Car bomb kills 91 in Peshawar

 

People gather at the site of an explosion in Peshawar, Pakistan on Wednesday. A car bomb tore through a market place in northwestern Pakistan, hours after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in the country

 A car bomb tore through a busy market in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing 91 people as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the country and pledged American support for its campaign against Islamist militants.

More than 200 people were wounded in the blast in the main northwestern city of Peshawar, the deadliest in a surge of attacks this month. The government blamed militants seeking to avenge an army offensive launched this month against al-Qaeda and Taliban in their stronghold close to the Afghan border.

 

People rush an injured child to a hospital after an explosion in Peshawar, Pakistan

The bomb destroyed much of a market selling bangles, dresses and toys that was popular with women and children.

It collapsed buildings, including a mosque, and set shops on fire in an old part of the city crisscrossed with narrow alleys and clogged with stalls. Wounded people sat amid burning debris and body parts as a huge plume of gray smoke rose above the city.

Crying for help, men grabbed at the wreckage, trying to pull out survivors trapped beneath. One two-story building collapsed as firefighters doused it with water, triggering more panic.

 

Flame breaks out after an explosion in Peshawar, Pakistan on Oct. 28, 2009. A car bomb has torn through a market place in northwestern Pakistan, hours after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in the country.

 “There was a deafening sound and I was like a blind man for a few minutes,” said Mohammad Usman, who was wounded in the shoulder. “I heard women and children crying and started to help others. There was the smell of human flesh in the air.”

Ms. Clinton, on her first visit to Pakistan as secretary of state, was a three-hour drive away in the capital, Islamabad, when the blast took place. Speaking to reporters, she praised the army’s anti-Taliban offensive in South Waziristan and offered U.S. support.

People rush an injured person to a hospital after an explosion in Peshawar, Pakistan

 “I want you to know this fight is not Pakistan’s alone,” Ms. Clinton said. “These extremists are committed to destroying what is dear to us as much as they are committed to destroying that which is dear to you and to all people. So this is our struggle as well.”

Appearing with her, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the violence would not break his government’s will to fight back.

 

People gather at the site of an explosion in Peshawar, Pakistan

“The resolve and determination will not be shaken,” Mr. Qureshi said. “People are carrying out such heinous crimes {mdash} they want to shake our resolve. I want to address them: We will not buckle. We will fight you. We will fight you because we want peace and stability in Pakistan.”

No group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but that is not unusual, especially when the victims are Pakistani civilians. Sahib Gul, a doctor at a nearby hospital, said 91 people were killed and more than 200 injured. Many of the victims were women and children.

People rush an injured person to a hospital after an explosion in Peshawar

Three bombs have exploded in Peshawar this month, including another one that killed more than 50 people, part of a barrage of at least 10 major attacks across the country that have killed some 250 people. Most have targeted security forces, but some bombs have gone off in public places, apparently to undercut support for the army’s assault on the border and expose the weakness of the government.

A Pakistani police officer makes his through wreckage after an explosion in Peshawar

The Taliban have warned Pakistan that they would stage more attacks if the army does not end a new ground offensive in the South Waziristan tribal region, where the military has dispatched some 30,000 troops to flush out insurgents. South Waziristan is a major base for the Pakistani Taliban and other foreign militants.

An injured person is seen at the site of an explosion in Peshawar

 North West Frontier Province Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain blamed the militants for Wednesday’s attack.

“We are hitting them at their center of terrorism, and they are hitting back targeting Peshawar,” he said. “This is a tough time for us. We are picking up the bodies of our women and children, but we will follow these terrorists and eliminate them.”

Kingfisher Airlines Posts Loss of Rs.419 Crore

Mumbai, Oct 28 – Private carrier Kingfisher Airlines has posted a net loss of Rs.419 crore for the quarter ended Sep 30 as compared to a loss of Rs.483 crore reported during the like period last year.

The airline, owned by liquor baron Vijay Mallya’s UB Group, said in a regulatory statement Wednesday that its income from operations declined over 13 percent to Rs.1,142 crore during the quarter under review from 1,323 crore a year earlier.

Kingfisher’s market share was over 23 percent last month and its load factor increased by at least 9 percent despite cut in its operations by 17 percent in the domestic sector.

The airline has undergone losses despite restructuring its operations and having adopted cost control methods due to high operational costs and global economic turmoil which has hit hard the aviation industry worldwide.

PM, Sonia Arrive on Two-day Kashmir Visit

Srinagar, Oct 28 – Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi arrived here Wednesday on a two-day visit.

A special aircraft carrying the Prime Minister and the UPA chairperson landed at the technical area of the Srinagar international airport where Jammu and Kashmir governor N.N. Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, cabinet ministers, and senior civil and army officials received the dignitaries.

Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah are accompanying the prime minister on his visit to the Kashmir Valley.

From the airport, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi along with the team of union ministers, state governor and the chief minister left for south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Singh will inaugurate the 12-km-long Anantnag-Qazigund stretch of the rail link in south Kashmir today. This will complete the 120-km rail connectivity between the valley’s north and south.

Expectations are running high here as the prime minister’s visit comes after union Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s announcement earlier this month that the centre would engage every shade of political opinion to find an honourable and acceptable solution to the problems in Jammu and Kashmir.

It is believed the prime minister will make a clear and lucid announcement regarding the dialogue process that defines the contours of the proposed ‘quiet diplomacy’ being undertaken by the centre on Kashmir.

The prime minister and Sonia Gandhi are also scheduled to address a public meeting at Anantnag.

Later in the day, Singh will chair a meeting of the economic reconstruction committee in the summer capital Srinagar and will also meet delegations of various mainstream political parties.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made in Anantnag district where the entire area around the inauguration site has been taken over by a special security group, paramilitary central reserve police force (CRPF) and the local police.

‘Fool-proof arrangements are in place to ensure that militants are prevented from creating any trouble,’ a senior police officer told IANS.

To protest against the prime minister’s visit to Kashmir, both factions of the separatist Hurriyat group headed by hardline Syed Ali Geelani and the so-called moderate Mirwaiz Umer Farooq have called for a complete shutdown here Wednesday.

