Schools And Colleges To Check Tobacco Sale

Tobacco usage by students not only creates health hazards but also develops criminal instincts in them. The Delhi high court said this on Wednesday, asking all educational institutions in the capital to check the sale of tobacco in their vicinity.

The division bench of chief justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said passive smoking is as dangerous as active smoking and can cause serious health hazards among children. The court also asked Delhi University to issue directions to its colleges to appoint nodal officers to ensure no tobacco outlet is found within a 100-yard radius of the campuses. HC made it clear that the order extends to professional colleges, too.

The court directed the commissioner of police to comply with its earlier order to initiate a departmental inquiry against officers concerned if any shop was found selling tobacco products near any school or college.

"The nodal officer may intimate area SHOs and concerned DCPs if anyone sells tobacco in violation of the Control of Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) and the police to take action," said the bench.

"We would like the commissioner of police to take action in compliance with the provisions of the Act in larger public interest. The commissioner shall collect action taken report from the task force once a week and may depute an officer to analyze the reports. If required, more task forces may be constituted," the bench said.

To create awareness among sellers about the law, and to educate students about the diseases caused by tobacco consumption, the court directed the chief secretary of Delhi, in consultation with the ministry of health and family welfare to give wider publicity in print and electronic media.

The HC directions came after an NGO, World Lung Foundation, petitioned the court, alleging that COTPA was not implemented in true spirit. It told the bench that it had recently conducted a survey in 1,023 of 5,106 schools and 28 of 323 colleges under the Delhi University and found outlets selling tobacco near them.

The Act covers prohibition of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution of tobacco products, the NGO said.

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Glenmark Discovers Cancer Drug, Gains To Reflect Long Term

Shares of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals rose nearly 2.5% on Thursday after the pharma giant announced discovery of a blood cancer drug GBR 401, which falls under biologic category of medicines. Athough discovery of the drug is a positive development, its impact on the company’s financials is a long term story, analysts said.

Biologics include a wide range of medicinal products such as vaccines, blood and blood components created by biological processes.

“It is a positive development for the company,” said Deepika Jain, senior analyst at KR Choksey. “We need to see when the company goes for out-licensing the product and file further trials of the drugs, which is currently under processing mode. The company has total of 10 molecules in pipeline out of which two are in-licensed and one-out-licensed. It's progressing well and the launch is expected in Q4FY12 and post FY15, respectively. All these discoveries hold future potentials.”

Good amount of funding is required in carrying out research to discover drugs. Hence, companies out-license the product to other companies, who also enjoy rights to the medicine. In turn, the former gets an upfront payment from the latter. KR Choksey has given a buy call on the stocks with a target price of Rs 379 while FirstCall set a target price of Rs 400. The stock is trading at a price to book value of 4.38x, which looks attractive. It has generated a positive return of over 14% in the last one month.

“Glenmark Pharmaceuticals S.A. (GPSA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited India (GPL), announces the discovery and initiation of IND enabling studies of a Novel Biological Entity (NBE) lead candidate, GBR 401, an anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody. GBR 401 is developed completely in-house by Glenmark’s Biologics Research Centre located in Switzerland,” reads the press release sent by the company.

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What A Way To Run Health Care 'Reform'

A complex series of mandates goes in search of the relevant facts

As West Virginia state government tries to follow the federal mandates in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - Obamacare - the old adage looks truer and truer.

Haste makes waste.

A year after Democrats passed the law, state officials still have basic questions as they try to comply with the mandates of the more than 2,000-page measure.

At issue is a Health Insurance Exchange, under which, starting in 2014, the state would regulate the benefit packages insurance companies can offer, and private health insurers would offer plans.

No one seems to know how many uninsured people would use such an exchange to buy their mandated health insurance.

Officials face a number of options, all of them dizzying.

Medicaid would cover families with annual incomes of as much as 133 percent of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that figure would be $29,300.

But some people will make too much for that. So West Virginia could create a whole new basic state-run program to cover people whose income is 133 percent to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. That would cover families of four whose annual household income is between $29,300 and $44,100.

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Now, SSIs Can Bank On Life Cover

Now a small-scale industrialist can avail of a bank loan on the strength of a term insurance plan. Farmers can now bank on a social security net, provided they have a Kissan credit card.

Not only can a farmer provide for his retirement but can also look after his family interests in the unlikelihood of his demise. All this follows SBI Life Insurance Company’s launch of SBI Life Swadhan and SBI Lifelong pensions-group Kisan credit card (KCC) holders’ scheme today.

The former is a term insurance cover, which offers the benefit of a refund of premium facility.

Under the KCC insurance product, farmers have the option of earmarking a regular amount for their old age requirement in addition to enjoying life insurance cover till the age of 60.

“We have customised the international bancassurance model to suit the local environment as India is unique and needs to offer tailor-made solutions to the masses,” said SBI Life managing director and CEO R Krishnamurthy.

Today, the banking sector is adverse to give credit to SSIs due to the lack of collateral. “We hope that having capped the maximum coverage under the Swadhan product at Rs 1 crore, banks will be more open to offer loans to SSI units,” said Krishnamurthy.

He however, dismissed the argument that the product would act as an aid for banks to bring down their non-performing assets. “It is not aimed at NPA orientation, but rather helps improve credit perspective as a small industrialist can take a loan and the term insurance cover can act as a collateral for the bank,” said Krishnamurthy.

The KCC scheme targeted to offer a social security net to farmers, will initially be rolled out in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, where State Bank of India (SBI) has issued maximum gold Kisan cards. It will then be extended across the country by the year end.

Within four years of launch, there are 24 million Kisan cards today, of which 30 per cent have been issued by commercial banks. SBI alone has issued over 1.9 million cards to date and the numbers are increasing monthly.

In addition to pension saving, the Kisan cardholder could choose to take life insurance protection by paying a nominal amount as premium, said Krishnamurthy.

SBI Life has emerged a leader in the group life insurance business with a 30 per cent market share of the aggregate premium income of Rs 35 crore private sector players generated through the sale of group products, said Krishnamurthy.

SBI Life posted a 391.55 per cent rise in premium income at Rs 72.75 crore for the year ended March 31, 2003, compared with Rs 14.8 crore last year.

The total business undertaken has crossed Rs 4,000 crore while the total number of lives covered have exceeded five lakh, said Krishnamurthy.

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India-Pakistan - Cricket Not Always A Winner

Cricket can bond both India and Pakistan together. But, going by the past, using cricket diplomacy to cement the ties between the two countries has not gone too far. But a high-level India-Pakistan meeting with cricket as the primary context has a saving grace, reckons many — the expectations that ride high on formal summit-level meetings can be brought down, and leaders get an informal environment to understand each other’s mind.

So, will Manmohan Singh become luckier in his second stint with cricket diplomacy?

Also, for the first time, a democratically elected prime minister from Pakistan is being part of the cricket diplomacy, though many in the Indian system doubt the power of the present-day government in Islamabad to push ahead the dialogue process with India.

