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Thursday, August 30, 2018

Ishant Sharma Becomes Third Indian Pacer to 250 Test Wickets Thursday August 30,2018


Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma became the seventh Indian bowler to register 250 wickets in Test matches, bringing up the number on Day 1 of the fourth Test against England at Southampton on Thursday August 30,2018


The 29-year-old trapped the England captain Joe Root in front with a sharp in-swinging delivery for India's second wicket of the morning session after they were asked to bowl first. It was the second instance that the England batsman was plumb in his short stay at the crease as he was earlier trapped by Jasprit Bumrah, again with a sharp in-swinging delivery. But Root received a lifeline after a review from India, which was taken after a denied appeal, revealed that the pacer had over-stepped.

Ishant Sharma is only the third Indian fast bowler to take 250-plus wickets in Tests, with the other two bowlers being former Indian captain Kapil Dev and left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan

In addition to this, Ishant Sharma is only the seventh Indian bowler and the second seamer after Kapil Dev to take 50 wickets against England in Test cricket.

However, the tall pacer, who has played in 86 Tests so far, is the second slowest bowler in Test history to bring up 250 wickets in Tests, just behind South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis.

Some of the most devastating floods India has experienced over the past few years


World's Highest Paid Actors in 2018


Virat Kohli all set to eclipse Sachin Tendulkar’s feat of 6,000 Test runs in 120 innings


2018 India Tour of England - Fourth Test @ Southampton Aug 30 -Sep 03,2018 - England Squad Announced

In-form all-rounder Moeen Ali and left-arm fast bowler Sam Curran returned to the playing XI for the hosts as England named their playing XI for the Southampton Test.

Young Ollie Pope and Chris Woakes, who has been ruled out due to an injury, are the two players who have been left out

Ali has been among the runs for Worcestershire, scoring 210 runs in 277 deliveries before turning it on with the ball, returning match-figures of 8 for 89. He has not played for England in the five-day format since being dropped after the first Test against New Zealand in March.

Curran's axe in the third Test had left many people surprised after the left-armer had put up an impressive showing in the first two Tests. He contributed with both bat and ball for England and his return will add more depth to the brittle English batting.

Jonny Bairstow has been included in the team and will play as a specialist batsman while Jos Buttler will keep the wickets for England.

England XI for fourth Test @ Southampton
 Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root (c), Jonny Bairstow, Stokes, Jos Buttler (w), Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.

Indian Rupee weakens to new all-time lows against the US dollar Thursday Aug 30,2018

The Indian Rupee Thursday Aug 30,2018 weakened to new all-time lows against the US dollar, tracking losses from Asian currency market. 

Rupee closed at 70.74 a dollar, down 0.20% from its previous close of 70.59. 

The currency today opened at 70.69 a dollar and touched a fresh all-time low of 70.86 a dollar and a high of 70.59. 

According to traders, dollar sale, on behalf of the central bank, pulled the rupee back from the day’s low before it weakened again

Blockchain - All You Need To Know

Blockchain, primarily known for powering cryptocurrencies like bitcoins, is a form of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) that promises to reduce costs and establish trust, but faces challenges like the speed of processing transactions. Its popularity lies in the fact that participants have a copy of the ledger’s data that contains the most recent transactions or changes, thus reducing the need to establish trust using traditional methods.
Blockchain is “pulling us into a new era of openness, decentralization and global inclusion”, states a June 2017 paper by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Large banking, financial services and insurance firms, manufacturing firms and governments across the world are already testing blockchain proofs of concept.
A blockchain network can either be public or private (permissioned), based on who is authorized to participate. One may like it to the difference between an intranet and the internet. Most pilots are being done with private blockchains.
In India, for instance, banks have formed ‘BankChain’—an alliance of banks formed in February 2017 to explore and build blockchain-based solutions. The BankChain community has 37 members, with representations from 28 Indian banks, including State Bank of India, ICICI Bank Ltd, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd, HDFC Bank Ltd and Yes Bank Ltd. Two years ago, for instance, the Mahindra Group and IBM announced the development of a cloud-based permissioned blockchain solution in a bid to reinvent supply chain finance across India by enhancing security, transparency and operational processes.
Blockchain technology can also disrupt public health by creating a secure and flexible ecosystem for exchanging electronic health records (EHRs). Student records, faculty records and educational certificates can be maintained with the application of blockchain technology. Other possible applications include the use of blockchain technology to record and manage agricultural land records as well as agriculture insurance. Blockchain technology can also be deployed to create a marketplace for electric power supply.

