Statesman (India) articles from June 2008

Statesman (India) archives from June 2008

Something Special.
June 23, 2008... IF you're not into eating meat, here's something that could be up your street, especially with the rain pouring down, given the season. Spicy Grilled Eggplant Cut a whole eggplant into roundels, wash and pat dry and marinate with half a...

Spotlight: State Of The Nation.
June 23, 2008... Who Sings the Nation State ? Language, Politics, Belonging By Judith Butler and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak Seagull Spivak and Butler deserve thanks for raising certain issues and questions that lie at the heart of the world today,...

Silhouette: The story of the night.
June 23, 2008... Prolific and popular for decades, Susan Hill has at last turned her gift for the uncanny to children's fiction. Nicolette Jones meets the versatile spellbinder Susan Hill has never had what she calls a proper job. She has lived by her writing...

Spotlight: FAR FROM HARVARD.
June 23, 2008... The author has taken material that is familiar, yet managed to touch the heights of literary achievement by telling the story on a broad canvas... A review by Chitralekha Basu Unaccustomed Earth By JHUMPA LAHIRI Bloomsbury / Random...

Epilepsy In Dogs.
June 23, 2008... It needn't be life-threatening, says Dr Subir Bhattacharya MR Robinson detected some abnormal behavioural changes in Rambo. The black Labrador retriever refused to come to the breakfast table. Sitting quietly in a corner of his master's...

Steering Wheel: COOL MEETS THE CAT.
June 23, 2008... The new BMW GINA is a stunning piece of work that could change the way cars are designed for ever ~ but won't, says Michael Booth BMW design supremo 'Crazy' Chris Bangle has done it again. Just when we thought his flame-surfacing mojo had...

Travel: Satkosia Unveiled.
June 23, 2008... It's the perfect hideaway from busy city life and the sylvan surroundings provide the right tonic to rejuvenate oneself, writes Anirban Das The Bhubaneswar-Bolangir Intercity Express hardly took a couple of hours to reach Angul. When we had...

Real Estate: LARGE PROPERTY, LOST FOR CHOICE?
June 23, 2008... Mathures Paul catches up with Pradip Chopra for the solution YOU have large house in the middle of Kolkata or Delhi. What would you do if you are looking at increasing the value of the property. Don't sell but develop, says PS Group chairman...

Strange & Sublime: TRYST WITH SLUMBER.
June 23, 2008... Amitava Chakrabarty Those of us, who crawl into bed beside our snoring better half at the wee hours of the night, face a common problem. You are sure to wake her up in spite of exercising utmost caution and endure her wrath for the rest of...

Silly Season: Bubble Bubble Oil & Trouble.
June 23, 2008... Anjana Basu WITH petrol and diesel prices hitting an all time high, and threatening to go higher, people have been sending me very strange emails for consolation. I'm not quite sure which was actually the strangest, but the one that began by...

Career: Coordination is the key.
June 23, 2008... A database administrator occupies an important place in any organisation and it is an extremely attractive emerging career option, writes Sangita Sharma Phukan Managing or maintaining data of an organisation is one of the most significant...

Technology: WHERE DId IT ALL BEGIN?
June 23, 2008... Was a meteorite responsible for life on earth? Steve Connor reports THE building blocks of genes have been found in a meteorite, raising the prospect of life originating with the aid of extraterrestrial molecules that came from space more...

Career: Eye on the sky.
June 23, 2008... Given that astronomy is a research-based discipline it calls for immense research experience to make it big in the field, says Moushumi Roye Dutia What is it all about? The nursery rhyme, Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you...

Theories Down The Line.
June 23, 2008... Primordial soup: First suggested by Charles Darwin and elaborated on by US chemist Stanley Miller who, in 1953, created simple organic molecules in a test-tube. Hydrothermal vents: These sea-floor volcanic 'chimneys' spew out minerals that...

Feasting On Hosts.
June 23, 2008... Ravleen Kaur finds out how tuberculosis bacteria use iron to survive TUBERCULOSIS bacteria kill two people every three minutes. The bacteria use iron from the human body to survive. But the mechanism by which they source the iron was not...

Technology: TEAM WORK.
June 23, 2008... Esoteric relativistic astrophysics finds a parallel in a centuries-old algebraic problem, says S Ananthanaryanan THAT little known mathematical results have found application in science is commonplace. Even citadels of pure mathematics,...

Non-Chemically Yours.
June 23, 2008... Jacquelyn Hayes writes of a weed that destroys kala-azar vector habitat Policy-makers in India swear by the insecticide DDT to contain the sand fly, the kala-azar vector. There are alternatives to using chemicals, as a group of researchers...