"I think, Manmohan Singh is very serious and has the intentions to take the peace process forward. The meet coincides with the resumption of the dialogue process," says former foreign secretary Salman Haidar, who helped in the dialogue process between the two countries that had been abandoned after the 26/11 attack.

Though there is always an opportunity to begin afresh, the cricket diplomacy of the past has not been so inspiring.

Past imperfect
When he had come to Jaipur in February 1987 to watch the second day’s proceedings of an India-Pakistan test match, President Zia-ul-Haq had drummed up the visit as part of his "cricket initiative"and his trip came after many years of suspended cricketing ties.

But by 1989, things had gone terribly wrong with Kashmir situation going from bad to worse.

Musharraf magic
In March 2004, when India toured Pakistan, ties were on an upswing.

In January that year, President Musharraf reassured the then PM Vajpayee that Pakistan will not permit any territory under it's control to be used for terrorism in any manner against India, laying the ground for composite dialogue.

Both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi watched a match in Karachi and then national security advisor Brajesh Mishra was seen during a match in Lahore.

In 2005, Manmohan Singh invited Musharraf to watch an India-Pakistan one-day match in New Delhi, which again created the right atmospherics and statements, including the resolve the terrorism should not have hamper the peace process.

"If some thing goes wrong, the peace process can go wrong, too. It doesn't mean India and Pakistan shouldn’t engage each other,"

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Different Ways To Quit Smoking Naturally

Many people would like to learn how you can of course smoking to stop. There are actually many different tips with the smoking to stop and that includes the use of herbs and other forms of alternative medicine. To learn how should stop smoking with the course one the effects be aware, smoking on the life of smokers and non-smoking.

The need to stop smoking course

There is a reason, why should it naturally without the aid of drugs and other synthetic drugs smoking. The main reason is to avoid any dangerous side effects, which can be fatal by the user. When you stop smoking course, is there a certain security in the fact that the most natural herbs that help to give up smoking at all little or even no dangerous side-effects have. Most of the herbs that help, stop smoking naturally are also mild and smoking can be cheaper than most drugs to inhibit.

Forms of herbs in how to quit smoking naturally

The use of herbs stop smoking is somewhat controversial, since many of the herbs also technically \”\” smoked will give smoking up to you to get. Other forms of herbs are in tea form or other forms of drinks. Most of these herbs have a calming effect, which can facilitate the separation anxiety, the you in the resolve of not to more smoke can have.

Other herbs are chewed to stop the tension and increase the nervousness that one can believe if you try, ways to learn, to help in the form of chewing gum, ease. Most people use the nausea and the nervousness to facilitate you sometimes feel smoking. An another habit can be if not as bad as smoking, such as chewing gum, an alternative to smoking.

Some herbs are used also in the form of tea to suppress the nervousness, which sometimes requires a cigarette to help. This naturally smoking stop can be really beneficial as many herbal substances, which not only help to suppress the need for cigarettes, but also other beneficial substances and have to be loaded.

Acupuncture is also another form of alternative medicine, which can be counted as one of the many natural ways to quit smoking. There are certain nerves and spots in the body, actually to demand, if made exactly can stop. There are certain points that can help to reduce, nervousness and other tics, the, where appropriate, the reassurance of a cigarette. These methods are almost certain to stop smoking naturally to help.

To have an effective way to stop should accompany also the determination to do with the support of your family and friends. This allows your family and friends to take part at watches over you and support you in your weak moments.

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Do You Drink Too Much Alcohol

I hate to say, but if you drink your habits and patterns in question provide, more than likely have a drinking problem. Comment if people in your environment to your drink are can then you to hear. If alcohol is negative impact on your life and you continue to drink, then you have a drinking problem.

While it can be can seem to be no silver lining in this cloud I say with authority that it is a silver lining – the majority of people, stop drinking you want nothing more than willpower. It is not uncommon that many people who regularly reach where you simply decide to stop, to a point, is it from medical or social, drink.

Unfortunately, many have to not the willpower quit cold Turkey and find to achieve for a drink. In this case is the problem of one of dependency and even abuse. It is, if this behavior is not normal that reached the point of alcoholism.

If you and your family are affected by your drinking habits is help available. Their first port of call should be your doctor, who can advise you on whether drugs will be necessary as well as you care centers in end can help. Alcoholics Anonymous is another option for those who looking for group and one on a support.

The Internet is another resource, who need the help, you, you to live a life free of dependence on alcohol. Able to speak, to understand your situation are important for the success of your effort.

You will discover how easy it is drinking of alcohol by the support of people, that it, been to stop and understand the real hardships involved in.

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Hair Loss Surgery-important Information To Know

Search for a solution to this problem is very important for you, if you use hair loss of life. Hair loss surgery is an option to learn more.

Now, this operation is not right for everyone. Before you need to decide whether it for you or not is the right thing, you know some important information about you. This will help you to make a more informed decision.

Choose not always this surgery until you know that it will be right for you, because it is very expensive to have done it. Is the first thing you need to find out if you can afford.

Most people use this only as a last effort to prevent their hair loss because this surgery can run anywhere from $4,000 to $15,000.

It is very important for you to understand what exactly this operation. What, in fact, surgeon is used your hair and skin, and then it planted in all environments, missing hair. This can be a lengthy process.

The expected result is that after the operation, the scalp look is, as there were no hair are removed and the surgery replaced you look all the hair, are missing, as you a full head of hair.

This surgery for hair loss can be a useful tool for many people, but it is not for everyone and that is, time, take why you have to speak a professional before you make your decision. For this type of operation you have also to you about the side effects learn speak.

Most people are people in the advanced stages of hair loss or are of an age where you not be able, will improve your hair loss in the course of time to use this treatment for hair loss.

Now, that you know about this important information, you are a more informed decision about whether this operation is right for you in the position.

Simply, do you like yourself one and talk to a professional about hair loss surgery before you make your final decision. This could prevent your best choice for the loss of more of your hair, but you will not know if you don\’t have the time to explore this option in conjunction with others.

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Karunanidhi, Jayalalithaa Declare Assets

Chennai, Mar 25 (IBNS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and his rival J Jayalalithaa are worth a little less than Rs 100 crore if their declared assets are clubbed together.

While Karunanidhi has declared assets worth Rs 41 crore, Jayalalithaa has come out with assets of Rs 51 crore.

Both the leaders have made their assets public as per the Election Commission guidelines ahead of next month’s state Assembly polls.

Karunanidhi’s assets include the property of his two wives Dayalu and Rajathi.

His own assets amount to Rs 4.92 crore.

Dayalu, mother of Union minister MK Alagiri and state deputy CM Stalin, owns immovable properties worth Rs 15.4 crore.

She also has a car worth Rs 16 lakhs and 60 per cent stake in Kalaignar TV, valued at Rs 6 crore.

