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PAGES: 68 VOL.5 | ISSUE: 12 | JANUARY, 2018

The News You Like | January 2018

VOL:5 I SSUE:12 I JANUARY, 2018 `30

Editor SUDHAKAR

Special Correspondent D Bal Reddy

Senior Correspondent Mallesh Babu Mattipati Yanadi Reddy Mandha Ravi Kumar

Reporters M.Praveen Kumar, P Vishnuvardhan Reddy

Photographers M Vijay S Sridhar, Shair Ali Baig

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Chief Executive (Marketing) Venkata K Ganjam (GK)

Chief - Business & LifeStyle K. Bharath Reddy

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EDITORIAL

s the world bids good bye for 2017 and welcomes 2018, there is little for the common people in India to rejoice. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is busy cleaning up the mess created by previous dispensations with respect to national security and national identity, commoners are as usual left to fend for themselves. While the bold decisions taken by Modi dispensation such as demonetization and tough stand against triple talaq immensely benefitted BJP on political front, common people had to face lot of hardships. Yet, it is not clear whether the demonetization move could achieve desired results since rich continue to get richer and poor continue to become poorer. Politicos and their respective political parties have been busy in mudslinging and ensuring mileage for their parties out of every issue. But commoners did not get any mileage from either the ruling parties or from the Opposition. The situation in the states across the country is no better. Divisive politics, ugly spat by politicos has become order of the day. Corruption is rotting at every level causing immense trouble for common people while rich and influential people get away easily. Adding to the woes, the IT industry has suffered a huge set back due to change in US visa policy. Further, there has been an increase in the influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar and the Modi dispensation has done nothing to stop it. On the other hand, Pakistan and China have stepped up their ante against India resulting in border tensions. The situation has come to such a pass that people have lost faith in the democratic set up of the nation and look forward to some miracle to happen to rejuvenate the nation in 2018.

Note: Focus/Infocus features are marketing initiatives

(Sudhakar)

Any legal disputes comes under the jurisdiction of courts in Hyderabad

The News You Like | January 2018

CONTENT

Bill on triple talaq passed in Lok Sabha

Railways revise station categories to improve 10 services GHMC Scam: Key files

vanish in garbage

It took five years for the GHMC top brass to lodge a formal criminal case against its corrupt officials of the transport wing, after the vigilance and enforcement wing of the general administration department recommended criminal prosecution of the officials and private persons responsible for huge scam.

Prez irked by distribution of food packets 32 during his speech

GHMC deploys whistleblowers to tackle public urination 25

The News You Like | January 2018

CONTENT

What disrupted Indian IT industry in 2017

34 The resilient Indian IT industry, which has been going through challenging times on multiple fronts, faced disruption in 2017 from increasing automation and a boardroom spat in software major Infosys which spilled into the public domain.

World Telugu Conference organised on grand note

41 The World Telugu Conference (WTC) was organized on a colourful note in Hyderabad on December 16 and 17 as Telugus from across the world gathered to discuss preservation and promotion of the language. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu formally inaugurated the ďŹ ve-day event at a glittering ceremony at Lal Bahadur Stadium.

Chicken Biryani most ordered food 56 item in 2017

Cure Asthma Naturally 45 The News You Like | January 2018

WELCOME 2018

FOUR HEALTHY HABITS TO CULTIVATE IN THE NEW YEAR

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s we get ready to welcome 2018, most of us also commit to being better versions of ourselves. Leading a healthier lifestyle usually tops the list, but it is also one of the toughest things to achieve. To break that cycle of unfulfilled resolutions, commit to just a few healthy habits and cultivate them throughout the year. Stick with them for a few weeks, and you will start feeling so good that you will want to follow them for the rest of the year, says Dr Hariprasad, an Ayurveda Expert. He recommends four simple tips that you can incorporate this new year to become a new you. Exercise daily: Promise yourself that you will spend a minimum of 40 minutes every day exercising. You don't need to follow the same routine; just ensure that you work out every single day. This could be a great way to fulfill a second new year resolution of learning a new skill such as yoga or a fun dance form such as salsa. Exercising should be exciting, and something that you look forward to. Let it not become a chore. Simple forms of exercise go a long way in preventive care -- they help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and os-

teoporosis, alleviate depression and anxiety, and even boost mental alertness and confidence. Get enough sleep: The function of sleep is to not only relax the body, but also rest and restore the mind. It is necessary to heal and repair your heart and blood vessels. Ongoing sleep deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of various

h e a l t h issues that affect the heart as well as kidney, and also lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. While you can function for a while without getting the necessary amount of sleep every day, it will eventually take a toll on you. Commit to sleeping a minimum of seven hours a day while aiming for eight, and you will feel yourself getting healthier and happier in a short amount of time. Go natural: This year, make longterm wellness your goal instead of The News You Like | January 2018

just trying to solve the problem at hand. As per Ayurveda texts and modern research, Guduchi can significantly help in preventive care, as it is a great promoter of immunity, aids in the fight against respiratory problems, and helps you get healthier. The herb is rich in antioxidants, and including it in your daily life can help you achieve better health. Adopting preventive care by consuming appropriate supplements can help reduce the chances of facing health problems altogether, rather than simply resorting to curative care when it arises. Drink enough water: If you want to keep the doctor away, eight glasses of water a day is the way to do it. Water is the fuel your body runs on; it is necessary to keep your body functioning well. Drinking enough water can help you with weight loss, detoxification, digestion, beautiful skin and hair, and even easy bowel movement. Work at this goal throughout the day and it will keep getting easier. There are many ways to achieve this goal. Download an app, play a game, or set a reminder, but ensure you keep reaching for that glass of water and hit that two-litre goal. Take control of your health and life by cultivating these simple habits to ensure that you make the most of this new year.

TRIPLE TALAQ

Bill on triple talaq passed in Lok Sabha

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bill criminalising triple talaq was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 28 amid protests from the opposition objecting to its introduction, and an assurance from Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad that "it was not about religion but about justice and respect for women". Members from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), All India Majlise-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Biju Janata Dal and some other parties spoke against the introduction of The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017.

No member from the Congress was allowed to speak, as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that they had not given a notice in advance to speak on the issue. Prasad called it a historic day and stated that the Bill was to ensure gender justice for Muslim women. The Bill was introduced after a voice vote as all treasury benches members supported the introduction. The Bill criminalises triple The News You Like | January 2018

talaq, or oral divorce, and has provision for a maximum three year jail term and fine for practicing this form of divorce. It also gives Muslim women the right to seek maintenance and the right to a child's custody. Soon after Prasad moved the bill for introduction, opposition members raised objections. RJD leader Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav said the provision for three year imprisonment was unfair, and said it could disturb the social fabric. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said the Bill violated the fundamental rights and lacked "basic legal coherence". He also questioned the need to create another law for this, while there was an existing law on domestic violence. "There is absence of consistency with the existing legal framework. The bill says the husband will be sent to jail, and it also says he will have to pay allowance... How can a person in jail pay allowances," he said referring to the provision that a woman given triple talaq will have the right to seek maintenance. He said not enough consultation was done on the Bill, and added: "This will be injustice to Muslim women... Make a law where the 20

TRIPLE TALAQ lakh women from other religions, who have been abandoned, which also includes our Bhabhi in Gujarat, they should be given justice". IUML MP E.T. Mohammed Basheer said it was in violation of Article 25 of the Constitution that provides for freedom of practicing and propagating religion. BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab said there were many internal contradictions in the Bill. "This Bill will only bring more cases in court, government should go back and redraft it," he said.

Prasad said: "This law is not about religion, it is about gender justice, the dignity and pride of a woman. The Supreme Court called it illegal, but the practice still prevails. Are not the basic rights of our sisters a part of the basic structure of Constitution". The Bill was then introduced in the House, and was to be taken up for debate later in the day. Speaking outside Parliament, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala later said the party supported the Bill, adding that there

was a need to strengthen the law. "The party supports the law of banning instant triple talaq and we believe that there is a dire need to strengthen this law. We have certain suggestions to solidify this law in order to protect the rights of these women," he said. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha last week, Prasad had said that there have been 66 cases of triple talaq in the country since August when the Supreme Court judgment termed the practice as "unconstitutional".

Support triple talaq Bill, but it must be strengthened: Congress

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he Congress said it supports the triple talaq Bill but suggested that it be strengthened in favour of Muslim women, and the law must ensure that the subsistence allowance and maintenance to the women and the children is not stopped. "Congress was the first political party to welcome the Supreme Court's decision to ban the practice of instant triple talaq and also said that this is a firm step towards the protection of women's rights," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala. The party supports the law of banning instant triple talaq and "we believe that there is a need to

strengthen this law. We have certain suggestions to strengthen it to protect the rights of these women", he said. The Congress leader said: "The Bill needs to be strengthened in favour of women and Muslim women per se. The concern that the Congress has expressed... have any punishment that you want... but ensure that the subsistence allowance under this act and maintenance under the 1986 Act for the children and Muslim women is not stopped." "If the person who is supposed to pay maintenance, as also subsistence allowance, is in jail, does this Bill ensure that that maintenance and subsistence allowance is recovered from his estate or property. The News You Like | January 2018

The answer is no," he added. "... Can such a provision be made, the government should consider it. What if the property is joint. Does the Bill provide that the property can be divided and maintenance be paid. The answer is no. Should the government consider it. Answer is yes." Surjewala also asked what if the person doesn't have property which is tangible enough to pay for that subsistence allowance and maintenance, "has the government made any other provision, the answer is no. Should the government do so, the answer is yes. "So, all these issues of payment of maintenance and subsistence allowance have been placed and they have to answer that," he added.

NATIONAL

Deadline to link Aadhaar with bank accounts extended

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he deadline to link the Aadhaar number with bank accounts has been extended by three months till March 31, the government announced on December 13. Earlier, the deadline was December 31 for linking the 12-digit unique identification number with both Permanent Account Number (PAN) and bank accounts. However, the government extended the deadline last week for linking it with PAN till March 31. A notification to link it with bank accounts was later issued on December 12 by the Department of Revenue under the Finance Ministry. The notification, however, did not mention the new deadline, leaving it open-ended. The government later issued a press release which contained the deadline of March 31. According to the December 12 notification, the words "submit the Aadhaar number and PAN by De-

cember 31, 2017" have been substituted by "submit the Aadhaar number, PAN or Form No 60 by such date as may be notified by the Central government". The release said under the provisions of Prevention of Moneylaundering (Maintenance of Records) Second Amendment Rules, 2017, it was provided that if

a client already having a bank account or any other account-based relationship with reporting entities prior to date of this notification fails to submit the Aadhaar number and PAN by December 31, "the said account shall cease to be operational till the time the Aadhaar number and PAN is submitted by the client". In case of a person opening a new account, the deadline for submitting Aadhaar number and PAN was "six months from the date of the commencement of the account based relationship". "After considering various representations received in this regard and inputs received from banks, it has been decided to notify March 31, 2018 or six months from the date of commencement of account based relationship by the client, whichever is later, as the date of submission of the Aadhaar number, and Permanent Account Number or Form 60 by the clients to the reporting entity," the statement said.

SC approves Centre's March 31 deadline for linking various schemes

n its interim order, the Supreme Court on December 15 extended the deadline of linking Aadhaar to various government schemes and services to March 31, 2018. However, the Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said that those who did not have an Aadhaar number

but were opening bank accounts would have to furnish their enrollment numbers for the unique id. The interim order would be subject to the final outcome of the batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar Act on the grounds of it violating the fundamental right to privacy. The News You Like | January 2018

This after the government itself had revised the deadline to link the Aadhaar number with bank accounts to the same date on Wednesday. The apex court will hear a batch of petitions challenging the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to mandatory linking to various schemes again on January 17, 2018.

