"Netaji"

Bose was one of the most prominent leaders in the Indian independence movement and is a legendary figure in India today. Bose was born on 23 January 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa to Janakinath Bose and Prabhabati Devi.

On 18 August 1945 from injuries sustained in an alleged aircraft crash in Taihoku (Taipei). However, no actual evidence of the death of Subhas Chandra Bose on that day has ever been officially authenticated and many committees were set up by the government of India to investigate the mystery of his presumed death.

In Germany, he instituted the Special Bureau for India under Adam von Trott zu Solz, broadcasting on the German-sponsored Azad Hind Radio. He founded the Free India Center in Berlin, and created the Indian Legion (consisting of some 4500 soldiers) out of Indian prisoners of war who had previously fought for the British in North Africa prior to their capture by Axis forces. The Indian Legion was attached to the Wehrmacht, and later transferred to the Waffen SS. Its members swore the following allegiance to Hitler and Bose: "I swear by God this holy oath that I will obey the leader of the German race and state, Adolf Hitler, as the commander of the German armed forces in the fight for India, whose leader is Subhash Chandra Bose". This oath clearly abrogates control of the Indian legion to the German armed forces whilst stating Bose's overall leadership of India. He was also, however, prepared to envisage an invasion of India via the USSR by Nazi troops, spearheaded by the Azad Hind Legion; many have questioned his judgment here, as it seems unlikely that the Germans could have been easily persuaded to leave after such an invasion, which might also have resulted in an Axis victory in the War.

In Germany, he instituted the Special Bureau for India under Adam von Trott zu Solz, broadcasting on the German-sponsored Azad Hind Radio. He founded the Free India Center in Berlin, and created the Indian Legion (consisting of some 4500 soldiers) out of Indian prisoners of war who had previously fought for the British in North Africa prior to their capture by Axis forces. The Indian Legion was attached to the Wehrmacht, and later transferred to the Waffen SS. Its members swore the following allegiance to Hitler and Bose: "I swear by God this holy oath that I will obey the leader of the German race and state, Adolf Hitler, as the commander of the German armed forces in the fight for India, whose leader is Subhash Chandra Bose". This oath clearly abrogates control of the Indian legion to the German armed forces whilst stating Bose's overall leadership of India. He was also, however, prepared to envisage an invasion of India via the USSR by Nazi troops, spearheaded by the Azad Hind Legion; many have questioned his judgment here, as it seems unlikely that the Germans could have been easily persuaded to leave after such an invasion, which might also have resulted in an Axis victory in the War.

Idukki shuts down

A dawn to dusk State-wide hartal called on Wednesday by a forum supporting Kerala’s stand on constructing a new dam was total in Idukki district, where the 116-year old dam is situated and was partial in other parts of the State.

Shops, business establishments and schools remained closed in Idukki district. Buses and autorickshaws were off the roads and the hartal called by the Mullaperiyar Samrakshna Samithi disrupted normal life in the district.

The hartal was in protest against Centre’s attitude towards the state demand for constructing a new dam in place of the existing structure, over which Kerala and Tamil Nadu have a long pending dispute.

No untoward incident was reported so far from the district, police sources said.

However, response to the hartal in other parts of the State was partial. Shops and traders opened their establishments and private and government buses were conducting services as usual.

Some of the educational institutions including professional colleges in the State had declared a holiday in view of the hartal. Universities had also postponed examinations scheduled for the day. Public Service Commission had also postponed an interview scheduled for the day.

Gyro Technology

This wild new motorcycle, invented by 19-year-old Ben J. Poss Gulak, is among the latest inventions to capture attention.
Debuting at the National Motorcycle Show in Toronto, the "Uno" uses gyro technology for balance and acceleration.

It is a battery charged machine that accelerates by leaning forward and slowing down by leaning backwards. It weighs approximately 129 pounds (58 kg.) and has a top speed of 25 mph (40 klms).


Ben's invention, he has continued to develop and progress with his innovative product. He won second place in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, and first prize in Popular Science's Invention Awards.

