Dec/06/2011

Regulate content, Govt. tells Google, Facebook

Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal has asked online social networking firms to evolve a mechanism to filter objectionable content and come back with a solution. Mr. Sibal said some of the content available on these websites could hurt the religious sentiments of a large section of communities in India.

Concerned over objectionable content on social networking sites, the government today made it clear it cannot allow this to go on and has asked internet firms like Google and Facebook to fall in line.

“I suggested that these platforms should evolve a mechanism on their own to ensure that such contents are removed as soon as they get to know of it... I have told them that this cannot go on. I believe that no reasonable person, aware of the sensibilities of a large section of the communities in this country, would wish to see this in the public domain,” Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters here.

Asking these firms to evolve a mechanism and come back with a solution, Mr. Sibal said, “This government does not believe in either directly or indirectly interfering in the freedom of the press.”

The content posted on some of the sites, the minister said, was so offensive that it would hurt the religious sentiments of a large section of communities in the country.

These contents would also offend any reasonable person looking at those images.

Small car's big appeal

Tata Motors did not achieve its target of selling the Nano at the intended ‘one lakh rupees' price tag, but it is still the most affordable car on sale in India, and by some margin. Unfortunately for Tata, many buyers found the Nano far too basic and, in image-conscious India, the ‘cheap car' tag didn't help matters. But that's about to change which the series of updates Tata has given to the Nano to make it more appealing despite its value-for-money credentials.

The baby Tata is now available with a wider palette of colours, including the vibrant Papaya Orange of the car you see here. The top LX model now gets plastic wheel covers and a passenger-side wing mirror; both welcome additions. These aside, there is little to distinguish the new model's exterior from the earlier car's.

It's really when you open the doors that you understand where Tata has focused its efforts. The dashboard of the LX gets richer-looking beige plastic and the centre console and gear knob have a silver finish. The dual-tone door pads have deeper pockets than before and are a huge step up from the basic original design.

Impressive space

The front headrests can now be adjusted; the earlier car's one-piece seats did not allow this. The front seats themselves get improved bolstering and are more comfortable than before. What continues to impress is the massive space at the back which, along with the new contouring on the seat base and lengthened seat back, make the rear seat a more comfy place.

Switch the ignition on and you will be greeted by a far quieter idle. In fact, refinement on the whole is noticeably improved — fewer vibrations come through the body and the Nano no longer sounds like an auto-rickshaw. Tata has given the Nano taller gearing in the interest of fuel economy, so you won't really feel the modest 2bhp bump in power. Performance remains adequate for the city, but nothing more.

The Nano's heavy steering drew a lot of flak and Tata has made revisions to the car's running gear to rectify this. While it is lighter than before, steering still requires some effort, especially at slow speeds. Power steering is unfortunately still a long way off; it would have complemented the Nano's tight turning circle to make it really easy to hustle about in crowded city traffic. At higher speeds, you do notice the improved stability contributed by the new front anti-roll bar.

Due to all these changes, the Nano feels more complete, more upmarket and is better to drive. The best bit is that Tata has left prices unchanged, so the Nano really has little competition on the value-for-money front. You definitely get more car per car as the Tata slogan says.

Price from: Rs 1.4 lakh ex-showroom Delhi

Engine: 624cc

Power 37bhp

Chicken and eggs can boost memory function

Including eggs and chicken in one’s diet may help boost memory, a new study has found.

This is because the essential nutrient ‘choline’ found in eggs may sharpen aging brains, the report said.

Rhoda Au and her team of researchers from Boston University School of Medicine performed the long-term health study on 1,400 adults, spanning 10 years, New York Daily News reported.

They found that those participants who ate diets packed with plenty of choline, an essential nutrient found in eggs, performed better in memory tests and were less likely to acquire brain changes associated with dementia than those who consumed less choline in their diets.

Other foods high in choline include legumes like soy and kidney beans, saltwater fish, liver and milk, according to Australian news website ninemsn.

According to The Huffington Post UK, Au said that “no one nutrient is a magic bullet against dementia".

Memories of Madras – An ode to Sampradaya

O.S. Thyagarajan on the enduring appeal of Margazhi, the simplicity of vidwans and why he made the city his home

My journey from the national to the cultural capital was not about traversing geographical distance, it was a voyage of self-discovery, an artistic expedition but more importantly, it was a travel back in time to soak in the sampradaya of Carnatic music.

