Nokia 301 dual sim makes debut in India, selling at R 5140

 

The Nokia 301 dual-SIM smartphones which was spotted as coming to India in early March, has made a debut in an Indian store.

The Nokia Asha 301 is a dual-SIM phone and offers the three times faster Nokia Xpress Browser which lets you stream video and browse for free with built-in Wi-Fi faster and a low data costs. The phone comes with a powerful 3.5G connectivity and is powered with the Series 40 operating system from Nokia come pre-loaded with all the utility apps you may need. It has a 2.4-inch super-responsive capacitive touchscreen display like the Nokia Asha 310, and comes in black, white, cyan, yellow or fuchsia so you can pick the colour that suits your style.

The phone has come up at Snapdeal.com at a price of Rs 5140, in Black, While and Cyan colours.

Though the phone looks small, it has 3.2 megapixel camera which can offer image resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels.  It supports an epic 100-degree panorama function, and burst mode for taking 5 pictures in one shot. To share the pics easily you can use the Nokia Slam function, even if you’re not on Wi-Fi.

It comes pre-loaded with apps to let you stay connected to your friends. Send emails superfast with the Yahoo!, Gmail and Hotmail apps that are ready to use right away. And show you’re no social slouch – Facebook and Twitter apps come as standard.

The phone has a long-lasting battery too letting you do the things you love for longer. And with dual SIM you can make sure you always get the best rate for your data and calls.

Huawei launches 6.1-inch Ascend Mate, announces world’s thinnest phone

Huawei has launched its 6.1 inch Android Ascend Mate as its answer to the 6.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Mega. In another event in London the company has announced the World’s slimmest phone, the Ascend P6.

The Ascend Mate has been launched globally and its runs the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. The phone is powered with a 1.5 gigahertz quad-core HiSilicon processor and 16 core graphic processing chipset, which makes it stand out in competition.

The fonblet features a display of 1280 x 720 pixel resolution which supports glove touch and an 8 GB internal memory. It has an 8 megapixel primary rear camera and a 1 megapixel front camera. The phone comes with a 4050 mAh battery and boasts of up to two days of ordinary usage on a single charge.

This Ascend phone is ready to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 incher which runs the 4.2 Jelly Bean on a a powerful 1.7 GHz dual-core Krait processor and Adreno 305 graphics processor. This Samsung fonblet, which is the largest in the Indian market today, has 8 GB memory onboard, an 8 megapixel primary and 1.9 megapixel secondary camera.

The phone will cost Rs. 24900 in India. The Samsung Galaxy Mega comes at Rs. 30900. (It has already received price cut of Rs. Rs 1000, as soon as Huawei launched its Ascend Mate. Galaxy Mega 6.3 appeared on 8th for sale at Rs. 31900. )

The company has announced the World’s slimmest phone in another event yesterday.

Huawei has announced the Ascend P6, which is just 6.18 mm thin and is the World’s thinnest phone. Alas, this thinnest phone is not the lightest in the World. The phone is 8 grams heavier than the Apple’s  iPhone 5.

The Huawei P6 is a 4.7 inch Android phone running the version 4.2.2 operating system. The display screen sports an HD resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels, making a 321 pixel per inches pixel density. The phone runs on a Huawei K3V2 quad-core  processor clocked at a speed of 1.5 GHz and a RAM of 2 GB. The phone has got an 8 megapixel auto focus primary shooter and a 5 megapixel secondary camera.

The phone has an 8 GB of internal memory that can be expanded up to 32 GB via a micro SDcard. It has Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass and sensors temperature, and a 2000 Lithium Polymer battery.

The 7.6 mm wide iPhone 5 is just 112 grams in weight, while the Huawei marvel weighs 120 grams. Huawei has cracked the technology to make thinner yet power packed phones, but it is still to learn the trick from iPhone 5 to make its phone the lightest one in the market.

The Huawei phone is 2 grams lighter than its predecessor Ascend P2, 10 grams lighter than the Galaxy S4, 17.5 grams lighter than the BlackBerry Z10 and 23 grams lighter than the HTC One.

Cnet in its first review gave a thumbs up to the Ascend and said “the Ascend P6 feels like a decent Android smartphone that appears to offer equally decent hardware and a snazzy design”.

LG working on a Snapdragon 800 phone, better than Galaxy S4, HTC One

 

Latest news suggests that LG is currently working on a phone sporting the Snapdragon 800 processor based smartphone. This smartphone will allow for always-on voice commands, says news reports.

Gottabemobile says “three different sources who are familiar with the situation revealed that LG will be launching a new Android smartphone with always-on voice commands in 2014”. The Qualcomm Snapdragon processor which has come up recently supports this feature, and LG’s upcoming is working for a completely hands free phone with this processor.

The Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) is a four Krait 400 CPUs at speeds up to 2.3 GHz and Adreno 330 graphics processor which has got some architectural improvements over Adreno 320. This chip (MSM8974) can support 55 megapixel camera in a device and is capable of encoding and playing back videos in ultra high definition quality at 30 frames per second. Source: Qualcomm)

The Galaxy S4 Snapdragon version runs on a Snapdragon 600 processor (APQ8064T) clocked at 1.9 GHz and Adreno 320. Even the HTC One uses a Qualcomm APQ8064T Snapdragon 600 clocked at 1.7 GHz and an Adreno 320.

In March end this year, Slashgear has published GLBenchmark results showing the LG D801, which it says is “bringing with it a set of specifications that’ll blow your mind”. We expected the next flagship from the Company Optimus G2 to sport this new processor, which is expected to be released this year. () We can expect that LG is working with two new phones with Snapdragon 800 processor, apart from the LG Google Nexus 4 (probably Megalogon), which is expected to be released this year.

Apart from LG Nokia is working on a Snapdragon 800 powered EOS 41-megapixel Lumia camera phone, which is expected to see the daylight this year in July. (Read here)

Meet the 4 competitors of Micromax Canvas 4

The upcoming Micromax Canvas 4 sporting a quad-core processor will come for pre-order on June 28th. This Micromax phone will be challenging the biggies in the smartphone market, with its low cost and good features.

The Micromax Canvas 4 has got 16 GB memory on dock like most of the big brand smartphones and has at least 1280 x 720 pixel resolution on its 5-inch display screen.

Meet the four premium phones which are the immediate competition of the Canvas 4 from Micromax, in next pages.
 

Samsung Galaxy S4

The Canvas 4 has got the looks like the Galaxy S4. It has a camera which definitely competes with the Samsung Galaxy S4’s shooter. Both the phones have got the power of a 13 megapixel auto focus shooter with LED flash. The Galaxy S4 have got a 2 megapixel secondary camera while the Canvas 4 has a 5 megapixel one.

Galaxy S4 is an Android 4.2.2  Jelly Bean operating system phone that uses the vibrant TouchWiz user interface has been able to generate good demand. This latest arrival from the Korean company adds to the Galaxy range of smartphone. It has a full HD super amoled at a pixel resolution of 1920 by 1080 which gives a pixel density of 441 pixel per inches, protected by Corning Gorilla glass. The phone boasts a 13 megapixel camera with dual camera shot, sound and shoot mode and drama shot which make it stand tall in the smartphone battle. It also features Air Gesture, Air View, Group Play, S Health, Adapt Display, Adapt Sound, and many other interesting features.
 

HTC One

The HTC One is another metallic Android marvel that sports a 4.7 inch screen. The Canvas 4 sports a 5 inch display screen. The HTC One has got a super IPS LCD 3 display. It runs on a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor clocked at 1.7 GHz supported by an Adreno 320 graphics processor.

The phone has a 2 GB RAM and comes with 32 GB internal storage. It has been in news for its 4 megapixel HTC UltraPixel camera on back. Both of its primary and secondary camera are capable of recording 1080p full HD videos.

  

Nokia Lumia 925

The first Aluminum-rim based from Nokia, the Lumia 925 is another phone, the Canvas 4 will compete with. The Lumia 925 sports a 4.5 inch display screen of amoled HD kind protected by Gorilla 2 Glass and is powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor like the last year’s launch Nokia Lumia 920 (the 920 sports plastic body). The difference is in the storage capacity. The Lumia 925 has a 16 GB internal memory while the 920 comes with 32 GB storage. Memory could not be expanded in both these phones. This phone has got an 8.7 megapixel pureview camera.
  

LG Google Nexus 4

The pure Android phone from Google, the Nexus 4 is also going to compete with the Canvas 4. While the Nexus 4 offers stock Android, Micromax is expected to make very little overlays on the Android OS of the Canvas 4.

The Nexus 4 is sports a 4.7-inch IPS HD screen and is powered with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor clocked at a speed of 1.5 GHz. It runs the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system and comes with 2 GB of RAM. The Nexus 4 have an 8 megapixel rear camera, which be below the 13 megapixel camera of the Canvas 4. The phone features wireless charging and photosphere feature which lets users take panorama shots in 360 degrees.

The Google Nexus 4 is placed at Rs 25900, which will be at least 7-9K higher than the Canvas 4.

  

Ascend P6 Review: World's thinnest phone is not lighter than iPhone 5

 

Huawei has just announced its latest ultra-thin phone model- the Ascend P6. The phone is just 6.18 mm thin and will be the thinnest in the market, but, it is yet to be lighter than the iPhone 5.

The Huawei P6 is a 4.7 inch Android phone running the version 4.2.2 operating system. The display screen sports an HD resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels, making a 321 pixel per inches pixel density. The phone runs on a Huawei K3V2 quad-core  processor clocked at a speed of 1.5 GHz and a RAM of 2 GB. The phone has got an 8 megapixel auto focus primary shooter and a 5 megapixel secondary camera.

