08  dec  2013

'Medical tourism' draws Americans to India

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Photo: Apollo Hospital

NEW DELHI — Not all tourists going to India visit the Taj Mahal or other historic spots. Some head right for the hospital. But it’s not what you think.

These visitors are getting elective cosmetic procedures or medically necessary treatments at a fraction of the cost.
Implants and other cosmetic surgeries are far cheaper in India than in the U.S. Likewise, medically-necessary procedures are less expensive.
Many insurance companies will gladly reimburse policyholders for a hip or knee replacement, a spinal fusion or even major heart procedures if they have their procedures done at substantial savings in India.
That is why India has become a leading destination for what is commonly referred to as “medical tourism.”
Indian medical professionals have achieved world-class status and practice using many of the most advanced techniques in a network of privately run hospitals and associated medical institutes in India.
Along with professional skill and a high level of patient care, India offers striking savings. The bill for a heart bypass that may hit $145,000 in the U.S. will likely be no more than $10,500 in India. A hip replacement that can cost $100,000 here runs no more than $9,500 in India.
A major player in the industry is Companion Global Healthcare based in Columbia, S.C. It has a network of 25 accredited hospitals in 13 countries of which the largest number, seven, are in India. Patients treated at these facilities can save up to 80 percent off U.S. hospital charges, says company president David Boucher. “We are seeing an increasing number of patients going to India every year,” he says. “And it’s not just the lower costs; because of the proficiency and experience of Indian doctors, the rate of post-operative complications is lower in India than in most U.S. hospitals.”
Companion Global Healthcare says it will make “all arrangements” for U.S. patients seeking treatment at its designated facilities. This includes setting up appointments, transferring medical records, setting up pre-trip interviews between patients and doctors and making travel and lodging arrangements. Another advantage: patients needing to recuperate following major procedures can stay in luxury hotels and receive attentive full time care from caregivers or even nurses, again at far less cost than comparable care at home.
The non-profit Indian Medical Tourism Association based in New Delhi helps member hospitals market their services to prospective patients living outside India. IMTA can provide foreign patients with member details but they leave it up to the patient to initiate contact with the hospital itself.
The IMTA notes that there currently are 12 healthcare providers in India that are accredited by the Joint Commission International, USA. It is the international arm of the same commission that accredits U.S. hospitals.
An example of these advanced and highly specialized facilities is the Asian Heart Institute in Mumbai. On its 400,000 square foot compound is a 250-bed hospital. Among the many procedures routinely performed at the AHI are heart bypass surgery, valve repair and replacement, aneurysm surgery of aorta and blood vessels and the Maze procedure for atrial fibrillation, among many others. As a subspecialty, the AHI has a special pediatric surgical team.
Says the Institute, “our results are on a par with the best centers anywhere.”

United Kingdom-Kingston upon Hull: Internal audit services tender request

29 nov 2013

United Kingdom-Kingston upon Hull: Internal audit services

Tender Details

Title	Description
Sector	Body governed by public law
Status	Contract notice
Market	Service contract
Procurement	Open procedure
Market Org	European Union
Award Criteria	The most economic tender
Date Published	24th Oct 2013
Country	UK
Reference	2013/S 207-358963
Main Activities	Health
Location	Kingston upon Hull
CType	Supplies, Services
Common Procurement Vocabulary	Internal audit services Fraud audit services

Directive 2004/18/EC

Section I: Contracting authority

I.1) Name, addresses and contact point(s)

Contact point(s): For the attention of: Telephone: E-mail: Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust Hull Royal Infirmary, Anlaby Road Procurement Paul Ralston Kingston upon Hull UNITED KINGDOM +44 1482608782 paul.ralston@humber.nhs.uk Internet address(es): General address of the contracting authority: www.hey.nhs.uk Further information can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s) Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s) Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to: The above mentioned contact point(s)

I.2) Type of the contracting authority

Body governed by public law

I.3) Main activity

Health

I.4) Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities

The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: no

Section II: Object of the contract

II.1) Description

II.1.1) Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:

HEY/13/061 - Internal Audit & Local Counter Fraud Services.

II.1.2) Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance

Services Main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance: Kingston upon Hull. NUTS code UKE11 Kingston upon Hull

II.1.3) Information about a public contract, a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS)

The notice involves a public contract

II.1.4) Information on framework agreement

Duration of the framework agreement Duration in years: 3 Estimated total value of purchases for the entire duration of the framework agreement Estimated value excluding VAT: 950 000 GBP

II.1.5) Short description of the contract or purchase(s)

Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking bids from interested suppliers to provide internal audit and local counter fraud services. We require a provider of services who can demonstrate an experience of dealing with the NHS and who can provide an innovative and valuable service.

II.1.6) Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)

79212200 Internal audit services 79212400 Fraud audit services

II.1.7) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The contract is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA): no

II.1.8) Lots

This contract is divided into lots: no

II.1.9) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: yes

II.2) Quantity or scope of the contract

II.2.1) Total quantity or scope:

Estimated value excluding VAT: 950 000 GBP

II.2.2) Information about options

II.2.3) Information about renewals

This contract is subject to renewal: yes Number of possible renewals: 1 In the case of renewable supplies or service contracts, estimated timeframe for subsequent contracts: in months: 36 (from the award of the contract)

II.3) Duration of the contract or time limit for completion

Duration in months: 36 (from the award of the contract)

Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information

III.1) Conditions relating to the contract

III.1.1) Deposits and guarantees required:

III.1.2) Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them:

III.1.3) Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:

Any consortia will be required to form a legal entity prior to award of contract in which each member is jointly and severally liable.

III.1.4) Other particular conditions

The performance of the contract is subject to particular conditions: no

III.2) Conditions for participation

III.2.1) Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Full details of the information to be provided are detailed in the Invitation to Tender which must be sought and returned by the closing deadline.

III.2.2) Economic and financial ability

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Full details of the information to be provided are detailed in the Invitation to Tender which must be sought and returned by the closing deadline.

III.2.3) Technical capacity

Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Full details of the information to be provided are detailed in the Invitation to Tender which must be sought and returned by the closing deadline.

III.2.4) Information about reserved contracts

III.3) Conditions specific to services contracts

III.3.1) Information about a particular profession

Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession: no

III.3.2) Staff responsible for the execution of the service

Legal persons should indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff responsible for the execution of the service: yes

Section IV: Procedure

IV.1) Type of procedure

IV.1.1) Type of procedure

Open

IV.1.2) Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate

IV.1.3) Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue

IV.2) Award criteria

IV.2.1) Award criteria

The most economically advantageous tender in terms of the criteria stated in the specifications, in the invitation to tender or to negotiate or in the descriptive document

IV.2.2) Information about electronic auction

An electronic auction will be used: no

IV.3) Administrative information

IV.3.1) File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:

HEY/13/061

IV.3.2) Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract

no

IV.3.3) Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document

Payable documents: no

IV.3.4) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

3.12.2013 - 12:00

IV.3.5) Date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates

IV.3.6) Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up

English.

