The reel communication!

If you have an insatiable passion for telling a story that will enthrall an audience, go for this medium



FILM, television and radio are powerful media as they reach people regardless of age, sex, income, or educational level. “Television and films offer sight and sound, and make dramatic and life-like representations of people and products whereas radio creates impact with the help of sound effects,” says Prof. Ashok Ogra, Director, Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication, who has worked with Doordarshan for 15 years.

With the advent of liberalisation, both film and TV have exploded in their reach and growth. India currently produces the world’s largest number of films and at the last count has over 800 TV channels offering news and entertainment. Same is the case with FM radio after the sector was opened to the private sector. A recent report by KPMG says the employment potential of the sector is going to treble in the coming five years.

The ‘reel-life’
So what goes behind creating this ‘reel-life’ experience? Every programme (film, TV serial, and radio) has one common stage in the order - concept, story, script, production, post-production, release and display. Irrespective of the medium, concept stage is very important. Based on it a story line is made which is further made live in the form of a script. Once the script is ready, it is the production team’s responsibility to give it a real shape. Then further editing and polishing is done in order to make it more presentable before finally releasing it to reach the public.

Aparna, a dialogue writer, shares her experience on the job. She says that a dialogue writer creates the conversation and builds moments while working on each scene and character in the screenplay. He or she is also responsible for creating characters’ accent or dialect. “Making each scene interesting by adding emotions, one liners, some quirk, some comedy, romance or even anger is interesting,” she says. Aparna has worked on at least eight feature films including Aisha, Chance pe Dance, LSD and Yeh Saali Zindagi and has also been independently writing for TV shows.

She adds, “I love my profession because it does not feel like a ‘job’. There is lot of creativity and liberty in what I do. You would usually see writers working through the night, preparing scripts for the next day’s shoot. So this field is definitely not time-bound. I love talking, communicating, meeting various kinds of people. This helps me in developing characters and creating moments.”

Career scope
A plethora of job opportunities are on offer such as producer, director, script writer, reporter, anchor, sound recordist, editor, cameraman etc as each film or a TV programme would employ a number of people at different stages.

The best part of choosing this area is that one can opt for working with a production house or broadcasting organisation. A person can also work on a freelance basis. Apart from this, there are jobs in the advertising agencies, Personal Relations and Event Management firms and in academia.

Prof. Ogra shares, as per the KPMG-FICCI 2011 report, the Media & Entertainment industry is expected to be of the staggering size of over Rs.127,5000 crores by 2015, up from the level of Rs. 73,800 crores in 2010. “This growth is bound to give a further fillip to this field. So, I have a very positive recommendation to all the aspiring professionals,” he says.

Develop a skill-set
To start with, there are a lot of colleges which offer training in all the options mentioned, including both short-term and long-term courses. Most of them can be pursued after graduation. But apart from regular studies, a person should have a passion for it. He should be an avid observer of nature, human emotions and different cultures. Besides having the knowledge of the domain, the person should have good knowledge of different art forms, which not only helps the person to perform well but helps him or her to interact with other team members. Also, the person should have an attitude to welcome the critics, good interpersonal relationship, imagination, creativity, and above all patience. The industry offers not only jobs but career growth in all related areas; depending on determination and area of work.

“Actor, a statue of hope!”

Meet Deepesh Bhan, a struggling actor who believes that a performer is ‘ummed ka putla’ (statue of hope) who must keep his or her will power intact to succeed. Starting his career through a comedy show ‘Comedy ka King kaun’ of Balaji Telefilms and acting in many advertisements, he is now working in a couple of popular TV soaps including FIR.

Q: Your journey till now?
A: Struggle is at every stage while glamour takes long to come. After being in theatre world for four years, I came to Mumbai seven years ago. Though it is tough, but now I am sailing through.

Q: Is the first break tough?
A: Audition is not the beginning. You are tested for the way you talk, walk, stand etc. Even when people say “Wow! That was good”, it’s not sure that you’ll hit the chord.

Q: Why shift from theatre to TV?
A: You can’t earn your living from theatre. There are many examples in our film industry who made this shift, though the passion remains.

Q: Is language important?
A: Yes, viewers relate to a character through the language he speaks. So, one has to be perfect. Being from north India, I worked well in roles as of a boy from Haryana, Punjab or UP, but I faced problem when I was given a role of a Gujarati boy.

Not just cooking!

Apply science for a better living including good food and nutrition, clothes, hygiene, consistent development, communication and good community living. Home management is only a small component of the discipline.