3-D Printing: Changing face of manufacturing


Three-dimensional (3-D) printing is changing the face of traditional manufacturing. Today, 3-D printers not only make jewellery and toothbrushes but also football boots, racing-car parts, custom-designed cakes, human organs, houses, aeroplane parts and even more efficient lithium-ion batteries. And yes! They even provide blueprints for 3D-printed guns.
Last month, a US federal judge blocked defdist.org from sharing blueprints of 3-D guns. However, the ruling came after thousands of people had already downloaded blueprints for these weapons. As a precautionary measure, some 3-D printing firms are now using gun-blocking software to deter people from printing functional guns, according to a 14 August report by radio programme producer NPR.
According to 6Wresearch, India’s 3-D printer market is projected to touch $79 million by 2021. The growth triggers include the low cost of manufacturing, increased applications and the Make In India campaign. In India, 3-D printers have been used in medical, architecture, automotive, industrial, aerospace, military and other applications, where automotive application accounts for the largest revenue and volume share.
Four years ago, for instance, a team of Indian plastic surgeons at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) in Puducherry restored the deformed skull of a three-year-old girl to its original shape with the help of a 3-D printer that was sourced from a Mumbai-based 3-D printer maker, Divide By Zero Technologies. Jipmer now has its own 3-D Printer.
3-D printing belongs to a class of techniques known as additive manufacturing, or building objects layer by layer. The most common household 3D-printing process involves a “print head”, which allows for any material from plastic (and now metals too) to be extruded or squirted through a nozzle. To be sure, there’s also the concept of 4-D printing, which allows materials to “self-assemble” into 3-D structures, and which was initially proposed by Skylar Tibbits of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in April 2013.
Globally, the 3-D printer market is expected to be worth $32.78 billion by 2023, according to research firm Markets and Markets. The aerospace and defence vertical, according to the report, held the largest share of the global 3-D printing market in 2016.
Globally established companies such as Stratasys and Optomec have footprints in India through partnerships and alliances, notes the above-cited 6Wresearch note. Major companies active in the Indian 3D-printing market space are Altem Technologies, Imaginarium, Brahma 3, KCbots and JGroup Robotics.

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Irfan bowls the most economical spell in Twenty20 history Saturday Aug 25,2018

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Irfan bowled the most economical spell in T20 history on Saturday Aug 25,2018, only conceding a run from his final ball.


The giant 7ft 1in (2.16m) left-armer, playing for Barbados Tridents against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League, also took the wickets of the usually big-hitting West Indies internationals Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis.

But Irfan ended up on the losing side anyway, as after he had bowled his maximum four overs, the Patriots chased down their target of 148 with seven balls to spare to win by six wickets.

“I'm really happy. I would've been happier if the team won, but I am happy that I bowled one of the best spells in T20 cricket ” said Irfan after the match.

Iran's finance minister Masoud Karbasian impeached Sunday Aug 26,2018

Iran's finance minister has been impeached by the country's parliament in the latest blow to the embattled government as it struggles against a fall in the currency value and a mounting economic crisis.

Masoud Karbasian lost the vote of confidence on Sunday Aug 26,2018 by 137 votes to 121, with two abstentions.

He is the second minister in President Hassan Rouhani's cabinet to be impeached this month following the removal of Labour Minister Ali Rabiei.

Tunisian president proposes equal inheritance rights for women

 

Tunisia's president on Monday Aug 13,2018 proposed giving women equal inheritance rights despite protests from thousands of people objecting to any challenge to Islamic law.

The North African Muslim country, which toppled autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, grants women more rights than other countries in the region, and since last year has allowed Muslim women to marry non-Muslim men.

But in a show how divided society remains, thousands demonstrated on Saturday in front of parliament against any changes to inheritance rules.

The current system is based on Islamic law which typically allows men to inherit double what a woman would receive.

"I propose equality inheritance to become law," President BejiCaid Essebsi said in a speech.

But in the face of the opposition from conservatives, he left the door open for some exceptions, saying families who wished to continue the allocation based on Islamic law would be able to do so.

Parliament now needs to decide on a bill.

Tunisia is ruled by a coalition of moderate Islamists and secular forces which have been managing its democratic transition since 2011, avoiding the upheaval seen in Egypt, Libya or Syria.

Former UN chief and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan Dies at age 80 Saturday Aug 18,2018

Kofi Annan, one of the world's most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. 

He was 80. 

It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness...

 

Kofi Atta Annan was born April 8, 1938, into an elite family in Kumasi, Ghana, the son of a provincial governor and grandson of two tribal chiefs.

He shared his middle name Atta - "twin" in Ghana's Akan language - with a twin sister, Efua. He became fluent in English, French and several African languages, attending an elite boarding school and the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. He finished his undergraduate work in economics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1961. From there he went to Geneva, where he began his graduate studies in international affairs and launched his U.N. career.

Annan married Titi Alakija, a Nigerian woman, in 1965, and they had a daughter, Ama, and a son, Kojo

US Senator John McCain dies age 81 after battle with brain cancer Sunday Aug 26,2018

The senior Republican senator from Arizona and former nominee for president in the 2008 election, John Sidney McCain III, died Sunday Aug 26,2018 after battling brain cancer for more than a year.

 John McCain suffered from glioblastoma, a rare and particularly aggressive form of brain cancer
It was announced on Friday that he had decided to stop treatment for his condition, a decision his family said he made “with his usual strength of will”

McCain was surrounded by his wife Cindy and his family in Arizona during his final hours.

Emmerson Mnangagwa sworn in as president of Zimbabwe Sunday Aug 26,2018

 

Emmerson Mnangagwa was officially sworn in as president of Zimbabwe on Sunday   Aug 26,2018 after winning a bitterly contested election that marked the country's first vote since Robert Mugabe was ousted from power. 

The military-backed PresidentEmmerson Mnangagwa who again took the oath of office, faces the mammoth task of rebuilding a worsening economy and  uniting a nation deeply divided by a vote that many hoped would deliver change.

