Narendra Modi govt faces criticism over newly-introduced Bills.......

Ahmedabad: NGOs and human rights groups have criticised Gujarat BJP government over newly-introduced Bills, especially the one related to Lokayukta. 

Four organisations have collectively voiced opposition against some recently introduced Bills in the Assembly and said the proposed laws show the Narendra Modi government as "autocratic" and "anti-people". 

The four - Lok Andolan Gujarat, Gujarat Lok Samiti, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and All India Save Education Committee - singled out Lokayukta Aayog Bill, Gujarat Universities Law (Amendments) Bill and the Irrigation and Drainage Act for criticism. "Instead of implementing the existing Gujarat Lokayukta Act, the State Government has introduced Lokayukta Aayog Bill which aims to curtail Governor's powers (in appointment of anti-corruption ombudsman)," PUCL working president Prakash Shah told reporters here. 

"The Lokayukta Aayog Bill is a gimmick and bestows arbitrary powers with the State Government," Shah added. 

The Gujarat Universities Laws (Amendments) Bill infringes on autonomy of the universities and allows the State Government to appoint vice-chancellors in all varsities, said the activists associated with these groups. 

The Gujarat Irrigation and Drainage Act, 2013, which received the Governor's assent on Wednesday, is an "anti-farmer" law and is draconian in nature," they claimed. 

"The State claims the Centre is not allowing it to raise the height of Sardar Sarovar Dam. However, in reality, the state has not built enough canals which can provide Narmada water to Kutch and Saurashtra regions," Shah said. 

The groups have organised a demonstration here on April 01 to protest against these Bills. 

Narendra Modi speaks with ex-US House Speaker through video-conference......

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday interacted with former US House Speaker Newton Leroy Gingrich through video-conferencing. 

"He (Gingrich) talked about his pro-growth policies and what we can learn from his (Modi's) successes here and perhaps replicate and implement in the US," Aaron Schock, a Republican member of the House of Representatives, told reporters here. 

Republican members of the US House of Representatives Aaron Schock, Cynthia Lummis and Cathy M Rodgers besides NRI Shalabh Kumar and other members of the business delegation currently on a tour of Gujarat, were present during the conference. 
Gingrich told Modi that he looked forward to the Chief Minister's visit to America following the fruitful meeting with the latter over video-conferencing, an official statement said. 

Modi invited Gingrich along with other Republican Party members to participate in the next biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit-2015, it said. 

Replying to a media query on the legitimacy of their visit to India, Schock said, "I would say three members of Congress do not lead the country...perhaps some people do not agree with what we are saying here. But, as members of Congress we have right to come here." 
Schock was all praise for the Modi government. 

Was meeting between Narendra Modi, US delegates ‘fixed’?......

Chicago: A huge controversy has erupted over the recent meeting between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and a US delegation that included four members of the House of Representatives - all Republicans. 

It has been alleged that the meeting was ‘fixed’. 

While a media report claimed that organisers of the US delegation had canvassed for participants in the trip at prices ranging from USD 3,000 to USD 16,000, the Gujarat Congress alleged that Modi bribed the delegation to praise him. Gujarat Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia dubbed the US delegation visit as a marketing gimmick and said it was a matter of shame. 

The report in Hi India, a South Asian newspaper published from Chicago, however claimed that the organisers had canvassed in the Indian American community for participants in the trip. 

The trip was sponsored by a political action committee (PAC), the National Indian American Public Policy Institute (NIAPPI) founded by Shalabh Kumar, a Chicago businessman. The politicians leading the delegation are Marlin Stutzman, Cyntia Wiederspahn, Cathy Rodgers and Aaron Schock. An invitation circulated by NIAPPI in preparation for the trip said it was "limited to (an) elite group of American businesspersons". 

The group has already met Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad and invited him to visit the US. On the schedule of an extensive trip is a stay at the Lake Palace in Udaipur, a visit to Karnataka as guest of the state government, a visit to the Taj Mahal, the tiger reserve at Ranthambore, a night at the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, a visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar and a dinner hosted by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. A 'Bollywood Extravaganza' has also been included for the guests. 