Salon: Q&A.
June 23, 2008... Threety Irani & Niloufer Babaycon I am 22 years old and feel ashamed to go out because I perspire a lot and then have body odour that smells very bad. I use a deodorant but it is not helping. What should I do? - Sunita Bhasin, ...

Strings Attached: MR BUTTERFLY.
June 23, 2008... Kishore Chatterjee SPEEDBOATS, fast cars, shooting game and women were the lusts in the life of one of Italy's greatest opera composers, Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), whose 150th birth anniversary is being celebrated throughout the music...

Travel: Pearl of the Orient.
June 23, 2008... With its sheer variety of locales, palm-fringed beaches, mysterious temples and exotic heritage, Penang draws tourists from all corners of the globe, says Rita Joseph Widely known as the Pearl of the Orient, Penang is one of Asia's most...

In Midnapore West, the journey back begins.
June 23, 2008... Statesman News Service MIDNAPORE/TAMLUK/ KOLKATA, June 22: With no rain in the past two days, the flood situation in Midnapore West and East districts has shown marginal improvement, even though 25 lakh people have been affected. Most...

Flood victims still wait for relief.
June 23, 2008... Biswabrata Goswami PATASHPUR (Midnapore East), June 22: Though the flood situation in the Midnapore East district has slightly improved, the sufferings of the flood-affected people have increased as relief materials have not reached to...

Panchayat power shifts disrupt relief efforts.
June 23, 2008... Statesman News Service KOLKATA, June 22: As majority of the gram panchayats in Midnapore East have undergone a change in power after the recently concluded rural polls, villagers of the flood-hit areas are facing real trouble to get food or...

Ex-MLA to meet Mamata.
June 23, 2008... Statesman News Service KOLKATA, June 22: Trinamulchief, Miss Mamata Banerjeehas agreed to meet Mr AtishSinha,former PCC leader and ex-MLA from Kandiat her Kalighatresidence on Wednesday, after she heard that he and his followers are willing...

FB slams farcical probe into Dinhata firing.
June 23, 2008... KOLKATA,June 22: The Forward Bloc today slammed the state government for making a farce of the inquiry into the police firing at Dinhataon 5 February killing five persons, including four FBactivists and decided to move the court challenging the...

Asiatic Society to reprint rare Ogilby work.
June 23, 2008... Uday Basu KOLKATA, June 22: About a century before Robert Clive laid the foundation of British rule in India a cartographer of exceptional talent was burning midnight oil to draw detailed maps of Mughal India and Persia showing interior roads...

Countrys first solar photo-voltaic power plant by year end.
June 23, 2008... Statesman News Service JAMURIA,June 22: The foundation stone for the countrys first solar photo-voltaic power plant was laid by the state power minister, Mr Mrinal Banerjeehere this morning. States renewable energy major, West Bengal Green...

Refund received, interest yet to paid.
June 23, 2008... In 2007 I had to pay a premium of Rs 10,335 for renewal of a mediclaim policy No 100500/48/07/8500003220 with the National Insurance Company Limited ~ Division V Kolkata (NIC) for a sum of Rs 1 lakh. Whereas for the same policy I paid a...

Gangster from Jharkhand under cover in Kolkata held.
June 23, 2008... KOLKATA June 22: A 21-year-old gangster ~ Amit from Jharkhand ~ who was wanted in connection with a case of robbery, was arrested from a hotel in Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road yesterday. A resident of Ranchi, Amit Singh alias Tara Singh, had taken...

KMC to implement new set of building rules.
June 23, 2008... AbhishekLaw KOLKATA,June 22: Its time for both tenants and owners of dilapidated buildings to enjoy the fruits of re-construction of these structures. The reason being the implementation of a set of new building norms by the Kolkata Municipal...

Barclays upbeat on India.
June 23, 2008... Press Trust of India MUMBAI,June 22: Barclays Capital is upbeat on the structured financial products space in the country. The market for structured financial products is set to double to $2 billion this year from $1 billion last year, a top...

Saudi willing to raise oil output.
June 23, 2008... Associated Press JIDDAH(Saudi Arabia), June 22: Saudi Arabia is willing to produce more oil if customers need it, the kingdom's oil minister said here today without giving any specific figure of the quantum of increase. Saudi Arabia, the...

Ranbaxy will remain Indian: Singh.
June 23, 2008... Indo-Asian News Service LONDON, June 22: Ranbaxychief executive officer, Mr MalvinderMohan Singh said that the companys merger with the Japanese DaiichiSankyohad not diluted its Indian identity. Ranbaxywas Indian, is Indian and will remain...

