Excelsior... Nation

Mortal remains of Maharshi consigned to flames...

I was not aware about Sanjay’s marriage: Priya

Kissing row: Gere seeks stay of arrest, SC issues notice

MCD invites application for desealing..

Cases filed against Raj, Azmi for promoting enmity

MUMBAI, Feb 11: Cases have been registered against MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi for allegedly "promoting" enmity between groups and "provoking" incidents of violence in the city, a senior police official said today.

A case was registered against Thackeray at the suburban Vikhroli police station in north east Mumbai last night, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone VII) D Karale told PTI.

A case was also registered against Azmi at the Shivaji Park police station, he said.

"The FIR has been filed under sections 153, 153 A and 153 B of the IPC against Raj Thackeray and further investigations are on in the matter," Karale said.

Thackeray has been booked under sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153 A (promoting enmity between groups on the basis of place of birth, residence, etc) and 153 B (imputations, assertations prejudicial to national integration). Azmi has also been booked under similar charges.

However, Karale refused to comment on whether Thackeray or Azmi would be arrested in the case.

Thackeray had made remarks against the north Indian community ahead of a rally held by the Samajwadi Party at Shivaji Park on February three. Azmi had allegedly countered Thackeray by making provocative speeches against him at the rally.

Also, activists from Thackeray’s MNS party had targeted members of the north Indian community including taxi drivers on February three.

Subsequent incidents of violence followed with taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers as well as the Bombay Taximens Union office being targeted by suspected MNS activists. (PTI)

Girl alleges sex assault by top cop; Changes stance later

AKOLA, Feb 11: An 18-year-old girl accused a police officer of sexually exploiting her, but a day later withdrew the allegation.

The teenager said she had levelled the charge against District Superintendent of Police Deepak Pandey under pressure from some policemen.

She, however, maintained that some other policemen and government officials had sexually assaulted her.

The girl made the statement before mediapersons in the presence of Pandey in his chamber here last evening.

In a letter published in a local Marathi daily yesterday, the girl had accused Pande, a Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Special Public Prosecutor and a Police Inspector of sexually assaulting her over the last six months.

In a hurriedly convened press conference yesterday, Pandey dismissed the charge against him as "baseless, unfounded

and bogus".

The other accused were not available for comments.

Pandey had hit the headlines in 2004, when he was suspended after allegations of torturing his wife, an IAS officer. The IPS officer was also charged with misbehaving with a traffic constable in Mumbai. (PTI)

Raj, Uddhav Thackeray outbursts unlike Marathi culture:Lalu

BANGALORE,Feb11: Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today flayed Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for their "outbursts against non-Marathi people", saying their stand is "unlike Maharashtrian culture".

"It’s unlike Maharashtrian culture. Mumbai is an all-inclusive city (people from states other than Maharashtra reside there)," Prasad told reporters when his reaction was sought after a function here.

Uddhav Thackeray warned in Mumbai yesterday that his party will not tolerate workers "brought from outside" for modernisation of Mumbai airport.

Raj Thackeray hit out at North Indians last week invoking the issue of Marathi pride. (PTI)

More Indians head towards the skies for thrill, recreation

NEW DELHI, Feb 11: Stressed out executives seeking to escape the city crush, young urban professionals with a spirit of adventure or the plain restless youth, all seem to be heading towards the vast open skies to recharge and rejuvenate.

Paragliding, a sport which imitates the flight of a bird, ranks high in popularity with flying schools and clubs registering a hike in the number of people signing up for weekend jaunts and short term courses.

"When we started 10 years ago we had a lot of foreign tourists as clients but recently we are witnessing an increase in the number of locals taking to paragliding. This might be so because more number of people have more disposable income in their hands and sports like paragliding are more fulfilling than going to the pub and downing a couple of drinks," says Sanjay Rao, of Nirvana Adventures, a paragliding school in Maharashtra.

Pranab Kukreti, who heads Treks and Rapids, an adventure sports company based in the capital seconds Rao. "Among all the aerosports, paragliding is now very popular and we have been getting more enthusiasts from smaller towns like Gwalior, Lucknow and Chandigarh," he says.

The sport requires skill and knowledge of the terrain as well as the weather conditions. "I started paragliding some six to seven years ago and continue to do so because I find it a great stress buster. Also I am ambitious it gives me an opportunity to improve myself constantly," says Gokul, a banker who resides in Mumbai’s Lokandwala area.

Gokul, who is a certified scuba diver says he switched to gliding because he was finding it difficult to locate and access diving places. "I now scout for places, study the weather and then take short weekend breaks regularly to pursue gliding," he says.