IV.3.7) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

until: 3.6.2014

IV.3.8) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date: 3.12.2013 - 12:00 Persons authorised to be present at the opening of tenders: no

Section VI: Complementary information

VI.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: no

VI.2) Information about European Union funds

The contract is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no

VI.3) Additional information

To receive more information about this tender, including any amendments and/or clarifications and to request any clarifications and/or to respond to this tender, you must register your interest to this tender on the following site: nep.eu-supply.com Following an expression of interest on nep.eusupply.com, the ITT will be available to access on nep.eu-supply.com The ITT must be returned in accordance with the instructions set out in the ITT by the time and date indicated. The contracting authority does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any offer and reserves the right to accept an offer in either whole or in part. The contracting authority is not responsible for any costs incurred by bidders in relation to the participation in this process.

VI.4) Procedures for appeal

VI.4.1) Body responsible for appeal procedures

VI.4.2) Lodging of appeals

VI.4.3) Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained

VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice:

22.10.2013

Malala Yousafzai says books can defeat terrorism - India

03  sept  2013

Malala Yousafzai says books can defeat terrorism

File picture of Malala Yousafzai at United Nations

Birmingham: Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban after campaigning for girls' right to an education, said books were "the weapons to defeat terrorism".

The 16-year-old gave a speech before unveiling a stainless steel plaque to mark the opening of Europe's biggest public library, the gleaming new Library of Birmingham.

Malala, who was flown to the central English city for surgery last October after being targeted by a gunman as she travelled to school in Pakistan, said she had challenged herself "that I will read thousands of books and I will power myself with knowledge. Pens and books are the weapons that defeat terrorism."

She added, "There is no greater weapon than knowledge and no greater source of knowledge than the written word."

The teenager, who has been nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, spoke confidently with just a hint of stiffness on the left side of her face.

Malala, who came close to death when the Taliban gunman's bullet grazed her brain, is attending a school in Birmingham, which has a large Pakistani population. Her family has moved to the city to be with her.

The high-tech Library of Birmingham, the latest in a string of projects aimed at regenerating the 1970s-era city centre, has a skin of metal hoops and replaces the nearby brutalist concrete Central Library, which opened in 1974.

The new library contains a million books and houses first editions of William Shakespeare's works.

Baba Ramdev advises sages to maintain distance from women - India

02  sept  2013

Baba Ramdev advises sages to maintain distance from women

File photo of Baba Ramdev

Haridwar: Yoga guru Baba Ramdev today said that sages and holymen should avoid being alone with women, including their mothers, daughters and mothers-in-law, as that was the prescription laid down in Hindu scriptures.

"One of the principles of ideal behaviour for saints prescribed by the scriptures is to maintain a distance from women, including their mothers, daughters and mothers-in-law," Baba Ramdev said.

His reference was to the recent arrest of self-proclaimed god-man Asaram Bapu on charges of sexually assaulting a minor girl.

Without taking any names, Baba Ramdev said that any holyman who violated the said prescription of dignified behaviour was sure to land in trouble.

"Some may be facing allegations today, some may face them tomorrow if this scriptural prescription is violated," he said.

Infiltration bid foiled in Jammu and Kashmir, five militants killed - India

31   aug  2013

Infiltration bid foiled in Jammu and Kashmir, five militants killed

Srinagar: Army today foiled a major infiltration bid along the Line of Control in Kashmir, killing five militants.

Troops noticed movement of heavily armed militants near the LoC in Tangdhar sector in Kupwara district, 185 kms from Srinagar, during the intervening night of August 30 and 31, an army official said.

The infiltrators were challenged by the troops leading to a gunfight between the two sides.

"So far, five militants have been killed. The combing operation is in progress in the area as there were reports that the group comprised six militants," the official said.

The elimination of the infiltrators comes a day after security forces killed five top foreign militants of Hizbul Mujahideen, including district commander Qari Assadullah, in Kangan area of central Kashmir Ganderbal district.

Infiltration attempts by militants from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have increased over the past three months and more than 20 ultras have been killed during operations along the LoC.

After Maharashtra, Karnataka to enact law against black magic - India

27  aug  2013

After Maharashtra, Karnataka to enact law against black magic

New Delhi: Days after Maharashtra promulgated the anti-black magic and superstition ordinance, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said his government too will enact a law against practitioners of black magic, blind faith and superstition.

"We will study the proposed Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Bill prepared by Maharashtra government and bring it in Karnataka too", Mr Siddaramaiah told reporters in Delhi.

Karnataka government's decision comes a week after the killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar in Pune.

Mr Siddaramaiah said there was a necessity to ban practitioners of black magic and those who practice inhuman rituals have been exploiting the people in the name of religious faith.

In Maharashtra, Mr Dabholkar had drafted the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Bill over a decade ago but it repeatedly failed to get through the state legislature.

The Bill had proposed that those indulging in black magic or preying on peoples' superstitions be jailed for up to seven years. The bill also sought to ban a range of practices including black magic, animal sacrifice and "magical" remedies to cure ailments.

Taking a strong position against a controversial ritual "made snana", which is performed in several temples in the state, the chief minister said such practices should be banned.

"Made snana" refers to devotees rolling over plantain leaves containing leftovers of the food served to Brahmins.

China provokes India again, its troops enter Arunachal Pradesh and camp for 3-4 days: reports - India

21  aug  2013

China provokes India again, its troops enter Arunachal Pradesh and camp for 3-4 days: reports

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Click to Expand & PlayFile pic: Indian Army personnel at the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh

New Delhi: In a repeat of the April incident in Ladakh, Chinese troops reportedly intruded into Arunachal Pradesh at two places last week. Army and police sources have confirmed that they camped for at least three to four days in one area, about 20 km within Indian territory.

The first intrusion in Arunachal Pradesh was discovered by the Indian Army on August 11 at Plam Plam, a high-altitude, sparsely-populated and very remote area. The second was a few kilometres away on the Hadig La pass, just two days ago.

News of these incursions comes as India landed a C-130J Super Hercules transport plane at an airstrip in Daulat Beg Oldie near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, the site of the India-China stand-off in April, in a flexing of muscle before border talks.

Sources said when the Indian troops chanced upon the Chinese soldiers camped at Plam Plam, they made a tactical retreat to come back with a reinforced patrol. But before they did, the Chinese soldiers told them, through interpreters present in both patrols, that they were building a track to Kapatu, about 20 km into what India considers its territory.

They also said that they had been coming into the area for the last 12 years, since 2001.

The Indian Army launched a reinforced patrol on August 15, which went back to Plam Plam to find that the Chinese troops had withdrawn. But on August 19, they ran into a different group of Chinese soldiers in Hadig la. This group did not camp on Indian territory and withdrew immediately. As did the Indian troops. 
 
"We don't take up non-events in diplomatic practice. The Army has refuted it," said Syed Akbaruddin, spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs.

However, the Army is tight-lipped and only said, "We patrol up to our area of perception, the Chinese troops patrol up to their area of perception."

China for many years claimed entire Arunachal Pradesh as its own territory. There have been intrusions in the past, but the Chinese have always gone back immediately. This was the first time a camp was discovered in recent times in Arunachal, much like the one in Ladakh in April, when the Chinese camped for 21 days in Depsang leading to diplomatic tension for days, which was de-escalated after many rounds of talks and tough negotiations.

