The Delhi High Court on Friday enhanced the life imprisonment terms of Vikas Yadav and Vishal Yadav, convicted of the 2002 murder of Nitish Katara, to 25 years without remission but rejected a plea for them to be given the death sentence.

A special bench of Justices Gita Mittal and J R Midha gave both men five more years in prison for destroying evidence. It also imposed a penalty of Rs 50 lakh each on Vikas, the son of Uttar Pradesh politician D P Yadav, and his cousin Vishal for the murder.

The court also increased the jail term of another convict in the case, Sukhdev Pehelwan, to 25 years. The judges said all the men will have to undergo rigorous imprisonment without any remission except for the additional five years.

The bench turned down a plea by Katara's mother Neelam and Delhi Police seeking the death sentence for the three men.

Neelam, who was in court when the judges announced their verdict, expressed disappointment at the rejection of her plea for the death penalty but said she was happy with the prison sentences of the trio being enhanced.

"I will appeal against the order in the Supreme Court," she said. Neelam said she did not require the compensation awarded by the court as she believed no monetary value could be put on the life of her son.

The judges, in their judgement running to more than 700 pages, said the time spent by Vikas in hospital (from October 10, 2011 to November 4, 2011) should not be counted as part of his prison term.

They asked the central and Delhi governments to conduct an inquiry into the visits to hospital by Vikas and Vishal after they were sent to jail.
Vikas, Vishal and Pehelwan are serving life terms for abducting and killing Katara, a business executive and son of a railway officer, in February 2002. They killed him as Vikas was opposed to Katara's relationship with his sister Bharti because they belonged to different castes.

Katara had fallen in love with Bharti while they were both studying at the Institute of Management Technology in Ghaziabad.

The High Court had been hearing arguments on the punishment given to the three men since April last year. The convicts had sought leniency and exemption from the death sentence on the grounds that they could reform. They had also claimed their actions were not so brutal or gruesome that they deserved capital punishment.

Neelam Katara and Delhi Police had demanded death for the trio, saying their offence was "the rarest of the rare".

The High Court had in April 2014 upheld sentences awarded to the three men by a lower court and described Katara's murder as an "honour killing" stemming from a "deeply-entrenched belief" in the caste system.

The technology giant, Apple, has launched two latest gadgets – the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3. Both the devices are now available for pre-order on e-commerce portals in India.
Both devices are available in two variants – iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi and Cellular, and iPad Mini 3 Wi-Fi and Cellular. Though iPad Air 2 has got thinner display, it is better. It creates astonishingly thin silhouette of this product. For iPad Air 2, Apple has designed a new chip A8X, that provides better CPU and graphics performance than its predecessor. The devices comes with a breakthrough technology of Touch ID, which gives extraordinary security because it recognizes your fingerprint. One of the exciting things to do with iPad Air 2 is to click photos with its iSight camera, which is geared with advanced optics, an improved sensor and a powerful image signal processor. One more glaring feature is Wi-Fi on iPad Air 2, which is faster than previous generation; this makes downloading and streaming visual content faster than ever. It is loaded with cool Apps, which enable you to do your every tasks like surfing web, checking emails, editing movies and photos, writing reports and reading books easy. Its powerful iOS 8 is much more advanced and is designed to work seamlessly with iPad Air 2.

Another device iPad Mini 3 is packed with many innovations. The iPad Mini 3 also boasts Touch ID technology, which provides better security of the device. At the same time, a single touch allows you to access your iPad Mini 3.

Now you can perform all your desk top tasks on iPad Mini 3, which is powered by A7 chip with 64-bit desktop-class architecture. Kick start your clicking-spree with FaceTime HD and iSight camera of iPad Mini 3, with which you can capture crisp, clear and vibrant videos and photos. Its advanced wireless allows you to do more in more places. iPad Mini 3 keeps you connected in all locations. The Wi-Fi + Cellular model supports fast mobile networks everywhere on the globe. The App Store has some of the excellent applications with which you can manage everything – from photography to gaming, from travelling to your finances.

Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra met with an accident. Fortunately, they escape unhurt. While coming back from Jalandhar, Shilpa and Raj narrowly escape the mishap. The couple went to Jalandhat to address some promotional event.
The accident took place when the other car tried to overtake Shilpa’s car at the venue and at the last minute major clash was averted. They were all saved because of skills of Shilpa’s driver. The rash driver almost hit Shilpa's car. The scene turned worse when Shilpa and Raj’s bodyguard got down to thrash the rash driver.

The incident was reported to the police station.  Restless and frightened Shilpa said that due to the blessings of Maa Durga their lives were saved. a

India Wednesday created space history by becoming the first country in the world to enter Mars' orbit in its debut attempt. A beaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wearing a red jacket symbolic of the Red Planet, described it as "achieving the near impossible", congratulated the feat of Indian scientists and called for challenging the next frontier.

India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) traversed over 650 million km through deep space for over nine months to successfully reach the planet's orbit. The US, Europe and Russia had failed in their first attempts.

"The spacecraft (Orbiter) successfully entered the Martian orbit at 7.55 a.m. and is located at about 515 km from its surface...," a senior space official told IANS at the mission control centre here.

Radars at the earth stations of NASA at Goldstone in the US, Madrid in Spain, Canberra in Australia and India's own deep space network at Baylalu near Bangalore received the radio signals from the Orbiter, confirming its insertion into the Mars orbit.

Modi, who witnessed the event from an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) facility in Bangalore, said that the successful Mars mission "must become a base for challenging the next frontier".

The success "will go down as landmark in history", said a visibly delighted Modi.

India's Mars mission is "a shining symbol of what we are capable of as a nation" and we have gone beyond boundaries of human enterprise and imagination, he added.

The 475 kg (dry mass) Orbiter will take 77 hours or 3.2 earth days to rotate around the red planet over the next six months and will study its surface and mineral composition and scan its atmosphere for methane gas in search of life-sustaining elements.

The prime minister said that the MOM was built "indigenously, in a pan-Indian effort".

"With today's spectacular success, ISRO joins an elite group of only three other agencies worldwide to have successfully reached the Red Planet," he added amidst applause.

Modi, who spoke in English and Hindi, said that the "odds were stacked against us".

"Of the 51 missions attempted across the world so far, a mere 21 had succeeded. But we have prevailed...Travelling an incredible distance, of over 650 million or 65 crore km, we have gone beyond boundaries of human enterprise and imagination."
Indians, including those living abroad, were elated and many took to Facebook and Twitter saying "mission accomplished".

#Mangalyaan #MissionMars #proudindian were some of the top trending topics on Twitter and Facebook since Wednesday morning.

The success of the Mars mission has made India join the elite club of the US, Europe and Russia, which reached the second smallest planet of our solar system after initial failures.

The state-run ISRO became the fourth international space agency after National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US, Russian Federal Space Agency (RFSA) and European Space Agency to have undertaken successful missions to Mars.

India also became the first Asian country to have entered the Mars sphere of influence (gravity) Tuesday, as a similar mission by China failed in 2011.

The success of the mission to Mars will "inspire our scientists to make even greater strides", said President Pranab Mukherjee who described it as a "historic achievement".

The final orbiting exercise began at 4.17 a.m. Wednesday.

After rotating the Orbiter towards Mars at 6.57 a.m., the main engine was ignited at 7.17 a.m. for enabling the spacecraft enter its orbit from the sun orbit, where it cruised for over nine months and 24 days during its voyage to Mars from the Earth.

During the crucial operation, when a solar eclipse occurred on Mars from 7.12 a.m., the main engine started its burn at 7.30 a.m. and lasted for 24 minutes till 7.54 a.m. to swing the spacecraft into the Martian orbit. The speed of the spacecraft was also reduced.