HOME Science is the application of science to bring home and family life in sync with changing surroundings, and even today the programme is only open to women. Projects in each subject and lab practical are a regular feature in the academic life of Home Science graduate

“Some needed lots of effort - like identifying a child labourer in our locality and developing his or her profile,” says Ritikaa who passed out of Institute of Home Economics. She also says, it is not just about cooking, which is a common misconception. She is currently pursuing Master’s in Psychology and working as a special educator and counsellor at a school.

Scientific techniques are taught to cope up with day-to-day problems and field project works are done to learn their application. The course helps in overall personality development of the person.

In case of BSc (Home Science), a student gets a chance to choose his or her specialization in the third year. For example, Manav Rachna International University (MRIU) offers a BSc, MSc and diploma programmes in Nutrition and Dietetics. “Our programmes specialize a student directly in the food and nutrition field. Lifestyle diseases are on an increase and people are getting more conscious about their dietary habits. So, the subject is gaining importance,” said MRIU’s Dean Dr. G L Khanna.

Home Science graduates can opt for an array of career options in food sciences, sport academies as personal consultants and even MNCs hire them for the wellbeing of their employees. Nutritionists and dieticians also have openings as researchers in natural food making companies like Dabur. The salary structure for an undergraduate starts between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 20,000. If they pursue postgraduation then they can earn even Rs. 40,000. And for those with experience, the package will increase manifold.

A career for compassionate minds!

Art of self control and understanding of a human mind and heart are the mantras for a teacher of special children.



CHILDREN with disabilities are so special that a person working for them has to have a mind which can understand and comprehend situations as well as people. “The job is not easy. People need to have the art of being patient, good presence of mind, compassion and commitment to duty,” says Aparna Babu who is working with children with special needs for many years now.

Any 10+2 student, irrespective of what stream he had in senior secondary can pursue a course in this field. There are degree, diploma and certificate courses available in various colleges in the country recognized by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). An aspirant can choose to study to work for visually impaired, hearing impaired and/or mentally retarded persons. There are specialized degree programmes available in the fields of Locomotor and Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Vocational Counselling, and care giving.

These programmes train students for a whole range of services for children with disabilities. Special schools are on a rise in the country along with major non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who are concentrating their energies and resources to set up help in this particular avenue. “As per the new Inclusive Education paradigm, all the children would be in the same class, studying together irrespective of abilities. Therefore, special teachers, facilitators and guides with this degree are required for this endeavour,” Aparna explains.

As far as the salary structure is concerned, the package may not be that high. As a teacher one can receive what the teachers receive according to the 6th Pay Commission as per the grade whereas counsellors receive more. If we were to give a starting range, one could begin between Rs. 9000 to Rs. 15000 depending on the profile.

The task is challenging because people in this field need to have the art of self control and knowledge and understanding of a human mind and heart. A person needs to be mature enough to deal with any situation, especially the unexpected ones. So though a 10+2 student can look forward to a career in special education, he or she should have a detailed study of how to understand and empathise with special children. “A developed, mature understanding and a strong sense of mind is the need more than age. So if a student of 17 had the passion to work in this field, I would just say, come on board to build our society,” Aparna stresses.

For this reason, a little extra knowledge in terms of higher studies is also advisable. Moreover, there is growth in position in any particular organisation on the basis of the educational qualification. But the amount of satisfaction attained is incomparable.

If not MBBS, be a paramedic!

Paramedics are the professionals who support both the doctors and patients simultaneously. Patience is their most-needed quality.



AS soon as you visit a doctor for any ailment, you are led to a lab and tests are done. Who performs this necessary task for you? Doctors? No, they are the paramedical professionals. Optometry, Radiography, Lab Technology, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation are some of the prominent disciplines in allied sciences.

Admission procedure & job scenario
It varies from institute to institute. It has been felt that the paramedical staff does not get due recognition at times and that is why courses at Master's and PhD level have been started. But at an operational level, a paramedical job does not require higher studies but field experience is most important. Most institutes prefer to admit students through national-level admission tests while others through state/institute level tests. Here is a ready-reckoner.

Good news is that finding a job in this area is easy once you have your degree or diploma as no hospital or clinic can run without a paramedical staff. Anurag Saxena of RP Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences in AIIMS says, “Students pursuing the course are able to find part-time jobs in their first year itself at a stipend of around Rs. 7,000. After completion of the course, the salary begins from Rs. 15,000 and if the person has some part-time experience, he can get even higher.”

