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- Maharashtra Mantralaya Fire takes away 2 Lives injures 16
- The Topic of Satyamev Jayate Episode 8
- A First Person Encounter with IPS Officer Radha Vinod Raju
- Annual Rath Yatra begins with Zeal and Fervor across India
- All trapped People rescued in Mumbai Mantralaya Fire
- Great June Uprising of Manipur to be displayed on Silver Screen
- Siamese twins Stuti and Aradhna separated after day long surgery
- Now Private Players can operate their Own ATM Machines
- Maharashtra Secretariat trapped in a major Fire, No Casualties
- Oracle CEO Larry Ellison buys Hawai Island
| Maharashtra Mantralaya Fire takes away 2 Lives injures 16 Posted: 21 Jun 2012 01:23 PM PDT
Two charred bodies were recovered from outside Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s office on the sixth floor of the Mantralaya as fire fighters were still engaged in combating the fire that gutted four floors of the building. “Two dead bodies – both males – have been found outside an office on the sixth floor,” a fire official said late Thursday. Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan earlier said that the massive fire that gutted most of the top four floors was now under control. He also ordered a probe by the Crime Branch. Chavan, who held an emergency meeting in the evening, discussed the situation with other ministers and planned alternative arrangements for ministers to function till the situation normalised at the state government’s administrative headquarters. “An inquiry has been ordered. Crime Branch will start an inquiry into the matter,” Chavan told reporters after the meeting. Relief and Rehabilitation Secretary Pravin Pardeshi had said that 65 people trapped on the fifth and sixth floors had been evacuated by Fire Brigade personnel. “There are no more people inside. Fire fighters are combing the place again to check if anyone has been trapped inside,” he said. Of the 16 injured, all were in stable condition barring one, Chavan said. Chief Secretary J. Banthia had also announced at a press conference in the afternoon that all the employees had been evacuated. This press conference also attended by some ministers turned stormy after journalists and a section of secretariat employees demanded to know how such an inferno could spread so fast in a high security complex. Chavan, whose office was gutted, looked sombre as he entered the complex with the building still on fire in the evening. He avoided journalists. Officials said 16 people had suffered varying injuries, with six officials warded in hospitals. Tribal Welfare Minister Babanrao Pachpute was among the first to try to fight the massive fire, before realising its extent and escaping.
“I was working in my chamber. Suddenly, I heard an explosion and saw a lot of smoke coming out,” Pachpute, whose office is on the fourth floor, told media persons. Believing it to be a minor fire, he grabbed a fire extinguisher and attempted to douse it, he said, adding he escaped with another minister after realising the extent of the blaze. Some employees escaped via pipes and cables outside. “I climbed down a water pipe to escape the flames,” said a breathless man who said that others made similar attempts to escape by clutching to thick electricity cables and drainage pipes. There were frightening scenes as employees, including women, in the higher floors frantically tried to get out. Many crowded balconies or perched on window sills and on ledges outside the windows. All of them were taken down by the Mumbai Fire Service using lift ladders. A total of 21 fire tenders fought the fire which first broke out on the floor four at 2.15 p.m., as thick dark clouds of smoke billowed from the windows, darkening the Mumbai sky. Authorities said a strong breeze from the sea helped the fire to spread to higher floors and to other sections of the vast building. Officials admitted a sea of official documents had been destroyed. A main control tower atop the building which is linked to all the district headquarters in the state was damaged and rendered non-functional in the blaze, besides furniture and fittings, computers, original files and documents of various departments pertaining to important official decisions. Earlier, a man who escaped claimed that some 50 people were trapped in the building, spreading panic. Rescue workers appealed to those trapped to get to the roof for rescue by navy helicopters. Several Marine Commandos joined the rescue operations. Throughout the fire, more and more fire engines with their sirens wailing raced to the burning Mantralaya from other parts of the city. Some 1,500 men and women work in the landmark building, in the heart of South Mumbai. It gets an equal number of visitors every day. |
| The Topic of Satyamev Jayate Episode 8 Posted: 21 Jun 2012 09:45 AM PDT
You may not be aware but India is ranked 2nd in the world of the number of children suffering from malnutrition, after Bangladesh where 47% of the children exhibit a degree of malnutrition. The 2011 Global Hunger Index (GHI) Report ranked India 15th, amongst leading countries with hunger situation. The show would be aired on Sunday June 24 at 11AM on DD National and Star Plus in 6 languages including Hindi, Telugu, Tamil , Malayalam, Marathi and Bengali. Apart from Star Plus, the show will also have simulcast on STAR World, STAR Utsav, STAR Pravah, STAR Jalsha, Asianet and STAR Vijay within the STAR Network and Eanadu TV. UN estimates that 2.1 million Indian children die before reaching the age of 5 every year – four every minute – mostly from preventable illnesses such as diarrhoea, typhoid, malaria, measles and pneumonia which can be primarily attributed to Malnutrition. More than one third of the world's malnourished children live in India and among these, half of them under 3 are underweight.
