Arun has been associated with India International Times since 2018 and he has been a key reporter in covering science and space related stories. He can be reached at arunKnn@indiainternationaltimes.com.
Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, who attended one of her best friend’s wedding in Sri Lanka recently was reportedly accompanied by her friend Ravneer Singh and her mother Ujjala Padukone.
While NDTV flashed some photographs of their presence at the wedding, Ranveer’s presence has raised eyebrows of many at the possible intimacy the actor has on the family of Padukones.
The pair is not new in Bollywoood functions but the fact that they went together with Deepika’s mother in toe has given scope to speculation that the family is also approving Ranveer Singh gradually.
However, both actors of Bollywood are currently serious about their professional commitments. Deepika is busy with the Hollywood movie ‘xXx: The Return of Xander Cage’. She is not actting in any Bollywood film this year.
Ranveer is acting in the forthcoming Yash Raj Films’ ‘Befikre’ with Vaani Kapoor. Though both of them have been paired by media, they have not made anything official to the media. They worked together in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2013 film ‘Ram-Leela’ and in Bhansali’s next film ‘Bajirao Mastani’.
[tags, deepika padukone, ranveer singh,spotted, sri lanka wedding,ujjala padukone,]
The Government said it has kept its promise with regard to the decision taken on 05 September 2015 to implement the demand of Ex-Servicemen for One Rank One Pension (OROP) and ensured that payments have been made in record time by issuing orders through a notification on 07 November 2015 by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW) of the Ministry of Defence.
In three months since the issue of these orders, the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW) brought out detailed OROP tables on 03 February 2016, which are available on their website www.desw.gov.in. The 101 tables in these implementation orders contain revised pension of different ranks and categories overcoming the hurdles faced in 2012 when the implementation of CSC-2012 and 6th CPC had taken a longer time.
More than two-thirds of the Ex-Servicemen have now been paid the OROP arrears and the money reached the accounts of 13.02 lakh pensioners amounting to about Rs.2,293 crore. This amount has been released through Defence Pension Disbursing Offices (DPDOs), the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Punjab National Bank (PNB).
As on March 17, the DPDOs have released an amount of about Rs. 606 crore to about 3.20 lakh defence personnel. Of this amount, the SBI has released as of March 17 an amount of Rs. 1,337 crore to 7.75 lakh pensioners which includes Family Pension cases. The PNB has released as on March 17, an amount of about Rs. 350 crore to about 2.07 lakh pensioners which includes Family Pension cases, said a Defence Ministry statement.
Other Banks who have also been assigned the task of disbursement of revised defence pension to Ex-Servicemen have been directed to complete the process of payment latest by March end, it said. Those who have not received their payments or faced problems in receiving the payments, can file their grievances at the following web page of the DESW, http://pgportal.gov.in/pension/RegistrationForm.aspx.
Agasthyamala Reserve Joins UN Top 20 World Biospheres’ List
The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in Tamil Nadu and Kerala has made it to top 20 new sites added by the UN to its list of UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
The International Co-ordinating Council, which met in Lima, Peru on Saturday said with the addition of 20 more reserves, the total number of biosphere reserves will be 669 sites in 120 countries, including 16 transboundary sites. This year’s transboundary site is shared between Spain and Portugal.
“Located in the Western Ghats, in the south of India, the Agasthyamala biosphere reserve includes peaks reaching 1,868 metres above sea level. Consisting mostly of tropical forests, the site is home to 2,254 species of higher plants including about 400 that are endemic,” UNESCO said.
Set up in 2001, the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve (ABR) in Kerala and Tamil Nadu with several tribal settlements and biosphere. Other biosphere in India included in the list are the Nilgiris, Nanda Devi, Nokrek, Gulf of Mannar, Sundarban, and Great Nicobar. New biosphere reserves are designated by the International Co-ordinating Council of the UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme and its representatives come from 34 UNESCO Member States.
Under the biosphere program, protection is granted not only to the flora and fauna but also to the human, especially the tribal settlements in these reserves.
The following site joined the network this year:
Agasthyamala (India)—Located in the Western Ghats, in the south of the country, the biosphere reserve includes peaks reaching 1,868m above sea level. Consisting mostly of tropical forests, the site is home to 2,254 species of higher plants including about 400 that are endemic. It is also a unique genetic reservoir of cultivated plants especially cardamom, jamune, nutmeg, pepper and plantain. Three wildlife sanctuaries, Shendurney, Peppara, Neyyar and Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger reserve are included in the site. A number of tribal settlements with a total population of 3,000 are located in the biosphere reserve. They largely rely on biological resources for their sustenance and recent projects have been set up successfully to reduce their dependence on the forests.
