Great Marathi Actor NILU PHULE passes away

Pune (PTI): Noted Marathi film and stage actor Nilu Phule died at a hospital here on Monday. He was 80.

Phule was suffering from cancer of the oesophagus and was admitted to the hospital on July 5.

He is survived by his wife and a daughter.

A versatile artiste, Phule had acted in around 130 films, including some Hindi movies, and a number of Marathi plays.
[Source: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/009200907131031.htm]

HAQEEQAT [1985]
PINJRA [1973]
MASHAAL [1984]
DHARTICHI LEKAR [1970]
GHANCHAKAR [1990]
PAINJAN [1995]
JAIT RE JAIT [1977]
KALAT NAKALAT [1989]
PATLI RE PATLI [1990]
RIKSHAWALI [1989]
NARAM GARAM [1981]
COOLIE [1983]
DO LADKE DONO KADKE [1979]
DUNIYA [1984]
ZAKHMI SHER [1984]
TAMACHA [1988]
ZARA SI ZINDAGI [1983]
SAARANSH [1984]
SUTRADHAR [1987]
SAU DIN SAAS KE [1980]
MAA BETI [1986]
DHOTI LOTA AUR CHOWPATTY [1975]
OONCH NEECH BEECH [1989]
SAMNA [1974]
DISHA [1990]
MAZHA PATI KARODPATI [1988]
SIMHASAN [1980]
GANANE GHUNGROO HARAVALE [1970]
Raghu Maina [0]
EK HOTA VIDUSHAK [1992]
Ganane Ghungroo Haravale [1970]

Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856 – 7 January 1943)

[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]
Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856 – 7 January 1943) was an inventor and a mechanical and electrical engineer. Tesla was an ethnic Serb born in the village of Smiljan, Vojna Krajina, in the territory of today's Croatia. He was a subject of the Austrian Empire by birth and later became an American citizen.[2] Tesla is often described as an important scientist and inventor of the modern age, a man who "shed light over the face of Earth".[3] He is best known for many revolutionary contributions in the field of electricity and magnetism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Tesla's patents and theoretical work formed the basis of modern alternating current (AC) electric power systems, including the polyphase power distribution systems and the AC motor, with which he helped usher in the Second Industrial Revolution.

After his demonstration of wireless communication (radio) in 1894 and after being the victor in the "War of Currents", he was widely respected as one of the greatest electrical engineers who worked in America.[4] Much of his early work pioneered modern electrical engineering and many of his discoveries were of groundbreaking importance. During this period, in the United States, Tesla's fame rivaled that of any other inventor or scientist in history or popular culture,[5] but due to his eccentric personality and his seemingly unbelievable and sometimes bizarre claims about possible scientific and technological developments, Tesla was ultimately ostracized and regarded as a mad scientist.[6][7] Never having put much focus on his finances, Tesla died impoverished at the age of 86.

The SI unit measuring magnetic flux density or magnetic induction (commonly known as the magnetic field "B"), the tesla, was named in his honor (at the Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures, Paris, 1960), as well as the Tesla effect of wireless energy transfer to wirelessly power electronic devices which Tesla demonstrated on a low scale (lightbulbs) as early as 1893 and aspired to use for the intercontinental transmission of industrial energy levels in his unfinished Wardenclyffe Tower project.

Aside from his work on electromagnetism and electromechanical engineering, Tesla contributed in varying degrees to the establishment of robotics, remote control, radar and computer science, and to the expansion of ballistics, nuclear physics,[8] and theoretical physics. In 1943, the Supreme Court of the United States credited him as being the inventor of the radio.[9] Many of his achievements have been used, with some controversy, to support various pseudosciences, UFO theories, and early New Age occultism.

He is well know for Tesla coil,Tesla turbine,Teleforce,Tesla's oscillator,Tesla electric car,Tesla principle,Tesla's Egg of Columbus,Alternating current,Induction motor,Rotating magnetic field,Wireless technology,Particle beam weapon,Death ray,Terrestrial stationary waves, Bifilar coil, Telegeodynamics, Electrogravitics.