NATIONAL

Railways revise station categories to improve services

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n a bid to provide better passenger services and amenities at railway stations across the country, the Railways said that it has revised categories of various stations. The major policy decision was taken with a view to make it more practical and rational, the Ministry of Railways said in a statement on December 28. The step comes after Railways and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal directed the re-categorisation taking into account "earnings, passenger footfall, strategic importance" to provide more effective and focused services. "The criteria for categorisation of stations have now been revised to include footfalls at the station. The stations have been clubbed into three groups -- non-suburban (NS), suburban (S) and Halt (H)," the statement said. "These groups have further been put in grades ranging from NSG 1-6, SG 1-3 and HG 1-3, respectively," it said. The Ministry said it would help the passengers to have a better experience in relation to travel amenities at stations. Earlier, passenger earnings, mainly earned through platform tickets, was the main criterion for classification. All stations were clubbed in categories such as A1, A, B, C, D, E and F on the basis of passenger earnings. According to the Ministry, earlier the number of stations with high passenger footfalls (handling

high number of commuter and MST pass holders) could not be converted into the higher category of stations which led to their being eligible only for a lower level of amenities. "As per the new criteria the number of footfalls has also been given equal weightage and is taken into account as criteria for categorisation of stations. "Therefore, many stations like Kalyan, Panvel, Tambaram, Thane have qualified into the higher category and become eligible for higher level of passenger amenities," the Ministry said. Presently, there are 5,976 NonSuburban Railway Stations, 484 Suburban Railway Stations and 2,153 Halts, which puts the total number of stations at 8,613. "This categorisation of stations has been done for the period 201718 to 2022-23," it said. The railway stations with an earning of Rs 500 crore and handling more than 20 million passengers will be in the NSG 1 category. While in the NSG 2 category will be those stations with Rs 100 The News You Like | January 2018

crore to Rs 500 crore earning and handling of passengers between 10 to 20 million. The Ministry also said that General Managers would have powers to categorise a station as NSG-4 "if it is a place of tourist importance and/or is an important junction station". It also gave the General Managers full power to sanction out-ofturn safety related works such as foot overbridge, high level platform and trolley path for movement of wheel chairs without any limit. "These amenities will be provided at all the stations irrespective of their category for safe performance of journey by passengers," it said. For improving stations and passenger interfaces, amenities like waiting halls, platform shelters, lifts, escalators, digital charts display, illumination and the train/coach indication board have been provided to the lower category stations. "Even the small stations will get the higher level of amenities which will lead to better passenger satisfaction," it added.

COVER STORY

BJP REACHES MARK IN GUJARAT

100

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which fell one short of a ton in the Gujarat Assembly elections, managed to reach the three figure mark with the support of an independent, who was actually from the Cong.

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atansinh Rathore, the newlyelected independent legislator from Lunawada constituency, has sent a letter to the Governor of Gujarat, O.P. Kohli, declaring his intent of lending support to the BJP government. Rathore was a Congressman for over two decades, but was denied a ticket to contest from Lunawada constituency by the grand old party. The Congress instead fielded Paranjayadityasinhji Parmar for the seat. Rathore therefore decided to contest independently. Rathore was later expelled from the Congress as he had refused to withdraw his nomination from the election. Rathore won the election, beating the nearest BJP rival Manojkumar Patel by a margin of 3,200 votes, fetching 55,098 votes. Parmar came third with 47,093 votes. There were also whispers that another independent Bhupendrasinh Khant, winner of the Morva Hadaf constituency seat, would be lending support to the BJP. Khant, however, later denied having taken The News You Like | January 2018

COVER STORY

Vijay Rupani retains power

ijay Rupani was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on December 26 for the second consecutive term after the BJP won the recently-held Assembly elections in the state. Rupani, 61, and his deputy Nitin Patel were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor O P Kohli at a grand ceremony in Gandhinagar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and chief ministers of various BJP-ruled states attended the ceremony. Before the swearing-in ceremony, Rupani, sporting an orange-coloured jacket, and Patel greeted the chief ministers of BJP-ruled states who came to attend the ceremony. Rupani and his wife also offered prayers at the Panchdev Mahadev temple here before the swearing-in ceremony. With 99 MLAs, the BJP has a simple majority in the 182-member Assembly, 16 less than its 2012 tally of 115. The opposition Congress, which had won 61 seats in 2012, managed to increase its tally to 77. The strength of the Congress and its allies in the new House is 80. Rupani and Nitin Patel were elected as the leader and deputy leader, respectively, of the BJP legislature party at its meeting on December 22. any such decision. Other than the ruling BJP party with 99 seats and the opposition Congress with 77, only three candidates have won the state assembly elections as independents. Two

BJP now in power in 19 states

he BJP retained Gujarat and wrested Himachal Pradesh from Congress, taking the total number of states where it is in power to 19. The party has Chief Ministers in 14 of these 19 states. Congress, on the other hand, is now in power in only four states and one union territory. The victories in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat has taken the total states where BJP has formed governments on its own or with allies after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014 to 13. The states with BJP Chief Ministers are UP, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Goa, Manipur, Assam, Haryana, AP, Uttarakhand, and Gujarat. The party will now have a Chief Minister in Himachal Pradesh. The BJP is in power with allies in Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Nagaland. The Congress is in power in Punjab, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Mizoram and union territory of Puducherry.

seats were won by the newlyformed Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) led by tribal strongman Chhotubhai Vasava. The third independent candidate is Dalit agitation leader Jignesh The News You Like | January 2018

Mevani, who won from Vadgam with support from Congress. He has already made his intent clear of not joining any political party and instead remain the lone 'activist' voice in the Assembly.

COVER STORY

Rajinikanth announces entry into politics

Jai Ram Thakur becomes CM of hill state

ai Ram Thakur took oath as Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister along with 10 ministers in Shimla on December 27. Jairam Thakur is the first chief minister from Mandi, the secondlargest district in the state. Besides, the chief minister, two ministers are from his home district, four from the largest Kangra district and one each from Shimla, Solan, Kullu, Una and Lahaul and Spiti districts. The oath ceremony was held at the historic Ridge Maidan in Shimla, which turned saffron with BJP flags fluttering all around and big cut-outs of PM Modi, Amit Shah and Jairam Thakur dominating the landscape. Two ministers took oath in Sanskrit. Thakur, a 52-year-old five-time legislator, was picked to be the hill state's 14th chief minister after PK Dhumal, projected by the BJP for the top post, lost his election even as the party swept 44 of the state's 68 seats. Thakur's selection is seen as a generational shift in a state where the BJP and Congress had projected much older men for the top post -the Congress' Virbhadra Singh is 83, while PK Dhumal is 73. He has been the party's state unit chief and a minister in a government headed by Mr Dhumal in the past.

amil superstar Rajinikanth said that he would float a political party that would practice "spiritual politics" and contest in all of the state's 234 constituencies in the next Assembly polls. Announcing his decision at a meeting in Chennai on December 31, Rajinikanth said his party will not be contesting in the local body elections as the time for that was less. His entry into politics is a "compulsion of time", the superstar said amid loud cheering of his fans. He said the decision to contest in the 2019 Parliamentary elections will be taken at an appropriate time. Rajinikanth urged his fans not to talk about politics or comment about other parties till his party is floated. He said the first task was to get many of his unregistered fan clubs registered with the parent body.

The News You Like | January 2018

Rajinikanth said he was not getting into politics for power. He said at the age of 45 he was not interested in political power and now at the age of 68 one cannot say he was power crazy. He said the politics in the country has gone very wrong. "Under the guise of democracy, political parties are looting their own people," Rajinikanth remarked. He said the existing system should be changed. The actor said his party would resign if it was not able to fulfil the electoral promises within three years of coming into power. He said he was confident of getting people's support and represented the common man.

Rajinikanth said his party's philosophy will be Truth, Work and Growth.He advised his fans to "think good, talk good and do good".

COVER STORY

Land sharks rule the roost in Malkajgiri FTL lands in Sy.Nos. 412 and 413 being levelled DSP Ravichandan Reddy’s disciple helping land grabbers

D BAL REDDY

and sharks in Malkajgiri seem to be very active, thanks to the officials who help them in grabbing every piece of land that does not belong to them. It may be recalled several reports were published in these columns about the gang of land sharks – Md. Khaja Raeesuddin and Arun Goud – who were part of a gang that grabbed wakf property with the support of the then assistant commissioner of police, K Ravichandan Reddy. The same gang is now trying to grab government lands in survey numbers 412 and 413 in Malkajgiri again with the alleged support of Ravichandan Reddy through the present inspector of Malkajgiri police station, Janaki Reddy. The lands in survey numbers 412 and 413 have been classified as sikham sarkari/sikham patta and covered by tanks and kuntas as per G.O.Ms.No.647 (Revenue). Further, the revenue records show that these lands fall under FTL of Banda Cheruvu.

Janaki Reddy, SHO, Malkajgiri

The News You Like | January 2018

COVER STORY What more! The Tahsildar has sent an official letter to the subregistrar of Malkajgiri and other offices concerned vide letter No.B/1925/2012, dated 20.11.12, with instructions not to register properties in survey numbers 412 and 413 since they were government and FTL lands. Since then the said property has been listed in prohibitory register. Despite this, the land sharks have recently started filling up the FTL lands with gravel and began levelling the land on war front with the support of goons. And the revenue and police officials are looking the other way allegedly for obvious reasons. Sources say that the Malkajgiri inspector had allegedly fixed his share from the proceeds of sale of the government lands by the land sharks in return for helping the land grabbers. With this, the land grabbers are already collecting advances from prospective buyers on the strength of fabricated documents. Sources said the land sharks have fabricated documents to show that they are holding GPA over the lands in survey numbers 412 and 413. Sources also said that even some revenue officials are handin-glove with the land sharks and keeping silent instead of lodging complaints and taking steps to protect the government land. It is pertinent to mention here that land sharks headed by Pasham Madhusudan Reddy and Pilli Anjaneyulu Yadav created fake documents with the help of corrupt officials and alienated the wakf lands attached to Hazarath Mir Mehmood Saheb Pahadi of Attapur to an extent of 328 acres 10 guntas dry land and 56 acres 1 gunta wet land. The News You Like | January 2018

The then ACP of Malkajgiri, K Ravichandan Reddy, in collusion with the land sharks got a case registered against Wakf protection activist Ayub Ali as he tried to protect the property from the land grabbers. When the activist was undeterred, the ACP even threatened him with booking under PD Act. Following an investigative report in this periodical, an enquiry was ordered into the role of ACP, Ravichandan Reddy and the Crime Investigation Department (CID) was also asked to probe the matter. While the influential ACP managed to bring the CID probe to a halt, the previous Deputy Commissioner of Police, LB Nagar, Tafseer Iqbal, submitted his report to the Director General of Police. The report of the DCP reportedly nailed ACP, Ravichandan Reddy for his role in the wakf property grabbing scandal and recommended for suitable action. Following this, the then DGP, Anurag Sarma posted the ACP to a police training college in Karimnagar. However, Ravichandan Reddy did not report to duty at Karimnagar. Instead, he has been trying to get a plum post in and around Hyderabad claiming that he has the blessings of present police chief M Mahendar Reddy. It appears Ravichandan Reddy has lot of free time and is guiding the present Malkajgiri inspector in helping the land sharks grab government lands classified as FTL lands. It is said that Janaki Reddy got posted to Malkajgiri at the behest of Ravichandan Reddy. It is time the top brass of police, revenue and irrigation departments wake up and take appropriate measures to protect the government lands and punish the culprits.

GHMC SCAM: KEY FILES VANISH IN GARBAGE

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t took five years for the GHMC top brass to lodge a formal criminal case against its corrupt officials of the transport wing, after the vigilance and enforcement wing of the general administration department recommended criminal

prosecution of the officials and private persons responsible for huge scam. What more! The huge financial fraud pertains to the years 2007-09 which was noticed in 2011 by the then GHMC commissioner Sameer Sarma. On his request, vigilance and enforcement wing carried out The News You Like | January 2018

probe and made its recommendations. Even as fingers of suspicion are pointed at the toned down report of the vigilance and enforcement, the GHMC top brass appears to have kneeled down before the political bosses and delayed filing criminal case by five years.

COVER STORY It was in May 2016, GHMC commissioner B Janardhan Reddy lodged a complaint with the CCS against 10 fictitious suppliers and some officials of the transport section of the GHMC. The CCS officials recorded the statement of GHMC commissioner who told the investigators that as per the vigilance and enforcement report an amount of Rs 26.72 crore was misappropriated during 2007-09 in the transport section of GHMC in the name of spares and repairs. According to GHMC commissioner, the transport wing officials incurred huge expenditure on condemned and auctioned vehicles with malafide intention by producing bogus bills, while expenditure of Rs 3,88,21,180/- was incurred towards spares and repairs for 194 vehicles which were still under warranty period and thus caused huge avoidable expenditure on repairs and purchase of spares of vehicles during warranty period. Further, the corrupt officials of the transport wing purchased 302 new vehicles during 2007-08 and incurred huge expenditure towards spares and repairs during the 200809. Even though the vehicles were new and were in road worthy condition, the spare parts dealers in collusion with the GHMC officials

Nimmakayala Yohan Rao, M/s Lakshmi Sai Automobiles

The tainted officials

1. R Rama Mohan Rao, the then additional commissioner (health and sanitation, GHMC) 2. Hafeez Khan, the then CTO, GHMC 3. Santosh Kumar, the then Deputy EE, Kavadiguda parking yards 4. Nageswar Rao, the then Dy EE, Malakpet yard 5. Ranga Rao, the then AE, Malakpet yard 6. Nanda Kishore, the then AEE, Malakpet yard 7. M. Nagaraju, the then Dy EE then 8. Devendra Prasad, the then AE 9. S Sreeramulu, the then AE, Malakpet yard 10. Chandrasekhar, Mechanic 11. P Vigneswar, Mechanic 12. S Dasarath, Mechanic 13. Ramchandra Chary, Foreman 14. R. Prabhakar, Assistant Foreman 15. Niazuddin, Electrician 16. C Ashok Kumar, Electrician 17. S Aijaz Hussain, Retired Mechanic 18. N Nagender, Mechanic 19. G Mallikarju, Mechanic 20. K Renu Kumar, Mechanic 21. Polluru Durga Dass, Mechanic 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

The tainted companies

BVR Enterprises Ayyappa Motors Saraswathi Automobiles Amrutha Engineering Works Bhavani Motors Gayathri Engineering works Deccan Enterprises Venkateswara Auto Services Raghavendra Automobiles Lalitha Parameswari Automobiles

siphoned off the funds earmarked for vehicle repairs, the GHMC commissioner said in his statement to the cops. Based on the complaint, CCS sleuths registered FIR The News You Like | January 2018

No.127/2016. But another shocker came when it emerged that the cops could not find records related to the fraud. It appears the powerful lobby of the corrupt officials of the transport wing and the fictitious

COVER STORY suppliers prevailed upon the GHMC administration and ensured that the records related to the huge financial fraud vanished. What is more surprising is that the fictitious suppliers registered new companies and continued their corrupt practices in collusion with corrupt GHMC officials while the corrupt officials responsible for the 2007-09 financial fraud got regular promotions. Senior officials retired on superannuation while mechanics got promotions as engineers. The same corrupt officials holding higher posts and the same fictitious suppliers with the help of new companies went on carrying out the corrupt practices even as the GHMC top brass looked the other way and failed to implement strictly the recommendations of the vigilance and enforcement wing to

bring transparency and prevent corruption in the transport wing. The vigilance and enforcement wing calculated the misappropriated amount to be Rs 26.72 crore for the period 2007-09. But analysts say the figure could be at least three times more than the figure arrived by the vigilance and en-

forcement officials. Besides, the irregularities and corrupt practices continue unabated in the transport wing of the GHMC as the tainted officials are allowed to work in the same places because they enjoy enormous influence. The tainted officials have god fathers in all the political parties.