Khubsoorat
Director: Shashanka Ghosh
Actors: Sonam Kapoor, Fawad Khan
Rating: *1/2

It’s one thing for a smart, carefree, sassy kind of girl to enter an uptight sort of household to loosen things up and have fun along the way. That was Rekha in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Khubsoorat. It’s quite another thing altogether when that same chilled out character comes across as a certified imbecile (Sonam Kapoor), perpetually prone to behave like an over-friendly dement, because her Punjabi mom, who she calls by the first name Manju (Kirron Kher), behaves even more demented.

This film is as much a remake of the gentle, warm Khubsoorat (1980) as Rohit Shetty’s Bol Bachchan was a nod to Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s subtly charming Gol Maal (1979). The film is produced by Disney. Most people who have even seen its trailers will liken it more to the American hit, girly, teen franchise The Princess Diaries (2001).
Sonam plays a physiotherapist in the movie. She gets appointed to treat the jobless king of a mythical empire in the desert. Aamir Raza Husain plays this sombre king. Those who’ve grown up savouring the vibrant theatre scene in Delhi will know Hussain as the master director of stellar productions like The Fifty Day War (2000) and The Legend Of Ram (2004). It’s great to see him on the big screen. He looks and behaves every bit a blue-blooded royal, although talking in a decidedly UP accent, which is only mildly strange for an ‘emperor’ from contemporary Rajasthan.

Stranger by far is the Rajput king’s son. Together with the father and the bored mom (Ratna Pathak Shah), this thoroughly serious looking, busy as hell prince dude (Fawad Khan) lives in a massive palace that, by all accounts, appears to be located quite far away from urban civilisation. I suspect he works in the hospitality business, though it’s very hard to tell. Throughout the film and all through his day, all you can see him do is strut around in an astounding range of super-formal designer suits and bandhgalas, walking around all alone, inside his own house, between the drawing room, study or perhaps the restroom. No, seriously, who are these people?

After Introducing Alia, Sidharth and Varun to tinsel town Bollywood, ace director Karan Johar is all set to launch Disha Patani, former Femina Miss India first runner up in his upcoming flick ‘No Sex Please, W are Indians’. As the name suggests the movie  is believed to be a sex comedy.
If we believe on gossip mills, Karan Johar has teamed up with daily soap queen Ekta Kapoor for this film. However, the male lead is not finalised yet.

The yet-to-be Bollywood actress has appared in many advertisements and now she is all set to make her Bollywood debut.

The social networking site Facebook is updating its news feed to feature right content at the right time, so that users do not miss out on key stories.

"We have heard feedback that there are some instances where a post from a friend or a Page you are connected to is only interesting at a specific moment, for example when you are both watching the same sports game, or talking about the season premiere of a popular TV show," said Facebook in a blog post.

Facebook is also going to factor in the rate at which people are liking or commenting on a post, Forbes magazine reported.
Facebook currently looks at the total number of likes that a post received, but now it will look at when people like, comment and share posts.

For people that engage with the story shortly after it is posted means that it was most interesting at that time, but will be less interesting at a later time.

The update to the news feed will be based on two factors - trending topics and engagement.

"This means that posts that receive likes, comments and shares faster will be posted higher in the news feed," Facebook added.

BJP and the Shiv Sena were on Sunday trying to to make last ditch efforts to salvage their alliance in Maharashtra for the upcoming Assembly polls after the Uddhav Thackeray's final offer of giving 119 seats to the coalition partner was rejected.

Hours after Uddhav Thackeray's tough talk on seat-sharing and that Sena cannot give beyond 119 seats, BJP told its old alliance partner that it was the duty of both the parties to continue the tie-up and sort out issues instead of going through the media, in remarks directed at the Sena chief.

Squabbling over seat-sharing showed no signs of resolution during the day with the BJP saying there was "nothing new" in Shiv Sena's final offer to give it 119 seats and hoped it can be mutually settled. In Mumbai, Shiv Sena made it clear that it won't make any more concession for BJP, offering to cede it only 119 out of the total 288 seats in Maharashtra Assembly for the next month's polls, and said this was "the final attempt" to break the logjam over seat-sharing.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray also reminded Prime Minister Narendra Modi that late Sena supremo Bal Thackeray had backed him in the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots.