Pakistan to free 367 Indian prisoners: sources - India

17  aug  2013

Pakistan to free 367 Indian prisoners: sources

Islamabad: Pakistan will release 367 Indian prisoners next week to send a positive message to its neighbour amid high tension due to firing on the Line of Control, Pakistani sources said today.

The two sides are trying to ease pressure on the LoC after about two weeks of ceasefire violations that started after five Indian soldiers were killed in an attack by Pakistani troops early this month.

"Yes, it is true that 367 Indian prisoners and fishermen are being released on August 24," a senior Foreign Office official told PTI.

However, the official requested anonymity as the decision has not been officially announced as yet.

Hundreds of prisoners are currently being held in jails on both sides.

Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry told a weekly briefing yesterday that both "diplomatic and military channels" were being used to normalise the situation.

He said a meeting between the Prime Ministers on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in September in New York would be an "useful opportunity" to build trust and consolidate ties.

British Indian dentist 'bullied and harassed' before suicide, says wife - India

11 Aug  2013

British Indian dentist 'bullied and harassed' before suicide, says wife

London: A British Indian dentist from Yorkshire committed suicide after allegedly being "bullied and harassed" by the National Health Service which threatened disciplinary action against him over keeping of records at his clinic, an inquest heard.

Dr Anand Kamath, 42, was under investigation by the National Health Service (NHS) over record-keeping at Rothwell Dental Surgery, which he ran with his wife and fellow dentist Dr Rajni Prasad in the city of Leeds.

An inquest heard last week that the father of three felt "bullied and harassed" and took his own life after receiving a letter from the NHS warning him that he could be reported to the General Dental Council.

"They behaved like bullies and drove a loyal NHS servant over the edge. He just couldn't take the anxiety," his 42-year-old wife told the inquest.

"When the letter came, that was the final straw. He gave everything to the NHS. His reward for caring for thousands of patients no other practice would take was to be threatened with the most severe disciplinary action over administrative matters which we agreed straightaway needed improvement," she added.

According to the Sunday Mirror, Dr Kamath and his wife had for 10 years treated only NHS patients in an area of Leeds where there were no other NHS government-backed dentists.

The couple had taken on 10,000 patients, four times that of the average practice, to help out patients who could not afford the high costs of private dentistry.

Rajni Prasad found her husband with his wrists cut at their home in Pudsey, near Leeds, in December last year.

The British Dental Association has called for an inquiry into the circumstances behind the suicide of Dr Kamath.

Recording a verdict of suicide, Wakefield coroner David Hinchliff said: "There had been a complaint and an investigation, not about his ability as a dentist, but in relation to record-keeping which had put him and his wife under an intolerable strain."

"It seems he was in grave danger of being removed from the list of practitioners which would have ended his career. It appears all of this just became too much and he had taken action to end his own life," he said.

Hinchliff added that unreasonable pressure exerted on Dr Kamath by the trust "pushed a good man over the edge".

Senior Pakistan official admits to presence of Dawood Ibrahim - India

10 Aug 2013

Senior Pakistan official admits to presence of Dawood Ibrahim, then does a U-turn

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim (File pic)

London: For the very first time, a senior Pakistani official admitted on Friday the presence of India's Most Wanted, underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, on their soil.

"Dawood (Ibrahim) was in Pakistan but I believe he was chased out of Pakistan. If he is in Pakistan, he should be hounded and arrested. We cannot allow such gangsters to operate from the country," Shahryar Khan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's special envoy for improving relations with India, had said.

But perhaps, worried about the ramifications, Mr Khan downplayed his statement just hours later.

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

"I have never, not in the past as foreign secretary, not now, have known where Mr Ibrahim lives. I was only reflecting what the Pakistani press has been saying. I have no knowledge nor is it my remit," he told NDTV in London.

Pakistan till now has denied the presence of Dawood on its soil, though Indian security agencies have repeatedly mentioned his name and details in dossiers handed over to Pakistani authorities.  According to reports, Dawood was based in Karachi, where he had fled after the 1993 Mumbai bombings in which 257 people were killed and over 700 injured.

Dawood is also wanted in numerous other terror and criminal cases in India. In 2003, the US government had designated him as a "Foreign Terrorist".

According to the chargesheet filed in the Indian Premier League spot-fixing case, Dawood was in Pakistan at least till late April. The Delhi Police had intercepted telephonic conversations between Dawood, his close aide Chota Shakeel and others in Dubai which show his location was in Pakistan.

In the chargesheet, the Delhi Police had attached a list of addresses suspected to be used by Dawood. In Karachi - Moin Palace in Clifton and 6/A, Khyban Tanzeem in defence housing area. In Islamabad, he is believed to have stayed in a house on Margella Road. 

Syed Akbaruddin, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said India has never closed the 1993 blasts case and now, with this information, the government will not rest until those responsible for the killings of Indian citizens in the attack are brought to justice.

This comes at a time when foreign policy experts are redefining redlines with Pakistan and talks between Prime Ministers of the two nations are under the cloud after the killing of five Indian jawans at the Line of Control earlier this month.

Princess Diana wanted to marry and move to Pakistan: Jemima Khan - India

03   aug  2013

Princess Diana wanted to marry and move to Pakistan: Jemima Khan

London: Princess Diana was so "madly in love" with Pakistani surgeon Hasnat Khan that she wanted to marry him and was even willing to move to Pakistan, according to Jemima Khan. Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's former wife, who was a friend of the late princess, has written a detailed account of their friendship in an article for the September issue of 'Vanity Fair' titled 'The Grandmother Prince George Never Knew'.
"Diana was madly in love with Hasnat Khan and wanted to marry him, even if that meant living in Pakistan, and that's one of the reasons why we became friends," she told the magazine. "She wanted to know how hard it had been for me to adapt to life in Pakistan," she added, in reference to her own marriage to Imran Khan, which took her to Pakistan.
Jemima disclosed that Diana visited her twice in Pakistan to help fund-raise for the hospital where her former husband a distant cousin of Diana's lover worked. "Both times she also went to meet his family secretly to discuss the possibility of marriage to Hasnat," she reveals. Diana made every effort to get to know Khan's family but for a son to marry an English woman "is every conservative Pashtun mother's worst nightmare", Jemima says in the article.

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Jemima disclosed that Diana went to Pakistan twice to meet her lover's family secretly to discuss the possibility of marriage.

The couple are thought to have discussed the possibility of marriage but Khan told police in an interview after her death in a Paris car crash in 1997 that he told her "it was a ridiculous idea" and that the only way they could have a normal life would be to move to Pakistan, where the press "don't bother you".
As her love affair with the doctor began to crumble, Diana began a new relationship with Dodi Al Fayed. The source of her apparent frustration with Khan his reluctance to marry was no longer an issue with Al Fayed, whom she reportedly believed was going to give her a ring.
She told close friend Rosa Monckton, the former managing director of Tiffany & Co, that the ring was "going firmly on my right hand". However, according to Monckton, Diana talked much more about Khan than Al Fayed and she still believes she pursued the relationship only to make the doctor jealous.

