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It is official: Dr Roman Saini, 24, has quit IAS - to focus on education venture, Unacademy (With video)

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 Roman Saini's inspiring journey: AIIMS at 16, IAS at 22 and education entrepreneur at 24 - Wiki image
(Video below)
January 10, 2015, NewsCrunch

Jaipur doctor Roman Saini, who cracked AIIMS entrance at 16 and IAS at 22 has quit after just two years in the elite government service.

Saini, at present posted as assistant collector of Jabalpur,  has confirmed that he has sent his resignation, which is due for acceptance by the government. He says he wants to focus on Unacademy, his education venture, which offers free tutorials on range of subjects.

The news of Roman Saini's resignation from IAS was first reported in December by a website that covers bureaucracy, Whispers in the corridor. It had stated that he had resigned before the formal completion of his training.

After graduating from AIIMS, Roman Saini cleared the civil services exam in his first attempt in 2013 securing an All India Rank of 18.

He then came to limelight when he started posting video tutorials on how to prepare for civil services. It gained him a huge online following, besides extensive media coverage.

Encouraged by the success, Roman Saini set up Unacademy, an online portal, which provides educational content, along with his school friend Gaurav Munjal.

The YouTube channel of Unacademy has more than 400 videos, which have reportedly generated 1.1 crore  views.

Roman Saini told The Times of India that he wanted to focus on making quality education accessible. 

He says while there is a huge demand for quality education, infrastructure and human resource have been inadequate in meeting it.

 "That is why I decided to pursue fulltime the concept of Unacademy," he says.

TOI reports that Roman Saini's parents and brother were not happy with his decision to quit IAS. Even for him it was not an easy move as he had spent two years to prepare for it and two more on probation.

But in the end, idealism and passion seem to have mattered more for Roman Saini.

Unacademy Video: Watch Roman Saini tips on How to read faster and comprehend better? 






Video: Watch first Sikh Pakistani Ranger Amarjeet Singh matching steps with Indians at Wagah border ceremony

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Amarjit Singh, a Pakistani Sikh Ranger, took part in the theatrical  Beating Retreat ceremony at the Wagah border on Thursday.  As he emerged from the Pakistani side to match steps with Indian troops, audience at both side of the border  broke into an applause.
Pakistani Ranger Amarjeet Singh standing guard at Wagah (Video below)

January 10, 2016, NewsCrunch

Amarjit Singh, a Pakistani Sikh Ranger, took part in the theatrical  Beating Retreat ceremony at the Wagah border on Thursday.

As he emerged from the Pakistani side to match steps with Indian troops, audience at both side of the border  broke into an applause.

The 'lowering of the flags' ceremony,  a daily military ceremony at the Wagah Border, is held by the Border Security Force and the Pakistan Rangers since 1959.
A resident of Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, Amarjit Singh, is the first Sikh ever to join the Pakistan army. He joned the Army in 2005 and was recently included in the defence forces on the Wagah border.
Pak trooper Anarjeet Singh shaking hands with BSF personnel (video below)
A resident of Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, Amarjit Singh, is the first Sikh ever to join the Pakistan army. He joned the Army in 2005 and was recently included in the defence forces on the Wagah border.

The Dawn newspaper quoted Amarjeet Singh saying that he was proud of being a part of the Pakistan army and would be happy to lay down his life for the nation.

Video: Watch first Sikh Pakistani Ranger Amarjeet Singh matching steps with Indians at Wagah border ceremony 



Distracted writer posts audio of neighbour having extremely loud sex - it sounds like murder and goes viral (With audio and tweets)

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A Philadelphia-based writer Stacey Ritzen went viral recently after she posted audio recording of a neighbour having incredibly loud sex.  Stacey Ritzen, who blogs for Uproxx, complains she is frequently disturbed by a noisy neighbour with whom she shares a wall.
Philadelphia writer Stacey Ritzen tweets with frustration on neighbour having extremely loud sex (audio, tweets below)

January 10, 2015, NewsCrunch

A Philadelphia-based writer Stacey Ritzen went viral recently after she posted audio recording of a neighbour having incredibly loud sex.

Stacey Ritzen, who blogs for Uproxx, complains she is frequently disturbed by a noisy neighbour with whom she shares a wall.

