Remembering Mahatma Gandhi(Oct 2,1869 - Jan 30,1948) on his Birth 146th Anniversay Friday October 02,2015

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi(Oct 2,1869 - Jan 30,1948) was the preeminent leader of  Indian Nationalism in British Ruled India who employed Non-violent Civil Obedience and led India to independence and inspired movements for non-violence, civil rights and freedom across the world.

Gandhi's Personal Life

Mohandas Karamchand Gandh was born in in Porbandar, a coastal town which was then part of the Bombay Presidency,British India.

Gandhi's father,Karamchand Gandhi(1822-85) belonged to the Hindu Modh Community,served as the Diwan of Porbandar State,a small Princely State in the Kathiawar Agency of British India.





In May 1883, the 13-year-old Gandhi was married to 14-year-old Kasturbai Makhanji in an arranged child marriage , according to the custom of the region.


In 1885, when Gandhi was 15, the couple's first child was born, but survived only a few days.
Gandhi and Kasturba had 4 more children, all sons -

• Harilal born in 1888
• Manilal born in 1892
• Ramdas born in 1897 and
• Devdas born in 1900

Gandhi Studied Law in London,U K
In 1888, Gandhi travelled to London, England, to study law at University College London, where he studied Indian law and jurisprudence and to train as a Barrister at the Inner Temple (one of the four (professional associations for Barristers and Judges in London)

Gandhi's attempts at establishing a law practice in Bombay failed because he was too shy to speak up in court. He returned to Rajkot to make a modest living drafting petitions for litigants but was forced to close it when he ran afoul of a British officer.

Gandhi in South Africa

In 1893, he accepted a year-long contract from Dada Abdulla & Co., an Indian firm, to a post in the Colony of  Natal,South Africa ,then part of the British Empire.

Mahatma Gandhi (sitting in centre), who was practing as an attorney in South Africa, with H.S.L. Polak (left), then Gandhi's clerk, Schlesin (right), a Russian, and two office clerks behind

Gandhi spent 21 years in South Africa, where he developed his political views, ethics and political leadership skills.

 In South Africa, Gandhi faced the discrimination directed at all coloured people. He was thrown off a train at Pietermaritzburg  Railway Station after refusing to move from the first-class. He protested and was allowed on first class the next day.

Pietermaritzburg Station in South Africa where whre he was foced out a white only compartment - turning point of his life

Travelling farther on by stagecoach, he was beaten by a driver for refusing to move to make room for a European passenger.He suffered other hardships on the journey as well, including being barred from several hotels.

In another incident, the magistrate of a Durban Court ordered Gandhi to remove his turban, which he refused to do


These events were a turning point in Gandhi's life and shaped his social activism and awakened him to social injustice.

Gandhi Returns to India
In 1915, Gandhi returned to India permanently. He brought an international reputation as a leading Indian nationalist, theorist and organizer. He joined the Indian National Congress(INC) and was introduced to Indian issues, politics and the Indian people primarily by Gopala Krishna Gokhale.

Gandhi's first major achievements came in 1918 with the  'Champaran and Kheda Agitations of Bihar and Gujarat. The Champaran agitation pitted the local peasantry against their largely British landlords who were backed by the local administration.

In 1919 Gandhi became 'Khilafat Movement's' most prominent spokesman and attracted a strong base of Muslim support with local chapters in all Muslim centers in India .

Assuming leadership of the Indian National Congress(INC) in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women's rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, increasing economic self-reliance, and above all for achieving Swaraj —the independence of India from British Rule.

In Dec 1929 Lahore session of INC adopts the goal of complete independece-poorna Swaraj for India

Gandhi led Indians in protesting the national salt tax with the 400 km (250 mi) 'Dabdi March' March 12 to April 5, 1930

 In March 1931 Gandhi Irwin Pact Signed and Civil Dosobedience Movement Suspended.


Gandhi demanded the British to immediately 'Quit India'  in 1942

 In Sep 1942 Subhas Chandra Bose establish the Indian National army (Azad Hind Fauz)

In Oct 1943 Subhash Chandra bose proclaims the formation of Provisional Government of free India

In Dec 1943 Karachi Session of Muslim League adopts the slogan Divide and Quit.