Celina Jaitly's fight for LGBT rights goes to United Nations - India

28  july  2013

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Celina Jaitly's fight for LGBT rights goes to United Nations

The actress will support a year-long UN campaign for the LGBT community

Bollywood actress Celina Jaitly, a prominent voice for the rights of gays and lesbians in the country, will support Free & Equal, the United Nation's (UN) year-long campaign for equality and justice for people practising alternate sexuality. She hopes to create awareness about the problems faced by the LGBT community.

A press release from the United Nations Human Rights names Celina along with pop star Ricky Martin, and Brazilian singer Daniela Mercury who have taken the pledge to support the campaign.

The Free & Equal campaign aims to raise awareness about homophobic and transphobic violence and discrimination, and encourage greater respect for the rights of LGBT people.

When contacted in Singapore, Celina said: "I have spent half of my life fighting for the cause and finally with the backing of United Nations Human Rights and with the help of people I respect and love, I can take the campaign to another level. To get a platform like this to reach out to people across the world is a dream come true."

The No Entry fame actress feels there is a long way to go before we come anywhere close to realising equality for the LGBT community in India.

"In India, there is only lip service for them. Equality is a basic human right and it cannot be denied to any community. There is a lot violence against the LGBT community across the world. At least in Mumbai they are relatively safer."

For Celina even getting important people to support her cause is impossible.

"A lot of people in the entertainment industry feel that if you support gay rights, you might be considered a part of the gay community. Through the United Nations' campaign I hope to broaden the base of understanding the problems of the LGBT.

"At the moment in India, we only have tolerance, no understanding for the community, and that too in selected enlightened sections of society. I feel mainstream sections are only able to mask their intolerance towards homosexuality. Is that enough?"

Celina recalls with shock and disgust the incident involving the Aligarh Muslim University professor Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, who was caught on camera making love to a man. He later died under mysterious circumstances.

Wonders Celina: "What was that poor man's fault? That he preferred people of his own sex? It's okay if people prefer not to come out of the closet. But if they do they should not be punished for it.

"Gay people should not be segregated at work places or in social spaces because of their sexual preference. I hope to work towards that through the United Nations initiative."

Right now Celina's prime focus are her twins.

"Until they are two, they need me and I need them too. So I am completely focused on that, though I still need to keep going to Mumbai constantly for my endorsement activities. Once the twins start going to play-school after three months, I'd have a bit more time on hand."

Celina also intends to start producing films from next year.

"But my first production would not have me in the cast," she said.

Telangana tangle: Will resign if Andhra Pradesh is split, Congress ministers to Sonia Gandhi - India

27 july 2013

Telangana tangle: Will resign if Andhra Pradesh is split, Congress ministers to Sonia Gandhi

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

New Delhi:  The massive political conundrum for the Congress about creating a new Telangana state was exemplified again today with senior ministers from Andhra Pradesh writing a letter to party president Sonia Gandhi threatening to resign if the state is split. The leaders also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Here are 10 big developments so far:

1. At a meeting yesterday, the Congress president Sonia Gandhi reportedly said the region of Telangana - one of three that makes up Andhra Pradesh - should be turned into a state.
2. The party knows there will be a backlash within and outside the Congress, but the decision could be politically advantageous ahead of the national election. 15 Congress ministers from the state wrote to Ms Gandhi today threatening to resign over the bifurcation of the state.
3. The ministers who protested today said the government has "underestimated" the feelings of people from other regions in Andhra Pradesh and asked how a national party can jump to such a decision for short-term electoral gains.
4. The government's decision may be announced before Parliament meets for the monsoon session on August 5.
5. In anticipation of a decision to bifurcate the state, three state legislators from the Congress have resigned because they say they want Andhra Pradesh to "remain united."
6. They have been followed by another 16 from the YSR Congress, which is headed by Jagan Mohan Reddy.
7. The five-decade struggle for a Telangana state was forced onto the national agenda in 2009 by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS, headed by K Chandrasekhara Rao. He fasted for 10 days, triggering huge rallies of support.
8. In response, in December 2009, in a surprise announcement, the Centre said it was sanctioning statehood. But within days, the government backtracked as violent protests erupted in the other two regions - Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema
9. At the heart of the tug-of-war is Hyderabad, and its robust IT-driven economy. Telangana wants to claim Hyderabad as its state capital. Leaders of the other two regions say they cannot afford to lose the employment and investment opportunities invested in the city. As a compromise, the Centre is reportedly in favour of making Hyderabad a shared capital between the new and old state for the next five or 10 years.
10. Andhra Pradesh has 42 Lok Sabha seats. The Centre reportedly wants to move two districts from Rayalaseema to Telangana. This will divide the seats equally between the new state and the old, and also check the growing popularity of Jagan Mohan Reddy and the YSR Congress. Mr Reddy's stronghold lies in Rayalaseema. By carving it up, the Congress hopes to divide his supporters.

Delhi rain nightmare: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit leaves it to God - India

22  july  2013

Delhi rain nightmare: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit leaves it to God

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Click to Expand & Play

New Delhi: After four hours of rain brought chaos to the streets of Delhi on Saturday, once again exposing the lack of preparedness among civic bodies, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has come out with a curious solution - pray to God.

"Pray to god. Everything is handled by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and I am not going to get involved in this," Ms Dikshit said today, when asked about the problems the people of Delhi have to face every time it rains.

Saturday's rain flooded the streets of Delhi in a matter of minutes, bringing traffic to a slow crawl in major areas and leaving people, even schoolchildren wading in waist-deep water in some parts of the capital. Clogged drains and lack of enough inlets for the rainwater added to the nightmare.

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A comparison of images from Saturday and a similar spell of rain and flooding in the 1980s proved that nothing had changed in three decades, despite crores of rupees spent by civic bodies.

Public anger sparked a blame-game between the multiple civic agencies in the capital, but the chief minister seems to have washed her hands off the mess and left it to the gods.

US drops bombs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park - India

21  july  2013

US drops bombs on Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Canberra: Two US fighter jets have dropped four unarmed bombs in Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park when a training exercise went wrong.

The US 7th Fleet said in a statement yesterday that the two AV-8B Harrier jets launched from an aircraft carrier each jettisoned an inert bomb and an unarmed explosive bomb in the World Heritage-listed marine park off Queensland state on Tuesday.

The navy says the four bombs were dropped in a channel away from coral to minimize possible damage to the reef. None exploded.

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The jets had intended to drop the ordnances on an island bombing range but aborted the mission when controllers reported the area was not clear of hazards.

The pilots conducted the emergency jettison because they could not land with their bomb load.

Too many areas of conflict of interests: Bedi - India

13  july  2013

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

The Hindu Plain speak: Bishan Singh Bedi delivers the Nani Palkhivala Memorial Lecture. Photo: S.S. Kumar

Indian spin legend Bishan Singh Bedi stressed integrity in the Nani Palkhivala Memorial Lecture here on Saturday.

The former India captain and left-arm spinner revealed, “When I once asked Sir Donald Bradman if he could tell me in one word what he would like to be remembered for most, he answered ‘Integrity.’ He had this quality both as a cricketer and a cricket administrator.”

The 66-year-old Bedi, who claimed 266 wickets at 28.71 from 67 Tests, said, “today you see too many areas of conflict of interests among both administrators and players.”