The neighbour seems to play loud music when she is not moaning and shrieking.

One afternoon, when Stacey Ritzen was working on her computer, the neighbour got into a mood.
The noise started drifting in and became unbearable, prompting Stacey Ritzen to posted a few audio recordings of the neighbour in ecstasy, along with a few tweets.

'Who wants to hear my terrible neighbor having extremely loud sex?' Stacey first tweeted.

The right answer was many - as her tweets and audio tapes went viral.

Audio of Philadelphia writer Stacey Ritzen's neighbour having extremely loud sex 


Philadelphia writer Stacey Ritzen tweets of frustration on neighbour having extremely loud sex 








Kya Kool Hai Hum 3 mutilated by censor board; survives 150 cuts

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The censor board administrated an astounding 150 cuts to adult comedy Kya Kool Hai Hum 3 before passing it with an A certificate.  Kya Kool Hai Hum 3 had made waves with its over-the-top publicity stills and trailers with double meaning dialogues and lead actors with suggestive hard-ons.  Bollywood Life described the 150 cuts for a movie as unbelievable. But it may not come as a surprise as the censor board under its current chairman Pahlaj Nihalani has been liberally wielding knife to uphold Indian culture.
Kyaa Kool Hain Hum makers opted to be diplomatic after cuts.

January 11, 2015, NewsCrunch

The censor board administrated an astounding 150 cuts to adult comedy Kya Kool Hai Hum 3 before passing it with an A certificate.


Kya Kool Hai Hum 3 had made waves with its over-the-top publicity stills and trailers with double meaning dialogues and lead actors with suggestive hard-ons.

Bollywood Life described the 150 cuts for a movie as unbelievable. But it may not come as a surprise as the censor board under its current chairman Pahlaj Nihalani has been liberally wielding knife to uphold Indian culture.


Last week, filmmaker Prakash Jha had criticised Nihalani for asking for 50 cuts in his upcoming film "Jai - Gangajal" in order to get a U/A certificate.


Nihalani had reportedly taken offense to even the use of words like 'sala and bastard'.

Prior to that Nihalani had cut short the long kissing scene in James Bond movie Spectre.

But unlike Jha, Kyaa Kool Hain Hum makers opted to be diplomatic. Lead actor Tusshar Kapoor just mentioned that he was glad to see the movie getting passed keeping in tact its plot and flavour.

He also said it took numerous screenings to get the movie passed and the censor board had not been soft at all, in contrast to what had been reporetd in the media.

Kyaa Kool Hain Hum stars Tusshar Kapoor, Aftab Shivdasani and Mandana Karimi in lead roles and has been scheduled to release on January 22, 2016.

The film is a sequel to 2012 film Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum and the third installment of Kyaa Kool Hain Hum film series.

Video: Inside Dedh Gulli market in Mumbai, where stolen shoes are sold - Mumbai’s best-kept secret

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Dedh Gulli in Kamathipura, Mumbai, hosts a market for stolen shoes, which  operates only between 4 am and 8 am on Fridays and Sundays.  There are 70 stalls here, which do a roaring business in peddling shoes that are lifted from temples, gurudwaras, churches, mosques, and wedding venues.  Mid Day details the modus operandi of the thieves, the middle men and the hawkers in an interesting report.
A screenshot of the video on Dedh Gulli market in
Chor Bazaar Mumbai (video below)
January 11, 2016, NewsCrunch

Dedh Gulli in Kamathipura, Mumbai, hosts a market for stolen shoes, which  operates only between 4 am and 8 am on Fridays and Sundays.

There are 70 stalls here, which do a roaring business in peddling shoes that are lifted from temples, gurudwaras, churches, mosques, and wedding venues.

Mid Day details the modus operandi of the thieves, the middle men and the hawkers in an interesting report.

The market is very popular with college students who come to buy branded shoes at a fraction of the retail cost.

Wolverine Toe Boot, which costs Rs 18,000 can be picked up for Rs 4,000 here. A Nike Airmax costs just Rs 1,500 when compared to the legal price of Rs 8,000. CAT Men’s leather boots, which retails at Rs 4,000 can be procured here on the sly for Rs 800.

Brands like CAT, Nike, Woodland, Lee Cooper are the most common.