Public transport is off the roads and shops and other business establishments are closed here while only private transport is plying on the city roads.

Attendance in government offices, banks and educational institutions was also affected because of the non-availability of public transport.

Ten killed in attack on U.N. guesthouse in Kabul

Afghan policemen rescue a wounded German U.N. staffer, from a U.N. guest house during a gunbattle in Kabul Gunmen with automatic weapons and suicide vests stormed a guest house used by U.N. staff in the heart of the Afghan capital early Wednesday, killing 10 people, including six U.N. staff, officials said. A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility, saying it was meant as an assault on the upcoming presidential election. Later, a rocket slammed into the grounds of the luxury Serena Hotel, which is favored by many foreigners. The device failed to explode but filled the lobby with smoke, forcing guests and employees to flee to the basement, according to an Afghan witness who asked that his name not be used for security reasons. U.N. spokesman Adrian Edwards said six U.N. staff were killed and nine other U.N. employees were injured in the assault, which began about dawn in the Shar-e-Naw area of the city. Guests scurried from the building during the assault, and flames were seen on the roof as smoke billowed out and over the city. Afghan police official Abdul Ghafar Sayedzada said 10 people in all were killed, including three attackers, and that police had taken control of the building. The bodies of three attackers were taken out of the house and sent for autopsy, said Gul Mohammad, an officer at the scene. Edwards said officials were trying to account for several other U.N. workers who were staying at the guest house. He did not know their nationalities but said they were non-Afghans. “This has clearly been a very serious incident for us,” Edwards said. “We’ve not had an incident like this in the past.” A security guard, Noor Allah, said he saw a woman screaming for help in English from a second story window and watched as terrified guests leapt from windows. Afghan police using ladders rescued at least one wounded foreigner. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack on the guest house and the Serena in a telephone call to The Associated Press, saying three militants with suicide vests, grenades and machine guns carried out the assault. He said three days ago the Taliban issued a statement threatening anyone working on the Nov. 7 runoff election between President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah. “This is our first attack,” he said. Afghans vote Nov. 7 in a second round election after U.N.-backed auditors threw out nearly a third of Karzai’s votes from the Aug. 20 ballot, determining widespread fraud. That pushed Karzai’s totals below the 50 percent threshold needed for a first round victory in the 36-candidate field. The Taliban warned Afghans to stay away from the polls or risk attacks. Dozens of people were killed in Taliban attacks during the August balloting, helping drive down turnout. Mir Ahmed Formoly, 64, who lives near the guest house, said he heard the commotion and went outside where he saw muzzle flashes in the early morning light. “I was so scared,” he said. I went back inside the house.” He said gunfire and explosions lasted about two hours, punctuated by shouts and screams. Mohammad Ayub, a shopkeeper who lives a few doors down from the attacked house, said he heard gunfire shortly before dawn. He assumed at first that it was an attack on a house belonging to relatives of President Karzai nearby, then saw that it was a different building. “It was early morning, but I didn’t have a watch on to know when. It was dark. Shooting started around this private guest house. I heard some shouts coming from inside the house,” Mr. Ayub said. “I heard boom! boom! several times. The fighting went on inside for about 10 or 15 minutes before the police came,” he said. The guesthouse attack was the third major one in the capital in recent weeks. On Oct. 8, a suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle outside the Indian Embassy, killing 17 people — mostly civilians — and wounding at least 76 more. The Afghan Foreign Ministry hinted at Pakistani involvement — a charge Pakistan denied. On Sept. 17, a suicide car bomber killed six Italian soldiers and 10 Afghan civilians on one of Kabul’s main roadways.

Jackson delivers on ‘This Is It,’ early fans say

 

A view of a large billboard on display in London’s Leicester Square at the UK Premiere of Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’,

 “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” premiered to high praise from fans who applauded at each number.

Fans marveled as the singer stepped nimbly through his moonwalk and other signature moves.

Jackson, 50 when he died last June, kept pace with backup dancers half his age during rehearsals for such hits as “Thriller,” “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and “Human Nature.” The film was shot as Jackson prepared for a marathon concert stand in London that never happened.

“He looked better than he did when he was 30,” said Jessica Childs, a 21-year-old aspiring dancer who caught the Los Angeles premiere. “His voice stood out.”

Most of the material was intended for Jackson’s private use, but it now serves as the last bow of a performer who ruled the pop charts in the 1980s and later retired to a reclusive life amid allegations of child molestation.

The mood at simultaneous premieres around the world Tuesday and Wednesday was tearful yet celebratory. At the Los Angeles premiere near the arena where much of the rehearsal footage was shot, “This Is It” director and longtime Jackson collaborator Kenny Ortega introduced the film to the audience, calling it the “last sacred documentation of our leader and our friend.”

“It was touching. Well done. It was beautiful,” said Casey Gosh, 24, who was invited to the premiere by a friend. “It told his story. You really felt like you knew him. It was his final performance.”

The footage revealed just how elaborate and demanding Jackson’s comeback run of 50 planned concerts last July would have been. One segment showed how Jackson would have made a grand stage entrance inside a mechanical spider. Another, intended as a 3-D film accompaniment on “Thriller,” featured an expansive graveyard set.

Outside before the premiere, Ortega wiped away tears as he greeted dancers and celebrity guests, including Paula Abdul. Among others attending were Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez, Paris Hilton, Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr.

Ortega said he expected audiences would be most surprised by “the intimacy. It’s unguarded and raw and real, and Michael is there and available to us all, and lovely and kind.”

Said Abdul afterward: “It was beautiful. It was sad. It brought you closer to who he was as a person.”

Star-studded premieres in 99 countries

It was the biggest cinematic blowout ever for a music film as “This Is It” opened for paying customers immediately after the premieres, with evening and midnight screenings in North America to middle-of-the-night and morning showings in Europe, Asia and elsewhere.

Distributor Sony, which paid $60 million for the film rights, opened “This Is It” in 99 countries. It expands to 110 territories this weekend.