In Feb 1947 Bfritish Prime Minister Clement Atlee declared that the British would leave India by not later than June 1948  

In 1946, Mahatma Gandhi seen sitting next to a spinning wheel, a device used to make yarn or thread; the now-famous image came to symbolize the notion of Indian self-sufficiency — and thus independence from British rule

 

In  1948, Mahatma Gandhi is seen ending his last fast, which was intended to persuade Hindus and Muslims to work towards peace

 

Death - Jan 30,1948

Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, was shot at 5-12 p.m. and he died fifteen minutes later. Gandhiji left his room in Birla House for the prayer meeting a few minutes after the conclusion of his talk with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He passed through the garden leaning on the shoulders of Ava Gandhi and Manu Gandhi, grand daughter-in-law and grand niece.

As he walked up the four steps leading to the prayer mandap, a young man, aged about 35, came before Gandhiji and, bending his body forward at a distance of less than two yards, offered pranam. Gandhiji returned the salute, when the young man remarked “You are late to-day for the prayer.” Gandhiji smiled and replied, “Yes, I am”; but just at that moment, the young man pulled out his revolver and rang out three shots from point-blank range, the bullets piercing the frail body of the great leader just below the heart and stomach. Immediately, Gandhiji collapsed; but Ava Gandhi and Manu Gandhi stuck to their place by his side and held him firmly. But that was the last of the Nation’s Father. It was then 5.12 p.m.

The last act Gandhiji did was to lift both his hands as a sign of prayer in the direction of the large gathering which had assembled for the prayer. Thereafter, he was speechless and the loss of blood, at his age and so soon after his fast, made death inevitable. He was beyond medical aid even from the start when shock had its effect. Lord Mountbatten and Cabinet Ministers, including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and others soon arrived. The Ministers present held consultations among themselves as to the future course of action.

The assassin, soon after he fired the shots, was seized by the people who had come to attend the prayer. His revolver — a six-chambered one — and some cash were recovered. It appears he was beaten by the crowd and was slightly injured. The police have taken him into custody and investigation is proceeding. It is learnt that the name of the assassin is Nathuram Vinayak Godse (aged 36), a Mahratta. He described himself as the Editor of a daily paper called Hindu Rashtra published in Laxmipet, Poona.


Mahatma Gandhi's five-hour funeral procession stretched over five and a half miles through the streets of Old and New Delhi, and included some 4,000 troops and more than a million mourners

Mahatma Gandhi Statues Across the World

1)In 1956 Kenya was the 1st country to have/unveil Gandhi Statue in Royal Technology College in Nairobi,Kenya

2)In 1968 England was the 2nd country to have/unveil  Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Tavistock Square Garden London,England

3)In 1984 Denmark have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Copenhagen (Denmark)
4)In 1986 USA have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Union Square Park, New York City,USA
5)In 1988 USA have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Ferry Building, San Francico,USA
6)In 1990 USA have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Kapiolani Park, Honolulu, Hawaii,USA
7)In 1993 South Africa have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Church Street, Pietermaritzburg 
8)In 1998 USA have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Martin Luther King Jr National Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
9)In 1998 Argentina have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Plaza Sicilia, Buenos Aires
10)In 1999 Uganda have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Memorial Garden, Jinga
11)In 2003 USA have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Houston Garden Center, Hermann Park, Houston, Texas,USA
12)In 2003 South Africa have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Johannesburg
13)In 2004 USA have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Heritage Park, Skokie, Illinois,USA
14)In 2005 USA have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Inn Plaza, Riverside, California,USA
15)In 2006 USA have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Indian Cultural Garden, Rockefeller Park, Cleveland, Ohio,USA
16)In 2007 Switzerland have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Ariana Park, Geneva,Switzerland
17)In 2008 USA have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Toledo Area Sculptors Guild,Gibsonburg, Ohio
18)In 2009 England have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Belgrave Road, Leicester,England
19)In 2009 USA have/unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Gandhi Park, Old County Courthouse, Trade & Alexander Streets, Charlotte, North Carolina (USA)

India pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on 146th birth anniversary Friday Oct 02,2015

2015 Bihar Assembly Elections - BJP's Vision Document For Bihar Thursday Oct 01,2015

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday released the BJP's 'vision document' for the Bihar assembly elections in the presence of two union ministers and senior party leadersin Patna
"Jaitley released the vision document a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Banka," Bharatiya Janata Party leader Bhupender Yadav, who is in charge of the party affairs in Bihar, said.
Yadav said the document focuses on women's empowerment, education, jobs for youth and infrastructure development.
"The vision document has a clear-cut plan to develop Bihar in the next five years if the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance wins the polls and forms the next government," he said.

Air India launches offer for its maiden Delhi-San Francisco flight

Air India will give an inaugural offer exclusively for its First and Business Class passengers who would be travelling on the soon to be launched direct flight to San Francisco from Delhi.

Under the scheme, any First or Business Class passenger travelling to-and-fro on Air India’s direct flight from Delhi to San Francisco shall be entitled to one Return Ticket (2 Flight Coupons) in Executive class on Air India’s domestic network, the airline said in a statement.

The fare and Airline Fuel Charge will be waived off on the complementary award ticket. Applicable taxes will have to be paid by the passenger. The passenger may also give the award ticket to any of his nominee, it added.

The offer is available on tickets booked between October 1, 2015 and January 15, 2016 which can be availed on travel between December 2, 2015 and January 31, 2016.

England, Wales ban smoking in cars with children inside Thursday Oct 01,2015

Smokers who light up in vehicles with children inside will face fines in England and Wales as anti-smoking measures are expanded to protect young people from the dangers of second-hand smoke.

The ban went into effect on Thursday Oct 01,2015 but police are not expected to issue a rash of fines as the public becomes accustomed to the regulation.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council said in a statement that police would take an “educational, advisory and non-confrontational approach” for at least the first three months of the ban.

“This would see people being given warnings rather than being issued with fines,” police said.

Smoking advocates called the new law unenforceable, but health officials and anti-smoking groups hailed the measure as the most important since a general ban on smoking in workplaces and enclosed public spaces took effect in England in 2007.

Google invites amateurs to send clips for 'India in a Day'

 

Google has invited India’s amateur filmmakers to a help create a full-length user-generated movie about daily life in the country.

In the project, called “India in a Day,” anyone can grab a camera or a phone to capture scenes from ordinary life on Oct. 10, and then upload their footage to http://indiainaday.withgoogle.com

Selected clips will be made into a film under the guidance of directors Ridley Scott, Richie Mehta and Anurag Kashyap. Contributors will be listed as “co-directors,” according to a press release from Google Inc.

I-T returns deadline for taxpayers under section 44AB extended till October 31,2015

The NDA Government on Thursday Oct 01,2015 extended the deadline for e-filing of income returns and audit reports for a special category of taxpayers, assessed under section 44AB of the Income Tax Act, by a month to October 31, 2015.

The earlier deadline was September 30, 2015.

“In order to avoid discrimination between taxpayers residing in different jurisdictions and to be fair to all and also in view of paucity of time to approach Supreme Court by way of Special Leave Petition, government has decided that across the country all returns of income and audit reports under section 44AB which were due for e-filing by September 30, 2015, may now be filed by October 31, 2015,” the CBDT said in a order issued on Thursday Oct 01,2015

United Nations Human Rights Council(UNHRC)adopts consensus resolution on Sri Lanka Thursday October 01,2015

 

The United Nations Human Rights Council(UNHRC)which is holding 30th session in Geneva, on Thursday October 01,2015 adopted a resolution, through consensus, on alleged human rights violations during the Eelam War in Sri Lanka.

Sponsored by the United States, United Kingdom and a few others, the resolution was backed by Sri Lanka. 

The adoption of the resolution marked a high point of the current session of the UNHRC which commenced on September 14 and concludes on Friday Oct 02,2015

The resolution envisages the establishment of a Sri Lankan judicial mechanism to investigate allegations of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law. The proposed mechanism will include Commonwealth and other foreign judges, defence lawyers and authorised prosecutors and investigators. 