The police say they can’t do much as they people, who lose their shoes, don’t lodge complaint. And, as a hawker points out in the Mid Day report, many policemen themselves comes to buy stolen shoes at Dedh Gulli.

Video: Inside Dedh Gulli market in Mumbai, where stolen shoes are sold (Marathi)

Rahul Dravid’s most inspiring speech - How I struggled for years before growing like a stunning bamboo tree (Watch video)

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Rahul Dravid played domestic cricket for years, patiently waiting for that elusive call from Team India.  The wait extended for five years.  He faced the question – when will you play for India – everywhere he went. He even put a sticker on his Kinetic Honda: God’s delays are not God’s denials.  In a speech to the Bits Pilani students made in 2013, Dravid compares his experience with a Chinese bamboo tree.
Rahul Dravid explains how he became The Wall – YouTube screengrab pic (Video below)

January 11, 2016, NewsCrunch

Rahul Dravid played domestic cricket for years, patiently waiting for that elusive call from Team India.

The wait extended for five years.

He faced the question – when will you play for India– everywhere he went. He even put a sticker on his Kinetic Honda: God’s delays are not God’s denials.

In a speech to the Bits Pilani students made in 2013, Dravid compares his experience with a Chinese bamboo tree.

After a bamboo seed is sown and nurtured, it shows no sign for life for five years. Then one day a small green shoot pops up and, bang, in just six weeks it grows to 90 feet.

You can see the tree grow 37 inches a day, says Dravid.

For the first five years of its life, the bamboo tree was not wasting its time. It was building a root system that would support its phenomenal future growth.

That is precisely what Dravid did.

In the domestic cricket he got to play fabulous spin bowlers. Knowing that India lacked quality pace bowlers, he would ask his friends to throw wet tennis ball from close distance.

That gave him the practice.

So, when the Mcgraths and Akrams of the world came charging at him, The Wall was ready.

Rahul Dravid’s most inspiring speech - How I struggled for years before growing like a stunning bamboo tree (Watch video)






Related

Rahul Dravid declined BCCI offer to mentor Indian team to avoid Sourav Ganguly 


Video: Watch travellers taking train without wearing trousers – record flashmob in 60 countries

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Travellers removed their trousers and rode subways in their underwear as part of the 'No Pants Subway Ride' on Sunday.  In over 60 countries, from USA to Australia commuters removed their pants and got into the trains. Over 4,000 participated in New York alone.  They braved bitter cold in many places.
From USA to Australia commuters removed their pants and got into the trains (video below)
January 11, 2016, NewsCrunch

Travellers removed their trousers and rode subways in their underwear as part of the 'No Pants Subway Ride' on Sunday.

In over 60 countries, from USAto Australia,commuters removed their pants and got into the trains. Over 4,000 participated in New Yorkalone.

They braved bitter cold in many places.   


The 'No Pants Subway Ride' began in New York City in 2002 with just seven trouserless riders and grew over the years.


This year’s campaign was coordinated by Improve Everywhere to create a worldwide flash mob. Those participating act like they don't notice their naked legs. 


The objective of the ride was to make people smile.


Video: Pants Subway Ride - Watch travellers taking train without wearing trousers 


Asaduddin Owaisi debates Subramanian Swamy on Ram Janambhoomi dispute – Watch full recording of videos (Hindi and English)

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The India Today group pulled off a debating coup on Sunday when they brought together BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi to debate Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.  Swamy’s address on Ram Janambhoomi seminar at Delhi University last week had revived the controversy.
Asaduddin Owaisi Vs Subramanian Swamy (Videos below)
January 11, 2016, NewsCrunch

The India Today group pulled off a debating coup on Sunday when they brought together BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi to debate Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.

Swamy’s address on Ram Janambhoomi seminar at DelhiUniversitylast week had revived the controversy.

Swamy and Owaisi debated both in Hindi fo Aaj Tak and English for India Today.

Both stuck to their known stands on the controversy with Swamy asking Muslims to agree for the Ram Janambhoomi temple without waiting for the Supreme Court verdict and Owaisi insisting on the judicial process.

The long videos are worth a watch as they cover different aspects of the controversy and the bring out sharp differences between the two groups.

Both Swamy and Owaisi supporters claimed victory after the debate. In our opinion, Swamy was looking subdued while Owaisi made his points forcefully.