Monts de Tlemcen (Algeria)—The 8,225 ha reserve is situated in the Province of Tlemcen, an area of great biodiversity, which also has major archaeological sites, cultural landscapes and caves and covers the same area as the Tlemcen National Park.
Beaver Hills (Canada)—Located in the province of Alberta in western Canada, this morainic landscape developed its characteristic Boreal-zone features of abundant wetlands, shallow lakes and rock formations during the progressive retreat of glaciers some 12,000 years ago. Today, the reserve comprises a mixture of lands modified by agricultural activity, mixed wood forests, grasslands and wetlands. The diversity of forest and upland habitats provided optimal conditions for bison, deer, elk and moose, as well as diverse and abundant waterfowl, and an abundant beaver population. Thirty-six plants and six plant communities within the moraine are considered sensitive due to low distribution within the province. Agriculture provides a livelihood to most of the biosphere’s 12,000 permanent inhabitants
Tsá Tué (Canada)—Located in Canada’s Northwest Territories, the area is the homeland of the Sahtúto’ine (The Bear Lake People). It includes Great Bear Lake, the last pristine arctic lake, and part of its watershed. The Taiga that covers much of the site is important to wildlife species including the muskox, general moose and caribou. The only human residents in the site are the traditional First Nation Dene Déline (whose name means “where the water flows”). Their community of 600 is established on the western shore of the lake, where they live off harvesting and limited tourism activity.
Lake Bosomtwe (Ghana)—Situated in the Ashanti region of Ghana, Bosomtwe comprises one of six meteoritic lakes in the world. The southernmost section of the site overlaps with the northern section of the Bosomtwe Range Forest Reserve creating a combination of forest, wetland and mountain ecosystems. The biosphere reserve sustains 35 tree species, including some used for timber. The site is also home to a great diversity of wildlife and to a human population of over 50,000 inhabitants whose main economic activities are farming, fishing and tourism as the lake is a major national tourist destination. The area is widely used for research focusing primarily on climate change, as well as environmental education for schools and universities.
La Hotte (Haiti)—Located in the south-east of the country the biosphere reserve encompasses both terrestrial and marine areas. The region is considered a biodiversity hotspot due to its wide climate range: from humid to subtropical dry. The reserve covers six mountain peaks culminating at 2,347m, as well as a coastal and marine ecosystem in the north (Iles Cayemites) and south (Ile-à-Vache). It is home to more than 850,000 inhabitants, whose main economic activities are farming, agroforestry, fishing, commerce, and handcrafts.
Balambangan (Indonesia)—The biosphere reserve in the province of East Java encompasses three national parks (Alas Purwo, Baluran and Meru) and one nature reserve (Kawah Ijen) with terrestrial and marine ecosystems featuring karst landscapes, savannah, and forests that are alpine/subalpine, upper, dry and lower montane (mountain), lowland, coastal and mangrove. The site also features seagrass beds, and coral reefs. Food crops and horticultural are among the main economic activities of the biosphere reserve alongside agroforestry (teak and mahogany).
Hamoun (Iran)—Located in the southeast of the country, the biosphere reserve includes terrestrial and wetland ecosystems with a total of seven habitat types, including desert and semi-desert areas, as well as Hamoun Lake, with its marshlands and watersheds. The three wetlands of the biosphere reserve are the most important in the region. The area is a hot spot for migratory birds (183 species) and home to 30 mammal species, and 55 plant species. The site is also valuable culturally due to the presence of important historical monuments and ancient temples such as Mount Kooh Khajeh and Shahr-e-Soukhteh.
Collina Po (Italy)—The biosphere reserve is located in the north Italian Piedmont Region and covers the whole Turin stretch of the River Po with its main tributaries and the Collina Torinese hillside. The river Po is the main reservoir of biodiversity in the Turin plain, partly due to the numerous wetlands along its course. Its physical and geological characteristics have led to the formation of numerous gravelly shores, oxbows and riparian woods hosting various species. These natural features are particularly valuable in a densely populated environment close to the city of Turin with its 900,000 inhabitants and other towns nearby.