"Today I am making a final attempt to ensure that the Mahayuti (grand alliance of opposition parties) stays intact. Sena had initially asked for 160 seats. But now we are ready to part with nine seats. Shiv Sena will fight on 151 seats, leaving 119 seats for BJP. The remaining 18 seats will be given to our allies," he said.
Suggesting a way out to end the standoff, BJP leaders of opposition in Maharashtra Assembly and Legislative Council Eknath Khadse and Vinod Tawde said here the party wants Sena to re-negotiate on such seats that they never won in the last 25 years, so that they are not given to the NCP-Congress alliance on a platter in the upcoming polls. .

"There is nothing new in the latest Shiv Sena offer as BJP has been contesting 119 seats ever since the alliance came into being. We want the alliance to continue. It is the duty of both Shiv Sena and BJP to maintain the alliance.

"We have 25 year-old ties and seat-sharing issue can be sorted out mutually through face to face talks and not through media (TV)," Tawde told reporters in a hurriedly convened press conference.

Khadse said, "Shiv Sena has been losing on 35 seats while we have been losing on 19, if these were to be re allocated then we would all benefit instead of these seats going automatically to Congress-NCP alliance."

"Many such seats had been lost by narrow margin in the previous elections. That was the thought and mindset behind the proposal for the 135 seats," he said. However, the BJP leaders also said they were ready to accept 130 seats --five seats down from its earlier demand.

Delhi University Recruitment 2014 – Sr Technical Asst Posts: Delhi University has issued notification for the recruitment of Senior Technical Assistant vacancies on contractual basis. Eligible candidates may send the applications on or before 26-09-2014. Other details like educational qualification, selection process, how to apply are given below…

Delhi University Vacancy Details:
Total No.of Posts: 01
Name of the Post: Senior Technical Assistant

Educational Qualification: Candidates should possess Post Graduation in the relevant subject with two years experience.

Selection Process: Candidates will be selected based on interview.
How to Apply: Eligible candidates may send the applications on plain paper with self attested copies of certificates, mark sheets, testimonials etc to the Head, Department of Operational Research on or before 26-09-2014.

Last Date for Submission of Application: 26-09-2014

For more details like age limit, educational qualification,selection process, how to apply and other information click on the link given below…

Click here for Recruitment Advt

Goa University Department of Marine Sciences Department of Marine Sciences is looking for prospective candidates for filling up the position of research fellows at Department under different projects funded by INCOIS of Min of Earth Sciences (MOEs), Space Physics Lab of Indian Space Research Organization ( ISRO) and Naval Research (NRB) under the guidance of Prof . Harilal B. Menon. The positions are purely temporary and on a project mode initially for a period of one year. Candidates fulfilling the presc ribed conditions may apply on or before 29 th September 2014.

Details of INCOIS sponsored project : 

Title: Optical characterization of Case II waters and retrieval of colour components from an optical sensor”

1 . Fellowship: SRF (1 post) – Rs: 18000 + 20% HR A for NET qualified candidates and Rs: 16000+20% HRA for those who are not NET qualified.

Qualifications.

Master’s degree in Marine Sciences with specialization in Physical Oceanography/ Marine Biology/Marine Chemistry/ Master’s degr ee in Physical Oceanography/ Hydrochemistry/Marine Biology/ Master’s degree in Physics/Atmospheric science/Meteorology /Master’s degree in Geoinformatics /Environment Science . M - T ech in Geoinformatics. B - Tech/BE in amy brancj. Consistent excellent Academic rec ord from SSC onwards. CSIR - NET candidates will be given preference. Knowledge of programming in FROTRAN/C language. Two years of research experience in field trip related to coastal water optics. Experience in processing water samples for deriving opticall y active substances and operating in - water radiometer and to generate radiance and irradiance values.