The 75-year-old Mnangagwa, who took power from his mentor Robert Mugabe with the military's help in November , said "my door is open and my arms are outstretched" to main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa after the Constitutional Court on Friday rejected opposition claims of vote-rigging and upheld the president's narrow July 30,2018 victory.

"It is time to move forward together," said Mnangagwa, who has promised democratic and economic reforms after Mugabe's repressive 37-year rule.

Upbeat supporters of the president and ruling ZANU-PF party filled the 60,000-seat National Sports Stadium in the capital, Harare. Some said they woke before dawn to catch buses and trucks in villages hundreds of kilometers away.

The heads of state of South Africa, Congo, Rwanda and Zambia and elsewhere attended.

Costa Rica march in solidarity with Nicaraguan migrants

Hundreds of people in Costa Rica have taken part in a march in San Jose in solidarity with Nicaraguan migrants who have arrived there.


Thousands of Nicaraguans have fled their country to escape the political crisis there.

The march was called after an anti-migrant demonstration a week ago ended in clashes and many arrests.

That demonstration was condemned by the government, the private sector and several human rights organisations.

Many of those taking part in Saturday's march carried banners condemning Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega.

They demanded justice for hundreds of people killed in four months of anti-government protests there.

Protesters blame the security forces and paramilitary groups loyal to the Nicaraguan government for the violence while the authorities have labelled the protesters as "terrorists".

President Ortega has rejected calls to step down to defuse the clashes.

The United Nation's refugee agency (UNHCR) said recently that an average of 200 Nicaraguans a day were applying for asylum in neighbouring Costa Rica.

More than 20,000 Nicaraguans have so far requested refugee status in Costa Rica

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Former India opener Lalchand Rajput appointed as the head coach of Zimbabwe’s national team.

Former India opener Lalchand Rajput has been appointed as the head coach of Zimbabwe’s national team.

Zimbabwe Cricket made the announcement on their official Twitter handle

“@ZimCricketv is thrilled to announce Lalchand Rajput has been appointed as the substantive head coach of our mens national team.

The former @BCCI international is a respected and successful coach reputed for his passion, hard work and intimate knowledge of the game #AllTheBest,” Zimbabwe cricket tweeted.

Rajput was earlier appointed as the interim head coach of Zimbabwe in May for the tri-series involving Pakistan and Zimbabwe and for the ODI rubber against Pakistan.

“I am happy and excited over the appointment and look forward to the challenges ahead. I am thankful to Zimbabwe Cricket for recognising my coaching abilities and giving me a three-year term, but renewable yearly,” Rajput told .

Rajput played two Tests and four ODIs for India and was a consistent performer for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy.

He was the cricket manager of the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Indian team which lifted the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007

He was also the Indian team’s cricket manager when it clinched the ODI series in Australia in 2008.
Rajput has also coached Afghanistan, who played their first Test against India in June this year, and was praised for his work. He was appointed Afghanistan coach in 2016.

Friday, August 24, 2018

Asian Games - Mascots Used From 1982 to 2018


Scott Morrison is Australia's New PM, Malcolm Turnbull on His Way Out


Treasurer Scott Morrison will be Australia's new prime minister after winning a three-way battle for the leadership of the Liberal party on Friday Aug 24.2018, with incumbent Malcolm Turnbull not contesting the party ballot.

There were three contenders in the leadership vote: former home affairs minister Peter Dutton, who narrowly lost a leadership vote against Turnbull on Tuesday, Morrison and Foreign Minister Julie
Bishop.

The Liberal party is the senior partner in the ruling conservative coalition that will face an election by May 2019. The Liberal-National government has consistently trailed the opposition Labor party in opinion polls.


If Turnbull resigns from parliament, he would leave the new government facing a by-election for his Sydney seat that could see it lose its one-seat majority. Turnbull said on Thursday Aug 23,2018 he believed that former prime ministers are best out of the parliament.

On Aug 24,1971,B S Chandrasekhar Leads India to Maiden Series Win Over England

On 24th August 1971, after 15 losses and six draws, the Indian cricket team registered their first ever Test victory and also their first ever away series victory against England.


After draws in the first two Tests of the series, India headed into the final game with hopes of getting a win but a favourable result seemed an improbable possibility halfway into the game.



Despite half-centuries from Dilip Sardesai and Farokh Engineer, India conceded a 71-run lead in the first innings after getting bowled out for 284 in reply to England’s 355, led by half-centuries from John Hameson, Richard Hutton and Alan Knott. But the course of the match changed on day four.

India captain Ajit Wadekar, on seeing the wicket getting slower, introduced the spinners early. The spinners, especially Bhagwat Chandrasekhar rose to the occasion. John Edrich’s defence was breached on just his fifth ball and Keith Fletcher followed him the next delivery. His spin-partner, S Venkataraghavan dismissed Basil D’Oliveria and Allan Knott in quick time before Chandrasekhar cleaned up the tail to dismiss England for a partly 101, finishing with the second-best figures by an Indian bowler in England at the time - 6/38(18.1 Overs)


Sardesai and Wadekar held fort after the early loss of the openers and Engineer, with Abid Ali, took India home on the final day to mark a historic moment in India’s cricketing history.