Asaduddin Owaisi Vs Subramanian Swamy on Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute (Hindi video)








Asaduddin Owaisi Vs Subramanian Swamy on Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute (Englishvideo)


UP woman Sangeeta Jain arrested for assaulting mother-in-law - she was caught on camera triggering outrage

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Uttar Pradesh police have arrested Sangeeta Jain, from Nehtaur, Bijnor, who was caught on camera brutally assaulting her old and disabled mother-in-law, Rajrani Jain.  The footage shared by a social activist Kundan Srivatsava on his Facebook page had gone viral and received extensive media coverage prompting police action.  Sangeeta's husband Sandeep Jain, told ANI that he installed a CCTV camera to expose her.
The footage of Sangeeta thrashing her mother-in-law was recorded on January 5. (video below)
January 12, 2016, NewsCrunch

Uttar Pradesh police have arrested Sangeeta Jain, from Nehtaur, Bijnor, who was caught on camera brutally assaulting her old and disabled mother-in-law, Rajrani Jain.

The footage shared by a social activist Kundan Srivatsava on his Facebook page had gone viral and received extensive media coverage prompting police action.

Sangeeta's husband Sandeep Jain, said he had a suspicion that Sangeeta used to torture his parents in his absence and had installed a CCTV camera in his mother's room to keep an eye on his wife.

Sandeep has filed for divorce and Sangeeta has slapped dowry and domestic violence complaints against him. Sandeep was sent to police custody for a day on January 4 on charges of dowry harassment.

The footage of Sangeeta thrashing her mother-in-law was recorded on January 5. It shows her assaulting the old woman who is unable to resist. She hits her with an object that looks like stone and even tries to strangle her.

Sangeeta now faces an attempt to murde charge.

The incident is similar to another woman Sarita, from Kaushambi, again in UP, who was also caught on CCTV thrashing her mother-in-law in August last year.


Video: Watch UP woman Sangeeta Jain assaulting mother-in-law 





Related
Uttar Pradesh woman caught on camera abusing mother-in-law (Watch viral)

Indian squash star Ravi Dixit offered to sell his kidney for Rs 8 lakh - unable to find sponsors but needs money to fund game (With video)

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Ravi Dixit, one of the most promising Indian squash players, reportedly offered to sell his kidney for Rs 8 lakh on Sunday.  The 20-year-old squash player, who won gold in the 2010 Asian junior championship, is representing India in next month's South Asian Games, to be held at Guwahati.  He reportedly made the announcement to sell his kidney in a Facebook post, which has been deleted now.
Ravi Dixit's parents also feel guilty that hey used his squash
earnings to pay for his sister's marriage. (Video below)
January 12, 2016, NewsCrunch

Ravi Dixit, one of the most promising Indian squash players, reportedly offered to sell his kidney for Rs 8 lakh on Sunday.

The 20-year-old squash player, who won gold in the 2010 Asian junior championship, is representing India in next month's South Asian Games, to be held at Guwahati.

He reportedly made the announcement to sell his kidney in a Facebook post, which has been deleted now.

In the post, Ravi said he had not been able to arrange money to fund his campaign for the games and had lost determination, according to media reports.

"I am ready to sell my kidney. If anyone needs a kidney, they can contact me. The price of my kidney is Rs 8 lakh," he reportedly said in the deleted Facebook post.

He also reportedly lamented that after representing India so many times and winning so many medals there was no support for him to take his squash to national and international levels.

Ravi's father Ramkailash Dixit is a class-IV employee at the Dhampur Sugar Mills, which has generously supported Ravi's sporting career.

The family is embarrassed to ask for more.

Ramkailash Dixit told The Times of India that he feared that Ravi would get into legal trouble as selling kidney is illegal in India. He also said he had called Ravi and asked him pull back.

Perhaps the father's advise made Ravi delete his Facebook post.

Ravi's parents also feel guilty that hey used his squash earnings to pay for his sister's marriage.

A 1985 movie highlights the plight of non-cricket sports talent in India. A football player, Anil Kapoor, is forced to sell his kidney to fund his sister's wedding.

After twenty years, the script remains the same in this cricket crazy country.