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| A First Person Encounter with IPS Officer Radha Vinod Raju Posted: 21 Jun 2012 09:32 AM PDT
IPS Officer Radha Vinod Raju is no more, but he shall always be regarded as a man of honor and an Inspirational Figure for all aspiring IPS Officer. M.R. Narayan Swamy was in frequent contact with Raju and had a good friendship with him. He dictates the unknown facts about the Life of Radha Vinod Raju He was a devout Hindu who always kept a Bhagawat Gita by his side. He was secular to the core. He was a thorough professional, never showed bias, treated everyone fairly, and never compromised to go up the ladder. Above all, Radha Vinod Raju, the first head of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) who died Thursday, was an excellent human being. I came to know Raju when he headed the team that investigated Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. In that capacity, he literally chased – in Bollywood style, using every means of transport including helicopters – every suspect on the run in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere. “There were times,” he once told me in Srinagar, “when we were up all through the night. We would net one chap but another would slip away. We wouldn’t rest till we caught the guys we wanted. Before it all got over, the LTTE realised it was facing an unbeatable foe in the CBI.” By the time the hunt and the trial proved the involvement of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Gandhi’s killing, Raju became a virtual walking encyclopedia on the LTTE and its now dead chief Velupillai Prabhakaran. He could recall exact words of each and every comment the LTTE and any of its members, senior or junior, had ever made on India, Gandhi, Indian politicians and the costly Indian military adventure in Sri Lanka in 1987-90. He remembered accurately even titles and page numbers of LTTE publications and duration of LTTE videos. “He is consumed by the LTTE!” his wife remarked at their house. Raju would proudly recall that it was he who signed the Indian document urging Sri Lanka to extradite Prabhakaran. But unlike many in his tribe, Raju never let any of his professional successes go to his head. In some ways, he was a spiritual person, one without ego. He was humble to the core and married to upright values. A Konkani Malayali who was at equal ease in English, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil and Malayalam besides Konkani, Raju began his career in a bank where he met his future wife, Achamma, a Syrian Christian. He was a devoted husband and he doted on his daughters Renu and Sindhu and grandchildren. He joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1975. After earning laurels in Kerala as a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer, he moved to Jammu and Kashmir, to whose cadre he belonged. There he held several senior posts from the time militancy erupted. In the years he served in the Kashmir Valley, he gained the reputation as an officer who never discriminated on the basis of religion or community. He was spotlessly clean. I sat unobtrusively in his Srinagar office when he chided a officer for seeking funds to increase the height of his house boundary wall. “This is unacceptable,” Raju said. “We officers can’t be seen to be living in forts when people are asked to fight militancy.” On another occasion, he told a young police officer: “Great work! But do not wait for the terrorists to come. Find out where they are and hit them!” He was very proud of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and did not take kindly to attempts, including by the army, to run it down. “But for the Kashmir Police,” he told me, “militancy can never be controlled.” Although he was otherwise low profile and also very considerate to everyone, including young scholars who sought him on Kashmir and LTTE affairs, he could be tough if the situation demanded. He never courted any controversy and spoke to the media on a need-to-know basis. He shunned VIPs outside of official duty. After retiring as the first head of NIA, Raju devoted plenty of time to writing and lecturing on security affairs. He was a voracious reader too. The government consulted him regularly on security issues. During the end, Raju despaired that Indian leaders were not uniting on matters of security and strategic affairs. Only in May the Central Vigilance Commission made him a member of its board to help crack cases of fraud. But God, in His wisdom, had other plans for Raju. (M.R. Narayan Swamy is Executive Editor at IANS. He can be contacted at narayan.swamy@ians.in) |
