Think India Foundation

Port ready to exchange land with Navy for elevated corridor

CHENNAI: The Chennai Port Trust is ready to hand over land in Tondiarpet to the Navy, whose land on Kamarajar Salai is to be acquired for the Port-Maduravoyal elevated project, port officials said on Monday. The project, beset with land acquisition problems since the beginning, finally got stuck when the Navy refused to hand over the land near Gate 10 of the port compound. Chennai Port Trust chairman Atulya Mishra told TOI that "land owned by the port trust near Tondiarpet could be exchanged for the prestigious project. We have already conveyed the message to the authorities concerned. As the project needs only a small portion of Navy land, I hope it will be settled soon." The alignment of the Rs 1,655 crore elevated corridor from Chennai Port to Maduravoyal is being finalized. Last week, Union shipping minister G K Vasan and highways minister C P Joshi discussed with state government officials the much-delayed 19 km corridor that will have a 17 km elevated stretch. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is executing the project, has settled a part of the land acquisition. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Caution! Walking with headphones could kill

New Delhi : Shutting yourself from the outside world by plugging in earphones and listening to music while walking on the streets might help kill stress. But it can also kill you if one is to go by the recent accidents involving ''distracted pedestrians''.

Sixteen-year-old Kaushlendra Pal, a Delhi student, was crushed to death by a speeding train Saturday afternoon as he failed to hear the sound of an approaching train since he was listening to music on headphones in Ghaziabad. Read more

Source : deccanherald.com

Animal deaths catches Forest Officers off-guard

COIMBATORE: The fauna-rich Sathyamangalam forest has witnessed two casualties in the last one week. Two Schedule-1 animals — a 30-year-old female wild elephant and an Indian Guar — were killed on Hasanur-Mysore National Highway 209 after being hit by speeding vehicles.

The elephant was mowed down by a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus, bound for Mysore from Coimbatore. The elephant was hit when crossing the road. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Traffic islands wear worn-out look at Tiruchi

TIRUCHI : Lush green grass eroded, grill railings damaged in absence of upkeep

Poorly maintained lawns around statues in the city. Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam

While the recent road widening projects taken up by the Corporation and the four-lane projects of the national highways have strengthened infrastructure, poor maintenance of traffic islands at various junctions is still a sore point. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

AIUDF legislator threatens stir if NH 44 not repaired soon

Karimganj (PTI) : AIUDF MLA Moulana Ataur Rahman Majharbhuiya today threatened to re-launch his stir for immediate repair of the NH-44 connecting Assam's Barak Valley, Tripura and Manipur with the rest of the country. Accusing PWD Minister Ajanta Neog of failing to keep her assurance to assembly Speaker Pranab Gogoi to look into the matter, Majharbhuiya threatened to restart the agitation if demands including widening the road between Shillong by-pass and Churaibari on the Assam-Tripura border in four lanes were not met immediately. Talking to reporters, Ataur Rahman said his party had set up a steering committee to meet in the first week of February to chalk out the next course of agitation.

The Moulana also sought the intervention of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on four laning of the road. The two-time AIUDF MLA from Katigorah has hit the headlines in the last two years for regularly staging 'dharna' and fasts for renovation of the arterial National Highway, lying in a pathetic condition for a long time. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Dear BRTS, any answers to these questions?

For affordable accessibility and sustainable mobility, it is imperative for cities to institute mass transit system. Mumbai, though not dashed with luxury local trains and buses, has 85% of its populace commuting on these public transports. New Delhi comes in next with its Metrorail and buses catering to 67% of Delhiites. In stark contrast, AMTS buses in Ahmedabad find favour among a meagre 18% of the population.