Besides, Dayalu owns gold jewellery worth Rs 10.96 lakhs and other jewellery worth Rs 1.6 lakhs and a house in Tiruvarur worth Rs.5.51 lakhs.

Rajathi, mother of MP Kanimozhi, has immovable property worth Rs 20.6 crore.

She also has 25 lakh shares worth Rs 2.5 crore in Westgate Logistics firm and gold jewellery worth Rs 9.85 lakhs.

Rajathi also owns a house in Chennai valued at Rs 3.14 crore.

Jayalalithaa, a former Tamil Nadu chief minister herself, has declared assets worth Rs 51.40 crore.

The assets include Rs 25,000 cash in hand and bank balance of Rs 4.5 lakhs and five cars worth Rs 8.35 lakhs.

She also has agricultural land worth Rs 11.3 crore and owns four commercial buildings in Chennai and Hyderabad valued at Rs 6 crore 39 lakhs.

Jayalalithaa also revealed that bank deposits amounting to Rs 2 crore and investment in shares worth Rs.50,000 have been seized by the police and given to the custody of the court.

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Elizabeth Taylor

The Cleopatra costume will, surely, dominate the news reports but with all respect to the Egyptian queen, Liz was bigger than that.

Elizabeth Taylor evokes more images than the number of husbands she had. She was the breathtakingly beautiful child who – unlike her near contemporary, Judy Garland – seemed to slip into adulthood unscarred by her precocious professional success; the sultry dramatic actress; the compulsive bride, who went through husbands like fashion trends; the scarlet woman who broke up America's sweethearts, Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds; the female half of what can very legitimately be described as the greatest love affair of the 20th century; the most beautiful woman in the world; front-page stalwart of the National Enquirer; star of some of the best movies of her era; star of some of the worst celebrity perfume adverts; the gay rights campaigner; the defender of Michael Jackson. Next to Taylor, Marilyn Monroe looks monochrome and monotone.

Even towards the end of her life, Taylor, despite near incapacitation, still not only understood the increasingly ridiculous celebrity world, but proved that – to paraphrase a quote from her most photographed role – age could not wither her. She was one of the most mature users of Twitter and her Twitter feed was so Tayloresque as to be nigh-on parodic, mixing passionate defences of Jackson with shout-outs to reality TV android Kim Kardashian and the occasional – and necessary – denials that she had re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-remarried ("Jason is my dearest friend!" she tweeted last year, at the age of 78, with an understandable giggle).

Those born in the 40s will probably remember her as the wife of Richard Burton and the actor who radiated sex without ever being as coarsely upfront with her assets as, say, Monroe or Jane Russell. Those born in the 70s will have the slightly less erotic image of Taylor as the wife of the unforgettably named Larry Fortensky, sporting makeup, jewellery and hair that makes Russell Brand today look a bit low-key. Yet she was equally famous to those born in either decade, and this is not just because of her ever fluid image but her fearlessness at breaking social mores.

Her close friendships with gay actors – most notably Rock Hudson and Montgomery Clift – showed her to be more open-minded than most in an age when homosexuality was career-threatening. Taylor did more than pretty much anyone in her era by helping to remove the stigma of both homosexuality and, tragically, Aids by her loyalty to Hudson when he was dying from the disease.

Just as scandalous in its way was Taylor's relationship with Burton. Both were married when they met and neither made any attempt to hide not just their love for one another but their lust. Now divorce is as common among actors as undeserved Oscars but Taylor and Burton still look red-blooded next to today's anaemic Hello! wedding spreads. The publication last year of Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century, by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, truly puts to shame today's pretenders, not least with its inclusion of Burton's love letters to Taylor. But there was one letter even Taylor, the consummate celebrity, couldn't share with the public: the last one Burton wrote to her just before his death in 1984, saying he wanted to come home, and Taylor was home. That letter remained where it has ever since she received it: in her dressing table drawer, next to her bed.

Carrie Fisher compares her mother, Debbie Reynolds, and her father, Eddie Fisher, to Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, with Taylor – who made Fisher her husband number four – playing the Angelina Jolie role. It is a smart riff, neatly evoking the media hysteria that accompanied Fisher and Taylor's affair while he was still with Reynolds and the ensuing marriage (and, inevitably, divorce – there was no way little Fisher could ever compete with the mountain of machismo that was Richard Burton).

But the real joke is the comparison between Jolie and Taylor. Jolie's fame rests entirely on her personal life, which can be summed up as "married Rachel from Friends' husband, fond of adopting". As Jolie has amply proved, one doesn't need to be a good actor, or even appear in any good films, to be an A-list celebrity these days: one just needs to be thin and have a fondness for being photographed. Taylor had the life, the looks, the movies, the smarts and the talent, and she – unlike Jolie – looked as if she not only enjoyed the occasional plate of pasta but my God, to watch her eat it would have been an experience in itself. As they say in Hollywood, it's the films that got small.

Women Fashion Accessories
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Home Loan - It's Tough Being A Guarantor

It has serious implications, and being relieved midway is not easy.

Few years before, Nitin Bhalla had stood a guarantor for his friend’s home loan. Now, he wants to opt out, but the bank is unwilling to play ball. This is despite his friend paying his equated monthly instalments (EMIs) regularly. The bank wants him to continue as a guarantor for the current dues.

“The guarantor cannot shirk his responsibility now. The bank had taken both his and the borrower’s creditworthiness while disbursing the loan,” says V N Kulkarni, chief counsellor, Abhay Credit Counselling.

SET FREE ASKING TO BE RELIEVED ISN’T EASY UNLESS…

There is a substitute guarantor for the loan The bank is convinced about your reason for not wishing to continue Get the defaulter to clear his loan Until the bank hands over a discharge letter, you are liable for the amount outstanding as on the date of revocation of your guarantee If additional loan is granted without your consent. You will not be liable for that portion

Need for guarantors
Most banks will ask for a guarantor when the value of the security offered is lower than the loan. In case of home loans, the mortgaged property itself is a security with the bank. Yet, some banks can ask for a guarantor, if they fear the value of the mortgaged property will decrease, or if the borrower’s income looks uncertain.

Few banks may not ask for a guarantor, but insist on a co-borrower. This, however, does not change anything for the co-borrower. His role and liability are the same as that of a borrower if the first applicant defaults.

Banks offering educational loans above Rs 7.5 lakh usually accept the parent as a co-borrower. But the bank may insist on an additional guarantor, if it thinks the parent alone is financially incapable of servicing the loan.

Loans above Rs 10 lakh, taken by small and medium enterprises, also need a guarantor.

Locked in as guarantor
Relieving a guarantor is solely at the bank’s discretion.

“Banks usually exhaust all their resources to get the borrower to pay up, before asking the guarantor to pay up,” says S Govindan, general manger, personal banking and operations, Union Bank of India.