Barsakelmes (Kazakhstan)—The biosphere reserve is situated in the Sahara-Gobi Desert zone of the Aral Sea basin. The Aral Sea region is a priority area for wetland conservation and several bird migration routes converge over the region. The territory of the proposed biosphere reserve is a valuable site to preserve the biodiversity of the Aral Sea. It numbers approximately 2,000 species of invertebrates, 30 mammal species, 178 bird species, and 20 reptile species. The reserve also includes four nomadic Kazakhs medieval archaeological sites that were part of the Silk Roads.
Belo-sur-Mer—Kirindy-Mitea (Madagascar)—Situated on the western coast of the island, the site includes watershed upstream and marine and coastal ecosystems downstream. It presents a mosaic of rich but fragile ecosystems such as dry forests, thickets, thorn forests, savannahs, salty swampy depressions known as “tannes”, mangroves and coral reefs. The reef is a feeding area of spectacular marine megafauna of whales (humpback), dolphins, dugongs and marine turtles. People in the area rely on these natural resources for their livelihood and income. The site’s marine biodiversity, islands and two sacred salted lakes that are home to the Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor), are valuable assets for tourism. Aquaculture, pelagic fishing and salt production complement the development potential of the biosphere reserve.
Isla Cozumel (Mexico)—Situated off the south-eastern coast of the country, Cozumel Island encompasses diverse marine and terrestrial ecosystems rich in amphibian and reptile species. The main terrestrial ecosystems are medium semi-deciduous forests and mangroves. The biosphere reserve forms part of the second largest reef system in the world, the Mesoamerican Reef, which is home to 1,192 marine species. Nearly 80,000 people live in the biosphere reserve, mainly in the city of San Miguel. Tourism is the most developed sector on the island, which numbers close to 40 Mayan archaeological sites.
Atlas Cedar (Morocco)—Situated in the central Atlas Mountains, the biosphere reserve is home to 75% of the world’s majestic Atlas cedar tree population. This part of the Atlas Mountains is rich in ecosystems and its peaks, reaching up to 3,700 metres, provide the region with critically important water resources. Fruit plantations, modern agriculture and tourist activities, which have replaced semi-nomadic pastoral traditions, are taking their toll on scarce water resources. The rich local Berber culture is particularly strong in this area.
Gran Pajatén (Peru)—Located in the Central Cordillera, the biosphere reserve is characterized by high altitudes and a pristine ecosystem. It encompasses the National Park del Río Abiseo, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The reserve is home to fauna and flora of rainforests characteristic of this part of the Andes and has a high level of endemism. It is the only place on earth where the yellow-tailed woolly monkey, previously thought extinct, is to be found. Gran Pajatén also lends its name to an archaeological site in the Andean cloud forests of Peru, which provides insight into pre-Inca society. More than 170,000 people live in the biosphere reserve whose main economic activities are agriculture (cacao, coffee), livestock and mining.
Albay (Philippines)—Located at the southern end of the Luzon Island, the biosphere covers some 250,000 hectares. The terrestrial elevation of the site culminates at 2,462 metres and its marine part reaches a depth of 223 metres below sea level. The site’s high conservation value is constituted notably by its 182 terrestrial plant species, 46 of which are endemic. Its marine and coastal ecosystems number 12 species of mangrove, 40 species of seaweed or macro-algae, and 10 species of sea grass. Five of the world’s seven species of marine turtles are to be found in Albay. Agriculture is the main source of income in this area.
Fajãs de São Jorge (Portugal)—The biosphere reserve covers the entire Island of São Jorge, the fourth largest in the Azores Archipelago. At 1,053m, the Pico da Esperança is island’s highest elevation. The site’s rugged coastal cliffs form a unique landscape of highland meadows, peat bogs and scrubs. The combination of high altitude and coastal ecosystems has resulted in a wealth of endemic terrestrial flora. It is also the habitat of diverse invertebrate, terrestrial arthropod, mollusc and bird species. Close to 9,000 people live on the Island.
Tejo/Tajo (Portugal and Spain)—The biosphere reserve is located in the western part of the Iberian Peninsula shared between Spain and Portugal with the Tajo River as its main axis. It is characterized by low altitude and sharp relief. Vegetation in the site consists largely of cork oak formations and patches of scrub, as well as cultivated areas and pastures. The fauna is typically Mediterranean and includes many rare species. Most important among them are the European imperial eagle, Bonelli’s eagle, the black stork, the black vulture and the otter. Livestock and forestry are the main sources of income for the Island’s small population.
