Most business houses 'maintain' MPs: Former bureaucrat

NEW DELHI: At a time when Parliament is all set to debate on the contentious Lokpal Bill, a former bureaucrat has said that most business houses "maintain" MPs to influence government policies or decision making in their favour. 

"Some of the large industrial houses also fund politicians who are in the Opposition as a hedge to ensure that any decision that may be given in their favour is not opposed by them. They also treat such funding as a long term investment," writes former Economic Intelligence Bureau director general B V Kumar in his new book "The Darker Side of Black Money". 


According to Kumar, who joined the Indian Revenue Service in 1958 and held various coveted posts in his 35 years of service, politicians who are exposed or charged for corruption change parties and join the Opposition. 


"Surprisingly, they are not only welcomed but are also treated as heroes. This removes the sting from the crusade originally launched," the book by Konark Publishers says. 


Kumar was also the director general of Revenue Intelligence and Narcotics Control Bureau and was responsible for busting many syndicates operating trans-nationally, smuggling contraband, drugs and organized economic crime. 


He writes that most of the political parties show interest in exposing corruption when they are in the Opposition. 


"Once they succeed either in pulling down the government or bringing about a change in the government, they lose interest. This is because corruption has become all pervasive and substantial amounts have been received at some stage or the other, by politicians of all hues either for themselves or for their party." 


Kumar says that corruption has ceased to be an issue among the political parties and most of them have not submitted their accounts to the Election Commission in spite of Supreme Court directions. 


In his foreword, former NSA and IB chief M K Narayanan writes, "The publication of 'The Dark Side of Black Money' could not have been better timed. The seamier side of the illegal flow of funds from India to tax havens in different parts of the world, causing loss to not only the country's exchequer, but giving rise to possibilities of misuse of such funds by crime syndicates, terrorist outfits, and other anti-establishment and anti-national forces has lately come in for unprecedented public scrutiny... 


"The movement of 'hot money' across national borders is not easy to check in today's interconnected world. Financial outflows and inflows are often viewed as indices of the dynamism prevailing in a nation's economic makeup. Macro and micro-management of financial flows in such a scenario becomes exceedingly complicated. It is often difficult to separate legal from illegal transactions."

Dhoni to recieve a ferrari as prize

Mahendra singh dhoni , the captain of team india will be recieving a special customised ferrari for winning the world cup. this ferrari car would be with special features and looks customised for indian captain though it would be a left hand drive car. one of the special features on it would be that it would be having indian tricolour on its full body.

LEAKED TRACK - FRANK

Previous Friday, India's No.1 R&B Artist FRANK , Suffered a huge set back after his new track from his album "Me & You" which is set to be released this Fall, was Leaked. The Track made its way to Youtube and then to the Mediafire website. It is currently available for download here.
http://www.mediafire.com/?lalw2nun9s8tdog

As said by Frank himself to Reverbnation crew " This is just bad and sad that one of my major tracks has been leaked from my upcoming album, but this is how it goes. You cant expect everyone to be faithful in the organization you see. But its all ohkay for the time, i hope the people are surprised with the kind of music i'm about to put in my upcoming album."

It is reported that his next album may have some collaborations with some local artist :- Raptilez 1o1 , Kanwal Virk & Ishq Bector. It is not confirmed by him. This is what he had to say " Well No comments on that. You just have to wait for it when it Releases. I'm really hoping you guys like what i have to give to ya'll. "

Facebook Page  - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frank/255281662164
Reverbnation Page - http://www.reverbnation.com/thisisfranklove9

Toshiba says has sent 100 engineers to Japan nuclear plants

(Reuters) - Toshiba said on Tuesday it had dispatched 100 engineers to provide help and support at Japan's stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and the neighbouring Daini plant.

Toshiba supplied several of the reactors at the Daiichi plant, where this month's devastating quake and tsunami have sparked a nuclear emergency that the government, armed forces and Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) are struggling to bring under control. (Reporting by Isabel Reynolds; Editing by Joseph Radford)

Feeling angry? All because of your bad diet.

People who diet are more likely to be irritable and angry than those who eat what they like.The effort involved in exerting self-control over food can lead to aggressive behaviour towards other people, a study has found.

Those on diets are more likely to prefer anger-themed movies, the express.co.uk reported citing the study: The grapes of wrath: The angry effects of exerting self-control.
They were also interested in looking at angry facial expressions, and expressed more irritation at a message that used controlling language to convince them to change their exercise habits, according to the study.
David Gal of Northwestern University and Wendy Liu of the University of California, said: "We set out to examine whether exerting self-control can indeed lead to a wide range of angry behaviours and preferences subsequently, even in situations where such behaviours are quite subtle."
"Research has shown that exerting self-control makes people more likely to behave aggressively toward others and people on diets are known to be irritable and quick to anger," said Gal.
Researchers found that people who chose an apple instead of a chocolate bar were more likely to choose movies with anger and revenge themes.

