Supermoon | Extreme Super Moon March 19 Expect Earthquakes, High Tides, Extreme Weather

On March 19th 2011, the moon will make its closest approach to Earth in almost 20 years, possibly triggering earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other disasters.
The phenomenon, called lunar perigee or Supermoon, happens when the moon reaches its absolute closest point to Earth. On March 19, the natural satellite will be only 221,567 miles away from our planet.
There were Supermoons in 1955, 1974, 1992 and 2005, and these years had their share of extreme weather conditions, too. Although there are scientific laws that say the moon affects the Earth, it's still ambiguous whether the lunar perigee and natural disasters is coincidence or not.
British freelance weatherman John Kettley was quoted as saying "A moon can't cause a geological event like an earthquake, but it will cause a difference to the tide. If that combines with certain weather conditions, then that could cause a few problems for coastal areas."
While hoping for a non-disastrous ‘moon giant’, point your eyes and camera lenses toward the night sky on 19th. If the sky is clear, you’re gonna get an exceptional celestial treat.

Baba Ramdev donated Rs 11 lakh to BJP ahead of 2009 elections

Right to Information (RTI) query has revealed just how hollow Ramdev's claim of being apolitical is. The information given in the RTI reply indicates the yoga guru's inclination towards the nation's principal Opposition party, the BJP.
Haridwar-based Patanjali Ayurveda Limited, an organisation helmed by Ramdev, had donated Rs 11 lakh to the BJP just before the general elections in 2009.
This information was provided by the Election Commission to the organisation Beyond Headlines, that had filed the RTI petition.
According to the commission, Patanjali Ayurveda had donated the amount to the party through a Punjab National Bank cheque (number 859783) dated March 8, 2009.
Afroz Alam Sahil, a Delhi-based RTI activist who obtained these details, said: "Ramdev is donating the money that he gets from his bhakts (followers)."
Officials of the Patanjali Ayurveda Limited rubbished Ramdev's links with the BJP. "Baba Ramdev has nothing to do with the financial matters of the company. The organisation is being run by various followers of Baba Ramdev. He only looks after the quality and control of the products.
Moreover, the donations have nothing to do with Patanjali Yogpeeth, the main organisation headed by Baba Ramdev," Patanjali Ayurveda's managing director Acharaya Balkrishan Maharaj said.
"We have not done anything wrong. Whatever we have donated has been done legally. The decision to donate money to the BJP was taken by the management committee, which doesn't need permission from Baba Ramdev," Balkrishan added.
The BJP, too, tried to downplay the donations. "Baba Ramdev's company has donated the money to us. We get donations from various people organisations as well industrialists. We had informed the income tax department as well the Election Commission about this. We don't have any problem if anyone comes up with funds to help us," BJP office incharge Shyam Jaju said.
But he added: "If someone is giving us donations, they must have some sympathy towards us and our ideals." Ramdev had last year announced plans to float his own political party, Bharat Swabhiman. His party will field candidates in all 543 Lok Sabha seats.
The Divya yoga website lists the five targets that it wants to achieve as " 100 per cent voting, 100 per cent nationalistic thinking, 100 per cent total boycott of foreign companies and complete support to swadeshi, 100 per cent organisation of patriots and to make a healthy, prosperous and cultured Bharat" by using yoga.
With Ramdev floating a political party, the BJP was believed to have been perturbed that Hindu votes would be split.
" Ramdev says he does not expect much from the BJP and is unlikely to enter into a coalition with the saffron party. Then why has he donated this much to it?" Sahil asked.
Yoga guru's political colours
Way before he announced plans to float his own political party, Baba Ramdev had said of joining politics: " Neither in the past was I associated with politics, nor today do I have any association with politics. I will never join politics."
Then last year, Ramdev said he would float the Bharat Swabhiman party by June 2011. His party will field candidates on all 543 Lok Sabha seats.
The party aims to achieve " 100 per cent voting, 100 per cent nationalistic thinking, 100 per cent total boycott of foreign companies and complete support to swadeshi, 100 per cent organisation of patriots and to make a healthy, prosperous and cultured Bharat".
The BJP is a worried lot. Considering the number of followers Ramdev has all over India, the saffron party fears that fighting the polls against Bharat Swabhiman will split the Hindu votes.
Ramdev, as of now, has ruled out joining hands with the BJP. His party plans to go it alone in the next general election.

IndiGo pilot held for fake papers

A woman pilot has been arrested in the capital for allegedly using a forged marksheet of a DGCA test to procure a commercial pilot licence, police said on Wednesday.
Parminder Kaur Gulati, a suspended pilot of Indigo, was apprehended by a team of Delhi Police's crime branch on Tuesday following investigations into a complaint filed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Gulati allegedly produced the forged marksheets of DGCA Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) test to get the commercial pilot licence.
With ATPL, one can become a co-pilot and to get a full fledged commercial pilot licence one should have ATPL with adequate flying hours.
Sources said Gulati had allegedly produced forged marksheets of ATPL examination conducted by the DGCA. She holds a valid commercial pilot licence.
Last year, during a flight landing in Goa by Gulati, technical errors were noticed and DGCA had constituted an enquiry to look into it.
Sources said, during investigations it came to light that Gulati had allegedly forged marksheets of the ATPL examination, following which she was suspended by the airlines.

