First cross-sectional, multi-city study carried out in India related to thyroid dysfunction

Abbott India announced today the New Delhi results from a study assessing the prevalence of hypothyroidism in India that was published in the July 2013 issue of the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism.

The Thyroid Epidemiological Study team was led by Dr. A. G Unnikrishnan, Principal Investigator and CEO and Endocrinologist, Chellaram Diabetes Institute, Pune; Dr. Raj Kumar Lalwani, New Delhi Investigator and

Consultant Physician – PG Medical Centre, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi; and other researchers [1]. This study initiated by Abbott is India’s first cross-sectional multi-city study to quantify prevalence of thyroid dysfunctions in the post iodization phase in New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Goa, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.

Key Findings from the Study:

Hypothyroidism is highly prevalent amongst the surveyed population across India with one out of ten people being diagnosed with the condition.

Hypothyroidism was found to be a common form of thyroid dysfunction affecting 10.95% of the study population in India. The older population (above the age of 35 years) seemed to be at higher risk of hypothyroidism than the younger population (13.11% vs. 7.53%).

Of the 5360 people screened for thyroid disorders in India, more than one fourth (26.79%) were from Delhi. Delhi formed the biggest sample size for the nationwide study. Over 11% of the study population from Delhi reported hypothyroidism and one third of them were not aware of their disease.

Women were three times more likely to be affected by hypothyroidism than men (15.86% vs. 5.02%), especially those in the 46-54age group.

Hypertension (20.4%) and diabetes mellitus (16.2%) were the other common diseases observed in the study population.

Undetected cases from study population are significantly higher in Delhi (3.97%) as compared to other major cities like Mumbai (2.86%) and Chennai (2.09%)

Approximately 22% of the study population in Delhi had anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies [TPO] positivity, an established autoimmune marker pointing toward a steady risk of thyroid disorders.

About 9.61% of the study population from Delhi had mild thyroid failure; these cases may progress to hypothyroidism in future.

Dr. A. G Unnikrishnan, Principal Investigator of the study and CEO and Endocrinologist, Chellaram Diabetes Institute, Pune says “The study assessed the nationwide prevalence of thyroid disorder, particularly hypothyroidism, in adults residing in various cities that represent diverse geographic origin, occupation, socio-economic status and food habits. Many patients were diagnosed with hypothyroidism for the first time during the study. Screening for thyroid disorders is therefore essential for early detection, treatment and management of the disease. Since women are more affected than men, it poses major health issues to women. Tiredness, weight gain, hair loss, menstrual irregularities, decreased fertility and depression are symptoms that are observed in women with hypothyroidism.”

Dr. Raj Kumar Lalwani, New Delhi Investigator and Consultant Physician – PG Medical Centre, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi says, “Over 11% of the study population was diagnosed of hypothyroidism and one third of hypothyroid cases were not aware of their disease. Undetected cases are significantly higher in Delhi (3.97%) as compared to other major cities like Mumbai (2.86%) and Chennai (2.09%). About 9.61% of population from Delhi had mild thyroid failure; these cases may progress to hypothyroidism in future. Approximately 22% of the study population tested positive for anti-TPO antibodies putting them at a higher risk of developing thyroid disorder in the future.”

Globally, thyroid disorders continue to be common yet one of the most under-diagnosed and neglected chronic health conditions. These disorders impair normal functioning of the thyroid gland causing abnormal production of hormones leading to hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. The prevalence of hypothyroidism in the developed world is estimated to be about 4-5%. [2]

If left untreated, hypothyroidism can cause elevated cholesterol levels, an increase in blood pressure, an increased rate of cardiovascular complications, decreased fertility, and depression; and in pregnant women, placental abnormalities and increased risks for the baby’s well-being. These symptoms are often confused with other disorders, thus making thyroid disorders one of the most underdiagnosed disorders in India. Like diabetes, there is no permanent cure for most forms of thyroid disorders, but with medication and precise treatment, thyroid disorders can be controlled and patients can live normal lives.

Rehan A. Khan, Managing Director, Abbott India, said “The city-specific epidemiological study has helped get a true picture of the evolving profile of thyroid disorders in the post iodization phase in India. By partnering with various stakeholders, Abbott is seeking to advance understanding, increase awareness and support proper diagnosis of thyroid disorders in our country.”

About the Thyroid Epidemiological Study

The study assessed the nationwide prevalence of thyroid disorder, particularly hypothyroidism, in adults residing in various cities that represent diverse geographic origin, occupation, socio-economic status and food habits.

All men or women (residing in that area for at least 5 years) aged 18 years or over, were invited to participate in a general health checkup. More than 5,000 participants took part, giving a target population that constituted 0.01% of the total population of the eight cities, according to 2001 national census data. Willing participants signed a written informed consent. Participants were excluded if they were pregnant, or had any acute or chronic systemic illnesses as judged by the study investigator.

The study was approved by a Central Ethics Committee (CEC) and carried out in accordance with the approved protocol, principles of Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practices. It was registered with the Clinical Trials Registry India (registration no: CTRI/2011/11/002180).

Thyroid abnormalities were diagnosed by measuring the status of thyroid hormones - serum FT3, FT4 and thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH].

Hypothyroidism, commonly categorized under the cluster of iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs), is a common health issue in India, as it is worldwide. Since the time India adopted the universal salt iodization program in 1983, there has been a decline in goiter prevalence in several parts of the country which were endemic in the pre-iodization period. With a majority of households (83.2% urban and 66.1% rural) now consuming adequate iodized salt, India is supposedly undergoing a transition from iodine deficiency to sufficiency state (WHO 2004).[4,5,6] A recent review of studies conducted in the post-iodization phase gives some indication of the corresponding change in the thyroid status of the Indian population, and thyroid disorders seem to be increasing despite India being an iodine sufficient country now.

More: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/first-crosssectional-multicity-study-carried-out-in-india-related-to-thyroid-dysfunction-/1209961/0

Anxiety may show few

Anxiety may show few physical effects, but anxiety increases the risk of a stroke, according to American Heart Assn. research. People with heightened anxiety had a 33% higher stroke risk than those with normal levels of anxiety. Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health problems, and stroke is the No. 4 cause of death in the U.S.

Read More At Investor's Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/122013-683812-anxiety-may-show-few.htm#ixzz2o5CiaIwM

Central nod for takeover of CESS

The Union Cabinet, on Thursday, approved a proposal for the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences to take over the Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS), Thiruvananthapuram.

CESS will considerably augment the Ministry’s research programmes in the field of earth system sciences, as the various units and centres of the centre are focussed on R&D on the ocean and atmosphere components of the earth system, and there is no unit that is actively pursuing research with specific aspects of solid earth.

Announcing the decision, an official press release said the total estimated budget requirements of CESS will be Rs.128.67 crore for the remaining period of the 12th Five Year Plan. “Research activities of CESS will cover the whole country with particular focus on South India,” it said.

PTI adds: The Kerala government had come up with the proposal for the takeover. The Ministry had then constituted an expert committee to examine the request.

“The main objective of the proposal is to conduct and promote basic and applied advanced research in the frontier areas of earth sciences with particular emphasis on solid earth,” the statement said.

The centre will carry out multidisciplinary research in the frontier areas of solid earth science and provide services on a nationwide scale by applying this knowledge for sustainable development of natural resources and management of natural hazards. The proposed thrust areas of research will be crustal evolution and geodynamics, sedimentology and depositional processes, coastal dynamics and cloud microphysics.

Research and development activities of CESS would benefit millions of people across the country by way of increased knowledge of earth processes, better predictive systems for natural hazards, development of natural resources management plans and increased access to thematic maps.

More: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/central-nod-for-takeover-of-cess/article5482200.ece

Heroes 2013: On your Mars, get set and go

Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan, launched on November 13, is the crowning glory of Indian scientists. ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan tells us more...

Why and when was the ambitious the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) planned?
We had initiated a feasibility study for the Mars Orbiter Mission in August 2010, weighing the option of having a fly-by mission or an orbiter mission. We decided on the latter, under a team led by Dr V Adimurthy. In June 2011, a feasibility study report said that the PSLV-XL could be used for putting a 1,350 kg spacecraft and we could avail the next opportunity — November 2013 — for the mission. As you know, the availability of Mars Missions is dictated by the geometry between the sun, Mars and Earth and comes only once in 26 months. If we missed the November 2013 window, we would have to wait till 2016.

