on his fingers. The meeting with Modi was arranged by Anil Balooni, officer on special duty to the governor, late Sundar Singh Bhandari. The conversation was off the record. What came out amply clear was Modi's frustration at the state of affairs in Gujarat and his inability to do anything about it. Except, vent his exasperation before the media and give them leads about what was going wrong in the Keshubhai regime, in the hope that they would write something against a non-performing chief minister.

Have been more in touch with Balooni, now a BJP leader in Uttarakhand, than with Modi. Called him up to inquire about his well-being after the devastation. He had by then spoken to some trapped Gujarati pilgrims and said: "Pilgrims are saying they won't be in this sorry state if Modi was the chief minister of Uttarakhand." Indeed, nature has been kind to Gujarat during the last 12 years or so that he has been in power. Quite unlike the three years of acute drought, two strong cyclones and an earth-shattering earthquake that Keshubhai had to face, which eventually cost him his job. During the decade of good rains in Gujarat, the only time his disaster management was seriously tested was in the 2006 Surat floods when the city was submerged for three days and he was roundly booed by marooned Surtis as he waved out from a speed boat. Even in 2012, a few months before the last assembly elections in December, his opponents were hoping that an impending drought would mar his chances of becoming CM for the fourth time - till the heavens showered a late monsoon and handed him his third successive political landslide win. People in Gujarat have come to believe that nature's recent kindness is because of what they see as an illusionary halo behind their chief minister.

Was reading about L K Advani loyalist Sudheendra Kulkarni calling Modi an 'autocrat' and BJP chief Rajnath Singh as someone 'foxy' and under "astrologically induced delusions" (of becoming PM). Actually, Modi's popularity among people is because of his autocracy. And no prizes for guessing who is the fox and who are the rabbits in this Modi-Rajnath-Advani triangle. As for astrology, the stars seem more on Modi's side. To make sure his Himalayan ambitions do not crumble, some say he constantly performs some tantrik rituals to neutralize his adversaries. And, of course, the rocks on his fingers are still there.
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IIT entrance exam: Underprivileged children of 'Super 30' make it big again

Patna: The underprivileged students of 'Super 30' here have yet again made it big at the IIT entrance examination with 28 out of the total 30 students qualifying. The result of JEE(Advance) was declared on Friday.

Chandan Kumar, son of a landless farmer of Gaya district and one of the students of the famed institute told PTI that he had managed to study till matriculation by borrowing books from friends. "I have been reborn after my days in 'Super30'," said Abhishek Kumar, the son of a small shopkeeper.

"My father and mother gave me birth but Anand Sir has granted us another life," said Shivangi Gupta, daughter of a book seller in a small township of Rasoolpur in Kanpur, said.

For Alok Ranjan, the youngest of four sons of a private school teacher who manages to sustain family by giving tuitions, it is a joyous occasion. "I have never purchased a new book in my life. My joy knows no bounds now that I have cleared entrance to IIT."

'Super 30' is the brainchild of noted mathematician Anand Kumar who founded the institution in 2002 and provides free of cost coaching for IIT entrance examination to students belonging to economically weaker sections. The students are also provided with free food and accommodation.

"Due to lack of resources I could not go to Cambridge. I wish to see my reflection in all these students who hail from similar backgrounds," Kumar told PTI.

'Super 30' has attracted praise from world over and Tokyo University has announced to sponsor one of its students to study there. The institute was heaped with praises and lauded as the best in India by Rassad Hussain, the special envoy of US President Barack Obama who visited it in 2011. Bollywood mega star Amitabh Bachhan had enacted the character of Anand Kumar in the film 'Arakshan'. 

Release food to the poor: HC tells Maharashtra govt

MUMBAI: Young India is impatient for a change, said Bombay High Court on Friday even as it directed the Maharashtra government to expedite process to give foodgrains to large number of primitive tribal groups in Thane and Raigad districts.

A division bench of Justice Dhananjay Chandrachud and Justice Suresh Gupte on June 21, 2013 heard a public interest litigation by Jagruti Sangharsh Manch regarding non-implementation of the Supreme Court's April 2004 directives for issuing ration cards to PTG and distribution of subsidised food grains. "Young India is impatient for change. You must show action," said Justice Chandrachud.

