Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani faces a revolt by members

NEW DELHI: Dissent against Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani appears to be gathering strength with some members planning to make a formal representation to PM Narendra Modi and I&B minister Arun Jaitley. Members of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) have expressed concern at Nihalani's unilateral decision making style and cavalier attitude.

Board members said that cuss words were still being arbitrarily snipped from films (despite the Board's opposition) and decisions being made on films without taking the Board in to confidence."There are a few of us who feel that the chairperson has been working on his own accord without listening to anyone on the Board. This is unfair. We are planning to approach the PM and the I&B minister on the issue,'' the member said.

Nihalani however denied that the cuss list had been re-circulated. "I am doing my job according to the rules and the allegations made are completely baseless and false. The members who are complaining actually don't want to work,'' he said.

Nihalani has faced social media derision after the Board ruled kissing scenes of Daniel Craig with Monica Bellucci and Lea Seydoux in the new James Bond release Spectre as too extensive and had them trimmed by half.

Former I&B secretary and Board member Raghu Menon in a recent letter to fellow members said that he was 'disturbed' at being treated in a 'cavalier and offhand fashion' by CBFC chairman and CEO and the utter insensitivity and disregard of the I&B ministry. Announcing that he would not attend any more Board meetings Menon said, "I have closely observed and have been involved in the working of the CBFC for the last 20 years in various capacities when it was headed by luminaries like Shakti Samanta, Vijay Anand, Asha Parekh, Sharmila Tagore, Leela Samson etc, but never have I seen it sink to such levels of total disregard for the Board Members. It would be better to disband the Board if it is found to be so irrelevant.''

Nihalini however said that Menon's term was over earlier this month so there was no question of him attending any meetings.

Producer Ashoke Pandit had on Wednesday tweeted that Nihalini should not act as an official spokesperson for the party and questioned if the censor chief had used his influence to screen a video praising PM Modi appending it to a recent Salman Khan starrer in theatres.

According to sources another member—actor and former BJP contestant from Assam--George Baker felt that Menon's email was disturbing. "The entire board should be taken into confidence and a meeting should be held to either approve or ratify what should be done. Arbitrarily taking decisions without taking the board into confidence should not reflect on the board and any adverse repercussions should not be placed on the shoulders of the board.''

Former St Xavier's college professor and Board member Nandini Sardesai said that she had been informed that Nihalani had circulated the cuss list with instructions to regional officers asking them to implement it while film writer Mihir Bhuta suggested that representations should be made to the PM and I&B minister, sources said.

From Times of India

Benefits of Walking: 9 Reasons why it's Great for Your Health

Long walks help you clear your head, pace your thoughts and calm you down, figuratively speaking. The benefits of walking seem so obvious that they're rarely discussed. We forget how it's great exercise that also helps you tone your legs, shed the extra weight and doesn't need you to have an exclusive gym membership. It quickens your heart beat, circulating more blood and oxygen to your muscles and your organs, including the brain. Experts suggest that brisk walking for 30 minutes at a moderate speed can help you burn 150 to 200 calories.

And walking isn't all sports shoes and parks. During the day, you can also get up from your desk every hour or so and walk around your office or block for two whole minutes. The benefits of intense exercise are undeniable, of course, but even a few steps daily can take you a long way. It's obvious that regular walking helps you lose weight but you must also know that the speed at which you walk could make all the difference. Researchers from the University of Virginia found that women who did three shorter but fast-paced walks in a week lost five times more belly fat than those who strolled five times a week. And that's not all, high intensity exercise also helps you lose three times more visceral fat which is the one wrapped around your organs like liver and kidneys and has often been linked to heart disease and diabetes.

Over the last few years, researchers have spent a lot of time and resources to figure out how walking helps, how swift or slow you should walk and it helps bring a certain kind of rhythm to your life that no other form of exercise can.