From drawing up the blueprint to launching the mission — everything was done in a very short time. Was this a challenge?
In Dec 2011, the Space Commission and the Cabinet approved the project. Prior to this we had consultations with present and former senior colleagues of Isro (Indian Space Research Organisation). On August 15, 2012, the prime minister announced the project. We would have to launch on November 15, if the spacecraft was to leave Earth’s orbit on the 30th. The spacecraft was ready by September 2013 but the east coast of India, where Sriharikota launchpad is located, faced a cyclone. To keep all this ready was a daunting task. We also had to do additional tests as it was an interplanetary mission — for instance, thermal balance tests to check how the spacecraft subsystems would behave under various environmental conditions. We also had to worry about radiation because the spacecraft was going to be in the Earth’s orbit for a very long time. People gave their best 24X7 to realise this mission.

What other challenges did the mission face and how did you tackle them?
When a spacecraft is so many millions of kilometres away, there is a 6-20 minute delay, one way, in signals from the spacecraft reaching the Earth and those from Earth reaching the spacecraft.

So, we had to increase the sensitivity of the spacecraft’s transmitters and use antenna of different strengths — low, high, medium — in different phases of the mission. Second, the spacecraft had to have built-in autonomy so that it could take its own decisions in the event of under-performance or failure of a sub-system, switch from the main system to the redundant system, change commands to operate payloads and safeguard the spacecraft if any major anomaly was observed so that ground controllers could analyse the problem and give directions. All this had to be done at a very short notice.

What are the technological and scientific objectives of Mars mission? And how is it doing now?
One thing we are looking for is whether life existed on Mars. The presence of methane will be an indicator of this and so we have a Mars Methane Sensor with sensitivity in the range of parts per billion. If this instrument detects methane then we need to know whether it is from a biological or geological origin. For this we have thermal infra-red sensors. Two, analyse Mars’s atmosphere.

For this there are instruments to measure the ratio of deuterium and hydrogen, and neutral particles. We also have colour cameras to take pictures and get a feel of Mars.

The spacecraft is in good health and the challenge now is to monitor it. We are also facing communication delays that we have to manage.

Very few countries have been successful with Mars exploration. Isro has so far had everything going right. Are you confident that it will reach the Mars orbit as planned on September 24, 2014?
The success rate of recent Mars Missions by Russia, America and Europe has been very low. Nearly 21 of 51 missions were failures. We had to learn from this and ensure that we didn’t repeat the mistakes and make contingency plans. The mission has three major points — one, the launch into the Earth’s orbit; two, the trans-Mars injection, and three, insertion into the Mars orbit. Two of these have been completed successfully. So we can say this mission is 85% successful .

Is the Mars Orbiter Mission the highlight of your career?
The Mars Orbiter Mission is definitely my high point.

More: http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report-heroes-2013-on-your-mars-get-set-and-go-1938100

Aamir Khan: I was given motion sickness meds during 'Malang'

'Dhoom 3' has been the talk of B-town for more than two years and Aamir has been undergone rigorous training for the role. Preparing for Sahir surely wasn't easy and Aamir talks about stunts, dance and all the difficulties he underwent to get his character perfect along with being associated to a Bollywood film which is the first to release in an IMAX format.

You required a lot of physical strength to pull off a role like the one in 'Dhoom 3'. How did you train for it?

The physical part was very tough for me. Before this, I had to train for 'Ghajini' too but it was different. That required a heavy body and brute strength, ek dafa kisi ko maarta hai toh woh uttha nahi hai... kinds. I had to be like a tank. Here, I had to be a gymnast. I had to have a lean body and flexibility. I came down to 9% body fat. So I had to have an extremely strict workout schedule and had to complete a minimum of 8 hour sleep.

You have done a lot of stunts in the film. How much of VFX is involved in them?

I do not understand these technical terms. The only thing I know is that we have tried to enhance the stunts by using all the feasible means. Some of them are real and some are done with cables while some of them are done digitally.

Have you had any inhibitions doing action films of late?

No. I have never had any problem in doing action roles. The only thing is that people should not ape us in anyway. To all the youth, I would like to say please do not try doing bike stunts by getting inspired from 'Dhoom 3'. We take expert opinion, safety measures and undertake a lot of physical training! Also the Chicago police had provided a lot of security and had blocked the roads during the shoot only for us. Lot of emphasis was given on safety. Youngsters please don't try to imitate the stunts.

About the most expensive song 'Malang' …

We were about 40 feet high in the song 'Malang'! We had hired special artists for this! Katrina had suffered a lot of bruises on her legs during the shoot but luckily nothing major. It was a very tough task. We had to train with the circus artist properly before we went up high because in the movie there was nothing underneath to protect us. So we had to take a lot of care. 'Malang' has a lot of acrobats and it has loop work and straps and silks which is normally never a part of the Indian circus acts.

You had a lot of issues performing the aerial act in 'Malang'. How did you overcome your fear?

There is no way to overcome height issues. In 'Malang', there is a lot of circus work and we had special people to train us. In the training itself I realized I get dizzy. The loop used in the song can make you feel dizzy and in such situations you tend to lose the balance. But we trained for that. I asked the guys about how they manage and they said that they too overcame these issues with practice. I was given the medicine for motion sickness to overcome the fear in the initial stages.

You have done tap dancing. How difficult was it to train for it?

I always wanted to learn tap. I really love this form of dance. Aditya and the team wanted me to do this for the film. I was a little skeptical since it takes about two years to learn the basics of this dance form but I said I'll try my level best. But I wanted it to be perfect. So we got Tap Dogs of 'Happy Feet' fame on board. They came down to India and the first ten days we trained in Mumbai but later I realized that I had to go to Sydney, cut out of my life to train for it. I had less time that is just about a month. Moreover, when they showed me the modern tap steps I was taken aback. I realized that their kind of tap is very grungy, very aggressive. But later, I really enjoyed doing it. My co-dancers were thrilled as they themselves found the steps difficult and they were shocked when I could do it. It's come out well. In fact, Azad too has started learning tap (laughs). He saw me doing the dance and started imitating it. I have his videos. I have never been known for dancing and this time I have tried something new.

Are you sporting blonde hair in the film?

No. Actually, they wanted to strip the colour off my hair. They wanted to take out the hue and bleach my hair. And during that process, the hair looks blonde and then when they added some other colour it turned pink. But all this was just a part of the process as the intended look was light shade of brown with a bit of streak. When I saw the look, I asked 'Tum log finally toh yeh look pe laye ho toh itna taam jaam kyun? ' Also, I was scared of coloring my hair because it is not good to bleach your hair too much. I constantly kept complaining about it, 'Baal jhad jayenge'.

Is the film being shot in an IMAX format?

No... we have not shot 'Dhoom 3' in an IMAX format. This will be the first Indian film you will be viewing in an IMAX format but we have shot it in digital. IMAX has come on board and it is just that we have converted it especially in IMAX format for the IMAX screens and it will be released worldwide. However, for single screens and other multiplexes it will be released in the digital format itself. I personally believe it is a great experience to watch the film in the IMAX format.

More: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/aamir-khan-i-was-given-motion-sickness-meds-during-malang/1210225/0

After father and father-in-law, Sahitya Akademi award for Javed Akhtar

After a serious health scare, poet-writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar's life has been brightened with some joyful tidings. He has been awarded the Sahitya Akademi award, the country's highest literary honour, for his poems in the anthology entitled "Lava".

Happy to be on his feet again, physically and creatively, Akhtar said: "Mazey ki baat yeh hai ki eek parivaar mein teen sadasyon ko Sahitya Akademi award se samnanna gaya hai (Interestingly, three people from the same family have been honoured with the Sahitya Akademi award)."

"My father (poet-lyricist Jan Nisar Akhtar) got the Sahitya Akademi in 1976 for his collection of poems 'Khaak-e-dil'. My father-in-law Kaifi Azmi got the Sahitya Akademi award in 1973 for his collection of poems 'Awara Sajde'. Now it's me," added the prolific writer, who is married to actress Shabana Azmi.

Akhtar can't stop marvelling at the beauty of the coincidence.

"It may be possible for an awardee's father or his father-in-law to win the same award. But for all three to win the same honour seems a bit difficult. I feel honoured that I am the recipient of an award that two such distinguished members of my family have received."

His lower back ailment, which led to his hospitalisation in Delhi, is healing fast.

"I still feel some stiffness in my lower back. But the pain is now gone. God has been kind to me. He has given me so much. I can't be complaining about a few days of pain and immobility," he said.

More: http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-after-father-and-father-in-law-sahitya-akademi-award-for-javed-akhtar-1938326

Biriyani: Almost delectable

In a scene in Venkat Prabhu’s Biriyani, the hero’s friends rally around him and commit to fighting tooth and nail to help him out of crisis. Tasks are delegated while one guy wears a sullen face: “Naaku fight scene ledha?” he asks. It’s this kind of irreverent fun that makes this film different from regular thrillers. Venkat Prabhu has the knack of introducing situational comedy in nail-biting scenes, without diluting the drama.