Most banks are not willing to relieve the guarantor. But the option may be considered if the guarantor is able to convince the bank of his\her reasons for not wanting to continue.

A guarantor can ask to be relieved when an additional loan has been granted without his consent. He will, however, be liable until the original amount of the loan has been repaid. In both cases, the bank will insist on having a substitute guarantor. From the recovery point of view, banks have the right to recover the default amount from borrower and/or the guarantor. And, unless the guarantor claims himself\herself insolvent, the bank will try and recover as much of its dues as possible from him\her, say bankers.

In case the bank has some tangible assets of the guarantor on which a charge has been created with the bank, it can invoke the provisions of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interests Act, or SARFAESI Act, and auction the guarantor’s assets for recovery of its dues.

If the guarantor’s assets are not mortgaged with the bank, it could approach the Debt Recovery Tribunal, a fast track court for recovery of debt for banks. When there are no assets that can be liquidated, the bank would initiate legal action against the guarantor in the civil courts.

Loans for oneself
Being a guarantor is as good as taking a loan yourself, in terms of credit exposure. Some banks inform credit bureaus about both their borrowers’ and guarantors’ exposures.

“This could impact the amount of loan that the guarantor can take in the future, since his\her potential obligation as a guarantor is factored in by lending institutions,” says Samir Bhatia, managing director and CEO, Equifax Credit Information Services.

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Health Cover For Kids Up To 14 Years In Govt Schools

NEW DELHI: All children below the age of 14 studying in Delhi schools – government-run, government-aided, MCD/NDMC and cantonment board schools – will now get free treatment and compulsory check-ups.

In the budget for 2011-12, the Delhi government has announced a new scheme – 'Chacha Nehru Sehat Yojana' – which aims at providing free healthcare to almost 27 lakh school-going children. After implementation of Right to Education, this is going to be the biggest leap for the adoption of
'Right to health for all children', said chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

She said an initial corpus of Rs 100 crore has been proposed for this particular scheme which can be further assessed and increased according to future requirements. The total outlay for the health sector in this year's budget has increased to Rs 1801 crore – 13% of the total outlay – from last year's Rs 1,243 crore.

The focus of this year's health budget is on the augmentation of existing health infrastructure and starting new schemes to improve services – for example, starting of specialized clinics for diabetics and kidney transplant at Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital in Shahdara and a health insurance scheme for EWS. Two new medical colleges are also going to be started in Ambedkar Nagar and Dwarka.

The government's plans also include starting of a 500-bedded ward block at GTB Hospital, construction of Phase II of the Institute of Liver and Billary Sciences and setting up of more hospitals at Ambedkar Nagar, Burari and Dwarka. These projects had been mentioned in the last budget and even the year preceding that. An outlay of Rs 167 crore is proposed for construction of new hospital buildings at Sarita Vihar, Sirapur, Keshavpuram, Chattarpur and Bapraula and maternity and child hospitals at Molarbandh and Jhatikra.
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Sehwag Fit To Play Against Australia

In what is bound to lift the spirits of the Indian cricket team ahead of the World Cup quarterfinal clash against Australia, dashing opener Virender Sehwag has been declared fit and is likely to play the match in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Sehwag had to sit out of Sunday's game in Chennai against West Indies due to a knee injury. Sehwag's knee has been bothering him since the start of the World Cup. India won the match by 80 runs and came second in the Group B.

Suresh Raina or Yusuf Pathan will most likely make way for Sehwag against Australia. Pathan has struggled throughout the tournament and Suresh Raina also failed with the bat in the last match against West Indies.

In his absence, Gautam Gambhir had opened the innings with Sachin Tendulkar..

India will play Australia on Thursday at Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium at Motera and India are seen as the favourites to win the match as defending champions have been struggling with both bat and ball.

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Car Loans Likely To Get Expensive From Next Month

The car loans in the country are all set to get costlier as lenders in India are likely to increase the interest rates. It is to be mentioned here that RBI has recently tightened the interest and now the car loan providers are expected to follow by hiking the car loan interest rates. Leading auto loan providers like HDFC, Kotak Mahindra Prime and ICICI Bank will be taking a decision in this regard by next month.

According to a statement given by a senior executive of HDFC Bank to ET, "A final decision will be taken from April on-wards as we want to finish our pipeline of our cases for March, before altering future interest charges."

At present, the interest rates of Private Banks fall in the range of 10.5-14-5 %. On the other hand, the PSU banks such as SBI, Canara Bank and Bank of Baroda and Punjab & Sind Bank charge rates ranging from 9.25-12 %. Following this hike, the interest rates of both of the sectors will see a substantial increase.

Compare And Apply For Car Loans In India

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Hinduja Global To Hire 2,000 People

Outsourcing firm Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) today said it will hire about 2,000 people in the next fiscal to ramp up its headcount to 22,000.

The company currently has close to 20,000 employees. "We are looking at expanding our headcount. We will hire close to 2,000 people in India and for our other offices," HGS CEO Partha Sarkar said.

The jobs on offer would centre around the company's major activities. HGS provides outsourcing solutions to over 80 clients through its 45 delivery centres in India, the US, UK and Philippines.

It serves industries like insurance, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, banking and financial services, consumer electronics/products, government, media and entertainment, energy and utilities, transportation and logistics.

The voice-focused BPO is eyeing the acquisitions path to growth, Sarkar said.

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Forget The Loan: Here Are Six Ways To Fund Your Kid's College Education

Before I even thought about having kids I started planning their college fund. Then I got divorced and my ex took the college funds and cashed them out to by a belt and a new wardrobe. For the next seven or eight years, I sat dazed and confused without saving or doing much else but surviving. Then, just the other day, I woke up and realized that my oldest is going into fourth grade! I best get on that college-fund thing.

I researched a bit and as I looked at the numbers I had a mini panic attack. One site told me that I would need to start saving $1,000 a month just to be able to send my eldest to college. I used the online calculator but fudged the numbers: I couldn't bear to admit that I would have two kids in college at the same time!

Dr. Pamela T. Rambo, of Rambo Research and Consulting, is a retired college financial aid and scholarship director. As someone who has more than 30 years of experience helping families pay for higher education, she understands the issues. "In this economy, where parent investments and home equity have declined, paying for college is tougher than ever. Even those with 529's and other college savings plans are having a tough time."

If your kids are going to attend college, but you haven't save enough money, they may need to take an alternative route to get there.

Send them to community college. Consider the idea of going to college nearby and avoiding room and board and other related costs, notes Rambo. She also suggests going to a community college to save big on the first two years.?

Look into a year of public service. Colleen Flynn, manager of LiftCommunities.org, a nonprofit agency in Washington, D.C., notes that "AmeriCorps offers education awards of approximately $5,000 for each year of service (up to two years), and several schools offer matching awards. With a year of work-service experience, public service alums are often considered more desirable by colleges because they add a level of diversity and increased world experience that the typical high school grad doesn't possess." This increases their chances of receiving additional funding or scholarships from the school, she says, "and often they are more prepared to attend college because of their service experience."??