Jozani-Chwaka Bay (Tanzania)—The biosphere reserve encompasses the only national park on the island of Zanzibar. Its landscape consists of mosaics of mangroves, tropical forests and coral rug forests as well as groundwater, salt marshes, and both agricultural and residential areas. The site is a biodiversity hotspot area including inter alia reef fish species, dolphins, the Zanzibar leopard (Panther pardus adersi), 168 species of birds including 30 of global and regional relevance. The site’s 291 known plant species include 21 considered to be threatened. Inhabitants mainly live from activities relating to tourism, fishing, bee keeping, butterfly rearing and crab fattening
Isle of Man (United Kingdom)—Located in the Irish Sea, the Island is home to more than 80,000 people. Its coastline features cliffs, stacks, islets, and long beaches. The hills hold important peat reserves and are deeply cut by wooded glens in the east. The coastal plain in the north is covered by grasslands, pools and wetlands. The site’s marine environment is rich in biodiversity and harbours important populations of European eel, Atlantic cod and basking sharks, among others. In the countryside, farming activities centre on sheep and cattle livestock, as well as arable areas. The sea is harvested for shellfish. The Island has been a popular tourist destination since the late 19th century and has experienced a notable development in its services and manufacturing sectors over recent decades.
Small birds, which measure just one percent of Humans in mass, have vision that is incredibly twice the speed of human vision, found a team of Swedish scientists. It is known that perching birds (small passerines) do not only have good visual eyesight but they also see things at lightning speed. Compared to them, humans are still in slow-motion world, said scientists.
Scientists from Uppsala University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Stockholm University, studied the visual speed of pied flycatchers, blue tits and collared flycatchers and say they have incredibly fast vision. Their paper in the journal PLOS ONE, probed perching birds’ ability to resolve visual details against the clock.
Lead author Anders Ödeen of Uppsala University’s Department of Ecology and Genetics, and his colleagues studied Visual acuity vs. speed of vision in these perching birds’ ability to resolve visual detail against the clock. He said:“Fast vision may, in fact, be a more typical feature of birds in general than visual acuity. Only birds of prey seem to have the ability to see in extremely sharp focus, while human visual acuity outshines that of all other bird species studied.”
Twelve blue tits were tested once at one of the light intensities 750, 1500 (n = 3) and 3000 cdm-2 (n = 6) and the critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF), with a maximum of 131 Hz and 130.3 ± 0.94 Hz (±SD) on average, was reached at 1500 cdm-2.
In terms of visual acuity vs. speed of vision, referred as the temporal resolution of eyesight, the number of changes per second a bird, human or any other animals is capable of perceiving, scientists compared visual acuity (spatial resolution), which measures how many details per degree are detected in the field of vision.
The wild-caught birds were taught to receive a food reward whenever they were able to distinguish between a pair of lamps: one shining in a constant light and the other flickering. Temporal resolution was determined by raising the flicker rate to a point at which the birds could no longer tell the two lamps apart.
This threshold, called the Critical Flicker Fusion (CFF) rate, in three small bird species averaged between 129 and 137 Hz (hertz). A 146 Hz was recorded with one of the pied flycatchers, which is about 50 Hz higher than anything encountered for any other vertebrate. Similarly, flycatcher experiment was conducted on 7 collared and 8 pied flycatchers and they were repeatedly tested at up to 5 different light intensities each.
Researchers found that humans’ Critical Flicker Fusion (CFF) rate averages at about 60 Hz compared to 129 to 136 in passerines and hence, we humans live in a world where everything moves slowly.
The study, for the first time, established the fact scientifically and emperically that small and agile wild birds had extremely fast vision. In fact, researchers were surprised to find that flycatchers and blue tits had faster CFF rates than they would have predicted from their size and metabolic rates.
From the evolutionary history of natural selection for fast vision, it occurred in these species much faster than humans as these small airborne birds needed to detect and track tiny objects whose images move ultra-fast across the retina. The rapid vision was badly needed to hunt and avoid predators for these tiny birds.
The difference between a human and an eagle regarding visual acuity is about the same as a human’s versus the pied flycatcher’s vision speeds – 60 and 146 Hz respectively. In other words, the flycatcher’s vision is faster than ours roughly to the same extent as an eagle’s vision is sharper (than ours).
While eagles, hawks and other birds have the best visual acuity in the animal kingdom as they can see the most detail per square inch, small perching birds have the fastest vision as they can see the most movement per second.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi never claimed himself but his ministers and the BJP coterie around him are bringing him more ridicule than applomb.