[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]

Sania Mirza Engagement

Sania Mirza Engagement news spread all over country. Sources said sania mirza engagement getting soon. In Hyderabad sources said just now sania mirza returned from wimbledon tennis, so sania mirza engagement getting soon. sania mirza engagement with Mohammed Sohrab Mirza. sania mirza engagement will be getting soon in hyderabad. sania mirza engagement set to tie the knot with mohammed sohrab mirza. Hyderabad based company owner son Mohammed Sohrab Mirza tie the knot with sania mirza. Mohammed Sohrab Mirza is class mate of Sania mirza and relative also. sohrab is B.Com Graduate student. Sania mirza engagement news spread their family members told this is not yet end at sania's tennis career. Sania will continue the Tennis games. Here you can watch video about sania mirza engagement.

Heavy rains in Mumbai; train, flight services hit

Heavy rains threw normal life out of gear in India's financial capital Mumbai Wednesday.

The city witnessed waterlogging in several areas and disruption of train and flight operations.

The metropolis experienced incessant downpour since the wee hours inundating many areas across the city, civic officials said.

Traffic at the airport was affected with the Air Traffic Control stopping runway operations due to poor visibility at around 0946 hours, a spokesperson of the Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) told PTI.

Though operations on the runway resumed around 1015 hours, visibility was restricted to 800 metres due to which flight services were affected, the spokesperson said.

Prior to the runway being shut down, arrivals at the airport were operating largely on schedule while departures were delayed by up to half an hour, the spokesperson said.

Morning office-goers reached late at work places as Western and Central Railways' suburban services were delayed.

Services on the main line of Central Railways were operating nearly half an hour late, while the Harbour line was delayed by up to 15 minutes due to waterlogging at some stations, officials said.

Western Railway services were late by up to 15 minutes due to submerged tracks at stations like Grant Road and Borivali, they said.

Road traffic was hit on the Eastern and Western highways of the city with vehicles moving slowly due to poor visibility and waterlogging, traffic police officials said.

[Source: rediff news]

Highlights of the Interim Budget 2009-10

Highlights of the Interim Budget 2009-10:

The Gross Domestic Product increased by 7.5 per cent, 9.5 per cent, 9.7 percent and 9 per cent in the first four years from fiscal year 2004-05 to 2007-08 recording a sustained growth of over 9 per cent for three consecutive years for the first time. The growth drivers for the period were agriculture, services, manufacturing along with trade and construction.

Fiscal deficit down from 4.5 per cent in 2003-04 to 2.7 per cent in 2007-08 and Revenue deficit from 3.6 per cent to 1.1 per cent in 2007-08.

The domestic investment rate as a proportion of GDP increased from 27.6 per cent in 2003-04 to 39 per cent in 2007-08. Gross Domestic savings rate shot up from 29.8 per cent to 37.7 per cent during this period.

The Gross capital formation in agriculture as a proportion of agriculture GDP increased from 11.1 per cent in 2003-04 to 14.2 per cent in 2007-08.

The tax to GDP ratio increased from 9.2 per cent in 2003-04 to 12.5 per cent in 2007-08.

Annual growth rate of agriculture rose to 3.7 per cent during 2003-04 to 2007-08. The foodgrain production recorded an increase of 10 million tonnes each year during this period and touched an all time high of 230 million tonnes in 2007-08.

While manufacturing sector recorded growth of 9.5 per cent per annum in the period 2004-05 to 2007-08, communication and construction sectors grew at the rate of 26 per cent and 13.5 per cent per annum, respectively.

Exports grew at an annual average growth rate of 26.4 per cent in US dollar terms in the period 2004-05 to 2007-08. Foreign trade increased from 23.7 per cent of GDP in 2003-04 to 35.5 per cent in 2007-08.

Outlook For The Year 2008-09

Despite the global financial crisis which began in 2007 impacting most emerging market economies, 7.1 per cent rate of GDP growth in the current year makes India the second fastest growing economy in the world.

Fallout of global slowdown on Indian economy were countered with fiscal stimulus packages announced on December 7, 2008 and January 2, 2009 providing tax relief to boost demand and increasing expenditure on public projects.

Government accorded approval to 37 infrastructure projects worth Rs 70,000 crore from August, 2008 to January, 2009 alone.

Under PPP mode, 54 Central Sector infrastructure projects with a project cost of Rs 67,700 crore given in-principal or final approval and 23 projects amounting to Rs 27,900 crore approved for viability gap funding in 2008-09.