PNB to raise deposit rates.
June 23, 2008... Press Trust of India CHAKLA(WB),June 22: In view of soaring inflation, Punjab National Bank will raise deposit rates by almost 50 basis points, its chairman and managing director Mr KCChakravartysaid here today. Mr Chakravarty,who visited...

Apeda will focus on processed food export.
June 23, 2008... Press Trust of India NEW DELHI, June 22: Faced with restrictions on export of agriculture products, the government's trade promotion body Apedahas decided to focus on raising the export of India's processed foods. We will focus on...

Pak cement forays into southern states.
June 23, 2008... Press Trust of India CHENNAI,June 22: Taking advantage of the semblance of stability in India-Pak relations, low price and quality Pakistan cement is making forays into the south Indian markets with growing demand for regular supplies from...

CMIE forecasts 5.5% inflation for FY'09.
June 23, 2008... Press Trust of India MUMBAI,June 22: Inflation is expected to come down to 5.5 per cent in the financial year 2008-09 and kharifcrop is likely to play a major role in this regard, says the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy. We retain...

FBT collections dip.
June 23, 2008... Press Trust of India NEW DELHI, June 22: Fringe benefit tax collections have declined by about seven per cent in the first two months of the current financial year against the year-ago period, primarily due to better structuring of...

Rel Infra on buyout spree.
June 23, 2008... Press Trust of India MUMBAI,June 22: Reliance Infrastructure, which has chalked out an ambitious plan to invest Rs28,000 crore in the next three years, is looking at acquisitions in India and abroad, including coal mines in Indonesia. For...

Bam on target.
June 23, 2008... Bam on target So what if only beginners luck Foreign policy, particularly with a security angle, is often projected as a weakness of the presumptive Democratic Party nominee for the White House. Yet inexperienced Barack Obama was...

Why US-Israel-India axis is welcome.
June 23, 2008... Comrade Karat perhaps believes he is being very crafty. He is being in fact too clever by half. To justify his partys opposition to the Indo-US Nuclear Deal he has spoken of the danger arising from any strategic alliance with the US. He has done...

Gorkhaland stir will fizzle out.
June 23, 2008... The Gorkhaland agitation is not new. It had been there in the past when Mr Subhas Ghisingh was in control. Subsequently, with devolution of power to the autonomous Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) the demand for a separate Gorkhaland...

Cross-border infiltration of a different kind!
June 23, 2008... JAMMU,June 22: For long, militants from across the border in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir have been sneaking into Indian territory to spread bloodshed. But yesterday evening, there was an infiltration of a different kind from across the border. ...

SC moved for CBI inquiry into GPF scandal.
June 23, 2008... Legal Correspondent NEW DELHI, June 22: The GhaziabadBar Association has approached the Supreme Court demanding a CBIinquiry into the Rs7 crore General Provident Fund (GPF)scam, that allegedly took place in the Ghaziabaddistrict court...

Jharkhand alive to jumbos peril.
June 23, 2008... Statesman News Service RANCHI, June 22: If one may put it this way, the elephants of the forests of Jharkhand have some good news at last. The state government has started taking the deaths of elephants due to electrocution seriously. For the...

PF trustees to press for 12 % interest.
June 23, 2008... Statesman News Service NEW DELHI, June 22: In the wake of inflation hitting a new high of around 13 per cent, the demand to raise the interest rates on Provident Fund is getting louder. The Provident Fund trustees are planning to press for...

UP state committees of BJP, Cong start preparing for early polls.
June 23, 2008... Kajari Bhattacharya LUCKNOW, June 22: With an early Lok Sabha election becoming even more likely after Bahujan Samaj Party today withdrew support to the Central government, both the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee and the state committee of...

West Bengal wakes up to sorry state of transportation.
June 23, 2008... Anindita Chowdhury KOLKATA, June 22: Prodded by the chief minister, the West Bengal transport department seems to have taken stock of the sad state of affairs of the ailing state transport corporations (STC) running at overwhelming losses and...

136 recruits desert BSF training centre, probe ordered.
June 23, 2008... JAMMU/PATNA, June 22: A group of 136 recruits of Bihar Military Police have deserted a BSF training centre in Jammu and Kashmir after an instructor allegedly attempted to sexually harass one of them, prompting Bihar government to order a probe....

Uranium issue on table with Australia: Pranab.
June 23, 2008... Press Trust of India CANBERRA, June 22: India today said it will raise the issue of uranium sale with Australia as external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee arrived here today to carry forward the momentum in bilateral ties and ink two key...