Self-Employment
Apart from working in clinics and hospitals, you can work from home and become self-employed also, like a physiotherapist. One may find a physiotherapy centre within a 3-km-range. But yes, then investment is a concerning factor as machines used are expensive. Paramedics can also go for clinical research after pursuing further studies. Read more...

Conclusion
It is team work and the person has been supportive to both the doctor and the patient at the same time. “Patience is the most important quality paramedics should have. They should be able to listen to the patient and understand his need all the time with a smile,” says Treta, who pursued a course in pathology. Other qualities include ability to work for long hours, good scientific vocabulary and fine presence of mind.

A world in a Handset

Over 80 crore mobile phone users are in India, offering a world of opportunities in mobile content space. This industry needs a lot more than just technical skills.



THE ‘special and very clever’ men in dark suits are indeed making way for boys and girls next door – people like us – as has been affirmed through song and dance by that famous BlackBerry advertisement. The other day even a friend of mine showed me his newly acquired smartphone and some of the things he does on it.

“I Gtalk, gmail, use Facebook, play Angry Birds, watch videos, read books, newspapers,” he told me excitedly. I thought I was as impressed by the prodigious functionality of that gizmo as I felt curious about the scores of people who made a mere handset perform all those interesting activities. Aren’t they the people who should be called ‘special and very clever’?

The world of mobile content
Today, a suitable mobile phone device allows us to do an ever-widening range of things. Collectively known as mobile content, such things could be games, wallpapers, ringtones, video, mobishows, news, maps, Live TV, Radio, music, and SMS-based services and applications or apps. Indeed, mobile content is increasingly matching anything that a laptop computer can do. The experts like to classify mobile content into three main categories: Mobile entertainment, Mobile apps, and Mobile games.

Just like various applications that we run on personal computers, use of mobile content also depends on the operating system (OS) of the cell phone. Broadly, there are eight operating systems used in the cell phones: iOS, Blackberry OS, Android, J2ME (Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition), Brew (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless), Windows Mobile, HP webOS and Symbian OS. Their superior user interface (UI) has made Android OS and iOS the most popular these days. While an Android OS, for instance, will allow you to change the default web browser on your mobile handset with the touch of a few buttons, a Symbian OS will not.

A business and a brand
India’s mobile phone subscriptions have grown phenomenally in the last decade to reach over 80 crore, a huge market for phone service providers as well as other companies to tap by investing in mobile content, such as games and videos. Often referred to as Value Added Services (VAS), such services help companies increase their revenues and improve their brand awareness.
“Growing penetration of smartphones has made it imperative for companies to invest in the content space. It is also financially attractive because consumers are willing to pay for good content,” says Rajasekar Raju KS, Director - Social Media Marketing, Impiger Technologies. The company has been providing text and video-based multimedia content to both Indian and foreign mobile subscribers for the last seven years.

It is quite a challenge for the companies to be able to make rich but memory-guzzling applications available on a small piece of hardware that a handset contains. A subscriber will not like to use an application that will take up the entire battery capacity in downloading just one page. And they may also like to have as many applications to run on their devices as possible. So companies now have dedicated R&D teams to create or adapt applications that will run smoothly on mobile devices.

At Adobe Systems India, for example, a team has been working on making a mobile phone-compliant version of Photoshop. “There are sub-teams working on moving Photoshop features online, design and development of licensing technologies, building user interface, and the look and feel of the website, etc,” says Sourabh, a computer scientist working with the company. Sourabh developed interest in the cell phone world while doing his B.Tech and then M.Tech in Information & Communication Technology at IIT-Delhi.

Creativity is the mantra
Mobile content is your field, if you like to create and experiment. For any job here, you require a great attitude and the ability to conceptualise. You should know, for instance, why the Superman had to be a strong, tall and handsome man and Pinoccio a lean boy. You would do well to be a good learner of emerging technologies in order to remain competitive. Also valued is your ability to understand the medium and users and some general knowledge. If you have seen games having characters resembling a film star or a politician as the protagonist, you will know they are there because of their relevance to the present scenario.

Education-wise, some technical competence is the first step. An engineering degree in computer science or Bachelor’s and Master’s in computer applications are good. Following that, short- term courses in graphics development, designing, visual arts, to name a few, will help you excel in this field. A regular student can do a course on the side or work as an intern in a company to learn the domain-specific skills.