Order CBI probe: Activist

he corrupt officials of the transport wing are hand in glove with the contractors and workers unions. They not only resort to corruption, misappropriation of funds but grease the workers unions to keep them at bay, according to social activist K Venkatanarayana. He said that the corrupt officials in collusion with fictitious spare part dealers produce fake bills for the spares that were never purchased. In many cases, the corrupt officials buy used spares from the old spares market in Afzalgunj but produce fake bills in collusion with certain fictitious dealers and firms. “All these things are known to the top brass of the GHMC, but they remain mute spectators to the

blatant corrupt practices due to obvious reasons. Besides, the higher-ups fear any action would disturb garbage transportation as the officials working in the vehicle repairs units are capable of bringing the garbage vehicles to a halt”, he said. The extent of power and influence enjoyed by some corrupt officials of the GHMC could be estimated from the fact that the recommendations made in September 2011 by the Vigilance and Enforcement department to prevent corruption and ensure transparency in the repairs of GHMC vehicles, have not been implemented even after six years, he said. The social activist says, “I am afraid the GHMC officials will in The News You Like | January 2018

all probability thwart the case. Hence, I am appealing to the Lokayukta to recommend a CBI probe. Only a CBI probe can bring the culprits to book.” Venkatnarayana also demanded that the GHMC top brass should seek CBI probe into the ongoing corruption in the transport wing.

COVER STORY

HC shocker for election authorities, AIMIM and TRS

THE NEWS BUREAU

n a jolt to the election authorities, AIMIM and TRS leadership, the High Court at Hyderabad made it clear that the publication of final voters' lists the Election Commission of India for the constituencies falling under GHMC limits will be subject to further orders. The December 29 interim order was passed by Justice Challa Kodandaram while dealing with a writ petition filed by BJYM leader P Venkata Ramana alleging serious irregularities in the intensive revision of electoral rolls. The petitioner alleged that untrained and semi-literate people were employed for this important work of intensive revision of voters' list through outsourced methods and a private agency. He also said in his petition that the 'Nazari Naksha' map (showing the

boundaries of an area falling under each polling station with GHMC door numbers) is not given. The petitioner informed the court that gross irregularities have taken place in the intensive revision and preparation of final electoral rolls. It may be recalled a report was published in these columns how the GHMC officials carried out the intensive revision to suit the requireThe News You Like | January 2018

ments of AIMIM and ruling TRS. BJYM state public convener on enumeration, Ponna Venkataramana had told The News that he has documentary evidence to show that the IRER was carried out in a partisan manner to benefit the TRS and MIM. Quoting from circular No.690/Elec/GHMC/2017/528, dated October 11, 2017, Venkataramana said that more than 30

COVER STORY

percent votes were deleted in 53 polling stations in Musheerabad, 60 polling stations in Amberpet, 78 polling stations in Khairatabad, 120 polling stations in Goshamahal – where BJP has strong voter base. However, the number of polling stations in which more than 200 votes were enrolled in these constituencies is just one, zero, one and zero respectively, while the new enrollments of more than 200 votes have been done in 29 polling stations in Chandrayangutta, 16 polling stations in Yakutpura and 36 polling stations in Bahadurpura assembly constituencies where

MIM has strong base, he said. Further, the GHMC officials are not disclosing the house numbers

The News You Like | January 2018

where more than 100 voters have been registered under one house number in the TRS and MIM strongholds. For instance, in Malakpet 9,962 voters were registered under 61 houses, while 12,083 voters registered in 64 houses in Charminar, 7,027 voters registered in 42 houses and as many as 17,402 voters are registered in just 90 houses in Yakutpura assembly constituencies. All these constituencies are held by MIM, Venkataramana said. He claimed that the votes of even those present in the same houses were removed. This has been done at the behest of MIM and TRS leaders. He also alleged that the GHMC authorities are not providing nazari naksha (a map demarcating the houses that come under one polling station) copies because the revision is not being carried out as per nazari naksha. “If the revision is done as per nazari naksha, bogus votes can be removed. But the GHMC officials are not ready to do that because they are loyal to MIM and TRS leaders only and not to the people,” he said. The BJYM leader produced new documents in support of his allegations. Quoting from circular Lr.no.690/Elec/GHMC/2017/658, dated August 15, 2017, issued by the district election officer, Venkata Ramana said 1,46,770 errors committed by the enumerators belonging to the private agencies have been detected. He alleged that these errors are not actually errors but deliberate deletions carried out at the behest of AIMIM and TRS leaders. “I have approached the High Court for justice and I will fight till the culprits are brought to book”, Venkata Ramana said.

REGIONAL

RK Nagar bye-polls

Dhinakaran wins in RK Nagar bye-poll

THE NEWS BUREAU

TV Dhinakaran has won the bitterly fought RK Nagar byeelection in Chennai - a poll that was seen by many as a race for late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's legacy. Dhinakaran polled 89,013 votes out of 1,76,885. Madhusudhanan, the AIADMK candidate backed by the Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam faction, came a distant second with 48,306 votes. DMK's Maruthu Ganesh stood third with 24, 651 votes, in a big loss of face for the party which has clearly failed to capitalise on the infighting within the AIADMK. In the 2016 Assembly polls, Jayalalithaa had won 97,218 votes from the same constituency. While Jayalalithaa had got almost 58%, TTV Dhinakaran has managed to secure 50.32% of the total votes. Never before has a bye-election to a single constituency been so high profile. RK Nagar was the constituency of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, and has been vacant ever since her death in December 2016. The bye-poll was originally scheduled to be conducted in April 2017, but was postponed due to widespread allegations of cash for votes. The poll was a three-way fight between the ruling AIADMK, the opposition DMK, and TTV Dhi-

nakaran as an independent candidate. Dhinakaran was earlier the candidate for the erstwhile Sasikala-EPS faction of the AIADMK, before the factions split and Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami decided to join hands with then-rival O Panneerselvam. The election was fraught with controversy even until the day before polling. During nominations, the candidature of actor Vishal, and Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa Jayakumar, were not accepted by the Election Commission over inconsistencies in their affidavits. Later, on December 20, a man from the TTV Dhinakaran camp – The News You Like | January 2018

disqualified MLA Vetrivel – released a video of Jayalalithaa while she was in hospital. He said he was overcome by emotion over allegations that the Sasikala family had a hand in Jayalalithaa’s death, and wanted to disprove rumours that Jayalalithaa had been in a coma throughout the time that she was in hospital. The Election Commission ordered that the release of the video was a violation of the model code of conduct, and said that the video should not be played by media houses ahead of the election. However, TTV Dhinakaran claimed that he did not know Vetrivel was going to release the video.

NEWS BYTE

Lab technicians at Gandhi Hospital allegedly sexually harass trainees

THE NEWS BUREAU

ity police arrested four lab technicians of the state-run Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad for allegedly sexually harassing the trainees at the lab. The arrested include Anthony Sebastian, 53, Mohammed Akram, 47, Mandalam Durga Das, 36, and Jannu Madhu Babu, 30. The victims alleged that the accused used to touch them inappropriately, force them into office rooms, invite them for private dinners and sexually harass them in many different ways. According to reports, post-graduate students and those pursuing Medical Lab Technology (MLT) course had to visit the lab at Gandhi Hospital to undergo compulsory training. However, sixteen students

had approached Hospital Superintendent Dr Shravan Kumar in August 2017 with complaints of sexual harassment. Based on that, authorities constituted an inquiry committee with professors and heads of department of the hospital to investigate further. The committee submitted a report in September

Couple held for forcing 4-yearold daughter sit on frying pan

THE NEWS BUREAU

n a shocking case of child abuse, a toddler has been rescued with severe burn injuries on her body. The 4-year-old girl was allegedly made to sit on a hot pan and tortured by her own mother and stepfather, who then tried to abandon her at a police station. M Lalitha and Y Prakash work as a cook and watchman respectively at a hostel in Hyderabadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SR Nagar. Police said, the girl is from Lalitha's first marriage. She

seems to have left or divorced her first husband and married Prakash. The girl was found with burn injuries on her body after her mother allegedly made her sit on a frying pan. The burn injuries seem to be from around 4-5 days ago. The torture was actually discovered when the couple took the child to Bharosa, a support centre for the protection of women and children by the Hyderabad Police, pretending to have found the child abandoned. According to reports, neighThe News You Like | January 2018

that confirmed the sexual harassment by the technicians, police said. The accused had threatened to fail the victims, including the postgraduate medical students, if they complain about the sexual harassment. The victims were worried about their career and employee lobby support, police said. bours heard the baby scream while Lalitha was torturing the child, and warned her. She took the baby to Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad and then to the police station, where they said that they found the baby abandoned at the Railway Station. The staff at the Bharosa centre alerted the Gopalapuram Police Station who in turn handed the case over to the SR Nagar Police Station. Suspicious, the police launched a preliminary investigation, where it was discovered that the child was Lalithaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Police registered a case and arrested the couple. The girl is now at Sishu Vihar in Hyderabad.

TELANGANA

GHMC deploys whistleblowers to tackle public urination

MANDHA RAVI KUMAR

n an attempt to prevent people from urinating in the open, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has pulled out yet another trick from up its sleeve. The 'Laathi seeti' campaign, which translates to stick and whistle, arms several GHMC sanitation workers with the two objects, so that they can halt people from urinating in the open. On the inaugural day of the campaign, several sanitation workers began doing the rounds from early in the morning, stopping several people.

As part of the campaign, the workers would also point people to the closest toilet, and ask people not to defile public places. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not only do we stop them from urinating in public, we also politely show them the way to the available public toilets,â&#x20AC;? G Anjaneyulu, sanitary inspector, Rajendranagar circle said. In Rajendranagar Circle, a GHMC sanitation worker was manhandled because he was trying to stop a cab driver who was urinating in open area. Following this, a case has been registered against the driver under section 323 (voluntarily causing The News You Like | January 2018

hurt) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This is not the first time that the GHMC has adopted a unique initiative, to prevent people from urinating in the open. In January this year, a new initiative of 'Gandhigiri' was taken up by the GHMC staff, as they garlanded the people who were found urinating in the open and not making use of the civic urinals. According to the GHMC Act, officials can impose a fine of up to Rs 200 for open defecation or open urination. Last year, the civic body had imposed penalty on 19,260 persons.

TELANGANA

Chandrababu Naidu made Hyderabad an IT hub: KTR

THE NEWS BUREAU

elangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao praised Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and said that the TDP chief had played a key role in attracting investments to Hyderabad. "I can't take undue credit for Microsoft being here. In fact, all credit goes to Chandrababu Naidu garu. He definitely has done his best. In fact, when Hyderabad was not as well-known as it is today in Information Technology space, he went out all the way to Bill Gates, convinced him and eventually the development centre happened about 17 years ago. So, all credit to him (Naidu) for that," KTR was quoted as saying. The Minister was addressing techies while speaking at a Tech Mahindra’s programme at Hitex in Hyderabad's Madhapur area recently.