Details of ISRO sponsored project :
 a. Establishing a n etwork station at Goa University for atmospheric boundary layer measurements under the noble project of ISRO – GBP

. b. Aerosol radiative forcing over India under ISRO - GBP

 a. Fellowship : JRF - Rs: 16000+ 20% HRA (one post ) .

 b. Fellowship : JRF – Rs. 12000 + 15% HRA (one Post)

Qualifications:

 Master s degree in Marine Sciences with specialization in P hysical Oceanography/ Master s d egree in Physical Oceanography/ Master’s degree in Physics/Atmospheric science/Meteorology /Mathematics/Master’s degree in Geoinformatics /Environment sciences . BTech/BE degree in any branch. Consistent excellent academic recor d from SSC onwards. CSIR - NET candidates will be given preference. Knowledge of programming in FROTRAN/C language

The honour to carry India's flag in the opening ceremony of 17th Asian Games couldn't have come at a better time for hockey team skipper Sardar Singh, who feels it will not only spur him but the entire squad to break their 16-year gold jinx in the continental event.

Sardar was on Thursday named as the flag bearer of Indian contingent for Friday's opening ceremony in Incheon, and the star midfielder said he is already getting goose bumps.

"It is definitely a big moment for me. It is a big honour to lead the nation in the opening ceremony of a mutltisport event like the Asian Games. Tomorrow will definitely be one of the best moments of my career. I am already getting goose bumps," Sardar told PTI from the South Korean city.

"It is a big honour to lead the nation in the opening ceremony of a mutltisport event like the Asian Games, said Sardar. (Getty Images)

Asked if the responsibility would bring added pressure on him, Sardar said: "I don't think there will be any added pressure because it is a off-field activity. But it will definitely motivate me and the my teammates to give our best on the field.

"Our mission is to win the gold here and that is what we aspire from this event. We are determined to come back with gold," he said.
India last won a gold in the mega-event in the Bangkok Games in 1998.

Placed in Pool B alongside arch-foe Pakistan, the Indian men's team will open their campaign against Sri Lanka on Pool B match on September 21.

Sardar said the team are well prepared for the task at hand and raring to take the turf on Sunday.

"Our preparation is going on very well. We defeated Japan in a practice game today," he said.

"We have worked on the mistakes which we committed in the Commonwealth Games and have devised strategies to counter those areas."

Sardar said having arrived in Incheon much earlier, they have managed to get a feel of the conditions.

"We came here well in advance and it worked in our favour because we have become familiar with the weather and turf here," the skipper said.

Sardar had words of praise for the new format which is going to be introduced in hockey in the Asian Games.

Shahid Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor were spotted promoting their movie ‘Haider‘ at the launch of Club Samsung. While Shraddha Kapoor chose to wear an orange dress, Shahid Kapoor wore a black attire; black shirt and jeans and a long chain. Shraddha looked hot and Shahid looked cool.

Shraddha Kapoor interacted with the media and said: “It is really cool that this app, this product that has come, is at the palm of your hands and you can stream whatever you like. Club Samsung makes life convenient, so that is awesome.”
Famous singer duo Sajid- Wajid were also seen performing an act with comedian Cyrus Broacha.

Haider releasing alongside ‘Bang Bang‘ on October 2, both are predicted to be a good film.

Haider, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and co-written by Bharadwaj and Basharat Peer, is a modern-day adaptation of William Shakespeare‘s Hamlet, set in Kashmir. The film stars Shahid Kapoor as Haider, Tabu as his mother and Shraddha Kapoor as Arshia, a journalist by profession and Haider’s love-interest.

Micromax and BSNL announced a strategic partnership to drive data growth in the country. Under this partnership, Micromax and BSNL will extend unique reverse bundling handset offers of free data usage of up to 2GB per quarter.

Under the partnership agreement, six Micromax devices will be bundled with the BSNL offers. Four mobile handests- X070, X088, A37 and A37B along with P410i tablet and MMX377G data card.
The offer package includes 2GB data per quarter for 12 months, Free voice calls (on net) – 500 minutes per quarter for 12 months, Activation of freebies – customer to get plan voucher of Rs. 153. Validity of freebies – 12 months from the date of activation.