Thankfully, Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), recently introduced in the city drawing inspiration from cities like Bogota and Seoul, is beginning to make a change in road demographics as there is a visible gradual increase in commuters opting for public transport over their personal vehicles. While this is an appreciable initiative (soon to be supplemented by the Metro), there are a few questions emerging about design decisions that BRTS is using currently. Read more

Source : dnaindia.com

Recent approaches to sustainability focus on energy

Most recent approaches to sustainability focus on energy. This is because development demands the use of energy, and there is a correlation between efficiency and development. However, sustainability involves many other aspects as well, particularly in the Indian context. Indian cities are slowly beginning to awaken to those needs in parts. 

Indian urban population is about 28% and slated to reach 40% by 2030. But cities take up only 3% of the country's total area. Any approach to sustainability will need to create more urban space. "India needs to double the area of urban space from 3% to 6%," says V Suresh, former chairman of Hudco, and principal executive officer of construction company Hirco. India could be on target here with a large number of new - and relatively more sustainable - developments planned. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

MP CM plans two-year action plan for developing cities

BHOPAL : The cities of the State will be given a facelift. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has instructed to chalk out two-year action plan for developing beautiful and clean cities with ultramodern basic amenities.

He also instructed to give top priority to works for purifying Maa Narmada River at Amarkantak and Pashvani River at Chitrakoot. Read more

Source : dailypioneer.com

UP students outclass rest of India

NEW DELHI: One of the most comprehensive survey of learning achievement of class V students by NCERT shows that mean achievement of children of Uttar Pradesh in language and mathematics is highest in the country. 

 

One of the most comprehensive survey of learning achievement of class V students by NCERT shows that mean achievement of children of Uttar Pradesh in language and mathematics is highest in the country.

In environmental studies, UP students are a close second after Tamil Nadu (72.30%), with a mean score of 67.15%. In all respects - performance of girls, rural children and percentage of children getting more than 80% - UP has outclassed all states. Read more 

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Time ripe for financial institutions to invest in housing: Selja

New Delhi: Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja Monday said time was appropriate for the banking sector and other financial institutions to play a greater role, along with the government, to provide affordable housing to the poor.

Delivering the keynote address here at an international seminar on "Growth and stability in Affordable Housing Markets", Selja said there has been a steady growth in the housing finance companies in India who are serving as dedicated outlets for the housing credit delivery. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

India grappling with air pollution

According to 2012 Environmental Performance Index, India is raked as a nation which breathes the highest level of polluted air.

The country has been ranked at 125th spot in terms of tackling pollution and natural resource management challenges which is harming environment the most. Read more

Source : presstv.com

India needs huge infrastructure investment: FM

Chicago (IBNS) : Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said that India needed a huge infrastructure investment boost in the 12th Five Year Plan to accelerate and sustain growth in the country.

During his ongoing visit to Chicago, Mukherjee said, "Rapid development of infrastructure is the key to sustain high growth and strengthening the domestic growth dynamics of our economy. Read more

Source : indiablooms.com

Union Budget 2012-2013: Hospitals not likely to get infra status

With the finance ministry coming under increasing pressure to raise resources in a slowing economy the demand by India Inc for conferring infrastructure status to hospitals in order to avail of tax concessions is not likely to come through in the forthcoming Budget .

Infrastructure status to hospitals would entitled them to tax exemption on their entire profit for 10 consecutive years.

A senior finance ministry official told Mail Today that "health like education comes in the social sector, so we cannot accord it infrastructure status at this point". Read more

Source : businesstoday.intoday.in

Starbucks to enter India, targets 50 outlets by year-end

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp will open its first coffee shops in India in August or September, a year later than originally planned, and aims to have 50 outlets by year-end through a tie-up with the Tata group, the country's biggest business house.

Culver, president, Starbucks China and Asia Pacific attends a news conference in Mumbai (DANISH SIDDIQUI, REUTERS / January 30, 2012)

The Seattle-based chain, known as much for the trendy urban lifestyle it represents as its costly cups of coffee, enters a market with a fast-growing middle class and plenty of competition in the small but fast-growing coffee segment. Read more

Source : chicagotribune.com

Bangalore Metro northern corridor to open in Dec

Chennai/ Bangalore : The Northern corridor of 11 kms between Peenya and Sampige Road is likely to commence commercial operations by December 2012 and the entire Phase-I is likely to be completed by December 2013, Governor H R Bhardwaj said on Monday.