“I did a course in J2SE (a platform of the Java programming language) from NIT-Silchar under AX LABS. I also learnt J2EE (a Java-centric environment for developing Web-based applications) and gained hands-on knowledge by working as an intern at 2ergo, a company providing mobile-phone marketing and messaging services,” says Devansh Mohan Kaushik, a third year student of Electronics and Communication Engineering at NIT- Agartala.

The job arena
The mobile content industry has a place both for a programmer and a person with primarily artistic skills. An application begins with someone thinking about a concept which is then converted into a design. Features like movement of characters and sound are added to the design which is brought into action by a programmer. Before it reaches its final destination, a test run is conducted.

There is a wide variety of areas to work in. You can become a content writer, copywriter, scriptwriter, designer, audio and video production professional, voice rendition technician or programmer. The industry sees video and 3D content as its future and requires skills like radio jockeying, anchoring and videography. One can also start on one’s own by turning into an application owner, developer or distributor.

Manish, a contractual game designer, says he is happy being a freelancer than tie down with a single company. He has developed several games for the J2ME platform, including ‘Castle of Clouds’ and ‘Dilaer aur Dilrooba’ and is working on a game for iPhone. “I am enjoying it. As and when I am given an idea, I work on the game mechanics, that is, the rules of play and the user interface design (UI). At times, I try my hands on the look and feel of the game also,” he says.

A gadget industry needs engineering skills at every stage. An engineer has responsibilities from knowing the raw material until it is converted into a smart phone. Simple things which may go unnoticed by a user involve much research and development. “For a gamer there are plenty of issues to plug - issues like signal should not break down while driving, no interference from adjacent and core channels and proper signal in idle mode also,” says Saurabh Nangia who has worked as an R&D Engineer with Nokia. He did his B.Tech (Electronics & Telecommunication) from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University before doing a six-month course in Telecom Engineering and Management at IIT-Delhi.

Challenges
Currently, it’s difficult to find specialised courses in mobile content in India. Spotting a job opportunity is also not easy. Content providers are generally dependent on the telecom service providers. “But with a bit of Google search and attending mobile application and VAS conferences, a career is not far away also,” says Rajasekar.

One needs a lot of patience, such as when browsers do not work right or a code will not validate. Application development goes through many processes. It takes days together to achieve that ‘little’ finishing. Meeting expectations of the client is tough. You need to develop the end product with whatever story-board or assets he provides. Getting noticed in this industry is a challenge too; you have to prove the quality and competitiveness of your product.

Then there are technical barriers, like deciding important elements of your application according to different sizes and types of mobile screens. You also take time to even understand the mobile browsers. When Manish entered the gaming industry, he was asked to fit graphics for the entire mobile game in less than 35 kb. “I had just come from the PC game industry that does not suffer from such enormous size constraints. Thankfully, things are really changing now,” he says.

Career progression
Remuneration depends on your performance. An entrant could kick off with Rs. 2.5-3.5 lakh per annum depending on the skill required. In three years, you could command Rs. 5-7 lakh per annum. An engineering graduate with programming knowledge can start at Rs. 4 lakh per annum reaching till Rs. 15 lakhs with experience. Most of the successful professionals have been found to own their own content development company or become an aggregator.

Satisfaction from the job is the key to rising higher. For a mobile content professional, success comes more in terms of enjoyment while working. You learn new technologies. You get to play with different types of graphics and also media elements.

Mobile content also offers Indians opportunities to work in other countries. However, foreign companies have been outsourcing their work to developing countries like India. So the opportunities are improving all the time. If you have the skills and the confidence, the whole world is there for you to work in.

“Outsourced business is growing in India.”

Q&A with Ram Warrier, Business Head, MAAC (Maya Entertainment of Advanced Cinematics)

Q: What are the qualities a gamer should possess?
A: A gamer must be a self-starter, setting goals for himself and does not need to be prompted what to do, but find solutions himself. He should be a good learner and understand upcoming technologies.

Q: Is making games for mobile different from other interface?
A: Yes. Games developed for mobile phones are optimised and not heavily programmed. They are art-intensive. It is a challenge in terms of looks, graphics, effects and navigation. This is why, the games on mobiles are developed for a mass market and they fall in the category of casual games.

Q: Is the Indian market looking up?
A: The Indian Gaming Industry is expected to reach 830 million by 2012. India is fast emerging as an important destination for outsourcing because of low-cost and high-quality advantage. Games developed in India have been successful internationally, enhancing India’s reputation for technical and infrastructure capabilities to provide services that meet international standards.