The phone has an 8 GB of internal memory that can be expanded up to 32 GB via a micro SDcard. It has Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass and sensors temperature, and a 2000 Lithium Polymer battery.

 

Though 7.6 mm in width, the iPhone 5 is just 112 grams in weight, while the Huawei marvel weighs 120 grams. Huawei has cracked the technology to make thinner yet power packed phones, but it is still to learn the trick from iPhone 5 to make its phone the lightest one in the market.

The Huawei Ascend P6 is 2 grams lighter than its predecessor Ascend P2, 10 grams lighter than the Galaxy S4, 17.5 grams lighter than the BlackBerry Z10 and 23 grams lighter than the HTC One.

Cnet in its first review gave a thumbs up to the Ascend P6 and said “the Ascend P6 feels like a decent Android smartphone that appears to offer equally decent hardware and a snazzy design”.

Google Edition of HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 comes for pre-order

The Google Edition of HTC and Samsung flagship, the HTC One and Galaxy S4 are now available for on pre-order. The offer has been spotted at the global eBay store, saying it will be shipped on 26th and 28th this June.

The phone is expected to an US exclusive and will come on sale via Google’s own online store on the 26th. The sellers on eBay are thus, targeting those who are in Europe and Asia and want a piece of the best from these companies running stock Android.

Read more about the Google Edition Galaxy S4 in next page.
  

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is available on pre-order from two sellers based in Brooklyn. (The Google Edition of HTC One also comes from a Brooklyn based seller, who claims to ship the Sim unlocked phone on the 28th of June. ()This phone has been priced at USD 769 at the store. This in Indian currency would mean Rs 45201 at USD 1 = Rs 58.78 for more). One of the seller claims to be shipping the pone ns on the 26th of June while the other seller says, it will sell ship the phone on the 28th.

The phone will cost USD 849 and 1000 with the two sellers. This would mean Rs 49908 and Rs 58785 in Indian currency at USD 1 = Rs 58.78.

  

Good news for Vodafone users: 2G data charges slashed by 80 percent

 

New Delhi: Vodafone India has slashed data charges by 80 per cent for both its pre-paid and post-paid consumers on the 2G network.

"The rate cut from 10 paise per 10 KB to 2 paise per 10 KB will make internet access affordable for customers who use mobile internet in a limited way. These new charges are the lowest in market making them extremely attractive for all customers," Vodafone said in a statement.

After the latest drop in 2G charges, Vodafone claims it is now offering the cheapest mobile internet services in India.

Currently applicable in Karnataka, UP West and MP & Chhattisgarh circles, the reduced rates will be rolled out nationally in a phased manner.

The announcement comes a day after telecom regulator TRAI allowed free mobile roaming on payment of a fixed fee from July 1 and reduced national roaming charges for others by up to 57 per cent.

TRAI had, however, said making national roaming completely free of charges is not practical as of now.

 

SC to hear PIL on US surveillance of India internet data on urgent basis

 

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the PIL filed on United States National Security Agency monitoring internet data of India on an urgent basis.

The issue of the US NSA's surveillance of India's internet data reached the Supreme Court with a PIL filed seeking its direction to the Centre to initiate action against internet companies for sharing information with foreign authority in "breach" of contract and violation of right to privacy.

The PIL, filed by a former Dean of Law Faculty of Delhi University Professor S N Singh, alleged such large scale spying by the USA authorities is detrimental to national security and urged the apex court to intervene in the matter.

"As per reports, US-based nine internet companies, operating in India through agreements signed with Indian users, shared 6.3 billion information/data with National Security Agency of USA without express consent of the Indian users. Such large scale spying by the USA authorities besides being against the privacy norms is also detrimental to national security," the petition, filed through advocate Virag Gupta, said.

Singh submitted it is a breach of national security as government's official communication has come under the US surveillance as the services of private internet companies are being used by them and he also referred that after the Mumbai terror attack the prime minister’s office issued a statement from a Hotmail address of Microsoft Corp.

"Petition filed in Public Interest seeking a direction to Centre to take urgent steps to safeguard the government's sensitive internet communications which is 'Record' as per provisions of Public Records Act and it’s secrecy to be maintained as per Official Secrets Act but same is being kept outside India in US servers, which is unlawfully intruded by USA Intelligence Agencies through US-based internet companies under secret surveillance program called PRISM," he said.

He submitted the government and its officials be restrained from using US-based internet companies for official communication and all such companies, which are doing business in India, must establish their servers here so that they can be regulated as per Indian Laws.

(PTI inputs)

Guess which carrier bagged the award for the 'World's Best Airline'

 

New Delhi: Emirates Airline has been awarded the‘World’s Best Airline’ award by Skytrax at the 2013 World Airline Awards.

 

Besides the ‘World’s Best Airline’, the Dubai-based carrier took home two more awards including ‘Best Middle East Airline’ and ‘World’s Best Inflight Entertainment’-- the latter for a record ninth year in a row.