Scorecard
England 355 and 101
India 284 and 174/6(Target 173 Runs)

Jonty Rhodes Announced as Isuzu Motors Brand Ambassador in India




Isuzu Motors India has signed former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes to promote the brand and V-Cross in India. Rhodes, who himself is an adventure enthusiast, will endorse the lifestyle and adventure pick-up, Isuzu D-Max V-Cross. Isuzu plans to establish itself rapidly as an important player in the Indian pick-up and utility vehicle market. Isuzu launched its latest commercial, featuring Rhodes, with the message of 'Be the Game Changer' at a press conference held in Mumbai. Rhodes drove the V-Cross onto the stage at the press conference to mark his association with Isuzu in India. Deputy MD of Isuzu India, Ken Takashima, said that India will be an export hub for various regions. India already exports Isuzu products to Nepal and Bhutan.




"Jonty perfectly represents the brand's values and his association encapsulates what we intend to do in this country", says, Mr. Ken Takashima, Deputy Mana

ging Director, Isuzu Motors India. "Jonty Rhodes, an internationally known sportsman, brings with him unique qualities that differentiated him as a 'game-changer' in the international cricket. He continues to be an active adventurer, surfer, and a traveller, endorsing many aspirational traits of the growing Indian population. The V-Cross, lifestyle & adventure Pick-up, has been a catalyst in bringing about a new lease of life to the people and adventure enthusiasts in India. The Indian Pick-up market is growing significantly and we have been witnessing a strong inclination towards the V-Cross.”


Commenting on the association, Rhodes said "I am pleased to be associated with a legendary brand that makes reliable, durable and performance-oriented vehicles. Coming from a country where pickups are commonly used as a personal vehicle for daily commute and weekend getaways, I am equally excited to endorse such a versatile vehicle like the V-Cross in India from a world-renowned manufacturer of automobiles. India is a phenomenal country and I have had the opportunity to be closely associated with this country, doing new things and meeting new people. am truly excited to be associated with Isuzu in India and I look forward to an amazing journey with the brand." He concluded by saying that he has grown up in a pick-up truck and plans to grow old in one as well.


Isuzu Motors currently sells the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross pick-up and mu-X SUV in India. The company also sells the commercial range of Isuzu D-Max pick-ups for budding entrepreneurs. Isuzu Motors India had recently rolled-out their 10,000th vehicle from its manufacturing plant in Sricity, Andhra Pradesh, since its start of production in April 2016. The company had crossed a cumulative sales of 10,000 units in March 2018.


Mullaperiyar Dam:99-Year Lease at the Heart of Acrimony Between Tamil Nadu and Kerala


The Mullaperiyar dam on Periyar river has once again resurfaced as a source of dispute between the governments of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The trigger this time: the floods in Kerala that left at least 373 dead and 54 lakh – a sixth of its population – directly affected.

The tension between the two states over the issue has persisted since the 1960s, with Kerala citing concerns regarding the dam’s safety and arguing for the reduction of the dam’s water levels. But with the water from the dam being diverted to five districts in Tamil Nadu and its importance in the state’s irrigation and power production practices, the state has consistently opposed this.


The History


Although the dam is located in Kerala, it is operated by Tamil Nadu following an 1886 lease indenture for 999 years that was signed between the Maharaja of Travancore and the Secretary of State for India for the Periyar Irrigation works. Constructed between 1887 and 1895, the dam redirected the river to flow towards the Bay of Bengal, instead of the Arabian Sea and provide water to the arid rain region of Madurai in Madras Presidency.


The lease is also the source of the many litigation surrounding the dam. In 2006, the Kerala government had argued before the Supreme Court that the contract “was obtained…by holding threat of paramountcy over Maharaja of Travancore, who was his vassal” and had allowed the redirection of water into British Territory for a nominal fee. This, in spite, of Kerala being the only riparian state of the river.

After India’s independence, this contract was renegotiated in 1970 formally, wherein Kerala allowed Tamil Nadu to use the water for the reservoir in exchange of a revised rent, while also allowing it to generate power. But in the following decade, concerns were repeatedly raised regarding the safety of the Mullaperiyar dam and in 1979 Kerala wrote to its neighbours to immediately take steps to strengthen it. It also asked for the deputation of a Central Water Commission (CWC) team to inspect the dam and suggest strengthening measures. In 1980, the CWC team said that after the different strengthening measures were undertaken, the water level restored up to 145 feet.

But litigations continued and by the 2000, the Supreme Court directed the Ministry of Water Resources to set up by a committee to study the safety of the dam. This committee, in its report the next year, said that after implementing “strengthening measures”, “the water level can be raised from 136 feet to 142 feet without endangering safety of the dam” and that “further raising of water level to 152 feet would be considered after balance strengthening measures are implemented.”

In 2006, the Supreme Court permitted the government of Tamil Nadu to raise the water level at the dam to 142 feet.

Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation (Amendment) Act 2006

The Act prohibited the raising of the water level at the dam beyond 136 feet and placed the Mullaperiyar dam in its schedule of ‘Endangered Dam’. The Tamil Nadu government filed a suit in the apex court and argued that the Act was unconstitutional.

Subsequent meetings between the two state governments led to no consensus and in 2009, during an interstate meeting, the Kerala government informed the Centre and Tamil Nadu that it was considering the “construction of a new dam” at its own cost – while the Tamil Nadu government responded that there was no need for a new construction.