Q: What coursed do MAAC offer?
A: MAAC has a dedicated career programme in Game design and Integration (DGDI). It covers all nuances of game art, design and the integration of game asset elements including Digital Asset Creation and their integration in the game engine.

Q: What are the career opportunities?
A: A person can go for 3D Game Designs, Game Testing jobs, 3D Game Modeler, Web 3D graphics, game production, Interactive product demos and walkthroughs.

Q: And the pay scales?
A: A gaming artist or game tester draws a salary of around Rs. 10,000-12,000 per month. A programmer draws a salary up to Rs. 30,000 per month.

Anna released; refuses to leave jail, firm on his demand

New Delhi, Aug 16 : Gandhian Anna Hazare was tonight released from judicial custody but he refused to leave the jail premises unless he was allowed to go on fast at Jai Prakash Narayan Park with his conditions.

"Anna Hazare has been released but he is not coming out of the jail as he wants to go straight to J P park and start his protest there," Manish Sisodia, Anna's close aide, told mediapersons after he was also released this evening.

Mr Hazare is now sitting in the office of Director General (Tihar) Neeraj Kumar and waiting for the government's response.

Mr Sisodia, however, denied to having received any information about sending Anna outside Delhi.

As hundreds of supporters gathered outside Tihar jail carrying candles, Mr Sisodia continued the protest with them there itself.

He said Anna has requested that the movement should not die down.

Mr Hazare was sent to seven days judicial custody this afternoon after he was arrested by Delhi police for defying prohibitory orders.

Security was stepped up at J P park immediately after Anna put forth his demand. His supporters started reaching the spot after which police had to detain them.

Kiran Bedi, Shanti Bhushan released from detention

New Delhi, Aug 16 : Gandhian Anna Hazare's close aides Kiran Bedi and Shanti Bhushan were released this evening, few hours after they were taken into preventive detention for allegedly defying prohibitory orders.

Ms Bedi, a former IPS officer, and Mr Bhushan, senior lawyer, were taken into custody when they arrived at Rajghat to participate in the protest announced by Mr Hazare.

Mr Hazare along with seven others was sent to seven days judicial custody by a Special Magistrate following their arrest under Section 107/151 of the CrPC early this morning.
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This is second freedom struggle: Anna after detention

New Delhi, Aug 16 : Asking the people to continue the struggle against corruption, Gandhian Anna Hazare today said his arrest must not affect in anyway.

"Do not let the struggle against corruption cease due to my arrest," Anna told countrymen after he was detained here much before he could start his fast.

Calling it the second freedom struggle, Anna urged his supporters to give eight days for the nation. He also appealed to them to lead a peaceful protest.

"Satyagraha is all about penance to our own self, which is being felt by others. Do not harm others. No public or private property should be destroyed," he said.

He added that this has shown yet another face of the corrupt people who are not serious about eradicating the menace.

His message was shown to the nation through various news channels and links on "youtube" portal.

The anti-corruption crusader were detained around 0735 hours from Mayur Vihar. Soon after, his close aides Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan and Manish Sisodia courted arrest from Rajghat area. They all were taken to Special Court in Civil Lines area.

Police said Anna was taken into preventive custody.

Meanwhile, more than 50 of his supporters were displaced from near Rajghat and Jai Prakash Narayan Park, and were taken to Chhattrasal Stadium for further legal proceedings. A similar number of people were held last night also.

Anna along with his supporters and associates had to begin his hunger strike at JPN park beginning 1000 hrs. However, as the police had denied him permission to use the venue, it was likely that the crusader and his brigade would court arrest.
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Anna's supporters rounded up by police outside JP park

New Delhi, Aug 15: Around 50 supporters of Gandhian Anna Hazare were detained from outside Jai Prakash Narayan Memorial Park, the venue which was earlier allotted to the social activist for his fast scheduled to begin tomorrow.

After Team Anna denied to agree to six of the 22 conditions laid by the police for holding the hunger strike, police cancelled the permission and imposed Section 144 of CrPC at the spot.

The people detained had accumulated outside the park to participate in the movement. Police displaced them and sent them to Chhatrasal Stadium.

Addressing mediapersons earlier today, Mr Hazare had announced that irrespective of any obstacle created by the government he would go on the fast against Corruption.

Mr Hazare is starting his hunger strike in the capital from tomorrow to protest against the government's failure to bring in a strong Lokpal Bill after rejecting the version introduced by it in Parliament on August 4.