The judge said "mindsets have to change" as the poor and illiterate who are unaware of their rights will not come to the government. "Government must come with a begging bowl to the poor. The process must be conducted in the reverse and every effort must be made to trace and identify such persons including holding camp,'' said Justice Chandrachud. The judges also reminded the government that foodgrains "are rotting in godowns instead of being given to the poor."

NGO's advocate Kranti LC argued that the government is yet to approve the 2002 Below Poverty Line list and is continuing with the 1997 lists. Shocked that the government had not approving the BPL list pending with it for 10 years, the judges directed that steps be taken grant approval forthwith and not later than four weeks. They said there is no justification for State government to insist that unless PTG possess BPL cards the government cannot give them foodgrains. They said persons to whom benefit ought to have been granted after 1997 would definitely be excluded only because of administrative inefficiency of the government in failing to update the list. "We are of the view that this state of affairs cannot continue any further since the failure of the State government to reach out to persons Below Poverty Line constitutes violation of Right to Life,"they noted in their order.

The judges were also astonished when told by additional government pleader Nitin Deshpande that the verification of ration card is also done by ration shop owners. They said it will result in "conflict of interests and duty" as the object of verification is to weed out persons to whom bogus cards is issued. They directed the government to file a status report at the next hearing on July 19, 2013.

New York's Times Square becomes yoga's Om Sweet Om

WASHINGTON: If yoga is the practice of quieting the mind, as Patanjali, chronicler of the spiritual quest said, its practitioners couldn't have picked a better place than New York City's Times' Square to put the aphorism to test.

Some 16,000 yoga aficionados turned up at what is arguably the world's glitziest - if not busiest - crossroads to stretch America's acceptance of the great Indian export, amid continued misgivings in conservative circles about its religious content.

The hum of Om rose above the everyday wailing of police sirens and honking of rude taxis as New Yorkers ushered in summer solstice with open-air yogabhyas from sunrise to sundown on the longest day of the year.

It wasn't exactly a flash mob. What began as a three-person exercise a decade ago has now grown into a thousands-strong annual event that celebrates ''mind over madness.'' The organizers, led by Times Square Alliance, say it is a pushback against the hectic lifestyle in the world's most vibrant city.

It is also the world's most diverse and multicultural city that embraces universal values with such ease that no one raised a peep about the iconic square being shut down to traffic for the yoga gig. Curious foreign tourists milled around to see thousands of Americans stretch to instructions from professional teachers, the entire spectacle flanked by anachronistic eateries such as McDonald's and Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, with neon signs of Spiderman and Buzz Lightyear flashing down.

Coming on the heels of the Obama White House also encouraging yoga with its annual Yoga Garden event during Easter, the growing acceptance and popularity of the ancient Indian practice is marred only by occasional bouts of pique by conservatives who think it is fronting for Hinduism sneaking into America through the back door.

In California, there is an ongoing court case against a school district that established a yoga program with a $ 500,000 grant from the K Pattabhi Jois Foundation, aimed at helping elementary schools students focus on studies, keep calm, and contain aggressive behavior.

But some parents have gone to court, maintaining that the program has a religious connection and violates the line between church and state. Attorneys for the parents have charged that students have been made ''spiritual guinea pigs'' and were encouraged to greet each other with ''Namaste, a religiously laden Hinduism greeting.''

Court proceedings last month included testimony from an Indiana University professor of religious study who agreed that the yoga program was filled with religious elements and can serve as an introduction to Hinduism, and a live demonstration in court by the instructor of the poses she taught, during which she maintained there was no religious content to what she taught. It also turned out the that judge hearing the case himself practiced Bikram yoga, which he likened to simple stretching exercises.

"If you think there's something spiritual about what I do, that's news to me," he told the attorneys, as they argued about terms such as yama and niyama, samadhi and samskruthi.

No such doubts attended the enthusiasts at Times Square, which on Friday became Yoga's Om Sweet Om.

11-yr-old genius makes it to Harvard University

Mexico City: Armed with an IQ comparable to that of Alberto Einstein, 11-year-old Luis Roberto Ramírez of Zamora, Mexico, is headed to Harvard University to study quantum physics and engineering, the Huffington Post reported.

“My dream is to start a company and sell my devices,” Ramírez was quoted as saying by Spain’s El Mundo.