Delivering his address to the joint session of the state legislature, here, he said since the commissioning of first reach of 7.5 kms of Namma Metro on October 20, 2011, on an average, about 30,000 people use the Metro. Read more

Source : business-standard.com

Need to raise agri productivity before bringing food law: Pawar

NEW DELHI: Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Sunday said it would be difficult to implement the proposed food security bill without adequate funds to boost agricultural output.

Pawar, who was not fully aligned with the Congress on the food security legislation, argued that his grievance was that the total budgeted provision for entire agriculture ministry was Rs 20,000 crore and subsidy, as of today, was Rs 65,000 crore which might go up to Rs 1 lakh crore in the current year. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Vijayawada to be free of Malaria by 2014

VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has declared a war against malaria, one of the major communicable diseases affecting the mankind. With an aim to eradicate malaria completely from the city by 2014, the VMC has embarked on a mission, in association with Cinergy Company, a Mumbai-based nonprofit organisation.

For the effective implementation of the mission, the VMC has decided to seek the help of NGOs and citizens of the city. Vijayawada with a population of 11 lakh, has 111 slums. Many of the slums are on the banks of Bandar Canal, Eluru Canal and Ryves Canal and on hill slopes. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

From cancer research to energy storage, Berkeley Lab scientist takes on big challenges

The clean-energy commute of the future could come from research conducted at facilities like Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry, where Rizia Bardhan is helping to develop new hydrogen storage materials.

On a typical day, Rizia Bardhan walks through the doors of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Molecular Foundry and immerses herself in the tricky business of tweaking optical spectroscopy equipment to study phase transitions in metal hydrides.

It’s fair to say that what she does is difficult to grasp. Why she does it is easy: “I want to help solve big problems. That’s why I’m here,” she says. Read more

Source : physorg.com

Bangalore summit to discuss global water woes

Bangalore: With one-third of the global population living in India and China by 2025, the region will face imminent water scarcity unless there is action. Now experts from the two countries as well as US, Britain, Germany and other places are set to deliberate on water-related issues at a meet here from Tuesday. Billed as the first World Water Summit in India's IT hub, the summit is aimed at generating innovative ideas to meet the challenge of managing scarce water sources.

With one-third of the global population in India and China by 2025, the region will face imminent water scarcity.

"Ensuring adequate and safe water to all sections of the population, particularly the poor is a big challenge. The objective of the summit is to deliberate on issues and generate ideas," former Karnataka chief secretary A. Ravindra, the brain behind the meet, told IANS. Ravindra is now advisor to the chief minister and also heads the Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD), a non-profit organisation he started in 2003. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Franchising offers promise to start-ups in F&B space

One of the most promising ways to build a successful business in the food and beverage space is through franchising

The mushrooming of restaurants of varied hues, in nearly every corner of urban India, attests to the ease of starting these businesses. As other experts in this paper have written about, Indians are eating out at least once a month and appear to have a great preference for Indian food. Moreover, while fine dining restaurants are doing well in pockets, it is quick service restaurants that are doing roaring business, given the value for money that they offer. The good news for such businesses is that this opportunity is by no means confined to the metros alone but stretches to smaller cities. Read more

Source : livemint.com

Finance ministry not in favour of using state grants for roads

The ministry has suggested that the highways ministry prefer the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, where the private developer has to put up the capital to develop a project and also bear the risk

New Delhi: In a clear signal of a rollback in government spending from the fiscal year beginning April, the finance ministry is discouraging the highways ministry from using state grants to develop 20,000km of roads in the 12th Five-Year Plan.