“Being honoured with these awards is testament to our unrelenting effort to be the world’s best airline,” said Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline at the Paris Airshow, who received the award.

 

Clark added, “We are constantly striving to offer our customers consistent, world-class service that extends from the moment they make their booking to the moment they arrive home at the end of their journey.” 

 

The Skytrax Awards sought opinion from over 1.8 crore business and leisure air travellers from over 160 countries before arriving at the final list of winners.

 

Launched in 1985, Emirates has grown to become the largest airline in the Middle East, with a 60,000-strong workforce. Last year over 3.9 crore customers flew with Emirates.

The carrier claims to have received over 500 international awards so far.

All-new 2013 Tata Nano coming tomorrow; what should you expect?

 

New Delhi: Tata Motors is all set to launch the 2013 Tata Nano tomorrow, June 19.

The vehicle is not expected to be very different from its current avatar and will sport minor cosmetic changes, says this Autocar report.

Changes on the outside include new bumpers and chrome strips on the front and rear. The rear bumper gets bigger air vents for better cooling of the engine, adds the report.

The new Nano will also come with power assisted steering wheel as well as a CNG kit.

On the inside, the car will see addition of a glove box and some colour, trim and fabric changes.

The top-end model will come with an integrated music system with CD, MP3, Aux-in, USB and Bluetooth capabilities.

Leaked: Is this the Suzuki Swift facelift?

New Delhi: The third largest selling vehicle in India might be in for a facelift soon for international markets, but only a minor one.

Images of what could possibly be the 2014 Suzuki Swift are now doing the rounds on the internet, claims this Autocar report.

From the images, it looks like the next-gen Suzuki Swift won't be a whole lot different from the existing version.

The front of the updated Swift will get new LED day-time while the turn-indicators will be shifted from the front fenders to wing mirrors.

Now hiring? Know these 10 ways to be a great interviewer!

 

New Delhi: The idea of appearing for an interview is a scary one for many, and there are countless forums and advisors that offer tips and tricks to help candidates face the interview board. But the job of an interviewer can be just as difficult, particularly when there are many candidates appearing for a single job interview.

So if you have been handling the responsibility of screening candidates for your organisation, check out the ten unmistakeable signs of a great interviewer that might help improve your ability to pick the best among the lot.

 
1. Good interviewers know EXACTLY what they are looking for

While 'credentials, qualifications, and experience are important, never forget you’re not hiring a position: You’re hiring a result," says Haden.

To ensure you have someone who can deliver results, you must identify your business need, which can then allow you to determine the required skills and attributes.

Zeroing in on the right candidate becomes that much easier

2. Good interviewers make sure the candidate comes prepared

"All candidates should know exactly what to expect: When, where, who will be conducting the interview(s)... they should know everything. Great interviewers ensure candidates don’t have to deal with surprises, tricks, or uncertainty," says Haden.

 

The idea is to accurately assess the candidate's ability to perform and deliver, and not to intimidate him.

 

3. A good interviewer does research on the candidate

 

Asking intelligent questions and building a fruitful conversation can be difficult if you don't know the candidate, says Haden.

 

He advises interviewers to start with the CV, and ask questions about the various jobs and projects she has been involved in. The idea is to "read between the lines to get a sense of the candidate’s successes, failures, and long-term interests."

 

Also try to guage her interests beyond work to understand whether she will fit into the company's culture.

 
4. A good interviewer holds a conversation, not an inquisition!

"The best interviews are a great conversation, not an interrogation. But you can't have a great conversation with someone you hardly know," says Haden.

Knowing about the candidate ahead of time lets you prepare questions that give the candidate 'room for introspection and self-analysis.'
5. A good interviewer makes shy or nervous candidates feel at ease

Unless the job requires great communication skills, try not to dwell too much over a candidate's inability to express herself too well.

That a person who speaks well must necessarily be good at his work is not a given; similarly, someone who is unable to express herself might actually be

The easiest way to help shy candidates is to ask a few easy questions-- about herself or her previous jobs or her current job responsibilities-- and then gradually move on to more specific queries.

Try throwing in a few genuine compliments about her professional accomplishments, too. The idea should be to gauge as much as you can about her ability, and that can happen only once the candidate is relaxed enough to hold a conversation.

6. A good interviewer doesn't just stick to the script

"An interviewer should follow a plan and ask a reasonably specific set of questions, but the best questions are almost always follow-up questions. Follow-up questions take you past the canned responses and into the details, both positive and negative," says Haden.

  

7. A good interviewer follows-up

After an interview, you must get in touch with the candidate, irrespective of whether she has been selected.

Not doing that is rude and unprofessional. It also creates a possibility wherein the candidate is so put off he will hesistate from applying for a position with your company again. 

 

8. A good interviewer never takes over

"Interviews often turn into monologues delivered, unfortunately, by the interviewer," says Haden.

 

Most candidates won’t interrupt, because they want you to like them.