Although Kerala maintained that it didn't want to renege on its commitments, Tamil Nadu argued that the proposed new dam would render any existing water-sharing agreement moot. With the dam row leading to violent protests in both states by 2011, the dispute was no longer restricted to just the height of the water level.

The empowered committee, formed under former CJI A S Anand as per the apex court’s directions, suggested in 2010 that either a new dam be created or that the existing one be repaired and strengthened.

In May 2014, the apex court declared the Act unconstitutional and dismissed the review petitioned filed by the Kerala government and restrained it from interfering with the rights of Tamil Nadu from raising the water level in the dam from 136 feet to 142 feet.

The Present Controversy

In an affidavit to the Supreme Court earlier this week, the Kerala government submitted that its requests to “gradually release water” at least at 139 feet led to no “positive assurances” and the “sudden release” from the dam “forced (Kerala) to release more water from Idukki reservoir, downstream of Mullaperiyar, which is one of the causes of this deluge."

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy reacted, terming the allegation to be “baseless”. He said, “Kerala's accusations towards Tamil Nadu are false and baseless. If you say excess water was discharged from one dam then how did water reach all parts of Kerala? The excess discharge from 80 dams caused the flood in Kerala," he told the media.

The Kerala government has sought directions that the Supervisory Committee be headed by the Chairman of the Central Water Commission with Secretaries of both the states as members. It said that this panel be empowered to take decisions by a majority opinion regarding operations during flood or any similar crisis and sought the constitution of a Management committee to manage the day-to-day operations of the Mullaperiyar Dam.





 





Saturday, August 18, 2018

Kolamavu Kokila - Tamil Film


Cast - Nayanthara,Yogi Babu,Saranya Ponvannan
Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar

Produced by Lyca Productions

Music Composed by Anirudh

Cinematography by Sivakumar Vijayan

scheduled to be released on Friday Aug 10,2018

Vishwaroopam II - Tamil Film

Cast - Kamal Haasan,Pooja Kumar,Andrea Jermiah,Rahul Bose,Shekhar Kapur,Waheeda Rahman
Directed by Kamal Haasan
Produced by Kamal Haasan
Music Composed by Ghibran
Cinematography by Shanu Varghese & Shamdat
scheduled to be released on Friday Aug 10,2018

Pyaar Prema Kaadhal (English: Love, Love, Love) - Tamil Film


Cast -Harish Kalyan,Raiza Wilson,Ananth Babu,Rekha
Directed by Elan
Produced by YSR Films and K Productions
Music Composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja
Cinematography by Raja Bhattacharjee

scheduled to be released on Friday Aug 10,2018

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Passed Away Thursday Aug 16,2018



Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who served as the PM in 1996 and then from 1998 to 2004, passed away in New Delhi on Thursday Aug 16,2018

Vajpayee, who was suffering from a prolonged illness for over a decade, was 93.



 The BJP stalwart was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the capital on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion.

Last night, Vajpayee's condition had worsened and he was put on life-support system.

The son of a school teacher, Vajpayee was born in 1924 in Gwalior in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. A lifelong bachelor and amateur poet, he was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP’s parent organization. Vajpayee’s first taste of politics came in 1942 when he was arrested briefly for joining the Quit India Movement that hastened the end of British colonial rule five years later.

Vajpayee worked as a journalist before joining the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the fore-runner of the BJP, in 1951 and was elected to the lower house of parliament six years later. He was detained for a second time with other opposition leaders in 1975 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed a state of emergency and suspended elections and civil liberties. Once restrictions were lifted two years later, her Indian National Congress party suffered a heavy defeat at the polls.

Vajpayee became foreign minister from 1977 to 1979 in the country’s first non-Congress government.
As BJP president from 1980 to 1986, he worked with long-time colleague Lal Krishna Advani to build the party. The BJP later supported a campaign to build a Hindu temple on the site of an ancient mosque in the northern town of Ayodhya, eliciting votes of many Hindus, India’s majority religious group


He was the first Prime Minister to complete a full term who wasn't from the Congress party.



 It was during his tenure that the Pokhran nuclear tests were carried out.

He has received Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Lokmanya Tilak Award and other awards

Lifeline and Career.

