Bravo brothers provide foundation for WI win over Pak

Guyana: Half-brothers Darren and Dwayne Bravo provided the foundation for success as West Indies beat Pakistan by 37 runs on Tuesday to win the second one-day international in Guyana and tie the five-match series.

Darren Bravo proved the mainstay of a much improved batting performance for the home team with a top score of 54 with elder sibling Dwayne contributing a vital 43 not out to take West Indies to 232 for eight wickets from the opening 50 overs.

Pakistan were then tied down by an efficient bowling performance, ending well short of the target at the Providence Stadium.

Sunil Narine, who had not taken a wicket in West Indies’ three previous one-day internationals, returned figures of 4-26 as Pakistan were bowled out for 195 in 47.5 overs.

Darren Bravo and wicketkeeper Johnson Charles put together a patient 79-run second wicket stand to steady the innings after talisman Chris Gayle has been caught behind in the first over, seeing off a threatened repeat of the 98 all out West Indies scored in the first ODI on Sunday.

Dwayne Bravo, captaining West Indies, partnered with the heavy hitting Kieron Pollard for a 70-run sixth wicket stand to pick up the scoring rate as Pakistan threatened to restrict the West Indies.
The tally over 200 was always going to be difficult for Pakistan to chase down as the early bounce on the wicket disappeared and it got markedly slower as the day wore on.

Pakistan, who did not hit a scoring shot off their first five overs, needed one of their big hitters to come off but saw wickets tumble regularly without any of their batsman able to settle at the crease.
Opener Nasir Jamshed offered four chances in his innings before departing on 54 and a 50 for Umar Akmal came too late to provoke a dramatic finish.

Shahid Afridi, the swashbuckling hero of Sunday’s win, made just five runs and with his wicket the fate of the tourists was sealed.

The remaining three ODIs will be played at Gros Islet in St Lucia on Friday, Sunday and Wednesday next week.

Reuters

Source: http://to.ly/mr11

Murray beats Djokovic to become first British Wimbledon champion after 77 years

Andy Murray became the first British man in 77 years to win the Wimbledon title, beating Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in Sunday's final.

The last British man to win the Wimbledon title before Sunday was Fred Perry in 1936.

Murray, who lost to Roger Federer in last year's final, won his second major title after last year's U.S. Open.

Murray and Djokovic played each other in a Grand Slam final for third time in the last four majors, with Murray winning the U.S. Open and Djokovic taking this year's Australian Open.

Djokovic, the top-seeded Serb who won the 2011 title at the All England Club, had won the last three matches between the two and still holds an 11-8 head-to-head edge.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/murray-beats-djokovic-first-british-male-wimbledon-champion/1/287379.html

Source: http://to.ly/mk2Q

Flipkart moots easy gateway for online payments

The e-commerce major is getting RBI clearance for prepaid wallet service

e-Commerce retailer Flipkart launched its online payments solution, PayZippy, here earlier this week. Though currently it’s available only to merchants, the consumer-facing product that’s on the anvil will allow customers to save their card details and make easy transactions through their gateway.

But what the Flipkart subsidiary, Flipkart Payment Gateway Services (FPGS) Ltd., has in the pipeline is a prepaid wallet service that allows consumers to shop anywhere on the internet, Mekin Maheswari, Head of Payments and Digital Media, told The Hindu. When asked about government sanctions for setting up such a service, he said that they were in the process of “obtaining requisite clearances from authorities.” More specifically, it is getting clearance from the regulatory authority, Reserve Bank of India.

“We need permissions and clearances to be able to be issuers or prepaid balance. However, these clearances are not needed for what the current service is offering,” Mr. Maheswari added.

Currently, the service only offers a platform where you can save your card details, so you can use the interface to be able to make online payments, without having to go through the entire process of entering your details. The gateway has a process of authenticating you, after you enter your user name and password, making the entire payment process simpler, he added. He added that there are plans to “add more funding instruments to the service”, though he refused to divulge more details on it.

Flyte, Flipkart’s music service that shut down recently, had a closed wallet service which was used to make payments on the service.

The prepaid wallet service for online transactions is not yet available for consumers. The launch version of PayZippy powers card payments for domestic merchant websites and mobile sites, a release stated.

What it offers is higher optimisation and security at the payment level, and Flipkart sources say the product is very scalable. Sachin Bansal, co-founder and CEO, Flipkart.com said that their products Marketplace and PayZippy have the potential of changing the payments ecosystem. “It’s an exciting beginning.”

The customer-facing product that’s on the anvil will allow consumers to make online payments across services and merchants. The company claims it will partner with about 2,000 merchants by March 2014.

They can save their card details in their PayZippy account, and then use this for transactions on merchant websites without having to type or share sensitive card details. Flipkart says this will minimise errors and transaction duration.

Online payments are yet to reach the level of seamlessness seen in other markets. According to industry estimates, about two crore online card transactions are made in India. 

Source: http://to.ly/mk2I

How I made it to Harvard

Dhruva Bhat, a commerce student from P.S. Senior Secondary School, Mylapore, who completed his schooling earlier this year, has secured admission for undergraduate studies at Harvard University, where he plans to major in economics or political science. Here, he shares his thoughts with Dipak Ragav on how he went about with the admission process.

Tell us about the admission process in terms of the qualification tests?

Admission to U.S. universities is holistic, and admission officers review all the information you provide them before making a decision. Unlike in Indian universities, marks on a single exam do not decide admission. The pre-requisites are:

Standardised test scores from either the SAT or the ACT. The prep books available for these tests at the US-India Education Foundation (USIEF) seems good.

Most colleges in the U.S. expect scores from at least two SAT subject tests. These are exams that test in-depth knowledge of specific subjects. You can pick from a list of subjects like physics, chemistry, math, English literature, world history and foreign languages.

In addition to this, some colleges require TOEFL to ensure that you posses sufficient English skill. However, a good SAT score will waive this requirement, so check the college's website. You are recommended to take AP or Advanced Placement Exams. You can also send additional material such as an arts supplement, research done, a resume or an extra recommendation letter.

When can one start preparing for admissions, how much time is required?

For most colleges in the U.S., the deadlines are in December. I started putting together my material and preparing for standardised tests right after Class XI, and before Class XII started. I would recommend starting earlier.

Students need not worry about SAT score. Anything above 2200/2400 is considered a competitive score, even for the Ivy League universities there. About a month of serious preparation is sufficient. Taking as many mock tests as possible is best for students.

How did you prepare?