Russel Peters

He is just awesome.

Rajat Gupta resigns from ISB executive board

Hyderabad: Mr Rajat Gupta, former McKinsey & Co chief, accused of insider trading in the US, has resigned from the chairmanship of Indian School of Business, a Hyderabad-based B-School, today.

Putting an end to the speculation that loomed large over the issue of his resignation, the ISB confirmed his resignation and is on the lookout for a new chairman for the executive committee of the board.

"Mr Rajat Gupta has requested the ISB executive board to relieve him of his board responsibilities till his pending matter with the US SEC is resolved.

"This, and the appointment of the new chairman, will be tabled at the upcoming board meeting on April 2, 2011," an ISB spokesperson said.

Mr Gupta, who is the co-founder of ISB, may not attend the upcoming board meeting scheduled for April 2, sources said.

Sign of peace or destruction of one more country by world super powers???? Allied forces attack Libya

Residents of the rebel stronghold of Benghazi on Sunday fired AK-47s in jubilation and danced on burnt-out tanks that appeared to have been destroyed by allied airstrikes.

The celebrations marked a dramatic swing from the fear that gripped the city of nearly 700,000 a day earlier, when Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi's forces pounded the city with artillery and tank shells and punched through the outskirts of Benghazi in fierce street fighting.

After weeks of ceding territory to government troops, the rebels' successful defense, coupled with French and U.S. airstrikes on Gadhafi's forces overnight, gave the city -- and its defenders -- a newfound swagger.
"I feel like in two days max we will destroy Gadhafi," said Ezzeldin Helwani, 35, standing next to the smoldering wreckage of an armored personnel carrier, the air thick with smoke and the pungent smell of burning rubber.
Mohammed Faraj, a 44-year-old rebel fighter manning a checkpoint, said the rebels were now ready for anything from Gadhafi.
"Our spirits are very high," said Faraj, a grenade in each hand. "Me and all of Benghazi, we will die before Gadhafi sets foot here again."

Rainwater harvesting works wonders for Sukhna Lake

Chandigarh: With over 190 water bodies and an equal number of silt detention dams in the Sukhna wildlife sanctuary, Chandigarh has been running one of the biggest soil conservation and rainwater harvesting projects for two decades. And the benefits have been made crystal clear in a new study.

Men walk on the banks of Sukhna Lake enveloped in thick fog in Chandigarh

The study conducted by a city-based NGO, Society for Promotion and Conservation of Environment SPACE), has found a sizeable decline in the flow of silt into the Sukhna lake after the construction of these dams.
"This is an exemplary model not only in India but in the whole Asia continent as nowhere will you find this density of water bodies," Santosh Kumar, Chandigarh's chief wildlife warden and conservator of forests, told IANS.
The water bodies are filled by rainwater and they feed the Sukhna lake, a prominent tourist destination here, round the year. The dams retain the silt and prevent it from entering the lake.
Besides, they provide ample water to the animals residing in the sanctuary and attract hundreds of migratory birds every year.
"These dams and water bodies are cleaned once every three to seven years, depending on their size and requirement."

One more wonderland ready to be destroyed in name of development.

Shimla: More than 9,000 trees will face the axe because a hydropower project is to come up in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said Thursday.

"As many as 9,621 trees, including 1,260 of deodar, would be axed due to the laying of the transmission lines by Jaypee Powergrid Ltd (JPL)," Dhumal told Congress member G.S. Bali in the state assembly.
Bali said it was a serious issue as the government had allowed the chopping of so many trees to lay the transmission lines from Wangtoo in Kinnaur to Adbullapur in Haryana.
"As per my information, around 19,600 trees would be axed and these include thousands of fully grown deodars," he said.
Agreeing with the environmental concerns of Bali, Dhumal said he would again check the exact figure of the trees to be felled.
Dhumal said the proposal of diversion of 322 hectares of forest land to JPL to lay the transmission lines was approved by the central government July 21, 2009. It will pass through the forest area of 70 km.
When Bali insisted that the relocation of the transmission lines would save most of the trees, the chief minister said: "It will not be possible at this point of time."
A forest department official told IANS on condition of anonymity that it was a lapse on the part of the department to allow the JPL to lay the transmission lines in the thickly wooded area.

Pakistan end Australia's winning streak

Colombo: Pakistan snapped defending champion Australia's 34-game unbeaten streak in the World Cup with a four-wicket upset victory in their high-profile last league match to top Group A here.