"Unfortunately that means your hiring decision is largely based on whether the candidate was a good listener," Haden adds.

Four car deals to watch out for this monsoon

New Delhi: The Indian auto industry seemed to have hit a rough patch with sales slumping to new lows over the past few quarters.

To spur business, auto companies-- from Tata to Volkwagen to Chevrolet-- are now coming out with several attractive discount, EMI and freebie offers.

 

Take a look at exactly how car makers are planning to woo customers and which offer fits your needs the best.

  

Tata launches facelifted Indigo, Sumo, Nano, Indica, CNG variants

New Delhi: Tata Motors on Tuesday launched eight improved and enhanced versions of Tata Indigo eCS, Tata Sumo Gold, Tata Nano and Tata Indica, apart from the Explorer Edition of the Tata Safari Storme.

The new variants come in new colours and graphic designs, enhanced exteriors, improved high-quality suspension to offer a better ride, great multimedia entertainment options and what Tata calls the Feather-shift gearbox (F-shift gearbox).

Besides, Tata also showcased its new CNG range - Tata Indica CNG, Tata Indigo CNG and Tata Nano CNG.

 

Special edition Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 launched in India

 

New Delhi: Italian super car giant Lamborghini on Wednesday launched a limited edition Gallardo LP550-2 in India at a price of Rs. 3.06 crore (ex-showroom in Maharashtra).

The launch marked the 50th anniversary celebrations of the car's manufacturer.

The India limited edition Gallardo will be available in three colours options-- pearl orange (Arancio Borealis), white (Bianco Monocerus) and pearl green (Verde Ithaca) symbolising the Indian tricolour.

The car's exterior will sport a tricoloured stripe running the entire length of the car (from its front bonnet to the roof and engine bonnet).

The optional ‘Cordelia rims’ is standard on the car which has been given a brushed silver finish.

Rich, richer: India clocks 2nd highest HNI population growth

 

New Delhi: The world is home to 1.2 crore millionaires with collective net worth reaching a record high of USD 46.2 trillions, with India clocking the second highest growth of 22.2 per cent in its HNI population last year after Hong Kong, a report said today. 

 

According to the World Wealth Report 2013, released by Capgemini and RBC Wealth Management, the investable wealth of the world's High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) rebounded in 2012, growing by 10 per cent to reach a record high of USD 46.2 trillion, after declining 1.7 per cent in 2011. 

 

As many as one million individuals joined the global HNWI population, which reached 12 million, reflecting an increase of 9.2 per cent. 

 

"HNWI population increases were strong in 2012. However, North America's lead in both population and wealth is likely to be eclipsed again in the future by Asia-Pacific," Capgemini Global Financial Services Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Jean Lassignardie said. 

 

In 2012 North America's population of 3.73 million HNWIs surpassed Asia-Pacific's 3.68 million, while its HNWI wealth reached USD 12.7 trillion, above the USD 12.0 trillion in the Asia-Pacific. 

 

However, in terms of overall wealth growth rate ,Asia -Pacific actually had a higher rate at 12.2 per cent, compared to North America's 11.7 per cent. 

 

Among the Asia Pacific countries, Hong Kong experienced a 35.7 per cent increase in its HNWIs population, followed by India, with 22.2 per cent growth. 

 

The growth in number of HNWIs in India was attributed to positive trends in equity market capitalisation, gross national income, consumption and real estate. 

 

In Asia-Pacific, equity markets responded well to aggressive monetary policy moves. In India, reform measures and monetary easing helped equity markets gain by 23.9 per cent, while strong exports in South Korea partly contributed to a 20.2 per cent gain there. 

 

Going forward the future outlook looks cautiously upbeat, led by Asia-Pacific. 

 

According to the report, global HNWI wealth is forecast to grow by 6.5 per cent annually over the next three years with the Asia-Pacific region projected to grow at one and a half times the global average at 9.8 per cent and is expected to lead global growth. 

 

"Despite a marked focus on capital preservation and high cash allocations, high net worth individuals achieved a record level of wealth in 2012, suggesting further growth lies ahead if trust and confidence in the markets increase further," said M George Lewis, Group Head, RBC Wealth Management & RBC Insurance. 

 

Meanwhile, according to the report, art market continued its recovery with strong growth in emerging markets especially China, Brazil and UAE. 

 

But the same cannot be said about India as it is still at an earlier, more nascent stage in terms of art buying, with HNWIs not yet allocating much of their portfolio into art compared to other emerging markets, the report said.

Have pity on your maid till 31st July

 

Bangalore: You might not be able to avail services of your domestic help till July 31st this month, as the National Platform for Domestic Workers (NPDW) has called the nationwide strike from June 15 and rally to Delhi by July 31.

 

The association is demanding legislation to regulate employment and setting up a board to oversee conditions of work and provide social protection. On June 15, the unions and organizations are rallying from Banappa Park to town hall. 