1. Less likely to suffer a stroke and other cardiovascular problems - According to a study by the Harvard Medical School, walking for just 2.5 hours a week, which is 21 minutes a day can cut the risk of heart disease by 30%. In fact, it even goes on to say that walking regularly could save Americans over 100 billion dollars a year in health care costs. A 2009 issue of Harvard Men's Health Watch reported that walking is seriously underrated. Two scientists sifted through 4295 articles published on walking between 1997 and 2007. 18 of these met their high standards for quality. Each of these studies collected information about the participants walking habits and cardiovascular risk factors such as age, smoking and alcohol use. The participants were followed for 11.3 years and during this time their cardiovascular events and deaths were recorded. When scientists compiled this data, they found that walking reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by 31% and cuts the risk of an early death by 32%.

2. Battle obesity - Some might say that walking is the easiest form of exercise. That is untrue because you should not really be strolling but walking at a fairly fast speed and secondly, it can actually help you lose weight. A University of Utah study in 2014 found that in women, every minute of brisk walking throughout the day could lower the risk of obesity by 5%. Harvard School of Public Health found that walking could cut the effects of obesity-promoting genes by half.

 

 

3. Drop the pressure - Walking most certainly helps lower your blood pressure but let's get a sense of how often and for how long you need to walk for it to really be helpful. Researchers from Arizona State University found that taking 10-minute walks every day is an effective way to lower your blood pressure.

4. Curb diabetes - According to the American Diabetes Association walking is a great way to curb diabetes. You should start out with a 3 to 5 minute slow-paced walk and then stretch for 5 to 10 minutes followed by a walk at moderate speed. Make sure you keep your spine straight and your chin up. On some days you can choose to indulge in shorter walks and on others push yourself to brisk walk. James O. Hill, PHD from the University of Colorado at Denver writes that a modest change in one's schedule like making time for walking can make a significant change in the life of a type 2 Diabetes patient, reducing overall healthcare costs. To see good results, you can start out with 30 minutes or 2400 steps a day and take it up to 77 minutes or 6400 steps a day.

5. Prevent cancer - According to a 2012 Harvard University Women's Health Study walking for one to three hours a week reduces the risk of death from breast and uterine cancer by almost 19%. And if these women push themselves a bit further, and walk for about three to five hours a week, they could reduce the risk of breast and uterine cancer to almost 54%.

A study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, and conducted by the American Cancer Society found that walking up to 7 hours a week reduces the risk of breast cancer itself by 14%. The sample size of this group was a large 73,600 and was done over two decades, making the results of this study even more credible.

6. Exercise can boost your memory - Exercise is good for the brain but walking in specific is good for boosting your memory. A 2011 study published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed how walking for 40 minutes at a stretch three times a week could increase the volume of the hippocampus by 2%, which is fairly significant. Another study that was presented at the 2014 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, regular brisk walks can slow down the shrinking of the brain and the faltering mental skills that old age often bring. The study was done with men and women between the ages of 60 and 80 and it concluded that taking a short walk three times a week increased the size of that part of the brain linked to planning and memory.

7. Boost your immunity - According to a study done at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, a moderately-paced walk for about 30 to 45 minutes daily can increase the number of immune system cells in your body and over a period of time, it can have really remarkable effect on your body's ability to fight disease. To be more specific, walking at least 20 minutes a day could reduce the risk of getting sicker by almost 43%.

 

 

8. Good for old age - A 2014 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed how walking from an early age can help you stay mobile and independent during old age. The sample size included people between the ages of 70 and 89. After 2.5 years, researchers found that the group of adults which exercised regularly were 28% less likely to become disabled and also 18% less likely to have any episode of physical disability.

9. Curb stress eating - Walking is one of the best ways to kick your stress eating habits to the curb. It doesn't work in isolation though. The ideal way to beat a stress eating disorder it to meditate, get good sleep and walk around 10,000 steps a day. Experts believe that stress eating is more often a symptom of an emotional or psychological problem. Walking releases endorphin into your system and reverses the cortisol levels in your body, helping you curb stress eating.

Tej Pratap Yadav, Lalu Yadav's Debutant Son, Repeats Oath After Flub

Patna:  Tej Pratap Yadav, the politically inexperienced older son of Lalu Yadav, was third in line to be sworn in today as a minister in Bihar's Nitish Kumar government.