Get hired by the college of your choice. Erika Huebschman, a third-year law student at Whittier Law School, suggests taking a job with the college you're interested in attending. Many of them offer their employees benefits, and usually, they offer educational benefits. If you work at the school, you could possibly attend classes for free. Huebschman's sister "paid for a lot of her law school working as an assistant in an administrative office."

Acquire class credits. "One way for families to decrease the price of college is to utilize alternative credit," explained Caitlin Muir from CollegePlus.org. "Some options include AP exams, CLEP tests, and dual credit. Students and their parents can save thousands of dollars. For instance, if a student grew up bilingual, he or she could take the Spanish CLEP test and earn 12 college credits in one afternoon. The CLEP test costs $77. Can you imagine paying $77 for a full semester of college?" ?

Serve in the armed forces. Lisa Hill, a mother of a college student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, says that her daughter has a four-year Navy ROTC scholarship there. "She gets a monthly stipend, attends a private engineering school, and will only have to serve her country four years to repay for college.?Not only will she get great engineering experience and travel the world, but?she'll come out of college debt-free."

Enroll in a tuition-free school. You may not be aware of it, but tuition-free schools do exist. The Cooper Union, in New York City, is a highly selective institution with an impeccable reputation. Berea College in Berea, Ky., also offers free tuition. All you need to do is fulfill the school's requirements, which are usually working a dozen or so hours a week on campus in a job that is related to your major.

Paying for college has never been more difficult, but there are some good opportunities available, it's just a matter of sitting down and hammering out your priorities and options.

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Honda India Bike Unit To Sell 2.1 mln Units In FY12

* Honda Motorcycle expects to grow at 30 pct in FY11

* Sees sale of 1.65 mln units in FY11

* To invest 6 bln rupees in first phase of second plant (Adds details, quote, background)

NEW DELHI, March 21 (Reuters) - Japan's Honda Motor Corp's fully owned Indian bike unit expects to sell 2.1 million units in the fiscal year that starts in April and will spend 20 billion rupees ($444.3 million) to boost production and expand capacity, a company official said on Monday.

The company expects to grow at 30 percent and sell 1.65 million units in fiscal 2011, Shinji Aoyama, outgoing president and chief executive of Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt Ltd, said.

"We have not entered the mass market in India because of the existence of Hero Honda. From now onwards, we can enter the segment," Aoyama told reporters.

Earlier this month, Hero Investments agreed to buy Honda Motors' 26 percent stake in Hero Honda Motors for around $851 million, with the Japanese automaker exiting its joint venture in India after more than 26 years.

The Hero Honda joint venture is India's largest motorcycle manufacturer with more than half the domestic market. The company sold 1.43 million units in the December quarter, up 28 percent from a year earlier.

Honda Motorcycle will invest 6 billion rupees in the first phase of its second plant, which is expected to begin operating in the second half of 2011.

"In order to minimize the gap with not only Hero Honda, but Bajaj too, we will have to expand capacity," Aoyama said.

Unlisted Honda Motorcycle, which made its entry in the popular 100cc bike segment in 2009, will launch a low-cost motorcycle in India soon, he said, but did not give a timeline.

The company appointed Keita Muramatsu as new chief executive effective April 1.

India is the second fastest growing auto market in the world after China and domestic auto sales grew by a third in 2010, powered by strong economic growth, an expanding middle class, and easy financing options. ($1 = 45.015 Indian Rupees)
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Proper Weight for Height and Age

The ideal weight differs according to height. Genetics also has a role to play along with dietary pattern and exercise. Proper weight for height charts help in accessing our current weight.

As a parent it is natural to keep a check on your child’s weight and height. It will enable you to know, if your baby has a healthy growth. If you compare your child’s weight, height and age with height weight chart by age, there can be minor differences. These differences are bound to be there, because genetics has a great role to play along with eating habits and exercise. As you care for your child, chances are high, that you will neglect yourself. Hence I have also given proper weight for height and age for adults as well. In this article you will find the following:

Age Height Weight For Boys * Age Average Height Average Weight New born 7.16 1 Month 9.15 2 Months 10.91 3 Months 12.56 4 Months 14 5 Months 15.43 6 Months 16.53 7 Months 17.64 8 Months 18.74 9 Months 19.62 10 Months 20.28 11 Months 21.05 1 year 28 - 29 22 13 Months 22.27 14 Months 22.82 15 Months 23.26 16 Months 23.7 17 Months 24.14 18 Months 24.58 19 Months 25.02 20 Months 25.35 21 Months 25.79 22 Months 26.12 23 Months 26.57 2 years 31 28.4 3 years 33 33 4 years 37 35 -37 5 years 40 41.8 6 years 42 46.2 7 years 44 50.6 8 years 45 57.2 9 years 49 61.6 10 years 51 70.4 11 years 52 77 12 - 13 years 58 - 62 85 - 100 14 - 15 years 63 - 66 105 - 125 16 - 17 years 67 - 70 130 - 150 18 - 20 years 68 - 70 150 - 160

Age Height And Weight For Girls * Age Average Height Average Weight New born 7.16 1 Month 9.15 2 Months 10.91 3 Months 12.56 4 Months 14 5 Months 15.43 6 Months 16.53 7 Months 17.64 8 Months 18.74 9 Months 19.62 10 Months 20.28 11 Months 21.05 1 year 28 - 29 21.76 13 Months 22.27 14 Months 22.82 15 Months 23.26 16 Months 23.7 17 Months 24.14 18 Months 24.58 19 Months 25.02 20 Months 25.35 21 Months 25.79 22 Months 26.12 23 Months 26.57 2 year 30 28.4 3 year 33 30.8 4 year 37 35.2 5 year 40 39.6 6 year 41 46.2 7 year 43 50.6 8 year 45 57.2 9 year 47 63.8 10 year 51 70.4 11 year 52 79.2 12 - 13 years 60 - 63 95 - 105 14 - 15 years 63 - 64 105 - 115 16 - 17 years 64 115 – 120 18 - 20 years 64 125 – 130

There are many height and weight chart for children, which are available. Make sure your child is eating healthy food and exercising, so that the optimum weight and height balance is maintained. There are many exercises for your child such as, running and jogging, swimming, or any sports activity. Read more on children’s height charts.

Weight And Height Chart For Adults

We have just seen the height weight ratio chart for children and teenagers. Now you might ask yourself "how much should I weigh for my height". Let's find an answer to this question.