File photo of road construction on NH 202 in Warangal in Andhra Pradesh. Photograph by Harikrishna Katragadda/ Mint.

Instead, the ministry has suggested that the highways ministry prefer the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, where the private developer has to put up the capital to develop a project and also bear the risk. There are two types of BOTs—one based on tolls and the other on a government annuity payout. Read more

Source : livemint.com

Gujarat govt finds getting rid of excess power difficult

GANDHINAGAR: Already a power surplus state, Gujarat government's much tom-tommed campaign to further augment the state's power generation capacity through solar energy, too, is facing a roadblock. Well-placed Sachivalaya sources said, with another 578.40 MW of solar power all set to be added by end of this month to the overall power capacity of Gujarat of 13,314 MW, the state government doesn't know where to use it.

In fact, the state's march towards solar power will not end this month end with 578.40 MW. "By the middle of this year, we will have, in all, nearly 1,000 MW of solar power plants, highest anywhere in the country. They will be ready for operation within the next two to six months," a senior official said. Gujarat, a power surplus state by 2,000 MW, is already finding it difficult to sell the traditionally generated power it produces to the national grid and other states, and now solar power is being added to the list. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Waterways: PM decides measures

New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday decided on the measures to fast-track the development and use of inland waterways, which in turn will ease pressure on rail and road infrastructure. The move involves both the public and private sector enterprises.

For Barh thermal power project in Bihar, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has agreed to carry three million metric tonnes of coal through the inland waterways.
According to a PMO release, a tripartite agreement has been signed between the NTPC, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and a private developer, has led to competitive transportation rates for the public sector power utility company. Read more

Source : deccanchronicle.com

Resist this sinister move

Kapil Sibal wants Congressisation of syllabus 

Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal’s proposal to establish a National Textbook Council deserves to be spiked immediately because it is a thinly-disguised attempt to impose the will of the Congress on what schools across the country should teach their students. The proposed council is ostensibly supposed to monitor the content of textbooks used by schools that do not follow the syllabus prescribed by the Central Board of Secondary Education to ensure that the curricula does not have material which is ‘insidious’ in nature, but that reasoning is only a ruse for the ‘Congressisation’ of education in the country. The State Governments are, after all, well-equipped with their own education departments to monitor content and take action. Where is the need for a central authority to begin policing the syllabus? Read more

Source : dailypioneer.com

Scientists urged to find solutions to problems faced by Karnataka

MANGALORE : Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda and top space scientist and Chairman of the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad U.R. Rao on Saturday urged the scientific community to find solutions to the “burning” problems of the State and the country.

They were participating in the inauguration of a two-day seminar on “Science and Technology: Challenges and Opportunities” organised by the Karnataka Science and Technology Academy, headed by Prof. Rao, at Mangalore University. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

Centre backs consolidated BRT in Pune

PUNE: Inconsistencies in planning and implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad by both municipal corporations, has spurred the central government to push for a consistent and consolidated project for the Pune Metropolitan Region.

The union urban development department has asked the Pune Municipal Corporation to take up works to connect two BRT routes - the first on the Aundh-Ravet corridor and the old Mumbai Pune highway. These two routes are being developed by Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Fourth phase of seismic study at Sonar Fort to begin on Feb 1

JAISALMER: The fourth and final phase to study the underground tumult at the Sonar Fort, the world's only living fort, will begin from February 1. The data received from the inclinometers placed in bore wells at many places in the hill, will be sent to London.

For reviewing the situation and conservation of Sonar Fort, national and international experts and ASI senior officials will be gathering at Jaisalmer for a meeting on February 3 and 4. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Karnataka to launch Volvo 7700 series hybrid buses that run on both diesel and electricity

Bangalore (TruthDive):  The state of Karnataka will show the country a new concept of commuting with its idea of “clean and green” mass commuting. The state has decided to launch hybrid buses that run on both diesel and electricity in Bangalore.  The 7700 series hybrid bus made by Auto giant “Volvo”, unveiled recently at the Delhi Auto Expo has been selected for this purpose.