| Annual Rath Yatra begins with Zeal and Fervor across India Posted: 21 Jun 2012 08:25 AM PDT
The festival marks the annual journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, deities from the 12th century Jagannath Temple, in three colourfully deckedup wooden chariots to the temple of Devi Gundicha (their aunt). The celebration ends nine days later with Bahuda Yatra (return journey) to their temple. As the chariots rolled at 3pm, the sea of crowd moved in unison, like waves, singing, dancing and waving hands. The chariots reached the Gundicha Temple, about two kilometres away, three hours later. If you are unable to visit Puri, you can view it online by Clicking here In Kolkata, CM Mamata Banerjee tugged the rope of the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra to throw open the annual Rath Yatra organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Banerjee, who took part in the rituals, distributed prasadam before lending a hand to pull the rope of the chariots. The chariots would be kept at the Brigade Parade Ground for the next seven days before making the return journey or Ulta Rath. “Today, the nation is celebrating Lord Jagannath’s Ratha Yatra. I am also participating in Ratha Yatra at Kolkata. Lord Jagannath helps in overcoming obstacles, evils and forge ahead with courage and right conscience,” she said. “My prayer to the Lord is to seek blessings to usher in peace, prosperity, happiness and awakening conscience in this beautiful world,” Banerjee posted on Facebook. In Ahmedabad Gujarat, CM Narendra Modi flagged off the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath |
| All trapped People rescued in Mumbai Mantralaya Fire Posted: 21 Jun 2012 07:27 AM PDT
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chauhan, whose office was gutted, looked sombre as he entered the complex with the building still on fire in the evening. He avoided journalists. Officials said 16 people had suffered varying injuries, with six officials warded in hospitals. But Journalists and Employees of Secretariat were furious over such a fire in building of such a high security. There were frightening scenes as employees, including women, in the higher floors frantically tried to get out. Many crowded balconies or perched on window sills and on ledges outside the windows. All of them were taken down by the Mumbai Fire Service using lift ladders. “I climbed down a water pipe to escape the flames,” said a breathless man who said that others made similar attempts to escape by clutching to thick electricity cables and drainage pipes. But more than four hours after the fire first broke out on the floor four at 2.15 p.m., two dozen fire tenders continued to fight the flames. Thick dark clouds of smoke billowed from the windows, darkening the Mumbai sky. Authorities said a strong breeze from the sea helped the fire to spread to higher floors and to other sections of the vast building. Officials admitted a sea of official documents had been destroyed. Earlier, a man who escaped claimed that some 50 people were trapped in the building, spreading panic. Rescue workers appealed to those trapped to get to the roof for rescue by navy helicopters. Several Marine Commandos joined the rescue operations. As many as 30 fire tenders battled the blaze and rigorous efforts were made to douse the fire. Navy helicopters and anti-terrorist unit Force One were also rushed for the rescue operations. Around 3000 people were evacuated from the building. Throughout the fire, more and more fire engines with their sirens wailing raced to the burning Mantralaya from other parts of the city. The landmark building, in the heart of South Mumbai, employs some 1,500 men and women. Every day it gets an equal number of visitors. Thousands of officials at Mantralaya, which houses the state Secretariat, were seen standing outside as fire fighters battled the blaze, which was suspected to have been caused by a short-circuit. State Forest Minister Patang Rao said, “I am confident that all the important files will be safe and intact.” |