I first acquainted myself with the format of the test and the different sections, and then tried to do one practice test a day from the prep books till the test date. I finally wrote my SATs in June. I understood the basic process of applying in the meantime.

I then spent the next couple of months researching the colleges that I would apply to, as well as looking at the CommonApp and its essay requirements. In October and November, I took my SAT Subject Tests.

The most important thing I had to do during this period was writing the essays that were to be 

submitted along with college applications, and filling in the CommonApp.

I started applying by the regular deadline, which was first week of January for most colleges. I would suggest that students start doing their essays ahead of time, because they play a large role in the admissions process and need a lot of preparation. It is better to apply for standardised tests such as the SATs early, because test centres fill up quickly and it's very inconvenient to travel to a different city in the middle of the application process and 12th grade.

Your tips for students in choosing the right university?

Brand name and prestige are certainly not everything. If you are willing to do a little bit of research, there are many community colleges, liberal arts colleges and public universities that provide great value for money and excellent undergraduate education. Make sure your college has the programme that you want to pursue, as well as extra-curricular activities that you are passionate about.

Is an essay submission necessary along with application?

Students are expected to write an essay and it is based on this that the admission officers assess the candidate — personality, talents and passions. Work on these essays meticulously and avoid last minute preparations. For essays that want to know why you wish to study at a particular university, details help — read through the college websites and figure out specific, distinct reasons that substantiate that you are applying because you know about the college and think it fits you well.

Scholarships and funding. How do you go about it?

Many colleges in the U.S. provide need-based financial aid for all students who are admitted, including international applicants. However, most colleges do take requests for financial aid into consideration while making admissions decisions, except for a few need-blind institutions such as MIT, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth and Amherst. In addition, merit-based scholarships are provided by a lot of colleges as well as other organisations. 

Source: http://to.ly/m7qD

Kozhikode monorail work from January

Two-stage tender process to be done by general consultant DMRC

Minister for Industries and IT P.K. Kunhalikutty inaugurated the project office of Kerala Monorail Corporation Ltd. (KMCL) at Civil Station here on Saturday. KMCL, chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, is the special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up to execute the Rs.5,581-crore monorail project in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.

Minister for Public Works and KMCL Vice Chairman V.K. Ebrahim Kunju told reporters at the function that global tenders had been floated for the project in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. The tenders would be finalised by December. The first phase construction for Kozhikode would begin in January 2014 and completed in 3 years, he added.

The corporation had given the green signal for floating tenders during the last week of June.

The tenders would be floated treating the two projects as one. A combined distance of 36.4 km would be covered during the first phase. The two-stage tender process was being taken up by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the general consultant for the projects.

The process included request for qualification (RFQ) and request for proposal (RFP). The tenders were being floated to select companies to design the monorail project and set it up in the two cities, operate and maintain it five years, and to mobilise funds.

Apart from the construction work on the monorail, those selected would have to supply rolling stock, build signal and telecommunication facility, and construct stations and depots.

The first phase of the monorail in Kozhikode would cover 14.2 km from the Government Medical College to Meenchantha, with 15 stations.

Much land acquisition was not needed in the first phase. The corporation would have to deal with strong protests, from local people and merchants, during the second phase of the project, Mr. Kunju said.

The second phase of the project would be from Meenchantha to Ramanattukara. Minister for Social Welfare M.K. Muneer and M.K. Raghavan, MP, were present at the function. 

Source: http://to.ly/mjQI

Live in a flat? Pay more for water - Bangalore

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has revised water and sanitation charges for bulk consumers, including residents of apartment complexes, villas and government housing complexes.

The water tariff has been revised from Rs. 6 per kilo litre (for up to 8,000 litres) to a flat rate of Rs. 19 per kilo litre.

Sanitation charges have been increased by 20 per cent of the water bill or a minimum of Rs. 100 per flat. The earlier rate was 20 per cent of the bill or Rs. 15 per flat, whichever was lower.

The new rates will be applicable from July (for June’s consumption billed in July), according to a circular issued by the board.

BWSSB Engineer-in-Chief T. Venkataraju told The Hindu that the board earlier followed the slab system for all consumers, including the 11,000 apartment complexes in the city. Under this system, consumers were charged a minimum of Rs. 6 per kilo litre (for consuming up to 8,000 litres) to a maximum of Rs. 36 (for consuming more than 50,000 litres).

A BWSSB statement on Saturday said, “Water will be billed at a flat rate of Rs. 19 for thousand litres on a volumetric basis… Although the water board will spend Rs. 32 to supply a kilo litre, apartment consumers will be billed at Rs. 19 only.”

The hike affects two per cent of BWSSB connections, the statement added.

Source: http://to.ly/mjQG

Foot soldiers of the food industry in Chennai

In Chennai neighbourhoods, dabbawalas occupy the fringes. But with new self-contained localities springing up, the demand for their services is likely to go up, says Liffy Thomas

For a majority of working people, lunch means packed food from home. And for a small number of them, it is food picked up from home – or food made and packed in a home-like environment – and delivered piping hot, for a fee. Welcome to the world of dabbawalas, by no means new but endlessly appealing.

With newer localities springing up with the promise of jobs, Chennai will see more dabbawalas in the future. But at present, the city has a dabbawala culture that pales next to the ones prevailing in most other metropolises in Chennai. For instance, Chennai’s small army of dabbawalas are no match for the legion of dabbawallas in Mumbai, where incredible numbers of lunch boxes are picked up and delivered daily to students, professionals and also at homes for people who can’t cook for themselves for a variety of reasons. But, going by the steadily rising numbers of dabbawala services, Chennai should eventually get there.

For the Rajappas, who live at Lloyd’s Road, Royapettah, brunch comes knocking on their door at 10.30 a.m. A delivery boy from Visalakshi Catering Service in Mandaveli brings them fresh and hot home-made food. It is a new menu every day. “We find this service extremely helpful because my wife does not have to slog in the kitchen and I do not have to wait to get parcelled food from restaurants,” says 76-year-old K.C. Rajappa, who has availed this service for the last 10 years.

In the last 15 years, Visalakshi Catering Service has gathered customers in Mylapore, Alwarpet, Royapettah and Adyar, testifying to the growing profile of the dabbawala in Chennai. “We do about 60 deliveries a day, barring weekends. Sambar, rasam, poriyal and kootu is what we generally serve,” says R. Krishnamurthy, who runs the service.

One interesting aspect of dabbawala services is their flexibility. They take on different forms, depending on the groups they are meant to serve.