The cost options given in the invitation were: '7 star trip' (business class travel, private air charter in India) USD 16,000 per person, '4 star trip' (commercial travel in India with visits to the palace excluded) USD 10,000 per person, and economy option-with all travel and hotel expenses borne by the individual- USD 3,000 per person. 

Dravid happy to have Watson at the start......

Rahul dravid has said Rajasthan Royals will be bolstered by the presence of Shane Watson, who is expected to join the team in time for the side's second game against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 8.

"Watson brings a lot of quality to the team," Dravid told the Times of India. "Last year, we missed him for the first eight or nine games. This time, we are lucky that way. If we can play to our potential, we should be able to do pretty well." He also added that Watson may be promoted to open the innings with Ajinkya Rahane.

Rajasthan had a poor campaign last year, finishing seventh in the points table. Royals coach Paddy Upton was upbeat about the prospects of the squad in the IPL this season. "It is essential to work out a fine balance between team and individual performance," Upton told the Hindu. "Our focus is to play at our level best and deliver top performances throughout the season. We as a team provide space to our players to take their own decisions, judge their performance, and together we all help each other to execute these decisions on field. We try to not only improve the sporting skills in our players, but also help and groom their overall personality."

Rajasthan Royals' fast bowler Shaun Tait, who played in six games last season, picking up six wickets at 25.16, alluded to where they had gone wrong, "We were not up to the mark in the death overs during the previous season. I enjoy bowling at the death but plans work out at times, and some times they don't. I would again enjoy bowling at death.

"We hope for a top-four finish this time. We have worked on a few grey areas like death bowling and have few more options in attack. The likes of James Faulkner would lend us more bowling strength. We have a good relationship and we mix it up well and help each other."

Tait, who possesses plenty of pace but sometimes loses accuracy as a result, acknowledged that he is working on the issue. "I know I was erratic at times, but I have worked on this. My foot was popping out of the bowling crease, but recently I had improved in the Big Bash and Bangladesh Premier league. I plan to bowl a lot straighter and keep things simple."

Brett Lee excited by mentorship role......

brett lee has said he is "pleased and proud" to be given the bowling mentor's role for Kolkata Knight Riders and is looking forward to juggling his dual role as mentor and opening bowler. The former Australia fast bowler replaced Wasim Akram as bowling mentor for the side after the latter opted to take a year's break.

"I'm really proud and pleased to have been given the bowling mentor's role. My job is to try and impart knowledge to the guys," he told the Telegraph. "Even though it might seem a short span of time, we'll still have eight weeks in hand. Lots of cricket will be played during this period. And from what I saw during nets today, each of the players look in good nick."

KKR's bowling was crucial to their victory last season and the side relied heavily on offspinner Sunil Narine. Lee said that Jacques Kallis could turn out to be an important bowler for KKR this season. "We have lots of key bowlers in our squad," he said. "Guys like (Lakshmipathy) Balaji, (Pradeep) Sangwan are quite capable and ready to step up. Then there's Kallis, who's one of the best cricketers in the world. There simply cannot be any doubt about his ability with the bat. But with the ball, too, Kallis will play a huge role in determining the fortunes of the team."

Lee also expressed his confidence about KKR captain Gautam Gambhir's form going into the IPL. Gambhir was dropped for the first two Tests against Australia and missed out on selection for the remaining Tests after suffering from jaundice.

Captaincy has never affected my game - Sehwag......

Virender Sehwag, dropped recently from India's Test side, has said his decision to give up the Delhi Daredevils captaincy will have no effect on his batting in the upcoming IPL season. Mahela Jayawardene was named Daredevils captain after Sehwag told the franchise he wanted to focus on his batting ahead of the Champions League 2012.

"I don't think it matters whether I am captaining the side or not," Sehwag told PTI, when asked if Jayawardene taking over would lessen the burden on him. "Captaincy has never affected my game. I have never ever felt the pressure on my batting while leading the side. I have never felt any pressure as captain. My approach to batting has always remained the same.