The news has been confirmed by the state’s transport minister R.Ashoka. “The Volvo 7700 hybrid bus, unveiled recently at the Delhi Auto Expo, will soon be launched in the city by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC)”,Mr. R.Ashoka said. Read more

Source : truthdive.com

Dug up for water, unearthing woes in Bangalore

BANGALORE: Residents, merchants and other locals of Laggere protested against the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) for causing troubles to the residents of the area. More than 1,000 shops on the main road of Laggere remained closed. This includes around 15 hotels, 50 textile shops, 20 confectionery stores and others. 

According to Narayanaswamy, president to Rajarajeshwari Legislative Assembly JD(S) and a resident of Laggere, “BWSSB has dug up the road to fix pipes. Almost since an year, work is under progress. But the Board has left the dug up space vacant. These pits are a nuisance to the pedestrians and commuters. Many have been injured after falling in the pit. Very recently, a motorist died, because of the bad condition of the road,” he said. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Govt gets cracking on crow deaths

KOLKATA: After ignoring the mysterious crow deaths in the city for nearly two months, the state government flew into action mode on Saturday and sent scientists to Rabindra Sarovar to gather carcasses and blood samples.

TOI on Friday first reported on crows dropping dead all over the city. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Good response for Thane transport bids

THANE: Public transport systems are set to undergo a complete change in the next three years here with international transportation leaders expressing interest to develop and operate a mass transit system in Thane using a mix of buses, monorails, tramways and even bicycles.

Top multinational firms, including Veolia, Bombardier and Scomi, have teamed up with Indian infrastructure giants such as Patel Engineering and the Tata group to bid for the Thane corporation's contract to create a hassle-free intra-city transport system, probably the one of its kind in the nation. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

Panchkula set for second sewage treatment plant

Panchkula : Despite a second sewage treatment plant on the verge of becoming operational in Panchkula, residents will have to wait for more time before treated water is pumped into parks and lawns.

The new plant, constructed by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) is housed in Sector-22 and will have the capacity to treat 39 million litres per day (mld). It will become operational in a week’s time. At present, Panchkula has one sewage treatment plant in Sector-20 which treats 18 mld. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

Huda begins drain work ahead of rainy days

Gurgaon : In order to prevent the damage of road and waterlogging, Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) has initiated the work on 2-metre slopes on both sides of  Sohna Road  at Subhash Chowk. The drain will be connected to the storm water drain.

Without wasting time in estimate preparations or tender floating exercises, Huda administrator Praveen Kumar, after meeting superintending engineer RK Kakkar and executive engineer Hari Datt Sharma, asked the officials to get the work started. Read more

Source : hindustantimes.com

264 drivers have spotless record in Pune,no reward

Pune : Not all drivers are like MSRTC’s Santosh Mane, who in a bizarre state of mind, mowed down eight persons and injured serveral others last week. At least city transport undertaking PMPML has reasons to feel proud of its list of faultless drivers: 264 to the last count, from a total of 3,000 drivers on its roll. These 264 hold a unique record of not a single accident, let alone fatalities, in their two-three decades of service, reveals the reply from PMPML administration to an RTI application by The Indian Express.

Of the 264, Suresh Laxman Shitole is on top with 29 years of accident-free driving, the reply says. The likes of Devidas Govindrao Jadhav, Rajkumar Gajanan Paradkar, Suresh Rajaram Dhume and Narayan Mahadevo Landge have 28 years of service without any mishaps. Read more

Source : expressindia.com

J&K govt wakes up, starts collecting milk samples

Srinagar : Following the revelation that 83 percent of milk produced in Jammu and Kashmir contains adulterants, the state government has initiated the process of collecting samples.