Biriyani tells you the story of two men — smart alec Sudhir (Karthi) who cheats in exams and tops the class and has a way with women from his school days, and the lucked out Parasuram (Premgi Amaren), the guy who bears the brunt of Sudhir’s actions and loses the best women to him.

What happens when these two madcap friends get caught in a whodunit after a terrible Hangover? The reference to that film maybe incidental but can’t be overlooked. Mercifully, this isn’t another Hangover spin-off.

Business tycoon Varadarajulu (Nasser) is in the CBI radar but before the investigator can corner him, he goes missing. The cops are on a hunt for suspects Sudhir and Parasuram while the CBI suspects foul play on part of Varadarajulu and his son-in-law Vijay Krishna (Ramki) with help from the assistant commissioner of police. Sudhir and Parasuram suspect Vijay Krishna and serve a googly with the help of television reporter Priyanka (Hansika). But there’s more to the mystery than a simple power struggle in the business family.

What starts off as a fun ride that’s at time pointless and mundane redeems itself as the plot thickens and more players are involved. There’s a lot to like about Biriyani. The scene where Karthi wins the confidence of Nasser by reeling out flattering anecdotes of his early days, with help from Premgi who is reading it off the web, is a hoot. All the characters and incidents that show up randomly have a part to play in the mystery. The director untangles the mesh quite well and keeps you involved in connecting the dots.

Karthi and Premgi make for a lethal combination, bringing the house down on many occasions. Karthi can put the forgettable Bad Boy (Alex Pandian in Tamil) and All in All Azhagu Raja behind him. Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music, crisp editing by Praveen Srikanth and Sakthi Saravanan’s cinematography areBiriyani’s pluses.

A few niggling things come in the way of making this film a good watch. Was it necessary to have that ‘chick metre’ scene as Premgi and Karthi ogle at women? Cracking a joke at the expense of two ordinary-looking women at a party was uncalled for. The double entendre where a ‘piece’ stands for both meat and a woman was in poor taste. So were the references to ‘foreign car’ and ‘Indian car’.

At the hands of an experienced chef, the Hyderabadi dum biryani with layers of meat, rice and spices cooked on slow heat will make for a winsome meal as the flavours seep through the layers. But this is ‘biriyani’. Forget the spelling, despite some good ingredients and reasonably good cooking methods, there’s something that doesn’t come together and stops this from being a delectable meal.

Sample this Biriyani for some good moments and overlook a few others.

BIRIYANI

Cast: Karthi, Hansika Motwani, Premgi Amaren, Nasser and Ramki

Direction: Venkat Prabhu

Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja

Bottom line: There’s flavour minus the ‘dum’.

More: http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-reviews/biriyani-almost-delectable/article5482837.ece

Yet another curved 105-inch TV, this one from Samsung

This town is apparently big enough for two 105-inch curved 4K (UHD) LED LCD TVs.

Perennial insane duelists Samsung and LG just traded "biggest" press releases weeks in advance of the Las Vegas CES in January, announcing at-first-blush-identical mammoth TVs.

The LG 105UB9 announcement shot first, and Samsung's counterstrike is so far known only as the "105-inch Curved UHD TV". It doesn't have a model number and, shockingly, it doesn't even have an extra inch over its mortal adversary.

Apparently desperate to differentiate its huge TV from LG's equally huge TV, Samsung's press release only manages the descriptor "most curved."

Curved TV screens first appeared this year on LG and Samsung OLED TVs, but the enormous Samsung uses standard LED LCD, not OLED, technology. The only other curved LED LCD on the market is the 65-inch Sony KDL-65S990A, and it has standard 1080p resolution (Samsung did show 55- and 65-inch curved 4K TVs at IFA, but they never shipped).

The titanic Samsung has a screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio, a closer match to ultra-wide-screen movies than to standard 16:9 HDTV shows. The 58-inch Vizio XVT3D580CM from 2012 is the only other 21:9 TV to hit the U.S. market.

As a result of its wider shape, the screen also has a higher native resolution than most 4K/UHD TVs: 5,120x2,160. That's 11 million pixels and change.

Like LG, Samsung hasn't revealed a price. Pipsqueak 84- and 85-inch 4K sets range from $16K to $40K, so I'm guessing the monumental Samsung will cost at least $80,000.

Samsung will debut its elephantine TV at the Consumer Electronics Show, which begins January 7.

More: http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/105-inch-curved-uhd/4505-6482_7-35833746.html

Lenovo Yoga goes enterprise

Lenovo has launched a new range of enterprise devices, including a convertible ThinkPad S1 Yoga and new ThinkPad ultrabooks T440,T440s and X240s Ultrabooks. All these devices are powered by Intel's fourth generation Haswell Core processors.

The ThinkPad S1 Yoga is a multi-mode device designed to function optimally in different scenarios, eliminating the need of separate ultrabooks and tablet. Like the first Yoga, this device can do a 360 degree flip from laptop mode to stand mode and tent mode to tablet mode. The keyboard is disabled when it is not in the laptop mode. With a pre-loaded Intel SBA platform, it allows better security and business continuity. ThinkPad S1 Yoga is priced at Rs 80,000 onwards.

The ThinkPad T440 Ultrabook has a 14-inch HD or HD+ screen with optional multitouch capability and a trackpad that supports Windows 8 gestures. Priced at Rs 78,000 onwards, the device comes with 1TB storage and 10 hours + battery life. With military-specific durability and glass fiber design for a touch, it is a durable device.

The ThinkPad T440s has a carbon fiber top cover that makes the device light and durable. It has has a wide range of connection options and touch capability with Windows 8 Pro. T440s is priced at Rs 90,000 onwards

The ThinkPad X240s Ultrabook is the thinnest and lightest full featured ThinkPad yet. Weighing just 1.28 kg, this device comes with full HD IPS touch screen display, carbon fibre construction and a glass TrackPad. This premium device is available at Rs 95,000 onwards.

More: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/lenovo-yoga-goes-enterprise/1209946/

Another high-profile exit from Infosys as Narayana Murthy’s 'blue-eyed boy' V Balakrishnan quits

Infosys saw one more high-profile exit on Friday, with V Balakrishnan, board member and former CFO, quitting the company, reports fe Bureau in Bangalore. The announcement was surprising since Balakrishnan was widely tipped to be the next chief executive. For Balakrishnan, considered Murthy’s “blue-eyed boy”, the veteran's return was seen as a big opportunity to move up. In fact, many were expecting that he would one day step into the corner office at Infosys. However, several sources indicated that Bala’s departure had not been smooth and that the development was related to succession planning.

Sources said that while Murthy was keen to offer Bala a larger role, perhaps that of the chief operating officer or president, this was apparently objected to by certain board members. The Bangalore-headquartered firm has seen a string of top-level exits since June after NR Narayana Murthy returned as executive chairman.

Several analysts have, however, upgraded the Infosys stock after the $7-billion player turned in a reasonably good set of numbers for the second quarter. The stock has run up sharply and commands a market capitalisation of over Rs 2 lakh crore.

Balakrishnan was playing a key role in the company even after stepping down as CFO.

He was given additional responsibilities of heading key verticals such as utilities and resources in North America, the firm's largest market.

Talking to FE, Balakrishnan said, "I have been thinking about it ever since I gave up the role of CFO. I would now like to work with young entrepreneurs and will launch a new private equity fund that invests in the technology space."

The new fund, to be called Exfinity, will have a corpus of Rs 100-125 crore. Other members of the fund include TV Mohandas Pai, former board member of Infosys, Girish Paranjpe, former joint CEO of Wipro and Deepak Ghaisas, former i-Flex Solutions CEO.

Murthy, executive chairman, Infosys said, “Bala has been an early adopter and a keen anchor-builder of Infosys. It is difficult to imagine Infosys without Bala’s passion, commitment, and intellect. The board and every Infoscion thank Bala for his wonderful contribution and wish him great success in his future endeavours."

Balakrishnan, who was the head of Infosys BPO, Finacle and India business unit, was appointed as the chairman of its European subsidiary Infosys Lodestone early this year replacing fellow board member BG Srinivas. His resignation will be effective December 31, the IT major said in a statement.

“I have enjoyed every moment of my stint at Infosys and it was a great learning experience. While my heart will always be with Infosys my mind wants to do something beyond Infosys. I thank all my colleagues who supported and encouraged me during my career at Infosys. I wish Infosys all the very best in its future endeavours,” said Balakrishnan in a statement.

This development leaves the road wide open for the new CEO to replace the current incumbent, SD Shibulal, whose term ends in 2015. This also opens a debate on whether the company would select an outsider or rely on the internal management ranks.

