Cheerleaders in IPL are like item numbers in movies

Indian Premier League (IPL) opening ceremony in Bangalore Friday was an eye-popping event and with the cheerleaders from Washington Redskins performing, a new word will be added to the cricketing lexicon.

Satish Prabhu, a chartered accountant with an audit firm in Mumbai, feels the glamour element will play a key role in attracting the crowds.

'Scanty clothes and white skins always grab attention in India. Unfortunately, it might actually result in overshadowing of the poor cricketers. We may have to hunt for them on the screen behind these attractive cheerleaders,' he said.

Kshama Acharya, a housewife, felt Twenty20 cricket form of cricket is of pure entertainment value than sporting one.'

'I think it will be good to have some entertainment for the crowd. Anyway, there is no technique involved in this form of game; all you have to do is hit the ball,' she said.

She added if the IPL is glitzy, then why not add more glitter to it by bringing on cheerleaders?

'In the past few days all I have seen on television are Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta. Even the players are conspicuous by their virtual absence from the scenario, they are hardly seen in the promotional events that we are bombarded with.'

Shantanu Rao, a fashion designer, feels that the cheerleaders' performance is going to be like an item number in the Bollywood movies.

'This is definitely a new trend in India and there will be many people who will be allured by the skin show rather than the games and sports,' he said.

Cricket enthusiast and statistician Dukul Pandya feels that a new chapter is opening in Indian cricketing history with the IPL.

'However, no cricket lover expected that there would be alien 'tamasha' like cheerleaders. It will definitely distract the viewers but wonder what will happen to the cricketers?' Pandya said.

Ajay Punjabi, a student, opines that cheerleaders may not distract the true lovers of cricket, as India is very passionate about the game.

'I am sure the television will be showing the game live with bits of cheerleader during breaks,' he said.

Riddhi Oza, an executive with a multinational company, feels that IPL has made a mockery of the game. 'Cheerleaders seem to be the main attraction than the sport, which we have been following since decades,' she rued.

'Cheerleaders in IPL are like item numbers in movies'

Govt to implement OBC quota verdict

New Delhi, April 13: Despite reservations from allies on the creamy layer issue, the government has said it would implement the Supreme Court verdict on the OBC quota issue and does not want to seek a review of the judgement.

At the same time, HRD Minister Arjun Singh sought to mollify allies upset over the exclusion of creamy layer saying the government as also the UPA favoured reservation benefit for the creamy layer.

"The Supreme Court verdict is implementable and it will be implemented," Singh said in an interview, asserting that the process would be initiated in the coming academic session the extent possible.

Singh steered clear of the demands by allies, including DMK, for a "fair and just" review of the parameters that would define the creamy layer. "It has been very carefully done. The overall structure of the judgement is very positive," he said.

Asked whether government has plans to go for a review of the verdict, he said he does not want to speculate.

"There is no such thing at present," he said when asked whether government would seek reference of the issue to a larger SC bench.

"The basic issue has been resolved. There are differences on the creamy layer issue. We will try to sort out differences by discussions," he said, adding a meeting of UPA co-ordination committee was likely soon after the reconvening of Parliament session on april 15.

Singh said the government's strategy was to implement whatever is implementable and decide on rest of the matters after discussions.

President leaves for Latin America

Aiming to further strengthen ties with the Latin American countries, President Pratibha Patil on Saturday embarked on a maiden visit to Brazil, Mexico and Chile during which she would address Parliaments, sign two agreements and interact with the business communities.

Patil was seen off at the airport by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his senior Cabinet colleagues, chiefs of the three services and top bureaucrats.

The 13-day visit is in response to invitations from the Presidents of the three friendly countries.

Besides holing meetings with her counterparts, Patil would be addressing Parliaments in Brazil and Mexico, interacting with members of judiciary, Indian community and attending business meetings. An Indian business delegation is accompanying the President to the three countries.

Union Minister of State (independent charge) V Mutemwar is also accompanying the President on her first foreign visit after she assumed charge in July last year.