| Great June Uprising of Manipur to be displayed on Silver Screen Posted: 21 Jun 2012 06:34 AM PDT Young filmmaker Mohen Naorem, who is making a documentary on infamous June 18 massacre in 2001 says his aim is to create awareness among youngsters so that they don’t forget the past. The 50-minute documentary titled “The Uprising” is not only a tribute to the 18 people who had laid down their lives for the cause of Manipur’s integrity in 2001 but also to make the younger generation aware about the historical event. “Eleven years on, who remembers those brave Manipuris? Can someone from the younger generation tell me the name of one hero who was killed in the Great June uprising? I doubt. Only the family members remember their loved ones, who sacrificed their lives for the integrity of Manipur, their motherland,” Naorem, the producer and director of the documentary, told IANS. “We are planning to use the real video footage of the 2001 incident collected from various sources,” he said, adding that he is planning to release the film by August. On June 18, 2001, Manipur witnessed the biggest mass uprising when about 1,000 people came out to the streets opposing the centre’s decision to extend the ceasefire with the militant National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) to areas in the state. The Manipuris saw the move as the beginning of an attempt to slice territory out of their state to be handed over to Nagaland as part of the NSCN-IM’s demand for a Greater Nagaland. (The NSCN-IM is led by Isak Chisi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah) The protestors also torched the Manipur assembly building, the chief minister’s office, the speaker’s residence and other government establishments. A total of 18 protestors – a woman, three minors and 14 young men – were killed and many others were injured that day when the security forces eventually opened fire to quell the frenzied mob. A massive civil disobedience movement followed and state capital Imphal was under curfew for nearly a month until July 24 when the then prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, announced that the ceasefire with the NSCN (IM) would once again be restricted only to Nagaland, as had been the case ever since it first came into force on Aug 1, 1997. Every year, thousands of people gather around the memorial built in memory of the bravehearts at Kekrupat, located at the northern side of historical Kangla Fort, and take a pledge together to protect the territorial integrity of Manipur at any cost. “Ten years have already passed after the historic day. We have been observing the day as Integrity Day every year after 2001. However, mere observance of the day is not sufficient,” said Naorem, adding that his aim is to document the event for the coming generations of Manipuris. “We want to teach the coming generation about the supreme sacrifice made by those 18 innocent people. If we could not keep a proper record, their contributions would be lost to history. We are not against any particular community or the government. The sole purpose of this documentary is to pay a tribute to those noble souls who were much ahead of us in sacrificing for the motherland,” he added. |
| Siamese twins Stuti and Aradhna separated after day long surgery Posted: 21 Jun 2012 05:39 AM PDT Siamese twins Stuti and Aradhna were successfully separated after a day-long complex surgery conducted by a team of 34 medical experts, including 23 doctors, drawn from India and abroad. The complicated surgical procedure was carried out at Missionary Hospital in Padhar here. The one-year-old sisters, who were joined at heart and liver, were wheeled into the operation theatre at around 8 am. The actual surgery began at 9 am and it lasted till around 9 pm, hospital sources said. Stuti was first to be wheeled out of the operation theatre. Both have been kept on ventilators and they will be under close medical observation for about 48 hours, they said. In a four-phase operation, the twins were first given anaesthesia. After nearly two hours, a team of surgeons separated their heart which was again transplanted into them in two pieces. During the third phase, surgeons separated their livers through a critical surgery. In the last phase, their other body parts were separated and sealed as required under such surgeries, the sources said. Stuti was finally separated from Aradhna and was kept in NICU, while Aradhna remained inside the operation theatre. Hospital Superintendent Dr Rajiv Choudhry expressed satisfaction over the surgery and said he was happy with the outcome. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had paid Rs 20 lakh from the Chief Minister’s discretionary fund for the duo’s expensive surgery. |
