IIM-A fee doubled to Rs. 5.5 lakh

The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, on Saturday announced a quantum jump in its fees structure raising it from the present Rs. 2.5 lakh per annum to Rs. 5.5 lakh per annum for the first year and Rs. 6 lakh for the second year of the two-year post-graduate programme in management.
The decision was taken at the annual meeting of the Board of governors of the IIM-A held here on Saturday just before its 43rd annual convocation later in the evening addressed by the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Despite reports that both the Central and the State government nominees on the IIM-A Board were opposed to such astronomical rise in fees at one go, a spokesman of the IIM-A claimed that the fee hike decision was “unanimous.” The spokesman claimed that the government nominees were present at the Board meeting and agreed to the proposal.

'The Wall' breaches 10,000 mark !!!

Words cannot describe the services of "Rahul Sharad Dravid" to Indian cricket. He has now crossed 10,000 runs in Test Cricket(ofcourse, he has gone past 10,000 runs in one day cricket previously) and is only the third Indian to do so after the two geniuses, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. He may not have the sheer talent of Tendulkar or the flambouyance of Ponting nor the silken touch of Lara, but he posseses a strong technique and a great commitment to his side. He is also just the sixth player overall to achieve this feat behind Gavaskar, Border, Lara, Sachin and Steve Waugh. That is an elite bunch of players with wonderful batting talents. Dravid joined Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara as the only two players with 10,000 runs in both Tests and one-dayers. It's a particularly significant achievement for Dravid, because of the number of challenges he needed to overcome in ODIs.

The fact that he has maximized all his limited talents, worked hard in the nets and in the middle and given his everything for the team speaks volumes about this man's passion for cricket. He is a great student of cricket and constantly tries to improve his game.

He is also a person who has given India lots of wins in Tests, both in terms of home and away matches. His team mates respect him for his commitment and i think people like Dhoni, Yuvraj and Sehwag should learn a lot from this great servant of Indian Cricket.

He has been constantly criticized for his slow nature of run scoring but he has been given the responsibility to play around for long periods and others play around him. He goes about doing his job with little fuss.

He along with his Test Captain Kumble are a great role models for anyone who aspires to work hard to achieve their goal, both on and off the cricket field.

Kumble - Excellent Role Model, on and off the field.

Anil kumble - Captain of the Indian Cricket's Test team, is a man who is seldom lauded for his great services for the Indian cricket. His bowling has won a lot of matches for his team single handedly. Yet, we in India, somehow take those 600 odd wickets for granted. A Tendulkar's century or a match winning knock from Yuvraj Singh or a thunderous six by MS Dhoni is applauded but a 5-wicket haul from Kumble gets unnoticed. Kumble is a work-horse, a relentless bowler and an ultimate team man.

It took BCCI 17 years to recognise his deeds to the Indian Team and without choice gave him the captaincy last year. The result was an exceptional win over Pakistan in a test series at home after 27 years and a creditable performance against the Aussies in their home turf where other teams didnot even find the will to challenge the Aussies.

Kumble's handling of the Harbhajan issue was exceptional. These words were uttered by the whole team and he behaved well within the spirit of the game which his Aussie conterpart lacked. The team inspired by its captain went on to win in Perth which was the place where Indians were supposed to be dancing to the tunes of Mr. Shaun Tait, which was quiet another story.

But the BCCI, which showered cash prizes to the winning one day team, they forgot Kumble who has taken 600 wickets on the same tour. After lots of criticism from all quarters, they felicitated Kumble on the eve of the Chennai test match. I think this recognition is a bit late for a selfless cricketer like Anil.

He is also a role madel off the field too. He joined hands in helping the Shakthi Foundation based in Chennai for handicapped and visually challenged children. In an incident in the function, a handicapped teenager said his dream would be to talk to his Idol, Harsha Bhogle. Anil immediatedly, took his mobile and called Harsha to have a few words with the teenager. This may be a small gesture but this incident shows his great heart and his care for his fellow country man.

Thats why, Anil is respected not only to his team mates but also across all the people. Anil Kumble is an excellent role model, on and off the field and more importantly a great human being

Nawaz Sharif to boycott PM swearing-in ceremony

PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif will boycott the swearing-in ceremony of Pakistan's new prime minister on Tuesday to protest against Pervez Musharraf's presence whom he has called "an illegal and unconstitutional" President.