“I was tossing and turning with nervous feelings all night. Michael Jackson is a hero in my life, and I cannot wait to see the final shot of Michael,” said Noh Kyeong—ae, a 34-year-old accountant, sobbing at a movie theater in Seoul, South Korea.

The simultaneous showings around the globe were anchored by a star-studded premiere at the Nokia Theatre, a concert venue across the street from Staples Centre, where many of Jackson’s rehearsals — and his high-profile public memorial — were held.

Four of Jackson’s brothers — Jermaine, Marlon, Tito and Jackie — attended.

“It’s showing what a perfectionist he was,” Jermaine Jackson said.

Performances in the film included a medley of Jackson 5 hits the singer originally performed with his siblings.

Michael Bearden, musical director and associate producer of “This Is It,” said making the film was the most “bittersweet” project of his career, but he was happy “the world will see (Jackson’s) triumph.”

“I know he would have liked it,” Bearden said. “We considered Michael in every aspect of the movie. We were with him every day for the last three or four months of his life at least, so we know he would have liked what we did.”

Honest and raw look

The film captures Jackson dressed with customary flamboyance, his fashion flourishes including military epaulets, sequins and gold-spangled pants.

Jackson backup dancer Misha Gabriel said the film is “such an honest and raw look at the creative process that at times it makes me think that maybe he wouldn’t want people to see so much of the creative process before it was finalized. But I think that’s the beauty of the film.”

“It’s Michael becoming great, perfecting his perfection, if that makes sense,” said fellow dancer Nick Bass.

The plaza in front of the Nokia Theatre was transformed into an elegant red-carpet arrivals area, with a dozen crystal chandeliers, displays of Jackson’s past costumes and “This Is It” spelled out in giant letters.

Jackson memorabilia was on sale inside, from T-shirts proclaiming “I Love MJ” to key rings reading “King of Pop.”

Single most brilliant piece of filmmaking: Liz Taylor

Some of Jackson’s family and friends saw “This Is It” in advance. Elizabeth Taylor, a longtime friend of the pop star, posted her thoughts Monday on Twitter.

“It is the single most brilliant piece of filmmaking I have ever seen,” she wrote. “It cements forever Michael’s genius in every aspect of creativity.”

The 77-year-old actress added that she “wept from pure joy at his God-given gift” and urged her fans to see the film “again and again.”

Clocking in at one hour, 51 minutes, the film was culled from more than 100 hours of footage that captures Jackson as a showman, a mentor coaching backup talent and a goodwill ambassador.

Near the film’s end, Jackson and the crew hold hands as he gives them a pep talk about the London shows.

“It’s a great adventure,” Jackson tells his colleagues. “We want to take them places they’ve never been before. We have to bring love back into the world.”

‘Dance India Dance’ auditions

 

HYDERABAD: ‘Dance India Dance, the reality dance show on Zee TV is holding auditions for its second season here on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Classic Garden, Rani Bagh,.

 Anyone between the ages of 15 and 30 years is eligible to apply. Those who are chosen from the auditions will go through a series of preparatory sessions before the finals in Mumbai.

 

M.Sc International Management

 

HYDERABAD: Interviews for admission into M.Sc International Management in the University of West of England will be conducted at British Library on October 29 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact UWE representative B.Radhakishan Rao of Education Abroad on 98480-61291 for more details.

 

Healing with ‘ragas’

Rajam Shankar treats autistic children with Carnatic music

 

Therapeutic notes: Rajam Shankar during a music therapy session with a student.

HYDERABAD: When the 12-year-old girl entered the cosy home of Rajam Shankar, she was humming what sounded like a ‘raga’. She observes her surroundings, smiles at her mother and continues to hum as she sits down waiting for Mrs. Shankar to sing to her.

The girl responds with a smile and tries to hum in unison. Humming might be natural for many of us, but for autistic children like her it’s a milestone.

Mrs. Shankar (57), who has been teaching Carnatic music for nearly three decades in Sainikpuri, decided to look at the therapeutic effect of music few years ago. “I was curious as to why only ‘Kalyani Ragam’ is sung during ‘Sreemantham’ ceremony and that’s how my research began,” she says.

After four years of study under guidance of her guru Kollegal R. Subramaniam, she decided to experiment the effect of various ‘ragas’ on the body. “Frequency of each ‘raga’ pulsates with ‘Chakras’ or energy powerhouses within our body,” she explains, pointing out each person responds differently to different ‘ragas’.

She started working alongside paediatricians Lakshmi Prasanna and Swapna Narendra of Little Hearts Children Hospital at its Sandeepani Healing Centre in 2004. “I started practically applying music as therapy with a dozen children to begin. Initially, they simply ran around and didn’t respond. Gradually, they started paying attention. After a month, doctors said the children were responding better than before,” she says.

Therapy first begins in a group and then moves on to individual therapy. “When a child in a group starts humming it means individual sessions can begin,” she says. Mrs. Shankar first studies the case history of the child and spends a couple of hours with the child. “I try different ‘ragas’, see the response and then zero in on the right one,” she says.

“The emphasis is on selecting a ‘raga’ appropriate to a child’s psychological finger-print,” she explains. Parents too vouch for this innovative therapy. Janaki, mother of the 12-year-old girl, says her daughter is much calmer now. “My daughter has shown lot of improvement after attending several music sessions,” she says.

However, she treats autistic children only if referred to by doctors and institutes like the Autistic Society and even NIMHANS. Mrs. Shankar’s fees are affordable and can be reached at rajams@yahoo.com.

 

Online ad bait the latest cyber fraud

Two held for duping victims of Rs. 14.32 lakh promising money for clicking on advertisements

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Newspaper advertisements offer IDs for customers on payment of Rs. 3,000

Victims made to believe that some companies host ads on websites and pay for clicking the ads

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HYDERABAD: Make money simply by clicking advertisements online. This is the latest Internet-based bait being thrown by fraudsters to take people for a ride.

The Cyber Crime cell of Hyderabad police on Tuesday arrested two persons who duped a woman from Goa and several others from the city of Rs. 14.32 lakh after promising them huge profits by clicking advertisements on different websites. The police recovered an amount of Rs. 8.60 lakh from the arrested duo.