Mohandas Pai, the former board member of Infosys and chairman of Manipal Global Education, told FE, “Infosys has a strong bench of leaders and company would be able to groom the right kind of leader,” adding: “Balakrishnan is a great talent of high calibre and one of the very few left within Infosys who have watched the company grow from $5 million to over $7 billion.”

The Bangalore-headquartered IT firm also announced induction of UB Pravin Rao as a whole-time director to the board. Rao is currently a member of the executive council and global head, retail, consumer packaged goods, logistics and life sciences. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairman and managing director, Biocon, has been appointed as an independent member of the board.

“I am pleased to join the Infosys board as an independent director. I have always admired Infosys as a pioneering organisation that has built an impressive global reputation. I am confident under Murthy’s strong leadership the company will continue to deliver strong performance,” she said.

Commenting on these developments, Sudin Apte, CEO, Offshore Insights, an IT advisory firm said, “There will be no immediate impact on Infosys following this exit but the bigger challenge for the company will be to get it back on the path of growth.”

He felt that the changes being effected by Murthy appears like Infosys is recharging its management bandwidth opting for a younger and energetic lot.

Internally, Infosys has seen a management transformation in the last few months, including the reshuffle of its top executives and a string of high-profile exits since June, after Murthy joined back as the executive chairman.

Ankita Somani, an analyst with Angel Broking, points out that the IT major had eight big exits in seven months. “The exits come amidst organisational restructuring that Murthy is overseeing after returning to revive the sagging fortunes of the company in June. The development does indicate that there is a severe management transition happening in the company,” Somani said, adding: “The impact of top management resignations at Infosys will not immediately make an impact to the top line, it may have some effect over a medium term.”

Among the major exits in the last few months were executive council member and head of utilities and resources business in North America Stephen Pratt, who resigned from the organisation last month; Basab Pradhan, senior vice-president and head of global sales and marketing, who resigned in July; and US head of the company’s financial services business, Sudhir Chaturvedi. Another big-name exit was Ashok Vemuri, member of the board and a key figure in the company’s financial services and manufacturing verticals for the US market, who left in August to join Nasdaq-listed IT services firm iGate as its CEO.

Vemuri was also considered a key contender for the CEO's post at Infosys after Shibulal's term comes to an end in 2015. He was one of the highest paid executives in the organisation. According to sources, the decentralisation initiative at Infosys was Vemuri's brainchild, but with Murthy centralising the decision-making and shelving Vemuri's plan to give greater autonomy and bring accountability to business verticals, his hands were tied.

The Infosys share ended Friday at Rs 3,552.30, up 1.08% on the BSE, translating into a a market capitalisation of Rs 2,03,985.91crore. The benchmark Sensex was up 1.79%.

More: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/another-highprofile-exit-from-infosys-as-narayana-murthy-s-blueeyed-boy-v-balakrishnan-quits/1210022/0

Diageo may end up with a smaller stake in Vijay Mallya's United Spirits

Vijay Mallya’s high-profile stake sale in

United Spirits Ltd (USPL) to Diageo suffered a setback on Friday with the Karnataka High Court annulling it in response to a winding-up petition by the creditors of the holding company United Breweries (Holdings) Ltd or UBHL.

The development comes nearly five months after Diageo completed the transaction, acquiring a majority stake in USL.

Friday’s order has annulled the 6.97% stake sold by UBHL to Diageo as it had given a corporate guarantee to the creditors of Kingfisher Airlines. The fate of these shares would now be decided once the court disposes of the winding-up petitions against UBHL.

Diageo, which owns premium liquor brands like Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky and Smirnoff vodka, had become the single largest shareholder in USL, having spent around Rs 5,707 crore to acquire the 26.37% stake it currently holds.

In November 2012 Diageo had agreed to acquire a 27.4% stake in USL for Rs 5,725 crore by paying Rs 1,440 per share. Of this 27.4%, 19.3% was by acquiring a direct stake from UBHL and some USL subsidiaries and group trusts. The balance was to come through a preferential allotment by USL shareholders to Diageo at Rs 1,440 per share of new shares amounting to 10% of the post-issue enlarged share capital of USL.

For the balance 26% stake, Diageo made the mandatory open at R1,440 per share but could muster only 0.04% stake taking its stake to 25.02%. In November, through a block deal it acquired an additional 1.35%, taking its stake to 26.37%. With the HC setting aside the sale made by UBHL, Diageo’s stake drops to 19.4%. UBHL and related promoters currently hold 11.08% in USL.

While setting aside UBHL’s share sale to Diageo, the division bench of the HC set aside the May 24 order of the single-judge company court bench that had granted UBHL permission to sell the shares on the condition that it deposited Rs 250 crore in the court. This was because the company was facing several winding-up petitions filed by creditors of Kingfisher Airlines, claiming to have corporate guarantees. Apart from the Rs 250 crore already deposited, the bench also ordered that Rs 379 crore, the sum remaining from UBHL’s receipts of Rs 1,460.37 crore from its share sale, be deposited in the court. The disbursal of the amounts will be decided by the court after disposal of the petitions, it said.

The UBHL may appeal against the order before the Supreme Court. "We will take all necessary steps to protect Diageo’s interests as well as our own," Mallya said in response to the court’s ruling.

A Diageo spokesperson said, “We are awaiting receipt of the detailed written order of the division bench. We do not believe that there are any grounds for declaring the sale of the 10,141,437 shares in United Spirits Limited purchased by Diageo on July 4, 2013, from United Breweries (Holdings) Limited (UBHL) as void. We are disappointed to hear that the court has over-ruled the previous order of the High Court of Karnataka granting leave to UBHL under sections 536 and 537 of the Indian Companies Act in respect of the five winding up petitions then pending against UBHL to enable the sale of the USL shares by UBHL to take place. We are also disappointed, as a bona fide purchaser for value of the USL shares, that we have been brought into the private dispute between Kingfisher Airlines and its creditors. Once we receive the full written order of the Court of Appeal, we will review the detail of that order. We confirm that we intend to appeal the matter further.”

Analysts maintained that the deal would not come apart as some arrangement is likely to be worked out between Mallya and Diageo. “At its worst this will result in Diageo’s stake coming down in USL. We feel something will be worked out and don’t see any threat to the deal," said V Srinivasan, research analyst at Angel Broking. According to the arrangement between Mallya and Diageo, in the event of the latter not having majority control in USL, UBHL would vote its remaining shareholding in USL as directed by Diageo for a period of four years.

The creditors who moved the appeal before high court included BNP Paribas, Rolls Royce and Partners Finance, RRPF Engine Leasing and IAE International Aero Engines, who were aircraft lessors and financiers to Kingfisher Airlines. The company court had last month admitted two of the winding-up petitions, by French bank BNP Paribas and aircraft manufacturer ATR, and allowed newspapers advertisements to be published.

The USL share closed up 0.97% higher at Rs 2670.55 on the BSE on Friday. The order came after trading hours.

More: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/diageo-may-end-up-with-a-smaller-stake-in-vijay-mallyas-united-spirits/1210014/0

Kishtwar riots: Kitchloo likely to be re-inducted in Omar's Council of Ministers today

Former Jammu and Kashmir minister Sajjad Kitchloo, who resigned after Kishtwar clashes, is likely to be re-inducted as a minister in the cabinet of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday.

Kitchloo will be sworn-in after a judicial commission probing the communal riots exonerated Kishtwar over his alleged involvement in the Kishtwar clashes and gave him a clean chit.

Sources have said that Omar had requested Governor NN Vohra to for swearing-in of Kitchloo as a minister in his cabinet at the earliest and the ceremony is likely to happen today or by Monday, as per news report.

The ceremony is expected to take place at around 12:30 pm today and is likely to be attended by senior officials and ministers, sources have said.

Kitchloo is likely to be given the portfolio of MoS (Independent charge) for Commerce and Industry and MoS for Home.

Three people were killed and several others injured in the communal clashes that took place in Kishtwar town on August 9. Curfew was imposed in the area for 12 days and Army was called in to control the situation.

More: http://zeenews.india.com/news/jammu-and-kashmir/kishtwar-riots-kitchloo-likely-to-be-re-inducted-in-omar-s-council-of-ministers-today_898330.html

Jayalalithaa slams increase in petroleum products prices

Slamming the latest hike in prices of petrol and diesel, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today said it will only push people into debts.

Quoting a Tamil saying, she said that despite the people "showing their opposition," to Congress in the recent assembly elections, the party-led UPA Government was continuously raising the fuel prices.

The hike came within days of revision in the price of LPG and therefore "unjust,"she said in a statement.

"With every India ..


Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/27693167.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Is Advani ‘Plan B’ in case Modi doesn’t get Lok Sabha numbers?