Asif Ali Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan People's Party that is heading the coalition government, was yet to decide whether he would attend the ceremony.The new premier who will head the coalition government being formed by PPP, PML (N) and ANP will be sworn in by Musharraf during the ceremony to be held at 11 AM on Tuesday at the Aiwan-e-Sadr or presidency.

Nawaz and Asif Ali Zardari are reportedly unhappy with the presence of President Pervez Musharraf and so they are almost certain to boycott the function. Nawaz and Musharraf do not have a healthy relationship. After all, it was Musharraf who lead the coup against the then PM Nawaz Sharif and the subsequent exile of Nawaz Sharif in Dubai.

Agni-I test-fired successfully

The fully operational 700 km, Agni-I has been test fired and the best part is it is entirely operated by the Indian Military, as they are the ones who will operationalise this missile in the future. This perhaps is another feather in the cap of DRDO(Defence Research and Development Organisation). This portrays India's strength in missile technology and it also sustains its position as the leader in military capabilities in South-East Asia.

The missile soared majestically at 10.15 a.m. from a road-mobile launcher, a huge truck, on the Integrated Test Range on the island. It cut a parabolic path across the sky, climbed into space and dived into the Bay of Bengal, reaching a distance of 700 km. Its re-entry system worked flawlessly.

Kimi sets Sepang on fire

Kimi Raikkonen proved his mettle today with a stunning victory at the Sepang Race Circuit in Malaysia. He cruised to victory with a comfortable 19 seconds lead over Robert Kubica who came second (a career best for him and this gives BMW its second podium of the season). McLaren rookie Heikki Kovalainen came third which is also his career best and his maiden podium finish.Kimi, in his wonderful Ferrari had a near perfect race winning it comfortably in the end.
The race was completely dominated by Ferrari who maintained a one-two position for most of the race. Felipe Massa was in the lead for 17 laps and looked as if he was set for another victory but a faster pit stop put team-mate Kimi ahead. Massa drove with his usual fire but lost control and skidded out of the track in the 31st lap forcing him to retire early.
Jarno Trulli of Toyota gave a rare performance, carrying forward his form from the second row start and held on to his third position for most of the race before dropping one place. He performed impressively in the last five laps when McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton began chasing him. In a close call, he managed to keep Lewis at bay securing a hard fought fourth place.
McLaren driver, Kovalainen gave a controlled performance, quietly taking third place without much fanfare earning him the first podium of his career. The real surprise was the fate of the other McLaren driver, Lewis Hamilton who began in ninth place and was steadily moving up the pack but a forced pit-stop in the 19th lap due to excessive wear-out of his front tyres put him back to 11th place. From then on he fought his way back to finish in fifth place.
Giancarlo Fisichella of Force India came in 12th place, a marked improvement for the team, after their unfortunate start in the Australian GP last week even though Adrian Sutil had to retire early.Vijay Mallya is reportedly very happy with the team's marked improvement in this race.

Alonso to join Ferrari in 2009 ?

After a rough year in McClaren, the Spanish F1 driver and champion of 2006 season, Alonso looks calm and composed this season in his Renault team. Renault is where everything started for Alonso. He had a great year of 2006, where he challenged the great Michael Schumacher, and also won the season's championship. Things didnot carve out well for the Spaniard in McClaren in 2007. There was bitter rivalry between him and his fellow McClaren driver Lewis Hamilton. Ron Davis, the McClaren boss had a tough time in persuding with both of them. In the end, it was Ferrari's Kimi Raikonnen, who was laughing all the way to the Championship medal.

Back to 2008, and Alonso is all smiles with his Renault team, though his title challenge is quite weak. The latest news being that, Alonso might join Ferrari in 2009.

"We are at the second race of 2008 and it is too early to start talking about next year. We must all be calm and see later," Alonso replied when queried about his move towards Ferrari in 2009.

But there is no smoke without fire, right ?

So, checkout this space for more about this news from F1.