“BSNL’s association with Micromax, one of the largest indigenous Mobile handset and data card manufacturers in the country, will create immense opportunities for customers by offering them high speed 3G data. BSNL has already provided 3G coverage in more than 2300 cities and towns of India and is committed to provide 3G coverage to additional towns. BSNL is providing best affordable 3G data services with free roaming facility,” said  A. N. Rai, CMD, BSNL.

 The title song of Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif's film Bang Bang has just been released and if fans were expecting a Dhoom: 2-esque number, chances are they will be left with mixed feelings.

While the lack of loud beats and high energy that pulsed through Dhoom Machaale is somewhat surprising, there's enough of Hrithik's dance moves and Katrina's curvy beauty to keep fans happy.

The song starts with the stunning Hrithik and Katrina in a bedroom. But things don't proceed as one might expect - instead of moving along the romantic lines, like the passionate embraces of Meherbaan , the song quickly moves onto a dance floor reminiscent of the disco-themed '70s and '80s.
The song starts slow but picks up tempo in the manner of an RnB track from the Eighties. Strobelights, mirrors and disco balls crowd the scene. Katrina and Hrithik take to the floor with their back up dancers and, unsurprisingly, outdo them in the dance department.

The song also features a section where the lead pair are seen dancing on a floor full of water which clearly reminds us of the scenes from Hollywood's Step Up franchise.

In the last sequence, Hrithik tries his hand, and leg, at some of the iconic moves of his dance idol Michael Jackson and he makes them his own with an ease that only comes to him. Tiger Shroff should be taking notes. (Also read: Tiger's MJ tribute review)

Overall, the song is not one which will be strewn across dance reality shows with kids imitating Hrithik ala Dhoom Machaale, but one will grow on you over time with its catchy beats and easy lyrics. This is for sure - we'll be listening to it on the radio and dancing to it on the floor for the next few months.

Senior Congress leader Ambika Soni has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "communicator who has changed the agenda" to avoid delivering on the promises he made in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. (100 Days of Modi Government: His Top 10 Quotes)

"Mr Modi is a communicator; he plays with words, that's one of his strong points. You saw that from the ramparts of the Red Fort, he changed the agenda. He didn't talk of high prices becoming higher. He talked about girls and boys and how parents should talk strongly to their sons but he didn't talk about the number of cases, where a girl's dignity has been violated, which has gone up," said Ms Soni. (Rate the Government's Performance)

Like other leaders of her party, Ms Soni too accused the Modi-led government of following UPA's policies. But the former Information and Broadcasting minister on the UPA government admitted that the Congress could not match the BJP-led NDA's campaign strategy.
"We were not as successful in communicating our achievements as we should have. We realised that during our Lok Sabha campaign. We realise that today much more when we see them using our schemes, changing their names and making different types of allocation and counting it as their own achievement. Our Vice President certainly travels a lot and if you were to count his flying hours, he would out beat anybody," said Ms Soni.

When asked why the party's top leaders, like vice president Rahul Gandhi, didn't communicate more effectively, Ms Soni came to Mr Gandhi's defense.

"We have a different way of communicating. It is not necessary that one has to speak only in Parliament. They (Congress leaders) speak in rallies and when they travel to different parts of the country," she said.

A new video surfacing on Tuesday purported to show the beheading of another American journalist, Steven Sotloff, by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Sotloff, who freelanced for Time and Foreign Policy was last seen in August 2013, and has featured in the earlier video of the execution of James Foley.

“We have seen a video that purports to be the murder of US citizen Steven Sotloff by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  The intelligence community is working as quickly as possible to determine its authenticity,” said White House spokesperson Bernadette Meehan in a statement.

“If genuine, we are appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American journalist and we express our deepest condolences to his family and friends,” she added.