Height Weight Chart For Men * Height Small Frame Medium Frame Large Frame 5’1" 123 134 145 5’2" 125 137 148 5’3" 127 139 151 5’4" 129 142 155 5’5" 131 145 159 5’6" 133 148 163 5’7" 135 151 167 5’8" 137 154 171 5’9" 139 157 175 5’10" 141 160 179 5’11" 144 164 183 6’0" 147 167 187 6’1" 150 171 192 6’2" 153 175 197 6’3" 157 179 202

Height Weight Chart For Women * Height Small Frame Medium Frame Large Frame 4’10" 100 115 131 4’11" 101 117 134 5’0" 103 120 137 5’1" 105 122 140 5’2" 108 125 144 5’3" 111 128 148 5’4" 114 133 152 5’5" 117 136 156 5’6" 120 140 160 5’7" 123 143 164 5’8" 126 146 167 5’9" 129 150 170 5’10" 132 153 173 5’11" 135 156 176 6’0" 138 159 179

For more information, you can refer to correct weight for height.

Average Age - Weight Chart For Average American Men and Women

I would like to bring it to your notice, that this is an average. There are chances, that your weight may vary.

Age Weight Chart For Men Age 20 - 29 years 30 - 39 years 40 - 49 years 50 - 59 years 60 - 69 years Pounds 168 179 182 185 184

Age Weight Chart For Women Age 20 - 29 years 30 - 39 years 40 - 49 years 50 - 59 years 60 - 69 years Pounds 132 144 149 158 152

There are many weight and height conversion charts, which are available. After preparing this proper weight for height and age charts, I would like to bring to your notice, that being healthy is more important, than maintaining the correct height and weight balance. Hence, you may notice, that a person is a little overweight for his height, but has optimum health. On the other hand, you will find a person who’s weight, height and age match, but is unhealthy. Now it depends on you, what would you want to choose. Remember healthy eating and exercise is the key.

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Home Loans, Car Loans May Get Costlier, But Not Immediately

Your home loan or car loan EMIs (equated monthly instalments) may go up because of the 25 bps increase in repo and reverse repo rates announced by Reserve Bank of India.

Interest rates on various retail loans are likely to be revised upwards and the exact amount of hike and timing would depend on individual banks. The predominant view among bankers is that the hike in repo and reverse repo rates should be passed on to the borrower.

In the recent past, banks have only been focusing on hiking deposits rates. Now, it is time the focus moves to the assets side of a bank's balance sheet which might result in rate hike, say experts.

Wait-and-watch

However, for the next two weeks, banks may adopt a wait-and-watch approach before raising their prime lending rate or base rate.

While observing that rates may inch up, Ms Renu Challu, Managing Director, State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH), told Business Line that her bank might not immediately increase the lending rates.

“There is definitely an indication of an upward bias in the lending rates. But for now, it is certain that rates are not going to come down,'' she said.

Mr Ramnath Pradeep, Chairman and Managing Director of Corporation Bank, said neither deposits nor loan interest rates will be increased till March 31.

Asked if the bank was planning to launch a new loan or deposit product, he said the bank has launched many such products in the past few months.

According to a senior official of Union Bank, the current ‘mismatch' between the hike in the repo/reverse repo rate and base rate would drive increase in lending rates.

“In the recent past, say from March last, the policy rates have gone up by 250 basis points while the base rates of bank have gone up by about 170 bps roughly. This will call for a hike in lending rates,'' he explained.

When asked if home loan and car loan rates would now go up, a South-based public sector bank official said, “Our bank will hold the rates. If we raise the rates any further, it would affect our growth rates apart from pushing some of these assets into non-performing category. We will maintain status quo.”

Mr P. Jayaram Bhat, Managing Director, Karnataka Bank Ltd, sees no immediate reasons to increase advance rates as of now. The decision to increase depends on the liquidity position of individual banks, he added.

[Source]

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Credit Card Price War Hots Up As Barclaycard Offers 20 Months 0% Deal

Consumers stand to benefit as lenders compete to offer better rates and longer balance transfer

Forget Isa wars: the real battle for your money is going on between credit card providers.










Barclaycard has stretched the zero interest period on its balance transfer from 18 months to 20 months, just weeks after it had lengthened it from 16 months, and just days after MBNA and Virgin Money increased their interest free periods to match Barclaycard's offer. As these companies both charge lower balance transfer fees, they immediately took top slot in the best buy charts.










Barclaycard's balance transfer fee on the new deal is 3.2%, an increase on the 2.9% that it previously charged, and higher than the 2.88% charged by MBNA and Virgin. But Andrew Hagger of product comparison website Moneynet.co.uk said Barclaycard still proves cheaper, despite the higher fee. He calculates that someone switching a £1,000 balance from a card charging 18% APR to MBNA's card would save £241 in interest once the £28.80 balance transfer fee had been deducted. But if he transferred the £1,000 balance to the Barclaycard, he would save £268 once the £32 balance after deduction of the transfer fee.










Kevin Mountford, head of banking at moneysupermarket.com, said: "This competition is welcome news for those consumers who are in a position to take advantage of this price war and consolidate any existing credit card balances on to cheaper deals. However, consumers need to be aware that most lenders are giving these deals to customers who have excellent or good credit histories. If you fall outside of this category then you may find your options are more limited. Before applying for a credit card, consumers need to check their credit profile and make sure there is no adverse information that would jeopardise their chances of being accepted."










People who apply for cards but are rejected may find that this impairs their credit records even further: lenders leave imprints on an applicant's record which shows they have made an unsuccessful application, which will deter other lenders.










Moneysupermarket.com has a personal credit profiling tool that helps people identify and apply for the most appropriate card based on their personal circumstances - without leaving an imprint.










"Despite these great offers, cardholders still need to make sure they use their cards wisely and aim to pay off the balance by the end of the promotional period. It is also worth looking at the small print at the balance transfer fees as these vary by provider."










So what next? Two year interest free periods? Mountford said: "I wouldn't be surprised to see other lenders react accordingly by launching similar deals, but with so many vying to go top of the best buy tables, we could see even longer deals emerge."



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After Policy Move, Can Home loan Borrowers Breathe Easy?

The Reserve Bank of India continued on a tightening mode – hiking key policy rates by 25 bps. The central bank raised its key lending rate, the repo rate, to 6.75% and its key borrowing rate, the reverse repo rate, to 5.75%. The CRR has been left unchanged. The RBI also raised its inflation forecast for March-end to 8% from 7%.

Vice chairman and CEO of HDFC Bank Keki Mistry and chief economist of Kotak Mahindra Bank Indranil Pan, in an interview on CNBC-TV18 debated on what this would mean for the banking industry and home loan borrowers at large.

Below is a verbatim transcript of their interview with CNBC-TV18’s Elan Dutta and Shereen Bhan. For complete details watch the accompanying video.

Q: The rate hike has been along expected lines and the direction in which the Reserve Bank is likely to move now seems fairly clear that there will be further hardening of rates. The question is are we going to see an immediate interest rate revision or will rates in March at least remain stable?

Mistry: In my view, no. The market is already factored in much higher interest rates than what actually has happened. I don’t think this quarter percent increase in rates by RBI will have any impact on interest rates in the system. If you look at the bond yield today, they have gone up by 2 or 3 basis points which is normal after a policy like this.