Darell Hair reinstated

Darrell Hair has vowed to improve his communication with players following his re-appointment to the ICC's elite panel of umpires earlier this week.Darell Hair was reinstated by ICC after he was suspended for his alleged role in the Oval test where Pakistan was declared forefeiting the match.
The 55-year-old Australian umpire was demoted following his role in the Oval Test match between England and Pakistan in August 2006, which led to the first forfeit in 129 years of Test match cricket..
"I won't say my whole attitude to umpiring has changed but I think I have picked up a few things that are going to be very helpful to me in the future," Hair

He added: "I've always been a little bit stand-offish in that I've always preferred to let them play the game themselves and only get involved when things go overboard.
"Probably just having a broader understanding of what everybody else is thinking and the old communication issue of making sure that what you say and what you want is understood by the other people."
Hair's reappointment has been criticised in Pakistan with former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, who led the team in the controversial Oval Test, describing the ICC's decision as a "shocker".
However, Hair is unconcerned by such a reaction and is instead focused on re-establishing his umpiring career.
"I've got no comment on anyone else's reaction really," he said.

Inflation on a 11 month high, at 5.92%.

Inflation surged by 0.81 per cent to over 11-month high of 5.92 per cent for the week ended March 8 as essential items like fruits and vegetables and pulses as well as some manufactured items turned expensive. The FM Mr.Chidambaram, has repeatedly reiterated that inflation has been the big worry for the government.Also, the Left parties has been gunning for the UPA government for its alleged lacklustre performance in curbing price increase
The whopping rise in inflation rate would not allow RBI to go for soft monetary stance as it is way above the central bank's tolerance level of five per cent for this fiscal, analysts said.
The wholesale prices-based inflation stood at 5.11 per cent in the previous week.
The spurt in inflation rate happened despite a high base of 6.51 per cent a year ago.
During the week, food articles like arhar, gram, moong, maize, fruits and vegetables as well as condiments and spices went dearer.
Prices of furnace oil, which is industrial oil, went up by 2 per cent. Manufactured products like imported edible oil, coconut oil, and mustard oil also turned dearer.
The Government had announced a ban on export of all edible oils with effect from March 17 for a period of one year to curb their rising prices.

Actor Raghuvaran Passes away

The quintessential psychopathic baddie of Tamil cinema, the man who gave villainy on screen a good name, Raghuvaran died here at a private hospital after battling personal demons and a few other debilitating physical problems. He was 49.
Raghuvaran is survived by his former wife actress Rohini (the couple had divorced) and their son, Nanda.
Raghuvaran had been unwell for the last few years and had taken a sabbatical from active films for some time. Sivapathigaram, released some time last year, marked his comeback. After that he was a regular figure acting in big films including Rajnikanth’s Sivaji. His last release was however Sila Nerangalil and Bheema.

Raghuvaran known to be close to Superstar Rajnikanth leaves behind a big void in Tamil Cinema and his works will remain evergreen.

No plea from India on Sarabjit's behalf: Pak

Pakistan on Tuesday said it has not received any official communication from the Indian government seeking clemency for its national Sarabjit Singh. Singh will be hanged on April 01 for his alleged involvement in terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Interior ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said there has not been any official contact by the Indian government on the issue of clemency for Sarabjit, who is set to be executed following the rejection of his mercy petition by President Pervez Musharraf.

"As far as I know his hanging is fixed for April 1. We have not received any official communication (from India) in this regard," he said when asked at a weekly news briefing if the Indian government had submitted any plea on Sarabjit's behalf. However, sources said the Indian government had not yet received any official confirmation from Pakistani authorities about Sarabjit's execution. The Pakistan government is also yet to respond to the Indian High Commission's request for consular access to Sarabjit to confirm the reports that he is to be hanged, the sources told reporters. "There are only media reports that Sarabjit is to be hanged and consular access had been sought to confirm these reports," a source said.

Hamilton wins Australian Grand Prix

In a race which had 5 different drivers in the top 6 positions, Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain had a near perfect race leading from the pole to the finish line. Australian Grand Prix generally is full of great drama and this year is no exception. Being the first race of the 2008 calendar year, all the teams were fully equipped for a riveting season.

The Englishman dominated from the start in his McLaren to beat Nick Heidfeld's BMW Sauber and Nico Rosberg's Williams. Rosberg's third place was the best result of his career in his third full season.

Ferraris had a disastrous oting with both the ferrari cars failing to finish past chequered flag. But the best part for Raikkonen is that he is allowed to change to a new engine for the next race in Sepang,Malaysia due to a mechanical failure this time.

Now to Spaniard Alonso. He had a good race with his Renault finishing Fourth. This is a commendable effort taking into consideration the car he was driving which is much less superior in comparison with the McClarens and Ferraris.

And for all those Force India fans, it was disappointing week.Though they are not expected to win any points throughout this season with the help of a customer Ferrari engine, they are expected to atleast finish the race. This didnot happen.