In North Chennai, it is easy to find dabbawala service in its traditional form: men and women going from house to house and collecting home-cooked and delivering them hot to offices and schools by auto-rickshaws or cycle rickshaws. In Vepery, a group of such dabbawalas has been catering to generations of students from Agarwal Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School.

Renuka, Swarna, Meena, Latha and Kanchana make up this team which can be seen carrying tiffin boxes and waiting outside the school gate, minutes before before the gong goes off to announce the lunch hour. “When we started the service decades ago, we earned Rs. 20 a day. Now, we make Rs. 200,” says Kanchana, the oldest in the group. Each of the women picks ten to twenty lunch boxes from various areas of Sowcarpet and ferry them on autorickshaws. The women do the best they can, are prompt and seldom absent themselves, but are unhappy about the small earnings at the end of the day. “After paying for the autorickshaw rides – Rs.100 to ferry us up and down – we take home just Rs.3,000,” says Renuka.

Keeping in with the times, dabbawala services in the city are going online.

Anju Mirpuri, a resident of Anna Nagar, is launching Mama Ke Dabba on July 15, but the dabbawala service, which will cater to Kilpauk, Anna Nagar and Nungambakkam, already has a Facebook presence. “That’s the only platform I advertised on,” she says, adding that she is happy with the response.

Online portals is the new face of dabbawala services and it is a face that is beginning to look attractive to more number of people. Dinein.in, for instance, started with deliveries in and around Nungambakkam and, today, by virtue of increasing Internet penetration, also reaches out to customers in Besant Nagar, Adyar and Kilpauk. 

Source: http://to.ly/mjN8

Reliance Communications to demerge realty business: full statement

Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications announced on Sunday, July 7 that it will hive off its real estate business into a separately listed unit, Reliance Properties, to focus on its core wireless and enterprise business.

Here's full statement by RCom released late on Sunday:

Reliance Communications (RCOM) today announced that its Board of Directors has in-principle decided on a demerger of the real estate held by RCOM into a separate unit, Reliance Properties Ltd., to unlock substantial value for the benefit of its approx. 2 million institutional and retail shareholders.

The proposed separation of real estate into a separate unit is part of RCOM's strategic plan to divest non-core assets, and focus on its core wireless and enterprise business.

Reliance Properties Ltd. will be a separate listed Company. All shareholders of RCOM will receive fully tradeable pro-rata shareholding in Reliance Properties Ltd., free of cost, based on their existing shareholding in RCom.
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The preliminary and indicative monetisable value of RCom's real estate on development is estimated by independent valuers at over Rs. 12,000 crore ($2 billion), which is equal to Rs. 60 ($1) per RCOM share.

Registered Office: H Block, 1st Floor, Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City, Navi Mumbai 400 710.

Reliance Properties will work with leading global partners to develop the real estate, and unlock this value for the benefit of its approx. 2 million shareholders.

The properties proposed to be developed by Reliance Properties include inter alia:

1. Prime land at Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City, Navi Mumbai measuring nearly 135 acres, with saleable area of over 15 million sq. ft.

2. Prime property near Connaught Place, New Delhi measuring nearly 4 acres.

The Board has constituted a Committee to consider the matter in detail, and prepare the necessary Demerger Scheme, etc. in consultation with legal and other advisors. The Demerger will be subject to approvals from shareholders, lenders, Courts, etc.
Source:  http://to.ly/mjN4

Sri Lanka Tamil party meets today to decide on Chief Minister candidate for Northern PC

July 06, Colombo: Sri Lanka's major Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will meet today to decide the Chief Minister candidate for the Northern Provincial Council.

Former TNA MP M.K. Sivajilingam said that the matter would be taken up by a committee comprising the representatives of all five political parties of the Alliance.

Sivajilingam further said that a 15- member coordinating committee would take up the issue next week in case a decision could not be taken today.

The TNA committee will also take up the issues of selection of candidates, finance and other matters at today's meeting.

The President Friday signed the gazette notification to hold elections to the Northern Provincial Council and the election for the PC is scheduled to be held in September.
Source: http://to.ly/mjJv

Will India review the decision to four subsidy cuts?

K5 being welcomed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
during a meeting in New Delhi in 2009

Not just the K5, his interim government and bureaucrats are stunned by India’s recent decision to four subsidy cuts, but all citizens at present want the Government of India (GoI) to promptly answer: will your Ministry of Foreign Affairs review its decision?

Last week, the India ministry decided to withdraw four major subsidies on cooking gas, kerosene, Chukha power tariff, and excise duty refund creating a huge economic crisis in Bhutan.

The Indian ministry took such a “serious” decision a few days after powerful media outlets reported “suspicious” operations of Chinese PLAs military camps inside Bhutan.

Immediate impacts of the India’s revenge to the GNH nation as regards to Bhutan’s questionable flexibility towards the Chinese intrusion, which has doubtlessly annoyed the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government, are further worsening of economic crisis, and mushrooming of anti-India sentiments.

The subsidy withdraw of LPG and kerosene has been estimated to cause a loss of Nu 579.5 million to Bhutan. The loss from subsidy cut to Chukha power tariff would be almost double of the loss due to cuts in LPG and kerosene subsidy.

Though the head of the interim government, Sonam Tobgay, has sought immediate appointment with Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid for discussion on new scenario, it looks that a prompt response towards the Bhutanese call is unlikely considering Khurshid’s scheduled abroad visits and the second general elections of July 13 in Bhutan.

Source: http://to.ly/mjJo

65 percent of smartphone users shop with their devices: study

Mumbai: An online study among smartphone users has found that 65 percent of them use their phones to make a retail purchase, and 81 percent of them frequently use social media to seek advice before making a purchase.

As many as 78 percent of smartphone users also frequently use their phones in a store to compare products, says a study conducted among 400 smartphone and social media users in the country.
The study, carried out by First Data Corp-ICICI Merchant Services, was carried out in 10 countries including India in April among 4,000 people. It further finds that almost four-fifths of smartphone users have at least one retailer app on their phone.

Given the unique proliferation of mobile phones in the country, an increasingly large number of Indians are turning to mobile phones as their first daily touch point to the internet, Nitish Asthana, executive director at First Data Corp, told PTI. First Data is a global technology and payments processing leader.
In a lot of cases, the number of users of mobile devices is growing faster than web traffic. For an e-commerce company to keep pace with market trends, the mobile phone has become an important conduit, he said.

Noting that consumers here are going through a fundamental shift in their primary channel of Internet access, he said this channel is increasingly becoming the smartphones.