He was asked by Governor Ramnath Kovind to repeat his oath after a flub; he had said "Upekshit (neglected)" instead of "Apekshit (expectations)". Even in his second attempt, he fumbled on another word.

Tej Pratap, who turns 28 tomorrow, has settled for a junior role compared to his younger brother Tejaswi, who is set to take charge as Deputy Chief Minister at 26.

Though both sons of Lalu Yadav are debutants and won their first election this time, Tejaswi is widely seen as his father's political heir since he campaigned with him for last year's national election.

Lalu's oldest Misa contested the Lok Sabha election but lost. She was present at the swearing in ceremony along with two more sisters.

Misa, Tej Pratap and Tejaswi are the only ones among Lalu's nine children to join politics.

Story First Published: November 20, 2015 14:31 IST

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Compact SUV Spy Shots Reveal Look of the Car

Maruti Suzuki has to up its game if it’s going to contend with the likes of cars that are pouring out of the Hyundai stable and the Vitara Compact SUV. As we’ve said earlier the car will be rolled out by April, 2016.

The company confirmed that the Vitara compact SUV will be showcased at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo and a launch of the product will follow suit. The compact SUV is a priority product for Maruti Suzuki and they can’t wait to bring it here. The car, in fact, has already made it to India and here are a few pictures of it.

The India-bound Maruti Suzuki Vitara will look similar to the iV-4 concept which made its debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. It shares the same platform as the XA Alpha concept which was showcased at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.

The Vitara compact SUV that will go up against the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Renault Duster and even the upcoming Honda BR-V (which will be seen at the Auto Expo too). But it looks like price will play an important role and the company is looking to price it under the 10 lakh mark.

If the car is priced under the 10 lakh mark, the Vitara will prove to be a serious threat to the others and knowing how Maruti Suzuki prices its cars, the competition is about to heat up in this segment. As far as the engine options for the Maruti Suzuki Vitara are concerned, the company will plan on bringing the 1.4-litre VVT petrol and a 1.3-litre multijet diesel, however considering that the 1.6-litre diesel has already made its way to India, Maruti Suzuki might just up the ante by loading it in the Vitara.

Image Source: Fiat Moto Club

Virat Kohli Hails Wriddhiman Saha's Work Ethics

Bangalore: Virat Kohli's has expressed his confidence in wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha's abilities in both his keeping and batting.

When asked whether Wriddhiman had lived upto his expectations, the skipper replied: "Well, I really like Wriddhi's attitude as he is a very hard working cricketer. He is willing to do anything that the team requires. He is a brilliant wicketkeeper and very good with the bat as well. He has got a very good first-class record as he has got lot of runs in pressure situations."

The glowing praise from his skipper would do a world of good for the 31-year-old, who exactly has not done well with the bat.

"He (Wriddhiman) is still finding his feet in Test cricket and he is already confident of his keeping. He can become more confident of his batting and it will come with the amount of runs he scores and the kind of impact he makes. And be that sort of perfect No 6 or 7 for us. He is someone who can handle pressure situations really well. In the first innings of the Sydney Test, he hung in there for long time, played the fast bowlers really well."

Kohli went to the extent of saying that Wriddhiman can handle any sort of attack in any conditions.
"He is someone who can handle any conditions and any sort of attack. He has that sort of belief that more confidence has with the bat, he will develop into an important sort of member for this team."

Story first published on: Wednesday, 18 November 2015 16:28 IST

Sheena Bora Murder: Peter Mukerjea Arrested For Allegedly Destroying Evidence, Lying, Say CBI Sources

Mumbai:  Media tycoon Peter Mukerjea, who was arrested on Thursday in connection with the Sheena Bora murder, has been charged with destroying evidence and lying to protect his wife Indrani Mukerjea, sources have told NDTV.

The sections listed against Peter Mukerjea are "causing disappearance of evidence of offence and giving false information to screen offender," sources say.

Peter Mukerjea's wife Indrani Mukerjea was arrested in August, days after the remains of Sheena Bora - her daughter - were found in a forest 80 km from Mumbai.

Sheena was strangled in 2012 allegedly by Indrani Mukerjea, her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyam Rai.