 

The national care team member in NPDW. She said that the nationwide campaign is supported by 50-60 unions and NGOs who work for the betterment of domestic helpers. 

 

International Labour Organisation (ILO) conceived convention 189 on June 16 which ensures decent work for domestic work and giving equal rights; hence the strike. In India, for name sake there are laws-Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act (2008) and Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (2013). 

 

Even a national policy on domestic helpers with the objective of regulation and extension of welfare measures has been formulated by the ministry of labour but it is yet to be notified. 

 

The activists of the NPDW slammed the government of having failed in enforcing any of the laws to ensure social and legal securities of domestic workers. 

 

Lack of decent wages, work conditions and defined work time, violence, abuse, sexual harassment at workplace, victimization at the hands of traffickers or placement agencies, forced migration, lack of welfare measures and lack of skill development avenues resulting in stagnation are major issues that are responsible for their present condition.

Disaster in the making: Realise or perish before its too late!

 

Not only Uttarakhand, the entire world is trying to cop up with the extreme weather conditions. The heavy rains in India have resulted in death of over 130 people, with at least 102 dying in Uttarakhand alone. While some countries are facing floods, some are suffering with drought and famine. This is the result of the environmental imbalance caused due to the modification of the environment which gives rise to various environmental problems.

The environmental problems include pollution, soil erosion leading to floods, desertification, landslides, deforestation, vulnerable ecosystem in place of more complex and stable ecosystems, depletion of natural resources, waste accumulation, thinning of ozone layer and global warming.

Scientists believe that it is important to take steps to stop global warming where it is otherwise the world will burn down to ashes.

While drought is killing people in the developing countries, it is destroying the economy of the developed countries. The 2012 drought in US is considered to be the biggest drought in the last 50 years. 80% of the crops were destroyed during the drought.


It’s evident that humankind is responsible for this condition of earth. Ever since the industrial era began in 1750, humankind is using coal, petrol, diesel, wood and natural gas in huge mounts which release carbon di oxide (CO2), which is the one of the main green house gases. These materials are being used by the rich and developed countries the most.

According to Sunita Narayan, Centre for Science, it’s sad that developing countries like India are using the same path as that of the developed nations – using all the natural resources in an irresponsible manner. Poor people will face the brunt of the pollution caused. The poor man will suffer from water shortage, food crisis and famine. The poor countries are still managing food, energy, power, electricity, roads, water and business for their people. In such a situation, how will the poor countries contribute in cleaning the atmosphere.

After 1900, in 90 years, on an average, one American has released 43 times the CO2 that has been released by an Indian. But the debate on who will take the responsibility of the clearing CO2 from the environment, is still on. It may be recalled that Australia and America had denied reducing the release of CO2 at meeting held in Kyoto in 1997.

The amount of greenhouse gases – CO2, methane, nitrogen oxide etc – is increasing. In May 2013, it was reported that readings for CO2 taken at the world's primary benchmark site in Mauna Loa surpassed 400 ppm. According to professor Brian Hoskins, this is likely the first time CO2 levels have been this high for about 4.5 million years. The dense cover of the gases is stopping the reflected rays of the sun due to which the temperature is increasing. The level of CO2 is increasing with the gas emission from planes, vehicles and power plants. The balance could not be maintained due to increasing deforestation.

Chlorofluorocarbons are known to deplete ozone, but conventional thinking is the emission of human-made non-CFC gases such as carbon dioxide had mainly contributed to global warming. Scientists say the hole created in the ozone layer is responsible for the increase in temperature.

The temperature has increased by 0.3 to 0.6 degree C in the last 10 years. There is a possibility of increasing global warming due to which a large part of coastal regions will get submerged under water. A time will come when there will be no clean water, fresh food and clean air to breathe.

How to protect yourself from floods and drought

All the countries should follow Kyoto Protocol. According to the protocol, all emission of harmful gases should be minimized.
Use lesser amount of petrol, diesel and electricity.
Stop deforestation.
Plantation

Pakistan violates ceasefire again along LoC; Indian Army foils infiltration bid

Jammu: Pakistani troops violated ceasefire on Wednesday for the fifth time in a fortnight, firing on Indian positions along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir’s Shahpur sector in Poonch.

 

In retaliation, the Indian troops also fired across the LoC, and successfully foiled an infiltration bid by Pakistani militants.

 

The troops had intensified patrolling along the border line in view of reports of attempts of infiltration from across the border.

 

According to reports, four militants wanted to cross border from Krishnaghati area.

 

On June 7, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was killed when Pakistan opened heavy fire with automatic weapons and rockets on Indian posts along the LoC in Poonch sector.

 

Earlier, on May 27, Pakistani troops had pounded Indian posts along the LoC in the Poonch sector with rockets.

 

A Brigadier and two jawans were injured on May 24, when Pakistani troops opened fire on Indian positions along the LoC in Tutmari Gali sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Sushil Kumar Shinde confirms terror threat on Amarnath Yatra

 

New Delhi: Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has confirmed reports that the iconic Amarnath Yatra is under threat from terrorists and the security agencies are working hard to ensure safety of pilgrims.