Even though the BJP has made up its mind on Narendra Modi, who has drawn in large crowds, as the PM in case the party manages to rake up numbers in its favour in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, senior leader LK Advani’s announcement that he would contest from Gandhinagar may again trigger speculations about a Plan B in the party.

In the event of the BJP failing to win enough number of seats, it may be forced to look for the most acceptable face that can bring in more allies. That role could go to Advani, party chief Rajnath Singh or Opposition leaders in current Parliament — Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley — to enable the party cross the half-way mark of 272 seats.

Modi may himself not stand in the way of BJP trying to form the government to keep out the Congress.

Right now, those close to Modi say he is too concerned about the BJP’s Mission 272+ to lose his energy on preventing any senior leaders from contesting. Rather, he would want the party’s focus pinned to his pet slogan, “Congress mukt Bharat”.

BJP insiders, however, say that search for another leader is a remote possibility because the party is optimistic about victory under Modi.

“The BJP will not go back on the promises (making Modi as PM),” BJP general secretary P Muralidhar Rao said in Coimbatore on Friday, in sharp retort to speculations that suggested otherwise.

An RSS insider also quipped, “Do you think after contesting under Modi’s leadership, the BJP will opt for another leader? It will rather choose to sit in the opposition and let others try their experiment which is not bound to last. The BJP has done just that in Delhi.”

RSS attributes the BJP’s recent good results in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the unprecedented “Modi effect”.

Nevertheless, Advani’s announcement makes it clear that no one can oppose his decision to contest — even if the RSS wants seniors to bid goodbye to electoral politics. Others including MM Joshi, Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha are sure to contest again.

More: http://www.hindustantimes.com/specials/coverage/myindia-myvote/chunk-ht-ui-myindiamyvote-countdownto2014/is-advani-bjp-s-plan-b-if-modi-magic-fails-in-lok-sabha-polls/sp-article10-1164924.aspx

Nothing unethical about forming govt in Delhi with Cong: Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday that there was nothing unethical about the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) forming the government in Delhi, and reiterated that the rookie party would announce its decision on Monday after hearing from the people of the city.

Arvind Kejriwal, convenor of Aam Aadmi Party, waves to supporters from his party HQ after winning against long-serving chief minister Sheila Dikshit in New Delhi. (AFP)

In an apparent reference to the BJP’s remarks about AAP taking Congress support to form government, Kejriwal told HT, “It is a political question now… whether or not we form government … there is nothing unethical about it now.”

After the BJP, with 32 seats, declined to take power, lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung invited AAP (28 seats). Kejriwal met the L-G and on Tuesday said his party would reach out to Delhiites through SMS/phone/internet and conduct jan sabhas in all 272 wards over the weekend to get their feedback on taking Congress support.

“This is the first time people are being asked their opinions. Our feedback says people feel empowered, this is our way of strengthening democracy,” he said, adding that there was overwhelming online response but refusing to reveal the trend.

He also said that if the AAP goes on to form the government, it will continue to hold such referendums on critical decisions every once in a while, but “within the four corners of the law and of the Constitution”.

The Congress, on its part, expressed disappointment with the “tone and tenor” of AAP leaders, who continued to criticise its policies. There was even talk of the Congress withdrawing its offer of support, but sources said the central leadership would not go back on its commitment.

Newly-appointed Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely has warned AAP leaders to check their language and not test his party's patience, the sources said.

“Dominant sections within the Delhi unit are putting pressure on the central leadership. These sections, owing allegiance to caretaker chief minister Sheila Dikshit and former Delhi unit president JP Agarwal, have lately been arguing that the party should not go ahead with its commitment at the cost of its self-respect,” they said.

An unperturbed Kejriwal said the Congress and BJP were together in the defamatory campaign against AAP, raising questions about its ability to form and run a government. “It is the aam aadmi (common man) who earns his bread, who makes cloth and builds houses. It was the aam aadmi who went to the moon. Governing and governance are no big deal, he can even do it and better.”

Kejriwal also denied his party was using Delhi as a platform to go national but said, “We fought the assembly elections here to weed out corruption and we will fight other assembly elections too.” Irrespective of the outcome of the referendum on Monday, AAP plans to contest the 2014 Lok Sabhaelections, he added.

More: http://www.hindustantimes.com/specials/coverage/myindia-myvote/chunk-ht-ui-myindiamyvote-delhi/nothing-unethical-about-forming-govt-in-delhi-with-cong-kejriwal/sp-article10-1164574.aspx

Credit for passing Lokpal bill: BJP attacks Rahul Gandhi

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasadattacked Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Friday for claiming credit for passing the Lokpal bill, calling it a double-standard act.

"Rahul Gandhi blatantly claims credit for passing the Lokpal bill while he does not utter a word on the corruption that his government does whether it is Adarsh, 2G, Coalgate or Commonwealth," said Prasad, deputy leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

He added: "Now, he tries to jump out of his establishment area that he is the only one supporting the bill. This hypocrisy and double-standard the country and people already know, so they are not going to give him credit whatsoever."

The Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011 was passed in the Lok Sabha Wednesday (Dec 18). The Rajya Sabha adopted the amended bill Tuesday (Dec 17).

More: http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/credit-for-passing-lokpal-bill-bjp-attacks-rahul-gandhi-113122000757_1.html

US President Barack Obama defends surveillance program

Acknowledging the need of a system of check and balance to prevent any misuse, US president Barack Obama defended the controversial internet and phone surveillance program arguing that this keeps the nations safe and has prevented terrorist strike.

Obama said that "there had not been evidence and there continues not to be evidence that the particular program had been abused in how it was used," and that it proved a useful tool for the intelligence community.

The program ensured that any thread on a potential terrorist threat can be followed effectively, Obama said at his last press conference of the year.

Justifying the concerns raised over the disclosures on the surveillance program, the President said "It is clear that whatever benefits the configuration of this particular program may have may be outweighed by the concerns that people have on its potential abuse."

"And if that's the case, there may be another way of skinning the cat," he said.

"So we just keep on going at this stuff and saying, can we do this better? Can we do this more effectively ?" he said adding that the recommendations of the panel which submitted a report in this regard are consistent with that.

Disclosing the recommendations of the panel, Obama said the program is required.

"We can't unilaterally disarm. There are ways we can do it potentially that gives people greater assurance that there are checks and balances, that there's sufficient oversight, sufficient transparency," he said.

It could be redesigned to address such concerns, the President said.

The recommendations of the panel would be implemented, Obama said adding that the disclosures and debates over the program has convinced him that this is only going to work if the American people have confidence and trust.

"So whats going to be important is to build that back up," said the US President.

"I take that into account in weighing how we structure these programs," he said.

He said that the information required by the intelligence agencies could also be obtained by having the private phone companies keep these records longer.

"That might cost more. There might need to be different checks on how those requests are made. There may be technological solutions that have to be found to do that," he said.

More: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/us-president-barack-obama-defends-surveillance-program/1210217/0

Armed rebels take control of South Sudan’s oil fields

Armed rebels were said to be in control of some of South Sudan’s oil fields Friday, raising questions of how long the country’s oil will flow and whether Sudan could enter the conflict which showed no signs of ending.

President Salva Kiir implored his country to turn away from ethnic violence and met Friday with foreign ministers from neighbouring states, including Kenya and Ethiopia, who flew into Juba, the capital, to help calm tensions after a week of ethnic strife that is estimated to have killed hundreds.

Kiir did not speak publicly, but the government’s Twitter feed attributed this quote to him: “Those who may want to take the law into their hands, the long arm of the government will get them.”

On Friday evening, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Ambassador Donald Booth would be traveling to the region immediately.

“Now is the time for South Sudan’s leaders to rein in armed groups under their control, immediately cease attacks on civilians, and end the chain of retributive violence between different ethnic and political groups,” Kerry said in a statement.

The U.N. Security Council expressed “grave alarm” at the rapidly deteriorating security crisis, condemned targeted ethnic violence and demanded an end to the fighting.

The U.N.’s most powerful body urged the president and ousted vice president Riek Machar “to demonstrate leadership in bringing a swift and peaceful resolution to this crisis.”

France’s U.N. Ambassador, Gerard Araud, the current council president, told reporters that Kiir and the widow of South Sudan’s rebel hero John Garang, who led the country’s fight for independence, have agreed to enter an unconditional dialogue.

There was no word yet from Machar, who is believed to be in hiding.

Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, earlier this week said an attempted coup had triggered the violence, and the blame was placed on Machar, an ethnic Nuer. But officials have since said a fight between Dinka and Nuer members of the presidential guard triggered the fighting Sunday night that has since spread across the country. Machar’s ouster from the country’s No. 2 political position earlier this year had stoked ethnic tensions.

The Security Council said the violence resulted from a “political dispute among the country’s political leaders” that could affect not only South Sudan, but neighbouring countries and the entire region.