The study also finds that despite security concerns, online banking is on the rise in the country with more and more consumers asking for online banking services.

This is clear from the fact that over half the respondents feel that online debit card and credit card purchases are secure (56 and 51 percent, respectively), while 49 percent feel that using their mobiles to make a payment at a store is also secure.
Though 66 percent feel that protecting their personal information and privacy is a growing concern, over 55 percent are willing to share their interests with retailers to receive customised offers and deals.

According to the study, almost three-quarters of respondents expect their banks to provide online banking services and 66 percent expect a mobile phone app from their bank and nearly 68 percent of smartphone users have downloaded their bank’s app onto their phones.

PTI

Source: http://to.ly/mjJa

ISRO gears up for ambitious ‘Mars Orbiter Mission’ in Oct-Nov

Bangalore: Preparations are afoot for the upcoming “big-bang” Mars Orbiter Mission in October-November, an ambitious venture that would shed light on the possible existence of life on the planet besides boosting space agency ISRO’s brand equity.

The satellite, which would be launched on board Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL), will carry compact science experiments, a total mass of 15 kg, according to ISRO officials. There will be five instruments to study Martian surface, atmosphere and mineralogy.

Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP) is aimed at studying the escape processes of Mars upper atmosphere through Deuterium/Hydrogen, Methane Sensor for MARS (MSM) would look to detect presence of Methane while Martian Exospheric Composition Explorer (MENCA) would study the neutral composition of the Martian upper atmosphere.

MARS Colour Camera (MCC) would undertake optical imaging and TIR imaging spectrometer (TIS) is targetted to map surface composition and mineralogy.
“Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) spacecraft integration is under progress”, an ISRO official told PTI here today. “The spacecraft has to undergo qualification tests for proving space worthiness once the integration is completed.”

The mission would help ISRO understand the technological challenges of such an exploration, the possible existence of life and future colonisation of Mars, which is the nearest planet which has most resemblance to earth. This would be India’s first mission to a distant planet.

ISRO will launch the mission in October-November. “If launched within the launch window (October 21-November 19, 2013), the spacecraft will travel for least distance to reach Mars”, the official said.
This is the immediate next available opportunity for such a mission as Earth and Mars would be coming closer then.The PSLV-XL (PSLV-C25) will inject the spacecraft from the spaceport of Sriharikota in the 250 X 23000 km orbit.
After leaving earth orbit in November, MOM spacecraft will cruise in deep space for 10 months using its own propulsion system and will reach Mars (Martian transfer trajectory) in September 2014.
The 1350 kg spacecraft subsequently is planned to enter into a 372 km by 80,000 km elliptical orbit around Mars. “The primary objective of this challenging mission is to establish the Indian technological capabilities to reach the orbit of Mars”, says ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan, also Secretary in the Department of Space. “A number of technological challenges need to be negotiated for a successful Mars mission”.

Critical mission operations and stringent requirements on propulsion, communications and other bus systems of the spacecraft are sure to keep the Bangalore-headquarterd ISRO on tenterhooks.
“One of the technological challenges is to realise related deep space mission planning and communication management at a distance of nearly 400 million km”, an ISRO official said.

The spacecraft has been provided with augmented radiation shielding for its prolonged exposure in the Van Allen belt. Due to the long range of the order of 55-400 million km from Earth to Mars, there is a communication delay of 20 minutes one way itself. For this reason, ISRO has built high level of onboard autonomy within Mars orbiter. For Chandrayaan-1, ISRO had to deal with only four lakh kms.

The robustness and reliability of propulsion system is “one order higher” as after leaving the orbit of Earth the system would require to work after almost 300 days. And during this voyage, the system needs to maintain complete integrity so as to capture the Martian orbit.

Capture of the Mars orbit or the Martian insertion is the critical event that would determine the success of this mission, ISRO officials say.

Besides the Mars Orbiter, ISRO has also planned a series of launches of various satellites both from the country and Kourou, French Guiana, during the current financial year.

India’s communication satellite INSAT-3D is slated to be launch onboard Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana by the end of this month while the European spaceport would also launch the GSAT-7 during the year.
GSAT-14 would be launched on board GSLV on 6 August to be followed by SPOT-7, earth observation satellite, which would be put in space by a PSLV in December this year, ISRO has said.
The Indian space agency also planned to undertake GSLV Mark III experimental mission in January next year and launch the country’s second navigation satellite IRNSS-1D in March.

IRNSS-1A, the first in the series of seven navigation satellites under the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), was launched onboard PSLV C22 from Sriharikota on 2 July.

PTI
Source: http://to.ly/mjIX

When you can't produce a baby, design it! Over 500 babies born each month in Delhi fertility clinics

When you can't produce a baby, design it. This seems to be the latest mantra of a number of couples in Delhi who are making babies in clinics with the aid of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) technology. According to an estimate, over 500 children are born in IVF clinics in the Capital every month.

Blame it on erratic lifestyle, hectic schedule, performance anxiety or stress taking a toll on fertility, Delhiites are making a beeline for IVF clinics and returning home with designer babies, at times created with chosen sperms.

This rush for technology-assisted pregnancy has led to a sudden spurt in the number of IVF clinics across the Capital. Although the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) puts the figure at a meagre 125, based on the applications of clinics received for the National Registry of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), officials believe the number to be anywhere between 250 and 300.
"We have identified over 125 clinics in Delhi. However, we believe the number is much more. We are in the process of screening them. Those found satisfactory in terms of expertise, infrastructure and facilities would be given registration by the ICMR, while those which don't qualify for the registration would be asked to shut shop," said Dr R.S. Sharma, deputy director general, Division of Reproductive Health and Nutrition, ICMR.
Registration

Delhi is only marginally behind Maharashtra in the number of clinics going for ICMR registration. After the home ministry made it mandatory for all IVF clinics to be registered with the national registry of ART in 2012, there has been a sudden surge in the applications by clinics specialising in birth of IVF babies. ICMR has received over 1,500 applications so far.

In short, there has been a proliferation of IVF clinics in the city. As people turn to IVF, these clinics have excellent business opportunities as well. "The number of IVF clinics is swelling because it is a propagating business. Infertility is increasing in Indian men and women because of stress, late marriage, age factor, etc. Women are becoming career-oriented, putting family plans on hold. Child bearing capacity decreases with age," said Dr Suneeta Mittal, former head of the department of gynaecology, obstetrics and IVF centre at AIIMS. Dr Mittal is currently the director of department of gynaecology and obstetrics, Fortis Hospital, Gurgaon.