Q: What about deposit rates? The view is that deposit rates may not go up further from the current levels. Would you agree with that?

Mistry: The lending rates will be a function of funding costs. If deposit rates don’t go up, I don’t see any reason why lending rates will go up. You must recognize that the big question mark in what I say is oil. What I say is on the assumption that oil prices don’t go much higher from these levels and in fact start correcting and start going back in the near future to the levels that were there a month ago.

Q: Hasn’t the Reserve Bank dilemma increased? While the upside risk to inflation continue the Reserve Bank is now talking about emerging risk to growth as well?

Pan: Yes, that they are concerned about growth as well, given the dynamics of the global economy, especially, with relation to oil. At the moment we have seen that the oil prices have globally moved beyond USD 100 a barrel. There is definitely a downside risk for the Indian economy in all senses of the term.

Even though the policy looks slightly more hawkish than what we would have expected, they definitely resisted from moving by 50 basis points and continued to move by 25 basis points.

Q: This is the 8th rate hike since March 2010, given the fact inflation continues to be enemy number 1, do you now expect the Reserve Bank to move more aggressively or are you in the camp that believes the Reserve Bank should wait and watch and not move in May or perhaps even June?

Pan: I don’t think they can be more aggressive that they have to move in a very calibrated way still. They still have to move by 25 bps, assess the system and move ahead by another 25 bps. The base view that we have as of now, given the inflation dynamics that we are looking into and given the way the growth dynamics in India is panning out, we think that about 50 to 75 bps from now on is definitely on in terms of the repo rate.

The peaks of the repo rate we are expecting around 7.25 to 7.50 but I don’t think that they can be aggressive in the sense that they can move by 50 bps. I would still consider them moving by 25 bps at each step. I don’t think they would be moving higher than 75 bps as per the current assessment.

The whole problem in this assessment is that whether oil goes to USD 120 or USD 140 we really don’t know as of now. But given the fact that we are looking at oil more or less at the same average of USD 100 to USD 105 for the next financial year, 75 bps increase from now on, at the max, looks to be a fair assumption.

Q: The Reserve Bank for the very first time has acknowledged the risk to growth now. Given where inflation is and the fact that we are likely to see the rate hike cycle harden, what are you expecting in terms of credit off take and specifically growth as far as home loans are concerned?

Mistry: The most important thing in determining credit off take is going to be affordability. The cost of a house as a multiple of the annual income of our borrowers is today about 4.7 times. We believe that as long as it is in the range of 4.2 to 5.7, housing continues to be very affordable. Secondly, if you look at penetration of mortgages in India, it’s extremely low. The mortgage to GDP ratio in India stands at 8%. If you look at the Western World, in the US and UK, the ratio is in the 80’s. In some of the Scandinavian countries it’s in the 90’s.

In most emerging markets in Asia this ratio will be between 15% and 25%. What does that mean? That means the housing loans in the system can double and even if they double we will just get to the level where most of the Asian countries are. So, penetration is very low.

If you look at the demographics in India, 60% of India’s population is below 30 years of age, that’s a fact which is well known. What is not well known is that unlike the Western World where people go and buy a house when they are in the 20’s, people in India don’t do that.

When an average middle class couple get married which may be in their late 20’s they don’t go and immediately buy an apartment of their own, they go and stay with the boys family for a few years, then they get children, children start going to school, then the extended family becomes too large, they need a house and that’s the time people look to buy a house. The growth will remain strong. I continue to believe that on the housing side and I would say a similar thing even for bank credit, we should be looking at a growth which should be 20% or upwards of 20%.

Q: But for now the home loan borrowers, should they heave a sigh of relief?

Mistry: I think so. I don’t think immediately there is any likelihood of rates going up because this is pretty much factored in.

Q: The Reserve bank has been accused of being behind the curve after the raise policy, which camp do you belong to? Is it behind the curve or prudent?

Pan: They are definitely not behind the curve is my own assessment. They have proactively kept liquidity tight, therefore, ensured that monetary policy transmission has happened. Since the liquidity has been tightened, the incremental increase from the low of the cycle was from three-quarter to the current 675. Going forward, they would be increasing interest rates but they would not be very aggressive.

They have to be very cautious in terms of increasing interest rates because it clearly points out that managing growth versus inflation is also crucial from a monetary policy aspect. It is not only inflation that needs to be looked at.

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Tata Motors To Raise Passenger Vehicle Prices From April 1

Tata Motors Friday said it will raise prices of its passenger vehicles by Rs 7,000-36,000 per vehicle effective April 1 to offset rise in input costs.

“Despite continuous cost control initiatives, the company is being forced to take these increases on account of steep rise in input costs,” Tata Motors said in a statement.

Among passenger cars, Indica prices will go up by Rs 7,000-9,000, Vista and Indigo CS prices will go up by Rs 8,000-11,000 and Manza prices will go up by Rs 10,000-15,000, Tata Motors said.

Among utility vehicles, Tata Motors will raise prices of Sumo by Rs 13,000-15,000, Grande by Rs 16,000-19,000 and Safari by Rs 18,000-29,000.

The automobile manufacturer is also raising prices of the Aria by Rs 30,000-36,000 and Venture by Rs 9,000-12,000.

Tata Motors had earlier raised prices of some of its passenger vehicles and all commercial vehicles from January 1, 2011.

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Corporate BlackBerry Users To Be Offered Cloud Services

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM, RIM.T) will give its corporate customers an opportunity to shift back-office management of email traffic and other BlackBerry services off-site, in a move that it says will save customers money, speed the rollout of BlackBerry services and enhance security at a time when more and more employees use smart phones for corporate and personal use.

The initiative comes as RIM readies the launch of its PlayBook tablet, a major product launch that will vault RIM into the tablet-computer market to compete against Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPad.

It also comes as RIM's corporate subscriber base faces an unprecedented attack from Apple's iPhone and iPad juggernauts, as well as a phalanx of smart phones that run on Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Android-operating system.

The move will be carried out in close conjunction with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), which in October announced a major, so-called cloud-service initiative of its own, called Microsoft Office 365. As part of that initiative, companies that use Microsoft Exchange Server, which stores email, contact and calendar information, among other things, can move their Exchange servers to off-site data centers. The initiative is still in the testing phase but is expected to go live in a matter of months.

"We're embracing it in a big way, and we're going out jointly with Microsoft to all of our customers," said Jim Tobin, senior vice president of RIM's software and business services unit, in an interview.

The partnership with Microsoft involves formal cooperation on a go-to-market strategy, technology and business model, Mr. Tobin said.

Currently, most corporate BlackBerry customers maintain one or more BlackBerry Enterprise Servers on company premises. The servers allow a company's IT personnel to provision BlackBerrys, and manage an array of services and features, such as calendar and contact updates and video services, among other things.