“The political crisis could lead to a general and political civil war if we do not solve it very quickly through dialogue,” Araud warned.

Fighting continued to spread on Friday in Jonglei and Unity state, an oil area, as armed groups opposed to the nation’s military emerged, said a South Sudan expert communicating with combatants and U.N. officials in strife-torn regions outside the capital.

“We’ve seen the conflict expand quite rapidly and quite dramatically in recent days. We’ve seen the emergence of different armed groups under different commands, and we’ve seen the former vice president say he’s not interested in talks that don’t end in Salva Kiir stepping down,” said Casie Copeland, South Sudan analyst for the International Crisis Group. She added that the arrival of regional foreign ministers in Juba “is genuinely a good thing.”

The U.N. peacekeeping mission strongly condemned the unprovoked attack on a U.N. base in Akobo in Jonglei state, near the Ethiopian border, on Thursday that killed two Indian peacekeepers, injured a third, and also killed at least 11 civilians who sought refuge there.

The mission said an estimated 2,000 armed youths, believed to be Nuer, surrounded the base and opened fire in the direction of Dinkas who earlier had sought refuge inside the compound. While trying to open negotiations with the assailants, peacekeepers inside the compound came under sustained attack, it said.

South Sudan’s government admitted hursday that the central government had lost control of Bor, the capital of Jonglei which is the country’s largest and most populous state.

Araud said Friday that 14,000 civilians have taken refuge in a U.N. camp in Bor, protected by a company of Indian peacekeepers.

There was heavy fighting in the city, he said, and some firing around the U.N. camp.

Up to 3,000 people with weapons were close to the camp and there were fears of a repetition of the attack carried out on Akobo, Araud said.

South Sudan’s oil fields have historically been a target for rebel movements and Copeland said armed opposition groups appeared to be in control of some oil fields in Unity state.

“The potential for oil wealth to exacerbate the current power struggle should not be underestimated,” said Emma Vickers of Global Witness, a London—based group that investigates and campaigns to prevent natural resource related conflict. “If rebel forces were to capture the oil fields, they could effectively hold the government to ransom.”

The United Nations said Friday that 35,000 people continue to seek refuge at U.N. bases in three locations across the country, including 20,000 at two bases in the capital. Several hundred people were also seeking shelter in Bentiu.

The U.S. Embassy had a fifth emergency evacuation flight on Friday to move Americans out of the country. British, German and Dutch planes were also scheduled to fly out. Hundreds of foreigners, including aid workers, have hurriedly left South Sudan this week at the urging of foreign embassies concerned about the possibility of out-of-control violence.

Forty-five U.S. troops were dispatched to Juba earlier this week to protect U.S. citizens and property.

A top U.N. official in the country, Toby Lanzer, said Friday that “difficulties” continued in Jonglei including Bor, where a top military commander loyal to Machar defected from the army this week, taking his troops with him.

South Sudan gets nearly 99 percent of its government budget from oil revenues. The country reportedly earned $1.3 billion in oil sales in just five months this year, Global Witness said.

South Sudan, the world’s newest country, peacefully broke away from Sudan in 2011 after decades of war and years of negotiations that former U.S. President George W. Bush invested heavily in. The south’s oil flows north through Sudan’s pipelines, and a rebel takeover of southern oil fields could invite Sudan into the conflict. .

After meeting with Kiir, Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the ministers from a regional bloc known as IGAD were in the country to “understand the situation first hand.” He called the meeting with Kiir productive but did not provide details.

More: http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/armed-rebels-take-control-of-south-sudans-oil-fields/article5486094.ece

Devyani Khobragade row: The failure of diplomacy

The Devyani Khobragade case is a clear example of the highhandedness of Indian diplomats and their utter disregard for the law of the land. Here is a simplistic view of the situation sans any conspiracy theory.

A lot has been written on the Devyani Khobragade and Sangeeta Richards fiasco over the past week in the Indian as well as the foreign press. The focus of this column, therefore, isn’t going to be on what has already been said, but on how and why India always manages to shoot itself in the foot and the dilapidated state its foreign services are in.

Among other things, diplomacy is an art of negotiation. It is supposed to get you a winning deal, and at the same time make the opponent disillusioned about a win of their own. It is somewhat like selling ice to an Eskimo. An art Indian diplomacy, sadly, is always woefully short of.

Let me take a short detour. Two weeks ago, India clinched an unmanageable deal at the ninth WTO ministerial conference held in Bali. The reactions, both initial and nuanced, where of mild shock and surprise. Doesn’t that say a lot about our confidence levels in our diplomats, foreign policies, et al? When was the last time Indian diplomats achieved something extraordinary? The US nuclear deal, perhaps? Our diplomacy with our immediate neighbours like Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka and even Bangladesh is strained at best.

Shouldn’t this ring a warning bell that the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) needs some urgent reforms? If diplomacy is at the centre-point of a country’s image in the international arena, shouldn’t professionals be left to handle it instead of giving it away as a plum posting to a branch of the administrative services?

Of course I am not implying that the current system of choosing our nationals to work in the foreign offices through the IFS exam is flawed. But, if the world has moved towards professional diplomats why isn’t India joining the bandwagon? The civil services exams in India are prefixed ‘prestigious’. How long does it take for our diplomats to forget the prestige attached to their jobs of representing India?

According to Chevening, Devyani Khobragade, a Rolls-Royce Fellow of 2012, is said to be a staunch supporter of gender equality “in her country”. I think the last three words of her description on Chevening prove her work for gender equality is confined to the borders of India.

Diplomatic immunity doesn’t give one the right to abuse the laws of a foreign land. The exultation of the soft power of a state is best when its diplomats subject themselves to the highest order of service, including respect for the law of that land.

But here we have another problem: precedence. People have been quick to point out to the US what it did in the case of Raymond Davis, who killed two Pakistani nationals in Pakistan. So, does a precedent mean the past act was correct and should be taken as a base in any similar future actions?

Precedence should only be a reference point to what happened and, if possible, one must learn from it. But we are far from that.

We like to hold on to our pasts and take decisions in the present. This might be a very naïve view of the world order, but important if we want to have a meaningful impact and change around us.

What Devyani Khobragade did is unacceptable. She broke the laws in the US. India overreacted in its response. The security of diplomats is the domain of the host country and India’s famous kneejerk reactions will cost it dearly if not corrected in time.

Since much water has flown under the bridge, India has no option but to salvage its image that has been tarnished by its idiotic decisions over the past week.

Instead of being given full diplomatic immunity, Devyani Khobragade should be relieved of her duties for abusing her status as an Indian diplomat in the US. The US should apologise for its behaviour. Sangeeta Richards, who everyone has forgotten, must be brought back home and compensated of her dues.

And our diplomats must go back to doing their job – bettering our relations with the world instead of worsening them.

More: http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/standpoint-devyani-khobragade-row-the-failure-of-diplomacy-1938596

8 Enlightening Facts About the Winter Solstic

All of the Northern Hemisphere on Saturday will experience the darkest day of the year. Specifically, at 12:11 p.m. ET, we will witness the winter solstice. In the U.S., we'll have just nine hours, 32 minutes of daylight. For many this time of year, that means leaving home and returning from work in darkness.

For those who are not fans of winter, take heart. From here on out, the days will get lighter and lighter. For winter lovers, there's good news also: The coldest temperatures are still to come.

Here are a few facts you may have not have known about the winter solstice.



1. It happens at a specific time

The winter solstice isn't the full day of Dec. 21, but rather occurs at a specific time. At that point, the sun is shining farthest to the south, directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. There's no duration to the event, per se. Paul Stokles, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration refers to the winter solstice as a "single event."

Of course, the sun isn't actually moving, the Earth is. At 12:11 p.m. ET, the North Pole is tipped about 23 degrees away from the sun. When summer rolls around, the South Pole is tipped 23 degrees away from the sun. During the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, the Earth is not tilted in either direction.

2. It happens at a different time each year

The winter solstice doesn't always occur on Dec. 21. Sometimes it comes on Dec. 22, which will happen again in 2015. The hour of day also fluctuates. Last year, the solstice came at 11:12 a.m. ET. Next year, it occurs at 11:03 p.m.



3. The meteorological winter began three weeks ago

If it feels like winter has already begun, you are correct. Meteorologists consider Dec. 1 the start of the meteorological winter and March 1 the start of the meteorological spring. That's because December, January and February are the three coldest months of the year. By the time the Spring Equinox rolls around on March 20, 2014, average temperatures in most areas will have already started rising. The winter solstice isn't the coldest day of the year, either — that comes later.
4. Last year at this time, some people thought the world was ending

Remember how the Mayan calendar supposedly said the world would end on Dec. 21, 2012? That was based on a reading of the end date of the Mayans' 5,126-year-long Mesoamerica Long Count Calendar, which corresponded to certain astronomical events, including the winter solstice.