“IT giants Google, Microsoft, Apple and others came to Hyderabad in the last 17 years. Due to good administration in the state, the information technology sector has been witnessing much growth. The city has more infrastructural facilities than in Bengaluru, Chennai and Gurgaon as far as IT is concerned,” KTR added. Recently, addressing the valedictory of a three-day Tech Summit, the Co-Chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recalled his meeting with Naidu who was then Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh. "I was told that there is someone who believes in digital technology even more than you do. It was hard to believe but when we met, he had his digital equipment - computer -- and he had the vision to make government better by using advanced tools," said Gates. "It's been a real journey over The News You Like | January 2018

these 20 years, making that vision a reality. I expect it to accelerate and in the years ahead will move very quickly," Gates added. Earlier during the same event, Naidu in his speech revealed how he managed to get an appointment with Gates for 10 minutes but the latter spent 40 minutes with him. "I made a presentation through laptop and I was the first Indian politician to do so," the Chief Minister claimed. "Not only Microsoft opened its development centre in Hyderabad but Satya Nadella who is from our place became Microsoft CEO," Naidu said.

TELANGANA

Top Maoist leader surrenders before Telangana Police

THE NEWS BUREAU

op Maoist leader Ginugu Narsimha Reddy alias Jampanna surrendered before the Telangana police chief on December 25. The Central Committee member of the Communist Party of IndiaMaoist, who was carrying a Rs 25 lakh reward on his head and his wife Hinge Anitha alias Rajitha, who was also active in the outfit, laid down the arms before Director General of Police M Mahender Reddy. Jampanna, 55, said they decided

to leave the organization and join the mainstream as many social changes have taken place in the country in the last 15 years. The Maoist, who was active in the extremist movement for over three decades and was involved in over 100 offences in different parts of the country, said before coming out of the organization, he sent a detailed note to the leadership, explaining the reasons for his decision. Though other members of the Central Committee advised the couple to bring the changes by remaining in the party, they conveyed The News You Like | January 2018

that it would not be possible for them to continue in the party. Rajitha also carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on her head. The police chief said the reward amount would be given to the couple for their rehabilitation. Hailing from Warangal district of Telangana, Jampanna was also serving as the member of the CPIMaoist central regional bureau and Central Military Commission. He was also incharge of the Odisha state committee of the banned outfit. The DGP described Jampanna's surrender as a huge blow to the

TELANGANA Maoist outfit. Stating that the Central Committee has 18 more members, Mahender Reddy appealed to them to surrender and join the mainstream. The police chief said the government was ready to extend all possible help for rehabilitation of Maoists who want to lay down arms About a week before Jampanna’s surrender, DGP, Mahendar Reddy visited agency areas of Adi-

labad district and said that Maoists may try to take advantage of the situation. In the wake of recent violence in Utnoor and surrounding areas in Adilabad district, Mahender Reddy toured parts of Adilabad and Kumram Bheem Asifabad districts and reviewed the law and order situation. "Former Maoists, their front organisations may try to take advan-

tage of the situation and may try to re-enter the areas and hence I request people to take note of this," Mahender Reddy said. People should not give any opportunity to Maoists, their front organisations and sympathisers to make fresh inroads in the region, he said, adding "people should work in coordination with the administration and solve their problems and should not resort to violence".

Jampanna is traitor: Maoist party

THE NEWS BUREAU

he Communist Party of India (Maoist) has issued a statement condemning its surrendered Central Committee member Jampanna, days after he put down his arms before the Telangana police. Terming it an 'outright betrayal of Indian proletariat' in a press release issued by Abhay, the party's Central Committee spokesperson, the party said that CC members unambiguously renewed their commitment to carry the class struggle forward. “From last year Jampanna was deeply submerged in ideological and political vacillation and finally informed the Central Committee members in November about his decision to surrender,” the press note said. It also dubbed him as a leader who suffered from "serious weaknesses, limitations and trends like individualism, bureau-

cracy and false prestige." "He had lost his bearing and sense of proportion and was incapable of analysing the situation objectively and had erred in discharge of his responsibilities," the release said. The press release also took a The News You Like | January 2018

jibe at "his weaknesses", as he took shelter under the garb of “ideological differences with the party line,” while surrendering. The CPI (Maoist) said that it would continue to strive for their cause, irrespective of setbacks.

TELANGANA

TRS MLA threatens bank CEO

MATTIPATI YANADI REDDY

elangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLA from Nakrekal, Vemula Veeresham was caught on audio tape threatening a cooperative bank CEO. In the audio, the MLA threatened the CEO of getting him arrested under charges of bribery for delaying the clearance of his file. Although, the date of the conversation couldn’t be ascertained, the incident came to light in the second week of December. The legislator called the official on behalf of a local politician who had asked for a loan. In the audio clip, which went viral on social media and aired on television, the legislator asked the banker about the progress of his file, to which the CEO of District Cooperative Central Bank (DCCB) Nalgonda, Mohan Rao, replies that it needs the approval from the Chairman. However, the MLA loses his cool and abuses the official, and further goes on to threaten him of getting him arrested on charges of bribery. The conversation begins with a local politician who identifies himself as Narketpalli MPP, and tells the CEO that the MLA would speak to him. The MLA then questions the official why his file didn’t get a clearance despite the official’s assurance. The MLA then asks the file number for which the official says that the file doesn’t have a number. When Mohan Rao says that the file needs the signature of the bank chairman for clearance, the MLA warns him not to take the chair-

man’s name. He says that according to the banking procedure there is no need for the chairman’s signature on the file and it is the CEO who has to take a final decision. The MLA warns Rao that if the work is not done within the stipulated time, a bribery case would be filed against him. The official responds that the file had been kept on the table of the chairman as per procedure. “If you want money tell me. I will give you,” the MLA tells the CEO. However, the CEO refuses The News You Like | January 2018

the money. Continuing his threats during the course of the conversation, the MLA says, “You have come from Andhra. Why can’t you be put in jail for not following rules? Should I lodge a complaint against you with the bank authorities and the Chief Minister that you have demanded Rs 10 lakh to clear the file?” The phone call ends with the MLA threatening that it would take him less than half an hour to travel and catch up with him.

NEWS BYTE

EFLU, only one of its kind in South Asia

THE NEWS BUREAU

he English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) is the only University in India that focuses exclusively on teaching of languages. The main thrust of the University is the study of English and foreign languages and their literatures, organization of research, training of teachers, production of teaching materials, and extension services to help improve the standards of the teaching of English and Foreign Languages in India. EFLU was founded in Hyderabad in 1958 as the Central Institute of English (CIE). In 1972 it was renamed as the Central Insti-

Prof. E Suresh Kumar

tute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL) with the addition of three major foreign languages – German, Russian and French. In 1973, CIEFL was awarded the status of a deemed university. Venturing into newer territories like curriculum development, evalua-

tion, and methodology, two new campuses were set up in Shillong (1973) and Lucknow (1979) to cater for the needs of language practitioners in the North East and the North. In 2006-2007, CIEFL was given central university status by an Act of Parliament and accordingly renamed English and Foreign Languages University. Dedicated to the study of English and ten foreign languages, it is the only one of its kind in South Asia. Currently, Prof. E Suresh Kumar is the vice-chancellor of the NAAC accredited EFLU. He assumed charge as the VC of EFL University in June 2017.

IELP fellowship: TS govt refuses assistance to teacher

THE NEWS BUREAU

t appears the Telangana government has utterly undermined the need to recognize the achievement of a government schoolteacher from Warangal district and provide the required assistance to her. It may be recalled Niharika Thoutam, mathematics teacher from Zilla Parishad High School in Gorrekunta village of Warangal rural district has been selected for the International Leaders in Educa-

tion Fellowship (IELP) by USA. Even as the IELP fellowship for 2018-19 is set to commence from January 2, 2018, Telangana government refused to accord her ‘on duty’ permission to attend the felThe News You Like | January 2018

lowship, which she got with hard work and dedicated services to her students. The only other three participants from India representing Kerala, Nagaland and New Delhi have been accorded permission to go for the fellowship ‘on duty’, but the Telangana government has refused the same on the ground that every teacher will opt for the same if she was given permission. It is time the Telangana government rethink its stand and do the needful in the matter.

AP NEWS

Prez irked by distribution of food packets during his speech

THE NEWS BUREAU

t is not often that he stops midway during a public speech, but that is what President Ram Nath Kovind did on December 27 to indicate his displeasure over the distribution of food packets among the delegates during his address at an Indian Economic Association conference in Amaravati. Briefly interrupting his address to gently prod the organisers for the faux pas, the president asked them to stop distributing the

packets till his speech was over. While addressing the centenary conference of the association, Kovind noticed that the food packets were being distributed among the participants. Two minutes into his speech, Kovind paused and looked at the audience as there was a sudden noise. The volunteers had started distributing the food packets among the delegates and mediapersons and a group of students had got up from their seats in their hurry to grab them. The News You Like | January 2018

"What is happening in the economic world. I see the same picture at this conference also. I think some food packets are being distributed. Of course it is a must, but it has disturbed the system itself. "Therefore, I request the organisers, will you please keep the distribution of food packets in abeyance for a little while," Kovind said, even as the stunned police personnel and officials intervened to stop the distribution. The president then continued with his speech.

AP NEWS

AP has oﬀered buildings for temporary HC in Amaravati: Union Law Minister

THE NEWS BUREAU

day after protests rocked the Lok Sabha, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad spoke in the House on the matter of bifurcating the Hyderabad High Court, which is presently overseeing cases from both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Prasad said that Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has offered four buildings in Amaravati to temporarily host the state's High Court in Amaravati.

The bifurcation would take place according to the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, the Union Minister said. “We are giving funds to AP government to build the new infrastructure as the present high court belongs to Telangana as per the Act. The construction and completion of new buildings will certainly takes time. Meanwhile, the AP government has come out with a proposal to locate the HC in a temporary building. This should get the approval of the high court,” Prasad was quoted as saying. The News You Like | January 2018

Speaking in the House, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Chief Ministers of both the states should sit together and sort out pending issues due to bifurcation. Meanwhile, TRS MP Jithendra Reddy demanded that no judges should be appointed or elevated, until the two high courts are bifurcated. The TRS MPs had on Wednesday trooped into the well of the House. They were demanding that the Centre create separate High Courts for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, under Section 31 of the AP Reorganisation Act. Earlier in the day, they protested from their seats and also came near the Speaker's podium carrying placards and also holding an electronic tablet that flashed a message raising their demand. Led by Nizamabad MP K Kavitha, who is also Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter, the MPs stated that the matter had been pending for the last three and a half years, and demanded an adjournment motion. "It has been more than three and half years since the new State was formed and there was no such delay in the High Court bifurcation following a State bifurcation earlier. We will not relent until the Centre makes an announcement in this regard," Kavitha told reporters later.

IT NEWS

What disrupted Indian IT industry in 2017

THE NEWS BUREAU

he resilient Indian IT industry, which has been going through challenging times on multiple fronts, faced disruption in 2017 from increasing automation and a boardroom spat in software major Infosys which spilled into the public domain. Though the $150-billion (almost Rs 10 trillion) software sector reconciled to single digit export growth of 7-8 per cent for the 2017-18 fiscal, demand for more automation and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the services had put the vendors under pressure to hone the skills of their techies in the thousands and invest in new technologies to deliver on time for global enterprises. "The Indian IT industry has

been going through challenging times due to disruptive technologies, changing business models, rising protectionism, anti-globalisation and political and economic upheavals slowing its growth," Nasscom President R Chandrashekhar told IANS. Brexit and the sluggish demand in Europe also lowered the industry's export growth from 9-10% in the last fiscal (2016-17). "The lower export outlook is a result of political and economic uncertainties impacting decisionmaking and discretionary spend," the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) admitted in a statement. Software exports contribute about 80% to the industry's revenue, with the US market generating 60% of this, while the doThe News You Like | January 2018

mestic market is projected to grow 10-11% in 2017-18. "Modernisation of clients' IT operations and adoption of new technologies such as SaaS (Software As A Service) applications, cloud platforms, BI (Business Intelligence), cognitive and embedded analytics for digital projects of enterprise customers have been the industry's growth drivers in 2017," noted Chandrashekhar. According to Nasscom Chairman Raman Roy, the industry has reinvented and is focused on building digital solution offerings through a combination of business model changes and investment in products and platforms. Admitting that the industry would need bold and imaginative action to resolve issues, Chandrashekhar said opportunities were