Bedi added, “a player should be a good student of the game. And an administrator should be a good servant of the game. Cricket, the game, is the only boss. You cannot boss over the boss.”

Talking about the glitz and glamour of franchise based cricket, Bedi said, “cricket in itself is entertainment. You do not need induced entertainment in the game. In fact, cricket was invented in England to enable people overcome a period of depression.”

Dwelling on match and spot fixing, he noted, “we don’t know how it takes place but we know it happens. I think the people from my tribe, the players, are as responsible for it as the bookies.”

Bedi observed, “the cricketers should own up responsibility for several things harming the game. Take ball tampering for instance.”

He came down heavily on ICC for being ‘soft’ on the issue of ‘chucking’. “It is trying to gag the umpires and the players. You do not need rocket science to see whether somebody is bowling with an illegal action or not.”

The former spin ace said, “this is an area where we can do something but we don’t because everyone is turning a blind eye to it. There are so many chuckers who are getting away scot-free in all forms of the game. How can the doosra be a legal delivery? The umpires are not empowered.”

There was a lack of transparency in the present scenario, he felt. “The Sports Ministry wants the BCCI to come under the RTI. But when there is a move to bring the political parties under the RTI, they oppose it together. You cannot have the cake and eat it too. This is where the rot begins.”

The IPL, he said, was taking young cricketers to the ‘saturation point’ too quickly. “There is so much money in it that they lose the fire in their belly to play for the country. The hunger is not there.”

Bedi was critical of over-the-top celebrations in the modern era. “They are just doing what they are supposed to do. The game remains the same, the length of the pitch, the weight of the ball…but so many aspects around the game have changed.”

Later, answering questions, Bedi was unhappy with batsmen who refused to ‘walk’ after an obvious dismissal. “This game is about honesty and uprightness. I have seen Tiger Pataudi once ‘walking’ in England when he thought he was out leg-before. If a batsman has edged it, he should ‘walk’.”

Bedi believed DRS reduced the damage from umpiring errors and was baffled why the BCCI opposed it. “I think it helps the umpires,” he said.

S. Mahalingam, managing trustee, Palkhivala Foundation, welcomed Mr. Bedi and gave an overview of the activities of the Foundation. R. Anand, trustee, introduced the speaker and highlighted his achievements. V. Ranganathan, trustee, proposed a vote of thanks.

After 28 years, a 3D avatar for Sholay - India

June  18, 2013

After 28 years, a 3D avatar for Sholay

Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan in Sholay More Pics

The 3D version of the 1975 superhit 'Sholay' is all set to hit the theatres. A source revealed that over 150 technicians had painstakingly worked for over a year for the new avatar and there were plans to hold screening for the veterans Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra.

"The poster design is unique too, showing Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan on their favourite bike wearing 3D specs. There are other innovative ideas being worked upon the publicity design too.

The purpose of converting Sholay in 3D is to let the current generation know what a classic it was and why its success could never be matched," said the source.

US top court invalidates Arizona voter registration law - India

17  june  2013

US top court invalidates Arizona voter registration law

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Washington: The US Supreme Court on Monday invalidated a law that required people to show proof of nationality when registering to vote in the state of Arizona.

The law in the southwestern Republican-ruled state, put in place to keep undocumented immigrants from casting ballots, required documents that the federal government does not ask for when people complete a federal voter registration form.

Federal law "precludes Arizona from requiring a federal form applicant to submit information beyond that required by the form itself," conservative Justice Antonin Scalia wrote on behalf of the panel's majority.

This decision -- backed by seven of the nine justices -- only affects Arizona, which borders Mexico and often spars with Washington over immigration issues. But four other states -- Alabama, Georgia, Kansas and Tennessee -- have similar laws. Twelve additional states envisage doing the same.

The ruling is a victory for activists who saw it as a new infringement on the rights of minorities.

"The court has taken a vital step in ensuring the ballot remains free, fair, and accessible for all citizens," said Laughlin McDonald of the American Civil Liberties Union.

In the United States, about 13 million people lack documentary proof of their citizenship, according to the group.

In Arizona alone, 90 percent of the more than 31,000 US citizens whose voter registration applications were denied were actually born in the United States, it added.

"Today's decision is a victory for the federal government's authority to regulate federal elections and protect the right to vote," said Elizabeth Wydra of the Constitutional Accountability Center.

Nina Perales of MALDEF, a Latino civil rights organization, said "today's decision sends a strong message that states cannot block their citizens from registering to vote by superimposing burdensome paperwork requirements on top of federal law."

"The Supreme Court has affirmed that all US citizens have the right to register to vote using the national postcard, regardless of the state in which they live."

The case was taken to the high court by Jesus Gonzalez, a naturalized American, whose registration was rejected under Arizona law.

Nelson Mandela seeing sustained improvement in health - India

16  june  2013

Mandela seeing sustained improvement in health

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Johannesburg: South Africa's president says that Nelson Mandela is seeing sustained improvement from the recurring lung infection that is forcing him to spend a ninth day in the hospital.

President Jacob Zuma said Sunday that Mandela remains in serious condition but that over the last two days his doctors have said that the improvements in his health have been sustained. Zuma said that Mandela "continues to engage with family."

Speaking at a Youth Day celebration in South Africa, Zuma asked the audience to join him in wishing Mandela a happy Father's Day.

I

The leader of South Africa's anti-apartheid movement, Mandela spent 27 years in prison during white racist rule.

He was freed in 1990 and became South Africa's first black president in 1994.

Maruti Suzuki drives in CNG Ertiga at Rs. 6.52 lakh - India

15 june 2013

Maruti Suzuki drives in CNG Ertiga at Rs. 6.52 lakh

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

New Delhi: The country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India launched on Saturday a CNG variant of its multi-purpose van 'Ertiga' priced up to Rs. 7.30 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Christened as 'Ertiga Green', it will be available in two variants with the base version available at Rs. 6.52 lakh, while the top-end version is tagged at Rs. 7.30 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the company said in a statement.

"We continuously work to offer products that are high on fuel efficiency and low on overall cost of ownership. Ertiga Green, with a factory fitted CNG system, is another step of Maruti Suzuki to meet today's need of our customers," said Manohar Bhat, the company's vice president of marketing.

The Ertiga has been a success with over 87,000 units sold since its launch in April, 2012, although its sales have tapered off in the recent months in a sluggish market.

'Ertiga Green' is the sixth vehicle from MSI (Maruti Suzuki India) with a factory-fitted CNG kit. Alto, Wagon R, Eeco, SX4 and Estilo are already offered with the factory-fitted CNG option.

The new vehicle will be available in states with CNG infrastructure, including Delhi NCR, Gujarat, Mumbai, Pune, and parts of Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, the company said.

With this, Ertiga will now be available in all three fuel variants- CNG, petrol and diesel.

The launch of the CNG Ertiga is yet another step by the company to drive up its sales. In May MSI's total sales dropped by 14.4 per cent at 84,677 units. Its domestic sales also slipped by 13 per cent at 77,821 units form the same month last year.

The company has already announced June as the 'exchange month' offering its existing customers discounts on exchange of old cars for its new vehicles.