1924: Atal Bihari Vajpayee is born in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior
1942: Arrested and held for 24 days. He later wrote in a piece titled ‘The Sangh is my Soul’: “I participated in the Quit India movement in 1942 and was jailed…”
1951: After working as a journalist, he joins the newly formed Bharatiya Jan Sangh
1957: Elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time
1962: Becomes a member of the Rajya Sabha
1975: Jailed during the Emergency
1977-79: Serves as the external affairs minister in the Janata Party government
1980: Cuts ties with the Janata Party and helps found the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is chosen as the president of the party
1992: Awarded the Padma Vibhushan for contribution in the field of public affairs
1996: Becomes the Prime Minister but is forced to resign in 13 days after the BJP unsuccessfully attempts to stitch together an alliance with regional parties. On May 28, he – in what has become a landmark speech — resigned on the floor of the House before a trust vote
1998: Sworn in as PM after the BJP emerges as the single largest party and forms the National Democratic Alliance government
1998: Under Vajpayee’s leadership, India conducts five nuclear tests on May 11 and 13 at the Pokhran range in Rajasthan. Seventeen days later, Pakistan conducts its own nuclear tests
1999: The government lasts a little over a year. Vajpayee resigns in April after his party loses the vote of confidence
1999: Becomes the PM for a third time in October after the NDA emerges as the largest political alliance
2000: Signs a statement on ‘US-India Relations: A Vision for the 21st Century’ along with Bill Clinton during the US President’s visit to India in March. The statement talks of a “pledge to reduce impediments to bilateral trade and investment, and to expand commerce between the two nations”
2000: In September, after an invitation to address a joint session of the US Congress, he speaks at a joint session. Vajpayee says his visit to Washington has “consolidated relations between the world’s two largest democracies and marked a new era in bilateral and global affairs”
2004: In May, he resigns as the PM following the NDA’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections
2005: Retires from active politics
2009: Has a stroke that impairs his speech
2015: Conferred the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award. In a departure from protocol, President Pranab Mukherjee drives to Vajpayee’s residence and presents the award to the ailing leader. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says: “There are crores of workers around the country who draw inspiration from Atalji”
August 16, 2018: Vajpayee passes away in Delhi

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the man who turned India into nuclear-armed nation


Vajpayee led India’s right-wing coalition governments from 1998 to 2004, overseeing sweeping policy changes in telecommunications, education and privatization of state-run firms. He will be remembered for his repeated efforts at talks with neighbor Pakistan, improved relations with the U.S. and India’s second nuclear weapons test in 1998, more than two decades after the first detonation in 1974.

Two months after his Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition came to power, Vajpayee ordered detonation of three underground nuclear devices on May 11, 1998 at Pokhran in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. In defiance of a global outcry, two more tests were conducted at the same site two days later.




The U.S. imposed economic sanctions, while some European nations and Japan halted aid. Pakistan responded with its own atomic blasts two weeks later, ignoring appeals from world leaders to show restraint.

Yamaha India Launches YZF-R15 V 3.0 Moto GP Limited Edition at Rs 1.3 Lakh

India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd. has introduced YZF-R15 Version 3.0 (155 CC) Moto GP Limited Edition and Yamaha FZS-FI (149 CC) with rear disc brake in two new colors. The all new YZF-R15 Version 3.0 Moto GP Limited Edition in ‘Yamaha Racing Blue’ colour gets Yamaha Moto GP branding on the fairing, tank and side panels and is priced at Rs 1.30 Lakh (Ex Showroom Delhi).

The Blue Core Technology enabled Yamaha FZS-FI (149 CC) has got two new colors with rear disc – “MATTGREEN” and “DARKNIGHT” and is priced at Rs 87,042 (Ex Showroom Delhi). Yamaha has also developed its new brand campaign ‘The Call of the Blue’.

TVS Scooty - All You Need To Know

Believe it or not, the TVS Scooty was first conceptualised in 1994. Initially, it was meant for both men and women but it took TVS no longer than a couple of years to realise that the scooter was being purchased by more women than men. In 1996, the Scooty was repositioned as a product meant for women despite the fact that the male riders dominated the market. Slowly and steadily, the bet returned the dividends in a way that no one could have imagined. Today, scooters which are targeted at female riders are referred to as a “Scooty” in general.

This went on to such an extent that the TVS Scooty went on to become the mode of travel for Asin in Ghajini, for Genelia D’Souza in Chance Pe Dance and Ayesha Takia in the Bollywood film Sunday. Even Ranbir Kapoor used the TVS Scooty to get around in the film Rocket Singh. The TVS Scooty even gave birth to a reality show on MTV called “Scooty Teen Diva”. How many scooters can boast of that?

Bajaj Chetak Scooter - All You Need To Know

Ðœ ade by Bajaj, the scooter is believed to be named after the horse “Chetak” which carried Maharana Pratap safely out of the battle of Haldighati, fought on 21 June 1576.

The Chetak was originally based on the Italian Vespa Sprint which was made by Piaggio from 1965 to 1976. In early 1980s, the Chetak’s design was replaced with a new in-house design which shared the same general appearance and style – the one that stuck to everyone’s mind.

The Chetak went on to become a household name and managed to carve out space for itself which it enjoyed until being discontinued in 2005.

Empire State Building, Niagara falls lit-up in tricolour for India’s 72nd Independence Day Wednesday Aug 15,2018


The iconic Empire State Building and Niagara Falls were illuminated with the tricolour to mark India’s 72nd Independence Day  with the Indian diaspora in the US celebrating the occasion, showcasing the country’s rich cultural heritage and history through a plethora of events.

A special ceremony was organised at the world-famous skyscraper in New York’s midtown Manhattan for lighting it up in saffron, white and green. “Happy India Day from New York City! Together with the Federation of Indian Association, we’re honouring India’s Independence Day by recreating the Indian flag in lights tonight,” the twitter handle of the Empire State Building, the 1,454 feet-tall building with 102 stories, said in a tweet.

Consul General of India in New York Sandeep Chakravorty accompanied by Srujal Parikh, president of the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) – New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and singer Mickey Singh attended the event. The Niagara Falls, arguably the world’s most breathtaking waterfalls and one of the most visited tourist spots globally, was also illuminated in saffron, white and green to mark India’s Independence Day. The Indian diaspora in the US celebrated the Independence Day with patriotic fervour and zeal, showcasing the country’s rich cultural heritage and history through a plethora of events across America.