India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd. (IIFCL) to refinance up to 60 per cent of commercial bank loans for PPP projects involving total investment of Rs 1,00,000 crore in infrastructure over the next eighteen months.

In addition to RBI taking number of monetary easing and liquidity enhancing measures such as reduction in cash reserve ratio, statutory liquidity ratio and key policy rates, Government has taken specific measures which include extension of export credit for labour intensive exports, improving pre and post shipment credit availability, additional allocations for refund of Terminal Excise Duty/CST and export incentive schemes besides removal of export duty and export ban on certain items. A Committee of Secretaries set up to address procedural problems faced by exporters.

Record US$ 32.4 billion FDI received in 2007-08 and notwithstanding financial uncertainty and slowdown, FDI inflows during April-November, 2008 were US$ 23.3 billion recording a growth of 45 per cent over the same period in 2007.

FRBM targets for the current year and for fiscal 2009-10 relaxed to provide much needed demand boost. However, medium term objective is to revert to fiscal consolidation at the earliest.

Initiatives and Achievement

Agriculture

Plan allocation for agriculture increased by 300 per cent from 2003-04 to 2008-09. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna launched in 2007-08 with an outlay of Rs 25,000 crore to increase growth rate of agriculture and allied sector to 4 per cent per annum during Eleventh Plan period.

Agriculture credit disbursement increased three times from Rs 87,000 crore in 2003-04 to about Rs 2,50,000 crore in 2007-08.

To strengthen short-term cooperative credit structure, revival package in 25 states involving financial assistance of about Rs 13,500 crore is being implemented.

Interest subvention to be continued in 2009-10 to ensure that farmers get short term crop loans upto Rs 3 lakh at 7 per cent per annum.

The Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme, 2008 was implemented by June 30, 2008 as scheduled. Debt waiver/debt relief amounting to Rs 65,300 crore covers 3.6 crore farmers.

Despite higher procurement cost and higher international prices during the last 5 years, the central issue prices under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) maintained at July, 2000 level in case of Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) categories and at July, 2002 levels for Above Poverty Line (APL) category.

Minimum Support Price (MSP) for common variety of paddy increased from Rs 550 per quintal in 2003-04 to Rs 900 per quintal for the crop year 2008-09. In case of wheat, increase was from Rs 630 per quintal in 2003-04 to Rs 1080 per quintal for the year 2009. Rural Development

The corpus of Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) increased from Rs.5,500 crore in 2003-04 to Rs 14,000 crore for the year 2008-09. A separate window for rural roads created with a corpus of Rs 4,000 crore for each of the last three years.

As against 60 lakh houses to be constructed under Indira Awaas Yojana by 2008-09, 60 lakh twelve thousand houses constructed between 2005-06 to December, 2008.

Panchayat Empowerment and Accountability Scheme (PEAIS) proposed to be expanded.

'Project Arrow' to provide new technology enabled services through post offices to common man and support effective implementation of social sector schemes like NREGS, while promoting financial inclusion.

Education

Major initiatives including a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched to universalize education at secondary stage in the year 2008-09.

Outlay on Higher Education increased 9 fold in the Eleventh Five Year Plan. Ordinance promulgated for establishing 15 Central Universities. In addition to 6 new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Punjab and Gujrat which started functioning in 2008-09, two more IITs in Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh are expected to commence their academic session in 2009-10. 5 Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) announced earlier have become functional. 2 new schools of Planning and Architecture at Vijayawada and Bhopal have started functioning. Teaching is expected to commence from academic year 2009-10 in four out of six new Indian Institute of Management proposed for the Eleventh Plan in Haryana, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu.

Due to revision in Educational Loan Scheme by the Government number of beneficiaries increased from 3.19 lakh to 14.09 lakh and amount of loan outstanding increased from Rs 4,500 crore as on March, 31, 2004 to Rs 24,260 crore as on September 30, 2008.

500 ITIs upgraded into centers of excellence. National Skill Development Corporation created in July, 2008 with initial corpus of Rs 1,000 crore.

Social Sector

Authorised capital of National Safai Karamchari Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) is being raised from Rs 200 crore to Rs 300 crore.

