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“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please..”
| VBA's Positive News |
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China's new priority: social wellbeing over growth
China's government pledged Tuesday to repair the country's ravaged environment and boost public services under its new leadership, an acknowledgment that quality of life was sidelined during the outgoing administration's decade of breakneck economic growth. Wen acknowledged the responsibility he and other retiring leaders have for leaving such a tangle of problems, even as they have guided China to prosperity and power on the world stage.
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Forbes: Record number of billionaires with Mexico's Carlos Slim at top 4th year in a row
A record 1,426 people around the world made Forbes magazine's latest annual tally of billionaires, up 16 per cent from last year. Their average net worth was $3.8 billion, rising 3 per cent from 2012. Mexico's Carlos Slim remains the world's richest man for the fourth year in a row, according to Forbes. There were 210 new faces on the list.
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Ferrari and McLaren unveil hybrid supercars at Geneva Motor Show
Hybrids aren't just for fuel economy any more. Ferrari and McLaren both on Tuesday unveiled sleek hybrid supercars at the Geneva Motor Show (in Switzerland). Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo said the electric engine has a performance appeal that is proving a draw to Ferrari owners. Only 499 of the models will be built - and some 700 people have registered interest. The McLaren P1 programme director Paul McKenzie said the hybrid technology has performance advantages.
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UK consumer morale holds steady in February
British consumer morale held steady in February, maintaining January's gains, a survey by researchers GfK NOP showed on Thursday. 'The maintenance of all of last month's three-point gain is encouraging,' said Nick Moon, managing director of social research at GfK.
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Video of the Day:
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World Round-Up
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No plans to race for PM post or marry: Rahul Gandhi
“Asking me whether you want to be Prime Minister is a wrong question,” Rahul Gandhi said today.
The Congress Vice President made this suo motu remark while interacting with party MPs amid growing clamour in Congress for projecting him as its Prime Ministerial face before the next Lok Sabha elections.
Gandhi also gave signals that he was against the ‘high command culture’, saying that he wants to empower more and more people than a handful, who call the shots.
The 42-year-old leader told the MPs in no uncertain terms that the organisation was his priority and he was preparing for a long haul.
“Today I see how MPs feel without power and it is the same story in all the parties, be it Congress or BJP. I want to empower the 720-odd MPs in Parliament.
“I want to give voice to the middle tier…empower the middle-level leaders. There are some parties in India which are run by one leader (BSP), two leaders (SP), five to six leaders (BJP) and 15 to 20 leaders (Congress). My priority is that I want to empower the MPs as also the 5,000-odd legislators in various states,” he said.
He also hinted that he has no immediate marriage plans, saying, “If I get married and have children, I will be status quoist and will like my children to take my place.”
Gandhi said the high command culture started in the 70s when “my grandmother was under severe assault… I knew her and if I would have been in her place, I would have also done likewise”.
He gave ample signals that he wanted to change the organisation drastically from top to bottom and his ideal was Mahatma Gandhi and he believed in the “Nishkam Karma” of the Gita.
Calling the Mahatma “my guru”, he said Gandhiji could inspire people as also the rank and file of Congress as they knew that he was not one who is hankering after power.
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Astrology
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Aries March 21 to April 19
Substantial and long-lasting changes may take place in your career. This should be seen as a remarkable opportunity to stretch into new territories with grace and style. You love being a pioneer and what better way than to march on with dignity and poise. You may also wrap up older projects as the new ones begin to appear. Simply chalk up the past to experience and move forward with open eyes. All beginnings come from an ending.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
You may begin to associate with new groups during this period. Any sort of broadening of your resources should be seen as fruitful and actually quite substantial. These may be new areas of thought or simply associations that bring you to a different level. You may be involved in a singular purpose with others such as spiritual enlightenment or other educational pursuits. This might be a valuable time to turn a corner while bringing new people into your arena. This may be a wonderfully enriching experience.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
 You may find that you cannot wait to get to work today. You may be brimming with ideas and enthusiasm regarding your career. This may be particularly the case if you are involved with large organizations or institutions. Entities that have a wide reach may prove to be the most valuable to you and the most fulfilling. You may want to leave a mark that has a sense of purpose and value.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
Those to whom you are closest may be intrigued by your current educational pursuits. As you travel and broaden your view, you may be faced with decisions that require a delicate dance regarding your partner. You might decide that your directions are entirely different and that you either need to adjust accordingly or simply accept matters as they are. This may be a wonderfully expansive experience as you both approach a new level of understanding.