Video: Watch short interview with Ravi Dixit, India's promising squash player  

Mass stranding of whales in Tamil Nadu - Nearly 100 whales wash ashore at Tiruchendur coast (Spot video and photos)

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Fishermen are battling to save 100 beached whales at Tiruchendur, a coastal town in Tamil Nadu, 600 km from Chennai.  The animals initially thought to be dolphins, were later correctly identified as short-finned pilot whales.  The stranded whales were first spotted on Monday late afternoon by fishermen. As many as 100 of them were found on a 16 km stretch of the beach.
As many as 100 of whales were found on a 16 km stretch of the beach. (Video, photos below)
Twitter pic


January 12, 2016, NewsCrunch

Fishermen are battling to save 100 beached whales at Tiruchendur, a coastal town in Tamil Nadu, 600 km from Chennai.

The animals initially thought to be dolphins, were later identified as short-finned pilot whales. A PTI report, however, said the animals were  baleen whales.

The stranded whales were first spotted on Monday late afternoon by fishermen. As many as 100 of them were found on a 16 km stretch of the beach.

Though the fishermen battled all night to push back the animals to the sea, 20 whales have already died and the casualty count is likely to climb steeply.

The Time of India quoted local fishermen saying a similar incident had occurred in 1973.


Video report on nearly 100 beached of whales in Tiruchendur, Tamil Nadu (Tamil)





Fishermen are battling to save 100 beached whales at Tiruchendur (photos) 



Fishermen are battling to save 100 beached whales at Tiruchendur, a coastal town in Tamil Nadu, 600 km from Chennai.  The animals initially thought to be dolphins, were later correctly identified as short-finned pilot whales.  The stranded whales were first spotted on Monday late afternoon by fishermen. As many as 100 of them were found on a 16 km stretch of the beach.
As many as 100 of whales were found on a 16 km stretch of the beach. (Video, photos below) 
Twitter pic


Fishermen are battling to save 100 beached whales at Tiruchendur, a coastal town in Tamil Nadu, 600 km from Chennai.  The animals initially thought to be dolphins, were later correctly identified as short-finned pilot whales.  The stranded whales were first spotted on Monday late afternoon by fishermen. As many as 100 of them were found on a 16 km stretch of the beach.
As many as 100 of whales were found on a 16 km stretch of the beach. (Video, photos below) 
Twitter pic

Fishermen are battling to save 100 beached whales at Tiruchendur, a coastal town in Tamil Nadu, 600 km from Chennai.  The animals initially thought to be dolphins, were later correctly identified as short-finned pilot whales.  The stranded whales were first spotted on Monday late afternoon by fishermen. As many as 100 of them were found on a 16 km stretch of the beach.
As many as 100 of whales were found on a 16 km stretch of the beach. (Video, photos below) 
Twitter pic

Lucknow Kathak dancer Gaurav Sharma changes sex, transforms into a woman, to marry Pakistani boyfriend (With video)

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Rizwan proposed to Gaurav in 2012 and offered to change his
sex to become a woman. (performance video below)
January 12, 2015, NewsCrunch

Acclaimed Lucknow-based Kathak dancer Gaurav Sharma has changed his gender to marry his Pakistani boyfriend.

He has undergone three sex reassignment surgeries in Mumbai and taken a new name, Aashna.

Gaurav is considered a promising young talent in India classical dance. In 2014, Mail Today described him as a god-gifted Artist, who was full of purity and devotion.

He has also written two books on Sufi poetry, and Indian classical music and dance.

Gaurav met Rizwan on Facebook in 2011 when he was researching for his PhD. They started spending time together, video chatting on Skype, and fell in love.

DNA reports that Rizwan proposed to Gaurav in 2012 and offered to change his sex to become a woman.

Gaurav, who accepted the proposal, was overwhelmed. He told DNA: "I thought this man is willing to give up his identity and personality for me. Why can't I do it for him?"

Mumbai surgeon Dr Mithilesh Mishra, who carried out the sex assignment surgeries, found that Gaurav was completely prepared in his mind to change his gender.

Family and friends, especially sister Mandakini Sharma, a dancer herself, supported him and helped him raise Rs 8 lakh required for the operation.

A report in ABP Live states that Gaurav saw himself as a "normal" man, who had affairs with women and was even preparing to get married when he came across Rizwan.