Briefs.
June 23, 2008... India, Myanmar pact likely NEW DELHI, June 22: In a bid to strengthen their economic ties, India and Myanmarare likely to sign an investment protection agreement and move towards converting border commerce into normal trade. India would also...

4 LeT ultras die in J&K clashes.
June 23, 2008... SNS & PTI SRINAGAR, June 22: Four Lashkar-e-Toiba(LeT)militants and a CRPFjawanwere killed and three security menwere injured in two separate encounters in Jammuand Kashmir today. Two LeTmilitants and a CRPFjawanwere killed while two...

Jewellery shop owner, employee murdered.
June 23, 2008... KOLKATA,June 22: A 40-year-old jewellery shop owner was hacked to death while one of his employees was stabbed by some unidentified goons inside his shop at PipulpatiRoad Crossing near Chinsurahin Hooghlythis afternoon. The incident, which...

Refund received, interest yet to be paid.
June 23, 2008... In 2007 I had to pay a premium of Rs 10,335 for renewal of a mediclaim policy No 100500/48/07/8500003220 with the National Insurance Company Limited ~ Division V Kolkata (NIC) for a sum of Rs 1 lakh. Whereas for the same policy I paid a...

KMC implements new set of building rules.
June 23, 2008... AbhishekLaw KOLKATA,June 22: Its time for both tenants and owners of dilapidated buildings to enjoy the fruits of re-construction of these structures. The reason being the implementation of a set of new building norms by the Kolkata Municipal...

Still more rains ahead.
June 23, 2008... Statesman News Service KOLKATA June 22: Dont even think about leaving your umbrella home in the next couple of days. After temperatures soared over the weekend, there is a strong possibility of moderate rainfall in parts of Gangetic West...

Gangster from Jharkhand.
June 23, 2008... KOLKATA June 22: A 21-year-old gangster ~ Amit from Jharkhand ~ who was wanted in connection with a case of robbery, was arrested from a hotel in Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road yesterday. A resident of Ranchi, Amit Singh alias Tara Singh, had taken...

6 banks cheated of Rs 5 crore.
June 23, 2008... Rajib Chatterjee KOLKATA, June 22: A 45-year-old city-based entrepreneur, Indrajit Chatterjee, has gone into hiding after allegedly duping six banks of more than Rs 5 crore in the last two years. Police are looking for Chatterjee, who had...

EMpowered Women.
June 23, 2008... With Yves Saint Laurent an era has ended in the fashion world. Susannah Frankel reflects upon his achievements Ten years ago now, I met the famously reclusive designer Yves Saint Laurent. If his unwillingness to step into the media...

in the groove.
June 23, 2008... Viva La Vida Coldplay EMI Popular tracks: Lost and Violet Hill 'This album was fuelled by a desire to move from black and white into colour,' says Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. 'Or, if you like, we decided to let out garden grow a...

In-sync.
June 23, 2008... In unison British singer James Morrison has joined forces with Canadian pop star Nelly Furtado to record a duet for his forthcoming album. The Beautiful World hitmaker met up with Furtado in Toronto to record their new track Broken Strings....

'I am the Best !'.
June 23, 2008... This is the season for blogs. Every Bollywood star worth his white shoes has started a blog ~ except one. Shah Rukh Khan says blogging falls within the realm of journalism. And he cannot be a journalist. Derek Bose spoofs the blog that wasn't ...

Net Result.
June 23, 2008... Here are a few websites that may come in handy... from finding taxi fares in some important cities to encrypting files before sending them over the Internet... www.lettermelater.com: It allows you to send e-mails to anyone you wish, with the...

games people play.
June 23, 2008... Nascar 09 Electronic Arts Inc. has shipped Nascar 09. It features highly adaptable gameplay that fits players of all levels and gives gamers access to the emotion of Nascar more than ever. The game also has in-game customisation tools that...

Dirty secrets exposed.
June 23, 2008... Is it wrong to wash dirty linen in public? Answering questions revolving around relationships, friendship or workplace takes guts... Oops, & oh yes In an episode of The Seinfeld, Kramer came up with the idea to host a show, in his...

in Hind sight: A nation vanishes.
June 23, 2008... Raouf Gangjee Kiribati was the first country to welcome the year 2000. However, Kiribati's citizens may never sip a toast to the year 2100. The whole country could itself be swallowed by the sea and disappear before then. If you have never...

