Friday, May 31, 2013

Want to walk to sky - Use the "Norway Sky Bridge"!!





Thursday, May 23, 2013

Though the rulers are corrupt, a common Indian is still honest - Rickshaw driver returns Rs 1.90 crore cheque!!


     Everyday we are reading news about scams - each one is much bigger than the previous ones! We are witness to "Match Fixing", "Spot Fixing", "Money Laundering by Banks", "Chit fund frauds", etc. All the accused are super-rich. They have enough money for many generations and still their greed is not satisfied. It looks as if the whole world is corrupt!

     But, that is not true. We get many incidents which shows the height of honest even today. Here is the latest incident of a rickshaw driver's honesty!


Rickshaw driver returns Rs 1.90 crore cheque


AHMEDABAD: An Ahmedabad auto rickshaw driver has returned Rs 1.90 crore cheque issued in his name in lieu of three bigha land acquired for Tata's Nano plant in Sanand. 

Raju Bharwad could have pocketed the sum, but gave an undertaking that he was no longer the land owner. He ensured that the names of the new owners are entered in the official records. 

Raju's family owned 10 bigha land in Sanand. Thirty years ago, his grandfather sold three bigha for around Rs 5 lakh on which 40-odd families built small tenements. 

Later, Nano happened and land prices skyrocketed. Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) acquired land around the Nano plant at Rs 28 lakh a bigha and started paying farmers in whose names the land was registered. 

Since the new owners had failed to register their names, records still listed Raju and his mother, Baluben, as owners. 

"Honesty is one thing my parents taught me. I could not have used money acquired through dishonesty for my family," says Raju, who lives in a small two-room house with his wife, three kids and mother. 

His family urged him to take the right step. In fact, his mother blessed him for his righteousness. "I may earn Rs 6,000 per month but live a life of dignity. I also have four bighas of land in my name which is good enough for the future of my family," he adds. 

GIDC official Naveen Patel said, "We have witnessed many land disputes but a person returning a cheque worth Rs 1.90 crore is a first."

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Mysore palace never runs out of water!!

The kings of Mysore (Wodeyar) and their engineers had very good foresight. If you want to understand "What is foresight", you should look at the new layouts that are coming up in Bangalore - the narrow roads, overflowing drainage, etc. - single rain is sufficient to show the "foresight of our modern rulers"!!
The water facility created for Mysore palace more than a century back, is still running fine and smooth - that speaks volumes about the "foresight of Mysore Kings and their engineers"!
Wodeyars had constructed 12 tanks with a capacity of 1.20 Lakh litres on the roof of the Palace building. These tanks are located on the third floor of the palace building just below the 'Gopuram' (Dome) and each tank has the capacity of storing 10,000 litres of water. Since these tanks are constructed inside the RCC of the palace roof (that is 'Gopuram'), they also act as natural air conditioners for the entire Palace! These tanks are designed in such a way that Cauvery water is supplied directly to these tanks through rising pipes. Now, since the supply of Cauvery water has been stopped, an alternative arrangement has been made to supply water from the bore wells located inside the Palace premises.
Probably except for the members of the Royal family and Mysore Palace Board officials, nobody else knows about these large tanks, which are providing water to thousands of visitors who throng the Mysore Palace premises every day.
Mysore Palace Board has also adopted Rain Water Harvesting system which has helped in maintaining the ground water level. By doing this, 1 Crore litres of water is preserved and is available throughout the year.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Amazing photograph of Galaxy Messier 94 (NGC 4736)


This is an image of the galaxy Messier 94, also known as NGC 4736. This image was captured in infrared light by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Historically, Messier 94 was considered to have two strikingly different rings: a brilliant, compact band encircling the galaxy's core, and a faint, broad, swath of stars falling outside its main disk. Astronomers have recently discovered that the outer ring, seen here in the deep blue glow of starlight, might actually be more of an optical illusion. The bright inner ring of Messier 94 is very real, however. This area is sometimes identified as a "starburst ring" because of the frenetic pace of star formation in the confined area.