“There is terror threat to Amarnath yatra and all measures are being taken to ensure security of pilgrims,” he told PTI.

The Amarnath Yatra beginning on June 28 is under threat from Pakistan terrorists as Intelligence sources and the Army have observed the increased militant attempts to penetrate the counter insurgency grid in South Kashmir's Anantnag area.

Reports suggest that many of the terrorists who have crossed borders last month have merged with the local population and are the biggest threat to the pilgrims.

The Army has received inputs that terrorists might try to disrupt the Amarnath Yatra scheduled to commence from June 28, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt General K T Parnaik said on Monday.

"Intelligence inputs which we are receiving suggest that they (terrorists) have intentions to disrupt the Yatra," Parnaik told reporters on the occasion of the Raising Day of the Northern Command.

He, however, said it was difficult to gauge where from these threats were emanating and how the terrorists might try to attack the pilgrimage.

"These warnings are coming, but who these persons are and where from they are coming, how will they strike one doesn't know," he said.

The General said the forces need to maintain a high degree of alert and foil any such attempt made by the anti-national elements.

 

 

Deaths in Gandhi family: Tragic moments of Rahul’s life

New Delhi: Celebrating his 43rd birthday today, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi can be called the ‘most eligible bachelor’ of India. The journey of Rahul Gandhi has gone through several ups and downs. While there are some unpleasant truths about the Gandhi scion, the family has witnessed some tragedies in the family after the marriage of Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Dailybhaskar.com talks about the deaths in Gandhi family which shattered Rahul Gandhi. Click the slides to read more…

 

Rahul’s uncle Sanjay Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi was 10 years old when his uncle and the most controversial son of Gandhi family, Sanjay Gandhi, died. Indian politics blames Sanjay Gandhi for the emergency declared in the country during 1975-77. Besides this, the decision of forceful implementation of family planning and demolishing the slums at Jama Masjid, is still criticised. He died on June 23, 1980 in a plane crash. After the incident, Rahul’s aunt Maneka Gandhi left home along with his son Varun Gandhi.

 

Rahul’s grandmother Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi is the first and the only female prime minister of India so far. She was responsible for wiping out the terrorist group led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale from the Golden Temple in Amritsar after the victory over Pakistan in 1971 war. She was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards on Octobet 31, 1984 as she was held responsible for the 1984 anti Sikh riots in which numerous Sikhs were slaughtered.
  

Rahul’s father Rajiv Gandhi

Indira Gandhi’s death shook the nation. The entire country looked upon Rajiv Gandhi in the disastrous time and the latter held the responsibility of the nation. He was a calm and composed leader. He holds the record of becoming the prime minister with maximum majority. He is considered to be the father of Telecom revolution. He was assassinated on May 21, 1991 in a suicide attack in Perambur, Chennai. LTTE of Sri Lanka had claimed responsibility for the attack.

  

Harbhajan Singh turns counsellor for flood-stranded pilgrims and tourists in Uttarakhand

Dehradun: Cricketer Harbhajan Singh, who has been stranded at Joshimath in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, on Tuesday took the role of a counsellor alongside ITBP personnel as he met a number of pilgrims hit by incessant rains and floods.

 

The cricketer is staying at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp at Joshimath since the last three days after he too could not reach Hemkund Sahib gurudwara due to inclement weather.

 

The off-spinner accompanied ITBP officials to the forces' barracks and campuses on Tuesday where stranded pilgrims are being provided food and medicines and talked to them.

 

"He counselled them (pilgrims and tourists) that all would be well soon and that force personnel and others are trying to bring as much succour as they can. He gave them food and water and spent with them," a senior ITBP official said.

 

The ITBP has deployed close to 600 personnel for relief and rescue operations in the state and has opened up its office and residential buildings for the people to stay.

 

"Our jawans have even emptied their barracks to accommodate the people who are stuck. Every effort is being made to provide food, water and medicines through two private choppers that have been pressed in by the force," the official said.

 

The force has spread its men to rain-hit areas in Kedarnath, Gaurikund, Govindghat, Pandukeswar, Karnaprayag, Badrinath and Uttarkashi.

Dangerous waters: 4 Indians, Polish kidnapped in Nigeria pirate attack

 

New Delhi: Four Indian and Polish crew members were kidnapped last week say security forces when speedboat riding pirates attacked an oil supply vessel off the Nigerian coast. 

In what can be regarded as waters that are becoming increasingly dangerous, the gunmen launched their assault on the Singapore-flagged tugboat MDPL Continental One around 30 nautical miles from land on June 13.

 

The vessel was ransacked after which  four crew were taken hostage .

 

The boat's management company CS Offshore declined to go into further details "in order not to endanger those involved". Pirate attacks off West Africa's mineral-rich Gulf of Guinea have almost doubled from last year and threaten to jeopardise the shipping of commodities from the region. They have already jacked up insurance costs.