India not as corrupt as China and Russia

News Reprt: India is not as corrupt as China and Russia, according to the global credit rating agency Fitch.
The country, however, suffers from excessive regulation and tax laws, which is concern for foreign investors, Fitch Group Managing Director for Corporate Rating Richard Hunter told PTI in an interview.
"We will certainly rank India well below Russia and China when it comes to concerns about corruption. Really big concern about India is regulation and tax treatment," he said.
Has the Prime Minister completely owned up the CVC issue by not explaining how the error occured?
 
These comments come at a time when the nation is facing a plethora of corruption cases relating to allocation of 2G spectrum, conduct of Commonwealth Games, allotment of flats in Adarsh Housing Society and Devas-Antrix deal.
Hunter further said that the recent corruption cases have not dent the confidence of investors in India, adding that "Corruption is certainly not a specialty in which India will win the gold medal."
However, he said, domestic and foreign investors are concerned about the burdensome regulatory regime in India.
"Corruption is something that does deter investors much more in China. There is respect for Indian legal system," he said.
Hunter said the rating outlook for most Indian companies is stable for the current year.

Broad's World Cup dreams over through injury

Fast bowler Stuart Broad was ruled out of the World Cup on Tuesday with a side strain, his exit delivering a second body blow in as many days to England's hopes.

"He's ruled out of the World Cup and he's flying home tomorrow," an England spokesman told Reuters.

On Monday, batsman Kevin Pietersen said he was heading back home as he needed immediate attention on a hernia.

However, while Pietersen had struggled to make an impact in the sub-continent, England's hopes of winning their first 50-over trophy had relied a lot on Broad's form.

Broad was largely responsible for England's dramatic six-run win over South Africa on Sunday as he claimed the last two wickets in four balls to seal the win. He finished with 4-15.

The 24-year-old generated swing and much-needed aggression to torment the South African batsmen and made sure England's meagre total of 171 could not be equalled.

His injury could not have come at a worse time for England as he has been their main strike bowler throughout, taking six wickets in three matches. He missed the game against India with an upset stomach.

"Stuart felt some discomfort following the South Africa match and our initial assessment indicated a strain to his left side," England and Wales Cricket Board chief medical officer Nick Peirce said in a statement.

"Subsequent scans have confirmed a significant side strain injury -- where the muscle attaches the rib -- that will rule him out of the remainder of the World Cup.

"This ... requires a period of recuperation and rehabilitation and the duration of this recovery period will be determined following further assessment in the UK."

England have yet to apply for a replacement but pace bowler Chris Tremlett appeared to be the front runner to take Broad's place as he has been travelling with the players despite not being a member of the 15-man squad.

BITTERLY DISAPPOINTED

A forlorn Broad, who missed the last three Ashes tests with an abdominal muscle tear, almost seemed resigned to his fate when he had spoken to reporters earlier on Tuesday to explain his injury.

"I think I have got a little side niggle, I'm not sure how serious it is at the moment," Broad told a news conference.

"I have never had a side strain in this manner before so I don't really know the symptoms.

"It's a bit sore ... but that might be just after a vigorous couple of games in a few days. It's quite a common injury for bowlers.

"If it is an actual side strain or tear, it is something you have to be very careful of and make sure you take your time to get fit and not rush back.

"But obviously, I'll be bitterly disappointed if it is the end of my World Cup."

It was a feeling Pietersen knew only too well as he returned to Britain to undergo hernia surgery. He was replaced by Eoin Morgan, who arrived in Chittagong on Tuesday.

Morgan, a dangerous middle-order batsman, had been withdrawn from the squad with a broken finger but Pietersen's exit earned him a recall.

"He's (Morgan's) been our best one-day batsman for the past year, he's won us games single-handedly. I know the whole squad are excited about his arrival," Broad said earlier on Tuesday.

"We know what a skilful player he is and what he can add to this team, so it's a big boost to have him in the side because we know he can win games and plays spin particularly well."

England lie second in Group B with five points and with two games remaining. The top four teams from each group progress to the quarter-finals.

Their next match is against co-hosts Bangladesh on Friday in Chittagong.

22-year-old Delhi University student shot at in Delhi

A second year degree student was shot at by unidentified persons near her college in south Delhi on Tuesday morning, police said.

The spot where the girl was killed by unidentified persons.
The incident outside Ramlal Anand College in Dhaula Kuan at around 10.20 am came on a day when the city was celebrating the International Women's Day.
The 22-year-old girl was shot at by unidentified persons when she was on the foot over bridge near the college.
The attackers, however, fled the scene immediately.
She was rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital where she is undergoing treatment.
The motive behind the incident is being investigated, a senior police official said.

Pay less tax but save nothing

The one take away from the Union Budget for the common man is definitely the tax relief. With DTC expected to be implemented next year, this is a welcome sign for the salaried class.
For general tax payers, the measure will result in "a uniform tax relief of Rs 2,000," Mukherjee said. But our FM isn't naive. He might have got a thumbs up for giving the common man this relief, but do you realise that you will actually end up spending more than you save?
On the surface, increasing servicing tax to 5% from 3% doesn't seem high. But given that need-based spending has increased steadily over the last few years, you are now burdened with more indirect taxes than the direct tax you pay.
A report in Economic Times says,
"Discretionary spending has increased from 35% of the average Indian household consumption in 1985, to 52% in 2005, and 58% in 2009. As incomes rise, we tend to spend proportionally less on basic necessities and more on discretionary items. Add to this the excise duty that we pay on most consumption products."
So apart from paying more on hotels and hospitals, you would end paying more on your apparels, Jewellery, food items, entertainment and host of other things.
So instead of celebrating, it is time for you to sit down and calculate how much you should invest wisely to save something.