The accused

The prime accused in the case, a 23-year-old woman from Gaganmahal area, told the police that she hatched a plot to make money in this fashion to make good the losses she had suffered by investing in multi-level marketing companies three years ago. She got published advertisements in newspapers in the name of GET Solutions Company stating that people can make Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 a month by working online an hour a day.

When interested persons approached her, the woman told them that she would give them an ID on payment of Rs. 3,000. One person can buy any number of IDs and the company would give them a franchisee for Rs. 35,000. She used to convince that some companies host ads on websites and pay for clicking the ads.

Lured by this idea of making huge money with little investment and work, many from Hyderabad deposited money with the woman. Having learnt about it through them, a housewife from Goa invested over Rs. 5 lakh. But, the housewife smelt rat as the accused woman went on deferring allotment of IDs and eventually approached the cyber crime division.

On being picked up, she revealed the name of another man stating that she got the online fraud idea on seeing his advertisements in the name of ITECH Solutions Company inviting applications to make money by working from home. Both of them were arrested and remanded in judicial custody.

This is the second cyber fraud committed using the concept of clicking online ads. Two months ago, a company duped over 100 persons at Kukatpally of lakhs of rupees in this manner.

Food festival

 

After success of ‘Moplah Magic’, The Welcome Hotel Grand Bay will conduct second edition of mouth-watering ‘Kanara Jeevan – Feast of Kannadigas’ at Daskshin from Wednesday to November 8.

 

 

Free yoga camp

 

A free five-day yoga camp is being organised by Pathanjali Yog Samithi and Bharath Swabhiman Nyas from October 29 to November 2 at Terapanth Bhavan, D.V. Colony, Minister Road. The camp will be held from 5.30 a.m. to 7 a.m., informed a release. For more details, contact: 93924 88245, 93468 52665.

 

 

An interview with AR Rahman

Sreya Basu, TWF, Bollywood Trade News Network

 It’s difficult to make music maestro A R Rahman speak…he lets his music do all the talking. Our correspondent catches up with the Oscar winner during his Kolkata visit.

 What made you decide to hold a concert in Kolkata almost after seven years?

 It’s great to come back to Kolkata. The last show was one of the most memorable concerts of my life till date…I got a standing ovation. There were over 90,000 people cheering for me. And this time, it’s even more special because this time I am going to perform for a cause…the November 14 concert in Kolkata will be a charity concert to raise fund for a proposed hospital to be set up by Liver Foundation of West Bengal. I hope Kolkata will support me this time as well.

 Is this concert part of the ‘Jai Ho’ tour?

 Yes, it is. We get so many calls a day for concerts, but it’s all about choosing the right people and the right cause.

 How are you preparing for this concert?

 This concert, as I said, is a part of the musical tour of India. After Kolkata, we will be performing in Pune and Chennai. ‘Live’ concerts are as difficult as film…it  requires the same amount of intensity, emotion, energy. The most challenging part is to keep the audience booked for three hours; they shouldn’t even realize when these three hours whisked by.

 Now-a-days you are lending your voice more frequently in your compositions for films. So are you planning to try playback singing regularly?

 You know what, whenever I give a tune to a director, he always asks me: ‘Why don’t you sing this song?’ And I always shriek away and say: ‘No…no!’ This happens with most directors. But I have to play objective. However, there are times when I feel that my voice will do better justice to a particular song.

 Given an option, will you sing for other music directors too?

 At the moment Rahman, the singer, has signed his own films. But in future I might sing for other composers as well (smiles).

 You have often said that you are a great admirer of Kishore Kumar?

 Yes, that’s why every year on his death anniversary I don’t sit and regret the loss; but celebrate it…I celebrate Kishore’s voice; even his acting.

 With such a successful musical career, how will you define music?

 There is no definition of music for me. It keeps changing as I keep exploring it.

 Do you consider ‘Jai Ho’ as your best creation?

 Sometimes it’s not about a best creation, but the best for a particular moment of the film. ‘Jai Ho’ was right for that particular moment, that particular mindset in  SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. I know there’s lot of debate over this song winning the Oscars. But then, I didn’t send the song to the Oscars, the makers did. I just composed the tune in three weeks and was done with it. However, I too feel ‘Jai Ho’ was apt for that particular moment in the film-the protagonist comes out of darkness and pain to light amid ‘Jai Ho’ hammering in the background.

 How has Oscar changed your life?

 Oscar was difficult to handle. The first three months after the award was crazy…I was flooded with people…the social etiquettes that I had to maintain. Then I went for hibernation and spent quality time with my music. Now I am back to normal life.

 What is the inspiration of your music?

 Mostly it’s the scripts I am working on; at times there are particular directors who inspire me.

 Of all your creations, which one is your personal favourite?

 I never try to answer that question or else people will get angry. But then, ROJA is my first love and all the songs of ROJA will always remain special to me. It was my first film and I worked on the music with so much love and passion; well, I still do that for all my films, but then ROJA is my first love.

 Now-a-days we are getting a new singing sensation every other day. But they are not sustaining for long. What should a singer do for making a sustainable  career?

 The only way out is to be original.

 What are your future projects?

 BLUE just released. I am doing Mani Ratnam’s next. There are a few others.

 What about an album?

 I keep announcing new albums, but am not been able to make it happen due to time constraint. But I hope to start working on it afresh as soon as possible.

High volume video gamers are less attentive

Brain wave and behavioral measures of proactive attention were significantly diminished in the frequent video game players. Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

 Kids who play high volume video games are likely to face difficulty in staying attentive, says a new study.

Iowa State University study has found that high volume action video game players, who play around 40 hours per week, actually had more difficulty keeping focused on tasks requiring longer, more proactive attention.

“Our thinking right now is the sort of real world effect that you might be seeing is that these are individuals who would really have difficulty trying to maintain their attention independently over time,” said Rob West, one of the study’s authors, an Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Cognitive Psychology program at Iowa State.

“So if they’re engaged in some activity that doesn’t really capture their attention – like maybe a classroom lecture, or studying in a quiet space – they’re going to have difficulty maintaining attention on their own,” West added.

