Saturday, April 11, 2009, (Coimbatore):In another brutal incident of ragging, Akhil Dev, a first year student of a college in Coimbatore, is close to losing his eye sight.
The 20-year old student was allegedly thrashed by his seniors late in the night on March 7 - the same day 19-year-old medical student, Aman Kachroo, died of ragging in Himachal Pradesh. He suffered severe eye injury and a broken jaw.
Speaking to NDTV, Akhil said the seniors who ragged me are criminals. I don't want anyone to go through the same agony.
Describing his ordeal, Akhil said, "They were five people in all and threatened to kill me if I went back." He also said that he will fight back.
Coimbatore City police have lodged an FIR. The college principal has reportedly suspended a few students and had ordered an inquiry.
The incident occurred even after the Supreme Court came down heavily on college authorities on ragging.
The apex court had given an ultimatum saying people indulging in ragging must be punished and any delay in taking action by the institution may lead to financial aid being stopped.
The court also said if the university is satisfied with initial inquiry, it can suspend the student and immediately inform police.
The state governments have also been directed to implement Raghavan committee guidelines to prevent ragging.
This incident of ragging comes just after a 19-year-old Aman Kachroo, a medical student was allegedly ragged to death by his seniors at the Rajendra Prasad government medical college in Himachal's Kangra district.
Aman was ragged because he was not a local. A group of drunk seniors had allegedly harassed him on earlier occasions, as well.
Ever since they lost their son to ragging, the Kachroos have been on a mission to end ragging on campuses once and for all. The Supreme Court later suspended the principal for not acting promptly to save Aman.
Infosys sacks 2,100 'poor performers'
Saturday, April 11, 2009 (Bangalore Rural District):With companies keen on maximum utilisation of employees and low tolerance to poor performance in the backdrop of global economic turmoil, nearly 2,100 employees in software firm Infosys have faced the axe.
"Some of these employees have been asked to go while some have left on their own," V Balakrishnan, CFO of the city-headquartered Nasdaq-listed company, said on Saturday.
Prior to asking the employees to leave, they were put on a performance improvement course and those who showed no improvement were asked to leave while some others quit, he said.
"Tolerance to poor performance is very low given the current economic scenario," said Infosys CEO Kris Gopalakrishnan.
Usually, the employees who showed poor performance were given some more time to improve themselves, but this time there had been no such consideration, he said.
Both the officials said the sacking was part of the annual routine, which usually formed five per cent of the total number of employees but this time it was much lower.
Some of the employees had been "outplaced", Kris said, which refers to the firm hiring the services of placement agencies to help the employees to get placements in other firms.
Infosys has a workforce of 1,05,000, including trainees.
Political news Special
Do I look old to you? Priyanka slams Modi
AMETHI: Hitting out at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for likening the Congress party to a "budhia"
(old woman), Priyanka Gandhi Saturday asked voters here whether she looked old. ( Watch )
Campaigning for her brother and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in his constituency of Amethi, Priyanka said the Congress is not an old party.
"Kya mein budhi dikhti hoon? (Do I look old to you)," she asked people of Khalidpur village. "Does Sonia Gandhi (Congress president and her mother), Rahul Gandhi or I look old to you," she asked, addressing voters.
Modi has repeatedly been likening the Congress to a "125-year-old budhia" during his election campaigns, as he did in Uttar Pradesh Friday. He has asked people to vote instead for the 30-year-old "young" BJP.
Priyanka elaborated on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government'sdevelopment works and asked people to vote for the Congress.
Left often on wrong side of history: PM
KOCHI: Needling the Communists in their bastion, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said the Left parties have often been on the "wrong
side" of history by refusing to participate in the Quit India movement, Green and IT revolutions and to back the nuclear deal with the US.
In a veiled attack on the coming together of parties in the Third Front led by the Left, he asked the people to choose between the stability of the Congress and the coalition of parties which have come together only by the "glue of government" in which there is a continuous struggle for power.
"The Left that rules the state has unfortunately often been on the wrong side of history. When Mahatma Gandhi started Quit India movement the Left did not participate in it. When India became Independent, they said this independence is not for real," he said addressing an election meeting here, the first after his recovery from the heart bypass surgery.
Singh said in 1960s when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ushered in Green Revolution, the Left opposed it saying it was only for the benefit of foreign seed companies. Similarly, when Rajiv Gandhi started communications revolution they opposed it saying it will take away jobs.
"When our government started nuclear deal with the US to end India's nuclear isolation and to provide the much-needed energy for development, the Left opposed and walked out of our government. Time will prove the wisdom of our decision," the prime minister said.
If Varun can be arrested, why not Lalu: Uddhav Thackeray
Claiming disparity in implementation of poll code of conduct, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday demanded immediate arrest of RJD leader Lalu Prasad for 'threatening' BJP nominee Varun Gandhi.
"If Varun can be arrested for his alleged inflammatory remarks, then why not Lalu," Uddhav, who is now the de facto head of the saffron outfit, told PTI in an interview at the Sena headquarters in central Mumbai.
"Varun didn't take any name in his speech but was still arrested, that too, under the stringent National Security Act. Why is Lalu being spared? Everyone should get equal treatment," he said.
Under the Election Commission (EC) scanner for his remark that had he been the home minister he would have ordered a roller to crush Varun for his alleged anti-Muslim speeches in Pilibhit, Lalu has said what he referred to was `legal bulldozer'.