Thats the analysis of the first race of the season kicked off in Melbourne this weekend.

See u all in Sepang, Malaysia.

Provisional results from Australian Grand Prix:
1. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes 58 laps one hour 34 minutes 50.616 seconds

2. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber +5.478 secs

3. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota +8.163

Lhasa simmers as chinese crackdown escalates in Tibet

Lhasa was under curfew, but protests against Chinese rule continued in the Tibetan capital on Saturday, a day after at least 25 people were killed in the most serious outbreak of violence in nearly two decades in the Buddhist region.
The “siege” of Lhasa’s three major monasteries — Jokhang, Sera and Drepung — by Chinese security forces continued for a second day as Tibetan authorities directed rioters to surrender by midnight on Monday or face punishment.
“Criminals who do not surrender by the deadline will be sternly punished according to the law,” a notice put out by the Tibetan government said on Saturday. Authorities said the “sabotage” in Lhasa was “organised, premeditated and masterminded” by the Dalai Lama.
The statements seemed to point to an imminent crackdown and tighter controls over monasteries, which have become the fount of seething resentment over Chinese rule in the erstwhile Buddhist kingdom.
Friday’s bloody crackdown on demonstrators set off a wave of protests by human rights activists in cities around the world, raising demands for a boycott of the Olympics later this year.
Tibetan sources told that Lhasa resembled a “ghost town” on Saturday after communication links, including telephone and internet connections, with the outside world were cut off.
Danish tourist Bente Walle said many people were tying white prayer scarves on doors. “The Tibetans put them on their doors to tell everybody: Here is a Tibetan.”

Oil prices at an all time high, crosses 110$/barrel

Many in the business world believe this is just the starting of what will be an overwhelming shortage in crude oil in years to come. That as they say,"Dreaded times are yet to come". Oil prices have rosen to new levels, to levels which could leave a big shortage in crude oil. Oil price this wednesday reached $110/barrel.

In late morning trade, New York's main contract, light sweet crude for April delivery, traded briefly at 108.90 dollars a barrel, up 15 cents from its record closing high of 108.75 dollars on Tuesday.
At 12:00 pm (0400 GMT), the contract has eased to 108.64 dollars.
New York prices spiked to a new all-time high of 109.72 dollars Tuesday, putting it to within touching distance of the 110-dollar mark.
London's Brent North Sea crude for April delivery gained three cents to 105.28 dollars a barrel from its record close of 105.25. The contract traded at a new high of 105.82 on Tuesday.
"The oil market is really soaring to unprecedented heights primarily due to funds and the speculators putting money into oil and other commodities," said Victor Shum, an analyst with Purvin and Gertz energy consultancy in Singapore.
"Money always looks for better returns," he said, adding investors who are flush with cash see commodities offering "a hedge against the weakening dollar and inflation."

So, i urge all people to conserve energy, else we may be left extinct of crude oil.

Chuck De Hockey !!!

Indian Hockey has reached rock bottom by not even qualifying for Beijing Olympics this year. India lost to Great Britain 0-2 in the Finals of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament which took place in Santiago, thus they dont deserve to play in the 2008 Olympics. For the people of India, whose national sport is hockey, this comes as a rude shock. India had long reigned in Hockey winning 8 Gold medals and 3 silver medals in the Olympics.But over the past decade they have been maintaining a clean sheet in their medals tally in all the tournaments. Its highly embarrasing to lose to a team like Great Britain which is sort of a new kid in Hockey. Indian Hockey administration, the IHF should rightly take responsibility for this debacle. This is once again a crude reminder of how badly hockey has been run in this country.

Cricket seems to be the darling of the public, the media, the politicians and everyone. But Cricketers apart from great facilities have maintained their position in the top 3 or 4 in the world throghout the past decade or so. So, the indian Hockey team and the IHF are to be blamed completely.

Chuck out officials of IHF and build an adsministration involving ex-hockey players and technicians who love the game.

And for MR.K.P.S.GILL, " Sorry, you have overstayed your welcome!!!"