Profit margin

"Not every infertile couple needs IVF. They can also be treated with medicines and other methods," said Dr Mittal.

Health experts associate the spurt in IVF clinics in Delhi with its profit margin. "Gynaecologists nowadays believe that the normal practice is not as lucrative and glamorous as IVF. So, they want to enter the field which yields good money and fame. However, several IVF clinics are befooling innocent patients and running without expert doctors," said Dr Anoop Gupta, medical director, Delhi IVF Research Centre, one of the oldest IVF clinics in the city.

"Another reason for mushrooming of IVF centres is the changing trend in society. Many men and women want a child born out of wedlock, which leads them to IVF clinics. We are also getting married fertile couples who want to have a baby through surrogates because they don't want to put their careers on stake. We counsel them to have the baby naturally," said Dr Gupta.
Interestingly, IVF is also becoming a treatment for people suffering from psychiatric disorders. "We get a category of patients who suffer from psycho-sexual problems and want to save their marriage with an IVF baby," said Dr Sameer Malhotra, head of department of mental health and behavioural sciences, Max Hospital.

A number of IVF clinics have focused their attention on foreign nationals. "Many foreign nationals look at India for IVF procedure as the laws here are not that stringent and the expertise in the field is widely acclaimed," said Dr Sharma. The ICMR had launched the ART project to keep a check on the mushrooming infertility clinics as the government does not have any authentic data on the number of such centres in India.
Source: http://to.ly/mjET

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/babies-born-fertility-clinics-in-vitro-fertilisation-ivf-technology/1/287282.html

Marion Bartoli thrashes Sabine Lisicki to win Wimbledon title

One of the strangest Wimbledons produced one of its quirkiest champions in Marion Bartoli, the winner of a final that had the overwhelmed runner-up in near tears during the match.

Bartoli, whose power game bothered Sabine Lisicki as much as any of her notable eccentricities, won 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday to capture her first Grand Slam title in her 47th appearance at a major.

"I dreamed about this moment for so long," Bartoli said during her on-court interview.

She addressed Lisicki, who was shaking and in tears.

"I was there in 2007 and I missed it," said Bartoli, the runner-up to Venus Williams that year. "I know how it feels, Sabine, and I'm sure you will be there one more time. I have no doubt about it."

Indeed, the 15th-seeded Bartoli played the part of the experienced veteran. After losing serve with a pair of double-faults in the first game, she ticked off 11 of the next 12.

The 23rd-seeded Lisicki was trailing 5-1, 15-40 in the second set, then came up with a rally from out of nowhere - unexpected considering she was almost weeping on the court minutes earlier.

"I was just overwhelmed by the whole situation, but credit to Marion," Lisicki said. "She's been in this situation before and handled it well."

Lisicki saved three match points and pulled within 5-4.

But after a tense changeover, Bartoli served the game out at love, dropping to her knees after hitting an ace on match point, then climbing up the wall into the players box to celebrate with 2006 Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo - the last Frenchwoman to win a Grand Slam title - and her friends and family.

"Maybe a backhand winner but just not an ace," Bartoli said when asked how she imagined she might close out her first Wimbledon title. "I've been practicing my serve for so long. At least I saved it for the best moment."

This was Bartoli's first tournament title of any sort since 2011 and, at 28 years, 9 months, she became the fifth-oldest first-time Grand Slam winner in the Open era.

She's awkward - with a jumping, twitching, fidgeting routine before each point, a service motion that includes no bouncing of the ball and a windup that begins with crossed wrists before she uncoils by arching her back, stretching her unbent arm behind her head, then tossing the ball.

She hits two-handed groundstrokes from each side, pumps her fist after almost every point.

Whatever it is, it works. She punished those groundstrokes, had no problem with Lisicki's serve, which reached as high as 115 mph, and undercut the notion that only Serena Williams can play the power game in women's tennis.

It was Lisicki who knocked Williams out of this tournament in the fourth round, and had the big serve and big groundstrokes to keep going to her first career Grand Slam final.

Under the bright sunshine and the glare of Centre Court, however, she lost complete control of her serve, her game and her emotions.

After hitting her second serve into the bottom of the net while serving down 3-1 in the second set, Lisicki could be seen stifling tears as the pressure of her first Grand Slam final caught up with her.

She did the same during the changeover, gesturing at her coaches before briefly draping a towel over her head.

Only then did she gather a bit of composure, staving off the three match points and briefly making a match of it.

Despite the loss, she'll make about $1.2 million - not bad for a player with career earnings of $2.8 million to this point.

Bartoli gets a $2.4 million winner's share and caps off a lifelong quest.

"Maybe all the candles I've burned have helped me," she said. "It's been my dream since I was 6 years old."

Source: http://to.ly/mjER

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/marion-bartoli-wins-wimbledon-aginst-sabine-lisicki-india-today/1/287261.html

As Narendra Modi prepares Bihar speech, ex-BJP minister joins JD-U

Former BJP minister Ramji Das Rishideo on Saturday joined Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) in the presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, party leaders said.

It is the first time a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader has joined the JD-U in Bihar after Nitish Kumar dumped the party last month.

Rishideo was a minister in the first BJP-JD-U government led by Nitish Kumar. "I joined the JD-U to work for development of Bihar," he said.

Some JD-U leaders have claimed that more than a dozen BJP leaders are in touch with the JD-U and they will soon join the party.

Modi will address Bihar's top BJP workers using teleconferencing on Saturday.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/narendra-modi-bihar-ex-bjp-minister-ramji-das-rishideo-joins-jd-u/1/287230.html

5 things to watch out for in a home agreement

You may have gotten a home loan approved after zeroing down on a house you want to buy, thinking half the work is done and hoping for smooth processing here on. Think again, because once you complete these formalities, you will have to protect your dream from the legal traps your builder might throw your way.
There are a few very important points to consider when you are about to enter into an agreement with a developer.

Here we will take a look at 5 such points you need to remember and also various measures you can take against them.

Actual price of the house

A home agreement details various costs that you will need to bear for buying the house. This would include the cost for utilities like electricity, water, parking space, many kinds of taxes, and in some cases even registration charges. However, the builder may then levy extra charges for any of these.

Tips

• Check the agreement thoroughly for all applicable charges.
• If possible, get the agreement checked by a lawyer for hidden charges and get the anomalies (if found) rectified by your builder.
• If a builder charges extra for altering the original plan, you can always ask for the sanction letter provided by government authorities for such changes.