"What kind of democracy is this where there is disparity in implementation of model code of conduct," Uddhav, who has been slapped with an EC notice over his allegedly derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Mannmohan Singh, said.
"The code should be transparent and has to be codified. One should be able to know precisely what is right and wrong while speaking. Otherwise we will be hauled up in court if there is either an omission or commission of some words," he added.
Asked why Sena had not mentioned `Hindutva' in its poll manifesto, Uddhav said the issue has also been 'hampered' by the code of conduct. "We are not talking much about Hindutva because of the code of conduct, but haven't given up the issue."
Uddhav expressed hope that his party's efforts to garner Dalit votes in Maharashtra will succeed on the lines of BSP leader Mayawati's 'social engineering' success in UP.
"This is our third generation trying to bring `Shiv Shakti' (power of Shivaji) and `Bhim Shakti' (power of Bhimrao Ambedkar) together. I have not lost hope."
Uddhav, who took a whirlwind tour of Maharashtra ahead of the elections, is optimistic about his party's success in the poll arena.
"There are winds of change blowing in Maharashtra. I have realised during my rallies across the state that people need change. Don't be surprised if Sena gets unexpected success," he said.
Asked about the demand for reservations to Maratha community in the state, Uddhav said it is not an election issue.
Mulayam releases manifesto, bashes PM for 'insulting' party
Saturday , Apr 11, 2009,Lucknow:
SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of "overlooking and insulting" his party which had saved the UPA government from being voted out of power over the Indo-US nuclear deal.
"We saved you from resigning. Just think once what have you given us in return...You overlooked us and at times even insulted us," Yadav said while releasing the party manifesto in Lucknow.
The SP chief said the Prime Minister has now said that he was ready to resign if the nuclear deal did not go through. Singh had said on Friday that he would have resigned if the Indo-US civil nuclear deal had not gone through.
The SP leader promised to tackle issues of terrorism, economic recession and unemployment if voted to power. "We have addressed some important issues including how to tackle terrorism and economic recession and plight of the farmers in brief," Yadav said.
He said there were three important issues including that of agriculture, which have been addressed by the party in its manifesto.
"Gandhiji used to say that agriculture is like a god for a hungry man which except SP other political parties have forgotten. Without promoting agriculture, the country cannot progress," he said.
The SP supremo said that while security of international boundaries will be the priority of his party, the SP will also make efforts to maintain harmonious relations with neighbouring countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh.
"We have always made efforts and will continue with its endeavour of maintaining good relations with the neighbouring countries. Till the time boundaries exist, terrorism can not be rooted out. The party is against the concept of boundaries," he said.
Business news:
Tatas, RIL among 50 most innovative cos
New York:
Three Indian entities Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries, diversified conglomerate Tata Group and IT bellwether Infosys Technologies have entered BusinessWeek magazine's list of world's 50 most innovative companies, topped by iPhone maker Apple.
The league of innovative firms also features NRI Lakshmi Mittal-led world's largest steel producer ArcelorMittal.
Among the 50 companies, Tata Group ranks 13th, Reliance Industries 15th and Infosys 26th.
Tata Group and Reliance Industries have been ranked ahead of American industrial conglomerate General Electric (17), German car manufacturer BMW (20), Japanese auto firm Honda Motor (22) and telecom major AT&T (23), among others.
However, while the Tata Group slipped in ranking from the sixth place in 2008, Reliance Industries has improved its previous year's rank 19. Infosys was not in the list in 2008.
BusinessWeek has placed ArcelorMittal at the 35th spot.
Among the top five, Apple is followed by Internet search giant Google at the second position. Both companies have retained their respective ranks from last year.
Japanese auto maker Toyota Motor, software major Microsoft and Japan's Nintendo are at the third, fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
South African players not a must to win IPL: Irfan
Friday, April 11, 2009 (Port Elizabeth):Having a few South Africans in the ranks may help but it's not a must and whichever team plays best would win this year's Indian Premier League, King's XI Punjab seamer Irfan Pathan said.
The Mohali-based side does not have a single Protea in their ranks but Irfan does not see it as a huge disadvantage.
"Of course it would help if you have some South Africans in the side, for the event is taking place here. But I don't see it as a huge handicap for us," the left-arm seamer said.
"We played the Twenty20 World Cup here and won it, South Africa did not. So I don't think you necessarily need to have South Africans to win IPL this time," the Baroda all-rounder said.
"At the end of the day, whichever team plays better will lift the title," he added.
Irfan also dismissed suggestions that gelling with teammates would be a problem this year as the side got too little time to camp together.
"On the contrary, I think we had more time this year, at least 10-12 days to mingle with each other. Besides we have played nearly two months together last year," he told NDTV.
Irfan's brother Yusuf said he would miss playing before home crowd but was still braced up to give his best to the tournament which proved a turning point in his career.
"Of course I would miss the home crowd but IPL gave me the name and fame that I have today and it's coming again. So I just cannot wait to get into the action," said the all-rounder who played a crucial role in Rajasthan Royal's triumph last year.
Asked if Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne had already assigned him a role, like the Australian had done to all his teammates last year, Yusuf said, "Not yet. First we would get a good idea of the wickets and conditions before roles are assigned."
Like him, Irfan too said he would miss the frenzy that surrounded the inaugural edition of the Twenty20 extravaganza but was still happy that the tournament was finally getting underway.
"When I heard that IPL is being shifted to South Africa (after it clashed with Lok Sabha elections), I was relieved at least it's taking place. But I did feel for the fans as well," Irfan said.
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