"I have always maintained that captaincy and performance are two separate issues altogether. If you talk about pressures of captaincy, then I had scored five consecutive half-centuries [a Twenty20 record] during the last edition of the IPL and the highest number of runs for Delhi Daredevils."

Sehwag admitted that Daredevils would feel the absence of England batsman Kevin Pietersen, who is out of this IPL with a knee injury. "KP is a big occasion player and he will certainly be missed but we have other players who can put their hands up and be counted. We have 10 quality foreign players and whoever replaces him in the XI will get an opportunity to make a name for himself on the big stage. If they can grab their chance and prove their worth, we can win the trophy."

Daredevils meet Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural match of this season in Kolkata on April 3.

© ESPN 

Who is Sachin Tendulkar ...? ? ?......

Who is Sachin Tendulkar ...? ? ?

●► Michael Clarke - A man who has the capability to hit the same ball in 5 different areas on the field.

●► Bradman - I see my shadow in his playing style.
●► Wasim Akram - A player who is directd gifted by god.

●► Lara - Best batsmen of among all AREA.

●► Bret Lee - Greatest global superstar.

●► McCgrath - A player who can hit u for sixes inspite of ur bouncer.

●► Shane Warne - My night mare.

●► Steve Waugh - All plans were made for him only.

●► Ricky Pointing - Talent of straight drive.

cute dog training.....

what an idea sirji......

save nature.......

HISTORIC WIN.....

Exactly on this Day, 30th March 2011. 
India Defeated Pakistan in World Cup Semi-Finals. :D

It was a Historical WIN! :)

Finch replaces Clarke for Pune Warriors...

Australian top-order T20 specialist Aaron Finch is all set to replace Michael Clarke in the sixth edition of IPL. Clarke was earlier ruled out of the tournament with a back injury and will be out of action for 10 weeks. Angelo Mathews will captain the team in his absence. 

Playing for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League, Finch scored 332 runs at an average of 66.40 in the last season. However, he was plagued with poor form during the T20s in January against Sri Lanka and West Indies scoring only 12 runs in three matches. On the domestic T20 circuit, he averages 36.14 in 58 matches having scored 1699 runs at a strike-rate of 130.49. 

This will be his third IPL franchise after playing for Rajasthan Royals in 2010 and Delhi Daredevils in 2011 and 2012. Delhi Daredevils released him after the 2012 season and he went unsold in this year's auctions at a base price of $200,000. 

Finch is expected to leave for India on the 30th. The Warriors will play their first game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 5. 

Gambhir ready to resume battle for KKR......

Gautam Gambhir, the KKR skipper, has said that he should be fit in time for Kolkata's opening game against Delhi Daredevils at the Eden Gardens on April 3. Gambhir, who was dropped for the Test series against Australia, recently suffered a bout of jaundice, has resumed training in order to get into the groove quickly. 

In an interview to the Hindustan Times newspaper, Gambhir stated that he did not push himself immediately and he started out slowly as he was still suffering from fatigue. He stated that he will be ready for the opening game against Delhi. "After the end of that match, we have a decent break and that should give me time to recuperate." 

Gambhir was instrumental in helping Kolkata win the IPL trophy for the first time last year. He was the second highest run-scorer for the team as he led by example. He reiterated that he did not have any regrets on been left out of the Indian team that had whitewashed Australia 4-0. He added that his biggest motivation is playing for India but it is not the only thing in his life. "As a sportsperson, my main aim is to keep on performing. It felt great to be back in the Delhi team after a long time. We won the Vijay Hazare trophy after a gap of 17-18 years and that was a great feeling. I want to score runs to help my team win and I ensure that I do not complicate things. I want to keep my life and cricket simple and that can only be achieved by scoring runs. 

KKR Coach Trevor Bayliss, meanwhile, believes that the lack of match practice heading into the IPL will not be a deterrent for Gambhir. Bayliss stated that players like Gambhir and Jacques Kallis would prove their mettle once the tournament starts on account of their experience. In an interview to the Telegraph, Bayliss went onto say, "We have a squad that boasts of highly effective players in the middle order who can handle their responsibilities. There is added pressure upon us due to our achievements in the 2012 edition and we will have to work hard to defend the trophy this time." He added that it was a wonderful feeling to start the tournament as champions and they will look to carry forward the momentum through the competition. 