BJP leader Narendra Modi welcomes decision - India

11  june  2013

New Delhi: As Bharatiya Janata Party senior leader LK Advani accepted party Parliamentary Board's decision rejecting his resignation, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday welcomed the party patriarch’s decision.

Expressing his views on social networking website Twitter, Modi said: “I had said yesterday that Advani ji will not disappoint lakhs of Karyakartas. Today, I wholeheartedly welcome his decision!”

Rajnath Singh today said that Advani, who had resigned from all leadership positions, has decided to accept the parliamentary board's request to stay in the core party bodies.

"Mohan Bhagwat (RSS chief) has asked him to accept the parliamentary board decision and continmue to guide the party in national interest. Advanji has accepted to accept Mohan Bhagwatji's advise," Rajnath Singh told reporters.

Modi on Monday had made a passionate appeal to LK Advani to reverse his decision to resign from party positions.

"Had a detailed conversation with Advaniji on phone. Urged him to change his decision. I hope he will not disappoint lakhs of (party workers)," Modi had tweeted.

A day after the BJP appointed Modi to lead it in the next Lok Sabha elections, Advani quit major party posts after accusing most of its leaders of pursuing "personal agendas".

"Advanji has said that any decision of the party he will accept," Rajnath Singh said quoting Advani, who quit on Monday.

Mumbai engineer Hamid Ansari missing in Pakistan since November - India

28  apr  2013

Mumbai engineer Hamid Ansari missing in Pakistan since November

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Mumbai: A 27-year-old engineering and management graduate from Mumbai, Hamid Ansari, who went to Afghanistan in November to find a job, has gone missing in Pakistan.

His distraught family in Mumbai's upmarket Versova area fear that he may have been involved in a serious accident, may have been kidnapped by a terror group or arrested by authorities for illegally entering Pakistan.

Hamid had left for Kabul, Afghanistan, on November 4 last year on a 90-day tourist visa. He had promised to return within a week.

He kept in touch with his banker father Nehal, college teacher-mother Fauzia, and dentist brother Khalid for a week and then disappeared.

"We have heard that he was trying to rescue a girl in distress in Pakistan, but we do not have any concrete evidence," Nehal Ansari told IANS.

"I have not given up hope. I pray that he returns. We don't know what has happened to him," his mother Fauzia said.

The lure of an airlines job in the operations sector in Kabul attracted Hamid after he failed to get a job with an airlines in India.

The Ansaris have lodged a police complaint with the Versova police station and have contacted the Afghanistan consulate in Mumbai.

"They were cooperative and provided us with Hamid's visa details to enable us to trace him," Nehal Ansari said. He added that the family have written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, state Home Minister R.R. Patil and to the external affairs ministry for help.

Soon after Hamid disappeared, the Ansaris made desperate attempts to seek his whereabouts in Afghanistan or Pakistan.

One of Hamid's Facebook friends told them that he had crossed the Afghan border near Jalalabad and reached Peshawar on November 12, three days before he was to return to Mumbai.

His other friends on the social networking site indicated that Hamid reportedly tried to help a Pakistani girl avoid getting married against her wish in Kohat, in Karak region of Pakistan.

"It is our request to rescue our son. We only want to save him and return to us. People commit errors and if he has done so, we apologise on his behalf," Nehal Ansari appealed, apprehensive of a fate akin to that of Sarabjit Singh.

Sarabjit is an Indian imprisoned in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Pakistan since 1990 on charges of carrying out bombings in Lahore and Faisalabad that killed 14 people. He says he strayed across the border into Pakistan by mistake.

He was recently attacked by fellow inmates in prison and is in a coma in a Pakistan hospital.

Sarabjit Singh's family to travel to Pakistan on Sunday - India

27  apr  2013

Sarabjit Singh's family to travel to Pakistan on Sunday

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Amritsar: Four members of Sarabjit Singh's family will travel to Pakistan tomorrow to meet the death row convict who is battling for life in Lahore after being brutally assaulted by jail inmates.

The Pakistan High Commission in Delhi has issued 15 days 'gratis visa' to Sarabjit's wife Sukhpreet Kaur, daughters Poonam, Swapandeep Kaur and his sister Dalbir Kaur to meet the Indian prisoner who is in a "deep coma" and put on ventilator support.

Sarabjit, 49, was convicted for alleged involvement in a string of bomb attacks in Punjab province in Pakistan that killed 14 people in 1990. His mercy petitions were rejected by the courts and former President Pervez Musharraf.

 

His family says he is a victim of mistaken identity and had inadvertently strayed across the border.

His sister Dalbir Kaur said that the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi has issued visa to four members of the family and they will cross the Attari border tomorrow.

She said officials have informed her that Pakistan government has allowed one family member to stay in the Lahore hospital where Sarabjit, whose condition continues to be critical, is under treatment.

In Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh termed the assault on Sarabjit inside jail as a "very sad" incident.

Government extends term of Walmart lobbying probe panel till May - India

18 apr  2013

Government extends term of Walmart lobbying probe panel till May

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

New Delhi: The government-appointed probe panel, which is looking into Walmart's lobbying with the US lawmakers for facilitating India entry, today got a one-month extension in its tenure till May-end.

The one-man inquiry committee, which was set up by the government in January this year, was earlier asked to submit its report by end of April, but the probe will take more time as fresh details have been sought from Walmart.

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for one month extension of the tenure of the Committee, set up under former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana Court Justice Mukal Mudgal, till May 31, an official release said.

In its last meeting, held earlier this month, the panel had sought fresh details from the US-based global retailer and had said that investigations might take some more time to be completed.

"We discussed the reply given by Walmart and decided to seek some supplementary questions to them," Justice Mudgal had said after its fourth meeting on April 10.

When asked as to when the panel expected to complete its probe, Justice Mudgal had said: "It would depend on the replies given by Walmart and if at all a little extension is sought, it won't go beyond June."

In the wake of reports about Walmart's lobbying among the US lawmakers since 2008 for facilitating its entry into Indian market, the government in December 2012 had assured Parliament to get the matter probed by a retired judge and later set up the panel in January 2013.

The committee is also looking into 'whether Walmart undertook any activities in India in contravention of any Indian law', and any other matter relevant to this issue.

The panel, to which the Corporate Affairs Ministry is providing administrative support, has also discussed responses received to a public notice, wherein information was solicited from the general public on the matter.

As per Congressional records of lobbying disclosure reports, Walmart spent a total amount of 6.13 million dollars (about Rs. 33 crore) on lobbying for various issues, including on "discussions related to FDI in India", during entire 2012.

Separately, the regulatory agencies here are also probing allegations of bribery against Walmart in India.

When Sachin's warning changed 'angry young man' Yuvraj - India

17  apr  2013

When Sachin's warning changed 'angry young man' Yuvraj

The 31-year old left-handed batsman, who survived cancer, said in the team bus Kohli is the most annoying person to be with as he asks too many irrelavant questions.

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Mumbai:  Keeping cool in stressful times is a hallmark of a good sportsperson and Yuvraj Singh learnt it the hard way from none other than Sachin Tendulkar, who scolded the left-hander after he abused his cricket equipment following a poor performance.

