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. 

Snake in your backyard? Dial a toll-free helpline

VADODARA: Spotted a reptile or crocodile in your area? Now you won't have to go looking for numbers of forest officials or animal activists. The forest department is all set to launch a helpline number for catering to animal rescue calls in the city. The toll-free number will be launched by next week and it will cater to calls for rescuing animals or reptiles that are spotted in residential and commercial areas during monsoons.

A special team has also been formed to cater to the calls that are expected to increase in next few days. "We have decided to launch an exclusive toll-free helpline number as we get lot of calls during monsoons. Reptiles, especially snakes of different species, wander into residential areas and are found all over in the city," said G A Brahmbhatt, assistant conservator of forests (ACF).

He said that the forest department has a regular team that attends to rescue calls but now some officials will be on job round the clock. Three officials staying in different areas have been putting in charge of the calls they get from their areas. Instead of traveling all the way from their office in Kamatibaug, these employees will directly attend to the calls in their respective areas. "It will help us in attending to the calls swiftly," Brahmbhatt told TOI.

The forest department has been getting about 20 to 30 calls daily from different areas of the city over last few days. The forest officials and animal activists have rescued hundreds of snakes and some crocodiles in last few days. The department is also planning to make a zone-wise map of areas where reptiles are found in more numbers during monsoons. In last few days, most reptiles have been spotted in Gotri, Vasna Road and Atladara areas.

Most of the snakes spotted in residential areas or gardens are non-poisonous and they come out in open as water enters their boroughs during monsoons. On Wednesday, animal activist Vishal Thakur rescued a crocodile in Harni area.

BJP MPs to donate a month's salary to flood-hit Uttarakhand

Raipur: BJP's MPs, MLAs and other elected representatives in Chhattisgarh have decided to contribute one month's salary to help flood-ravaged Uttarakhand.

"BJP MPs, MLAs, mayors, corporators and other elected representatives will contribute one month's salary to Uttarakhand government to help relief efforts in the flood-hit region," BJP spokesperson Shivratan Sharma said here on Thursday.

A decision to this effect was taken during a meeting of BJP leaders in the presence of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and the party's national joint general secretary Saudan Singh this evening.

Teams from the state are already monitoring relief measures and rescue operations in Uttarakhand, he said.

Raman Singh has already announced an aid of Rs 5 crore from the CM's relief fund to Uttarakhand government for the relief and rehabilitation of victims.

According to an official release, over 700 people from Chhattisgarh are safe and at various places in Uttarakhand.

Although the state government is not in a position to know the exact number of pilgrims stranded in Uttarakhand, official sources said over a hundred pilgrims from Chhattisgarh are still missing.


The state government has sent Uma Devi, Resident Commissioner of New Delhi-based Chhattisgarh Bhavan, and Disaster Management Secretary K R Pisda to Uttarakhand to help stranded pilgrims from Chhattisgarh.

Four teams from Chhattisgarh have also been sent to Uttarakhand to evacuate pilgrims from Chhattisgarh.

PTI 

Centre gives in-principle nod to Shivaji statue in Arabian sea

Mumbai: Nine years after Congress-led government in Maharashtra made an election-time promise of constructing a 312-feet statue of warrior king Shivaji off Mumbai shore, the Centre on Thursday gave in-principle approval.

Addressing a press conference here, Union Environment Minister Jayanthi Natrajan said the finalised site in the Arabian sea, a 18-hectare rock, was a safe place.

"Even during high tide, the rock stands 3 to 4 meters above sea-level," she said.

The project, which will come up in Coastal Regulation Zone-4 (where no construction is allowed), was approved in principle as a special case, the Union Minister said.

"We have studied the case thoroughly and are satisfied. No commercial activity is being allowed," she said.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said as many as 40 clearances of different kinds would be required. "We will now submit a detailed project report (to Centre)," he said.

PTI 

'It's about love, not money': Retired postman builds mini Taj Mahal in Bulandshahr as a monument to his late wife

When Mughal emperor Shah Jahan lost his beloved wife Mumtaz in 1631, he built the Taj Mahal, the white marble mausoleum regarded by many as the world's greatest monument to love.

So when 77-year-old retired postmaster Faizul Hasan Kadari's wife died in December 2011, he knew exactly what he had to do: build his own Taj Mahal for the wife he loved no less than the great Mughal loved his.
Now, 16 months later, his "mini-Taj" is taking shape on a 5000 sqare feet plot in Bulandshahr, near Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, and the grieving farmer is on his way to becoming a local celebrity.
Faizul Hasan Kadari with a photo of his wife Begum Tajmulli
While the Taj Mahal stands at 561 feet and is flanked by four 130 feet minarets, Faizul Hasan Kadari's mausoleum and memorial to his love, Begum Tajmulli, is a rough replica the height of a large unfinished house, waiting for its white marble cladding and Koranic calligraphy inscriptions.
So far he has spent around £25,000 on the Bulandshahr Taj, but plans to spend more yet. "There would be everything which the Taj Mahal has. When completed, it will cover about two acres of land, which may also have a garden similar to the garden of Taj Mahal. I have spent about Rs 20 lakhs [£25,000] so far," he explained.
He had once regarded Shah Jahan's monument to his wife's memory was wasteful and extravagant until his own wife died. "I used to think that Shah Jahan insulted the common man by building a magnificent monument to love. But after the death of my wife in December 2011, I realised that it had more about the intensity of love than the money," he told the Mail Today.
"Since we were issueless and I had no other liabilities, I started construction of my own Taj Mahal on a piece of land which was not useful for agricultural purposes," he added.
Now his wife is buried inside and he hopes they will be reunited when he finally passes away. "I have written in my will that my graveyard should be besides her," he said.

Source : Telegraph.co.uk

Madras HC clarifies order on sex between man and women

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Wednesday took strong objection to criticism of its verdict holding sexual relations between a woman and man of marriageable age, prior to tying the knot, as "a valid wedding" and stoutly defended the order saying it "protected Indian culture and welfare of women."

Two days after he delivered the judgement, which has evoked disapproval and criticisms from various quarters, including on social media, Justice C S Karnan said c

omments should not be made without fully understanding the verdict.

In a clarification order, which would be part of the judgement, the judge said "this court's order does not in any way run against any religion and is not intended to wound any Indian. The order had not in any way degraded the system of marriage performed as per the various religious and customs and rites among the various communities."

Justice Karnan further said "..This court has given the legal relief to the affected woman. Without fully understanding the court's judgment, adverse comments shall not be passed."

"If a bachelor aged 21 years or above and a spinster aged 18 years or above had premarital sex with the intention to marry and subsequent to this the man deserts the woman, the victim woman can approach a civil forum for remedy after producing necessary substantial evidence to grant her social status as wife. This remedy is not only for the purpose of giving relief to the victim woman but also to maintain the cultural integrity of India," he reiterated.

Justice Karnan had given the judgement on June 18 while modifying an April 2006 judgement of a family court in a maintenance case.

A family court in Coimbatore had ordered a man to pay Rs 500 maintenance per month to his two children and Rs 1000 as litigation expenses and had held that the woman's wedding with him did not have any documentary proof.

PTI