The multitalented Ramírez also has an ease for languages. He taught himself English at age 5, and he’s since moved on to learning French and Chinese, according to Terra. “His learning level progresses in giant leaps,” his proud father Roberto Ramírez told Mexican newspaper Milenio.

“It’s incredible how he retains information and the way he expresses himself, not to mention the goals and the vision he has.”

However, a Harvard representative was quoted as saying by the Huff Post that no school records of the boy was found even though media claims that the boy is going to attend classes at Harvard.

Rajasthan gives people right to pink-slip babus

JAWAJA (AJMER): The complaints, like always, were many. But the tables had been turned. At the receiving end were government officers as people crowded around demanding an explanation for being denied their right. It was their day of hearing.

A motley group of villagers thrust 'pink slips' towards the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) demanding to know why they were being denied the Re 1 a kg wheat promised by the state government. The pink slips given to them while registering their grievances under the recently implemented Right to Hearing (RTH) Act in Rajasthan had proved to be a stimulus for ensuring a rightful hearing. An enquiry was immediately ordered and soon after 80 of the 109 affected people got their dues.

The simultaneous weekly block-level public hearing day at Raipur in Pali district and at Bhim and Kumbalgarh in Rajsamand district too brought forth their share of complaints. Rations and pensions not reaching beneficiaries, long-overdue MGNREGA payments, a water connection, a 'patta' for land being denied, a sarpanch taking bribes from poor Bhil families in the chief minister's housing programme — even the weakest had their say and redressal was promised.

"This is where a grievance-redress mechanism is crucial to give citizens an opportunity to demand accountability," says Aruna Roy of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), which pioneered the Right to Information Act and is now helping craft the way ahead for the RTH Act in Rajasthan. "The hotly debated Food Security Bill of the country does not have a good redress mechanism. The Right to Hearing Act in Rajasthan is an important step forward, but there are many provisions like independent appellate authorities at a district level that are only present in the central Bill. It is, therefore, imperative that the Centre passes the pending Grievance Redressal Bill in the next session of Parliament to ensure that entitlements under all the schemes, laws and programmes in the country reach the beneficiaries."

Three simple steps carry forward the important journey from transparency to accountability in this Act.

By creating a single window, Rozgar Sahayaks in every panchayat have been made responsible for accepting grievances and applications from people every day between fixed hours at the Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendras, which have been rechristened Public Hearing Assistance Booths.

A pink receipt is given for all grievances lodged and every Friday all officers assemble at the panchayat, block or district level for an open public hearing. The applicant must be given a hearing within 15 days and a written reasoned order has to be given by the officer concerned within seven days after that. The whole cycle is completed within 21 days, and any delay or violation attracts a penalty.

Tested on a pilot basis first in Rajsamand, the Rajasthan government issued guidelines in April making the format compulsory across the state. But months down the line weaknesses in implementation remain.

A defunct Public Hearing Assistance window, an absconding Rozgar Sahayek or the pink slip never reaching the officer even on the day of the hearing were some of the major flaws noticed by six teams of almost a hundred volunteers of the MKSS that went on a 'yatra' across Raipur (Pali), Jawaja (Ajmer), Bhim, Devgarh, Khumbhalgarh (Rajsamand) and Asind and Mandal (Bhilwara).

"All defaulting officials will be taken to task," says Banna Lal, director, Public Grievance department, Rajasthan. "There are provisions of imposing fines of up to Rs 250 per day for such officials. We have fined a junior engineer for having failed to provide a water connection while a BDO has been put under APO (awaiting posting order). But the Act has ensured that even the weakest now has a forum to speak out. Complaints of corruption have also been investigated and are being acted upon. Lots of complaints pending for years are pouring in."

At a review of the three-week process, attended by government officials and civil society organizations, Nikhil Dey of the MKSS says: "The entire country has been agitated about the lack of accountability at all levels. This exercise can be seen as a continuation of the process of campaigning for a strong law that ensures accountability of officials to the citizen. The Rajasthan government should be given credit for attempting to implement this law, but our experience here underscores the need for the central government and Parliament to draw lessons and immediately enact an effective grievance-redress law."

The volunteers from over 15 districts plan to take this process across Rajasthan, but the question remains whether parliamentarians will hear these voices of distress and hope from the ground level and give people their right to seek accountability.