Anna to go on fast tomorrow, calls for "Jail Bharo Aandolan"

New Delhi, Aug 15: Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare today said he will go on fast on Lokpal issue from tomorrow irrespective of hurdles created by government and gave a clarion call to citizens to go for "Jail Bharo Andolan" against corruption.

"I will go to Jai Prakash Narain Park tomorrow morning. If I will be stopped, I will sit there itself and ask police where to go. If they will take me to jail, I will fast there and if they release me, I will again sit at the same place and continue with the fast," Mr Hazare said while addressing mediapersons here.

He called for a revolution to "fight against the government and change the system".

The statement comes on a day when Delhi police denied him permission to hold fast tomorrow after the organisers refused to agree on all the conditions laid down by the police.

Anna expressed regret over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's address today on the occasion of Independence day and said, "I was so upset to hear him. I have always believed that he is an honest person but today he also spoke the language of (Telecom Minister) Kapil Sibal. He also said the Parliament will decide on the Lokpal Bill." He stressed that he has full faith in the Parliament but only if the right Bill is placed in it. "Lok Sabha is the temple of democracy. But when such corrupt ministers reach there, it is its insult. Send the right Bill to the Parliament," he added.

"I have been asked that would Jan Lokpal curb corruption 100 per cent. This is nothing less then an effort to stall the process. I challange that if the Jan Lokpal will not be able to curb at least more than 60 per cent corruption, I will work at (Mr) Sibal's home to fill water," he further said.

The Gandhian continuously posed a question to the government as well as people that has the country actually achieved independence.

"Is this freedom? Even after 64 years of independence, the corruption level has only gone up. Don't we know about democracy? Does democracy means that get elected for five years and then only mint money?" he asked. Anna claimed that the government has lost its balance in the run for money.

Referring to the youth who has joined him in his movement, he said they were here as they were angry. "Today they have to pay for even their rights. So they are angry." Mr Hazare further said he feels so depressed to see poor people's condition in the country. "Initially I felt I should commit suicide. But I thought what example will it be for today's youth.

I would not let my spirits down. We wills surely establish a clean nation." He gave a clarion call to people to go for "Jail Bharo Andolan" and said going to jail in this way is a matter of pride. "We will go to jail and fight from there." He,however, noted that it should be non-violent.

Out of the 22 conditions laid down by the police, Team Anna did not agree to six of them. They were ending the protest on the third day, restricting the number of agitators to 5,000, parking of only 50 cars and motorcycles near the venue, no erection of shamiana on roads, no use of loudspeakers after 2100 hours and only government medical observer for Anna.

Government nervous, conditions unconstitutional: Santosh Hegde

New Delhi, Aug 15: Santosh Hegde, the former Karnataka Lokayukta and a close aide of Gandhian Anna Hazare, today claimed that Government is feeling nervous ahead of the anti-corruption crusader's hunger strike and so is imposing "unconstitutional" conditions.

The statement came in the wake of Delhi police denying permission to Mr Hazare to hold his fast on Lokpal issue tomorrow after the organisers refused to give an undertaking regarding agreement on all the conditions laid down by the police including ending the protest on the third day and restricting the number of agitators to 5,000.

"Why is the Government scared of Anna? Police is following orders from higher ups. This denial is signal of nervousness in the Government," Mr Hegde said while talking to a national news channel.

He added that the conditions laid down by the police were "unconstitutional". Legal remedy is the only solution for Team Anna, he added.

In run up to his fast that was scheduled to be held at Jai Prakash Narain Park, the Gandhian caught administration in surprise by making an unscheduled visit to Rajghat. Along with hundreds of his supporters, he prayed in front of the memorial of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi for more than two hours.

As the crowds poured in at the spot, Delhi police also had to reach there to keep a check on the security conditions.

Sources said Mr Hazare visited Rajghat to pray for peace and gather strength ahead of his fast tomorrow.

Anna prays at Rajghat after denied permission to fast

New Delhi, Aug 15 : A couple of hours after social activist Anna Hazare was today denied permission to hold his fast tomorrow on the Lokpal issue at the venue proposed by police, the Gandhian visited Rajghat to "pray for peace".

Anna reached Rajghat at around 1800 hrs. His supporters said he went there to spend some time at peace in front of his idol, the Father of the Nation, and added that the plan to go there was made suddenly.

Anna sat quietly with his hands folded and eyes closed on the grounds in front of the memorial.