Pakistan, who were incidentally the last team to have beaten Australia in World Cup before, first shot their opponents out for a modest 176 in 46.4 overs before chasing down the target with nine overs to spare at Premadasa stadium.
Chasing 177 for a win, Pakistan suffered early jolts with fast bowler Brett Lee ripping through their top-order with a sensational four-wicket burst before romping home. Asad Shafiq, who scored 78 not out against Zimbabwe in Pakistan's earlier match, top-scored with 46 while Umar Akmal and Younis Khan chipped in with 44 not out and 31 respectively.
Run rate was never an issue as the target was small but Pakistan were in danger when they were six down for 142 in the 33rd over before Umar and Abdul Razzaq (20 not out) took their side home after stitching 46 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket stand. Razzaq hit the winning run -- a four -- as Pakistan reached 178 for six in 41 overs.
Both the sides have already qualified for quarterfinals before the match but with today's win, Pakistan top Group A with 10 points while Australia (nine) finished third behind Sri Lanka (nine) on net run rate. New Zealand are fourth with eight points.
Pakistan play the fourth-ranked side from Group B, which will be decided after the match between India and West Indies in Chennai tomorrow. Australia, who were last defeated by Pakistan in the World Cup match at Leeds in May 1999, posted their sixth lowest total in the showpiece event and lowest in first innings since 1992 edition, with Brad Haddin top-scoring with 42 after electing to bat.
Lee kept Australia in for a chance with a devastating spell of fast bowling including two wickets in consecutive balls, but ultimately found that the total they were defending was too small. After removing both the Pakistan openers Mohammed Hafeez (5) and Kamran Akmal (23) in his five-over first spell, Lee returned to dismiss Younis and Misbah-ul-Haq (0) with consecutive balls in the 23rd over though he could not complete his hat-trict.
Lee, who extracted pace and carry from the slow track, gave Australia an early breakthrough by dismissing Hafeez LBW in the third over.
Hafeez closed the face of his bat too early while trying to work a quick and straight delivery through midwicket only to offer a catch to the bowler in his follow-through as Pakistan were one down for just 12 runs.

West hits Libya, Gaddafi spews venom

Western nations launch air strikes in Libya, 48 killed; British and French planes begin patrolling the skies

A Libyan jet bomber crashes after being shot down in Benghazi on March 19, 2011 as Libya's rebel stronghold came under attack, with at least two air strikes and sustained shelling of the city's south sending thick smoke into the sky. AFP

Cairo/Tripoli: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi vowed to defend his country against "colonial aggression" as Western nations launched their first air strikes against Libyan defences and began enforcing a UN-sanctioned no-fly zone over Libya.
A French fighter jet launched the first attack Saturday evening, destroying a Libyan military vehicle on the ground as British and French planes begin patrolling the skies.
US and British ships later fired more than 100 Tomahawk cruise missiles at more than 20 air defences by the western capital Tripoli, Gaddafi's stronghold, and the western city of Misrata.
In the air strikes, at least 48 people were killed and 150 others wounded, Xinhua reported Sunday.
Anti-aircraft gunfire was heard in Tripoli early Sunday as warplanes flew over the Libyan capital. Pro-Gaddafi supporters gathered in downtown Tripoli to protest against the air strikes.
French warplanes attacked an air defence site in Tajura, about 10 km east of Tripoli, and destroyed several armoured vehicles of the Libyan government troops near Benghazi, the last stronghold of Libyan rebels, Saturday night.
The US military said 112 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from US and British warships and submarines at more than 20 targets in Libya.
Libyan Parliament Speaker Mohammed Abul-Qassim al-Zwai said at a press conference that foreign fighter jets hit Tripoli and Misurata, which caused many casualties.
Libyan state-run television said Sunday at least 48 people were killed and 150 wounded in the air strikes.
Earlier, President Barack Obama authorised limited military action against Libya on Saturday, saying Gaddafi's continued assault on his own people left the U.S. and its international partners with no other choice. The Pentagon said it fired 110 cruise missiles at 20 targets.

LOL

27 minutes to improve memory

A new study shows mindfulness meditation training changes brain structure in eight weeks

Participating in an 8-week mindfulness meditation programme appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress. In a study that will appear in the January 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report the results of their study, the first to document meditation-produced changes over time in the brain's grey matter.

"Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day," says Sara Lazar, PhD, of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program, the study's senior author. "This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure may underlie some of these reported improvements and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing."

Previous studies from Lazar's group and others found structural differences between the brains of experienced meditation practitioners and individuals with no history of meditation, observing thickening of the cerebral cortex in areas associated with attention and emotional integration. But those investigations could not document that those differences were actually produced by meditation.

Chandigarh - the latest tourist hot spot

Wide and clean roads, a plush green cover with sprawling gardens and a calendar full of events. Little wonder Chandigarh has become a much sought after destination for foreign tourists, with over 39,000 of them visiting the city last year.

Tourists take a boat ride amid heavy fog at Sukhna Lake on a cold day in Chandigarh.

Tourists from Britain, France, Canada, the UAE, Pakistan, the US, Germany, Malaysia, Australia, Switzerland, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Iran among others are heading for this 'city beautiful'.

Around 39,500 foreign tourists visited the city in 2010, whereas 37,967 and 32,074 foreigners had come calling to the union territory in 2009 and 2008 respectively, according to official figures from the Chandigarh tourism department.