TVS forays into the three wheeler market

After a substantial market share in the two wheeler market, market giant TVS has now plunged into the three wheeler market.TVS Motor Company (TVSM) on Sunday formally launched its debutante autorickshaw TVS King, in LPG and petrol versions, marking its foray into the three-wheeler market.
The on-road price of the vehicle ranges between Rs 90,000 and Rs 1.3 lakh, depending on the models and the State in which the vehicle is being sold.
The Tamil Nadu Minister for Rural Development and Local Administration, Mr M.K. Stalin, launched the vehicle in the presence of the Transport Minister, Mr K.N. Nehru.
Describing auto-drivers as chauffeurs for the middle class in the country, Mr Stalin said the TVS King impressed him to the extent of choosing a three-wheeler to a car, especially for commuting in the city. On the cards
Addressing the media, the Chairman and Managing Director of TVSM, Mr Venu Srinivasan, said the three-wheeler would add Rs 400 crore to the top line of the company in 18 months.
During 2008-09 the company would sell 30,000 units, which will include a four-stroke CNG version (to be launched in July) for places like Delhi.
Within 18 months the company would notch up to 30 per cent market share, he added.

So, lets wait and watch for this new three wheeler giant and its good time for auto rickshaw owners as atleast they have some options this time.

Bhupathi wins yet another doubles title at the Dubai Open

Mahesh Bhupathi has done it again. After all the controversies regarding the Davis Cup and the apparent opposition letter against his one time Indian Doubles partner Leander Paes, Bhupathi is back doing what he does best and that is winning doubles title, this time in the Dubai Open.

Fourth seeds Mahesh Bhupathi of India and Mark Knowles of the Bahamas picked up their second title in as many weeks with a 7-5, 7-6 (7) win over third seeds Martin Damm and Pavel Vizner at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships yesterday.
Both pairs were chasing their second ATP title of the season. Damm and Vizner won last month in Marseille, while Bhupathi and Knowles were fresh from their win in Memphis last weekend.
The match was the closest it could get with Bhupathi and Knowles gelling well to keep Damm and Vizner at bay. The Czechs had the first chance to break in the 11th game on Knowles' serve. But Knowles held and then broke on Vizner's serve to win the set 7-5 in 42 minutes.
The second set was even closer with the tie-break the only way out after some exciting tennis on centre court. The Czechs had the upper hand in the tie-breaker, but Bhupathi and Knowles complemented each other well to win 9-7.
Bhupathi won the Dubai title in 1998 and 2004, while Knowles previously triumphed here in 2002.
Bhupathi and Knowles have won their last eight matches in straight sets, and this was the 49th doubles title for Knowles, while Bhupathi picked up his 43rd career crown.

Brand Sachin at an all time high

Who would have thought that after nearly 19 years in International Cricket, Indian cricket star Sachin Tendulkar would still be the the most sort after brand in India? Thats primarily a tribute to the cricketer's immense passion and dedication to the game.

While all the buzz is about cricket’s young turks who slayed mighty Oz, it is the little master who still scores big. Not just on the field, but as a brand, too. While the numbers show Mahendra Singh Dhoni just a wee bit behind Sachin Tendulkar (Rs 5 cr vs Rs6 cr per annum for brand endorsements), in terms of his durability, experts say Sachin is way ahead.
According to Manish Porwal, CEO, Percept Talent Management, brand Sachin is leagues ahead of everyone else. “While they might seem close now, if I were to acquire brand Sachin, it would be worth at least five times Dhoni. A brand is always a long-term property,” he says.
Sports marketing companies say that the brand value of Dhoni has gone up by 15-20% after the Australia series.
Interestingly, the spike in value is more because of Dhoni’s calm captaincy and leadership, rather than his exploits with the willow. On the other hand, Sachin’s brand value is no longer dictated by his run of good scores. The fact that he has had a good run in the recent tour of Australia has, however, added to his value.
Ravi Krishnan, former managing director of IMG South Asia, one of the largest sports marketing firms, says: “Brand Sachin has always been strong, as he’s almost become a legend of the game. He’s emerged as someone on whom brands can bank upon irrespective of how he’s performing. That’s primarily because he’s proven himself over a long period of time.”

The young cricketers need to learn a lot from the maestro apart from cricket tips, i suppose.

I am dating Deepika: Ranbir Kapoor

Its official. After lots of speculation, first it was Indian cricket captain Dhoni and then his ODI deputy Yuvraj Singh, its now "Saawariya" sensation Ranbir Kapoor who is dating "Om Shanti Om" heroine Deepika Padukone. Source: Ranbir himself.