ABP also identified his new name as Meera.

Gaurav says his relationship with Rizwan is spiritual and not physical. Interestingly, the couple has never met till now and is scheduled to do so only in March.


Watch: A short kathak performance by Gaurav Sharma - does 105 rounds   


100 whales stranded in Tuticorn - 10 facts to know why whales come ashore to die

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The phenomenon of apparently healthy animals drifting to the coast to commit mass suicide has baffled scientists.
Twitter pic

January 12, 2016, NewsCrunch

The mass stranding of nearly 100 whales at Tuticorn has grabbed headlines. Fishermen and volunteers are battling valiantly to put them back to the sea.

But the animals are reportedly coming back to the beach to end their lives. The phenomenon of  "mass stranding" - groups of distressed whales, dolphins and porpoises coming ashore alive -  is poorly understood.

Here is what we know about the strange and tragic phenomenon.

1) Mass stranding has been documented for thousands of years, since Aristotle's times. The frequency is said to be increasing now and the blame is on human activity affecting the oceans.

2) Annually world over 2,000 whales get stranded. More than 1,500 whales have been stranded along the Indian coastline since 1800 till now.

3) The cetacean species, to which these animals belong, is extremely social. The bond that hold groups together are strong enough to supersede the survival instincts of individual animals. Whatever the cause of distress, they feel it collectively and move ashore together. 

4) Mass strandings can occur anywhere, but are more frequent in certain parts of the world - Australia, New Zealand and Cape Cod.

5) It has been observed that at certain times of the year, individual species seem to become more vulnerable to mass stranding - Pilot Whales(December), White-sided Dolphins (March), Common Dolphins(January), Risso's Dolphins (November) and Bottlenose Dolphins (December).

6) The biggest single whale stranding event known to science occurred in June 2015 at a remote fjord in southern Chile’s Patagonia.  An observation flight discovered over 337 dead sei whales - 305 bodies and 32 skeletons. Scientists are analyzing the event for publication in a scientific journal.

7) In India the most stranding deaths occurred in 1973 when 147 whales got beached.

8) The stranding of individual whales is attributed to natural factors such as rough weather, old age or disease, difficulty in giving birth, hunting too close to shore, or navigation errors.

9) Mass strandings have been blamed on pollution, shipping noise, military sonar, earthquakes, geo-magnetic deviations, tidal currents gently-sloping coastlines and so on.

10) Science is now beginning to link active sonar to beaching. The low frequency active sonar used by the military to detect submarines is the loudest sound ever put into the seas.

There are documented incidents of whales stranding shortly after military sonar was active in the area. Necropsies of stranded animals have found internal injuries especially hemorrhaging.

In 2013, a US Navy funded study found that whales fled from loud sonar for the first time.

But the navies around the world are yet to accept the link and develop ways to mitigate sonar impact on these unfortunate animals.

Related
Mass stranding of whales in Tamil Nadu - Nearly 100 whales wash ashore at Tiruchendur coast (Spot video and photos) 








Nehru critic and BJP ideologue Swapan Dasgupta may take over as next Nehru Memorial Museum & Library director

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BJP ideologue and Nehru critic Swapan Dasgupta may be take over as the next Director of the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) in New Delhi.  NMML is a key academic institution that is entrusted with the task of propagating the legacy of India's first prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.  Dasgupta, who is currently a member of the NMML Society, told Indian Express that he was not aware of the development.
Swapan Dasgupta also reiterates BJP charge that Nehru
was biased against Hinduism
January 13, 2016, NewsCrunch

Journalist and Nehru critic Swapan Dasgupta may be take over as the next Director of the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) in New Delhi.

NMML is a key academic institution that is entrusted with the task of propagating the legacy of India's first prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Dasgupta, who is a BJP ideologue and currently a member of the NMML Society, told Indian Express that he was not aware of the development.

Noted academic Mahesh Rangarajan quit as NMML Director last year after his appointment by the previous UPA regime was described as “unethical and illegal” by union culture minister Mahesh Sharma.

BJP, which  disagrees with Nehruvian world view, has a controversial plan to revamp NMML, a move that has drawn criticism.  

Swapan Dasgupta, who was also a member of Nehru 125th year celebration committee, has been staunch critic of Nehru.