Lead researcher ISU and psychology graduate student Kira Bailey analysed the data from 51 Iowa State undergraduate men aged 18 to 33, who were nearly evenly divided between those who reported playing less than a couple of hours of video games per week, and those who played video games an average of 43 hours per week.

“We were not actually measuring the most extreme ends,” West said. “There were people who we were unable to recruit and have data for who have higher rates than 43 hours per week. So this is probably on the high end, but it’s certainly not the highest. You get some undergrads self-reporting that they’re playing 9 or 10 hours a day,” the expert added.

In the task, individuals identified the color of a word when the color and word matched, or did not match. It takes longer to indicate the color when the word does not match.

The study found that reactive attention control – described as happening “just in time” – was similar in the two groups of gamers. But brain wave and behavioral measures of proactive attention were significantly diminished in the frequent video game players.

“It’s not clear what the effects would be if we tested people who were playing 10 or 20 hours a week,” West said. “So we don’t know if it’s a graded effect or threshold effect – like maybe 10’s OK, but 20’s not. We don’t have those kinds of data yet.” “As you can imagine, this study could have implications for classroom and work performance for those people who play a lot of video games,” he added.

The study appears in journal Psychophysiology.

Cheap electronic goods can kill you

A Pakistani diplomat, using a defective hair dryer, suffered a fatal electric shock recently. The incident has electronics’ experts once again cautioning the public about the flood of cheap electronic goods available. The inexpensive FM radio assembled on the King Koti footpaths may cause hearing loss, the cut-price cell-phone bought from Abid’s roadside vendors could explode and many innocuous looking ‘everyday’ items might come with hidden health hazards, warn experts.
Cheap MP3, I-pod style players and ear-buds can create sound levels of up to nine decibels within the ear. Dr Praveen Sirdesai an ENT surgeon says, “Quality of sound depends on the quality of the instrument. Sound quality will be better in branded and certified companies. The cheap ear bud head-phones or music players produce loud music with disturbance. Listening to them results in high frequency sensory neural loss.”
Law forbids the manufacture of electronic goods without a license but, ‘assembled’ computers, geysers, dryers and air-conditioners circumvent the rules: unlicensed manufacturing units, producing ‘fakes’ have mushroomed in industrial areas like Katedan.
Rameshwar Rao, senior professor of Electronics, Osmania University, says, “Cheap electronic goods are manufactured without the proper specifications laid down by regulatory bodies. For instance no one can make a receiver or FM radio without a government license. The assembled FM radios sold on streets are faulty.”
Yet, cheap price tags, attractive schemes seem irresistible to consumers who continue to use the product even when it shows signs of trouble. City police recount several reports of phone battery explosions including the death of a man whose Chinese cell-phone exploded while it was being charged.
Rameshwar Rao says, “When the specified temperature limits are exceeded, certain chemicals and energy reactions in cheap batteries cause explosions. Recently, a legitimate cell-phone brand had to withdraw a series of a certain model after they began to explode as well.” He believes regulatory bodies should ensure that manufacturers follow specifications stringently, “For now, the accident rate due to electronic goods usage is low but the government has to step in before mishaps increase.”
It’s not only electronics that ought to come with a warning. The ubiquitous plastic boxes and bottles are also a health hazard, doctors say. Dr M. Vijay Kumar Reddy reveals, “Studies show that plastic bottles contain traces of Bisphenol, a synthetic chemical, that interferes with the body’s natural hormonal messaging system.” Teflon, the compound that revolutionised cookware and tom-tommed a ‘healthier, oil-free’ way of cooking is also under scrutiny, he says, “Studies suggest that Teflon coated cookware quickly reaches temperatures that produce toxic particles and fumes. Humans may suffer polymer fume fever. Studies also suggest it may affect the reproductive systems as well.”
Experts now recommend that all the cookware and heated appliances bearing polytetraflouroethyline non-stick coatings including Teflon coatings carry a label warning of health risks.

He was a CEO at 14 years!

 Lucknow,  – On Saturday, when Suhas Gopinath, 23, arrived for Shaping Young Minds Programme (SYMP), there were not many to escort him to the venue. It was after sometime that some of the organizers recognized him and ushered him inside the Sangeet Natak Academy auditorium where he was the main speaker for the session. And when the moderator introduced him, many gasped.

For the Bangalore based youth, with a boy-next-door look was actually the world’s youngest CEO, who at 14 had floated his own web-solutions company, India Inc, even before the first faint stubble had darkened his chin. In fact, he became his own boss when he had just cleared his class IX! Today, his company, which started from California, US has presence in 11 countries, has 250 employees (most of them young) and a multi billion turnover. “Oh, there have been so many occasions when people have mistook me to be an imposter masquerading as a CEO. It happened six months back in Washington where I had gone to attend a World Bank meet. The security stopped me when I told them that I was the CEO and president of a company,” he reminisced talking to HT.

And he recalled instances when international firms refused business with his company simply because he didn’t have a proper moustache, he was (and still is) so young! He said, “Hailing from a conservative family, I knew there was no way I could give up on my studies. So, I took admission in an engineering college whose lecturer on coming to know that I owned a company, applied for a job with us!” Gopinath didn’t admit his teacher in his company. “We strictly go by merit and do not admit anyone on connections alone. In fact we do not even consider how many marks one has obtained. The emphasis is on skills,” he said.

Gopinath, who idolizes Bill Gates said, “When the global meltdown happened, our company wasn’t impacted. In fact, at Davos, we issued an advisory for global firms on how to be a winner in recession hit times.” His message to the youths: “Being your own boss is far more fun. It was a visit to an Internet cafe as a kid that led me to think of launching a company offering web solutions.” The first employee he hired for his company was 30 years, half his age.

“I realized there was a issue if the employees had a boss half their age. To overcome this, we did two things, started hiring younger people and laid emphasis on doing away with hierarchy. Often, we would switch off lights and start playing with the employees. That helped me bond with the employees.” How much salary does he earn?