Leo July 23 to Aug. 22
 You may find yourself in conversation, negotiating a matter with a large organization. An emphasis on details may surface, and you may be quick to recognize a discrepancy. Large institutions may be a challenge simply because of their size and complexity, but you are not one to shy away from difficulty. If you approach the matter of legal issues, claims, forms and expectations into a proper context, you may find that you can come out a winner.
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Compared to 2G, farm loan waiver isn’t even a scam
It is tempting to label any report put out by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) as a scam. But unlike its reports on 2G spectrum and coal block allocations (Coalgate), the CAG report on the UPA’s farm loan waiver scheme is not indicative of a scam.
This is not a report the UPA should get apoplectic about, nor anything for the opposition to salivate over. The scheme more or less achieved its social purpose – of providing debt relief to small and marginal farmers – and also its political purpose, which was to give the Congress party an edge in the 2009 elections.
What the CAG report uncovers is the systemic flaws that partially neutralised the objectives of the scheme – and this is not something unique only to UPA schemes. If anything, the Congress should brandish the report to show low the element of scandal really was in this scheme.
The “scam” element is nowhere near the Rs 1.76 lakh crore reported in 2G or Rs 1.86 lakh crore in Coalgate; if at all one should put a figure to it, by projecting the CAG’s negative observations from its sample audits to the whole scheme, the total amount involved in “lapses” would be around 22.32 percent. Given the Rs 52,000 crore spend on the scheme, the amount involved would be around Rs 11,600 crore, the lapses were extrapolated to the entire universe of beneficiaries. Little of it can be equated to graft.
This is what CAG did and what it found out.
The scheme, intended to provide 4.29 crore small and marginal farmers either with complete debt writeoffs or a one-time settlement of dues, was implemented in 2008-09, just in time for the Congress to benefit politically from it.
The auditor sampled 90,576 beneficiaries in 25 states and 92 districts to come up with a report on how the scheme was implemented or mis-implemented. And this is what it found.
One, 13.46 percent of those found eligible for debt waivers did not get them. This is a problem of exclusion, and the worst you can say is the UPA’s commitment to inclusion didn’t work here.
Two, 8.5 percent of those who got waivers were not eligible for it. This is where the scheme has the whiff of a scam, but it is not huge. Even when extrapolated over the entire Rs 52,000 crore writeoff mentioned by CAG, the amount involved would be around Rs 4,420 crore. Peanuts, compared to 2G or CWG or Coalgate.
Three, in 6 percent of the cases, or 4,826 checked accounts, farmers were not given their waiver entitlements correctly – 3,262 cases got “undue benefits” and the rest got less than they were entitled do. Undue benefits certainly reek of a smallish scam or bad implementation.
Four, banks and institutions made hay by claiming things they were not entitled to. For example, CAG found that in some cases the lenders did not incur any interest costs, but they still claimed reimbursements from the centre.
Five, the lenders did shoddy paperwork in helping farmers. If the main purpose of the scheme was to write off farm loans and make them eligible for further borrowings from banks, CAG found that banks did not give debt-relief certificates to 34 percent of farmers in order to entitle them to further loans.
But the real problem thrown up by the CAG report lies not in its main conclusions, but in what one can infer from the figures presented.
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India in healthcare hall of shame, ranked worst peers and neighbours
Among peers and neighbours India is performing the worst when it comes to the health of its citizens. Whether it is life expectancy, mortality due to all causes, under-five mortality or mortality among men and women between 15 and 49 years, on most counts, India ranks way below China, Brazil and Sri Lanka, just below Bangladesh and Nepal and in some cases even Pakistan.
This was revealed in the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2010 Study (GBD 2010), a collaborative project led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. The study details the causes of death and disability — across age groups and genders — for 187 countries around the world.
Sri Lanka and China fight for the top spot in India's neighbourhood on most parameters followed by Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. India and Pakistan figure at the bottom with India often beating Pakistan in the race to the bottom, even if marginally so.