Post Saawariya, star son Ranbir Kapoor has constantly been in the media spotlight for both his personal and professional life. The passion for acting runs in his blood and he loves to spend some quality time with family and ‘girlfriend’, none other than the stunning actress Deepika Padukone. Ranbir, in an interview, declared that he has been dating Deepika for the past couple of weeks. The couple got intimate while shooting for a month in Australia for their upcoming Bollywood flick ‘Bachna Ae Haseenon’, and thereafter shooting for the Pepsi ad together. He said that earlier when there was a buzz about their relationship, the actors were not seeing each other and were just friends.

Earlier, Ranbir was overheard telling Deepika, "I love you" while the two were backstage during the 53rd Annual Filmfare Awards ceremony. Deepika`s whispered shyly "I love you too". Later that evening, at an after awards party by Farah Aqeel Khan, Kapoor and Padukone were together the whole night holding hands and canoodling. For now the couple has no plans to get married and are not even on a spree to sign movies together. Career is what has taken the top priority for both the actors.

Ryan Sidebottom takes hat-trick against New Zealand

England's Ryan Sidebottom took a hat-trick to spark a spectacular collapse by New Zealand and leave the first Test finely balanced after the fourth day's play on Saturday. Sidebottom dismissed Stephen Fleming (66), Mathew Sinclair (two) and Jacob Oram (0) on successive deliveries as England reduced New Zealand from 99-1 to 119-7 in the final session at Seddon Park. New Zealand finished the day on 147 for eight with two wickets remaining, an overall lead of 269 after England were bowled out for 348 just after lunch. Paul Collingwood top-scored for England with 66 and debutant Tim Ambrose made 55. Sidebottom finished with figures of five for 37 off 14 overs and Monty Panesar three for 33. New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori was not out on 13 with Jeetan Patel on six. "Pity we didn't get the last two wickets, it would have been nice to get another one tonight," Sidebottom told reporters. "The first half-hour (on Sunday), we have to be right on the money. "Daniel Vettori will be a key wicket, he's in good nick, but if we can open up an end and get Chris Martin in, the onus is on us to play well."

This series has been revived by some good bowling performance by England and the match is wide open at this point. Do have a look at this space, for more on England's reply.

Vishy Anand wins Linares title yet again

Mr.Consistent of Indian Sports and World chess champion, Vishwanathan Anand retained the linares chess tournament by once again emerging victorious in this year's edition took place in Spain.

Anand ended this category-21 tournament with 8.5 points and finished a half point clear of nearest rival Magnus Carlsen of Norway who played a draw with Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan in his last game. Levon Aronian of Armenia signed peace with Peter Leko of Hungary while Alexei Shirov of Spain could not break the ice and reached the same result against Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk making it an all-draws affair in the final round.

In the final round Anand, white, had little troubles against Topalov as the Indian knew that his half point cushion was going to be tough for Carlsen to jump over. Anand owed his success to his consistency in the tournament, "I had a turbulent first half but I caught up by the fifth round with a score similar to last year, after that I had two draws before flying over (to Spain from Mexico). I feel in Linares people (other players) were tired. I think I was the most stable person here while others were going through roller coasters," the champion said after winning the tournament. Speaking about how he would compare his performance in this unique event played over two continents Anand said," I scored a half point more at Morelia but its basically the same tournament, I think at Morelia I played interesting games."

Left parties go hard on the nuke deal

Will it or wont it ? PM DR.Manmohan Singh's pet foreign policy, the Indo-US nuclear deal faces fresh hurdles. The left parties have once again voiced their Objections over the deal. The ultimatum from the Left is very clear: "Drop the deal, else we will withdraw support". Their voices have become even louder with their emphatic win in Tripura state polls.A state election victory perhaps has no real connection with the Indo-US Nuclear deal. But after an impressive win in Tripura, an assertive Left is arguing against UPA's policies with greater force.The CPM's election victory in Tripura resonated at the party headquarters in Delhi on Friday. The leaders deliberated on the party's political report card.

Their immediate task was to show the red flag to the nuke deal.The government says it will soon talk to the Left about the outcome of talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency. That crucial meeting could happen next week, once the Indian negotiators return from Vienna.''It is for the Congress party to decide. We have always made our position clear and we continue to oppose the deal,'' said Sitaram Yechury, member, CPM Politburo.The CPM general secretary Prakash Karat, who wants the government to clearly spell out its nuclear plans, did not utter the N-word publicly.