He sees Nehru as man who was driven by prejudices, and despite a long reign, left behind the country poorer with more corruption and unemployment.

He believes that India has been too kind to Nehru and said it is time to take the mythology out of history.

Swapan Dasgupta also reiterates BJP charge that Nehru was biased against Hinduism and accorded special status to minorities at the cost of the majority religion of the country.

See also
Swapan Dasgupta and Minhaz Merchant playing cheap politics with my interview, complains Rajdeep Saradesai 


Video: Watch Aishwarya calling Rekha 'maa' at awards function - Amitabh Bachchan's grim response caught on camera

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Aishwarya Rai created a flutter at the recent Sansui Stardust Awards 2016.function when she addressed veteran actress Rekha as 'maa' on stage.  Rekha was also on stage to give away the Best Actress award to Aishwarya, who had won it for Jazbaa.  After she uttered the 'maa' word all eyes, including cameras, turned to get Amitabh Bachchan's reaction. They were not disappointed as the normally affable senior actor had turned grim.
Rekha was also on stage to give away the Best Actress award to Aishwarya,
who had won it for Jazbaa. (Video below)
January 13, 2016, NewsCrunch

Aishwarya Rai created a flutter at the recent Sansui Stardust Awards 2016.function when she addressed veteran actress Rekha as 'maa' on stage.

Rekha was also on stage to give away the Best Actress award to Aishwarya, who had won it for Jazbaa.

After she uttered the 'maa' word all eyes, including cameras, turned to get Amitabh Bachchan's reaction. They were not disappointed as the normally affable senior actor had turned grim.

Since the Bachchan family survived Amitabh's intense affair with Rekha, the actress has been a taboo. All Bachchans try to avoid any contact with Rekha and what Aishwarya did may have come as a surprise.

Video: Watch Aishwarya calling Rekha Maa at awards function - Amitabh Bachchan's grim response  caught on camera



Medical marvel: Bollywood actor Diana Hayden, 42, has baby girl from egg frozen nearly a decade ago

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Diana Hayden, who  is diagnosed with endometriosis, can thank her
foresight for freezing  eggs nearly a decade ago
January 13, 2016, NewsCrunch

Bollywood actor and former Miss World Diana Hayden, 42, has given birth to a girl from an egg frozen eight years ago.

Diana married an American citizen, Collin Dick, in 2014 and the couple have named the baby girl, Arya.

Diana can thank her foresight for freezing her eggs nearly a decade ago. After marriage she was diagnosed with endometriosis, a uterus disorder that can come in the way of fertility.

But at the age 32, Diana decided to freeze her eggs for a different reason.

She told The Times of India she was busy with her career at that time and also wanted to wait to fall in love and marry before having a baby .

Diana came to know about freezing eggs in 2005; between October 2007 and March 2008 she froze 16 eggs with a Mumbai infertility specialist.

Fortune magazine sorry for showing Amazon boss Jeff Bezos as Lord Vishnu

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Fortune editor Alan Murray has apologised for a cover illustration that shows Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos as Lord Vishnu.  The cover art highlights the bald head of Jeff Bezos in blue skin tone holding lotus in one hand and Amazon logo on the other.
Fortune cover shows Jeff Bezos in blue skin tone holding lotus in
one hand and Amazon logo on the other.

January 13, 2016, NewsCrunch

Fortune editor Alan Murray has apologised for a cover illustration that shows Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos as Lord Vishnu.

The cover art highlights the bald head of Jeff Bezos in blue skin tone holding lotus in one hand and Amazon logo on the other.

The illustration accompanies the main story of Fortune’s current international edition, titled “Amazon Invades India.”

It claims to provide the “inside story” of how Bezos plans to conquer the Indian market.


After the Bezos’ Vishnu avatar drew an angry response for offending Hindu sentiments, Murraywas quick to apologise on twitter.

He also issued a statement on Fortune’s website stating that “Neither the artist nor the editors of Fortune had any intention of parodying a particular deity or of offending members of the Hindu faith.”


“It is clear that we erred and for that, we apologize,” he added.


The Fortune cover page has been created by Sydney-based illustrator Nigel Buchanan.