Scope of the pre-metric scholarship for children of those engaged in unclean occupations expanded and rates of scholarship doubled in 2008-09. Annual ad-hoc grant increased by about 50 per cent as compared to earlier rates.

Rashtriya Mahila Kosh to be strengthened by enhancing its authorized capital.

'Priyadarsini Project' a rural women's employment and livelihood programme will be implemented as pilot in the district of Madhubani and Sitamarhi in Bihar and Shravasti, Bahraich, Rai Bareli and Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

146 lakh persons benefited under Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme in the current financial year.

Two new schemes � 'Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme' to provide pension of Rs 200 to widows between age groups of 40-64 years and 'Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme' to provide pension for severely disabled persons.

Widows in the age group of 18-40 years to be given priority in admission to ITIs, Women ITIs and National/Regional ITIs for women. Government to bear cost of their training and provide stipend of Rs 500 per month.

22 States and Union Territories initiated process to implement Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana for BPL familities in the unorganised sector and 60 lakh thirty two thousand persons covered for death and disability under 'Aam Admni' Bima Yojana (AABY). Public Sector Enterprises

Turnover of Central Public Sector Enterprises increased from Rs 5,87,000 crore in 2003-04 to Rs 10,81,000 crore in 2007-08 and profits grew from Rs 53,000 crore to Rs 91,000 crore. While number of loss making enterprises came down from 73 in 2003-04 to 55 in 2007-08, number of profit making enterprises has gone up from 143 to 158 during the same period.

Government approved implementation of Guidelines on Corporate Governance in Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) in June, 2007.

Corpus of National Investment Fund created out of disinvestment proceeds from Central PSUs stood at Rs 1,815 crore as on December 31, 2008.

Financial Sector Reforms

NPAs of Public Sector Banks declined from 7.8 per cent on March 31, 2004 to 2.3 per cent on March 31, 2008.

As a result of initiating process of amalgamation and recapitalization of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) with negative net worth, 196 RRBs merged into 85 RRBs. The Government has contributed Rs 652 crore for capitalization of RRBs upto December 31, 2008.

Number of reforms undertaken in the last four years to deepen and widen the securities markets and strengthen the regulatory mechanisms for these markets.

The Companies Bill, 2008, undertaking comprehensive revision of Companies Act, 1956 to enable adoption of internationally accepted best practices, has been introduced in the Parliament.

Tax Effort

Comprehensive reforms of tax system both direct and the indirect tax system have enabled the tax administration to enhance its functional efficiency and provide better tax payer services leading to increased compliance. Rates of Union Excise Duties and Service Tax rationalized for eventual shift to the Goods and Service Tax on 1st April, 2010.

109 marine vessels sanctioned for the Customs Department to prevent movements of contraband goods across the country's sea borders.

Administrative Reforms

The enactment of the Right to Information Act at the Centre and in many States ushering in greater accountability of the public servants.

Recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission approved by the Government has benefited over 45 lakh Central Government employees including Defence Forces and Para-Military forces and over 38 lakh pensioners.

Revised Estimates

The total expenditure at Rs 7,50,884 crore in B.E. 2008-09 revised to Rs 9,00,953 crore in R.E. 2008-09 showing an increase of Rs 1,50,069 crore.

Plan Expenditure gone up from Rs 2,43,386 crore in B.E. 2008-09 to Rs 2,82,957 crore in R.E. 2008-09.

Non-Plan expenditure increased by Rs 1,10,498 crore in R.E. 2008-09 over B.E. 2008-09.

Revised Estimate 2008-09 for Non-Tax Revenues increased from Rs 95,785 crore in Budget Estimate 2008-09 to Rs 96,203 crore.

Revised Estimates of gross tax collection projected at Rs 6,27,949 crore as against B.E. 2008-09 of Rs 6,87,715 crore, primarily due to pro-active fiscal measures initiated to counter the impact of global slowdown on the Indian economy.

Revised Revenue deficit to be at Rs 2,41,273 crore (4.4 per cent of GDP) as against budgeted figure of Rs 55,184 crore (1 per cent of GDP).

Fiscal deficit to go up from Rs 1,33,287 crore (2.5 per cent of GDP) in B.E. 2008-09 to Rs 3,26,515 crore (6 per cent of GDP).