The squad has slowly started to assemble for training. England batsman Eoin Morgan, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Iqbal Abdullah joined the team in Kolkata on Thursday. 

Daniel Christian rates IPL higher than Big Bash......

Australian all-rounder Daniel Christian on Friday rated the Indian Premier League (IPL) ahead of his country's domestic T20 Big Bash. 

"Big Bash popularity is massive in Australia, but obviously not like IPL. The viewership for IPL is pretty high for the IPL than Big Bash," Christian told reporters after a training session at the Chinnaswamy stadium here. 

The Big Bash and IPL are fantastic and is a pleasure and honour to play in both the tournaments, he said. 

Christian said he has not played under Virat Kohli, but had words of admiration for the Indian vice-captain. He also said he is excited to play alongside Chris Gayle and Muttaiah Muralitharan. 

"Yeah. I am looking forward to play with Chris, especially after having had to bowl at him a fair bit in the past," he said. 

Replying to a query, Christian said in the next couple of days he would catch up with coach Ray Jennings and captain Kohli to know about his role in the team. 

"More than likely I will be batting somewhere in the middle and offering some overs like I normally do," he said. 

Christian said the team's set-up is very good and was pleased to hear that he had been bought by RCB to play in this year's IPL. 

"Obviously, I admired RCB, when I was playing for the Deccan Chargers. I am very pleased when I found out in the auction that I was picked for RCB," he added. 

World's smallest cell phone charger.........

The Devotec Fuel Micro Charger is the smallest emergency phone charger, and its 220 milliAmp hour battery is designed to give you around 20 - 30 minutes extra talk time, or up to a few hours more standby, depending on how you use your cell phone.

Is the US dollar going to collapse?........

The United States, a once prosperous country which was praised all around the globe as being the land of opportunities is now saddled with an ever increasing debt. After the sub-prime mortgage crisis, which hit not just the US but the whole world, the Federal Reserve chose to cut interest rates several times to a historic low of 0.25%. Further, the Fed continued to enforce its loosening monetary policy by announcing various rounds of quantitative easing, the latest known as QE3 or QE open-ended, buying mortgage-backed securities to the tune of US$ 40 bn a month and keeping interest rates low in order to encourage consumer spending.

This has led to the increase in the value of the dollar. The Dollar Index, which measures the greenback against six other currencies, has gained 3.3% in the past year, and the same amount so far this year. Budget busting government spending, trillions in Treasury debt and the lowest interest rates on record have many worried about inflation and the damage it could inflict on the dollar once the global economy recovers.

The Federal Reserve and Treasury have flooded the world with greenbacks. Because the dollar is a reserve currency and because US Treasury debt has virtually no default risk, investors have sucked up as many dollars as the US has been willing to provide. But that's sidelined money. Eventually international investors are going to want to sell dollars and buy performing assets.

There are grave consequences if the dollar collapsed. The dollar collapse would create a global economic crisis since investors will immediately start rushing to other currencies or assets, like gold or silver. The dollar collapse will create skyrocketing import prices in the US that will lead to inflation and possibly hyper-inflation. Because of risks, much debate has occurred in recent times whether the greenback deserves its status as the world's reserve currency. Because of the kind of problems that the US is facing and the reckless money printing done by the Fed, dollar is losing value. The question is which currency will replace it? Its counterpart Euro has too many problems of its own to emerge as a serious contender. The same can be said for currencies from the emerging countries. Hence only time will tell whether a dollar collapse is imminent or not.

By Equitymaster – India's leading 'independent' equity research initiative. Trusted by over a million members all over the world, Equitymaster is known for its well-researched, unbiased and honest opinions on theIndian stock markets.

Crazy yet amazing photos.........

top three unbeatable records in cricket....

MOST WICKETS IN A MATCH: There have been plenty of 17-fors in First Class cricket, but never an 18-for. Only one bowler has once managed 19. Jim Laker took an incredible 19-90 in the Manchester Test against Australia in 1956: 9-37 in the first innings (7-8 off his last 22 balls) and 10-53 in the second innings in 51.2 overs. No bowler has come within an earshot of this incredible feat, which suggests that the record will stay with Laker for long.
TENDULKAR’S INTERNATIONAL RUNS AND HUNDREDS: Sachin Tendulkar has amassed a mountain of batting records. He has 15,837 Test runs with 51 hundreds in 198 matches, 18,426 ODI runs with 49 hundreds in 463 matches, and each of these numbers is unlikely to be topped.
MURALITHARAN’S INTERNATIONAL WICKETS: The Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has 800 Test wickets and 534 ODI wickets. To fully fathom what Muralitharan has achieved in Tests, take the current 100m sprint record and halve it. When Murali started playing Test cricket, the record was a mere 431. With his ruthless efficiency for consuming wickets, he has pushed the record to heights that may not be touched again.

1. MOST WICKETS IN A MATCH: There have been plenty of 17-fors in First Class cricket, but never an 18-for. Only one bowler has once managed 19. Jim Laker took an incredible 19-90 in the Manchester Test against Australia in 1956: 9-37 in the first innings (7-8 off his last 22 balls) and 10-53 in the second innings in 51.2 overs. No bowler has come within an earshot of this incredible feat, which suggests that the record will stay with Laker for long.less 

2. TENDULKAR’S INTERNATIONAL RUNS AND HUNDREDS: Sachin Tendulkar has amassed a mountain of batting records. He has 15,837 Test runs with 51 hundreds in 198 matches, 18,426 ODI runs with 49 hundreds in 463 matches, and each of these numbers is unlikely to be topped.

3. MURALITHARAN’S INTERNATIONAL WICKETS: The Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has 800 Test wickets and 534 ODI wickets. To fully fathom what Muralitharan has achieved in Tests, take the current 100m sprint record and halve it. When Murali started playing Test cricket, the record was a mere 431. With his ruthless efficiency for consuming wickets, he has pushed the record to heights that may not be touched again.

   1. MOST WICKETS IN A MATCH: There have been plenty of 17-fors in First Class cricket, but never an 18-for. Only one bowler has once managed 19. Jim Laker took an incredible 19-90 in the Manchester Test against Australia in 1956: 9-37 in the first innings (7-8 off his last 22 balls) and 10-53 in the second innings in 51.2 overs. No bowler has come within an earshot of this incredible feat, which suggests that the record will stay with Laker for long.less 

   2. TENDULKAR’S INTERNATIONAL RUNS AND HUNDREDS: Sachin Tendulkar has amassed a mountain of batting records. He has 15,837 Test runs with 51 hundreds in 198 matches, 18,426 ODI runs with 49 hundreds in 463 matches, and each of these numbers is unlikely to be topped.

   3. MURALITHARAN’S INTERNATIONAL WICKETS: The Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has 800 Test wickets and 534 ODI wickets. To fully fathom what Muralitharan has achieved in Tests, take the current 100m sprint record and halve it. When Murali started playing Test cricket, the record was a mere 431. With his ruthless efficiency for consuming wickets, he has pushed the record to heights that may not be touched again.

1. 1. 1. MOST WICKETS IN A MATCH: There have been plenty of 17-fors in First Class cricket, but never an 18-for. Only one bowler has once managed 19. Jim Laker took an incredible 19-90 in the Manchester Test against Australia in 1956: 9-37 in the first innings (7-8 off his last 22 balls) and 10-53 in the second innings in 51.2 overs. No bowler has come within an earshot of this incredible feat, which suggests that the record will stay with Laker for long.less 

      2. TENDULKAR’S INTERNATIONAL RUNS AND HUNDREDS: Sachin Tendulkar has amassed a mountain of batting records. He has 15,837 Test runs with 51 hundreds in 198 matches, 18,426 ODI runs with 49 hundreds in 463 matches, and each of these numbers is unlikely to be topped.

      3. MURALITHARAN’S INTERNATIONAL WICKETS: The Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has 800 Test wickets and 534 ODI wickets. To fully fathom what Muralitharan has achieved in Tests, take the current 100m sprint record and halve it. When Murali started playing Test cricket, the record was a mere 431. With his ruthless efficiency for consuming wickets, he has pushed the record to heights that may not be touched again.

      MOST WICKETS IN A MATCH: There have been plenty of 17-fors in First Class cricket, but never an 18-for. Only one bowler has once managed 19. Jim Laker took an incredible 19-90 in the Manchester Test against Australia in 1956: 9-37 in the first innings (7-8 off his last 22 balls) and 10-53 in the second innings in 51.2 overs. No bowler has come within an earshot of this incredible feat, which suggests that the record will stay with Laker for long.less 

   2. TENDULKAR’S INTERNATIONAL RUNS AND HUNDREDS: Sachin Tendulkar has amassed a mountain of batting records. He has 15,837 Test runs with 51 hundreds in 198 matches, 18,426 ODI runs with 49 hundreds in 463 matches, and each of these numbers is unlikely to be topped.

   3. MURALITHARAN’S INTERNATIONAL WICKETS: The Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has 800 Test wickets and 534 ODI wickets. To fully fathom what Muralitharan has achieved in Tests, take the current 100m sprint record and halve it. When Murali started playing Test cricket, the record was a mere 431. With his ruthless efficiency for consuming wickets, he has pushed the record to heights that may not be touched again.

   MOST WICKETS IN A MATCH: There have been plenty of 17-fors in First Class cricket, but never an 18-for. Only one bowler has once managed 19. Jim Laker took an incredible 19-90 in the Manchester Test against Australia in 1956: 9-37 in the first innings (7-8 off his last 22 balls) and 10-53 in the second innings in 51.2 overs. No bowler has come within an earshot of this incredible feat, which suggests that the record will stay with Laker for long.less 

2. TENDULKAR’S INTERNATIONAL RUNS AND HUNDREDS: Sachin Tendulkar has amassed a mountain of batting records. He has 15,837 Test runs with 51 hundreds in 198 matches, 18,426 ODI runs with 49 hundreds in 463 matches, and each of these numbers is unlikely to be topped.

3. MURALITHARAN’S INTERNATIONAL WICKETS: The Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has 800 Test wickets and 534 ODI wickets. To fully fathom what Muralitharan has achieved in Tests, take the current 100m sprint record and halve it. When Murali started playing Test cricket, the record was a mere 431. With his ruthless efficiency for consuming wickets, he has pushed the record to heights that may not be touched again.

   1. MOST WICKETS IN A MATCH: There have been plenty of 17-fors in First Class cricket, but never an 18-for. Only one bowler has once managed 19. Jim Laker took an incredible 19-90 in the Manchester Test against Australia in 1956: 9-37 in the first innings (7-8 off his last 22 balls) and 10-53 in the second innings in 51.2 overs. No bowler has come within an earshot of this incredible feat, which suggests that the record will stay with Laker for long.less 

   2. TENDULKAR’S INTERNATIONAL RUNS AND HUNDREDS: Sachin Tendulkar has amassed a mountain of batting records. He has 15,837 Test runs with 51 hundreds in 198 matches, 18,426 ODI runs with 49 hundreds in 463 matches, and each of these numbers is unlikely to be topped.

   3. MURALITHARAN’S INTERNATIONAL WICKETS: The Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has 800 Test wickets and 534 ODI wickets. To fully fathom what Muralitharan has achieved in Tests, take the current 100m sprint record and halve it. When Murali started playing Test cricket, the record was a mere 431. With his ruthless efficiency for consuming wickets, he has pushed the record to heights that may not be touched again.

rare pic.....

Two held in Jesse Ryder assault case......

Christchurch: A 37-year-old man has also been arrested and is being questioned regarding his involvement in the assault on New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder.

Earlier, a 20-year old man had been arrested in connection with a late-night attack on New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder.

The two men arrested so far are believed to be related but the police refused to elaborate on their relationship.

The cricketer remains in critical condition after suffering severe head injuries in a brawl outside a bar.

The arrested men will appear in the Christchurch District Court on Thursday.

Ryder was set to represent Delhi Daredevils in IPL season six. The Delhi franchise had paid USD 260000 for his services in the latest IPL players` auction.