“Well so much is being said about CEO salaries these days. But let me tell you I draw a very meager salary, almost what my project manager gets. I utilize the rest of the amount for my company’s expansion.” By the time he was through, Suhas Gopinath had indeed shaped several young minds in the audience as most of them said they too would like to employ rather than get employed.

Hindustan Times

Female teachers ’32 times more likely to experience voice problems’

 

AT GREATER RISK: Female teachers speak louder than male teachers at work. Photo: N. Rajesh

 Teachers, especially women, face a greater risk of hurting their voices than most of the other professionals, according to a new study. The research by the National Center for Voice and Speech (NCVS) showed that teachers were 32 times more likely to experience voice problems.

Eric Hunter, deputy director of the NCVS, and colleagues examined how teachers use their voices at work and at home and found differences between male and female teachers. The investigators discovered that female teachers used their voices about 10 percent more than males when teaching and 7 percent more outside of work. They also speak louder than male teachers at work, the data indicated.

Hunter wrote, “These results may indicate an underlying reason for female teachers’ increased voice problems.” The findings are due to be presented at a meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) in San Antonio, TX.

Indians feel attacks not due to race, but other factors

With incidents of attacks on Indians here on the rise, many community members feel the root cause of such assaults is not race but the students’ financial conditions that force them to be out at night for odd jobs to meet high cost of living in Australia.

Many Indians in Australia feel students from India should be “alert” and “careful” if they are travelling at odd hours in the night. “It is not the race that is the problem but it is their hard financial conditions,” Ravi Bhatia, Primus CEO and a leading community member, said reacting to the latest attack in which a 22-year old Sikh was attacked while he was asleep at a bus stop.

“What makes you sleep at that time at a bus stop? Are you not inviting problems by doing so?” he asked.

“Students as migrants have some obligations also and they should take basic safety measures,” he said.

Srinivas Vasan of Federation of Indian Association of Victoria (FIAV) said Australia is the most multicultural society and has allowed people from all over the world to live here peacefully.

Over 30 Indian students were attacked in various Australian cities from June to September.

“We have been urging students on some do’s and don’ts like organising their late night travels, not carrying cash and being careful and alert. If you are working late nights and travelling odd hours in public transport you are expected to be alert and careful,” Mr. Vasan said.

Echoing his views, Neeraj Nanda, Editor of a local Indian newspaper who conducted a survey on what could be the cause of such attacks, said majority of Indians settled here felt that their own countrymen were largely responsible for the attacks.

“Talking to many families I found all most everyone felt that Indians were to be blamed for inviting problems.

They refuse to integrate in Australian society that sorts of annoys the localites,” he said.

While Australia still tops as a safest destination for many Indian students, for many of them things are not as rosy as painted by their agents back home and interestingly, there has been a pattern noticed in such incidents.

Most of the students in vocational courses hail from rural parts of India. With little or no financial support they pick odd jobs like in security, cleaner, at petrol stations or drive a cab late at night.

To add to the problem, they rent out in cheap and crime-prone areas and use public transport at odd hours which make them highly prone to such attacks.

“We have many Indian students who work odd hours and do not sleep properly for days as they work odd hours,” said Elizabeth Drozd, Victorian multiculturalism commissioner and a university teacher.

“They attend their classes in the morning and work late nights to meet out their living,” Ms. Drozd said, adding many of these students feel so tired and they sleep anywhere.

However, Gautam Gupta of Federation of Indian Student Association disagrees with the view. He said if someone sleeping at late night at a bus stop was risky then half of India was at high risk.

Mr. Bhatia said like Indians even Chinese student population is huge here but majority of Chinese belong to affluent families and they can afford expensive education and living.

“Chinese do not become such targets as they are from rich families and can easily afford the expenses of living and studying here. Aspiring students should be able to fully fund course fee and not rely on a part-time work wages,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Australian government has suspended almost 200 agents operating in a number of countries for lodging online student visa applications because of evidence of fraud or poor approval rates.

Infosys to open 22 rural BPO centers in AP

Infosys BPO Limited, a subsidiary of IT major Infosys, today signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh government to set up rural BPO centres in 22 districts of the state.

Infosys BPO Limited CEO and Managing Director Amitabh Chaudhry and State Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty CEO T Vijaya Kumar signed an MoU in this regard in the presence of Chief Minister K Rosaiah.

“The first such BPO centre will be set up in the next six weeks which will provide a testing ground for this model.

The capital expenditure and other details will be worked out subsequently,” Chaudhry said adding that all the 22 districts would have one BPO each.

“Over 1,000 people would get direct employment through the rural BPO centers in the next 12-15 months. Statistics suggest that direct employment generates 1.4 times indirect employment as well,” he added.

Noting that Andhra Pradesh would be the first state where Infosys would be setting such facilities, Chaudhary said, “We are in talks with some other states as well for similar ventures but I can’t disclose the names at this stage”.