Monday, May 20, 2013

This madrasa begins the day with Vande Matram



This madrasa begins the day with Vande Matram

Vijay Pratap Singh Posted online: Fri Nov 13 2009, 04:33 hrs
Allahabad : Even as the debate on the recitation of Vande Matram being in accordance with the tenets of Islam continues, a madrasa in Satasipur village in Ambedkar Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh holds a special distinction: It begins each day reciting the National Song.
At Niyamatuloom, this has been the tradition for the past 33 years. “My students and I sing the song every morning,” says Mehrab Hashim, head of the madarsa set up in 1976.
Niyamatuloom showcases yet another distinct attribute: students here receive religious education not only in Islam, but also from Hindu scriptures, says Hashim.
Rais Ahmad, a Class VI student and school monitor, can recite Vande Matram and Gayatri Mantra just as well as he does the Holy Quran. “I don’t fully understand Vande Martram, but it is about the country and the motherland. I am proud to be an Indian”, says Ahmad.
The area residents are unanimous in applauding the madrasa and its activities.
“The madarsa authorities deserve praise and encouragement from the government as well as from the people of both communities. It’s a perfect example of communal harmony,” says Kishan Kumar, a resident of Satasipur village.
Recognised by the Uttar Pradesh Madarsa Board, Niyamatuloom has 200 students with 170 Muslim and 30 Hindu students. With a teachers’ strength of five, the madrasa offers education up to Class VIII in line with the curriculum of the UP Madarsa Board, which offers English and sanskrit are optional subjects.
Abdul Kalam, the sanskrit teacher, says: “We teach English, urdu, sanskrit and Hindi. We teach them the tenets of religious books, including the Quran and the Gita.”
The teaching of Hindu religious texts is an initiative taken up by Hashim. Asked on his views on the recent controversy surrounding Vande Matram, Hashim says he does not want to be part of any controversy.
“I am teacher and run the madarsa without any government aid. I respect the sentiments of all communities. Our initiative is for the children of poor people. We receive small donations every month. There is no fee structure as students who can’t pay fees are also enrolled,” said Hashim.
Mohd Ismail, a villager whose son studies in the madrasa, steers clear of the ongoing controversy. “Let the controversy rage elsewhere. Here we don’t share any differences on the subject.”

Monday, May 13, 2013

Chief Ministers of Karnataka and their terms till date

Assembly
Chief Minister
Ruling Party
From Date
To Date
Before 1st election
INC
25-10-1947
30-03-1952
1stAssembly
INC
30-03-1952
19-08-1956
INC
19-08-1956
31-10-1956
INC
01-11-1956
31-03-1957
2nd Assembly
INC
10-06-1957
16-05-1958
INC
16-05-1958
01-03-1962
3rd Assembly
INC
15-03-1962
20-06-1962
INC
21-06-1962
28-02-1967
4th Assembly
INC
15-03-1967
28-05-1968
INC
29-05-1968
18-03-1971

19-03-1971
14-04-1971
5th Assembly
INC
24-03-1972
31-12-1977

31-12-1977
28-02-1978
6th Assembly
INC
17-03-1978
07-01-1980
INC
12-01-1980
08-06-1983
7th Assembly
Janata Party
24-07-1983
02-01-1985
8th Assembly
Janata Party
18-03-1985
13-02-1986
Janata Party
13-02-1986
21-04-1989

21-04-1989
30-11-1989
9th Assembly
INC
18-11-1989
10-10-1990

10-10-1990
17-10-1990
INC
17-10-1990
19-11-1992
INC
19-11-1992
20-09-1994
10th Assembly
Janata Dal
25-12-1994
31-05-1996
Janata Dal
31-05-1996
22-07-1999
11th Assembly
INC
25-10-1999
28-05-2004
12th Assembly
INC
28-05-2004
02-02-2006
JDS
03-02-2006
08-10-2007

08-10-2007
12-11-2007
BJP
12-11-2007
19-11-2007

20-11-2007
29-05-2008
13th Assembly
BJP
30-05-2008
04-08-2011
BJP
05-08-2011
11-07-2012
BJP
12-07-2012
05-05-2013
14th Assembly
INC
13-05-2013
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