Actual size of the house

Your agreement would clearly mention the size of the house you are purchasing. However, there would be a clause stating "plans, designs, specifications are tentative and the developer reserves the right to make variations and modifications". Therefore, you may agree for a certain size but the builder can give a different size.

Tips

• Before going ahead with a builder of your choice, do some research about the builder's past projects.
• If possible, talk with other buyers (who have already gotten possession) about problems faced by them.
• Try and include a clause in the agreement stating the minimum and maximum size beyond which the builder cannot increase or decrease.

Carpet area

The area of an apartment or building excluding the area of walls is known as carpet area. This is the area in which literally a 'carpet' can be laid in your house. When the area of walls, including the balcony, is calculated along with the carpet area, it is known as built-up area. The built-up area along with the area under common spaces like lobby, lifts, stairs, garden and swimming pool is called super built-up area.

Carpet area can be 15-30 per cent less than super built-up area. However, you will not come to know the exact size until the constructions have been completed.

Tips

• Purchase a property based on its carpet area.
• Ensure that this area is mentioned in the agreement.
• Try to get a clause included which will ensure that the contract can be terminated if the builder provides a house with the carpet area lesser than what is mentioned in the contract.

Date of possession

The agreement normally mentions a tentative date of possession. However, there have been instances where builders have delayed possession by more than a year.

Tips

• Check the progress of the construction from time to time personally.
• On finding that the progress is slow and the construction is not going to finish by the date of possession, you can always pressure on your builder.
• Forming a society with other buyers sometimes helps a lot in getting things to speed up at the builder's end.

Completion certificate

On handing over the house to you, the builder also needs to provide you with a completion certificate. This is issued by municipal authorities that establish the building complies with its approved plan. You would need this certificate for the registration of your house and other government formalities.

Tips

• If the agreement does not mention the certificate, ensure that the agreement has a clause which states that the builder will provide the certificate while handling over the house to you.
• If your builder delays a lot, putting pressure on the builder along with buyers like you is a good idea.

Besides, there are a few more points - such as the quality of the construction, management of the society - which one should clarify before entering an agreement with a builder. For this, you can try to add clauses to the agreement or form a society to get the builder to meet your demands. Since there is no industry regulator you can turn to any issues you may face during the course of buying your home, it is important that you are aware of what you want and what you are getting.

Disclaimer: BankBazaar.com is an online loan marketplace. All information in this article has been provided by BankBazaar.com and NDTV Profit is not responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the same.
Source: http://profit.ndtv.com/news/your-money/article-5-things-to-watch-out-for-in-a-home-agreement-324145

Online real estate business likely to grow: experts

Mumbai: With a rising number of property portals entering the market, the online real estate business is expected to improve gradually as these websites bring transparency by providing high quality information about projects, according to industry experts.

Property portals are increasingly becoming a tool for research on buying, selling and leasing residential or commercial properties in many parts of the country, as the amount of information listed on these sites is increasing.
"By increasing the quality and quantity of information available to end-users, we attempt to bring in greater transparency to the entire gamut of buying/selling properties. It is our constant endeavour to increase the amount of information listed about a particular property and to avoid spam or incorrect listings," Magicbricks.com business head Sudhir Pai told PTI.

According to experts tracking the realty sector, sites such as Magicbricks.com, 99acres.com, Makaan.com, IndiaProperty.com and CommonFloor.com are fast becoming the choice of consumers looking for renting a property, as well as for developers.

"The online real estate market is yet to reach an inflection point as seen in the travel or e-commerce sector. However, with the penetration of internet more and more consumers in the urban areas have started using this medium as the first point of search for all their real estate needs," HomeShikari.com chief executive P Sunder said.

Currently, the size of the property portal market is around Rs. 250 crore going by the topline of some of the listed portals in the country.

This market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50-100 per cent in the coming years, mainly on the back of increased focus on this medium of communication by buyers as well as developers. This model also helps decision-making faster for buyers.
"The internet and consequently the evolution of e-mail, the company website and the onset of property portals has transformed communication between the developer and potential customer radically and for the better," Poddar Developers managing director Rohit Poddar said.

It has led to the democratisation of information in the real estate space and evolved as a significant communication tool with the customer. Besides, it is highly cost-effective," Mr Poddar added.

However, Devang Varma, director of Omkar Realtors and Developers, said that though such portals bring transparency, they work best for small ticket transactions only.

"Marketing property through web platform helps in reaching out to a large size of consumers who are keen on instant product information," My Varma said.

"Internet has evolved as one of the crucial platforms in sharing information to clients. For engaging your audiences, it is an extremely transparent channel. But these work best in low size transactions between Rs. 10 lakh an Rs. 80 lakh," he said.

In the relatively high ticket size property, this channel becomes rather ineffective, Mr Varma maintained.
Source: http://profit.ndtv.com/news/industries/article-online-real-estate-business-likely-to-grow-experts-324162

This child serial actor has stars in her eyes

A little girl with shy eyes and a charming smile, Harshhitha is excited about turning eight this September. She is very cute, but then so are a lot of other children. What makes her extraordinary? Well, for starters, she is barely seven and has already acted in four Kannada serials, with talks on to even cast her in a film. She has acted in serials such as Manedevru, Atmakathe, Crime Files and Panchamaveda.

She began acting at five, and the very mention of acting lights up her jet-black eyes. “Acting is a lot of fun,” she says. She got her break on television in Manedevru that was telecast on Udaya TVand it remains her favourite till date. Her performances were highly appreciated by the audiences as well as her director, she proudly recounts. She has not forgotten her first stepping stone, even as she has progressed to other serials. When asked if she remembered any of her old dialogues, she shyly replied, “I remember all from Manedevru.”

Harshhitha is currently working in Panchamaveda. She usually goes to the set after school hours and the shooting often goes on till about midnight. But the hardworking little girl is not complaining. “I love being the youngest one on the set... I am pampered by everyone,” she grins.

She is the first in her family to take to acting and here parents are proud of her. Her mother, Usha, took her to her first audition and both of them haven’t looked back ever since. “I was very scared for her first audition. But she acted effortlessly and bagged the role,” she recalls.

“We allow her to choose what she wants to do. We cannot promise her a lot of resources but she certainly has our support and encouragement,” says her father, Umesh G.C., a head constable. She has not received any formal training for acting yet but her parents, gauging her interest, are planning to send her to an acting school soon.