As soon as people came to know about Anna's presence at Rajghat, crowds continued to pour in to see the anti-corruption crusader. Hundreds of people reached the place and sat around the praying activist.

From here, Anna is likely to leave for Constitution Club near Reserve Bank of India to address the nation at 1900 hrs.

IGNOU plans conference to celebrate International Year of Chemistry

New Delhi : Indira Gandhi National Open University is organising a two-day conference on Chemistry to create more interest of the youth in the subject leading to more innovations on the occasion of International Year of Chemistry.

This day was proclaimed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and UNESCO.

The conference aims to address the issues pertaining to Chemistry Education and exploring the newer and emerging areas of chemical research. An added feature is the inclusion of a session dedicated to the role of women scientists in chemical research commemorating the Centenary of Madame Curie s Nobel Prize, Prof V N Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU, said today.

The Sir C V Raman Chair and School of Sciences (SOS) in IGNOU will hold this conference titled Chemistry: Education and Research Frontiers from October 13 in the national capital, a varsity official said. A series of invited lectures by renowned persons of international acclaim and oral/poster presentations by the young scientists will be a part of the event.

The university is inviting applications for submission of abstracts on the topic Frontier Areas of Chemical Research till August 22, the details of which are available on IGNOU website.

Turn off the lights: Team Anna

New Delhi, Aug 11: Gandhian Anna Hazare and his team has appealed to citizens to turn off the lights for an hour on August 15 in the run up to his indefinite hunger strike from the next day.

"Anna Hazare will appeal to the nation on August 15 at 1900 hrs to join the hunger strike for the sake of the country. In addition, he would request everyone to turn out their lights between 2000 hrs to 2100 hrs," activist Arvind Kejriwal told newspersons here.

He added that during that one hour of darkness, they should light a 'diya' (an earthen lamp) "which will signify a ray of hope to remove illiteracy, hunger and corruption from this country".

Mr Hazare will go on fast from August 16 at Jaiprakash Narayan park adjacent to the Firoz Shah Kotla Ground in the capital for the Lokpal Bill issue.

Mr Kejriwal advised people to have a non-violent protest. "We appeal that no one should resort to violent means and people should not be adversely affected. We have come to know that some mischief mongers may enter the peaceful protests across the country and try to resort to violence," he said.
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Long day for team Anna in run up to Aug 16 fastLong day for team Anna in run up to Aug 16 fast

New Delhi, Aug 11: Civil society members, under the leadership of Gandhian Anna Hazare who has agreed to stage his indefinite fast on Lokpal Bill at Jaiprakash Narayan Park near Feroz Shah Kotla ground here, are making all efforts to make the movement against corruption successful with a number of events scheduled daily.

Today, the team would hold rallies, discussions, interactions with students and candle marches at various places across the capital.

Beginning at 0900 hours, the activists held a 'Padyatra' without foot-wears at Satya Niketan in south Delhi while conducted a rally at 0930 hours from Vishvidyalaya metro station. Candle marches will take place from New Colony More to New Railway Station Road, Gurgaon via Jyoti Park and Ashok Vihar and from Madhuban Chowk to DC Chowk between 1830 hours and 2000 hours.

A rally will be held at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at 1800 hours along with a street play by ASMITA. After around a couple of hours, a Tiranga Rally will be held from Sundar Nagri to Nand Nagri.

During the day, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi will hold an interactive session with students at 1330 hours at St Stephen’s College while RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal along with her fellow team members Kumar Bishwas and Manish Sisodia will interact with students and then participate in a rally at ITS Greater Noida around 1600 hours.

A Sarv Dharm Sabha will also be organised at Jantar Mantar between 1600 hours and 1800 hours in which various religious gurus will participate.

Yesterday, appearing before the standing committee of Parliament, Anna Hazare reiterated his demand that the government withdraw the Lokpal Bill under consideration, and take measures to deal with problems of corruption faced by the public at every step of life.

Anna denied to go back on his demands and said he would again go on a fast on August 16 if the decision will not be taken within the time-limit prescribed by him.

Following the two-and-a-half hour meeting, Prashant Bhushan and Kejriwal told the media that they asked the committee to recommend to the government that the Bill be withdrawn.

Corruption result of lack of moral values: Dalai Lama

New Delhi, Aug 10 : Calling corruption an outcome of lack of moral values, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today said a country does not belong to any political party or a leader but only its people.