Budget Estimates

Total expenditure for fiscal 2009-10 estimated at Rs 9,53,231 crore. Plan expenditure estimated at Rs 2,85,149 crore and Non-Plan expenditure at Rs 6,68,082 crore.

Budgetary support in Plan B.E. 2009-10 in comparison to B.E. 2008-09 increased for Department of Rural Development, Department of Road Transport & Highways, Railways, Ministry of Power, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and Department of Information Technology to meet the requirements of rural and infrastructure development along with higher allocation for Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and Ministry of Culture to ensure adequate resources for hosting of the Commonwealth Games. Allocations to flagship programme which directly impact 'Aam Aadmi' fully protected.

Rs.30,100 crore allocated for National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for the year 2009-10. In 2008-09 employment of 138.76 crore person days covering 3.51 crore household already generated.

About 98 per cent habitations covered by primary schools under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Allocation for this programme increased by 571 per cent between 2003-04 and 2008-09. Allocation of Rs 13,100 crore proposed for 2009-10.

Rs 8,000 crore allocated for Mid-day Meals Scheme for the year 2009-10.

Allocation of Rs 6,705 crore proposed for Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) for the year 2009-10. New WHO child growth standards adopted for monitoring growth of children under ICDS.

386 projects amounting to Rs 39,000 crore sanctioned till December 31, 2008 under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Allocation of Rs.11,842 crore proposed for the year 2009-10.

Rs.7,400 crore allocated for Rajiv Gandhi Rural Drinking Water Mission, Rs 1,200 crore for Rural Sanitation Programme, Rs 12,070 crore for National Rural Health Mission, Rs 40,900 crore allocated for Bharat Nirman for the year 2009-10.

A provision of Rs 100 crore in the Annual Plan 2009-10 made for Unique Identification Authority of India.

RIDF-XV proposed with a corpus of Rs 14,000 crore. Separate window for rural roads to continue with a corpus of Rs 4,000 crore.

Interest subvention of 2 per cent on pre and post shipment credit for certain employment oriented sectors i.e. Textiles (including handlooms & handicrafts), Carpets, Leather, Gem & Jewellery, Marine products and SMEs extended beyond March 31, 2009 till September 30, 2009 involving an additional financial outgo of Rs.500 crore.

Government to recapitalize the public sector banks over the next two years to enable them to maintain Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) of 12 per cent.

Allocation for Defence increased to Rs 1,41,703 crore which includes Rs 54,824 for Capital Expenditure.

Major subsidies including food, fertilizer and petroleum estimated at Rs 95,579 crore.

For the fiscal 2009-10, with Centre's net tax revenue estimated at Rs 5,00,096 crore and Revenue expenditure at Rs 8,48,085 crore, revenue deficit is estimated at 4 per cent of GDP and fiscal deficit at 5.5 per cent of GDP.

INDIA’S GAY DAY!!!

[http://movies.indiainfo.com/2009/06/14/images/gay_400_02.jpg]

[Source: Times of India News]

In Landmark Ruling, Delhi HC Says Homosexuality Not A Crime

New Delhi: India took a giant, albeit belated, step towards globalisation on Thursday when the Delhi high court delivered a historic judgment to amend a 149-year-old colonialera law—Section 377 of the IPC—and decriminalize private consensual sex between adults of the same gender. It is the biggest victory yet for gay rights and a major milestone in the country’s social evolution. India becomes the 127th country to take the guilt out of homosexuality.

In a judgment that has aroused strong reactions from religious and political groups, the court declared that Section 377, where it ‘‘criminalized consensual sexual acts of adults in private’’, violated the fundamental rights to personal liberty (Article 21 of the constitution) and equality (Article 14) and to prohibition of discrimination (Article 15).

A bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice S Muralidhar clarified that the provisions of Section 377, enacted in 1860 to deal with an unspecified range of ‘‘unnatural offences’’, would hereafter be restricted to non-consensual penile ‘‘non-vaginal sex’’ (rape by a homosexual) and ‘‘penile non-vaginal sex involving minors’’ (paedophilia).

In a courtroom tense with anticipation, the bench invoked Jawaharlal Nehru’s stirring words to the Constituent Assembly, linking the issue of homosexuality with the politically resonant theme of inclusiveness. ‘‘If there is one constitutional tenet that can be said to be (the) underlying theme of the Indian constitution, it is that of inclusiveness.’’ As a corollary, it added that ‘‘those perceived by the majority as ‘deviants’ or ‘different’ are not... excluded or ostracized’’.