IT NEWS unfolding, as new sectors such as healthcare, energy, transportation and manufacturing were also adopting ICT solutions to sustain, compete and grow. Besides traditional sectors like banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), telecom, retail, utilities, transport and logistics, a host of other verticals are investing in automation, AI, cloud computing, data analytics, machine learning, robotics and Internet of Things (IoT). "Adoption of new technologies by traditional and new sectors like healthcare, education, gaming and entertainment, e-commerce, digital, public services and internet mobile are making the IT industry invest in skilling and reskilling their talent to sustain the momentum," asserted Chandrashekhar. On the flip side, innovation and tech start-ups have also faced headwinds, as angel investments and initial funding have sharply declined over the past months. "Though the ecosystem for start-ups is maturing and thriving on smart talent, raising funds to sustain growth and expand the market reach is challenging as their potential investors have become risk-averse due to uncertainty," noted Chandrashekhar, a former Telecom Secretary and regulator. Skill shortage in developed countries implied huge opportunities for the Indian IT industry to invest in building human capital talent and developing new platforms for digital business. Hiring in traditional services like application development, testing and maintenance will, however, continue to decline due to automation and AI. "The declining trend in hiring is secular and will continue due to au-

tomation, course correction and technology induced changes in the business models," Chandrashekhar added. Infosys, meanwhile, was rocked by boardroom battles that led to the dramatic exit of its first non-promoter Chief Executive, Vishal Sikka, in August and return of cofounder Nandan Nilekani as Chairman to steer it out of troubled times. What began as an ethical issue for good governance the IT major

When an international law firm and a risk consultancy found no evidence of wrongdoing in acquiring Panaya, Murthy insisted on making their report public and advised the Board to be transparent in all its decisions. Unable to any more take the "unrelenting, baseless, malicious and personal attacks" on him, Sikka resigned on August 18 -- for which the previous Board blamed Murthy. The open spat also brought down the company's stock by 10

is known for, blew up into an open war between co-founder NR Narayana Murthy and its previous Board on the buyout of a US-based software firm (Panaya) and the severance pay to its former Chief Financial Officer, Rajiv Bhansal, in October 2015. While Sikka tried to play down the issue, terming governance lapse as media speculation, a whistleblower's letter to the stock market regulator (SEBI) on the $200million Panaya acquisition deal in February 2015 forced Murthy to red-flag the issue again with the Board members, including its former Chairman R Seshasayee and Sikka.

per cent in a single day. The return of Nilekani, 62, as non-Executive Chairman on August 24 led to the exit of Seshasayee, co-chairman Ravi Venkatesan and Directors Jeffery S Lehman and John Etchemendy. Though Murthy was relieved to have Nilekani back to guide the company, he was not happy with the latter too finding no wrongdoing with the Panaya deal or excess compensation to Bansal. To prove that "all is well that ends well", the Infosys Board on December 1 hired former Capgemini veteran software geek Salil Parekh as its new Chief Executive from January 2.

The News You Like | January 2018

CORRUPTION

Fodder Scam

Lalu found guilty

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ormer Bihar Chief Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was convicted on December 23 in the fodder scam case by a special CBI court in Ranchi. Former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra as well as six others were acquitted in the case. The quantum of punishment will be announced on January 3, Special CBI judge Shivapal Singh ruled. The case relates to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 84.5 lakh from Deoghar district treasury. Hearing was completed on December 13 in a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court of Ranchi. In all, there were 34 accused in the case, out of whom 11 died during the course of the trial, while one turned CBI approver and admitted the crime. There are a total of six fodder scam cases against him and this is the second case in which a verdict has been pronounced. Lalu was first convicted on September 30, 2013 and received a five-year jail term. This disqualified him from Parliament and barred him from standing in elections. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court later that year. Meanwhile, the party has announced that it will challenge the verdict in the high court. "The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will challenge the special

CBI court's order in the high court soon," senior party leader Jagdanand Singh, considered close to Lalu Prasad, told the media in Patna. A former state minister, Singh has termed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as "tota" (parrot) and robot, controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)led central government. He asserted that the RJD was united and it would remain united. "The RJD is one and united. We will politically fight against communal and fascist forces. As our leader Lalu Prasad has refused to bow before them, now he has been convicted in a baseless case under a conspiracy," Singh said. The News You Like | January 2018

Soon after the court verdict in Ranchi, hundreds of RJD leaders and workers gathered outside 10, Circular Road, the official residence of Lalu Prasad's wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi. Most of them said the RJD chief had been convicted due to political vendetta. "How come former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra has been acquitted in the same fodder scam case in which Lalu Prasad is convicted? Mishra was acquitted for his support to the BJP, which has managed the CBI and Lalu was convicted for fighting against them," RJD worker Santosh Rai said.

CRIME

Tollywood drug bust: SIT to ďŹ le charge sheet soon

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n a major development in the Hyderabad drug racket that was uncovered in 2017, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has sent the report of five samples for examination by a court. The five samples are a part of the total 11 samples that were sent for examination by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Telangana's Prohibition and Excise Department, which was probing the case. Top officials of the SIT had earlier said that they were awaiting the forensic reports, to file the charge sheet. In June 2017, a sensational racket busted by authorities found that about 1,000 students of leading private schools and colleges in the city were using high-end drugs such as LSD and MDMA. Some of them were as young as 13. The racket also exposed the dark underbelly of Tollywood, as the dealers were also supplying

drugs to several personalities from the Telugu industry. Director Puri Jagannadh and actor Ravi Teja were among those who received notices from the Excise department, and questioned by the SIT. Others including actor P Navdeep, cinematographer Shyam K Naidu, character artist Subbaraju, and singer Ananda Krishna The News You Like | January 2018

Nandu were also summoned, besides female actors like Charmee Kaur and Mumaith Khan. Their names cropped up when the SIT found a trail in the call data of Calvin Mascarenhas, the kingpin of the busted drug racket. The Movie Artists' Association (MAA) had earlier warned the artists against drug abuse and asked them to mend their ways.

CRIME

Cops bust sex racket, rescue two women actors

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yderabad city police claimed to have busted a high-profile sex racket and saved two women actors. Police identified the two actors as a woman who acted in a Telugu movie and a Bengali TV serial actor. City police nabbed two organisers, who were identified as Monish Kadakia, casting director for Bollywood, Telugu and Tamil

films and D Venkat Rao, a sex work organizer during raids on two star hotels. According to police, the 24year-old woman victim, a resident of Mumbai and hailing from Gujarat's Himmatnagar district, was rescued from one star hotel, while the 20-year-old from West Bengal's North 24 Parganas was rescued from another star hotel. Police said that Kadakia is a native of Mumbai, and casting di-

THE NEWS CLASSIFIEDS

rector and event manager with contacts in Bollywood and Tollywood. He had booked the room in the star hotel by procuring an upcoming actor to attract the wealthy customers. The organiser collected Rs 30,000 to 50,000 from customers. Venkat Rao, a native of Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, had booked the room in another hotel by procuring the Bengali TV actress. Another organiser Janardhan alias Jani is absconding.

Contact to CLASSIFIEDS & ADVTs:

Ph: 97011 41377, 99490 15509

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REVIEW

Telangana, AP police unveil plan of action for 2018

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he Telangana and Andhra Pradesh police have unveiled their plan of action for 2018 while bidding good bye for 2017. The directors general of police (DGsP), M Mahendar Reddy of Telangana and N Sambasiva Rao of Andhra Pradesh addressed the media on December 30 at Hyderabad and Vijayawada respectively. Mahender Reddy said that Telangana Police will strive relentlessly to involve and partner with all stakeholders including local communities and other Government Departments for building a safer Telangana together. He said that people, process,

technology and leadership related initiatives would be taken up at all levels to ensure improved service delivery, combat existing and emerging crimes, organization building and transformation, workforce management, adoption of technology, partnership with community and domain experts, road safety and traffic management. Referring to crime trends, the Telangana police chief said that there was a down trend in all sorts of crime including grave crime. However, he said that there was an increase in white-collar fraud and cyber crime. Mahendar Reddy said the police department will continue its efforts for people friendly policing and The News You Like | January 2018

build a safer Telangana. On the other hand, Andhra Pradesh police chief, Sambasiva Rao said that AP police followed the themes of legacy by exception, innovativeness, enhancing efficiency through technology adoption. Referring to crime trends, he said the cognizable crime increased by 24.73 percent compared to 2016 while economic offences saw a down trend by 2.41 percent. However, cyber crimes registered an upward trend in AP. The police departments of both the states claimed that modernization of police forces, infrastructure, citizen oriented policing and welfare of police personnel would be their top priority.

REVIEW

Cops claim reduction in serious crime

P VISHNUVARDHAN REDDY

s 2017 ended, police wings of Hyderabad city, Cyberabad and Rachakonda revealed that there has been a major reduction in serious crime. Police commissioners of the three units told media persons at separate media conferences that there was no serious law and order problem too during the past year. The police chiefs released sta-

tistics to show that there was significant reduction in grave crime. According to the officials, the reduction in crime is due to initiation of PD Act against notorious repeat offenders, continuous criminal tracking system, intensive patrolling, undertaking cordon and search operations regularly and installation of community CCTVs. However, the statistics show that white-collar fraud and online fraud has shot up alarmingly which is a serious cause of concern. The three police units spent much of their time on implementing technology based new initiatives and focusing mainly on SHE teams work.

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Though the new initiatives did give good results, there have been allegations from several corners that despite using technology, police at the ground level are not registering cases of common people. Further, there is no respite in the corrupt practices adopted by several police officials. Also, the police units are struggling to keep pace with the changing needs because of serious staff crunch. This problem is particularly gigantic for Cyberabad and Rachakonda. Despite odds, the three police units have fared well during the past year and hope to continue to do well in 2018 too.

NEWS

World Telugu Conference organised on grand note

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he World Telugu Conference (WTC) was organized on a colourful note in Hyderabad on December 16 and 17 as Telugus from across the world gathered to discuss preservation and promotion of the language. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu formally inaugurated the five-day event at a glittering ceremony at Lal Bahadur Stadium. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan and Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao addressed the inaugural session. The inaugural also saw classical dance by 30 artistes, highlighting the rich Telugu culture. There was

also a laser show and fireworks to mark the beginning of mega literary and cultural event. More than 8,000 delegates from both the Telugu-speaking states, other parts of India and 42 other countries are attending the WTC being organized by the Telangana government. The participants include well-known Telugu poets, writers, literary figures and artistes. This is the first World Telugu Conference after Telangana State was formed in 2014. In his inaugural address, Venkaiah Naidu spoke about the greatness of Telugu language. He said after his mother, the mother tongue had given him the maximum happiness. He said that one who forgets his mother, his mother tongue and The News You Like | January 2018

place of birth is not a human being. Underlining the need to respect teachers, he remarked that Google can never replace a teacher. Chandrasekhar Rao felicitated his teacher on the occasion. Stating that the best Telugu dialect and best poetry is available in Telangana, he said that the academies should become platforms to spread the literary flavour of Telangana to the world. He wanted well-known and prominent literary personalities as well as followers of the Telugu language living within the country and abroad to be invited for the conference. Police had made elaborate security arrangements with the deployment of 3,000 personnel in and around the stadium.

NEWS

Telugu is the third-most spoken Indian language in the US

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elugu speaking people have a cause to cheer, as it now has the distinction of being the thirdmost spoken Indian language in the USA. While this might not seem like a major distinction at first glance, the fact that Telugu speaking people account for 3.2 lakh in the latest US census certainly is. According to the US Census Bureau’s 2012-2016 American Community Survey five-year estimates data release, 3,21,695 people over the age of five speak Telugu at home. Tamil also figures on this list, with 2,38,699 people speaking Tamil at home. This is the first time that the number of Telugu speakers has

been counted. Before this, speakers of Telugu, Tamil, Punjabi, and Bengali were only clubbed under categories such as ‘Other Indic languages’ and ‘Other Asian languages’. While Telugu and Tamil have both shown sizeable numbers in the current census, Hindi is the only language to figure in the top 10 languages of the US, with 7.4 lakh speakers. According to the Census Bureau, Tamil speakers were more evenly distributed across many parts of the nation. “For both languages, the highest concentration of speakers lived in California, followed by Texas and New Jersey (the number of persons who spoke Tamil in Texas and New Jersey are not staThe News You Like | January 2018

tistically different),” a release said. Telugu-speaking families live in states such as Illinois, New York, Washington, Oregon, California, and Pennsylvania, among others. Of course, these numbers aren’t surprising, considering the sizeable representation of south Indian diaspora in the tech and engineering spaces. The Telugu states and Tamil Nadu have also contributed notable tech leaders in the recent past. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen, for instance, are both from Hyderabad. Padmasree Warrior, CEO at Chinese car major NIO and formerly at Motorola and Cisco, hails from Vijayawada. On the other hand, Google CEO Sundar Pichai is from Chennai.

ECONOMY

Women must wait 217 years to earn the same as men, index says

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omen will have to wait 217 years before they earn as much as men and have equal representation in the workplace, research said, revealing the widest gap in almost a decade. Women are paid and achieve just over half as much as men in the workplace, the World Economic Forum said, reporting an economic gap of 58 percent between the sexes. "In 2017 we should not be seeing progress towards gender parity shift into reverse," said Saadia Zahidi, WEF's head of education, gender and work. "Gender equality is both a moral and economic imperative.