There was no voting and there were no last-minute changes in the text of the draft resolution, which was submitted by the sponsors on September 24, according to a spokesperson of the Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Note

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations System Inter-governmental body whose 47 member states are responsible for promoting and protecting Human Rightsaround the world.

The UNHRC is the successor to the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR, herein CHR), and is a subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly 

The UN General Assembly established the UNHRC by adopting a resolution (A/RES/60/251) on 15 March 2006, in order to replace the previous CHR, which had been heavily criticised for allowing countries with poor human rights records to be members

The seats are distributed among the UN's Regional Groups as follows -

• 13 for Africa
• 13 for Asia
• 6 for Eastern Europe
• 8 for Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC) and 
• 7 for the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) 

The UN General Assembly, via a two-thirds majority, can suspend the rights and privileges of any Council member that it decides has persistently committed gross and systematic violations of human rights during its term of membership

The UNHRC holds regular sessions three times a year, in March, June, and September

The UNHRC can decide at any time to hold a special session to address human rights violations and emergencies, at the request of one-third of the member states. To date there have been 20 Special Sessions.

The UNHRC has addressed conflicts including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and also addresses rights-related situations in countries such as in Burma, Guinea, North Korea, Côte d'Ivoire, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Libya, Iran, and Sri Lanka

The UN General Assembly elects the members who occupy the UNHRC's 47 seats.The term of each seat is three years, and no member may occupy a seat for more than two consecutive terms.

Palestinian flag raised at United Nations(UN) for first time Wednesday Sep 30,2015

 

The Palestinian flag has for the first time been raised at the United Nations following an address delivered by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to the UN General Assembly.

The flag was raised in the rose garden at 1:00pm local time (6:00pm GMT) on Wednesday Sep 30,2015 as a large crowd of diplomats and reporters watched on.

Speaking to the crowd, Abbas dedicated the ceremony to "the martyrs, the prisoners and the wounded, and to those who gave their lives while trying to raise this flag".

Hundreds of Palestinians assembled in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, where they watched the flag-raising on a large screen set up in Yasser Arafat Square.

Mirza Salma Beg(22)Is The Only Woman Manning A Level Crossing in India

 

Mirza Salma Beg's job description isn't very gender neutral. The 22-year-old humanities graduate from Lucknow is the only woman 'gateman' that India has.

The Chief Public Information Officer of Northern Railways told  that they have no record any other woman working as a 'gateman' in India as of now.

A 'gateman' is a person who operates level crossings in Indian Railways. Their job includes closing the gates and shutting road traffic before a train passes a point where people frequently cross the tracks in other vehicles or by foot. The gate is usually opened and closed with the help of a winch, which has to be operated manually. A winch comprises a spool with a wire or rope around it and a hand crank, which has to be moved to adjust the tension in the rope or chain.

At the Malhaur station in Lucknow, Salma's team comprises eleven male gatemen apart from herself.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Tells U.N. General Assembly. He Will No Longer Observe Oslo Accords Wednesday Sep 30,2015

 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday Sep 30,2015 declared that he will no longer be bound by the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, citing Israel's failure to uphold its obligations under the peace agreement.
 "Our patience for a long time has come to an end," Abbas told the U.N. General Assembly.
"Israel has left us no choice but to insist that we will not remain the only ones committed to the implementation of those agreements while Israel continuously violates them."

The Oslo Accords have been lapsed since the Israeli government's failure to withdraw its citizens by 1998, and both parties have recognized there will ultimately need to be a new agreement to achieve a two-state solution.

Russia launches Air-strikes in Syria Wednesday Sep 30,2015

Russia has launched a series of air strikes in Syria for a second day.

The strikes reportedly targeted sites in the north-west held by the Army of Conquest rebel alliance, as well as areas in Homs and Hama provinces.

Russia said it had carried out eight strikes overnight, and that it had hit 12 Islamic State (IS) positions hit in 24 hours.