| Now Private Players can operate their Own ATM Machines Posted: 21 Jun 2012 05:12 AM PDT Now any non-banking entities with a minimum networth of Rs 100 crore have been allowed to set up, own and operate money dispensing machines on behalf of banks. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in a notification said the automatic teller machines (ATMs) operated by non-banking entities will be known as ‘White Label ATMs’ (WLAs). Each of these new ATM operator will have a bank sponsoring them, RBI said. All services offered by regular ATMs will be available at white Label dispensers as well with existing debit or credit cards issued by banks. Customers of all banks can use the new ATM network. So far only banks are allowed to set up and operate money dispensing machines in the country which has nearly 90,000 ATMs. Non-bank entities intending to set up WLAs under these guidelines may approach RBI for seeking specific authorisation within four months from the date of issuance of these guidelines, RBI said. Such non-bank entities should have a minimum networth of Rs 100 crore as per the latest financial year’s audited balance sheet, it said, adding the networth of at least Rs 100 crore has to be maintained at all times. Although there has been nearly 23-25 per cent annual growth in the number of ATMs, their deployment has been predominantly in tier I and II cities. In spite of the banks’ pioneering efforts in this direction, much needs to be done, it said, adding, there is a need to expand the reach of ATMs in Tier III to VI cities |
| Maharashtra Secretariat trapped in a major Fire, No Casualties Posted: 21 Jun 2012 05:08 AM PDT
Close to two hours after it was first noticed near the cabin of Tribal Welfare Minister Babanrao Pachpute on the fourth floor, the fire continued to rage till late in the afternoon even as fire fighters battled the leaping flames. According to Relief Works Minister Patangrao Kadam, the fire broke out due to a short circuit. While two people have been admitted to a hospital due to suffocation, several others are still trapped inside the building. Thick smoke was seen outside the windows of the fourth floor of the building and no causalities have been reported so far. The offices of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, the Deputy Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary have been gutted by the fire. Chavan, it was reported, was not present in his office at the time of the incident. According to latest reports, files related to the Adarsh Housing Society scam could also be lost in the fire. Sixteen fire tenders were rushed to the spot and efforts have been on to douse the fire. Navy helicopters and anti-terrorist unit force one have also been rushed for the rescue operations. Maharashtra Chief Secretary ordered immediate evacuation of the entire building, sources said. Thousands of officials at Mantralaya, which houses the state Secretariat, were seen standing outside as fire fighters battled the blaze, which was suspected to have been caused by a short-circuit. State Forest Minister Patang Rao said, “I am confident that all the important files will be safe and intact.” The eyewitnesses said that the fire broke out around 3 pm and now the area has been cordoned off. The Chronology of Fire is as Follows
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| Oracle CEO Larry Ellison buys Hawai Island Posted: 21 Jun 2012 04:17 AM PDT Billionaire Oracle CEO Larry Ellison bought 98 percent of Hawaiis sixth-largest island, Lanai, the states governor announced on Wednesday. Ellison, ranked in 2012 as Americas third-richest man, is purchasing the property from fellow billionaire David Murdock. Murdocks Castle and Cooke Inc, which owns all but 2 percent of Lanais 141 square miles (365 square km), filed a transfer application with Hawaiis Public Utilities Commission. Previous media reports put the price tag at between $500 million and $600 million, but the price was not revealed in Wednesdays filing. ‘It is my understanding that Mr. Ellison has had a long standing interest in Lanai. His passion for nature, particularly the ocean, is well known specifically in the realm of Americas Cup sailing,’ Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie said in a statement. ‘We look forward to welcoming Mr. Ellison in the near future.’ Once known for its pineapple fields, Lanai is now visited for its two Four Seasons resorts, golf courses and luxury housing. Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates booked every hotel room on the island for his 1994 wedding. In March, Forbes listed Ellison, 67, as the worlds sixth-wealthiest man, with a net worth of $36 billion. A yachting enthusiast, he won the Americas Cup in 2010 and brought the 2013 Americas Cup Finals to San Francisco |
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