Before settling down in Madras, every year I would gladly leave behind the biting winters of Delhi to enjoy the misty Margazhi air, take part in the annual music celebrations and witness the largest gathering of rasikas here. You may be busy performing through the year, but Margazhi kutcheris have always had a special appeal and flavour.

The Season then meant a few prominent sabhas, many restful sessions of music and relaxed and discerning listeners who savoured and analysed every note. The audience knew what to expect from each vidwan, who had remarkably distinctive styles. They had some compositions and ragas as their specialities… rather a concert trademark. There was an unspoken understanding between stalwarts; they would never tread into each other's area of specialisation.

Mention Karaharapriya ragam or ‘Chakani Raja' and Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer immediately came to mind. Listeners flocked to hear Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar's rendition of ‘Sree Subrahmanya Namaste'. Rasikas could never have enough of Madurai Mani Iyer's ‘Sarasa Sama Dhana' in Kapi Narayani while ‘Radha Sametha Krishna' in Yaman was a favourite of G.N. Balasubramaniam.

Artistes performed only when invited. Seeking opportunities was unheard of. They chose the time and date of their kutcheri. Their concert calendars were never crammed. And they ensured there was enough time between performances to unwind and prepare.

Hearing these musical giants meant free lessons on aesthetic sensibilities and developing a sound understanding of the various aspects of this classical art. There was mutual respect and admiration among the old-world artistes, who when not performing could be seen sitting among the first few rows at kutcheris of their contemporaries or sometimes would even come to listen to a promising youngster.

Apart from hard initial training under my father O.V. Subramaniam, Tiger Varadachariar and Tanjore Ponniah Pillai, it was the valuable guidance, encouragement and support of generous masters such as Lalgudi Jayaraman and T.M. Thygarajan that earned me the reputation of a musician with undiluted values. They approached teaching in a holistic manner. It was not just about preparing students for stage performances. Vadyars ensured understanding the art in its totality and groomed thinking musicians.

The legends of the past remain so because of their vidwat, sense of dignity and a modest vision. I have seen Madurai Mani Iyer going to a kutcheri sitting in amattu vandi with Lalgudi Jayaraman and Pazhani Subramania Pillai walking behind. Umayalpuram Sivaraman once arrived for a concert lugging his mridangam in a cycle rickshaw. The most touching moment was when at a Music Academy concert, M.S. Anantharaman put down his violin as a mark of appreciation after I sang a Bhairavi piece. It was heartening when many of the acclaimed names accompanied me on stage — Lalgudi Jayaraman, Palghat Raghu,

Trichy Sankaran, M.S. Gopalakrishnan, M.S. Anantharaman and Karaikudi Mani. They even took time out to help me embellish my music with their valuable inputs. Lalgudi sir would invite me home for long discussions. Such was their involvement and large-heartedness.

At one of my initial concerts at Krishna Gana Sabha as part of their talent promotion series, I was highly-appreciated for my rendition of ‘Nidhi chaala sukhama' in Kalyani ragam and also for some of my GNB-inspired technical flourishes. A landmark concert, it proved to be a turning point in my career as other sabhas took notice of this and invited me to perform. I owe it to the late Yagnaraman, the secretary of Krishna Gana Sabha, who after hearing me on the radio, called me in Delhi and offered me a prestigious platform.

The experience was overwhelming. Heart is where art is — with each passing year I became eager to shift base and I finally did. To sing to audiences in Madras, hear stalwarts and imbibe from their music — this is the sotthu(treasure) I have earned.

I remember

It was a concert organised for a small audience by my French friends in Pondicherry. The venue was bustling with people when I arrived. The miffed security man stopped me at the gate and said I could stand at the entrance if I wanted to hear the music. Later, when he came to know I was the performing artiste, he could not hide his embarrassment.

BIO Born on April 3, 1947, is known for his adherence to tradition and unalloyed classicism. He had his early training from his musician-father O.V. Subramaniam and from legendary artistes Tiger Varadachariar and Tanjore Ponniah Pillai. A top grade artiste of the All India Radio and Doordarshan, he has been performing across the country and abroad. His vidwat has been recognised with awards from cultural organisations.

Two states and a dam

 

According to the History of the Periyar Project, a publication compiled by the Public Works Department's Executive Engineer A.T. Mackenzie (published first in 1898 and subsequently in 1963), the idea of diverting the Periyar into Madurai had existed for an unknown time, but “merely as an idea.” In 1850, work on a small dam and channel began only to be given up later due to fever among workers and demand for “excessive wages.”

Putin-Medvedev swap, a reason for setback

Dirtiest election ever, says Gennady Zyuganov

Analysts have blamed the electoral setback of Russia's dominant party in Sunday's parliamentary election on the decision of the ruling tandem of President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to switch jobs next year.

Mr. Putin's United Russia party has lost support for the first time since it was formed 10 years ago, receiving around 50 per cent of the votes compared with over 64 per cent four years ago.

“This loss of votes is the result of the decision made by Putin and Medvedev to ‘exchange their posts',” said Alexei Mukhin of the Political Information Centre thank tank.

Voters did not like the idea of the Kremlin duumvirate deciding between them the fate of presidency and appeared to be weary of Mr. Putin's return, said experts.

“Putin has made the political system fully dependent on his own charisma,” said commentator Alexander Rubtsov. “Once his charisma began to fade, United Russia has lost its appeal.”

The Kremlin has provoked uproar with its efforts to inflate the ruling party's support through vote rigging.

“It's the dirtiest election ever,” said Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov. “The vote lacked any legal or moral legitimacy. United Russia has suffered a crushing defeat but padded its result by 12 to 15 per cent.”

Opposition parties have vowed to take the authorities to court over election violations.

Golos, the only independent elections watchdog, came under an unprecedented attack from the Kremlin ahead of the vote, but has still compiled reports of more than 7,000 violations of election law.

Claims of vote fixing appeared to be borne out by voting patterns in regions, with United Russia receiving more than 90 per cent in Northern Caucasus, where the authorities had full control over the election process. In Moscow, the ruling party won 46 per cent of the votes, but only 32 per cent in Tushino, the only municipal district where electronic ballot scanning machines were used.

President Dmitry Medvedev, who headed the United Russia party list, has rejected allegations of vote rigging, telling his supporters that the election was “honest, fair and democratic.” He said the party was ready to enter into on-the-spot coalitions in the new Parliament to ensure the broadest possible support for its legislative initiatives.

“The lineup in the State Duma will reflect the actual balance of political forces in Russia,” Mr. Medvedev told supporters after the early results became known.

AP adds:

Less party support inevitable: Putin

Meanwhile, Mr. Putin declared he was satisfied with his party’s performance in parliamentary election even though it lost a significant number of seats, saying that a drop in support was “inevitable” for any ruling party.

The statement came as authorities flooded Moscow with tens of thousands of security forces, hoping to prevent a repeat of the anti-vote fraud protest late on Monday that saw thousands marching and chanting “Russia without Putin!”

In neighbouring Lithuania, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton again criticised the Russian election and urged that widespread reports of voting fraud be investigated.

Mr. Putin, however, said the ruling party had retained a “stable” majority.

“Yes, there were losses, but they were inevitable,” he said. “They are inevitable for any political force, particularly for the one which has been carrying the burden of responsibility for the situation in the country.”

Russian officials have denied any significant vote violations.

Anger against a heavy-handed state interference in the campaign in support of United Russia and evidence of vote fraud prompted thousands to march across downtown Moscow late Monday.

Police detained about 300 protesters in Moscow and 120 participants in a similar rally in St. Petersburg. One of the leaders, Ilya Yashin, who was among those arrested, was sentenced to 15 days in jail on Tuesday for disobeying police.

Security forces beefed up their presence across the capital on Tuesday to prevent any further protests. Moscow police said 51,500 Interior Ministry personnel were involved and it was all part of increased security for the election period.

The Russian election even drew criticism from one of Mr. Putin’s predecessors.

“There is no real democracy here and there won’t be any, if the government is afraid of the people,” former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said on Ekho Moskvy radio.

Ms. Clinton criticised the Russian vote for a second straight day, saying on Tuesday that “Russian voters deserve a full investigation of electoral fraud and manipulation.”

Konstantin Kosachev, a senior United Russia member, described Ms. Clinton’s statement as “one of the darkest pages in the Russian-U.S. relations” and warned Washington against supporting the opposition.

Russia’s only independent election monitoring group, Golos, which is funded by U.S. and European grants, came under heavy official pressure ahead of Sunday’s vote after Mr. Putin likened Russian recipients of foreign support to Judas. Golos’ website was incapacitated by hackers on the voting day, and its director Lilya Shibanova and her deputy had their cell phone numbers, email and social media accounts hacked.