Events Today in Hyderabad

Art	Top
Artists Collection Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 11 a.m. to  4 p.m. Mystic Inspirations, Plot No.33, Banjara Hills. An exhibition of paintings by various artists like Suman Roy, Arif, Jaya Baheti, Deeraj Choudhary and Kishan will be on display.
Fragrance Of Life Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 11 a.m. to  6 p.m. Diara Art Gallery, 100A, Banjara Petals, Road No.5, Banjara Hills. An exhibition of figurative paintings on human life, by renowned artist Sukanta Das.
Solo Show Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 11 a.m. to  7 p.m. Shrishti Art Gallery, 267, Jubilee Hills. A solo exhibition of water color paintings on canvas by Rini Dhumal (Prof. of fine Arts, Baroda) will be on display.
Special Events	Top
Diwali Dhamaka Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. The Square, La Cantina, The Bar, The Deli, Sunset Lounge and Boulder Hills, Novotel Hyderabad, Hitech City, Madhapur. This Diwali, patrons who dine for Rs 1000, get a chance to win a Hyundai i20.
Eating Out	Top
Lunch Buffet Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. noon to  3 p.m. Sweet Nirvana, Plot No.105, Phase II, Kavuri Hills, Madhapur Sweet Nirvana is offering a variety of delicious continental dishes which include soups, salads along with the main course and desserts.
Evening Snacks Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 4 p.m. to  6 p.m. Promenade, Aditya Park, Ameerpet. An array of South and North Indian snacks and light meals at the Promenade.
Happy Hours Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 4 p.m. to  8 p.m. The Bar, Novotel Hyderabad Airport, Shamshabad. The Bar at Novotel is having happy hours – there’s a complimentary drink on purchase of every drink.
Midnight Biryani Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 11:30 p.m. to  3 a.m. Tulips, Hotel Greenpark, Greenlands, Begumpet. Tulips is serving an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian biryanis. Other delicacies like Haleem, Sheermal, Paneer Burjee and desserts are also available.
Southern Delicacies Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. noon to  3 p.m. Deccan Pavilion, Hotel ITC The Kakatiya, Begumpet. The coffee shop is offering authentic Hyderabadi biryanis and delicious kebabs along with other Chinese and continental cuisines. Also on the menu are soups, salads, cold cuts, pastas and desserts.
Snacks and Desserts Buffet Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 4 p.m. to  7 p.m. Sweet Nirvana, Kavuri Hills, Madhapur. A variety of savoury snacks like chicken barbecue and even desserts are up for grabs.
Dim-Sum Festival Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 7:30 p.m. to  11:30 p.m. Strings, Taj Banjara, Road No.1, Banjara Hills. The menu consists of a wide-range of Dim Sums in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options like Baby Spinach and spring vegetables dim sum, Five spiced mushroom dim sum, Garlic and cabbage dim sum, Burnt garlic fish dim sum, Chicken dim sum, Crispy shrimps dim sum and delicious desserts from Executive Chef Hrudananda Behera.
Vegetarian Buffet Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 7 p.m. to  11 p.m. Venue, Quality Inn Residency, Nampally. The restaurant offers delicious south Indian vegetarian buffet, along with snacks and desserts for lunch and dinner.
Lunch Buffet Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 12:30 p.m. to  3 p.m. Tandoor, White House Building, Begumpet. An authentic North Indian buffet – peas pulao, paneer tikka, biryanis, desserts and more.
The Curry Bar Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 7:30 p.m. to  11:30 p.m. Spice Junxion, Taj Deccan, Road No.1, Banjara Hills. Executive Chef Sachin Joshi has prepared a menu which includes an array of the most popular, authentic, spicy south Indian curries. The chicken, fish, lamb and vegetable curries are made using home-made spices and served with portions of Appams, Malabar Parathas, Dosas, and steamed rice. The non-veg curries on offer are Kozhi Chettinad, Kori Gassi, Meen da Kajippu, Kundapur Chicken, and Meen Moily, and among the veg curries – Cauliflower, Alambo Arepu, Kaikari Chettinad and Gutthi Vankaya Kura are available.
Gourmet Lunch Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. noon to  3 p.m. Taj Deccan, Road No.1, Banjara Hills. Indulge in unlimited kebabs, grills, smoothies and much more.
Guilt Free Indulgence Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. noon to  3 p.m. Little Italy, 275, Film Nagar Society, Jubilee Hills. Authentic Italian cuisine and a specially crafted menu for lunch during the weekdays. Indulge into unlimited soups, salads, desserts, choice of starters and main course (which includes home made wheat pastas and pizzas).
FUNjabi Food Festival Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 7 p.m. to  11 p.m. Swagath-De-Royal, #2-36, Kothaguda X Roads, Kondapur, Cyberabad Enjoy authentic Punjabi cuisine here. Some of the specialties on the menu are Sarson ka Saag, Paneer Tikka and many more.
New Menu Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 7 p.m. to  11 p.m. Thank God Its Friday, I Floor, RK Cineplex, Road No.2,Banjara Hills All new American menu that includes Creole slow roasted chicken, Southwest Burger, Texas BBQ Chicken flatbread and Jamaican Jerk Tenderloin skewers.
Nightlife	Top
House Music Night Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 8 p.m. to  1 a.m. Dublin, Hotel ITC The Kakatiya, Opp. to Walden, Begumpet Rocking party tracks by in-house DJ Daman.
Wonder Wednesdays Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 8 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. 10 Downing Street, #10, Lifestyle Building, Begumpet In-house DJ Ananth and a guest DJ will be spinning famous party tracks tonight. Drinks will be on the house for the ladies.
From Goa With Love Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 8 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. Seasons Bar, Taj Krishna, Road No.1, Banjara Hills. Singer Wahida belts out hit songs from 70s, 80s to latest chart busters.
Russian Melodies Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 8 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. Atrium Bar, Taj Deccan, Road No.1, Banjara Hills. Russian singer Polina will perform at the bar. She is versatile and covers a wide variety of world styles, from contemporary popular repertoire to retro and hip-hop.
Flower Power Nights Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 8 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. Touch, I Floor, Trendset Towers, Road No.2, Banjara Hills. DJ Shashank will entertain the ladies with the best of lounge music tonight.
High On House Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 8 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. Rattle and Hum, IV Floor, Jaya Chambers, Plot No.102, Road No.36, Jubilee Hills. DJ Swadeep is all set to play house and trance music tonight.
Club Nights Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 8:30 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. Soul, Saphire Square, Somajiguda. DJ Rafiq plays house, progressive, underground, techno and rock music tonight.
Hip-Hop Nights Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 9 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. Twister Resto Bar, I Floor, Shrishti Towers, Above Pizza Hut, Madhapur. Hip-Hop and reggae all night with the in-house DJ.
Bollywood Nights Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 9 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. Excess, Novotel Hyderabad, Hitech City, Madhapur. In-house DJ will play the latest hit numbers from Bollywood tonight at the lounge.
Endless Elektro Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 8 p.m. to  11:45 p.m. 360 Degrees, Shangrila Plaza, Road No.2, Banjara Hills. DJ Murthy is all set to entertain the crowd with the best of house, electro and commercial music.
Films	Top
Kebab Connection Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 3 p.m. to  5 p.m. OUCIP, Osmania University. The movie is about Ibo, a young Turkish-German man who is an aspiring film maker. A clash of cultures and pre parental anxiety ensues after Ibo’s German girlfriend. Titzi, announces that she’s pregnant. Ibo’s father is upset at his son for wanting to start a family with a non Turkish German woman while Titzi is upset at Ibo over his hesitance in taking on fatherly responsibilities. Other themes are the competition of a Turkish kebab restaurant and a Greek tavern, a gang trying to extort the owner of the kebab restaurant, Ibo’s quest to make the first German Kung-Fu movie and the pursuit of both Titzi and her roommate of spots at a prestigious drama academy.
Shopping	Top
Season Sale Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 11 a.m. to  9 p.m. Planet Sports, Shop No.1-2, Afzia Towers, Opp. Lifestyle, Begumpet. There is a 20% discount on apparel, footwear and other sports accessories for women and men.
Precious Diamonds Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 11 a.m. to  8 p.m. Kiah, 6-3-1111, Near Babu Khan Mall, Somajiguda The diamond boutique store is displaying its new collection on Diamonds for party and wedding wear. Get up to 20% off on the same.
Festive Collection Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 11 a.m. to  9 p.m. New Meena Bazar, Abids. The store is has an exclusive range of reviting kurtas, pyjamas and sherwanis, featuring Lucknowi, Chikandari, Kashmiri works, Brocades and thread embroidery in exotic range of colors and designs. The fabrics used to create these masterpieces include plain cotton, crushed cotton, cotton silk, linen tissue silk and ploy silk.
Festive Collection Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 11 a.m. to  9 p.m. Anonym, 275, Above Little Italy, Opp. KBR Park, Jubilee Hills Discounts on designer wear by designers like Puja Arya, 11:11, Ravage, Proyadarshini Rao and others.
Festive Collection Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 11 a.m. to  8 p.m. Musaddilal Jewellers. Musaddilal Jewellers and Exporters have launched adesigner jewellery collection for Diwali and the wedding season. The collection specialises in diamonds, ruby, antique jewellery like satlada, chokers and much more.
Hyderabadi Cushions Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 11 a.m. to  8 p.m. Novotel Lobby Store, HICC Complex, Hitech City, Madhapur. Syed Arif Ali’s collection of cushions are on display at all the Inhabit outlets in the city.
New Collection Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 11 a.m. to  8 p.m. Wills Lifestyle, Nagarjuna Circle, Banjara Hills Avail a gift voucher on purchase of apparel and accessories worth Rs.6,000/-.
Designer Collection Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 11 a.m. to  8 p.m. Personna, #8-2-589/3, Banjara Hills The store is displaying formal and party wear apparel from famous designers like Manoviraj Khosla, Troy De Costa, Wendell Rodricks and many more.
Sale Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 11 a.m. to  9 p.m. Da Design, Road No. 36, Jubilee Hills Upto 30% off on Saris, Salwars and Tunics for women.
Workshops	Top
Music Notation Reading Wednesday, October 28th, 2009. 6:45 p.m. to  9 p.m. Alliance Francaise, Desk Edufrance, West Marredpally. Hyderabad Western Music Forum presents the second Music Notation Reading training course. The workshop is conducted by Joe Koster and Laure Menegoz. It is the second in the series by the Hyderabad Western Music Forum. The participants will learn the art of reading Western music notation.