Looking into the camera, Sotloff said in the video, “I’m sure you know exactly who I am by now and why I am appearing.” He was dressed in the same orange jump suit worn by Foley and inmates of US prisons.
“Obama, your foreign policy of intervention in Iraq was supposed to be for preservation of American lives and interests, so why is it that I am paying the price of your interference with my life?”

The ISIS terrorist standing by side then says that as long as the United States continues “to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people”.

Foley’s executioner had made a similar threat, but airstrikes against ISIL positions in Iraq have continued, now expanding beyond in and around Mosul Dam to also cover Amirli and Erbil.

The central command said Monday it had carried out 123 airstrikes across Iraq since the start of the air-campaign on August 8.

Sotloff’s mother, Shirley Sotloff, had appealed for mercy for her son in a video message last week. “I am sending this message to you, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi al-Quraishi al-Hussaini, the caliph of the Islamic State. I am Shirley Sotloff. My son Steven is in your hands. You, the caliph, can grant amnesty. I ask you please to release my child. I ask you to use your authority to spare his life.”

“As a mother, I ask your justice to be merciful and not punish my son for matters he has no control over.

 I ask you to use your authority to spare his life and to follow the example set by the Prophet Muhammad, who protected People of the Book. I want what every mother wants, to live to see her children’s children, I plead with you to grant me this.”

From the glitz and glamour of Bollywood to the heat and dust of elections. Actors Gul Panag and Kirron Kher are trying to shun their celebrity tag to claim another -- of being “Chandigarh’s daughter”.
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In contrast to her on-screen presence, the glamour quotient is missing in the attire and campaign style of Panag. Dressed in a plain salwar-kameez and the Aam Aadmi Party cap, her poll campaign is high on symbolism.

On Wednesday, she started by an early morning visit to Khatkar Kalan in Nawanshahr district, the birthplace of martyr Bhagat Singh, and later held a road show at Maloya village after a door-to-door campaign in its market area. Though some young volunteers follow the former Miss India wearing AAP caps, her small cavalcade comprises mainly family and friends besides a few AAP workers and women volunteers.

Riding an SUV driven by her cousin, she walks the streets of the village addressing middleaged women as Bhabhiji and elderly ones as Mataji, asking them to sweep out corruption by pressing on the AAP button. To the men, she smiles and appeals with folded hands: “Jinhone is desh ko barbad kiya, unhe dubara is desh ki zimedari mat sompiye (Do not pass the reins of this country to those who destroyed it).
Accompanying her are her poll manager, Simran, a cousin who has flown from Mumbai, and her aunt, who lament there is little money to campaign. Her husband is helping manage the party office. “She called her family and friends after winning the nomination and we are all here leaving our children and jobs,” says Simran.

But Panag claims elections are fought by passion, not funds. “We don’t have resources and PR cells like big parties but our workers are dedicated. All I have is my two feet and I can’t rest till the elections,” she says.

On her vision for Chandigarh, she points to the streets of the village. “Does it look a part of posh Chandigarh? I have a problem with the term inclusive growth. It means no equal opportunity for education, jobs and basic facilities. Chandigarh’s infrastructure is crumbling under the growing population.”
Though she avoids hitting out at her political opponents directly, she takes a dig at Congress candidate Pawan Kumar Bansal by talking of “those who got clean chit despite indulging in corruption” and BJP’s Kirron Kher as a “mother figure who is contesting at an age people retire”.

Other than their Bollywood and Chandigarh connection -they were both born in the city --army background and dimples, there is little in common between the two stars.

Kher, who landed in Chandigarh on Tuesday to black flags shown by a deeply divided BJP unit, started her poll campaign by first meeting the city’s industrialists and traders at a hotel. After presidents of many associations presented her bouquets, she bears the long speeches with a smile and at times humour.

 The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to interpret Leader of Opposition (LoP) provision for the purpose of appointment of Lokpal in which LoP is a selection committee member and asked the Centre to make its stand clear within two weeks, saying the legislation cannot be put in “cold storage”.