"Though primary exposure to the sport was done by foreigners, it is increasingly being picked up by locals too," he adds.

Rao, whose school offers paragliding courses and holiday packages along with joyrides and flying guidance, also conducts corporate outbound getaways, children’s camps and team building and adventure weekends.

"The number of people who are taking to it is increasing. The defence is taking an intrest in the activity and we have had cadets from the Navy come and do courses with us, he says.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s recent paragliding attempt at Kamshet in Mahrashtra and industrialist Vijaypat Singhania setting of a world record in flying a hot air balloon seems to have given more visibility to such sports, say those in the field.

"In the past few years we have seen a rise in those who have evinced intrest in such sports in and around the Delhi region," says Kukereti.

The cosmopoliton crowd, in and around cities like Delhi, Gurgaon, Pune and Bangalore, which has a lot of financial muscle and young crowd are being attracted to such high-flying sports, he points out.

The activity, which is quite a rage in European and Australian countries, still remains for Indians a very new-age sport with most equipment being imported or bought from the foreigners who sell them off after completing gliding expeditions here.

Since it requires a hilly area for take off and a open vast area for landing the Solang valley near Manali the slopes of Kamshet and Panchghani in Maharashtra and the Eastern Himalayas in the Darjeeling area are ideal locations for paragliding. The Nilgiri hills as wells as the hills in Munnar, Auli in Uttranchal and Sansar in Jammu and Kashmir are coming up as destinations for this sport.

Munnar, a hill station on the Western Ghats, famed for its tea estates in Kerala is also another area which is becoming popular. "We have had pilots from Israel, Austalia, New Zeleand, Scotland and other Scandanavian Nations coming to fly here," says Sumesh G of Edlewiss Adventures, based in Kochi.

"A lot of people think Himachal Pradesh is best but actually places in Uttarakhand like Pauri Garhwal are the safest due to their natural topography. The slopes are good and the tempratures are also conducive. Naukuchiatal near HP and Pune are other good regions for gliding," says Kukreti.

"We have seen a rise in those who have evinced intrest in such sports in and around the Delhi region," he adds.

The idea of paragliding is being one with nature, away from the pressures of the city life, the silence and recreation, says Mandeep, a dentist who has been doing so for the past 18 years. "I also do a lot of parasailing and go on rides in baloons," he adds.

Parasailing, is another popular activity and usually scores over paragliding due to its lower costs. A single parasailing flight usually can take 150 to 175 people in one day compared to one or two passengers for a gliding flight.

Also for parasailing the costs are as low as Rs 500 for one flight. "Serious enthusiasts however are not concerned so much whether they spend Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 they are there to experience the pleasure of the flights," says Rao. (PTI)

Sri Sri Ravishankar opposed to Govt’s acquisition of temples

ALLAHABAD, Feb 11: Opposing any move towards acquisition of a temple by a Government, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar has said that if such a step was indispensable, it must not apply only to places of worship of any one religion.

"It is not the Government’s job to look after the administration of temples. Moreover, if those in power think that it is a necessity, they must take care not to give an impression that the Government is interfering in the matters of sacred places of only one religion," Ravishankar told newspersons here last night.

The spiritual guru, who was here to attend the last rites of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi of Transcendental Meditation fame, also said that incorporating spirituality into modern education was the only answer to the ills plaguing the world "like terrorism, casteism, parochialism and shocking instances of people with brilliant academic and professional careers getting involved in heinous crimes."

Recalling fondly his five-year-long association with Mahesh Yogi, he said "I owe my spiritual advancement to the encouragement I received from him in my early youth."

Ravishankar also blamed farmers’ suicides in various parts of the country on "environmental degradation brought about by mindless use of chemical fertislisers" and said his Art of Living Foundation was working towards promoting organic farming by actively involving itself in 30,000 villages.

Replying to a query, Sri Sri Ravishankar said that a decision on the Law Commission’s proposal to lower the marriageable age of boys must be taken "after discussing the pros and cons with scientists as it is not so much a question of ethics."

Ravishankar said, "in fact, it needs to be studied that at what age do boys and girls attain physical and emotional maturity to handle the delicate relationship." (PTI)

Display ‘No Smoking’ board or pay fine

NEW DELHI, Feb 11: Display "No Smoking" board in front of your restaurant or guest house or be ready to face policemen knocking your doors asking you to pay a fine of up to Rs 500.

The Delhi Police has issued a warning to commercial establishments to display "No Smoking Area: Smoking here is an Offence" board at their entrance and other prominent areas in the building.

"It is mandatory for the owners to display this signboard in the premises or otherwise they will have to face the punishment prescribed in the law," a senior police official said.