Upholding the petition filed by Naz Foundation, the court ruled, ‘‘Indian constitutional law
does not permit the statutory criminal law to be held captive by the popular misconceptions of who the LGBTs (lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders) are. It cannot be forgotten that discrimination is the antithesis of equality and that it is the recognition of equality which will foster the dignity of every individual.’’

‘‘There is almost unanimous medical and psychiatric opinion that homosexuality is not a disease or a disorder and is just another expression of human sexuality,’’ the court said.

While stating that its reinterpretation of Section 377 would hold until parliament amends the law, the court commended the Law Commission’s 172nd report which, it said, ‘‘removes a great deal of confusion’’. The Law Commission has suggested the repeal of Section 377 while redefining rape to include sexual offences of nonconsensual sex between adults of the same sex and pedophilia.

The verdict triggered protests from religious leaders across the spectrum who invoked the ‘‘will of God’’ to claim it would lead to the ‘‘ruination’’ of society and family values. Social workers and psychologists welcomed the order, calling it ‘‘scientific and humane’’.

Political parties were divided. The CPM welcomed the judgment, while the Samajwadi Party said it was totally opposed to it. Both the Congress and the BJP said they would have to study the order first. BJP leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi though came out in opposition, indicating an emerging left-right divide on the issue.


150-YEAR-OLD LAW ENACTED BY BRITISH OVERTURNED
“...377 denies a gay person the right to full personhood which is implicit in notion of life... A law branding one section of people as criminal based wholly on state’s moral approval of that class runs counter to equality guaranteed in constitution” —Delhi HC
Like It Or Not
Religious leaders across the spectrum —Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh—invoked “will of God” to oppose ruling
Political parties divided on ruling. Left welcomes it, SP’s against it. Cong & BJP play for time, say they need to study the order

What is Section 377?
Section 377 of Indian Penal Code imposes a maximum penalty of life sentence on anybody who has “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” with any man, woman or animal

What has Delhi HC done?
Delhi HC read down this wide-ranging provision to decriminalize homosexuality. “We declare that Section 377 IPC, insofar as it criminalizes consensual sexual acts of adults in private, is violative of Articles 21, 14 and 15 of the constitution.” Article 21 deals with personal liberty, 14 with right to equality, and 15 the right against discrimination (on grounds of sex)

Has 377 been struck down?
No, it hasn’t. The court has clarified that 377 will continue to govern “nonconsensual penile non-vaginal sex (rape of a homosexual) and penile non-vaginal sex involving minors (paedophilia)”. By implication, oral and anal sex between consenting adults (male-female or same sex) has also been decriminalized

Why are gays celebrating?
Since there are hardly any instances of Section 377 being used against consensual sex between adults, the main benefit of the judgment for homosexuals is psychological as it reduces scope for their harassment. It may also over time reduce the social stigma

What’s HC’s reco to govt? Verdict calls upon parliament to repeal Section 377. It suggests that parts of the section that deal with sexual offences such as ‘‘non-consensual sodomy’’ and paedophilia be transferred to the IPC sections dealing with rape (375 and 376)

What will govt do now? Secretly relieved as HC has spared it a politically difficult decision. Unlikely to appeal unless forced to. If someone else goes in appeal, govt will be called upon to take a stand. Which way will it go then? A number of key ministers are said to favour decriminalisation. Govt has the option to amend the law as suggested by the HC. Interestingly, although the govt—represented by the home ministry in consultation with the law ministry — opposed Naz’s PIL, the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO), which comes under the health ministry, took Naz’s sid

Kambakkht Ishq :: Akshay is recieving an award from Sylvester Stallone

Moments before one of the film's only genuinely funny scenes, Akshay is recieving an award from Sylvester Stallone. The battered icon makes a neat little Rockyesque speech on the importance of stuntmen, following which Akshay, weilding his trophy like a sceptre, launches into Punjabi and talks about how a young boy who wanted to be Stallone is now sharing a stage with him. It's manipulative to the hilt, but Kumar musters up enough sincerity to keep it real, right down to him touching Rambo's feet.

[Source: http://movies.rediff.com]