With the disclosures triggering panic, the state government has woken up with Health Ministry seeking report about the findings of Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Read more

Source : greaterkashmir.com

Moving targets

How important is location to a business school? Does it matter if you are rooted in one particular city or country? It is a topic that is creeping on to the business school agenda because, as we know, demographics are changing dramatically.

There are now a mind-boggling 7bn people on the planet. What is more, that figure could double again by the end of the century, with the largest growth occurring in developing countries. Where will people live? What kind of lives will they have? How many will pursue higher education? Read more

Source : ft.com

MP cabinet to discuss IMC's new set-up plan

INDORE: The Madhya Pradesh cabinet will consider the proposal of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) for a new set-up and establishment plan for the corporation at its meeting on Tuesday.

The new set-up plan focusses on decentralization of power, wherein each zonal office will be equivalent to a class I municipality and all the works related to the corporation can be done through the zonal office. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Next generation will not see animals, plants: Builder

Mysore : ‘Hassle-free system will reduce cost of building houses’

“We have destroyed what is priceless. It would be no surprise if the next generation inherits a earth sans birds, animals or plants. It is the legacy what we leave to our children. Children should become ambassadors for any movement and adopt what is right, only then can Earth be preserved,” said founder of Spectral Service Consultants Prem C Jain after releasing a technical volume of Buildtech at NIE indoor stadium here on Saturday. Read more

Source : deccanherald.com

Metrowater to get 5cr to cut CO2 emissions

CHENNAI: The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) will soon receive 5 crore from the United Nations for reducing carbon dioxide emissions in four of its sewage treatment plants. Metrowater officials said SGS India, a consultant, had registered with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to obtain emission reduction certificate for the plants.

Metrowater managing director K Gopal said the UN had expressed satisfaction with Metrowater's efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. "We submitted a proposal to the UN and expect to receive 5 crore in three months. Instead of letting out gases into the atmosphere, we are using them to meet our needs. So we are going to receive carbon credits for it," he said. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

A winning shot for Moradabad

On January 13, as India recorded a year without any new case of the indigenous wild polio virus, in Moradabad, an army of polio workers and doctors silently cheered a milestone of their own. It was in September 2009, over two years ago, that the district recorded its last polio case, a stunning turnaround for the place that had been branded the world’s ‘polio capital’.

The last case recorded in the country was on January 13, 2011, when 18-month-old Rukhsar Khatoon in Howrah, West Bengal, was detected with polio. Now, if the pending lab tests of stool and sewage samples do not show traces of the poliomyelitis virus, India will drop out of the acronym ‘PAIN’, which stands for Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nigeria, among the last few holdouts of the polio virus in the world. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

Ten trendiest city hubs across India

On the outside, it's nothing more than another one of Delhi's haphazard urban village colonies. The crazily intertwined electricity wires scream 'fire hazard'. The matchbox style stacked houses give neighbourhood watch a new meaning. The narrow arterial road leads to a cul-de- sac. From this vantage point, it's difficult to imagine Hauz Khas Village as a cool urban creative community.

But walk into one of the many designer stores, exchange travel tales at Kunzum Travel Cafe, buy into counter culture thought at Yodakin, order a 'home-cooked-restaurant-priced' menu at Yeti or shop for Indian kitsch in the galis, and you will realise it's more than that. HKV, as it's now acronymised, is growing into a place where alternative creative instinct can be expressed freely. Read more

Source : articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Why drinking benefits Europeans, not Indians

Are the health benefits of alcohol overrated? In the latest advisory on spirits, the UK House of Commons has requested the British to keep away from alcohol for at least two days a week. The lawmakers reason the body needs a break twice a week to repair the liver. This is a climbdown from earlier guidelines to drink moderately every day. 

A World Health Organization survey a few years back showed that spirits made up for 88% of what Indians regularly drink, while beer only had a 10% share and wine was barely 2%.