The fact that Patil has chosen to pay her first state visit to Latin America is reflective of the importance India attaches to further strengthening its partnership with countries of the dynamic continent, Secretary (West) in External Affairs Ministry Nali Suri said.

In the past, the problem of connectivity has acted as an obstacle in greater interaction between the two sides. While physical connectivity remains an impediment, trade and economic interaction is growing rapidly. This is not only because of the greater global interest and outreach of Indian public and private sector companies, but also because of the new dynamics of south-south cooperation.

India`s relations with all the three countries the President is visiting have been dynamically developing over the last few years.

Delhi Cabinet to meet on rising prices

The Delhi government has called a Cabinet meeting to discuss the surging inflation. At the meeting to be held later on Saturday, the government is likely to adopt measures to bring down prices of essential commodities.

The Cabinet meeting comes after the Delhi government announced a raft of measures on Thursday, including setting up of special outlets to sell mustard and edible oil at affordable prices.

The government is also launching a special drive beginning today to crack down on hoarding and profiteering in the capital.

"From tomorrow, Delhi government will launch a special drive to crack down on profiteering and hoarding in Delhi. Action is already being taken on the PDS and LPG fronts," AICC spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters yesterday.

According to Food & Civil Supplies Minister Haroon Yusuf, the government will take strict action against traders, who failed to pass on the benefits after the Centre abolished import duty on soya oil and palm oil.

Cooking oil would be made available in special outlets across Delhi so that people could purchase them at affordable rates for which co-operation of Delhi Vegetable Oil Association has been sought, he informed.

The minister further said that raids will be conducted and criminal cases will be filed against black-marketeers and hoarders of cooking oil and they may even face arrest for not complying with government instructions.

Indo-Pak talks to finalise IPI tariff, transit fee

Islamabad, April 11: Pakistan and India will soon finalise the bilateral tariff and transit fee issues for on the USD 7 billion Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project.

Technical teams of both countries will meet in Islamabad during April 16-18 to firm up recommendations to be discussed by the petroleum ministers of Pakistan and India at their meeting here on April 23.

Both the sides had earlier resolved differences over the transportation fee and will now focus on the issues of tariff and transit fee for Iranian gas to be transported to India via Pakistan, the reports said.

A petroleum ministry official said India and Pakistan will also discuss issues related to the six-billion dollar, 2,000-km Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.

"TAPI is a parallel project that India and Pakistan are also discussing simultaneously," he said.

The official said the technical and ministerial-level talks were "very important" for the IPI pipeline project.

Following the talks with India, Pakistan will line up further meetings with Iran in May.

"The Iranian side will be briefed next month about the outcome of talks between Pakistan and India," he said, expressing the hope that all lingering issues related to the project will be sorted out this month.

Sources said senior Pakistani officials had been informed by Iran that it had sorted out 40 to 50 per cent of the "logistic issues" for undertaking work on the IPI pipeline. Pakistan has also been told that Iran had asked India to join the project without caring for the opposition of the US to the pipeline.

India, Madagascar to ink pact on agri, fertilisers production

New Delhi, April 11: India and Madagascar will sign a pact on agricultural cooperation, animal husbandry and fertiliser production besides exchanging scientific delegations and experts.

"The Union Cabinet on Friday gave its approval for signing a Memorandum of Understanding on agricultural cooperation between the governments of Madagascar and India," Minister for Earth Sciences and Science and Technology Kapil Sibal said after the end of the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The cooperation between both the nations would be in the fields of agricultural research, agricultural machinery, soil and watershed development, agricultural trade and marketing, plant protection, horticulture, animal husbandry, live stocks and fertiliser production, he said.

The MoU would come into force on the day of signing and remain valid for a period of 5 years and automatically be renewed for a subsequent period of five years unless either party notified the other in writing six months before the expiry of the validity period of its intention to terminate it.

"The MoU will promote further bilateral cooperation through joint activities and exchanges in areas of agriculture through exchange of scientific delegations and exports between the two countries," the minister said.