So, it seems the nuke deal will be around for another fresh round of controversies. Lets see what hate hangs for UPA government. Watch this space for further developments in the Indo-US nuke deal.

Inflation, a big worry. Breaches 5% mark for the first time in 10 months.

If u thought that essential commodities price like rice, wheat,cereals will come down then your wrong.Get ready for a big price rise ahead in the next few months.Wholesale price-based inflation raced past RBI’s tolerance level to scale a 10-month high of 5.02% in the week ended February 23. Inflation shot up sharply due to higher prices of food, textiles and machinery. Inflation was at 6.2% in the corresponding week last year. The continuing rise in inflation makes its difficult for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to reduce interest rates. The latest inflation figure is above the 4.1%-level projected in the Economic Survey for 2007-08. Inflation is inching up while the economy is growing a shade slower than the impressive 9.3% recorded in the first quarter of the fiscal. Sensing the trend, the government has reiterated its commitment to ensure “growth with price stability” even as the economy grew at 8.4% in the third quarter. Inflation ruled at a nine-month high of 4.89% in the previous week as the data captured, for the first time, the increase in petro products announced on February 14.

Rajni is a good CM material

Veteran commentator Cho Ramaswamy has compared Rajnikanth with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying they are "similar" and that southern cinema's superhero will make a good chief minister."They both strictly follow the principles of Mahabharata," Ramaswamy said at a function here where the audio of the book "The Name Is Rajnikanth" by Gayathri Srikanth was released Thursday evening."Rajnikanth is a good administrator. If he enters politics and becomes the chief minister, he will take Tamil Nadu towards prosperity", Cho, known to be a critic of both the DMK and AIADMK brand of politics, said."Honesty and probity are in short supply in politics today. If Rajnikanth comes to power, he will bring in a corruption-free government." "His concern for the common man and his grasp on international issues deserve special mention", Cho added."The book is a good attempt at recording the events in the life of an actor who achieved success after crossing several hurdles. Rajnikanth was no hypocrite as he accepts his failures and shortcomings in his life openly in the book", noted D R Karthikeyan, former director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Published by Om Books International, the book is being translated into Tamil and Japanese. The 384-page book includes 100 pictures and costs Rs 495.

Have a look at this new book on Rajnikanth and enjoy his life story, bloggers!!!

India tame Ponting and his hot headed men

The three-month long tour Down Under could not have ended on a better note for India. An incredible 2-0 win over the World Champions in the CB series marks the young Indian team’s announcement in world cricket as a force to reckon with.
After bagging the first final in Sydney, India beat the Aussies by nine runs at the Gabba in Brisbane on Tuesday. Chasing 259 to square the series, Australia were bundled out for 249 with two balls to spare. As the hosts crumbled under the tremendous pressure exerted by India, James Hopes stood tall with 63 off 80 balls. Hopes held the fort from one end and came up with big shots as the all-rounder batted resolutely with the tail. But his efforts could not take Australia home as he was the last man to fall for the hosts to give India a historic win at the Gabba.
After Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds revived Aussie fortunes, Hopes along with Mike Hussey took Australia close to the target with a 76-run stand. But once Hussey was dismissed by S Sreesanth for 44, the hosts had a daunting task on hand.
Hopes batted bravely with Brett Lee (seven), Mitchell Johnson (eight) and Nathan Bracken (one) but in vain.
Earlier, Praveen Kumar once again rattled Australia by removing the top three Aussie batsmen in quick time. Adam Gilchrist was the first casualty of Praveen’s super spell as the southpaw edged the third ball of the innings to MS Dhoni for two.

Cometh the hour,Cometh the man !!!

A breathtaking century from Sachin Tendulkar led India to a six-wicket win over Australia in the first game of the three-match CB Series finals in Sydney.
After winning the toss and electing to bat the hosts made a dreadful start but Matthew Hayden (82) put them on course for a competitive total of 239.
In reply, opener Tendulkar made 117, his first one-day ton in Australia.
With good support from Rohit Sharma (66), man of the match Tendulkar sealed the win with 25 balls remaining.
It was the one of the 34-year-old's finest innings for some time and while the contribution of 20-year-old Sharma before he was bowled by James Hopes should not be underestimated, the star of the show was undoubtedly Tendulkar.
He worked both sides of the field with stunning effect, hitting 10 fours and rebuffing all Australian attempts to oust him, to record his 42nd one-day international hundred.