5. There's no biblical justification for celebrating Christmas on Dec. 25

Though we picture the Three Wise Men visiting the baby Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem in the dead of winter, that's just a popular interpretation. There's nothing in the Bible that states what time of year that event occurred. Instead, some believe the Christian church chose the date to offset Saturnalia and Natalis Invicti celebrations that revolved around the winter solstice.

The ancient name for Christmas, Yule, may also have been derived from jól, the Scandinavian winter solstice festival that pre-dated Christmas. Christmas has also been celebrated in the past on March 28 and May 20, among other dates.
6. In some regions, the winter solstice is a short day, indeed

Nine and a half hours may seem like a short period of daylight, but consider the winter solstice in Iceland, where it doesn't get light until 10 a.m. and starts getting dark at 4:49 p.m. — that's about seven hours of daylight. Of course, in places further north, like Barrow, Alaska, there is no sunrise. In Nome, Alaska, sunrise comes at noon, and then there's four hours of light until sunset. If you want consistency, move to the equator, when sunrise and sunset are at around 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., respectively, all year round.



7. There's no proof that this is the most depressing time of the year

Many scientists believe that the paucity of sunlight during the winter months makes your brain deplete its stores of serotonin by requiring the pineal gland to convert it into melatonin, which makes you sleepy. However, some studies have found there aren't higher instances of winter sadness in countries like Norway vs. the U.S.

Though there's an urban legend that the suicide rates are highest in Scandinavian countries, theactual list shows that — although the sparsely populated Greenland is No. 1 — South Korea, Guyana and China are far ahead of Norway, Sweden and Finland. Denmark, rated the happiest country in the world, also has just seven hours of daylight this time of year.

8. This isn't the day of the earliest sunrise and latest sunset

Most U.S. locations see their earliest sunset a week or so before the solstice and see their latest sunset sometime in January. For instance, in New York City, sunset came at 4:28 p.m. on Dec. 7, and then started occurring later. On Dec. 29, sunrise will come at 7:20 a.m. — the latest of the year. It won't start getting lighter earlier until Jan. 11.

More: http://mashable.com/2013/12/20/winter-solstice-2013/

Veeram (2013) - Mp3 Songs - Free Download

Download Tamil Mp3 Songs: Veeram (2013)


Ival Dhaana – TamilTunes.com.mp3 (9.8 MB)
Singer(s): Sagar, Shreya Ghoshal | Lyricist: Vivega

Jing Chakaan Jing Chakaan – TamilTunes.com.mp3 (10.4 MB)
Singer(s): Pushpavanam Kuppusamy, Magizhini Manimaaran | Lyricist: Vivega

Nallavannu Solvaanga – TamilTunes.com.mp3 (10.6 MB)
Singer(s): Devi Sri Prasad | Lyricist: Vivega

Thangamae Thangame – TamilTunes.com.mp3 (9.5 MB)
Singer(s): Adnan Sami, Priyadarshini | Lyricist: Vivega

Veeram – TamilTunes.com.mp3 (6.5 MB)
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Six things every new phone owner should do first

For smartphone nuts, few things top the excitement of powering up a brand new handset for the very first time and diving right in. By the nature of my work, I have a well-established routine for setting up a new phone when I review it. However, a phone that's going to stick around for awhile gets a little more forethought and effort.

Here are my guidelines for newbies and pros alike. I won't get into the nitty gritty, step-by-step details about the phone, or advise you to download apps (of course you will). Rather, I'll point out some general categories you should think about when protecting and customizing your investment.

Tackle your settings -- all of them
Beeps, chimes, and buzzes annoy me. When phones constantly chirp in an office environment, it can irritate coworkers, too.

So the very first thing I do when setting up a new phone is to adjust my volume profile, choose my ringtones, and shut down haptic feedback (unless it's on a Windows Phone -- that I can take). It's for my own sanity, and for the sanity of the people around me.

Depending on the phone, I also pull up settings from the keyboard to shut down key press tones and other haptic feedback.

But don't stop there. I recommend systematically going through the settings. Not only will you fine-tune your phone's behavior right from the very beginning, you'll also learn a tremendous amount about your handset's capabilities.

Phone-makers slip controls for the most interesting software extras in the settings menu, and sometimes in submenus as well. I always peruse this area from the get-go to learn about the more hidden options for everything from motion and gesture controls to call blocking.

This is also where you'll find any options for simple startup mode (found on some Android phones), a benefit for those people who prefer a less-cluttered way to experience Android. A setup wizard may also let you make this selection if it exists.

Check for updates
Sometimes phones ship with one version of the operating system, but by the time it lands in your hands, there could be an update waiting in the wings.

A stroll through the settings could uncover a bunch of options you may not have been aware of.(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

This is an easy check from the Settings menu, so it's worth looking just to get the update out of the way, especially if it means restarting your phone.

Even if you don't have an OS update, it's worth checking for individual app refreshes for essential and preloaded programs. If there are more than a few of these, the update could take some time, or even require a reboot. I like to get this out of the way early because, especially with Android, updating apps like the Google Play Store, can somewhat alter the setup experience.

Secure your device
Loading up your new device with games, apps, and music sounds a lot more fun than taking the time to enact security measures on your device, but I can't stress how important it is to do this. Right now. Before you get distracted or forget.

There's a lot to remember in this category, which is why this primer from my colleague Kent German is such a gift. He did all the time-consuming research for you, and even laid out your protection choices by OS.

It's important to know what all of your options are, and institute them. In the panic-inducing event that you misplace your phone or lose it to theft, a basic understanding of the measures you set up and how to remotely lock, track, and even wipe your phone will pay off more than you can imagine. This also goes for recovering your assets, like precious photos.

Get cloud storage up and running
Your phone may alert you that you have the option of turning on cloud storage or syncing functionality for your contacts, calendar, photos, music, and so on. It's easy to dismiss these pop-ups in the pursuit of, say, choosing prettier wallpaper or theme colors, but as with updates and security, this is one of those things you should take care of sooner rather than later.

Not only are you making it smoother to share your assets among devices like your tablet and laptop, you're also taking a step toward safeguarding your digital property if you lose your phone, and making it easier to repopulate a future device with your photos and the like.

Likewise, you should also pay attention to prompts for syncing content, and specifically, you'll want to keep an eye on overly enthusiastic syncing features that you don't want turned on by default. Android phones are the main culprit here. If you don't watch what you press, your phone could upload all your photos online, turn on social networking, and generally overshare information you'd rather selectively distribute yourself.

Customize the look and feel
So you've secured your device and gotten to know your phone? Great. Now you should customize it.

Do keep in mind that if you go the rooting or jailbreaking route, you're violating your warranty, so this isn't an endeavor to attempt on a whim. The good news is that there's a tremendous amount of step-by-step tutorials and support articles on the Internet that can walk you through everything from gaining administrative access and installing ROMs to reverting your phone back to factory conditions. Still, it is a risk, so approach with caution.

One final area of customization I'd address are preloaded apps, better known as bloatware. Most of the time these won't budge; they were included as part of the phone-maker's agenda, or as part of a partnership agreement. Sometimes, though, you can force quit them, disable them, or with iOS and some Android phones, rearrange their icons into the dark recesses of your home screen or app tray to all but ignore them.

Plan for resale
I don't blame you one bit if your dead-last instinct with your new phone is to think about its afterlife. But trust me, a year or two down the line -- or even longer -- you'll be thankful you did.

Especially if you wind up reselling your phone directly to another human (and not to an organization), you'll want to keep the box in good shape, and yep, those structural cardboard inserts, as well. It makes a better presentation that way, and the condition of your phone and its accoutrements can net you a higher sale price.

I'd also strongly recommend getting a sturdy case to protect your phone. This is as much for your day-to-day benefit as it is to safeguard the phone's resale value down the line. Sure, your own self-expression in choosing a case still takes precedent, but if you're going to wind up recouping your costs when you're ready to move on, you might as well get the most for your handset that you can with a case that actively shields the phone's vulnerable screen and corners, instead of just simply looking good.

More: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-6452_7-57615916/six-things-every-new-phone-owner-should-do-first/

It’s important to preserve India-US ties: Khurshid

External Affairs Minister, Salman Khurshid, today refused to comment on the US’s refusal to withdraw charges against Khobragade.

“We will find a solution to the issue,” said Khurshid.

“As we deal with each other we have to keep entire gamut of our bilateral relationship in mind,” he added on India-US ties.

He said, “it is important to preserve the relationship between India and US.”