"Countries like China and Brazil and even our neighbours, who are not as well off, doing well show that India should be able to do a lot better. We are in this situation probably because we only pay lip service to health service and health system development. Our public expenditure on health is among the lowest in the world," said Lalit Dandona, research professor, Public Health Foundation of India and professor of global health at IHME.
In India, the top killer in 1990, diarrhoeal diseases, was replaced by ischemic heart disease by 2010. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) held second position through the two decades. However, lower respiratory infections were displaced by stroke by 2010 as the third most common cause of mortality. Diarrhoeal diseases moved to the fourth place followed by TB which continued at fifth place.
For the entire developed world, in fact, for most of the world barring the poorer countries, the biggest killers were ischemic heart disease or stroke. For the poorer countries by 2010, the biggest killers were lower respiratory diseases, malaria and HIV. In the 15-49 age group, i.e. barring children and elderly, suicide and TB were the biggest killers for South Asia while road accidents replaced suicide in the same age group by 2010 in China. In the developed world, suicide and road injury followed by ischemic heart disease seemed to be the biggest killers in this age group. In large swathes of Africa, HIV/AIDS was the biggest killer for the 15-49 age group.
In India, "road injury" is the leading killer of men in the 15-49 age group while suicides are the biggest cause of death among women in this age group. Among children in the under-five age group, preterm birth complications was the leading cause of death in India in 2010 replacing diarrhoeal disease, the top killer of 1990. Preterm complications are the biggest killers in most of the developed world too along with congenital anomalies.
Lower respiratory infections, malaria and diarrhoeal diseases were the biggest killers in most of the lesser developed countries. Interestingly, the biggest risk factors for Indians were dietary risks, high blood pressure, household air pollution and tobacco smoking, including passive smoking.
Dandona pointed out that it was not possible to ignore the fact that shift towards poor quality high-fat food was causing immense damage. "We will suffer as a society if we do not regulate Big Food as the companies selling beverages, snacks etc are called. Tobacco might be a clear killer but this is more insidious and many of us public health experts think we need to be smarter about how these unhealthy foods are allowed into our society," concluded Dandona.
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Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
Your focus may be very introspective as you come to review your relationships with others. You may have been animated in your conversations and opinionated in sensitive areas. This may be the ideal time to try something creative and decidedly unique. The pathways that you chose may have a long-lasting impact on your understanding of other people. Maybe you should take some time to consider alternative ways of expressing yourself.
Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
You may be able to develop new habits at this time. The planetary alignment may bode well for self-improvement, which can come in many different forms. Helping others can be a very fruitful and fulfilling experience as a result of this current temperament. The gratitude you receive may be just what you need to move forward in a healthy manner. Your ability to aid others can leave a lasting impression on your own home and family.
Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
 Your ability to be creative and spontaneous may be at an all-time high. You may be able to draw together unusual ideas and synergistic concepts that point to your depth and creative core. This may appear to be a culmination of sorts where all of your facilities are fully on and you are able to leave a lasting impression with almost everything you say. With such strengths available, you may want to be cognizant of what you say and to whom you say it, since the impact can be profound.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
You may see an increased amount of activity in and around your household. You may re-think your living plans or research alternatives. Your domestic scene may be in a state of reinvention, which, of course, can be quite thrilling, especially if it involves new people or plans for an upcoming event. You may hear some news that sets the plans in motion. You may have to redecorate or expand to accommodate others in the family in some manner.
Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
 You may be able to communicate with great results. Whether you are clear in your thoughts or you simply seem particularly positive, you may enjoy this period. As such, you may make great progress and maybe even solidify a few plans. If you are in the process of forecasting or making up schedules, be certain to double-check your calendars. With Mercury retrograde, you'll want to be certain that you have no conflicts on the horizon.
Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
 This might be an excellent time to review your resources and budgetary plans. You may find that plans you put in place now also carry a certain degree of importance with which you have been unfamiliar. You may be involved in contractual agreements or working toward other substantial financial obligations, such as real estate or an investment plan. Take an extra measure of caution just to be on the safe side, as Mercury is still in retrograde motion.
Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20
This should be a marvelous time for self-expression and being fully in the moment. You may feel particularly emboldened and opinionated about who you are and what should be rightfully yours. This feeling of self-confidence may allow you to reach heights you generally might not try to attain. As a result, it may be important to choose your outlets to be as effective as possible. You may have to relinquish certain efforts in order to achieve others. It may be worthwhile to review all plans before you act. Mercury retrograde may twist events.
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Moral Story
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SMS
“Keep steadily before you the fact that all true success depends at last upon yourself.”
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Good relationships are like trees
They demand attention & care in the beginning
but once they blossoms
they provide U shade in all situations of life .
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know; the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who
will have sought and found how to serve.”
Husband sent a text to his wife at night,
"Hi I will get late, please try and wash all my dirty clothes
and make sure you prepare my favorite dish before I return."
He sent another text,
"And I forgot to tell you that I got an increase in my salary
at the end of the month I'm getting you a new car"
She text back, "OMG really?"
Husband replied,
"No I just wanted to make sure you got my first message".
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Allahabad University yet to fill 80 non-teaching posts
Short on staff, the Allahabad University authorities have failed to start the recruitment process to induct around 80 'Class C' employees, despite the fact that it has been almost a year since the posts were sanctioned by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under the OBC grant.
The posts were approved by the UGC last year following a formal request by AU authorities asking for a large number of non-teaching posts needed in view of additional workload following implementation of OBC reservation after which AU had increased 54% of student intake.
UGC then sanctioned 80 posts, 76 of which are new while four others had been approved against the vacant positions. It is pertinent to mention that UGC, in June 2008, had approved a grant of Rs 232 crore for AU, of which an amount of Rs 52 crore was allocated for financial year 200-09. For implementing the OBC reservation, AU was asked to enhance the number of students' intake by 54 %, which was to be implemented in three phases. UGC, apart from sanctioning an amount of Rs 232 crore, had also sanctioned 270 teaching positions; recruitment for the same has been started by the university authorities recently. But while the UGC authorities had sanctioned the teaching positions, it had not sanctioned any non-teaching positions for which AU authorities submitted a proposal to UGC authorities asking for around 450 posts. "As the UGC had asked for implementation of the OBC reservation and sanctioned the funds and teaching positions for enhancing the needed infrastructure and implementing the OBC reservation, UGC had not sanctioned any non-teaching posts which are of vital importance for supporting the increased number of students at AU and its constituent colleges which now stands at around 20,000 as compared to around 13,000 three years back. In this backdrop we had asked for 450 posts but were given only 80," said an official at AU.
These posts include One post of Information Scientist of the pay band of 15600-39100 and with the grade pay of 5400. UGC has also approved Four posts of Assistant Librarian of the same pay band as above but with the grade pay of 6000. Of these four positions, one is the vacant positions while the rest three are new positions. UGC has also approved Five new positions of Professional assistant with the pay band of 9300-34800 and grade pay of 4200. Along with these, 10 posts of Semi-professional assistant (Pay band of 5200-20200 and grade pay of 2800) have been approved by the UGC. Of these 10 positions, Seven are additional posts while the rest being vacant positions.
UGC has also approved Ten new positions of Senior Technical assistant of the pay band of 9300-34800 (grade pay of 4200) and 20 new positions of Technical Assistant of the pay band of 5200-20200 and 20 additional positions of Laboratory Assistant with the same pay band. In addition to these, Seven new positions of Laboratory Attendant and Three new positions of Animal Attendant have also been approved by the UGC.
But although the UGC authorities had instructed the varsity authorities to frame the cadre recruitment rules for each category of posts being recommended by the committee, nothing concrete has been done for the past One year. Varsity authorities had categorized these posts according to their names and the jobs that it would be performing but it has failed to advertise the said posts.
"Although it is now almost One year since these posts were sanctioned by the UGC, varsity have failed to recruit the same whereas various departments, library and some sections of AU continue to suffer under staff crunch", said one of the senior faculty members of AU.
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Varied views on Ranji fomat at conclave
The Ranji coaches, captains conclave on Tuesday evoked a variety of suggestions from the invitees. The first-class season was highlighted by changes in Ranji groupings format and alterations in the points system to push teams into changing the mindset.
Coaches were in agreement about giving time for first-time changes introduced to be understood so that teams can re-orient their approach. Ranji coaches felt the gap between matches in the league and knockout phase needs to be looked at, besides the possibility of staging knockout games at neutral venues.