Emphasising the importance of the post, a bench headed by Chief Justice R. M. Lodha said Leader of Opposition conveys the voice of a representative different from government in the House.

It said LoP is a very important component (under Lokpal law) and the issue needs objective consideration in view of current political situation where at present there is no Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

The bench also observed that the issue of LoP is relevant not only in Lokpal law but also in other existing and incoming legislations.

It said the issue cannot be prolonged and the act cannot be put in cold storage, while posting case for final disposal for September 9.

Congress, as the second largest party in the Lok Sabha with 44 seats, has been making a strong bid for the LoP post but the ruling BJP has not acceded, saying the opposition party does not have the requisite 10 per cent seats which meant it needed 55 to stake claim.

Bangalore, Aug 19: Sending a serious warning to the neighbouring country, Narendra Modi government on Monday, Aug 19 announced that India would not continue bilateral talks with Pakistan. Here's why Indian government took this decision.

 Pakistan ignored India's previous warnings:

 Foreign Secretaries of both India and Pakistan were scheduled to meet on August 25 in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, Abdul Basit, Pakistani High Commissioner, invited Kashmiri separatists to meet with him in Delhi.

Pakistan's invitation to the separatists leaders irked Indian high commission. India warned the neighbouring country of not meeting separatist leaders in India.

The separatists Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Shabir Shah are known for their anti-India rhetoric.

The government sources informed that Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh had spoken to the Pakistani High Commissioner over phone and warned, "Either talk to separatists or talk to us."

Snubbing all warnings from India, Pakistani High Commissioner in Delhi met Shabit Shah on Monday.

Violation of ceasefire at India-Pakistan border: Already angered and aggrieved by repeated ceasefire violations at border, India took this bonhomie as interference in internal matter and cancelled the upcoming talk

Around 50 border violation has been done by Pakistani troops in this year and that has been increased since new Government took the power. However, Pakistan denied all allegations and retaliated by saying India should not practice "a blame game."

 India took its tough stand:

 Spokesperson of Foreign Ministry of India -- Syed Akbaruddin finally announced, "It was underlined that the Pakistani High Commissioner's meetings with these so-called leaders of the Hurriyat undermine the constructive diplomatic engagement initiated by Prime Minister Modi in May on his very first day in office".

He also said, "Under present circumstances, it seems no useful purpose will be served by the Foreign Secretary visiting Islamabad, therefore the visit stands cancelled."

How did Pakistan react to India's decision? Foreign Office of Pakistan termed India's decision as a setback to efforts by prime ministers to promote good neighbourly relations. In an official statement, Pakistan said, "It is a long-standing practice that prior to Pakistan- India talks, meetings with Kashmiri leaders are held to facilitate meaningful discussions on the issue of Kashmir."

The look and feel of the show will be a visual treat for the viewers. They will also for the first time get to watch these performers sing original songs, which have been composed and written by them.

For the first time ever, an Indian singing show will introduce the concept of music choreography! Star Plus has roped in international choreographer Michael Schwandtl who has worked with artistes such as Katy Perry and Lady Gaga on their performances. He will work with the contestants to visually enhance their singing performance and make it a delight for viewers to watch. The show also has the celebrated Ashish Manchanda on board who will be heading the sound team. Ashish is the only Indian sound engineer to have worked with Michael Jackson and has worked on a number of international music shows.

Produced by Gajendra Singh's - Sai Baba Productions, India's Raw Star is on the lookout for the ultimate performing artist who can create their own inimitable style of singing, and is an all-round performer irrespective of the language of singing or the genre of music.

Speaking about the show, Gaurav Banerjee, General Manager, Star Plus said, "Star Plus has always been at the forefront of creating benchmarks. With India's Raw Star, we are trying something unique in the singing reality show genre. The attempt is to reach out to the youth of this country and who better than the biggest youth icon, Yo Yo Honey Singh to take this ahead. This show will change the visual and music grammar of singing reality shows in India. All the 10 performers are very talented and Yo Yo Honey Singh has handpicked them so that the audiences get to see pure & raw talent."