The warning to eating houses, restaurants, hotels, guest houses and cinema halls operating in the national capital was issued under the provisions of Delhi Prohibition of Smoking and Non-Smokers Health Protection Act of 1996.

According to Section ten of the Act, the owner or manager or in-charge of affairs of every place of public work or use shall display and exhibit a board at a conspicuous place or places in and outside the premises visited or used by general public prominently stating that the place is a "No Smoking Zone" and that "Smoking is an Offence".

Any person, who contravenes the provision shall be punished with a fine which may extend to Rs 100 and in case of second or subsequent offence, shall be slapped with a minimum fine of Rs 200, but which may extend up to Rs 500. (PTI)

Care to be a condom tester?

NEW DELHI, Feb 11: If you are above the age of 18, a male and seeking a job that combines work with pleasure, here is an unusual opening that promises a combination of both.

The post of a ‘condom tester’ is up for grabs as Durex, one of the world’s largest condom manufacturer has announced plans to recruit Indian males above the age of 18 to test their products.

The chosen 1,000 men would be given a supply of select condoms, with which they can get to work right away, according to company officials.

As the firm itself says, "After you have done full justice to the job, you have to provide Durex with feedback about product performance."

In 2007, a two-year study by Indian Council of Medical Research had concluded that condoms made according to international sizes are too large for a majority of Indian men.

This led to a call for condoms of varying sizes to be made more widely available in India.

"Durex wants to ensure that its condoms are best meeting the needs of Indians and what better way to know this than to ask Indians first hand," R Srinivasan, vice president, TTK-LIG Ltd, marketer of Durex brand in India said.

He adds that Durex has held similar drives in other countries and have received tremendous response.

"It is nice to get customer feedback all the time. For the same initiative in France, we received 100,000 applicants while in Germany and New Zealand we received 25,000 and 3000 respectively," says Srinivasan.

He adds, ‘One would expect western countries to have a high number of applications. But surprisingly, even in Malaysia we received over 6000 applications for the job. Our expectations with Indians are high."

If you are excited at the idea of this unusual job, all you have to do is to log on to www.Durexcondomtester.Co.In <http://www.Durexcondomtester.Co.In> and fill up an online questionnaire.

The enrollment period is two months after which your application will be reviewed and you just might be among the 1,000 odd guys to be selected for the task.

What one gets in return besides the products is a gift hamper and other incentives.

One lucky ‘Condom Tester’ will bag the employee bonus of an all expenses paid holiday for two at a romantic getaway. Other bonus prizes include iPODs and gift vouchers.

Company officials add that all ‘Condom Testers’ would be provided with a certificate that endorses their participation in the programme and gives them the status of a good lover! (PTI)

Bihar school kids doing better in English, Math

PATNA, Feb 11: School students in Bihar have been found doing better in English and Mathematics than their counterparts in other parts of the country, the annual status report on education has said.

"Students here have been found to learn English better than other students in the country. The percentage of students of classes I to VIII who could read easy sentences in English was 26.5 per cent in comparison to the national average of 23.6 per cent," Education Project Director and Public Relations Department Secretary Rajesh Bhusan said.

Students in the state have been found to be good in Mathematics too. The percentage of students in the six-eight age group who could solve subtraction orally was 31.4 per cent which was much higher than the national average of 18.1 per cent, Bhusan said, quoting figures from annual status report on education.

The report was released by Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia in New Delhi recently.

The out-of-school rate in Bihar has almost halved, with significant rise in the number of girl students. In the age group of 11-14, the percentage of out-of-school girls has come down from 17.6 per cent to 9.7 per cent.

Bhusan said the enrollment in schools in 2006 was 72.2 per cent which increased to 84.1 per cent last year.

"The percentage of out-of-school children in the state in the age group of one-six in 2006 was 12.8 per cent which came down to 6.5 per cent in 2007," Bhusan said.

According to State Principal Secretary Human Resources Development Anjani Kumar Singh, the decline in the number of out of school children was the result of the construction of about 60,000 classrooms in bihar and appointment of two lakh school teachers.

Singh claimed that children of rural areas have now started leaving private schools and joining government-aided schools.

Students’ attendance in schools in Bihar has also risen. "In 2005, it stood at 54.4 per cent. It has risen to 59.4 two years later," the report said.

The report said that in 2005, the percentage of teachers’ attendance in classes was 79.6 per cent which increased to 86.2 per cent last year.

Similarly, the percentage of schools where no teacher attended classes in 2005 was as high as 51.5 per cent and it declined to 0.5 per cent in 2007.

The report also indicates that the number of schools in which potable water and proper toilets are available has increased.