More: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/its-important-to-preserve-indiaus-ties-khurshid/article5482579.ece

People’s verdict: AAP to form Delhi govt with Congress

After initially refusing to form the government, the Aam Aadmi Party has now reportedly decided to go ahead and form the next state government after receiving widespread support from the voters of Delhi to do so. In an exclusive interview with Economic Times, AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal said that though the referendum on whether they should form the government wasn't completed, the party is likely to form the next government with the backing of the Congress. "We will take a final call after our ward meetings through the weekend, but there is overwhelming support and pressure from people," he was quoted as saying to the daily. 

The next Chief Minister of Delhi? PTI image The AAP leader said the Congress's decision to back the party and widespread popular support for them to form the next government in Delhi had forced a rethink on its earlier reluctance, and said that even if they did form the next government he didn't see it affecting the party's performance in the 2014 polls. After initially refusing to form the government on the basis that that they were practicing a different kind of politics to both the Congress and BJP, the AAP was forced into a corner after the Congress said it would offer them support, and the BJP refused to take up the Lieutenant Governor's offer to form the government. 

The BJP had won 31 seats in the Delhi assembly polls. AAP won 28 seats in the assembly polls and Congress won 8, which easily pushed them over the required number of 36 seats to form the government. After initially refusing to consider the Congress offer, AAP then followed up by submitting an 18 point questionnaire to both Congress and BJP, asking them to clarify their stand on a number of issues, including the right to investigate outgoing Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's 15 year tenure. The BJP refused to respond to the 'arrogant' questionnaire, but in a surprising show of willingness to eat humble pie, Congress agreed to the terms. 

The AAP responded by announcing that it would hold a referendum to assess whether Delhi residents wanted them to form the next government, giving people 6 days in which to either write, text, call or leave a message on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. The party has already received over 10 lakh responses from the people of Delhi but will continue collecting opinions till 22 December. However, while the AAP's forming the government is reliant on the Congress's eight MLAs backing them, a Hindustan Times report indicated that the grand old party is already griping about its potential government. The reason? The harsh words that Kejriwal has been using in public and in his letters against the party. “It seems they have taken our offer very lightly. It reflects in the kind of language the AAP leaders have been using about our party. This is really unfortunate," a senior leader was quoted as saying. While it is unlikely that the Congress is so affected by the AAP leader's words, its perhaps another hint to the AAP that the party can't take it for granted once they form the government together. 

However, the AAP also isn't falling for the promises of unending support from the Congress, and is reportedly already preparing the items on its manifesto that it would want to fulfill immediately after forming the government. And after all, if the Congress does back down on its offer of support to AAP, this would only suit Kejriwal better. Because he will be able to say that though he tried to form a government and spare Delhi the inconvenience of another election, it was Congress that finally showed its true colours again, after its hugely publicised offers of 'unconditional' support. 

Many political analysts have seen the Congress offer to AAP as a political masterstroke of sorts - an effective means of exposing the party's lack of will to govern. If this is indeed the case, then the Congress gamble may not have paid off, because AAP has called its bluff. On the other hand, the Congress willingness to back AAP could also be born out of a desire to not concede a clean sweep to the BJP in all four assembly states that went to polls. Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the party would still like to have at least one foot in the door of Delhi government. How this will work out for them remains to be seen.

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/politics/peoples-verdict-aap-to-form-delhi-govt-with-congress-1298039.html?utm_source=ref_article

Government files review plea against Supreme Court's order on gay sex

The government today filed a review petition against the Supreme Court's order restoring a colonial era ban on gay sex in India, calling it "erroneous" and against the principal of equality and liberty.

The Centre's petition asks for an open hearing in the case. The government says it backed the high court's view and that was why it didn't move court against it.

"The Govt has filed the review petition on #377 in the Supreme Court today. Let's hope the right to personal choices is preserved," Law Minister Kapil Sibal tweeted.

Last week, the top court had set aside a Delhi High Court verdict from 2009 saying that statute - Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code - which outlaws sex "against the order of nature" is constitutionally valid. Conviction carries a fine and a maximum 10-year jail sentence.

The Delhi High Court had said Section 377 is a violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Religious groups appealed against its decision in the Supreme Court.

The top court's bench was headed by GS Singhvi; the verdict came on the last day before his retirement.

"It is up to Parliament to legislate on this issue," Justice Singhvi had said.

In its review petition, the Centre has said that the Supreme Court's approach is misconceived; once a law is declared unconstitutional Parliament has no further role to play

Although prosecutions under section 377 have been rare, gay activists have said that the police used the law to harass and intimidate members of their community. The Centre also says in its review plea that low conviction cannot be used as an argument to determine constitutionality of a law.

More: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/government-files-review-plea-against-supreme-court-s-order-on-gay-sex-460999

Devyani arrest: UPA says US must apologise for 'atrocious' behavior

The government on Friday justified their demand for an apology from the United States of America over publicly arresting Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade. "US behaved atrociously with our diplomat, they should apologise. It is a legitimate expectation," Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said.

Earlier in the day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath also took a tough stand against the US and said their actions were 'totally unacceptable'. "India will not accept anything less than an apology. America should drop all charges. America should know that times have changed and India has changed," he said.

However, Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid refrained from making any further comments on the issue and said that talks with the US were on. "We are discussing the issue with the US. We are dealing with this through diplomatic channels. We care about our relations with them," he said on Friday adding that steps have been taken to maintain the dignity of the India diplomat.

Manish Tewari justified the all-round demand for an apology from the US and called it a legitimate expectation.

The statements from the government come as the US State Department on Friday refused to drop charges against Devyani adding that the case would proceed according to all necessary legal procedures.

"The US has taken steps to re-unite the alleged victim with her family. We are aware of existence of allegations that the family was intimidated in India, I can't confirm those but in general we take those allegations seriously," said US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf.

The US Marshals Service has denied having conducted a cavity search on Khobragade. The US Marshals in a statement said, "In reference to the question about the cavity search the answer is no. Khobragade was subject to the same search procedures as other arrestees held within the general prisoner population in the Southern District of New York which in this case was a strip-search."

On Thursday, the US distanced itself from the statement of US Attorney Preet Bharara, who is prosecuting the case. Preet Bharara had outrightly denied claims that Devyani Khobragade was mistreated, arrested in public and handcuffed.

Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke to Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh on Thursday evening and distanced the US authorities from Bharara's statement.

Khobragade, a Deputy Consul General at the Indian consulate in New York was arrested for allegedly filing false immigration documents allowing her to bring her domestic help Sangeeta Richard over from India.

More: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/devyani-arrest-upa-says-us-must-apologise-for-atrocious-behavior/440698-37-64.html

Maharashtra cabinet rejects Adarsh commission report

The Maharashtra cabinet on Friday rejected the report of a judicial commission on the Adarsh housing scam.

The government was expected to table the Adarsh commission report in the state assembly on Friday.

Earlier, Maharashtra governor K Shankaranarayanan had refused to give permission to the CBI to prosecute former Maharashtra chief minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan.

The Adarsh Housing Society is a cooperative society in Mumbai. The origins of the scam go back to February 2002 when a request was made to the chief minister of Maharashtra to allot land in the heart of Mumbai for the construction of a housing complex for "the welfare of serving and retired personnel of the Defence Services".

Over a period of ten years, top politicians, bureaucrats and military officers proceeded to bend several rules and perpetrate various acts of omission and commission in order to have the building constructed and then get themselves allotted flats on this premier property at artificially lowered prices.

As the report of the comptroller and auditor general of India to the President of India in 2011 put it, "The episode of Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society reveals how a group of select officials, placed in key posts, could subvert rules and regulations in order to grab prime government land- a public property- for personal benefit."

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the income tax department and the enforcement directorate (ED) are in the process of investigating allegations that three former chief ministers, Sushilkumar Shinde, Vilasrao Deshmukh and Ashok Chavan of the state of Maharashtra were also involved in the scam.

The Adarsh society high-rise was constructed in the Colaba locality of Mumbai, which is considered a sensitive coastal area by the Indian Defence forces and houses various Indian Defense establishments. The society is also alleged to have violated the Indian environment ministry rules.

Several inquiries have been ordered by the army and the government to probe into the irregularities.

More: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Maharashtra-cabinet-rejects-Adarsh-commission-report/articleshow/27676875.cms

Shivraj Singh Chouhan may retain Budhni, resign from Vidisha seat

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who won the just concluded Assembly polls from Vidisha and Budhni, is likely to retain the latter, which is his traditional seat.

As per the rules, a legislator winning from two seats has to relinquish one of them within 14 days of the constitution of the new Assembly.

The new State Assembly was constituted last week. Accordingly, Chouhan will have to resign from either Vidisha or Budhni by December 23.

Chouhan is ..


Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/27678436.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst