Evaro Okaru best song of sirivennela seetharamasastri

current affairs plus April 2009

Time 100: Moot, Tata, Winslet, Mehsud are most influential (msnindia)
In an online poll, Time Magazine viewers voted 100 most influential people in the world. Among the People of Indian Origin on the list are Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, Indra Nooyi, Sonia Gandhi, Neel Kashkari and Ronnie Screwvala.
Time 100: Moot, Tata, Winslet, Mehsud are most influential

ANC wins 'outright poll majority'
South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) has won an outright majority in general elections, the country's election authority has said.

First woman photojournalist offered Nano on priority basis
India's first woman photographer Homai Vyarawalla, who is eagerly waiting to drive a Nano after she parted with her 55-year-old Fiat, has been offered the first 'people's car' by a Tata Motors dealer.

Prem Bhatia award for Neerja Choudhury, Gargi Parsai
Noted journalist Neerja Choudhury was selected for the prestigious Prem Bhatia Award for her exemplary contribution in the field of political reporting.

Senior journalist Gargi Parsai of The Hindu has also been selected for the award in the category of reporting on environment issues.

Ms. Choudhury was selected for the award for “combining social conscience with commitment” to her profession, Prem Bhatia Memorial Trust said on Thursday. She fought for social causes and was the first and only Civil Rights correspondent for an Indian newspaper when she was serving The Statesman from 1982 to 1987
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Ram Gopal Varma has cast Vivek Oberoi in the role of the lead protagonist Paritala Ravi in his ambitious venture Rakta Charitra which would be made as a two part film.
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ICC moves World Cup secretariat to Mumbai (IANS)
Mumbai, April 28 :The International Cricket Council (ICC) Tuesday shifted the 2011 World Cup secretariat to Mumbai from Lahore and said India will host 29 matches in the quadrennial event.
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In this April 2, 2009 file photo, playwright Lynn Nottage poses in her New York home. Nottage won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Drama on Monday, April 20, 2009, for her play 'Ruined.'

A handout photo taken by New York Times photographer Damon Winter of Barack Obama in the rain during his campaign that won a Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography announced by the Pulitzer Prize Board in New York April 20, 2009. The New York Times dominated the coveted Pulitzer Prizes announced on Monday, winning five in categories including investigative reporting, breaking news reporting and international reporting

This undated photo released by the Pulitzer Board shows New York Times photographer Damon Winter, winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography, Monday, April 20, 2009


This undated photo released by the Pulitzer Board shows Miami Herald photgrapher Patrick Farrell, winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography, announced Monday, April 20, 2009.

This undated photo released by the Pulitzer Board is an example of the work of Patrick Farrell, winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography, announced Monday, April 20, 2009. The photo depicts a boy sitting in mud outside his family's flooded home in the aftermath of a hurricane that stuck Haiti. The image is part of a photographic series: 'A People in Despair: Haiti's Year Without Mercy.'

This undated photo released by the Pulitzer Board shows David Barstow of the New York Times, winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting, Monday, April 20, 2009.

This undated photo released by the Pulitzer Board shows Las Vegas Sun reporter Alexandra Berzon, whose paper is winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service journalism, announced Monday, April 20, 2009. The Pulitzer board commended Berzon's 'courageous reporting' for the exposure of the high death rate among construction workers on the Las Vegas strip

This undated photo released by the Pulitzer Board shows Los Angeles Times reporter Bethina Boxall, co-winner with Julie Cart, also of the Los Angeles Times of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting, announced Monday, April 20, 2009.

This undated photo released by the Pulitzer Board shows Los Angeles Times reporter Julie Cart, co-winner with Bethina Boxall, also of the Los Angeles Times of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting, announced Monday, April 20, 2009

This undated photo released by the Pulitzer Board shows Detroit Free Press reporter M.L. Elrick, co-winner with Jim Schaefer of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting with M.L. Elrick, Monday, April 20, 2009. The pair uncovered a pattern of lies by Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick prompting an investigation of perjury that eventually led to a jail term for the mayor and his female chief of staff, with whom he had denied having a sexual relationship

A handout image shows an editorial cartoon by cartoonist Steve Breen of the San Diego Union-Tribune that is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning as announced by the Pulitzer Prize Board in New York April 20, 2009. The New York Times dominated the coveted Pulitzer Prizes announced on Monday, winning five in categories including investigative reporting, breaking news reporting and international reporting.

This undated photo released by the Pulitzer Board shows Steve Reich, winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Music, announced Monday, April 20, 2009. Reich won for 'Double Sextet,' a musical composition that premiered March 26, 2008 in Richmond, Va.

This undated photo released by the Pulitzer Board shows Washington Post Eugene Robinson, winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, Monday, April 20, 2009. Robinson won for his columns on the 2008 presidential campaign focusing on the election of the first African-American president.

Writer Lane DeGregory of St. Petersburg Times is seen in this undated handout picture released by the Pulitzer Prize Board in New York April 20, 2009. DeGregory is the winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. The New York Times dominated the coveted Pulitzer Prizes announced on Monday, winning five in categories including investigative reporting, breaking news reporting and international reporting

Writer Holland Cotter of the New York Times is seen in this undated handout picture released by the Pulitzer Prize Board in New York April 20, 2009. Cotter is the winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. The New York Times dominated the coveted Pulitzer Prizes announced on Monday, winning five in categories including investigative reporting, breaking news reporting and international reporting.

Cartoonist Steve Breen of the San Diego Union-Tribune is seen in this undated handout picture released by the Pulitzer Prize Board in New York April 20, 2009. Breen is the winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning. The New York Times dominated the coveted Pulitzer Prizes announced on Monday, winning five in categories including investigative reporting, breaking news reporting and international reporting.

Writer Elizabeth Strout, writer of 'Olive Kitteridge', is seen in this undated handout picture released by the Pulitzer Prize Board in New York April 20, 2009. Strout is the winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The New York Times dominated the coveted Pulitzer Prizes announced on Monday, winning five in categories including investigative reporting, breaking news reporting and international reporting.

This undated photo released by the Pulitzer Board shows Annette Gordon-Reed, winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for History, Monday, April 20, 2009. Gordon-Reed won for 'The Hemingses of Monticello:An American Family,' an exploration of a sprawling multi-generation slave family that casts new light on the realtionship between Sally Hemings and her master Thomas Jefferson

This undated photo released by the Pulitzer Board shows Mark Mahoney, winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing, Monday, April 20, 2009.

Writer Jon Meacham, writer of 'American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House', is seen in this undated handout picture released by the Pulitzer Prize Board in New York April 20, 2009. Meacham is the winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Biography. The New York Times dominated the coveted Pulitzer Prizes announced on Monday, winning five in categories including investigative reporting, breaking news reporting and international reporting.

Writer W. S. Merwin, writer of 'The Shadow of Sirius', is seen in this undated handout picture released by the Pulitzer Prize Board in New York April 20, 2009. Merwin is the winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. The New York Times dominated the coveted Pulitzer Prizes announced on Monday, winning five in categories including investigative reporting, breaking news reporting and international reporting.

Writer Douglas A. Blackmon, author of 'Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II', is seen in this undated handout picture released by the Pulitzer Prize Board in New York April 20, 2009. Blackmon is the winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. The New York Times dominated the coveted Pulitzer Prizes announced on Monday, winning five in categories including investigative reporting, breaking news reporting and international reporting.

Firaaq' gets special jury prize at Istanbul festival (dc)
Nandita Das's directorial debut 'Firaaq' won the Special Jury Prize at the 28th Istanbul Film Festival for "conveying a message of hope".
It is the eighth international award for the critically acclaimed film which has already won awards in film festivals in Greece, Singapore, Dubai, Karachi and San Jose. Set in the aftermath of Gujarat riots in 2002, the film deals with the issues related to violence and its effect on human psyche.

India launches spy satellite RISAT-2 (Hindustan Times)
The PSLV-C12, carrying 300-kg Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-2) and 40-kg Micro Satellite ANUSAT lifted off from ISRO's Satish Dhawan space Centre here this morning.

At the end of the 48-hour countdown, the 44-meter tall four-stage PSLV-C12 blasted off from the second launch pad with the ignition of the core first stage.

A Better India, A Better World by N R Narayana Murthy

Iran Sentences American Journalist to Eight Years (wsj)
Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old Iranian-American journalist, was convicted of spying and sentenced to eight years in prison on Saturday by Iran's Revolutionary Court.

Ms. Saberi, a former American beauty queen, has been in detention in Tehran's notorious Evin prison since Jan. 31. She was charged with espionage earlier this month and tried this week behind closed doors.
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Rainbow Nation is a term coined by the then Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu to describe post-apartheid South Africa after apartheid rule officially ended after South Africa's first fully-democratic election in 1994, which was won by the African National Congress (ANC).
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Congress' pliant President, D.K. Borooah, who gave the world the inane slogan "Indira is India and India is Indira" and notoriously declared that "India can do without an Opposition

Fake stamp paper scam: Telgi gets 7 years RI


Richard Holbrooke, special U.S. envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, speaks during a news conference at the Pakistani foreign ministry in Islamabad April 7, 2009.

How many people worked as deputy chief minister in Andhra Pradesh so far?
Five

As many as 47 Indian companies, led by corporate behemoth Reliance Industries and the country's biggest lender, State Bank of India, have made it to the list of world's biggest 2,000 companies by US magazine Forbes.

Mickey-Donald comic books set to hit Indian market
World's most popular Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck comics books are being launched for the first time in the country. These will be available both in Hindi and English.

Prestigious Laboratory of the year award 2009 Special Mention
Catalyst & Material Reliance Technology Center, City of Surat, Gujarat, India (It belongs to Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries)


Supporters of ruling African National Congress (ANC) President Jacob Zuma campaign in Cape Town's Mitchells's Plain township, April 14, 2009. Investors fear a shift in the policies that have fuelled South Africa's longest period of economic growth despite expectations that next week's election will leave the political landscape unchanged.

Abbas Kazmi appointed as new lawyer for Kasab
Defence lawyer Abbas Kazmi argued that the accused on the Mumbai attack Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab is a ‘juvenile’ but the special court rejected this plea.

Nirupam Sen made Special U.N. Adviser
The former Indian ambassador to the United Nations, Nirupam Sen, has been appointed Special Senior Adviser to the president of the 192-member General Assembly on the world financial and economic crisis.

Murdered Sri Lankan journalist wins World Press Freedom Prize
A Sri Lankan journalist killed on Jan. 8 will posthumously be awarded the 2009 World Press Freedom Prize, UNESCO said Monday.

Lasantha Wickrematunge, founder and editor of the Sunday Leader, had written his own obituary, saying he was committed to press freedom despite the risk to his life.
Akshay Kumar pips SRK as top taxpayer (Times of India)

P Sainath

Karan Thapar
29 scribes get Ramnath Goenka Excellence awards in journalism
P Sainath, Karan Thapar, Nidhi Razdan and Neelesh Mishra are among 29 journalists who were today confered the coveted Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards.

Sainath and Thapar were chosen as Journalists of Year in print and broadcast categories by a panel which included Hindustan Times Chairperson and Editorial Director Shobhana Bhartia, filmmaker Shyam Benegal and agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan.

Nidhi Razdan of NDTV won the award in the category of reporting from Jammu and Kashmir while V K Sasikumar of CNN-IBN was honoured for his reportage from the North-East.

In the category of 'Uncovering India Invisible (Print), Neelesh Mishra and Nagendra Sharma of Hindustan Times won the honours. The award in broadcast category of the same segment went to Mridu Bhandari of CNN-IBN.

Sachin Tendulkar excited over Madame Tussauds' honour (Hindu)


India’s hockey stars carry the national flag and dive to the ground to celebrate after defeating Malaysia 3-1 to win the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh, Malaysia, on Sunday. India regained the title after 13 years. India had also beaten Malaysia in the group matches. Skipper Sandeep Singh, who stroked six of India’s 12 goals, was declared Player of the Tournament. This is the first major victory for India after failing to qualify for the Beijing Olympics

Tech Mahindra wins bid for Satyam (rediff)

Supreme Court quashes Nimesh Kampani's petition on Nagarjuna Finance, paves way for his arrest (ET)

India beat Malaysia 3-1 to win Azlan Shah title (rediff)


Vice President Joe Biden meets with the Economic Recovery Implementation Cabinet, Thursday, April 9, 2009, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington
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The huge success of Q&A, his debut novel, has left Vikas Swarup bemused.

Published by Doubleday, the novel has been translated into 14 languages. Film Four of UK has bought the movie rights, while audio and musical versions will also be launched. And, it has made Swarup a millionaire.

Q&A is the story of an 18-year-old waiter, Ram Mohammad Thomas, who lives in a Mumbai slum. His troubles start when he wins a jackpot on the television programme Who Will Win a Billion? The television show producers suspect his ability and get him arrested for cheating. The novel unfolds as Ram tells his life story to Smita Shah, his lawyer.

Swarup, 43, is a director in the office of External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh. A career diplomat, he has served 18 years in the foreign ministry with postings across the world, including Washington, London [Images], Turkey and Ethiopia.

Swarup -- who prefers to speak Hindi as it is spoken in Allahabad, his hometown, while at home with his painter-wife Aparna and children Aditya and Varun -- told Senior Editor Sheela Bhatt about the genesis of his novel, and why he sees no contradiction over his simultaneously wearing the hats of best-selling author and senior diplomat.

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Guiding Light (known as The Guiding Light prior to 1975, or simply GL) is an American television program credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as being the longest-running soap opera in production and the longest running drama in television and radio history.


Pramod Bhasin
Pramod Bhasin of Genpact named new Nasscom chairman


Arab League leaders pose for a group photo prior to the open session of the Arab summit in Doha, capital of Qatar, on Monday, March 30, 2009. The 21 Arab League Summit opened in Doha Monday
21st Arab League summit opens on Middle East peace, relations, Sudan (xinhua)

NATO - 60 years:
Leaders from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have gathered in Strasbourg on the French-German border for the 60th anniversary of the alliance


South Africa's African National Congress (ANC) President Jacob Zuma sings and dances after appearing in the Durban High Court, April 7, 2009. Zuma said on Tuesday he had been "vindicated" after prosecutors dropped corruption charges against him and vowed to focus on leading the country after an election this month.


TV grab shows a shoe being thrown at Home Minister P. Chidambaram during a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday
A Sikh journalist, Jarnail Singh, on Tuesday flung a shoe at Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram in protest against the Congress party’s decision to field Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar — accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case — for the Lok Sabha elections.

Mr. Singh — a special correspondent with the Hindi newspaper, Dainik Jagran — threw the shoe at Mr. Chidambaram during a press conference at the Congress headquarters when the Minister refused to be drawn into a discussion on Sikhs being denied justice by the party. The shoe missed the Minister by a fair margin.


India wins Test series on Kiwi soil after 41 years (hindu)

One state, many worlds is the slogan of which state tourism?
Karnataka


Dravid on top of the 'catching' world (msnindia)
Rahul Dravid has always been regarded as one of the finest fielders, especially in the slip region in the cricketing world, for most of his 13 years as an international cricketer. Therefore, it is only fitting that the former Indian captain has taken over the mantle of the maximum Test catches from Australia's Mark Waugh.
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak Awarded 2009 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh Sanitation Movement in India, has been awarded the 2009 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate for his innovative work in the sanitation field.

How many national parties are there in India?
Seven, Total 1027 parties are registered with EC.


Mohan Bhagwat (54) is the new head of RSS
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From Slavery to Freedom: John Hope Franklin
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Reserve Bank of India former governor, Dr Venugopal Reddy joined as professor in Economics at University of Hyderabad.


Roger Federer
What a fall! Finally, his record reign as the World No. 1 ranked player for 237 consecutive weeks, from February 2, 2004, through August 17, 2008 came to an end. Fittingly, it was none other than the man who has played him for a record 6 Grand Slam finals, Rafael Nadal. But the man says his main goal is to regain the Wimbledon title rather than the top spot. He reached his 17th consecutive Grand Slam singles semifinal and his 16th Grand Slam final, tying Björn Borg for fourth most in male tennis history. A victory would have meant his sixth consecutive Wimbledon singles title, breaking Borg's modern era record and equaling the all-time record held since 1886 by William Renshaw. And what a match it turned out to be. He saved two championship points in the fourth set tiebreak but eventually lost the match 6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5), 6–7(8), 9–7. The rain-delayed match ended in near darkness after 4 hours, 48 minutes of play, making it the longest (in terms of elapsed time) men's final in Wimbledon recorded history, and 7 hours, 15 minutes after its scheduled start. The defeat also ended Federer's 65 match winning streak on grass. John McEnroe described the match as "the greatest match I've ever seen.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick is seen in Washington in this April 2008 file photo. The World Bank announced a $50 billion programme on Tuesday to counter a decline in global trade and Britain called on G20 leaders to supply "the oxygen of confidence" to save the world economy from recession.


The space shuttle Atlantis makes the the three-mile trip from the vehicle assembly building to launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida

Yelena Isinbayeva
The striking 26-year-old Russian pole vaulter added one more Gold to the one she had won at Athens n 2004. She was once again declared Female Athlete of the Year by the IAAF for the third time (she had earler been chosen in 2004 and 2005) and World Sportswoman of the Year by Laureus. At the age of 26 Isinbayeva is seen as the best female pole vaulter in history. She has already been a 9-time major champion (Olympic, World outdoor and indoor champion and European outdoor and indoor champion). Her current world records are 5.05 m outdoors, a record she set in Beijing on August 18, 2008, and 4.95 m indoors, a record set at the Donetsk indoor meeting on February 16, 2008. The former was Isinbayeva's twenty-fourth world record.
In Andhra Pradesh, which district has the largest number of women voters?
Ananthapur (12,47,066)

Which district in AP has the largest number of men voters?
Ranga Reddy (19,41,833)

According to UNO, the population of the world by 2050 will be
900 crore

Terrorists attacked which cricket team in Pakistan?
Sri Lanka


U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks to the press during a news briefing at the World Forum Conference Centre in the Hague March 31, 2009


Michael Phelps
United States' Michael Phelps swam to eight gold medals in Beijing-- breaking a record that had stood for 36 years. In the 200-meter butterfly, his goggles were leaking so badly that he could not see the ends of the pool. But he counted his strokes to gauge where the walls were and not only did he win, he also shaved six-hundredths of a second off his 17-month-old world record. He took his tally to 14 career Olympic gold medals, the most by any Olympian.


Lost Runway
Traipsing down the ramp aglitter were Kangana, Priyanka and Mughda. But Fashion, the intended beneficiary, hobbled out of the Box Office.

Poor Li’l Rich Boy
Kudos to the big-screen newcomers Dev Patel and Freida Pinto who starred in the rags-to riches fairy tale Slumdog Millionaire

Power Prince
Our Datuk Shahrukh Khan, landed 41st in the list of Newsweek’s global elite, ahead of Oprah Winfrey and Dalai Lama. And er...right after SRK stands Osama Bin Laden!

Apple of Every Eye
Six hot babes frolicking amid the sand ’n sea yet again, but the Kingfisher calendar ’09 promises not to be old wine in new bottle. A global touch and twice the good times assured!

parvathy_omankuttan
Parvathy’s eyes are heady as the wine that colours her dress and ‘her figure to a pensive artist dear and fresh’. She’s Miss World ’08 runner-

Meghalaya

sikkim
In which Indian states, there is no railway track?
Ans: Sikkin, Meghalaya


These women 'aren't just pretty faces. Each one of them is uniquely talented, strong-minded and self-assured'- This is what Monique Chenault, Senior Producer, 'TV One Access' had to say about the sexiest black women alive. You would have seen them on the field and on the cinema, here's a look at the top 16 dusky beauties who make everyone go 'ooooh'.


Anita Ganeri receiving her award
Indian-Origin Writer Anita Ganeri Wins Blue Peter Book Award
An Indian-origin writer of children’s books, Anita Ganeri has been selected for the Blue Peter Book Awards for her book "Planet in Peril". The Blue Peter Book Awards are a series of literary prizes for children's literature awarded annually by Blue Peter which was instituted in 2000


Actress Kate Winslet holds her Oscar for best actress for her work in "The Reader," as she poses during her arrival at the 2009 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in West Hollywood, California February 22, 2009.
Kate Winslet wins best actress Oscar for "The Reader"


Mohammad Afzal
THE President’s exercise of powers under Article 72 of the Constitution to grant pardon or to commute the sentence of a convict handed the death penalty has never been easy. Every President faces the moral dilemma of weighing society’s cry for justice to the victims against the convict’s plea for mercy. The Constitution provides similar powers to the Governor under Article 161. When a petition under Article 72 or 161 is pending before the President or a Governor, the execution of that death sentence stands suspended.

The President’s ability to take an objective decision under Article 72 is sure to come under stress if the issue is politicised as it has been in the case of Mohammad Afzal, who has been awarded the death sentence in the 2001 Parliament House attack case.



Omar al-Bashir
THE arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 4 against President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur is viewed as a dangerous precedent by many in the international community


Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Akshay Kumar were awarded the Padmashree awards on March 31 in New Delhi by the President of India, Pratibha Patil.


Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
Bhimsen Joshi gets Bharat Ratna award
Renowned Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was Tuesday presented with Bharat Ratna, country's highest civilian award, at a simple ceremony held at his residence in Pune in Maharashtra.

Paul Robin Krugman - columnist: New York Times
Paul Robin Krugman born February 28, 1953, is an American economist, columnist, intellectual and author. He is a professor of economics and international affairs at Princeton University, a centenary professor at the London School of Economics, and an op-ed columnist for The New York Times. In 2008, Krugman won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences "for his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity"


Vinod Mehta
Editor-In-Chief, Outlook group of publications.


Aroon Purie
Aroon Purie is an Indian businessman, and the founder & editor in chief of India Today, a leading newsmagazine of India


M.J. Akbar
Byline - M.J. Akbar (COVERT)
Air Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik will be the next Chief of the Air Staff. He will take charge from Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major on his retirement on May 31.


Thomas L. Friedman
Hot, Flat, and Crowded | Thomas L. Friedman

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh talks with President Barack Obama at the G-20 summit at the ExCel Centre in London on Thursday.

100 Ways to Kickstart Your Brain On a Lazy Day
http://www.matchacollege.com/blog/2009/100-ways-to-kickstart-your-brain-on-a-lazy-day/

D. Purandeswari speeches on many subjects have been published in a compilation ‘In Quest of Utopia’.
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Nandita Das’s gripping directorial debut, Firaaq—a fearless exploration of Gujarat 2002
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Media guradian top 100
http://media.guardian.co.uk/top100/

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deflation

A decline in general price levels, often caused by a reduction in the supply of money or credit. Deflation can also be brought about by direct contractions in spending, either in the form of a reduction in government spending, personal spending or investment spending. Deflation has often had the side effect of increasing unemployment in an economy, since the process often leads to a lower level of demand in the economy. opposite of inflation.
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Nano: Triumph of Indian ingenuity

Beijing Olympic gold medalist Dita Constantina (centre-white) of Romania running in Tokyo. Dita, who became the oldest Olympic marathon champion last year at 38, is ready to conquer the London Marathon, an event she has never won in seven previous attempts

The space shuttle Discovery lifts off from launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, March 15, 2009.


India's Sachin Tendulkar celebrates his 42nd test century against New Zealand on the 3rd day of the 1st International cricket test at Seddon Park, Hamilton, New Zealand, Friday, March 20, 2009

PTI “News Agency of the Year”
London: Press Trust of India (PTI) has been named the “News Agency of the Year” by a U.K.-based magazine.
The winner was decided on the basis of voting on the website of the magazine by its readers. PTI was chosen for its all-round performance, said C.B. Patel, publisher of the bi-lingual weekly, Asian Voice.


Pakistan's reinstated chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry (C) waves to his supporters after the government's announcement at his residence in Islamabad March 16, 2009


A view of Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, in Mumbai.THE arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 4 against President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur is viewed as a dangerous precedent by many in the international community

books and authors
Michelle Obama: First Lady of Hope: Elizabeth Lightfoot

The Score of My Life: Zubin Mehta

My Name is Red: Orhan Pamuk

Moving out of poverty: Success from the bottom up: Deepa Narayan, Lant Pritchett and Soumya Kapoor

Jaihind TV is a Malayalam channel , based in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala

Earth Day, celebrated April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It is held annually during both spring in the northern hemisphere and autumn in the southern hemisphere. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year.
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In his latest book, Worshipping False Gods, Arun Shourie challenges Dr Ambedkar's contribution to Indian Independence.
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The Americas Summit that concluded in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday (april 19, 2009) has been hailed by most of the media as another “success” for US President Barack Obama.
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'Indus Valley civilization was literate'
The 4,000-year-old Indus Valley civilization that thrived on the Indo-Pak border might have been a literate society which used a script
close to present day languages like Tamil, Sanskrit and English, reveals a new finding announced on Thursday (Apr 23,2009).

Balwinder Singh, an IPS officer of the 1976 batch,took over as Additional Director in the CBI.
Singh, an officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre has earlier held several important positions in CBI from 1990 to 2000 including the post of Joint Director, DIG and Superintendent of Police.

Amnesty calls for the release of Binayak Sen
Amnesty International on Friday joined a growing list of individuals and organisations that have called for the release of Binayak Sen, a rights activist jailed in Chhattisgarh for alleged Maoist links.