 

The attacks are mostly carried out by armed Nigerian gangs also blamed for kidnappings and oil theft on land.

 

Cabinet reshuffle: 'Loyalty' given precedence over 'ability', Congress sacrifices youthful image for social balance?

New Delhi: The Congress has always sought to give an impression that it has its finger firmly on the pulse of the youth by pushing the Gandhi scion Rahul as one of the important leaders of its poll campaign.  Most of the ministers who took oath on Sunday as the new members of the Union Council of Ministers are way past their retirement age.

 

While the average age of the Congress working committee being 52 years, it begs the question if the party is not one of old men, with only Rahul Gandhi at the top giving it a false youthful image. It is indeed significant that among the ministers who took oath on Sunday, JD Seelam is the youngest at 60, while Sisram Ola, a Jat leader from Rajasthan, being a ripe 86 years of age.

 

Ironically, the UPA government, which did not approve the proposal to increase the retirement age of its employees from 60 to 62 years, inducted in its Cabinet such an old minister who even struggled to read the oath. Interestingly, he has been given Labour and Employment Ministry.

 

He is the same minister who was dethroned four years ago for lack of performance. Now, he has been brought back when anyone can imagine what the quality of his performance could be.

 

Though the Congress claims that it has tried to strike a balance between the young and the old, the situation on the ground reveals that the party is anxious about the forthcoming elections in several states, apart from the general elections due next year. 

 

Rajasthan is going for elections later this year. And there is cause for worry for the Congress in the state. With his miserable performance, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has only made things difficult for the party. There are talks that the Congress may be decimated once again in Rajasthan. The party high command needed to contain the damage at least by the fraction. They have tried to appease the Jat vote bank by inducting a Jat minister into the cabinet, besides bringing in another Gandhi family loyalist from the state, Girija Vyas. Sadly, this may not really be sufficient to diffuse the anger of the common man in Rajasthan, including the Jats. The tactic may not help in averting a rout.

 

Several other appointments also have a political foresight, if not shrewd election gimmick. Karnataka has been given special prominence with the induction of one new cabinet minister in the person of Oscar Fernandes, besides giving the plum portfolio of the Railways to Mallikarjuna Kharge. The reward to the state is due to the splendid performance of the state Congress in the recent Assembly elections. The high command is expecting a bounty once again from the state in the coming general elections.

 

Despite already having a sizeable representation, another minister from Andhra Pradesh was inducted. Now, there are a total of 11 ministers in UPA-II from Andhra. The party knows that it has a battle to fight against Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and his YSR Congress in the Assembly elections next year when the state goes for polls.

Villagers kill three men as they panicked on rumours of naked lunatics set out to rape women

Tezpur: In a shocking incident, villagers of Balishiha in Sonitpur district lynched three persons on Wednesday over rumours that naked men were at large to rape women. Lethaly armed villagers were guarding the village when they stopped three men in a car. The three men reportedly attacked the villagers. Suspecting these men to be the rumoured rapists, the villagers retaliated killing all three at the spot.

Sonitpur district SP Arabinda Kalita said the three victims -- Ashutosh Das and Md Jalil of Dhekiajuli, and Prabin Bhawal of Rangapara -- were wanted criminals involved in car lifting and stealing of fuel from cars.

Rumour of the naked men has sparked fear in Tezpur area with people guarding their villages with lethal weapons to protect their women.

The authorities have appealed to the people not to carry lethal weapons during their night patrol. They have also appealed that any such incident should be reported to police. 

 

 

NDMA directs MeT department to chalk-out action plan for spot on weather forecast at pilgrimages

Delhi: The National Disaster Management Authority on Wednesday directed the India Meteorological Department to make weather monitoring and forecasting for the Char Dham pilgrimage more accurate so that disasters like Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath don’t occur in future, or preventive measures be taken to save pilgrims from the natural calamity.

According to reports, the NDMA has directed the MeT to draw up a time bound plan to increase the efficiency of the weather forecast. The department has been directed to take a cue from weather management in the Amarnath Yatra in IMD issues short-term forecasts every day in the morning for various locations on the two routes to the cave.

At least 102 have been confirmed dead in Uttarakhand while the total death toll has reached to 131. Over 72,000 are still stranded across Uttarakhand with the holy town of Kedarnath being the worst hit. Apart from 102 people dead in Uttarakhand, 29 deaths were reported from neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.

Landslides left scores of tourists and pilgrims stranded in the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh while thousands have been displaced in Uttar Pradesh where several rivers are in spate.
 

The state has received 313 mm rainfall so far which is a phenomenal 375 per cent above the normal benchmark of 65.9 mm rainfall that state receives during a normal monsoon. Rudraprayag bore the brunt of the disaster with a large number of structures including shrines, hotels, rest houses, commercial and residential buildings collapsing like a pack of cards in the district.