The number of students being served mid-day meal has gone up from 38.4 per cent to 62.7 per cent in the state, the report said. (PTI)

Mortal remains of Maharshi consigned to flames...

ALLAHABAD, Feb 11: The mortal remains of Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, the man who introduced transcendental meditation to the masses, were consigned to flames here with full state honour amid chanting of vedic hymns by religious leaders and followers from across the world.

The body of the Maharshi, which was brought here on February 9, three days after his demise in Holland, was taken from his ashram in Arail, in a grand procession, to the site of cremation, overlooking the holy confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.

A host of dignitaries, including Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay, VHP supremo Ashok Singhal, Art of living founder Ravishankar and several other religious leaders were present at the site of cremation along with thousands of Maharshi’s disciples to bid an emotional adieu.

Flower petals were showered as Maharshi’s body was placed in the yogic posture of Siddhasana, on the funeral pyre which was lit by his nephew and in-charge of the schools founded by the Yogi, Swami Girish Chandra Verma.

Locals and pilgrims camping at the on-going Magh mela congregation too joined the cremation ceremony of the Maharshi, whose disciples included the legendary rock band The Beatles. (PTI)

I was not aware about Sanjay’s marriage: Priya

MUMBAI, Feb 11: Actor Sanjay Dutt’s sister, Priya, today said she was not aware of her brother’s marriage with Manyata, but wished the couple a happy married life.

Film star Sanjay Dutt (48) married his girlfriend Manyata (32) this morning as per Hindu rituals in a simple ceremony at her residence in suburban Versova.

"Rumours were going on for months (about Dutt getting married to Manyata). I did not know about it," Priya told reporters when asked about her absence during the marriage ceremony.

However, Priya said: "I am very happy for them. When it comes to his (Sanjay’s) happiness everyone in the family gets together to celebrate".

"Sanjay is a grown up man and I don’t think its a matter of acceptance or not. Its a matter of wishing the very best for each other in the family," she added.

Priya said, "Wish great happiness for him which he very much deserves after what all he has gone through". (PTI)

Kissing row: Gere seeks stay of arrest, SC issues notice

NEW DELHI, Feb 11: Hollywood actor and anti-AIDS campaigner Richard Gere seeking stay of his arrest warrant in connection with the kissing row with actress Shipa Sheety today told the Supreme Court that he was willing to submit to the jurisdiction of the concerned courts in the country.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan issued notice to the complainant on whose plea a Jaipur court had issued arrest warrant to Gere.

The court also sought a response from the Rajasthan Government after senior advocate Indira Jaisinh, appearing for Gere, said the actor, who is schedule to come to India in March, was ready to submit to the court’s jurisdiction.

She said the warrant was issued after the actor had left the country. The Jaipur court had restrained him from leaving the country.

However, during the hearing, advocate Anupam Lal Das, appearing for the complainant Poonam Chandra Bhandari, alleged that there was a conspiracy by the actor to secure an ex-parte order.

He said Gere in his application has named the father of the complainant as respondent who was dead.

"How can title of the matter be changed. Instead of complainant, her father who is dead has been made a party so that order could be passed ex-parte," he alleged and submitted that an inquiry be ordered.

However, the counsel appearing for Gere said it was only a bonafide error which will be amended. (PTI)

MCD invites application for desealing..

NEW DELHI, Feb 11: Even as the desealing of properties in the capital is yet to take off despite a Central government directive, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has invited applications to avail of the scheme which provides relief under special laws.

The civic body is requesting affected people to submit an application to the Zonal Deputy Commissioner concerned for desealing their properties, which were once sealed on charges of misusing residential premises for commercial purposes, a senior MCD official said.

The notice comes 10 days after the Union Urban Development Ministry asked the local authorities to deseal premises protected under the Delhi Laws Special Provisions Act of 2007. The Ministry also asked them to suspend action against structures that came up before December 31, 2005.

"Zonal Deputy Directors have been asked to deseal all premises protected under the special laws and covered under the directions given by the Centre," the official said.

Structures in unauthorised colonies, village abadi areas and extensions, existing farm houses, slums and JJ clusters, schools, dispensaries, religious and cultural institutions, storage houses, warehouses and godowns used for storing agricultural products in rural areas built on agricultural land can avail of the scheme, he said.

However, the desealing did not take-off immediately and the MCD had earlier said it was in the process of identifying the structures which could avail the benefit. So far, only one property, located in south Delhi, was desealed.

While the Centre’s decision was hailed by the ruling Congress as a "pro-people" move, opposition BJP had described it as a "political stunt" aimed at the coming assembly elections in Delhi. (PTI)