Russia says its strikes have destroyed a command centre and two arms depots belonging to IS.

Thursday October 01,2015's strikes reportedly hit areas near the strategic town of Jisr al-Shughour, as well areas in Idlib province and Hama province further south

More than 50 planes and helicopters are involved in the Russian military operation in Syria, Russia's defence ministry said.

Note

The strikes come after weeks of military build-up and a combative speech by Vladimir Putin at the UN in which the Russian leader vowed to increase his country's  role in the fight against terrorism. Putin acquired unanimous parliamentary approval for military operations in Syria on Wednesday, and then rapidly mobilized jets already stationed in Syria

Syria's civil war

What's the human cost?
More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed and a million injured in four-and-a-half years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war.
And the survivors?
More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes, four million of them abroad, as forces loyal to President Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other - as well as jihadist militants from IS and other groups. Growing numbers of refugees are going to Europe

The Battle for Syria and Iraq in Maps

 

Russian Parliament Approves Military Deployment in Syria Wednesday Sep 30,2015

Russia's upper house of parliament on Wednesday Sep 30,2015 has voted to allow the military to be deployed in Syria, paving the way for air strikes on the militant Islamic State (IS) group.

Senior Kremlin official Sergey Ivanov said no ground troops would be involved in Syria, only the air force
Sergey Ivanov, the president's chief-of-staff, said US and French air strikes in Syria circumvented international law, since they had not been authorised by a UN resolution or by the Syrian government.

President Bashar al-Assad, he said, had officially requested military assistance from Moscow. That was later confirmed in a statement from the Syrian president's office.

Syria's civil war

What's the human cost?
More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed and a million injured in four-and-a-half years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war.
And the survivors?
More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes, four million of them abroad, as forces loyal to President Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other - as well as jihadist militants from IS and other groups. Growing numbers of refugees are going to Europe

The Battle for Syria and Iraq in Maps

 

Google Doodle Celebrates Indian Self-Rule Advocate Annie Besant’s 168th Birthday Thursday October 01,2015

Google Doodle Celebrates Indian Self-Rule Advocate Annie Besant’s 168th Birthday

 

 

Thursday  October 01,2015’s Google Doodle on google.in honors what would have been Annie Besant’s 168th birthday.

The Doodle drawn by Lydia Nichols depicts the celebrated advocate, born on Oct. 1, 1847, sitting in a chair holding a copy of New India. The Indian newspaper, which Besant bought in 1914, was where she published many of her calls for India’s independence

Annie Besant(October 01,1847 - September 20,1933)

 

Annie Besant (1 October 1847 – 20 September 1933)was a prominent British Socialist,Theosophist,Women's Right's Activist, Writer and Orator and Supporter of Irish and Indian self-rule.

In 1867, Annie at age 20, married Frank Besant, a clergyman, and they had two children, but Annie's increasingly anti-religious views led to a legal separation in 1873.

Annie Besant then became a prominent speaker for the  National Secular Society (NSS) and writer and a close friend of Charles Bradlaugh

In 1877 Annie Besant and Charles Bradlaugh were prosecuted for publishing a book by birth control campaigner Charles Knowlton .The scandal made them famous, and Bradlaugh was elected M.P for Northampton in 1880.

Annie Besant became involved with union actions including the Bloody Sunday demonstration and the  London Matchgirls Strile of 1888
Annie Besant was a leading speaker for the Fabian Society and Marxist Social Democratic Federation (SDF)
Annie Besant was elected to the London School Board for Tower Hamlets, topping the poll even though few women were qualified to vote at that time.