Sources say Peter Mukerjea was arrested after Indrani Mukerjea's conflicting statements led the CBI to believe that he was aware of the plot to kill his step-daughter.

The Mumbai police had earlier learnt that Peter Mukerjea had received an email from Sheena's hotmail account after her disappearance. Indrani Mukerjea had allegedly used this account to send emails to Peter Mukerjea and Rahul Mukerjea, his son from a previous marriage and Sheena's fiance. She also sent mails to Vidhie Mukerjea, another daughter, and Sheena's brother Mekhail Bora.

All the family members were told that Sheena Bora had moved to US with a boyfriend.

Rahul Mukerjea was also questioned by the CBI on Thursday and left this morning.

Sources say he told the police that after Sheena's disappearance, he visited four police stations in Mumbai to lodge a missing complaint but the police didn't act after being told by Indrani that Sheena had moved to the US and Rahul was stalking her.

Rahul, sources say, has told the CBI that he had approached his father about Sheena's disappearance and questioned Indrani's claims that she had gone abroad.

Rahul had told Peter Mukerjea that Sheena Bora's passport was with him, sources say.

Sources say driver Shyam Rai has recorded a confessional statement before the CBI and is likely to turn approver in the case.

Story First Published: November 20, 2015 11:55 IST

'RoboBees' with Laser Eyes Could Locate Disaster Victims

by Charles Q. Choi, Live Science Contributor

Mechanical eyes that shoot laser beams could one day help robot bees fly without crashing into obstacles, researchers say.

These laser eyes could also one day help people control smartphones, tablets, laptops, wearable technology and other mobile devices using only gestures, the researchers added.

Currently, researchers are developing biologically inspired, bee-size flying robots dubbed RoboBees. These devices might one day find use in everything from pollinating crops to locating disaster victims.

Previous research found that robot bees are capable of flying while tethered and moving while submerged in water. However, these machines lack depth perception. This is a major problem, because it means these robots would have a tough time avoiding flying into walls or landing on flowers. 

To tackle this challenge, researchers now want to outfit robot bees with a laser-based version of radar. This technologies, known as lidar — short for light detection and ranging — emits invisible laser pulses instead of the radio waves used in radar. Sensors measure how long it takes reflected light to travel, which makes it possible to calculate the distance, size and shape of objects. And unlike most lasers, these beams are safe for use around eyes.

"Our technology is very similar to what exists in a Microsoft Kinect that comes with the Xbox for sensing your movements for a game," Karthik Dantu, a computer scientist at the University at Buffalo in New York, told Live Science. "These are extremely safe technologies, similar to ones already used in daily life today."

Lidar is currently helping driverless car prototypes navigate their surroundings. The lidar systems on these vehicles are typically about the size of camping lanterns.

"Essentially, it's the same technology that automakers are using to ensure that driverless cars don't crash into things," Dantu said in a statement. "Only, we need to shrink that technology so it works on robot bees that are no bigger than a penny."

Computer-vision expert Sanjeev Koppal and sensor expert Huikai Xie, both at the University of Florida, will develop the tiny sensor that measures reflected light. Meanwhile, Dantu will create novel perception and navigation algorithms to help RoboBees analyze and map their environments.

"Lidar is basically exploiting the 'echo' of a light pulse," Koppal told Live Science. "You can imagine that the echo of a light pulse that leaves a sensor, bounces off an object and returns is really fast. Detecting this quickly, but without complex circuitry and inside a small form factor, is one of the main challenges."

The micro-lidar device will weigh about two-thousandths of an ounce (56 milligrams), Koppal said. The researchers hope to have working micro-lidar sensors and algorithms in three years, Dantu said. Scientists at Harvard University will incorporate the technology into the RoboBees.

The researchers suggested that micro lidar will not be limited to robot insects in the future. Other applications could involve helping people interact with mobile devices using "natural user interfaces" similar to Microsoft's Kinect, which can detect gestures that people make.

"With micro lidar, you can imagine doing natural user interfaces for wearable technologies like smart clothing and smartwatches," Koppal said.