Yuvraj, once did a 'John McEnroe' when he smashed his bat into pieces after getting out cheaply against Australia, and the act didn't go down well with Tendulkar, who was present in the dressing room at that time.

"It was against Australia and we were playing in Mumbai and I did not get too many runs. I came in and hit my bat on the floor and broke it into pieces. Sachin looked at me and he was quite annoyed. He told me you earn your money, you earn your food because of cricket. So, don't ever do that again and I never did that again," Yuvraj told Adam Gilchrist in a six-minute video uploaded by Puma Cricket Studio as part of an IPL initiative.

Yuvraj said the 2011 World Cup win was the best moment in his cricketing career.

Asked about his funniest moments on the field, Yuvraj recollected, "It was in Bangladesh, Virat (Kohli) diving on the field and losing his pants and he was not wearing too much underneath. And once with Zaheer Khan too. The batsman hit the shot and he said mine mine and suddenly the ball went the other way and he said yours. I remember Suresh Raina dropping it, so that was a funny moment."

The 31-year old left-handed batsman, who survived cancer, said in the team bus Kohli is the most annoying person to be with as he asks too many irrelavant questions.

"The most irritating would be Virat Kohli. He asks too many questions, not about cricket but other things in life," Yuvraj said.

Who will investigate Italian marines? Supreme Court verdict next week - India

16  apr  2013

Who will investigate Italian marines? Supreme Court verdict next week

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will decide on Monday whether the two Italian marines charged with murdering a pair of Kerala fishermen should be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The government argued in court today that the CBI is "over-burdened" and that the NIA can complete the enquiry within 60 days.

Italy has repeatedly urged India for a swift trial.

Today, its lawyers argued in court that the NIA does not have jurisdiction for the investigation.  Italy has been opposed to the NIA handling the case because of concerns that the agency has invoked maritime laws and charges that are punishable with a death sentence.

In March, India promised Rome that the death penalty would not apply and that the naval officers could serve the sentence at home, if convicted.

Those promises were made after Italy reneged on its commitment to return the marines to Delhi to stand trial. They had been permitted by the Supreme Court to travel home for four weeks. Suddenly, Rome announced they would not return, triggering a diplomatic crisis.

Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone flew to India on an Italian Air Force plane just hours before the Supreme Court deadline for their return expired.

The naval officers were guarding an Italian tanker when they say they mistook the fishermen for pirates and opened fire in February 2012. Italy says the shooting took place in international waters and India has no jurisdiction. New Delhi disagrees.

R P Goenka, the country's 'takeover specialist' - India

14  apr  2013

R P Goenka, the country's 'takeover specialist'

Kolkata: Hailing from one of the oldest business families of Kolkata, R P Goenka came to be known as the country's 'takeover specialist' who made his mark in diverse businesses, ranging from tyre to music.

The Goenka family's root in the city goes as far back as 1820 when Ramdutta Goenka came here from Rajasthan and started business with the British East India Company. By 1900s, the family established themselves in diverse businesses.

Born on March 1, 1930, Rama Prasad Goenka, better known as R P Goenka, was the eldest son of Keshav Prasad Goenka and Rukmini Devi.

R P Goenka, graduated from Presidency College in Kolkata and did his management course later from Harvard University, joined the family business.

After a division of assets among his three brothers, he set up RPG Enterprises in 1979 with a total turnover of around Rs. 100 crore. The 'takeover specialist' acquired one large company after another during the 80s, expanding the group's footprint across several businesses - tyre, carbon black, transmission, pharmaceuticals, IT, power generation, music, etc.

The major companies included in his empire are CEAT, CESC, Spencer's Retail, Saregama, KEC International, RPG Life Sciences and ICML.

In 1990, his sons Harsh Vardhan and Sanjiv took over reins from him as Chairman and Deputy Chairman respectively of the group.

Later in 2011, Sanjiv Goenka set up the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group to have his own brand identity, while Harsh Goenka continued as Chairman of RPG Enterprises. R P Goenka remained Chairman Emeritus of both the groups that manage altogether 23 companies.

Of them, 10 companies including CEAT, RPG Life Sciences, KEC International and Zensar Technologies are managed by Harsh Goenka from Mumbai. The total turnover is around Rs. 16,000 crore.

Sanjiv operates 13 company chain and a Rs. 14,000-crore empire from Kolkata. His firms include CESC, PCBL, Music World, Spencer's Retail and Saregama.

A former member of Rajya Sabha, R P Goenka had served as president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce & Industry.

For several years he was Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIT-Kharagpur, which later conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Science degree.

Other honours received by R P Goenka included 'The Order of the Sacred Treasure Gold and Silver Star' from the Emperor of Japan and the Lifetime Contribution Award from the All India Management Association.

Explain 10-year-old child locked up by cops, says Supreme Court to UP - India

10 apr  2013

Explain 10-year-old child locked up by cops, says Supreme Court to UP

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

New Delhi: The Supreme Court wants an explanation for why a 10-year-old girl was locked up by women constables in Uttar Pradesh after her mother said the child had been sexually assaulted.

The girl was filmed by a journalist in Bulandshahr sitting on the floor of a tiny enclosure, reaching out at the mesh wire that kept her behind bars.

The woman officer heading the police station, a sub-inspector and two constables have been suspended.

The court wants the Uttar Pradesh government to report details of the incident on Monday.

The child was brought to the police station by her mother on Sunday night and was sent to a local hospital for medical tests. The next morning, when they returned to the police station, the mother was forced to leave and the young girl was put into what served as a holding bay for nearly the entire day, till senior police officers were shown the video footage and intervened.

Police say the preliminary medical report of the girl does not show any external injury. A final report is awaited.

Cap on H-1B visas for techies reached; lottery will decide fate - India

07  apr 2013

Cap on H-1B visas for techies reached; lottery will decide fate

Washington: For the first time after 2008, a computerised draw of lots is going to decide on successful H-1B applicants, as a federal US agency has announced that it has received more petitions than the Congressional mandated quota on the most sought after work visas for IT professionals.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) yesterday announced that it would no longer accept applications for the H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2014 beginning October 1, 2013 as it has received sufficient applications for this. The Congressional mandated cap for this category of visas is 65,000,

USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption.

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"USCIS will use a computer-generated random selection process (commonly known as the "lottery") for all FY 2014 cap-subject petitions received through April 5, 2013," the statement said.

"The agency will conduct the selection process for advanced degree exemption petitions first.

All advanced degree petitions not selected will be part of the random selection process for the 65,000 limit," said USCIS which started accepting the applications on Monday.

Due to the high number of petitions received, USCIS is not yet able to announce the exact day of the random selection process.

Also, USCIS also did not provide the total number of petitions received, noting that it continued to accept filings till yesterday.

USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap, the statement said.

Meanwhile the US Vice President, Joe Biden, supported the idea of increasing the quota of H-1B visas so as to attract best and the brightest talent from across the world.

Addressing a meeting of Export-Import Bank of the US, Mr Biden said he supported "adding additional H1B visas so that American employers can hire the best and brightest, no matter where they come from, if they can't be found here."