Some countries understand this and they are now seeing dividends from the proactive measures they have taken to address their gender gaps." It is the second year in a row that the Swiss non-profit has recorded worsening economic inequality, which is calculated by measuring how many men and women participate in the labour force, their earned incomes and their job advancement. Last year, WEF said women would achieve economic equality in 170 years, down from 118 years in 2015. No country has closed the pay gap, WEF said, using data from institutions such as the International Labour Organization, United Nations Development Programme and World Health Organization. Overall, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Rwanda and Sweden

The News You Like | January 2018

ranked highest among 144 nations measured on progress in equality in four areas: education, health and survival, economic opportunity and political empowerment. Yemen, then Pakistan, Syria, Chad and Iran, ranked lowest. Women fared much better in education, where equality could be reached within 13 years, WEF said, while closing the gap in political empowerment could take a further 99 years. "Even though qualified women are coming out of the education system, many industries are failing to hire, retain and promote them, losing out on a wealth of capacity," it said. The report estimated that closing the pay gap could add an extra $250 billion to the GDP of Britain, $1,750 billion to that of the US and $2.5 trillion to China's GDP.

HEALTH

Bi-weekly exercise may boost cognition, memory in elderly

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xercising twice a week may improve thinking ability and memory in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a new guideline released by the American Academy of Neurology. Worldwide, more than six per cent of people in their 60s and over 37 per cent of people aged 85 or above have MCI. The level of exertion should be enough to work up a bit of a sweat but doesn't need to be so rigorous that you can't hold a conversation. "Regular physical exercise has long been shown to have heart health benefits, and now we can say exercise also may help improve memory for people with mild cognitive impairment," said lead author

Ronald C. Petersen, MD at the Mayo Clinic -- a US-based healthcare non-profit. "What's good for your heart can be good for your brain," Petersen added. MCI is a medical condition that becomes common with ageing. While it is linked to problems with thinking ability and memory, it is not the same as dementia. People with MCI have milder symptoms. People with MCI may struggle to complete complex tasks or have difficulty understanding information they have read, whereas people with dementia have trouble with daily tasks, such as dressing, bathing and eating. However, there is strong evidence that MCI can lead to dementia. Thus, doctors should The News You Like | January 2018

recommend that people with MCI exercise regularly as part of an overall approach to managing their symptoms, the guideline said. "Exercising might slow down the rate at which you would progress from mild cognitive impairment to dementia," Petersen said. While doctors may recommend cognitive training for people with MCI, there is weak evidence that the training may be beneficial in improving measures of cognitive function. The guidelines, published in the journal Neurology, were developed after reviewing studies for sixmonths, which showed that biweekly workouts may help people with mild cognitive impairment as part of an overall approach to managing their symptoms.

HEALTH

Cure Asthma Naturally

Asthma is one condition when the airway of a person gets blocked with mucus and lets him breathe abnormally. Though sprays and medicines are available in the market, they can provide relief only for a short time. However, they are not the ultimate cure for Asthma. There are some natural and homemade alternatives to cure the disease.

SAFFRON

ake one piece of saffron and rub it on your navel every day. You can also eat one piece or leaf of saffron daily to cure asthma

GOAT MILK

onsume at least 250 gm of goat milk daily

CHANTING MANTRA

hant the mantra Aum Kam Ketave Namah. This will increase your concentration and help you in doing pranayam

CITRIC FRUITS

ou must stay away from citric fruits and vegetables like lemon and tamarind

PRANAYAM

oing pranayam is the easiest way to cure the disease. Do it at least for 25 to 30 minutes daily. Pranayam helps to take control of your own breath and make your breath more regularized

The News You Like | January 2018

HEALTH

Watching TV for more hrs daily cuts sperm count by 35%

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en beware! Watching TV for more than five hours a day is linked to the reduction in sperm count by 35 percent, warns a recent study. According to researchers, watching excess TV is attributable to eating high-calorie junk food and laziness. The findings indicated that the TV addicts were found to have 38 percent lower sperm count than those who had a less sedentary lifestyle. Moreover, the study showed a link between developing the risk of dying from the blood clot in the lungs due to fatal pulmonary em-

bolism was raised by 45 percent with every hour of additional watching per day. Sagarika Aggarwal, IVF Expert at Indira IVF hospital in New Delhi said, "Along with the sedentary lifestyle, the chemical additives and acidic nature either harms the motility and shape of the sperm cells or lead to its death. Bisphenol A (BPA) is linked to lowering the semen quality and binge eating in front of TV are at four times the risk of lowering the sperm count, motility and concentration." The team collected samples from 200 students all aged between 18 - 22 years of lab analysis. The News You Like | January 2018

Binge-watchers had average sperm counts of 37 Mn per mL, as compared to 52 Mn per mL among those who hardly spend time in front of the TV. Physically active men with at least 15 hours of moderate exercising or playing sports had sperm counts around 3/4th higher than those who were physically inactive? ?said Swati Mothe Hyderabad based IVF Expert?. Over-exercising and bingewatching both stimulate the generation of free radicals in the body that leads to cell death and sperm being a cell also has 90 percent chances to die and significantly affect the reproductive health.

FOOD

Whole eggs better for muscle building

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eople who consume 18 grams of protein from whole eggs or from egg whites after engaging in resistance exercise differ dramatically in how their muscles build protein, a process called protein synthesis, during the post-workout period, researchers report in a new study. Specifically, the postworkout muscle-building response in those eating whole eggs is 40 percent greater than in those consuming an equivalent amount of protein from egg whites, the team found. The discovery, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggests that the widespread practice of throwing away egg yolks to maximize one's dietary protein intake from eggs is counterproductive, said Nicholas Burd, a University of Illinois professor of kinesiology and community health who led the research. The yolks also contain protein, along with key nutrients and other food components that are not present in egg whites, Burd said. And something in the yolks is boosting the body's ability to utilize that protein in the muscles. In the study, 10 young men engaged in a single bout of resistance exercise and then ate either

whole eggs or egg whites containing 18 grams of protein. Researchers administered infusions of stable-isotope- labelled leucine and phenylalanine (two important amino acids) to participants. This allowed the scientists to maintain

and precisely measure amino acid levels in participants' blood and muscles. The U. of I. Poultry Research Farm developed eggs for the study that also were isotopically labelled with leucine. This allowed for precise tracking of where the foodderived amino acids ended up after participants ingested them. The team took repeated blood and muscle biopsy samples to assess how the egg-derived amino acids were appearing in the blood The News You Like | January 2018

and in protein synthesis in muscles before and after the resistance exercise and eating. "By using those labelled eggs, we saw that if you ate the whole egg or the egg whites, the same amount of dietary amino acids

became available in your blood," Burd said. "In each case, about 60 to 70 percent of the amino acids were available in the blood to build new muscle protein. That would suggest that getting one's protein from whole eggs or just from the whites makes no difference, as the amount of dietary amino acids in the blood after eating generally gives us an indication of how potent a food source is for the muscle-building response."

FOOD

Fibre-rich food could cut diabetes, bowel disease risk

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egularly consuming a Western-type diet, which are high in fats and sugars but low in fibre, may increase the risk of inflammatory bowel diseases, weight gain, as well as diabetes, researchers say. The findings showed that fibre -- found in fruits, legumes, vegetables and whole grains -- matters in a healthy diet. These fibres resist digestion by the body but are readily eaten by bacteria in the gut. The amount of fibre in someone's diet can influence weight gain, blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, and colon health. The lack of fibre, on the other hand, results in bacteria encroaching into the mucus layer in the colon, and those bacteria promote low-grade inflammation bowel dis-

eases, contributing to weight gain, and diabetes. "Diets that lack fibre alter the bacterial composition and bacterial metabolism, which in turn causes defects to the inner mucus layer and allows bacteria to come close (encroach), something that triggers

inflammation and ultimately metabolic disease," said Gunnar C. Hansson, Professor at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. The results, published in the journal Cell Host and Microbe, are based on twin mice studies. The News You Like | January 2018

In both the studies, the team fed a group of mice a diet that was extremely low in fibre. In the first study, after just three-seven days of eating the lowfibre diet, the mice developed problems with the protective mucus layer in the colon. This mucus layer became more penetrable and bacteria encroached upon the epithelial cells of the colon. In the second study, the colons of mice on the low-fibre diet shrank significantly in thickness and they developed unhealthy imbalances of different gut bacteria strains. "These findings show the importance of the inner mucus layer in separating bacteria and human host. It nicely illustrates how dynamic and quickly this responds to diet and bacterial alterations," Hansson explained.

LIFE STYLE

Playing outdoor games could boost your kid's eyesight

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orried that your kid's eyesight might deteriorate because of endless hours spent on smartphones, gaming consoles, computers and tablets? Take heart, spending just two hours a day outdoors, playing any sport in the sunlight, might help, experts suggest. Myopia -- also known as nearsightedness and shortsightedness - is a condition of the eye where the light that enters the eye does not directly focus on the retina, but in front of it. This causes the image that one sees -- when looking at a distant object -- to be out of focus. It does not affect focus when looking at a close object.

According to experts, lack of natural light is the key behind the condition. "The main factor seems to be a lack of exposure to direct sunlight, because children who study a lot and who use computers or smartphones or tablet computers a lot have less opportunity to run around outside and are less exposed to sunshine," Annegret Dahlmann-Noor, consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, was quoted as saying to BBC Health. While stopping or limiting screen time use may be a big task for parents, the best thing to do, say the experts, is to get children playing outside as much as possible.

The News You Like | January 2018

"We know that myopia or shortsightedness is becoming more common," Chris Hammond, professor at King's College London, was quoted as saying to BBC Health. "Protective of myopia development is time outdoors -- sport and leisure outdoors are protective of eyesight," Hammond said. "Probably on average across the week and the weekend, two hours a day outdoors is protective of becoming short-sighted in children," he noted. Further, a diet rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids, and vitamins A, C and E and nutrients are good for the back of the eye. Regular annual eye checks can also help, experts suggested.

ENVIRONMENT

Early stages of mass extinction visible: Report

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growing number of scientists warn we are witnessing the early stages of the sixth major mass extinction event. In its roughly 4.5 billion years history, the Earth has seen five major mass extinction events when at least 75 percent of the species that inhabited it disappeared. The last, between the Cretaceous and Peleogene periods 65 million years ago, killed the dinosaurs. In a study published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, biologists from Stanford University and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México investigated the health of Earth’s vertebrate population and described their findings as “biological annihilation.” “What is at stake is really the state of humanity,” Gerardo Ceballos, one of the study’s authors and an ecology professor at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, said. Ceballos based that alarming conclusion on a sample of 27,600 vertebrate species (roughly half of all that exist) and a more thorough assessment of 177 mammal species, whose populations he and his co-authors tracked from 1900 to 2015. A full 32 percent of the vertebrate species (8,851) they studied are decreasing in both population

and geographic range. And more than 40 percent of the mammals are undergoing “severe population declines” as defined by the loss of more than 80 percent of their range. Fortunately, most of those species have not gone extinct. However, the study said, their populations ― even among species classified as “low concern” ― are dropping dramatically, and at a fast enough rate to justify sounding the alarm.

“When public mention is made of the extinction crisis, it usually focuses on a few animal species (hundreds out of millions) known to have gone extinct, and projecting many more extinctions in the future,” the authors said. “But a glance at our maps presents a much more realistic picture: They suggest that as much as 50% of the number of animal individuals that once shared Earth with us are already gone.” Given how short a human lifespan is relative to the length of a mass extinction event, it’s difficult to comprehend broad ecological change, the study cautioned. But The News You Like | January 2018

these changes can cascade throughout ecosystems, adding up to fundamental ― and potentially catastrophic ― ecological, economic and social shifts, they said: When considering this frightening assault on the foundations of human civilization, one must never forget that Earth’s capacity to support life, including human life, has been shaped by life itself. While major threats to the health of the global ecosystem include habitat conversion, climate disruption, overexploitation, toxification, species invasions, and disease, the authors argued the two biggest drivers of population loss are often “much less frequently mentioned”: human overpopulation and “overconsumption, especially by the rich.” “These drivers, all of which trace to the fiction that perpetual growth can occur on a finite planet, are themselves increasing rapidly,” the study concluded. “Thus, we emphasize that the sixth mass extinction is already here and the window for effective action is very short, probably two or three decades at most.” Dr. Stuart Pimm, an ecologist at Duke University who was not involved with the study, disputed the authors’ assertion, classifying it more as a highly likely future outcome. “It is something that hasn’t happened yet.” he said adding, “We are on the edge of it.”

POLLUTION

Cops arrest pharma company staďŹ&#x20AC; for dumping chemicals

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fter months of being on the run and dodging authorities, the Telangana police have finally arrested 17 persons for allegedly dumping hazardous chemical drums in open areas in Yadadri Bhongir district. The culprits were arrested after they were identified and traced via CCTV footage. Five of the accused were working for pharmaceutical companies. Rachakonda police said that the accused included employees of

private pharma companies from different parts of the city, who had been dumping chemical drums out in open grounds, instead of treating them at the factory. Police also said that the hazardous chemical waste drums were causing an environmental problem in the villages where they were being dumped, adding that the accused were caught during a vehicle check at Wangapadu. The arrested include employees of Vijetha Labs, Salubrious Laboratories and YagMag Labs,

The News You Like | January 2018

Pashamylaram, Viroopaksha Laboratories, Golden Streak Laboratory and Suryakala Laboratories among others. The arrests follow series of reports in print and electronic media including this periodical. However, sources say that the arrests are only tip of an iceberg. As long as the Pollution Control Board (PCB) officials look the other way for obvious reasons, the companies continue to pollute the environment by dumping hazardous materials.