What has changed in their lives since Harshhitha started acting? Her mother responds: “My daughter is still the same. The only difference is that now people recognise her on the streets or in the shops.”

The little girl is fond of a number of other things out of which Maggi and ice-cream top her list. She loves the world of science, not for its wonders but for its diagrams. She loves drawing too.

Does she want to become an artist or scientist if acting doesn’t work out? She shakes her head. As much she likes science and drawing, acting is where her heart and soul lie. The world of “lights, camera, action” is where she wants to be.

Her favourite actors are Darshan and Shah Rukh Khan, and she dreams of working with them someday. My, she has certainly got ‘stars in her eyes’. 

Source: http://to.ly/mgRM

Over 6,600 educated women given ‘gold for making thali’

Social Welfare Minister P. Valarmathi launching the free gold scheme for women for the current fiscal on Friday. Photo: Special Arrangement

Gold weighing 26.460 kg was disbursed to beneficiaries under the State government’s 4 gm gold scheme for educated women on marriage, here in the district. Cash disbursements of Rs. 33.66 crore were made under the scheme. Over 6,615 women had benefited from the free gold scheme in the last fiscal here.

Launching the free gold scheme for educated, poor women on marriage, Minister for Social Welfare P. Valarmathi said the scheme was conceived to encourage families to educate their girls and increase their self-worth. The scheme had made tangible difference to the lives of poor women and has given them a sense of dignity, the Minister said. 

The current fiscal envisages a targeted 2,049 beneficiaries to benefit under the scheme. This would entail 8.196 kg gold and Rs. 8.78 crore disbursements under the scheme. 

According to the Minister for Fisheries K.A. Jayapal, families had been encouraged to educate their girls and at the same time ensure some form of asset for women at the time of marriage. 

The event witnessed disbursements of fixed deposit cheques on their maturity to children orphaned by tsunami. 

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Source:  http://to.ly/mgRD

‘AMMA helps public access administration’

The AMMA scheme has taken the Revenue Department closer to the public, especially the rural populace, who are now getting the required certifications expeditiously and easily, said Revenue Minister Thoppu N.D. Venkatachalam.

Participating at a special AMMA scheme camp here on Friday, Mr. Venkatachalam pointed out that sections of society had always felt difficult getting the much-needed Revenue Department certifications as the government machinery required its own time to deliver them to the applicants. 

The trouble for the unlettered and the semi-literate people in the rural areas, who were always vulnerable to government procedures, was far greater than those in the urban sectors.

Seeking to do away with delays and difficulties, the State government devised the scheme that aimed at ensuring maximum benefits to rural populace expeditiously. Since its implementation, the AMMA Scheme had been a hit with the applicants and the public had come to appreciate speedy disposal of applications by the Revenue Department, he said.

Noting that the department was the fulcrum of governance and held the key to development in almost all spheres, farmers especially were dependant on the numerous certifications issued by the department regarding pattern of land holdings.

Mr. Venkatachalam said the scheme had done away with the perceived glass walls separating the administrations and the public in more ways than one.

Transport Minister V. Senthil Balaji said the scheme was a boon to farmers and the rural people as they could get the department work done at their doorsteps as regular camps were being held at the panchayat level throughout the district. 

Source: http://to.ly/mgRs

12,000 acres of land okayed for manufacturing zone in Tumkur

CEOs and Chairpersons of Industry at CII's National Council meet looking at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's Speach on monitors.

Two such zones planned in Kolar and Gulbarga, says Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Friday that the government has approved the allocation of 12,000 acres of land for a National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) at Tumkur.

“We plan to set up two more NIMZs in Kolar and Gulbarga districts,” he told an interactive session organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) National Council here.

Referring to the need for developing industries outside Bangalore, he urged the CII to partner the State in developing Mysore as a “major investment destination”.

Advocating the need for a “cluster-based approach” to industrialisation, Mr. Siddaramaiah urged industry houses to set up clusters in Belgaum, Hubli-Dharwad and Mysore.

Mining lease

The Chief Minister said that fresh mining leases would only be issued to companies that would “add value” within Karnataka. Responding to a query from B. Muthuraman, Chairman, Tata Steel, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the government will decide on the allocation of leases that became available for reissue following a Supreme Court order in April. “We are going to take a decision on this (the allocation of leases) soon,” he said.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said that gas supplies from Dabhol, transported by GAIL India’s pipeline, would 

enable Karnataka to become a “power-surplus” State in a few years.

CII president S. Gopalakrishnan urged Mr. Siddaramaiah to enunciate an exclusive State policy for renewable energy. 

Source: http://to.ly/mgRg

India ends subsidy on kerosene, LPG supply to Bhutan

India has withdrawn its subsidy on kerosene and cooking gas to Bhutan, putting the Himalayan kingdom in a crisis, said a newspaper report on Saturday.

According to the report, prices of the two fuels have risen sharply in Bhutan as result of the decision and its government has written to India's External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on the issue.

It is not known why India took such a step, but there is speculation that the move aims at apparently punishing the Bhutanese government for hobnobbing with China.

The country's Prime Minister Jigme Thinley recently met his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang in Brazil's capital Rio de Janeiro and imported 20 buses from the other neighbour.

The report, quoting a state-run Indian Oil Corporation official, said the subsidy was ended after the government said it would not reimburse the subsidy component of kerosene and LPG.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-ends-subsidy-on-kerosene-lpg-supply-to-bhutan/1/287208.html

Sale of SIM cards without ID proof, a real danger

As retail sellers ignore security measures, threat to national security looms large

Greed and ignorance of retail sellers of mobile SIM cards pose a threat to national security now.

The city and district police units have come across retailers selling SIM cards of a mobile phone operator without verifying the identity of the buyers.

They do not bother to collect copies of photographs, proofs of identity and address, which are mandatory to hand over SIM cards.

Only last month, the city police arrested a man and his son, running a retail shop at Narimedu, for selling SIM cards, ignoring these security precautions.

The concern of the police that easily available SIM cards could be misused/abused by criminals proved right in the recent kidnap of a Rajasthani youth, Rahul Singh.

When the police tried to trace the culprits through the mobile phone numbers they used to demand a ransom of Rs.10 lakh, they failed.

For, a retailer in Munichalai had sold the two SIM cards without collecting the mandatory documents, Inspector of Police (Avaniyapuram) R.Uma Shankar said.

“The shopkeeper had ignored the security feature and given the SIM cards by collecting extra money,” he said.

Stating that mobile phone tracking had made it easier for the police to locate criminals, the Inspector wondered what would happen if retailers allowed anyone to get SIM cards without checking his documents.