 

Government System Failure Killing Mothers in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal, Oct 28 – A complaint by a patient that a doctor in a government-run hospital left her unattended in the operation theatre has turned the spotlight on the role played — or not played — by these hospitals in reducing deaths at childbirth in Madhya Pradesh, a state with one of the highest maternal mortality rates (MMR) in India.

Vidhya, wife of Anil Magarde, was admitted to the Betul district hospital Oct 3. She has said in her complaint: ‘Dr. Renuka told me on Oct 5 that an operation will have to be conducted and demanded Rs.2,500 for the same.

‘I told her that Rs.1,000 has already been paid and the remaining amount would be paid after the delivery. I was taken to the operation theatre the same evening but left unattended by the doctor after administration of local anesthesia. Later, my family members took me to a private hospital where the delivery was conducted.’

Denying the charge, the doctor, Renuka Gohia, told IANS: ‘No extra money except Rs.100 towards registration charge was taken from her or her relatives. The patient’s family members shifted her from the hospital on their own without any reason. The delay in the operation was not for money but because her blood pressure had gone down after the administration of anesthesia.’

Vidhya has urged Betul Collector Vijay Anand Kuril that the doctor be asked to return the Rs.1,000 paid as well as Rs.25,000 spent in the private hospital. The collector has ordered an inquiry.

Civil society groups working to promote safe motherhood say Vidhya was lucky. In June this year, six women died within 15 hours in Bhopal’s Sultania Government Hospital.

As per the 2007 Registrar General of India survey, Madhya Pradesh has an MMR of 379 per 10,000 live births as against the national average of 301.

‘Seventy percent of the national budget allocated for health support goes back unutilised. The system is not delivering results and that’s where the problem lies,’ says Hamid El-Bashir, the Unicef representative in Madhya Pradesh.

‘The cause for the high MMR in the state is not lack of resources alone but failure of the system,’ says Seema Jain of Vikas Samvad, an NGO that works on safe motherhood. ‘No one is held responsible when a mother dies … most of the time it’s not even registered. It’s very important to keep a tab on a pregnant woman’s health.’

Besides negligent doctors, non-functional health centres, scarcity of blood banks, inadequate number of specialists in rural areas and poor transport system are other bottlenecks, she added.

‘Approximately, 10,000 women die every year in Madhya Pradesh during pregnancy or within 42 days of delivery. These deaths may be due to haemorrhage, infection, eclampsia or unsafe abortion. A majority of these could be prevented once the system is made accountable,’ says Rolly Shivhare, activist of the Right to Food campaign.

‘These deaths are completely preventable and that is the greatest tragedy. It is a silent tsunami,’ says Sachin Kumar Jain of the Madhya Pradesh Lok Sangharsh Sajha Manch.

‘We have to ensure increased presence of skilled birth attendants at the village level, provide care before birth, address sociological issues and bring about a change in attitude of health personnel,’ he said.