In the country's various watering holes, it's difficult to miss the flurry of advice: have beer to flush out kidney stones, wine to cut down risk of heart attack. Some even claim that diabetes can be kept at bay with a regular drink. But doctors say such claims cannot be given a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down. Read more 

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Second industrial rubber park built in Tripura

India's second industrial rubber park has come up in Bodhungnagar in western Tripura to boost the country's elastic polymer industry.

The park, a joint venture between the Tripura Industrial Development Corporation (TIDC) and the Rubber Board, is the second of its kind in the country after the rubber park in Irapuram, Kerala. Read more

Source : smetimes.in

Taj Mahal tilting but no need to fear, says ASI

Agra: The Taj Mahal has taken a tilt though there is nothing to worry. The 17th century 'Monument of Love' has reportedly developed tilts but is still within the 'permissible limits'. 

According to reports, officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) informed the Supreme Court on Friday that although the minarets were tilting there was 'no cause of concern' as it was within what is called 'permissible'. Read more

Source : pardaphash.com

Anand Vihar rly station all set for expansion

New Delhi : Two years after it was thrown open to public, the Anand Vihar mega railway terminal in east Delhi is all set for its next phase of expansion. The 42-acre station, which took five years to complete, will have four more platforms. Currently, there are three platforms. Besides, subways connecting all platforms will be built. 

And it's not only platforms and subways that are on the cards, the station will also have a mall with a dedicated food court. A new ticket reservation system will also come up. Read more

Source : hindustantimes.com

Return of the Swayamvara

This one will gladden the hearts of parents having daughters. The sex ratio in India is increasingly loaded against girls. Female foeticide resulting from the rich’s aversion to part with wealth is said to be the main contributing factor to the dwindling of the female population.

So, how does it constitute glad news? Because, dowry will be a thing of the past as boys scramble for a mate. How could 1,000 boys ask for dowry from 914 girls! Simple, isn’t it? Read more

Source : postnoon.com

The world's biggest cities: How do you measure them?

Which is the biggest city in the world? And why is such a simple question so difficult to answer?

If you search on the internet for the world's biggest city, you'll find various different candidates: Tokyo, Seoul, Chongqing, Shanghai...

Which one you regard as the holder of the title, all depends on what you mean by "city". Read more

Source : bbc.co.uk

Jump in registration income in TN may be unsustainable

While the steep increase in registration income may be good news for the Government, the real estate developers believe this would be counterproductive in the long run. 

Driven by worries of an expected increase in guideline values in the State, developers and property buyers appear to have speeded up document registrations during the last couple of months, leading to a spurt in revenue to the State Government. Read more

Source : thehindubusinessline.com

Luxury housing staging a comeback on the realty market

Spurred by new product offerings, greater influx of end-user demand and an increasing upwardly-mobile segment, luxury and ultraluxury housing projects, with prices ranging between Rs 1 crore and Rs 15 crore, again seem to be making a comeback.

Mahagun Marvella, Raheja Revanta, Lodha Fiorenza, Lodha Aurum Grande, Oberoi Exquisite, Unitech's Nirvana Country2 Espace Premiere and Orris Aster Court are some of the premium projects, some ready, others under construction. In fact, dozens of luxury projects are coming up in the NCR alone, with Gurgaon and Noida being the hub of such projects. Read more

Source : articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com

‘Nurm in Mysore not up to mark’

Mysore : Assertion: State govt deliberately hindering Central schemes 

Union minister for corporate affairs M Veerappa Moily on Saturday accused the state government of failing to utilise the funds provided by the Centre under various schemes.

Addressing media in the city, Moily — also ex-chief minister of the state — alleged that the projects taken up under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) in Mysore was going on in snail’s pace, owing to lackadaisical attitude of the government. “The progress of housing scheme under JnNURM in Mysore is very poor,” said Moily putting the rate of achievement at 13.3 per cent. Read more

Source : deccanherald.com