HIGH TECH CHEAT

         Cheating in entrance exams has become sadly commonplace, but this gang took technological sophistication to another level. First, two of them scanned the question paper - for the first All India Post Graduate Medical Entrance Examination being conducted by AIIMS - using mobile phones strapped to the wrist, concealed under their shirt sleeves.
        The images were then transmitted to a control room and downloaded. The paper was solved, and the answers dictated to candidates who had bluetooth devices stitched near the collar and were wearing minute earphones to avoid detection.
        Five high-end mobile phones, two minute earphones, six shirts with bluetooth devices stitched to them, one printer, one Maruti Alto and six medical books have also been seized. One of the teams was also sent to the controller of examination at AIIMS to have the papers tallied. He confirmed that the recovered question paper from the accused was a copy of the original. When contacted, Nand Kumar, dean, academics of AIIMS told cops they were ready to extend all cooperation for the probe but said cancellation of the examination immediately was out of the question.

Manmohansing'ham'.

In a friendly gesture towards Manmohan Singh, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has said he would present the prime minister a rose in case the government brings a strong Lokpal in Parliament over the next few days.
Speaking to journalists at Pune airport on Monday, after returning from Chennai, Hazare announced that he would also cancel his scheduled fast from December 27 in the event of a satisfactory Lokpal Bill presented by the government.
Earlier, Hazare had announced that he would embark on a 8-day fast from December 27 at the Ramlila grounds in New Delhi and had also given a call for “Jail Bharo” to the nation, from January 1, 2012, if the government failed to present a strong Lokpal Bill.“We are firm on our insistence that the Lokpal must have the Citizen’s Charter and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should be free of government control. On minor issues we are ready for some compromise, but the above points must be there,”

TN asks KL to amend Act for raising water level

The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday, in a special sitting, adopted a unanimous resolution, calling upon the Kerala government to make suitable amendments to the Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation Act, 2006 to enable the water level of the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar dam to be raised to 142 feet.

Moved by Chief Minister Mrs J.Jayalalithaa, the resolution also asked the Kerala government not to create hurdles to the execution of the remaining strengthening measures for facilitating the water level to be raised to 152 ft eventually.

Under no circumstances would the State give up its rights. The Central government should deploy Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for the protection of the dam in view of the tense situation prevailing in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Though it was condemnable that the Kerala government had a resolution adopted in the Kerala Assembly on December 9 to demand that the water level be lowered to 120 ft, it would not be a proper approach to condemn the Kerala legislature, which had been created under the Constitution. Instead, the sense of regret of Tamil Nadu's people was expressed through the motion, according to the text of the resolution.

Ms Jayalalithaa, who initiated the debate on the resolution, also wrapped it up. In her initial and concluding speeches, she explained the historical account of the Mullaperiyar dam issue and the works carried out by the State government to strengthen the dam during 1980-1994.

A suspicion had arisen that the Kerala government was carrying on the “mischievous campaign” regarding the dam safety possibly for producing more hydropower. The original plan of the Kerala government was to produce 780 megawatt through the Idukki dam, located 50 km downstream of the Mullaperiyar dam.

But, as the dam was not getting enough water, the planned power production could not be achieved. “If there is no Mullaperiyar dam, the entire water will reach Idukki,” 

unity in divresity-india?

Theni (TN), Dec 11 : Deployment of additional paramilitary forces have led to a drop in incidents of violence in Kumily bordering Kerala’s Idukki district where the Mullaperiyar Dam is located, officials said here today.
PWD officials and maintenance staff at the dam were now feeling secure and violent incidents had come down drastically in both Kumily and Uthamapalayam, they said.
Paramilitary forces from Indian Reserve Battalion force have been given a free hand to deal with any person entering the dam area without proper authorisation, sources said.
With the row over the dam escalating, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, in a letter to his Tamil Nadu counterpart Jayalalithaa, had said yesterday that police presence had been strengthened and government was “totally committed” to ensuring peace in the dam area and safety of the existing 116-year-old structure.
A shutter of the dam, reportedly damaged during a recent demonstration by Youth Congressmen from Kerala, has been fixed, and a FIR registered against some unidentified persons, police said.
Police said 50 women labourers, who went to Kerala for work three days ago, are yet to return while 100 other workers, stranded in the neighbouring state’s estates due to the Mullaiperiyar issue, have been brought to Theni.
In a release, the ‘Samathuva Makkal Katchi’ said it would picket shops owned by Keralites in Kanyakumari district on December 14 to protest the Kerala’s government’s stand on the issue.
Kerala wants to build a new dam in place of the existing one citing safety concerns while Tamil Nadu is against this insisting that the present structure is safe.
A report from Erode said transportation of vegetables, eggs and broiler birds to Kerala was suspended since last night.
Textile goods were sent by trains.......