Technical Committee chairman, Anil Kumble, taking in the feedback from Ranji representatives across the nation, said, “we could have some matches with three days in between while others could have four days gap in between. We will have to see how it works.”
Hyderabad Ranji coach and former India left-arm spinner, Sunil Joshi, explained: “Teams need a break of four days between games in the latter half of the Ranji Trophy when fatigue starts to creep in, maybe not so much at the start. With the amount of travelling to be done, sometimes taking the road to reach places, more days between games will help.”
Mumbai coach Sulakshan Kulkarni observed: “Earlier teams complained about getting few games, now each gets to play at least eight times in the league. The issue of recovery has now come up, all teams do not have bowling options to use the bench strength properly. We rotated about eight bowlers.”
Six points for an outright win, one more than last season, did not see sides ahead on first innings always pushing for victory. Kulkarni, asked to explain Ranji champion Mumbai’s hesitancy, said: “We went close in one game. At other times, both teams scored 500-plus in the race for first innings points. You cannot expect overworked bowlers to deliver again.”
The decision to schedule Irani Trophy just after the Ranji final was appreciated by coach Kulkarni, happy that from now on, a team in form could challenge Rest of India. Asked about his team’s inability to win this time despite having a near full side, he felt the bowling unit missed Ajit Agarkar and Zaheer Khan.
W.V. Raman, Bengal coach and ex-India opener, suggested calculating over rate using a new method of taking two matches as one block. “Captains will get a chance to make up in the second match, in case bowlers had fallen behind in the first.” Joshi advocated an incentive point for Ranji teams enforcing the follow-on.
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Mere Dad Ki Maruti
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Mere Dad Ki Maruti
Movie Name : Mere Dad Ki Maruti
Release Date : 15 March 2013
Genre : Comedy, Drama
Producer : Ashish Patil
Director : Ashima Chibber
Music Director : Sachin Gupta
Cast : Saqib Saleem, Rhea Chakraborty, Ram Kapoor, Prabal Panjabi, Ravi Kishan.
Synopsis:
Y-Films are ready with their latest release Mere Dad Ki Maruti, which stars Saqib Saleem and Rhea Chakraborthy, with Ram Kapoor as the Dad. It looks to be a fun caper during the wedding season in Chandigarh where the Maruti goes missing and it is up to Saleem to get it back. The album is expected to be the baap of all music albums, with Sachin Gupta at the helm and Panjabi MC making a guest appearance with his song ‘Haay’. The album is unabashedly entertaining and there’s not a dull moment throughout these tracks. Sachin Gupta has created an album that works with the young-theme and managed to do something new with the stock Bhangra numbers that we often here.
I was immediately excited from the initial trailer to hear the full, Punjabiyan Di Battery, and it’s a funky track that launches you on the dance floor from the opening tumbhi strands. Honey Singh chimes in with his safer rap verses, and then the real star of the show emerges – Mika. This is a much better song where Mika can show off his vocal prowess and some of the usual swagger. It’s a real feat to have Singh and Mika on the same track and they don’t sound like they are trying to outdo each other too much. The arrangements are fabulous, and the tempo keeps the party going right until the bridge where it speeds up. Kumaar’s lyrics are quirky and celebrate all that Punjabi spirit which is complemented by Mika and Honey Singh’s vocals. Keep this on your most played list.
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the average person falls asleep in 7 minutes.
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" INSPIRING STORY "
A gift of love!
“Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked.
When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred. When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks. He blurted out the tragedy. “A boy, a big boy … called me a freak.”
He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might mingle with other young people,” his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart.
The boy’s father had a session with the family physician. Could nothing be done? “I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured,” the doctor decided.
Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by. Then, “You are going to the hospital, Son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret,” said the father.
The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs.
Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. “But I must know!” He urged his father, “Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him.” “I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know … not yet.” The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come … one of the darkest days that a son must endure.
He stood with his father over his mother’s casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to reveal that the mother had no outer ears. “Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut,” he whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?”
Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance, but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what that can be seen, but what that cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what that is done but not known.
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“Too many people go through life waiting for things to happen instead of making them happen! ”
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