RESEARCH

Calcium, vitamin D supplements not harmful for older people

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fter a study by researchers in China claimed that supplements containing calcium, vitamin D or both may not protect older adults against bone fractures, doctors in India have said that these supplements are not harmful for people at risk of osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to become weak and brittle. "There is no harm in giving calcium and vitamin D supplements to women after menopause who may be at increased risk of osteoporosis," Pradeep Sharma, Head of Orthopaedics at BLK Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi

They were participants in 33 randomised clinical trials comparing supplement use -- calcium, vitamin D or both -- with placebo or no treatment and new fractures. A meta-analysis combines the results of multiple studies identified in a systematic review and quantitatively summarises the overall association between the same exposure (supplements containing calcium, vitamin D or both) and outcomes (fracture) across all studies. The researchers found that supplements were not associated with less risk for new fractures, regardless of the dose, the sex of the patient,

told IANS in a telephonic conversation. The study, by researchers in China and published in the journal JAMA, involved data from more than 50,000 adults who were over 50 years of age.

their fracture history, calcium intake in their diet or baseline vitamin D blood concentrations. "These findings do not support the routine use of these supplements (containing calcium, vitamin D, or

The News You Like | January 2018

RESEARCH both) in community-dwelling older adults," the study said. Responding to the findings, Sharma said that while doctors should guard against rampantly prescribing these supplements to anyone, those older adults with weaker bones can be given these supplements. He said that there are tests to find out the extent of weakness in the bones, and supplements can be prescribed at the right dose after proper assessment. "Usually, an orthopaedic recommends a combination of calcium and vitamin D supplement to the older adults because both the combinations are two major nutrients to the bone health.

Unfortunately, seniors are much vulnerable to calcium and vitamin D deficiency as compared to younger people because of the changes that occur with advancing age," said Avtar Singh, an orthopaedic surgeon at Amandeep Hospital in Amritsar, Punjab. "Vitamin D and calcium are necessary for better bone health and we often prescribe these in the form of supplements. However, it is always more beneficial to take these in the diet forms," said Aashish Chaudhry, an orthopedic surgeon at Aakash Healthcare in New Delhi. "Vitamin D helps body to use calcium. This in turn helps bolster bone health," Chaudhry said.

People who have achieved their peak bone mass can also follow few exercises and a healthy diet routine to lower the risk of brittle bones and fracture, according to the experts. While sunlight is considered the best source for vitamin D, some vegetables can also help boost the level of this vitamin. "The recommended daily intake of vitamin D for most adults is 600 IU (international units), or 800 IU after age 70. It is hard to expect from older people to do enough regular exercise and get adequate sunshine or even adjust their diet accordingly. Hence, it is advisable to take these supplements," Chaudhry said.

Eating protein bar likely to make you fat

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eware! You may want to think twice before eating that protein bar, as a study has recently found that some of the health snacks may contain similar levels of fat to a hamburger. According to researchers, the protein bars can be good for a quick fix, if eaten in moderation, but if things are not in check then they can end up doing more harm than good, reports the Daily Star Online. Dr Daniel Fenton from the London Doctors Clinic said that the shakes and bars should not only ever be used to supplement a healthy lifestyle. The protein bars are filled with preservatives, artificial colours and sweeteners, thickeners and

even oils and fats which can contribute to high cholesterol, despite the muscle benefits a person may gain, Fenton explained. They explained that if a person is just consuming protein bars as main source of food then he/she will inevitably gain weight. The team checked the fat, protein, carbohydrate and sugar content in around 50 popular bars. The findings indicated that the The News You Like | January 2018

worst offender had the same fat content as a hamburger. They warned that with high fat and sugar contents, it's not hard to see how the calories can start to stack up. A spokesperson for NHS' online service, Push Doctor, stated that these bars can provide the level of protein needed for building and repairing muscles, they often lack a lot of the essential amino acids that are the true building blocks of muscle building. According to nutritionists, daily intake of protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight - which amounts to 56 grams per day for the average man or 46 grams for the average woman.

RESEARCH

Why boys are not as emotional as girls

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oys tend to be callous and display unemotional traits because of difference in brain structure, finds a research. Callous-unemotional traits are characterized by a lack of empathy, a disregard for others' feelings and shallow or deficient affect, such as a lack of remorse or guilt. These traits have been linked to deficits in development of the conscience and of empathy. The findings showed that in typically-developing boys, the volume of the anterior insula or gray matter volume -- a brain region implicated in recognising

emotions in others and empathy -is larger in those with higher levels of callous-unemotional traits. The volume explained 19 per cent of the variance in callous-unemotional traits seen only in, but not in girls with the same personality traits. "Our findings demonstrate that callous-unemotional traits are related to differences in brain structure in typically-developing boys without a clinical diagnosis," said lead author Nora Maria Raschle from the University of Basel in Switzerland. In the study, using magnetic resonance imaging, the researchers were able to take a closer look at The News You Like | January 2018

the brain development of typicallydeveloping 189 teenagers to find out whether callous-unemotional traits are linked to differences in brain structure. The researchers found that the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and brain structure differs between boys and girls. Differences in reports of increased or decreased gray matter in anterior insula in community samples of boys, or boys as compared to girls, with elevated callous-unemotional-traits may reflect maturational effects (i.e. delayed maturation of this region in males), the study noted. "In a next step, we want to find out what kind of trigger leads some of these children to develop mental health problems later in life while others never develop problems," Raschle said.

ENTERTAINMENT

SUNNY LEONE To TRAIN IN SWoRD FIGHTING

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unny Leone has recently signed a deal for a period war saga that will have her in the title role. Titled as Veeramadevi in Tamil and Veeramahadevi in Telugu, the makers of this film are planning to release it in all the four south Indian languages – Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam – and in Hindi as well. Veeramadevi / Veeramahadevi is a high budget film that will be bankrolled by Ponse Stephen and directed by VC Vadivudaiyan. The groundwork for the film has commenced already and the team will

go ahead with the shooting in February next year. According to sources close to Veeramadevi, Sunny Leone has allotted 150 days of call sheet and will be undergoing special training in sword fighting, horse riding, as it is required for the role. Being a period film, Veeramadevi will have a good amount of VFX included which will be a visual treat for the eyes. Director Vadivudaiyan’s directorial debut was in 2008 with the movie Saamida and he then went on to direct films such as Thambi Vettothi Sundaram, Sowcarpettai and Pottu. The News You Like | January 2018

The Canada-based Sunny Leone, made her debut in Bollywood with the 2012 starrer Jism 2 and since then has been bagging roles in the Indian film industry consistently. She has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali and Kannada movies as well. Incidentally, most of the roles she has bagged happen to be either cameo appearances or item dance numbers. Apart from acting in films, Sunny Leone has also had a successful stint in television having hosted several shows and participated in reality shows as well.

LIFE STYLE

Chicken Biryani most ordered food item in 2017

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ndia has witnessed a growing appetite for both domestic and international cuisine in 2017 but majority of them stayed indigenous as desi dishes topped the list of most ordered food items online and Chicken biryani topped the list. According to the order analysis from food ordering and delivery platform Swiggy for 2017, chicken biryani continues to rule the Indian plate. The order analysis was done for seven cities -- Mumbai, DelhiNCR, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai and Kolkata. According to Swiggy's order analysis, Masala Dosa, Butter

Naan, Tandoori Roti and Paneer Butter Masala rounded off the top five most ordered items of 2017. While Pizzas did not rank amongst the top five most ordered items, it was the most searched. In fact, Indians have searched for it over five lac times! The other searched items include burgers, chicken, cakes and momos. Leaving its mark on the calendar, December 3 saw maximum foodies order online (on Swiggy). Overall, Swiggy's order analysis highlighted India's love of logging on and dining in across the country. In fact, online food ordering has become such an integral part of the lives of urban Indians, that Swiggy saw a single user order The News You Like | January 2018

1415 times in 2017.The analysis includes meal categories, late-night ordering, snacking, upcoming food trends, desserts, healthy and international cuisine. The other insights of the analytics are : Masala Dosa, Idli and Vada rule breakfast menus for most Indians while for lunch and dinner, they preferred biryanis that includes chicken, mutton and vegetable followed by paneer butter masala and masala dosa, dal makhani and chicken fried rice. In 2017, Indians munched the most on pav bhaji, french fries, samosas, chicken roll, chicken burger and bhel puri during snack time.

WINTER TIPS

Tips for a healthy lifestyle in winter

he onset of winters can prove to be a health hazard if you are not following a nutritious diet, and a balanced lifestyle. So make sure you are getting right nutrition this chilly season. Noorul Ameen, Naturopathy Physician at Organic India, lists down some tips to stay fit and enjoy the chilly season:

ADDING A FEW DROPS OF APPLE CIDER VINEGAR FOR BODY DETOXING AND BLOOD PURIFYING

TURNING TO ORGANIC HONEY TO BOOST IMMUNITY:

Organic honey is nature's nectar that not just tickles your taste buds but also contains several vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to boost immunity levels to deal with winter allergies.

pple Cider Vinegar is a wonder liquid which works both for beauty and health. It has properties which can ease your sinus issues during the cold season, give lustre to your limp dry hair which falls under the stress of winter pollution and also can enliven your skin if taken with water in the morning.

ORGANIC COCONUT OIL TO FIGHT DRY SKIN

nother common issue we all face is the dry, flaky skin caused by cold breeze and dehydration in winter months. The best all round elixir is organic virgin coconut oil. When applied externally, coconut oil keeps the skin moisturised, prevents dry scaly skin and strengthens the connective tissue under the skin. With its anti-microbial properties, skin stays healthy and nourished. Stay hydrated in winter months to make sure your skin stays healthy. The News You Like | January 2018

SIPPING TULSI TEA FOR ANTIOXIDANTS AND OTHER NUTRIENTS

Colder months are closely associated with lowered immunity which in turn increases your chances of contracting the flu. Tulsi (Holy Basil) enhances your immune system to fight the viruses. It also improves the body's overall defence mechanism, reduces stress, improves stamina, boosts immunity, fights and prevents chronic disease, and provides a rich supply of antioxidant and other nutrients.

WINTER TIPS

NUTS OIL

nclude oil-rich foods in your daily diet. Nuts (especially walnuts and blanched almonds); ground flaxseeds; sunflower, pumpkin seeds; olive oil; ghee in small amounts; and green leafy vegetables (they contain omega 3's and help purify the skin and liver).

ORGANIC GHEE TO KEEP YOUR BODY WARM

ncluding organic ghee in your diet is one of the best ways to keep your body warm and it helps additionally in dealing with winter dryness of the skin. Raghubansh Singh, Senior Ayurvedic Physician at Ananda in the Himalayas, too has some Ayurvedic tips to keep your skin plumped, oiled and glowing in the winter season Get in the habit of "oiling up" each morning with the ayurvedic self-massage "abhyanga" before your bath or shower. This will lubricate and protect your skin and give your complexion a radiant sheen that lasts throughout the day.

se herbs like Amla, Aloe vera, Shunthi, Manjishtha, Anantamool, Triphala, Chandan, which have gentle detoxifying properties and also help to maintain perfect moisturising balance.

e sure to drink plenty of water each day. Rather than cold or iced (which aggravates Vata), drink your water warm, or at least at room temperature. The News You Like | January 2018

ECONOMY

Demonetisation, GST will bring long-term benefits: IMF

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he disruptive impact of demonetisation is a temporary phenomenon and the scrapping of the high-value currency would bring "permanent and substantial benefits", according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In an interview to CNBC TV18, IMF Economic Counsellor and Director of Research Maurice Obstfeld said that although demonetisation, as well as implementation of the Goods and Services tax (GST) caused short-term disruptions, both measures would bring long-term benefits. "The costs of demonetisation are largely temporary and we see permanent and substantial benefits accruing from the move," Obstfeld said. "Both demonetisation and the GST introduction will bring longterm benefits, though these caused short-term disruption," he said. The IMF Chief Economist described GST as a "work in progress" to which the Indian economy is "gradually adjusting". With businesses going into a "destocking" mode on inventories in anticipation of the GST rollout from July 1, sluggish manufacturing growth, among other factors, pulled down growth in the Indian economy during the first quarter of this fiscal to 5.7 per cent, clocking the lowest GDP growth rate under the Narendra Modi dispensation. Breaking a five-quarter slump, however, a rise in manufacturing

sector output pushed the growth rate higher to 6.3 per cent during the second quarter (July-September) of 2017-18. Obstfeld also listed some of the reforms being undertaken by the Indian government that have impressed the multilateral agencies. "The government has taken important first steps like bringing in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, which helped India improve its position substantially in the World Bank's 'Ease of Doing Business' rankings," he said. He also mentioned the recent recapitalisation plan for state-run banks announced by the government and the Asset Quality Review of commercial banks earlier ordered by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Both measures are designed to address the issue of massive nonperforming assets (NPAs), or bad loans, accumulated in the Indian banking system that have crossed a staggering Rs 8.5 lakh crore. In a report released in WashingThe News You Like | January 2018

ton on Thursday, the IMF cautioned that the high volume of NPAs and the slow pace of mending corporate balance sheets are holding back investment and growth in India even though structural reforms have helped the nation record stronger growth. The IMF's Financial System Stability Assessment (FSSA) for India said that overall "India's key banks appear resilient, but the system is subject to considerable vulnerabilities". "The financial sector is facing considerable challenges, and economic growth has recently slowed down," the report said. "High non-performing assets and slow deleveraging and repair of corporate balance sheets are testing the resilience of the banking system, and holding back investment and growth." "Stress tests show that... a group of public sector banks are highly vulnerable to further declines in asset quality and higher provisioning needs," it added.