In 1890 Annie Besant met Helena Blavatsky and over the next few years her interest in Theosophy grew while her interest in secular matters waned.
Annie Besant became a member of the Theosophysical Society and a prominent lecturer on the subject. As part of her theosophy-related work, she travelled to India. In 1898 she helped establish the Central Hindu College and in 1922 Annie Besant helped establish the Hyderabad(Sind)National Collegiate Board in Mumbai,India
In 1902, she established the first overseas Lodge of the International Order of Co-Freemasonry, Le Droit Humain.
Over the next few years she established lodges in many parts of the British Empire.
 In 1907 she became president of the Theosophysical Society, whose international headquarters were in Adayar,Madras(Chennai),Tamil Nadu,India

Annie Besant also became involved in politics in India, joining the Indian National Congress(INC)
When WWI broke out in 1914, Annie Besant helped launch the Home Rule League to campaign for democracy in India and dominion status within the Empire. This led to her election as president of the India National Congress in late 1917

In the late 1920s, Annie Besant travelled to the United States with her protégé and adopted son Jiddu Krishnamurti, whom she claimed was the new Messiah and incarnation of Buddha. Krishnamurti rejected these claims in 1929

Annie Besant continued to campaign for Indian independence and for the causes of theosophy, until her death in 1933.

Google Doodle Celebrates Indian Self-Rule Advocate Annie Besant’s 168th Birthday

 

 

Thursday  October 01,2015’s Google Doodle on google.in honors what would have been Annie Besant’s 168th birthday.

The Doodle drawn by Lydia Nichols depicts the celebrated advocate, born on Oct. 1, 1847, sitting in a chair holding a copy of New India. The Indian newspaper, which Besant bought in 1914, was where she published many of her calls for India’s independence

 

Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 - NDA Govt. collects Rs. 3,770 crore from 638 declarations Thursday October 01,2015

NDA Government on Thursday Oct 01,2015 said it received an amount of Rs. 3,770 crore from 638 declarations under the one-time black money compliance window that closed on Wednesday Sep 30,2015.

“638 number of declarations have been received under the compliance window declaring undisclosed foreign assets amounting to Rs. 3770 crore. These figures are subject to final reconciliation,” the Finance Ministry said in a statement based on figures provided to it by the CBDT.

It added that tax at the rate of 30 per cent and penalty at the rate of 30 per cent is to be paid by December 31, 2015. 

The window, created under the new anti-Black money Act, saw a hectic rush on the last day on Wednesday Sep 30,2015  as declarants made a beeline to meet the deadline at the only I-T office designated here for the task.

“Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 (the Act) has been enacted to deal with the menace of black money stashed abroad. The Act also provided for a compliance window for a limited period to persons who have undisclosed foreign assets which they had not disclosed for the purposes of Income-tax so far,” the statement added.

The compliance window opened on 1st July, 2015 and was till 30th of September 2015.

It said the officer designated to receive declarations worked till midnight even as the e-filing portal was also open till midnight to receive the declarations. 

Cristiano Ronaldo Surpasses 500 Career Goals, Equals Raul Record Wednesday Sep 30,2015

 

Cristiano Ronaldo (30)surpassed 500 Career Goals and tied Raul as Real Madrid's all-time leading scorer (323 goals)with a double in the Spanish giants 2-0 win away at Malmo in the 2015-16 UEFA ChampionsLeague on Wednesday Sep 30,2015
"I am very happy. I thank all my teammates that have helped me achieve these figures and to beat the record at the biggest club in the world is an honour," said Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 500th and 501st goals to propel Madrid to victory against the Swedish champions in the Group A clash, also extending his record Champions League tally to 82.

Cristiano Ronaldo reached the 500-goal landmark in his 753rd game with 118 goals coming during his time at Manchester United, five while at boyhood club Sporting Lisbon and 55 for Portugal.

2015 Fuel Price Revision Thursday Oct 01,2015

 Diesel Price Hike,Petrol Price Unchanged
 
Diesel price was on Wednesday Sep 30,2015 hiked by 50 paise per litre but there will be no change in petrol rates.

Diesel will cost Rs 44.95 per litre with effect from midnight tonight as against Rs 44.45 currently, Indian Oil Corp, the nation's largest fuel retailer, said.

"The current level of international prices and INR-USD exchange rate warrant a price increase, which is being passed on to consumers with this price revision," IOC said.

At the last revision on September 1, petrol price was cut by Rs 2 per litre and diesel by 50 paise. A litre of petrol in Delhi currently costs Rs 61.20.