"There is a lot of corruption. It is obviously due to lack of moral values. Without moral values, a person loses self-control and do what is wrong as soon as he finds the opportunity. There is a need to find your inner self," the Dalai Lama said.

He was addressing the gathering here as part of fourth annual lecture of National Commission for Minorities.

"The world belongs to humanity. A country belongs to its people, but not to any political party or person," he added.

The spiritual leader advised the corrupt people to be believer of God. "India is a nation of religion-minded people. They get up early morning to pray to their Gods but side by side involve in corruption. These two cannot go hand in hand. Faith without moral values is not faith," he said.

He, however, stressed that he was not criticising anybody but felt concerned about a country (India) which has kept its principles of non-violence and harmony.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, NCM Chairman Wajahat Habibullah, BJP leader Jaswant Singh and Minister of State for Minority Affairs Vincent H Pala were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.

Government has to take care of other ppl in civil society: Salman Khurshid

New Delhi, Aug 10 : Government has to look into the interests of other people of the civil society also, Union Minister of Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid said, not appearing optimistic about any outcome of the meeting to be held today between the Parliamentary Standing Committee looking into the Lokpal Bill and Team Anna.

"People have the right to talk to the comittee, so they will.

But they are a few people only. Civil society is big. Government has to take care of other people also in the civil society," Mr Khurshid told reporters on the sidelines of an event held here.

Gandhian Anna Hazare and his associates including Arvind Kejriwal, Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan, will meet a Parliamentary panel headed by Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi today to put forth their views on the Lokpal Bill.

When the bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 4, Opposition BJP had raised objection over non-inclusion of the office of the Prime Minister under the purview of the Lokpal.

It was then referred to the Standing Commitee by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari giving it three months time to give its report.
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Anna Hazare firm on demands, says no going back on Lokpal issue

New Delhi, Aug 10: Undeterred to go on fast against corruption, Gandian Anna Hazare today stressed that civil society will not go back on the issue of Lokpal Bill and demanded that all issues set aside by the government be brought back into the bill.

The statement comes on the day when he and his associates will meet a Parliamentary panel to put forth their views on the Lokpal Bill. "There is nothing in the bill which is introduced in Parliament.

It is just a show off. It has been drafted just to tell the people that we have a law to fight corruption. It will be of no use," Mr Hazare told mediapersons here. He said he is not going on fast because of any happiness but only for the public, for the country.

Regarding the meet today, the civil society representatives called it a formality. "There is no use of it. If the Committee discusses the draft, it will be a waste of time for it also. There is nothing to discuss in the bill. The government has left no way for us to call off strike," RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal said.

Team Anna meets Delhi top-cop

New Delhi, Aug 8 : Civil society members today met Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta to discuss the venue of Gandhian Anna Hazare's proposed fast against corruption from August 16.

The representatives included RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, lawyer Prashant Bhushan and Manish Sisodia.

"The Police Commissioner has assured that he would discuss the five proposed venues of the fast with other senior officers and get back to us within the next two days," a statement issued by India Against Corruption, an NGO organising the fast, said.

Mr Gupta has also assured that if any other alternate venue is proposed by the Police, the space would be well connected and within three km radius of Jantar Mantar.

The five places suggested by the civil society for holding the dharna are Boat Club, Rajghat, Ramlila Grounds, Shahidi Park near ITO and a stretch near Ashoka Road.

Delhi government defends Sheila Dikshit, says no role in awarding CWG tenders

New Delhi, Aug 8 : Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had no role in awarding tenders regarding the XIX Commonwealth Games, Delhi Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said today.

The statement comes close on the heels of reports regarding the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) indicting Ms Dikshit and jailed former Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi for serious lapses and irregularities in the infrastructure projects, bidding process for procurement of different Games-related items and several instances of wasteful expenditure.

"We have gone through the CAG's report. Neither the Chief Minister nor any political functionary has been indicted in it," Mr Lovely said in a press conference here.

The 743-page report has accused various ministries of the Delhi government of irregularities and lapses in the Games, held from October 3-14 last year in the national capital.

Ms Dikshit, who had maintained her innocence, told mediapersons yesterday that if the Public Accounts Committee finds anyone guilty, action will be taken against them.

She has been stressing on the PAC to study the CAG report to find any doubtful pecuniary actions made by her government in the Commonwealth Games bungle.

Besides the Delhi Government, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and other ministries and various agencies including the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi(MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Public Works Department(PWD) have been blamed for the entire mess in the sporting extravaganza, in which 4,336 athletes and 2,115 officials representing 71 countries participated.