SCIENCE

Scientists discover another solar system with 8 planets like ours

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cientists applying Google artificial intelligence data from NASAs Kepler Space Telescope have discovered an eighth planet around the star Kepler-90 -breaking the record for the star with the most exoplanets and, for the first

time, tying with our own. The planet Kepler-90i, described at a briefing on Thursday and in a paper accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal, demonstrates for the first time that other stars can host planetary systems as populous as our own solar system, the Los Angeles The News You Like | January 2018

Times reported. The findings also establish the growing role that neural networks and other machine learning techniques could play in the hunt for more elusive planets outside our own solar neighbourhood. "Kepler has already shown us that most stars have planets," said

SCIENCE

The Google AI found exoplanets using data from NASA's Kepler Space Telescope Paul Hertz, director of NASA's Astrophysics Division in Washington. "Today, Kepler confirms that stars can have large families of planets just like our solar system." Kepler-90i sits around a sunlike star, which is 2,545 light years away in the constellation Draco.

Like the Earth, Kepler-90i is also the third rock from its sun though it sits much closer, circling its star every 14.4 days. The two small planets within its orbit (planets 90b and 90c) revolve around Kepler-90 every seven and nine days, respectively. The next three planets beyond Kepler-90i's orbit (90d, 90e and 90f) fall into a sub-Neptune size class and orbit every 60, 92 and 125 days, respectively. The last two planets, 90g and 90h, are Jupiterclass gas giants, and take 211 and 332 days, respectively, to make a round trip. All of the planets except for 90i were previously known. That put the Kepler-90 system in a tie with the seven-planet Trappist-1 system for the honour of most populous known exoplanet solar system. In some ways, the Kepler-90 system seems to echo our own, with small rocky planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) closer in to the sun and larger, more gas-rich ones (Jupiter and Saturn, Neptune and Uranus) lying farther out. Scientists think there is a reason the larger planets orbit farther from their sun: It's the cool place to be. "In our own solar system, this pattern is often seen as evidence that the outer planets formed in a cooler part of the solar system, where ice can stay solid and clumped together to make bigger and bigger planets," said Andrew Vanderburg, an astronomer at the University of Texas at Austin and one of the authors of the forthcoming study. The same phenomenon could be at work here, scientists said. But the exoplanet system differs from ours in at least one major way: All eight planets' orbits would lie well within that of the Earth, which The News You Like | January 2018

takes 365 days to circle our own sun. The researchers said they aren't sure why the Kepler-90 system has such a crowded field. It could mean that at least some of the planets formed farther out and were eventually drawn inward. Regardless, it means that Kepler 90i, third rock though it may be, is too hot to be habitable. "Kepler-90i is not a place I'd like to go visit," Vanderburg said, adding that the planet probably has an average temperature of about 800 degrees Fahrenheit (426 degrees Celsius). The Google AI found exoplanets using data from NASA's Kepler Space Telescope. In this case, computers learned to identify planets by finding in Kepler data instances where the telescope recorded signals from planets beyond our solar system, known as exoplanets. The discovery came after researchers Christopher Shallue and Andrew Vanderburg trained a computer to learn how to identify exoplanets in the light readings recorded by Kepler -- the minuscule change in brightness captured when a planet passed in front of, or transited, a star. Inspired by the way neurons connect in the human brain, this artificial "neural network" sifted through Kepler data and found weak transit signals from a previously-missed eighth planet orbiting Kepler-90, in the constellation Draco. While machine learning has previously been used in searches of the Kepler database, this research demonstrates that neural networks are a promising tool in finding some of the weakest signals of distant worlds.

SCIENCE First, the researchers trained the neural network to identify transiting exoplanets using a set of 15,000 previously-vetted signals from the Kepler exoplanet catalogue

Shallue, a senior software engineer with Google AI research team, came up with the idea to apply a neural network to Kepler data. "In my spare time, I started googling for 'finding exoplanets with large data sets' and found out about the Kepler mission and the huge data set available," said Shallue. First, the researchers trained the neural network to identify transiting exoplanets using a set of 15,000 previously-vetted signals from the Kepler exoplanet catalogue. In the test set, the neural network correctly identified true

planets and false positives 96 per cent of the time. Then, with the neural network having "learned" to detect the pattern of a transiting exoplanet, the researchers directed their model to search for weaker signals in 670 star systems that already had multiple known planets. Their assumption was that multiple-planet systems would be the best places to look for more exoplanets. "We got lots of false positives of planets, but also potentially more real planets," said Vanderburg. "It's like sifting through rocks to The News You Like | January 2018

find jewels. If you have a finer sieve then you will catch more rocks but you might catch more jewels, as well." Kepler-90i wasn't the only jewel this neural network sifted out. In the Kepler-80 system, they also found a sixth planet. This one, the Earth-sized Kepler-80g, and four of its neighbouring planets form what is called a resonant chain - where planets are locked by their mutual gravity in a rhythmic orbital dance. The result is an extremely stable system, similar to the seven planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system.

SPORTS

A glorious year for Indian badminton

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ear 2017 has proved bright for Indian badminton with one stunning performance after another, earning respect on the global stage. While P V Sindhu extended her status as India's leading shuttler, the likes of Kidambi Srikanth, H S Prannoy and B Sai Praneeth left their mark on the circuit, even as Saina Nehwal, now a veteran, battled her way to a World Championship bronze. Saina, 27, struggled with her consistency and fitness but the 2012 London Olympic bronze medallist fought against time and went on to clinch the BWF World Championship bronze medal along with the Malaysia Masters, proving her doubters wrong and ending debates on her future. Recuperating from her careerthreatening knee ligament surgery after the 2016 Rio Games, Saina showed signs of improvement at the Premier Badminton League (PBL), which the Sindhu-led Chennai Smashers won in January. Though the Indian pair failed to shine at the All England Superseries Champonships, the success for Indian badminton began at the home Superseries in April. After losing the summit clash to Spanish star Carolina Marin in the Rio Olympics in August, the duo was again pitted against each other

in the middle and this time it was the Indian player who proved superior. After that, many experts claimed that these performances by the Indians might revolutionalise the game. This was followed by Srikanth and Sai Praneeth setting up the The News You Like | January 2018

first-ever all-Indian final in the Singapore Open Superseries, gaining more eyeballs for the sport. Sai Praneeth clinched the title and the standard and popularity of the sport increased manifold. He then went on to clinch the Thailand Open Superseries, which was the crowning glory for men's

SPORTS

badminton in India. The Indian juggernaut on the global stage continued, with player after player stealing the limelight. Just after Sai Praneeth won the Thailand Open Superseries title, Srikanth began his amazing run in the Superseries circuit. In June, the Guntur shuttler consecutively pocketed the Indonesia Open and the Australian Open and then lifted the Denmark and French titles in October. With this, he also became the first Indian shuttler to win four Superseries titles in a calendar year.

Apart from Srikanth and Sai Praneeth, Prannoy also turned heads by breaking into the top 10 of the BWF rankings. He also lived up to his giant killer tag as he overpowered Lee Chong Wei, Chen Long and Lin Dan, badminton's version of the Big 3 of tennis. The spotlight then again turned on Sindhu, who played a marathon match of one hour and 50 minutes against Japan's Nozomi Okuhara in the World Championships final, albeit going down narrowly. Even so, the high standard and the excellence of her game won the hearts of The News You Like | January 2018

the badminton community. Both Sindhu and Saina ensured that India bagged two medals for the first time at the badminton worlds. Cut to the last tournament of the year -- the Dubai Superseries Finals -- which saw Sindhu suffering another heartbreaking loss in the final, this time against another Japanese, Akane Yamaguchi. But this is just the beginning of a glorious era of Indian badminton with all the singles players in their early 20s and most likely to improve and further flourish in the future.

SPIRITUAL

Follow Sun to energize yourself

YOGI ASHWINI

he Sanskrit term 'sankranti' translates as transference and is used to indicate the movement of Sun from one constellation to the next through the year. Our ancients had known the nuances of creation, the motion of Sun and the planets, shape, size and location of various heavenly bodies millennia ago. The observance of 12 sankrantis in a year is an apt example. What our ancients also knew, and what majority has for-

gotten, is the science of energy, the shakti of the various heavenly bodies and the changes in energy pattern of creation as they underwent transition. Sun or Surya, is a shakti, which is of significance to the dwellers of earth. It is the energy, which sustains life on the planet, something which is uncontested by modern science. The brilliance of the Sun is an experience which each one of us has had, so brilliant that it is not possible to look at the bright Sun with naked eye. The rishis of yore The News You Like | January 2018

followed the Sun. Gita says, you become what you follow. And so the rishis glowed like the Sun and had comparable powers as the Sun. To quote an example, Rishi Vishvamitra, who followed the Sun and to whom is attributed the Mahamantra Gayatri, is known to have created a parallel universe by chanting this mantra only. Surya is the devta of gyan, of infinite knowledge and secrets of Creation. He is the Guru to Lord Hanuman and the progenitor of the

SPIRITUAL glorious Suryavansha, in which were born heroes like Manu, King Bhagirath, King Raghu and Lord Ram. Surya existed before religion, and provides heat and light to every entity on earth irrespective of their religion, race or birth. That is, Sun knows no religion. Interestingly, a Western university recorded the sound of Sun and the sound it emits is the sound of om (you may hear it on dhyan foundation website). It is sound which manifests as colors which further manifest into the five elements that constitute everything in physical creation. The rishis of Bharatvarsha, tapped into the sound of Creation and thousands of years ago, gave us the mantra om. Makar Sankranti was of special significance in the ancient world, for it corresponded with the onset of the apparent northward movement of the Sun (uttarayan, in Sanskrit). That it is no superstition is evident from the subsequent naming of southernmost latitude in Sun’s trajectory as the Tropic of Capricorn by modern scientists after the constellation Capricornus (Makar, in Sanskrit) in which Sun entered at the point. It marked the beginning of the auspicious period for henceforth the days would become longer and brighter. Bhishma Pitamah, of the Mahabharat era, waited for this day to leave his body to facilitate his moksha. Sun was special not just to Bharatvarsha, but all across the world. The English till date wish each other ‘a sunny day’ every time they greet. The ancient Egyptians worshipped Sun as Atum and Horus, Mesopotamians as Shamash, Germans as Sol, Greeks as Helios and Apollo. Roman Empire too celebrated the birth of

unconquered Sun on the winter solstice (uttarayan) which coincided with December 25 at the time. With the shift in earth’s axis, the phenomena of uttarayan has shifted from makar sankranti (Sun’s entry into Capricornus, January 15 as per Indian Calendar) to December 22, which is when Sun is in dhanu (Sagittarius). These subtle changes in the movement of Sun and their impact of various aspects of Creation are routinely observed and experienced by surya sadhaks at Dhyan Ashram and applied through the science of sound or mantras under the guidance of Guru for the benefit of Creation. For a beginner, I prescribe a simple practice to tap into the energy of Sun in transit on the day of Makar Sankranti. At the time of sunrise, sit or stand facing the diThe News You Like | January 2018

rection of Sun. Pay reverence to the energy of Guru and keeping the awareness of Sun at the point between the eyebrows begin with the chant of Ram (you may visit dhyanfoundation.com for the correct chant). Continue with the chant as you take your awareness to the center of chest cavity and finally to the point of the navel. By now the Sun would be visible in the morning sky, a soft pink hue. Offer water to the Sun at this point and close your eyes. Distribute the prana of the Sun so acquired in your entire body. After sometime, open your eyes looking at your palms or a green patch. Write in your experiences to me. A word of caution. Do not look at bright Sun directly. Practice under supervision.

The News You Like January, 2018

RNI No: APENG/2013/48048 P.R. No. LII/RNP/HD/1187/2017-19 (DOP: 1st of Every Month; DOP: 8/9-1-2018)