Indian cricketer Dhoi has faced a long legal battle over a similar cover illustration that showed him as Lord Vishnu. Recently, a court in Andhra Pradesh had even issued a warrant to arrest him over the controversy.



Viral video: Karnataka villagers caught on camera thrashing bear with sticks

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Animal rights activists are aghast at a video, which shows a group of villagers in Chitardurga district of Karnataka, thrashing a bear with sticks.  The video shows the bear inside a village running helter-skelter. A group of villagers are seen beating it brutally with sticks and stones.
The villagers say the bear had been attacking them for
the last few days (video below)
January 13, 2016, NewsCrunch

Animal rights activists are aghast at a video, which shows a group of villagers in Chitardurga district of Karnataka, thrashing a bear with sticks.

The video shows the bear inside a village running helter-skelter. A group of villagers are seen beating it brutally with sticks and stones.

It is not clear when the incident took place in the Uppanayakanahalli village of the district. But the video went viral after Kannada TV channels aired it on Wednesday.

The villagers say the bear had been attacking them for the last few days and had even injured a few of them.

Animal rights activists said forest department officials should have intervened on time to prevent the situation going out of control.

The forest officials say they rushed to the village and rescued the bear which is reportedly being treated at a zoo.


Viral video: Karnataka villagers caught on camera thrashing bear with sticks 


I blanked out when I saw her coming: Deepika Padukone on ex-boyfriend Ranbir's mom Nitu Kapoor

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Top Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has admitted that she had a tense relationship with Nitu Kapoor when she was dating her son Ranbir.  The couple may have separated and moved on with their lives; but old memories die hard.  During Tamasha, Deepika Padukone and Nitu seem to have had a few uncomfortable encounters.
The worst part of dating RanbirKapoor  is dealing with his parents,
who seem disapprove all of his choices. YouTube grab

January 14, 2016, NewsCrunch

Top Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has admitted that she had a tense relationship with Nitu Kapoor when she was dating her son Ranbir.

The couple may have separated and moved on with their lives; but old memories die hard.

During Tamasha, Deepika Padukone and Nitu seem to have had a few uncomfortable encounters.

Speaking to DNA, Deepika Padukone says when she saw Nitu coming for one one of the Tamasha trials work, she "blanked out completely".  

She was probably referring to the performance trials that were held before the production started.

She also says Deepika Padukone is a hands-on mom, who takes keen interest in Ranbir's films.

But Nitu liked the way the film developed, and even spoke about the electrifying chemistry between the lead pair, besides tweeting a still from the movie.

According to the industry talk, the worst part of dating Ranbir is dealing with his parents, who seem disapprove all of his choices.

Even Ranbir's live-girlfriend Katrina Kaif is faring no better. There were reports of Nitu editing out Katrina from a family portrait.

Even the usually affable Rishi Kapoor, Ranbir's father, turns terse when commenting on Katrina.

There was a report that Katrina was getting so close to Ranbir's family, she had begun to call Rishi papa.

But he rebutted it saying - she would not dare to take such  liberties. 


Related

She would not dare to call me Papa: Rishi Kapoor on son Ranbir Kapoor’s longstanding girlfriend Katrina Kaif 




Modi tells team to be prepared for decline in popularity - but expects rebound before next elections

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PM Modi seems to have acknowledged that his honeymoon  with voters is long over.   He has reportedly told his confidants that he expects his government's popularity to continue to decline till it rebounds.
Modi feels there are no instant remedies for India's problems and his policy initiatives will
take two to three years to bear fruit. Wiki pic

January 14, 2016, NewsCrunch

PM Modi seems to have acknowledged that his honeymoon  with voters is long over.

He has reportedly told his confidants that he expects his government's popularity to continue to decline till it rebounds.

K P Nayar, The Telegraph consulting editor make this claim in a recent article - Stuck at the crossroads. Nayar, a respected old school journalist, is known for filing accurate reports based on official but unnamed sources.

Modi thinks his popularity graph started dipping early last year after 9th months in the office. He expects the decline to continue till May 2017.

He reportedly feels there are no instant remedies for India's problems and his policy  initiatives will take two to three years to bear fruit.

He will be glad if his forecast comes true as it would give him ample time to prepare for the next general elections.

Nayar does not list the specific initiatives on which Modi is banking on, but identifies foreign policy as one of them. 
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