2018 Pakistan Presidential Election - Pakistan will hold presidential elections on Sep 04,208

Pakistan will hold presidential elections on Sep 04,2018 to elect President Mamnoon Hussain’s successor at the end of his five-year-tenure, the election commission announced today.

 Pakistan’s president is elected indirectly by the members of Parliament and the four provincial assemblies.

“Presidential election will be held on September 4,” the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said as it issued the schedule of the election.

The candidates can filed nominations by August 27 and the final list of contesting candidates will be issued on August 30, it said.

The polling will be held in the buildings of the federal parliament and provincial assemblies.

In Pakistan, the President is considered as a symbol of the federation and head of the state and exercises all powers on the recommendations of the prime minister.

Mamnoon Hussain, elected in September 2013, was a nominee of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led by former jailed prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Vijay Sethupathi’s look in Mani Ratnam’s Chekka Chivantha Vaanam unveiled

The third poster of Mani Ratnam’s Chekka Chivantha Vaanam is out and it introduces Vijay Sethupathi as Rasool.

Vijay Sethupathi as Rasool in ! @LycaProductions @thearvindswami @arunvijayno1 @prakashraaj @aditiraohydari @aishu_dil @DayanaErappa @arrahman @santoshsivan @sreekar_prasad


The earlier posters had unveiled the looks of Arvind Swami and Arun Vijay, who play Varadhan and Thyagu, respectively.

 Unlike the fiery rage in first two posters, Vijay Sethupathi has a calm demeanour. Also, the actor seems to be drenched, with droplets of water on his forehead, as he looks on intensely. The third poster’s tone and colour palette are similar to the first two — bathed in red as an indication of not just the film’s name but also what could be the crux.

The film is supposed to revolve around industrial pollution and the ferrous shades of red could be a hint to the plot and to the angry nature of the story

Chekka Chivantha Vaanam has four male leads in Arvind Swami, Arun Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi and Simbu. The look and character introduction of Simbu is yet to be unveiled.

Chekka Chivantha Vaanam also stars Jyothika, Aishwarya Rajesh, Aditi Rao Hydari and Prakash Raj among others.

Viswanathan Anand crowned India’s first chess Grandmaster in 1988

At the age of 18, Viswanathan Anand became India’s first Grandmaster win by clinching the Shakti Finance International chess tournament held in Coimbatore, India

India’s first overseas Test series win in cricket in1967

India were yet to become a force to reckon with in cricket but a new generation of players were taking the sport to a higher pedestal

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was one such charismatic figure, who changed the way India played cricket

 His aggressive brand of captaincy yielded results as India beat New Zealand 3-1 to register their first ever series victory on foreign soil.

India’s first Test series win over England in 1961-62

England were the inventors of the game of cricket and pretty much the team to beat still. India had been on the wrong end of results against the English on several occasions but that changed in December 1961 and January 1962 as the English came calling for a five-match Test series.

After the first three matches were drawn, India trounced the visitors in the last two Test matches at Calcutta and Madras. Nari Contractor was India’s captain but the victories were made possible due to the guile of all-rounder Salim Durani’s left-arm spin

Ramanathan Krishnan created history by reaching the SF's of the 1960 Wimbledon

Ramanathan Krishnan created history by reaching the semi-finals at the All England Club.

Wimbledon, the oldest tennis tournament in the world, was officially the holy grail of tennis before the Open Era came into existence. Seventh seeded Krishnan’s golden run came to a halt in the last four against eventual champion Neale Fraser of Australia.

India wins first Test series in cricket in 1952

Long before cricket became a religion in India, Lala Amarnath had already etched his name in Indian cricket history by becoming the first ever Test centurion from the country in 1933.

But his moment of glory came in late 1952 as he captained India to their first ever Test series win.

The victory was sweet as it came against bitter rivals Pakistan. India won the first and third Test matches at Delhi and Bombay respectively to eventually win the series 2-1.

India’s first Olympic gold medal in the 1948 London Olympics

The Indian hockey team had already won three gold medals at the Olympic Games but all of them had come for a team that was still a British colony.

The 1948 Olympics in London was India’s chance to win its first medal as an independent nation.

The skill and ingenuity of the Indians was at full display as they won all their round-robin matches and then edged out a tough Netherlands team 2-1 in the semi-final to reach the summit clash. Great Britain defeated Pakistan in the other semi-final to ensure a classic showdown.

In the final at Wembley, Balbir Singh Dosanjh’s brace set up a 4-0 thumping of the former colonial masters as India’s tryst with destiny on a hockey field had a golden beginning.

Indian Rupee comes off historic low, closes at 69.90 against USD Tuesday Aug 14,2018

The Indian Rupee reversed from historic low in its closing trade on Tuesday Aug 14,2018 after touching 71.10 against the US dollar. The Indian currency closed at 69.90 against USD.

Rupee breached 70 per dollar mark in late morning trade on Tuesday amid fears that economic crisis in Turkey could spread to other global economies.

In the opening trade rupee had recovered from all-time low of 69.91 and strengthened by 23 paise to 69.68 against the US dollar. Panic and capitulation overshadowed trading mood as traders and speculators saw no signs that monetary authorities would step into the foreign exchange market to support the domestic unit.