In another decision the Cabinet okayed signing of an agreement with the Brazilian government in agriculture and allied sectors, Sibal said.

India’s Ajay Chhibber appointed UNDP Assistant Secy Gen

India's Ajay Chhibber has been appointed Assistant Administrator of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Director of its regional bureau for Asia and the Pacific, the world body has announced.

Chibber, a World Bank official who worked at the Planning Commission and was also a lecturer in economics at the University of Delhi, replaces Hafiz Pasha and will hold the rank of Assistant Secretary General.

Chhibber, an aluminus of Delhi School of Economics, has been working with the World Bank for over 25 years, covering both research and policy issues, and has worked across Asia. He is currently the Country Director for Vietnam, where he manages more than USD 1 billion in lending.

He was Staff Director on the World Development Report in 1997 and served as a senior economist at the World Bank.

Before joining the World Bank, Chhibber was a consultant researcher for Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Ins Alberdi of Spain has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). Alberdi, who succeeds Noeleen Heyzer, was selected by UNDP administrator Ad Melkert in consultation with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the UNIFEM Consultative Committee, the agency said.

Alberdi has had a long career dealing with issues related to gender, development and politics. From 2003 to 2007 she was a deputy in the Madrid Assembly, and before that she has worked for the European Union, the Spanish Sociological Research Centre and the Inter-American Development Bank.

I won`t leave मुम्बई Amitabh

Mumbai, April 08: Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan on Tuesday reacted strongly to the allegations leveled by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and said that he will not leave Mumbai city at any cost. In an interview to a city daily, the emotionally hurt superstar said, “Let them throw bottles… Let them bring morchas…Let them abuse me.. I won’t budge.”

This is the first time that the superstar has broken his silence over the ‘karmabhoomi’ controversy, which has been deliberately linked with Marathi pride.

A daring Big B, while challenging MNS chief and his antics, said that he cannot be intimidated by blackening his posters or by stopping the screening of his films.

He added that any attack on his reputation and integrity, any attempts to target him or undermine his reputation in the country by hurling abuses in the print and electronic media will only strengthen his will power to fight against all odds.

Cornering MNS chief for accusing him of not doing enough for Mumbaikars and Maharashtra, the Bollywood icon said, “I don’t need to respond to trouble mongers. No body can force me to change the course of my conscience.”

Commenting on Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray, Amitabh said that his family had cordial relations with the senior Thackeray and he was like a father figure to him.

On his comparison with Tamil megastar Rajnikanth in the context of the Hogenekkal controversy, Big B said, “I feel honoured that I have a friend in Rajnikanth and even more honoured that, despite my insignificance, I am brought into comparison with him.

PM wanted Rahul to learn governance under him

New Delhi, April 08: It was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who wanted Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi as a minister in his office – a move that he thought would be an apprenticeship for the ruling party's 'future Prime Minister’.

But the Amethi MP had different plans.

According to Congress party sources, Manmohan Singh had suggested that Rahul, who is seen as being groomed as the party's future prime ministerial candidate, could get a “good training” at the Prime Minister' Office. His mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi endorsed the idea, the sources said.

However, the 38-year-old MP declined to accept the offer. “He told his mother that he wanted to strengthen the organisation, especially the youth wings of the party, before taking up any ministerial post,” said an informed source who did not wish to be identified.

“Rahul believes that the Congress' future heavily depends on its ability to penetrate the young vote bank. According to him, taking up ministerial responsibility would distract him from the job he has already taken up,” the source added.

Rahul, however, insisted that the Council of Ministers should have some young faces. Manmohan Singh has inducted Jyotiraditya Scindia and Jitin Prasada – two second generation Congress MPs – into his government in Sunday's cabinet reshuffle.

Manmohan Singh had earlier taken Rahul Gandhi along with him to Kabul during an official visit in August 2005. The young Gandhi had also accompanied his mother during her visit to China last year.

After becoming the general secretary in charge of Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India last year, Rahul has launched an aggressive exercise to draw more youths to the organisation. He has also undertaken tours in the backward regions of Orissa and Karnataka.