The police said in the case of the retail seller of Narimedu, the SIM cards were sold to unknown persons by misusing documents submitted by buyers of SIM cards.

“They had also sold activated SIM cards. This means the subscribers need not wait for a couple of hours to get their SIM cards activated,” the police said.

The police added that any person could use the SIM cards to make obscene calls, threatening calls or nuisance calls.

However, it could become more dangerous when those cards land in the hands of anti-social elements or hard-core criminals.

“Anti-social elements could smuggle these SIM cards into prisons for use by convicts. Even if the authorities manage to intercept the calls, they will not be able to trace the culprits,” a city police officer said.

Another officer said the SIM cards could also be used as a remote-controlled device to explode bombs. 

Will the authorities ensure a fool-proof system to monitor issue of SIM cards?

Source: http://to.ly/mgPi

Movie review: Lootera may not be epic, but it’s worth a watch

I walked into the theatre to watch Lootera, ready to be wildly irritated by Sonakshi Sinha in a Son of Sardaar/Rowdy Rathore-esque reprise and a wretched mess of a story. The thing about being such a judgmental movie-watcher, however, is that you run the chance of being pleasantly surprised every once in a while.

It’s 1954. In a fictitious Bengali town of Manikpur, an evening of entertainment is interrupted when the local zamindar’s (Barun Chanda) daughter, Pakhi (Sonakshi Sinha), has a terrible coughing fit. She’s rushed to her room—which takes ages because their house is so big—given a shot of medicine and waited on by her doting father, who sits by her side fanning her till she wakes up again, recovered.
He then tells her a story of a king who was indestructible because he hid his life in a parrot. So long as nothing happened to that parrot, no one could touch him. But when the parrot was found and killed, (spoiler alert) the king died as well. Pakhi is his parrot, the zamindar tells his daughter. The quiet intensity of this story (much more enjoyable when you don’t have to read the abridged version in a movie review), sets the tone for the film.

Enter Varun (Ranveer Singh), an archaeologist who comes seeking the zamindar’s permission to excavate in Manikpur because he suspects there may be an ancient civilisation below. Not only is he given permission to excavate the hell out of their premises, but also welcomed to stay in the zamindar’s house. So he moves in with a friend and colleague (Vikrant Massey).

Vintage Ranveer Singh is gorgeous. Pakhi thinks so too. Somewhere between stolen glances, whispers, art classes and asthma attacks, the pair fall in love. This bit is especially lovely. As they observe each other from afar, too shy at first to make any obvious moves, you in the audience get involved too: staring at a door too long, waiting for Varun to walk in, or him to look up at Pankhi when her eyes are boring into his face (be warned, she does this a lot).

There isn’t really anything substantial that happens to warrant an intense relationship, but you’re willing to let this pass because everything on screen looks so arty, old world and beautiful that you don’t want to ruin it for yourself.

But all this is the obvious calm before the storm. A little into the second half, those familiar with O Henry’s short story (one of my personal favourites) The Last Leaf, will work out how the film ends. Those who are not, get to enjoy Lootera on an extra level. But this is the also the bit where the film—which started slowly, languidly, with no apparent rush to get caught up in any drama—starts to falter, trip into loopholes, and give you enough reason to question the basis of this particular couple’s love for each other.
Lootera is a quiet love story, more passionate in its whispers and silences than when the cleverest dialogue is uttered. The silence and subtlety hang around through the film, whether we’re watching our lead pair falling in love, fighting, or seeing our hero smack in the middle of a chase sequence across town. Surprisingly restrained and effective performances by Sinha (finally, congratulations), Singh (yay!) and the supporting cast, great sets, beautiful cinematography and near-perfect sound design (hello again, Amit Trivedi) all work to make a strong case for your continued patience to stay with the film till the end, even if it does take its own sweet time to come around (and even if it may have slightly tainted one of your favourite O. Henry stories).

Is it more lasting and evolved than Motwane’s Udaan? This I have yet to decide. In the mean while, make a trip to the theatre; it may not be epic, but it’s definitely worth a watch.
Source: http://to.ly/mgOq

Cement prices sag, may fall further

Cement prices declined across the country in the last fortnight except in South despite efforts by manufacturers to arrest price fall ahead of the lean monsoon season.

Prices fell Rs 10-20 per 50-kg bag in the last 10 days of June after rising Rs 5-25 per bag between May-end and early June in northern, eastern and some pockets of western India, according to a pricing trend report by Motilal Oswal Securities.

The demand too remains sluggish in most regions and may worsen in the next one month due to monsoon. Prices are likely to fall further due to weakness in demand.

Jinesh Gandhi, vice-president - research (cements), Motilal Oswal, said in the report that after rising till mid-June, prices on a month-on-month basis in north and east were down by Rs 8-15 per bag.

“However, central India posted relatively lesser volatility, albeit exit prices (June-end price) were down by Rs 10-15 per bag. Markets in west – Mumbai and Nagpur – remained mostly stable though Pune and Ahmedabad saw strong swing during June. Raipur (east) and Bhopal (central) showed stable to marginal increase in prices,” he said.

Cement firms generally raise prices ahead of monsoon as June to September is a lean period for sales.

In Pune, after rising by Rs 10 in May, prices went up by another Rs 20-25 in June. However, in the second fortnight of June, they fell by Rs 20.

Prices fell Rs 40 per bag to Rs 225 in Ahmedabad, before rising to Rs 260-265 per bag due to production discipline, which, some dealers said, was about 30% by Tier I players.

According to the report, mid-June prices of Tier II/ outside brands (like Wonder cement) went down to as low as Rs 197 per bag in Ahmedabad.

In Delhi, Jodhpur and Chandigarh, prices were down Rs 5-10 per bag. After Rs 15-20 per bag increase in May, Delhi and Jodhpur saw another increase of Rs 10 per bag in June before reversing by Rs 20 per bag in the last couple of weeks.

Contrary to the declining trend, markets in south India (the first to hike prices) saw cement prices either remain stable or increase.

“Prices in AP were up by Rs 90-100 per bag over past 45 days, led by production discipline. AP dynamics impacted the adjacent markets positively with Bangalore and Chennai seeing Rs 15-20 increase,” said Gandhi.

Some dealers from central and eastern parts see good harvesting season boosting rural demand, he said,

“Overall, while visibility remains weak for the near term, medium-term demand outlook has optimism with several infrastructure/power projects underway,” he said.
Source: http://to.ly/mgMr