As the cap on the H-1B visas reached in the first week itself, the office of the New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said that this is a missed opportunity to attract the best and the brightest from across the world.

"The fact that our supply of H-1B visas was exhausted so quickly is not only emblematic of our broken immigration system - it represents yet another missed opportunity to attract the world's best and brightest to our shores," said John Feinblatt, Chief Policy Advisor to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chairman of the Partnership for a New American Economy.

"If we want to stay competitive and thrive in the global marketplace, we need to make sure that our immigration laws fit the needs of our economy.

Sitting still risks the world passing us by," he said.

The Partnership for a New American Economy brings together more than 500 Republican, Democratic and Independent mayors and business leaders who support immigration reforms that will help create jobs for Americans today.

"It basically shows the main problem of this system, which is that there's no way of prioritising.

When this takes place, it'll cause a big frenzy," said Neil Ruiz, an associate fellow at the Brookings Institution.

"It just shows how H-1B has become a catch-all visa for all highly skilled immigrants," he told The Los Angeles Times.

The lottery for the H-1B cap was last used in April 2008, when the cap was filled on the first day itself.

Last year in 2012, it took 73 days for the USCIS to fill in the cap, while in took 235 days to receive applications to fill the 65,000 H-1B numbers in 2011; 300 days in 2010, and 264 days in 2009.

In 2008 and 2007 the caps were reached in the first few days.

Women duped into prostitution in Abu Dhabi (UAE) - India

04  apr 2013

Betrayed by a woman, victim struggles to comes to terms with life

Sub Inspector Raju Mathew, who surrendered before the police on Thursday, has been accused of helping a woman from Thiruvananthapuram fly to Dubai under Sunita’s passport while he was stationed at Nedumbassery airport. He was allegedly part of Sojan’s operations.

When Sunita (name changed) got married at 17, she was hoping for a life away from the pain and drudgery of her childhood. All she got was poverty and betrayal, which led her into the clutches of Lissy Sojan – the alleged kingpin of a prostitution racket operating in the UAE for at least 13 years. 

Sunita first met Sojan at Sharjah airport in August 2011. Sojan was there to receive her with a man named Sethulal, who she introduced to Sunita as her husband. Sunita was to work as a maid at Sojan’s flat in Sharjah. The job had been arranged by a woman named Bindu, an acquaintance of Sunita from her hometown, Kattappana. “Bindu had a five-year-old daughter. She used to go to the same Anganwadi where I took my youngest child. That’s how I met her,” says Sunita. The two became friendly over time and Sunita told Bindu how she had been left to fend for her three little children after her husband left her. Struggling to take care of them with her job as a salesgirl, Sunita grabbed the opportunity when Bindu offered her a maid’s job with a Malayali family in Sharjah. She would be away from her children, but the money was good and her mother had agreed to take the children in if she sent money. Bindu put her on a plane from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, where Sojan’s acquaintance was waiting to take her to Sharjah.

Everything seemed alright at first in the strange city. She stayed inside the couple’s flat and kept the place clean. Two days after she arrived, Sojan sent her in a car with her driver to get groceries and supplies. Instead, she was taken to a flat with several other women of various ages. The flat was the centre of Sojan’s operations. All the women who worked for her as prostitutes – willingly and by coercion – were housed there. “Lissy Sojan told me how things stood. They had my passport and they had goons who guarded the flat at all times. I was trapped. I couldn’t even call home to tell my family what happened,” she says.

When Sunita resisted, she was locked up and starved. Later, Sojan began to send in her clients. Already weak and hungry, Sunita was raped repeatedly. She was forced to have sex with as many as 40 men every day. “We were constantly kept hungry. The watchmen sometimes showed us some kindness and brought us food. But even that was stale,” she says. The women often fell ill due to the extreme stress of their situation. But they could not be taken to hospitals where their identification papers would be asked. “If we fell very ill, we would be taken to a small clinic. Otherwise we would simply be locked up till we got better,” she says.

Knife for mother

Sunita recounts the story of a 19-year-old Malayali girl who was pregnant when Sunita was still in the UAE. “She didn’t see a doctor even once during her pregnancy. Because I had children, I used to take care of her when I could,” she says. When it was time for her to deliver the baby, she was taken to another isolated flat and left there with the driver. “The driver was only around 25-years-old. Sojan left them there so that even if they were found, only the two of them would be arrested.” The baby was ultimately delivered by the driver, using nothing other than a small knife he had on him.

Flats, thugs and women

Over time, Sunita learnt how Sojan operated. Sojan, also known as Leena Basheer and Aswathy, had multiple flats in Ajman, Dubai and other places in the UAE, all rented under different names. One flat was where the women were all housed. No men were allowed in and it was guarded round the clock. The other apartments were used as hideouts and brothels. According to the police, Sojan had been operating in the UAE for at least 16 years. “She had been a prostitute herself for the first six years. Then she started this racket,” says a police officer. Sethulal, the man who Sojan introduced as her husband to Sunita, is believed to own a liquor business in the UAE. The two reportedly operate the racket with the help of Malayali thugs and agents, stationed in Kerala and the UAE.

A network of women agents in different parts of Kerala would lure women into the racket promising them lucrative jobs in Dubai. They would be flown in from Nedumbassery, Bangalore or Delhi using real or forged passports.

“Sojan has contacts among airport and emigration officials, police, and even in the Indian Consulate here. Nobody gets out of here without Sojan knowing about it,” she says. Sub Inspector Raju Mathew, who surrendered before the police on Thursday, has been accused of helping a woman from Thiruvananthapuram fly to Dubai under Sunita’s passport while he was stationed at Nedumbassery airport. He was allegedly part of Sojan’s operations.

A failed attempt

Sunita found out about Sojan’s connections the hard way. Though she had gone to Sharjah on a three months’ visa, Sojan had detained her there for eight months. During this time, Sunita continued to protest. “Eventually I asked her for money. I thought, ‘I’m being forced into this sex trade anyway. At least let me feed my children.’ But she refused to give me anything,” she says. After eight months, a Malayali customer offered to help her get out. She got as far as the airport, but was detained there by emigration officials as she had no passport.

“I called Lissy and begged her to give me my passport. She said she would give it up if I gave her 10,000 Dirhams. Where did I have that kind of money?” With no money, no ticket and no passport, Sunita spent 29 days in detention.

“That place was like a women’s shelter. Women from India, Sri Lanka and Philippines were all there. But the Filipino women were rescued after 10 days by their Embassy. No one from the Indian Embassy came to meet me.” Sunita was sent back to India by Dubai emigration office after a while

Family throws her out

When she got back, her mother threw her out and her estranged husband accused her of trying to sell their child to the prostitution racket. Today, at 29 years of age, Sunita is living under the protection of a family that gave her shelter out of kindness. She is afraid that she will lose custody of her children. “Even if I get them, how will I take care of them? Lissy and her agents have threatened me many times after I came back. I have studied only till Class X and I can’t get a job.”

Living the life of a victim for almost a year now, Sunita has also lost faith in the police. “Lissy had come to Bangalore a few months ago for her daughter’s wedding. The police didn’t do anything though I had informed them beforehand. Lissy and her thugs are very powerful. What can one person do?” she says, resigned to her fate.