Companies will now have the option to move this back-office infrastructure to off-site data centers and manage services remotely. RIM and Microsoft won't jointly manage off-site data centers, but Microsoft centers will connect "cloud to cloud" to RIM centers that house BlackBerry Enterprise Servers, Mr. Tobin said.

RIM's "cloud" initiative offers a number of advantages to customers, including "substantial" cost savings, as the cloud services will be less expensive than purchasing and maintaining BlackBerry Enterprise Servers, Mr. Tobin said. As well the cloud service offers increased efficiency, as back-office adjustments and changes that are currently handled in-house will be implemented at RIM's off-site data centers, he said.

Finally, the data centers will be optimally positioned to ensure devices are secure at a time when many people are using a single smart phone for work and personal use, Tobin said. "In our view, the best way to deliver protection is to aggregate security capabilities...into an area where we can provide rigorous security management," he said.

Mr. Tobin said he believes as many as 20%-25% of RIM's BlackBerry subscriber base will be using cloud services of one type or another by the end of the year. RIM, which reports its fiscal fourth-quarter results March 24, had more than 55 million subscribers at the end of its third quarter on Nov. 27.

Mr. Tobin said RIM has effectively been in the cloud-computing business for years, managing data centers around the globe that route millions of emails sent to and from the BlackBerry every day. This gives it an advantage versus its competitors, as does the Blackberry's reputation as the gold-standard for device security, he said.

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Ranveer To Shedding His Delhi Image

Ranveer Singh is in intense workshops at Yash Raj to get rid of his Delhi accent and mannerisms, since his next goes on the floors in 10 days' time Ranveer Singh is in intense workshops at Yash Raj to get rid of his Delhi accent and mannerisms, since his next goes on the floors in 10 days' time After a Yash Raj launch and a hit with his debut film Band Baaja Baraat, Ranveer Singh has a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders now. For his next Ladies Versus Ricky Bahl, produced by Yash Raj, the actor has locked himself in Yash Raj Studio and has been undergoing intense training for his role to shed his 'Delhi boy' image. A friend of Ranveer said, "It's been over two weeks that Ranveer has been practically living in Yash Raj Studio. In less than 10 days his next, Ladies Versus Ricky Bahl is going on floors. The actor is playing a cool young boy, not from any particular region, but surely he cannot be carrying the image of 'Bittu Sharma' from his debut film." The friend continues, "He has been taking workshops for his character in regard to his body language and body movements. He has also been taking diction classes to get rid of his Delhi accent. Ranveer is actually from Mumbai but everyone thinks of him as a Delhi-ite. In the past two weeks he has been practising and rehearsing for over 14 hours and only goes home to sleep. He is working very hard to change his image, so the audience can also perceive and see him in a different light." "During the making of Band Baaja Baraat he rode the Delhi buses, ate at roadside stalls, visited the local colleges, mingled with the citizens to get into the Delhi boy mould. And now he is working on the lingo and behaviour of a young cool kid of today's generation. In this film he is a con man who dupes various girls with his charm until he meets his match with whom he falls in love," added the friend. Ranveer confirmed, "I am having my workshops with my director Maneesh Sharma. I am working hard to get out of my 'Bittu Sharma' image, to get into the character for my new film."
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Munni' Booked In The Guinness Book Of World Records

" Munni Badnaam Hui" has entered the Guinness Book of World Records. Over 1200 people danced for three minutes on the song, led by Malaika Arora Khan, in Melbourne, Australia .

The event was organised by Indian Film Festival 2011 director Mitu Bhowmick Lange. Malaika also received a certificate for setting the record. The earlier record was set in Singapore when over 1008 people danced on a song.

Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora are in Melbourne for the Indian Film Festival as Dabangg was screened on the opening night.

Over the weekend, an attempt was made to break the world record for the largest number of people who danced to a song doing the same steps together at a public place.

Over 1,200 people danced to 'Munni Badnaam Hui' at the Melbourne Park beating the earlier record, set in Singapore when 1,008 people danced in public.

The Guinness Book adjudicators were present. Says Malaika, "The Guinness people were very strict with the rules."

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Dress Code For Holi

Wearing old white clothes on Holi is passe. With people becoming increasingly fashion conscious, hot pants, backless blouses and off-shoulder tops in vibrant colours have taken a front seat.

"Yes, there has been a drastic change in the people's perception towards Holi, especially the younger generation. They want to have fun but not at the cost of losing the glamour quotient," Delhi-based designer Riddhima Chauhan said in an interview.

"Bollywood plays a major role in inspiring these youngsters to go for the trendy way and what could be a better option than showing the sexy curves in figure-hugging dresses," she added.

Holi songs in movies like "Mohabbatein", "Waqt - Race Against Time" and "Action Replayy" started this trend where Kim Sharma-Shamita Shetty, Priyanka Chopra and Neha Dhupia respectively brought a revolution in the dress code for Holi.

Style divas are constantly spotted in body-hugging short dresses to skin hugging tights and transparent fabrics at Holi parties and adding glamour to the celebration of colours.

"Light coloured tunics matched with multi-coloured pajamis or ankle length trousers, with chiffon dupattas, are some of the trends which are in vogue. Not only young girls but also married women are trying to get away from their traditional look; so the demand for saris with halter neck and backless blouses has increased," Delhi-based designer Meera Gupta said in an interview.

Mumbai-based designer Digvijay Singh, said: "It is one festival that youngsters look forward to and they leave no stones unturned to flaunt their best side."

He also felt that people don't mind showing skin on Holi.

"Skin show is something not too many mind on this occasion. No matter what you wear, eventually you will get drenched," he said.

For Deeksha Aggarwal, a young girl pursuing her B. Com (H) from Delhi University, it's all about how you mix both the cultures together.

"With the changing times, skin-revealing garments are no longer the point of discussion. And this is the reason why I am going to wear a Rajasthani lehenga that I will team with a stylish and sexy choli. I will not only manage to keep my parents happy but will also set a trend," she said.

Raj Kumar from Mathura, a place known for its grand Holi celebrations, said: "Holi is a traditional affair here. Women dress up in Rajasthani lehenga-choli and contrary to the belief that white is an obvious choice for the day, women prefer colourful clothes."

"The women who come to play Lath Maar Holi from Barsana wear bright and vibrant colours," added Raj Kumar who has witnessed the changing trends in clothes over the years.

And what about the traditional whites?

Mumbai-based designer duo Nidhi-Divya Gambhir said: "We prefer going the traditional way but with our own contemporary twist to it. Stick to whites, play around the sheer factors... It's traditional, fun and yet sexy."

So what should trendy people wear this Holi?

"Holi means a splash of colours, so why stick to the basic white? Colours like raspberry, bubblegum pink, coral, mauve, and electric blue are surely going to make you feel special this Holi. Side cowl, trapeze and tulip can be the best accessories this time," said Divya Gupta, owner of clubwear brand Yell, which offers a special Holi collection.

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