Note

This is the first increase in diesel price in four months. Diesel price was hiked by Rs 2.71 per litre on May 16. Rates have on consecutive fortnights declined.

Petrol price since mid-May have been cut by a cumulative Rs 5.09 per litre in Delhi (Rs 7.89 in Mumbai where there was no VAT increase). Similarly, diesel rates have been cut Rs 7.83 per litre in Delhi (Rs 10.35 in Mumbai).

State-owned fuel retailers -- Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL) -- revise petrol and diesel prices on 1st and 16th of every month based on average imported cost and rupee-dollar exchange rate in the previous fortnight.

First poster of Salman Khan's next film 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo'

 

Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor give a vintage touch to their on screen romance in the first poster of 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo'.

Directed by Sooraj Barjatya and produced by Rajshri Productions, the film is 2015's big Diwali release.

The film also features Neil Nitin Mukesh and Anupam Kher in key roles. The trailer of the film is going to release on October 01,2015

Salman Khan and Barjatya team up after 16 years togther. The duo worked together last in 'Hum Saath Saath Hai' in 1999. 

Fujifilm launches new selfie-friendly instant camera

 

Fujifilm is set to add a new model to its ‘instax mini' series of instant cameras.

The instax mini 70 will feature an Auto Exposure Control Function to capture both the main subject and background in natural brightness as well as the newly added ‘Selfie' mode

The camera even comes with a Selfie mirror beside the lens so that users can check their framing before clicking shoot, while more sociable types can use the tripod mount and the self-timer function designed for group shots.

‘The instax mini' series is especially popular among teens and women in their 20s and 30s, and sales have increased quickly in Japan and around the world

The new instax mini 70 comes in three new colors including Canary Yellow, Island Blue, and Moon White and will launch starting October 23,2015 priced at €129.90 / $139.95.

17-year-old IIT-JEE topper selected as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India brand ambassador Tuesday Sep 29,2015

Clearing the much hyped air over the names of brand ambassadors of the Digital India campaign, the government on Tuesday Sep 29,2015 released a list of 4 names.

The names included in the list are of self-proclaimed ethical hacker, Ankit Fadia, All India IIT-JEE topper - Satwat Jagwani, All India IIT-JEE—Advanced Girl Topper - Kriti Tiwari and Pranav Mistry - computer scientist at Samsung USA.

Satwat Jagwani


Pranav Mistry


 Ankit Fadia




 Krati Tiwari


Among these 4 is 17-year-old Satwat Jagwani, who comes from Satna district of Madhya Pradesh and has studied in the education hub of Rajasthan- Kota. Satwat topped the IIT-JEE advanced 2015 exams this year with 496 marks out of 504. Satwat credits his teachers at Kota for his success.

Satwat  Jagwani was born to a doctor couple belonging to Madhya Pradesh and expressed gratitude to his teachers and the environment of Kota hub for his success. Satwat had studied at the Bansal classes in Kota for his IIT-JEE preparation.

Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone on the cover of Oct 2015 Vogue India edition

Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone will be seen next in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Bajirao Mastani', slated to be released on December 18,2015

Paris Goes Car Free for a Day Sunday Sep 27,2015

 

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo presided over Sunday's "day without cars," two months before the city hosts the global summit on climate change.

The symbolic initiative is aimed at showing that air pollution from traffic -- a prime source in Paris -- must be reduced worldwide and capitals must take concrete measures to shrink their carbon footprint.

Mayors from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Brussels and Bristol were in Paris for the kick-off on the famed Champs-Elysees Avenue.

The avenue, normally congested with vehicles, isn't the only sector of Paris having a carless moment. Vehicles, including motorized bicycles, are forbidden in a quarter of the French capital and "strongly not recommended" throughout.

Buses, ambulances, police vehicles, fire trucks and taxis were allowed in the streets.


People walk on the Champs Elysees during the 'day without cars' in Paris, France on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015.

 

Note

Paris has earlier sought to cut pollution by introducing rental bicycles in the streets, adding cycling paths, including along the scenic Seine River, and adopting a fleet of electric cars for residents to incite drivers to keep polluting vehicles at home