The famous 5.
June 23, 2008... The Mondrian dress (1965) The first of many flirtations with fine art, these brightly coloured, minimally cut, ultra-short dresses, inspired by the late work of Piet Mondrian, again met with rapturous reviews. Later, Saint Laurent went on to...

MAN OF MANY WORDS.
June 23, 2008... Writing Bourdain gained popularity from his 2000 New York Times bestselling book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. In 2001 he followed it up with A Cook's Tour. His articles and essays have appeared in The New York...

TIDBITS.
June 23, 2008... Successful venture Emraan Hashmi's Jannat, acquired and released by Percept Picture Company, smashed the lull in the box office. The company is happy with the way the film was received and looks forward to future collaborations with the...

Nasty BITS.
June 23, 2008... The bad boy of cuisine never fails to entertain and educate with exotic tales of travel. He tells Mathures Paul it's impossible to live a full-time bohemian lifestyle and also be a good chef 'There's usually a moment when we're shooting, most...

Asok urges empowerment of ADM, Siliguri.
June 23, 2008... SILIGURI, June 22: In view of the ongoing indefinite shutdown in the Darjeeling hills which has stopped the functioning of the district collectorate there, the CPI-M has urged the state government to empower the ADM Siliguri to discharge some of...

Born with AIDS, to die of neglect?
June 23, 2008... Statesman News Service MALDA, June 22: An HIV/ AIDS infected couple gave birth to a male child, a month ago, at Sahapur village in Malda. The child is born with AIDS since his parents were infected. The incident has made not only the...

Sikkim CM hints at IT exemption.
June 23, 2008... GANGTOK, June 22: The state chief minister, Mr Pawan Chamling, assured the business community of income tax exemption. However, the people from Sikkim people having proper identification has been exempted from income tax except some...

Gorkhaland: Centre wont intervene.
June 23, 2008... Statesman News Service COOCH BEHAR, June 22: Union minister and state Congress president Mr Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi made it clear that the Centre will not intervene directly on the ongoing Gorkhaland issue. There are Constitutional...

Priya snubs Left.
June 23, 2008... Statesman News Service SLIGURI, June 22: The Union minister Mr Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi lashed out at the CPI-M for lack of development in the entire north Bengal region. He was addressing a campaign meeting for the Congress in Alipurduar in...

briefs.
June 23, 2008... Blood donation COOCH BEHAR, June 22: As a part of their commitment to the society, the state co-ordination committee organised a voluntary blood donation camp in association with MJN Hospital Blood Bank at Karmachari Bhavan in Cooch Behar on...

Madrassas facing crisis of teaching staffs.
June 23, 2008... MALDA, June 22: A total of 26 senior madrassas in six districts of north Bengal are facing acute crisis of its teaching staffs for students. Present teachers of senior Madrassa, deal primary level students, brought the matter to the notice of...

Wild elephant shot again.
June 23, 2008... Statesman News Service SILIGURI, June 22: Yet another Indian wild elephant was killed in Nepal. This time, it's a 40-year old female pachyderm that has succumbed to bullet injuries allegedly inflicted by the Nepal police in the eastern...

A nightingales homecoming.
June 23, 2008... Statesman News Service SILIGURI, June.22: Noted singer Siza Roy believes that to learn music, guidance from an efficient and learned music maestro is necessary to achieve success. The winner of the 1998 International Sa Re Ga Ma Competition,...

DM visits landslide affected areas.
June 23, 2008... Statesman News Service KURSEONG, June 22: Yesterday, the Darjeeling DM, Mr Rajesh Pandey along with the Kurseong SDO Mr Dibyendu Das and the Kurseong municipal officials visited the landslide affected areas in Kurseong. Mr Pandey assured that...

Personnel enrolment begins.
June 23, 2008... Statesman News Service DARJEELING, June 22: The rough weather condition could not deter hundreds of youth on the first day of recruitment for the post of Gorkhaland personnel at Lebong today. Today's recruitment covers the areas of Sadar I,...

GJMM activists raid liquor shops.
June 23, 2008... KURSEONG, June 22: Yesterday, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha activists, raided illegal liquor shops in Kurseong amidst the bandh and seized liquor bottles of various brands which were later destroyed. The GJMM Women Wing Joint Secretary Mrs...

So much for alls well on a front that matters.
June 23, 2008... Patricia Mukhim LAST year, several non-resident North-easterners across the globe formed an association called the Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters. This group has been networking with their compatriots in the region to propel development...

The role of regional councils.
June 23, 2008... RanganDutta A significant feature of the Sixth Schedule, somewhat ignored in discussions, is the provision for the constitution of regional councils by the governor within an autonomous district council to enable a smaller yet distinctive...