Sudarsan Pattnaik's Independence Day special sand art Wednesday Aug 15,2018

India and Indians breathe & enjoy our glorious cultural diversity. Many languages, many festivals,but a single celebration.Let India awake to the creation of a Shreshtha Bharat this . The force of a strong, united India is . My SandArt

Former India off-spinner Ramesh Powar appointed India women's cricket coach till World T20 scheduled in Nov 2018

Former India off-spinner Ramesh Powar was on Tuesday Aug 14,2018  officially appointed head coach of the women`s national team until the ICC World T20 scheduled for November 2018.

"The BCCI has appointed Ramesh Powar as head coach of the Indian women`s team. Powar has now been handed over full time duties till November 30, 2018," a BCCI statement confirmed.

The 40-year-old Powar was initially appointed interim coach last month, a week after former first-class cricketer Tushar Arothe submitted his papers citing personal reasons

The upcoming tour of Sri Lanka will be the first assignment for Powar as head coach.

"His term will include the tour to Sri Lanka in September, a bilateral series in the West Indies in October followed by the ICC Women`s World T20 in the West Indies in November," the statement further said.

The T20 World Cup, starting November 9 will see India facing New Zealand, Pakistan, Australia and one of the qualifying teams in the league stage

2018 US Open - Former Champions Stan Wawrinka, Svetlana Kuznetsova Get Wildcards

Former US Open champions Stan Wawrinka and Svetlana Kuznetsova received wildcards into the event on Tuesday Aug 14,2018 along with two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka, tournament organisers announced.

Switzerland's Wawrinka, who beat Novak Djokovic to win the title in New York in 2016, has dropped to 151st in the world after a knee injury that ruled him out of the second half of last year.

The 33-year-old Kuznetsova, US Open champion as a teenager in 2004, has fought her way up to 88th after battling back from left wrist surgery but missed the July 16 cut-off for direct entry.

Former world number one Azarenka, twice a runner-up to Serena Williams at Flushing Meadows in 2012 and 2013, has yet to return to her best after taking time off for maternity leave and personal matters.

Reigning girls' singles champion Amanda Anisimova and Claire Liu were also given wildcards, as well as Asia Muhammad, Whitney Osuigwe and France's Harmony Tan.

One final women's wildcard will be announced at a later date.

Americans Tim Smyczek, Michael Mmoh and Noah Rubin were handed spots in the men's field, with the other wildcards going to Corentin Moutet, Jason Kubler, Bradley Klahn and Jenson Brooksby.

UK Returns Indian Buddha Statue Stolen 57 Years Ago Wednesday Aug 15,2018

A 12th century bronze Buddha statue stolen from a museum at Nalanda in Bihar nearly 60 years ago was returned to India today Aug 15,2018 by the London's Metropolitan Police as part of a ceremony here to mark India's Independence Day.

The bronze statue with silver inlay is one of the 14 statues stolen in 1961 from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) site museum in Nalanda and changed several hands over the years before surfacing at a London auction.

Once the dealer and the owner were made aware the sculpture was the same one that had been stolen from India, the Metropolitan Police said they cooperated with the Met's Art and Antiques Unit and agreed for the piece to be returned to India.

The statue was identified at a trade fair in March this year by Lynda Albertson of the Association for Research into Crimes Against Art (ARCA) and Vijay Kumar from the India Pride Project, who then alerted the police.

Scotland Yard returned the statue stolen to the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, YK Sinha, as part of a ceremony to mark Independence Day at India House in London today.

"I am delighted to return this piece of history. This is an excellent example of the results that can come with close cooperation between law enforcement, trade and scholars," said Met Police Detective Chief Inspector Sheila Stewart, who was accompanied by officials from the UK's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport at the handover ceremony.

"Although this was stolen over 50 years ago, this did not prevent the piece being recognised and the credit must go to the eagle eye informants who made us aware that the missing piece had been located after so many years," she said.

Mr Sinha described the return of the "priceless Buddha" as a "wonderful gesture" and a particular honour given his own roots in Bihar.

"I hope it will now go back to where it originally belongs... On our Independence Day, it (return of the statue) highlights the multi-faceted cooperation between our two countries," he said, after a Tricolour-hoisting ceremony to mark India's 72nd Independence Day at the Indian High Commission in London.

Detective Constable Sophie Hayes of the Met's Art and Antique Unit said it had been established that there was no criminality by the current owner or the dealer who had been offering the stolen statue for sale.

"Indeed, from the outset they have cooperated fully with the police to resolve this matter and they have made the decision to return the sculpture via the police," Ms Hayes said.

"We are delighted to be able to facilitate the return of this important piece of cultural heritage to India," she added.

The Art and Antiques Unit was founded 50 years ago and is one of the oldest specialist units in the Metropolitan Police Service. The unit prides itself on a "long history of reuniting owners with their stolen property".

Michael Ellis, UK Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism, said: "As we celebrate India's Independence Day, I am proud to highlight the latest example of the UK's cultural diplomacy in action. Thanks to the work of the Metropolitan Police's Arts and Antiques Unit, we are one of the first countries to recover one of the 14 elusive Buddha statues stolen from Nalanda nearly 60 years ago."