While cracking on JNU campus in hurry, Home Minister Rajnath Singh branded all JNU students as "anti-national" only to eat his own words on the floor of the house and they saw what they created instead — Kanhaiya Kumar, JNUSU leader who has become a national hero in less than month that he can outshine even the charisma of Narendra Modi anyday.
Undaunted, another minister in the Home Ministry, that is Union Minister of State Kiren Rijiju has worked overnight or the entire week to calculate and put out what he claims was indeed one of the predictions of French prophet Nostradamus that Narendra Modi in India would ascend to rule India and the world.
Nostradamus is credited with predicting the French Revolution, the atom bomb, the rise of Adolf Hitler and the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. But none of these he mentioned in perfection but our new age admirers of Doomsday Prophecy avowedly attributed these events to re-interpret his writings.
Perhaps following similar footsteps, Rijiju has compiled some so-called ‘AMAZING FACTS !!!’ and puts out his mathematical calculations which he claimed to have shown BJP’s victory in May 2014 based on number 13.
In Current Lok Sabha
"BJP – 283 Seats 2+8+3 = 13
NDA – 337 Seats 3+3+7 = 13
UPA – 58 Seats 5+8 = 13
Others-148 Seats 1+4+8 = 13
Prediction of Nostradamus “450 years ago of Modi Era”: How ???" he left his followers in wonder but the whole nation has a topic after Kanhaiya Kumar’s arrest joled the nation in February.
Rijuju and BJP admirers and think-tanks have come out with the new interrpretation now that the French prophet Nostradamus wrote way back in 1555 that "from 2014 to 2026, a man will lead india, whom initially, people will hate but after that people will love him. Under his leadership India will not only just become the Global Master, but many countries will also come into the shelter of India."
But what about Hitler? Even Hitler was predicted in an obscure way and later they attributed the reference to Hitler. What about Kanhaiya Kumar? Even he was referred to in Nostradamus, if one reads it carefully.
The other two JNU students — Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya — who were charged for sedition by Delhi Police amid national acrimony against the highhanded charges over students, were granted bail today but back home at JNU an equally acrimonious situation awaits them.
The over-enthusiastic administration that is eager to serve the wishes of the ministry for funds and existence has turned the guns on 8 students to begin with among the 21 and they are facing rustication charges.
Umar Khalid is facing charges for organising the event to mark the anniversary of the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, which turned ugly when the group clashed with ABVP and ended in raising allegedly "anti-India" slogans.
The defence lawyers argued that the two student leaders were actually handling the crowd which raised anti-India slogans. The defence also produced 10 eyewitnesses who have sought permission from the university authorities for the event, finalised the posters and got them printed.
Umar Khalid’s lawyers also argued that being a doctorate student, he has only 6 months left for submission of his thesis. While the court granted them the bail, back in the campus the situation has turned hostile with the administration flexing its muscles on 21 students and serving them show-cause notices, including the two who were granted bail by the court.
The JNU row has grown from mere a campus-based issue to a bigger national debate and brought India under scrutiny of many global human rights organizations, including the Latin American political scientist Chomsky.
Now the country’s intellectual centre (JNU) is pitted against BJP, which is hoping to turn the universities into pro-ABVP centres and enhance its leverage on them in future. In the process, even the national media and intellectuals have turned the tide against the BJP-ruled government.
The religious divide in India is getting worse with the Hindu nationalists, especially the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideology wing of Hindu Sanghis calling for imparting education to all Indians to say “Bharat Mata ki Jai’ from childhood to invoke nationalism getting an equally reverse rhetoric by AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi.
Speaking to Muslim groups in Udgir tehsil, Latur district of Maharashtra, Owaisi said: “I don’t chant that slogan. What are you going to do, Bhagwat sahab?” He further said,”I won’t utter that even if you put a knife to my throat… Nowhere in the Constitution it says that one should say: Bharat Mata ki Jai.”
Earlier RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat told a meeting of RSS members, “Now the time has come when we have to tell the new generation to chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’… It should be real, spontaneous and part of all-round development of the youth.”
RSS has been playing pivotal role in BJP rule and it believes that the time has come for a Hindu ruler to ascend the throne after 900 years and it should not be wasted without instilling the spirit of nationalism in India. Prthviraj Chouhan was the last acknowledged Indian ruler by the Sanghis, while Atal Behari Vajpayee’s 5-year-rule remains a failure for them in terms of implementing the Hindu agenda.
WATCH: Asaduddin Owaisi to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat- Won’t say “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” in Latur (Maharashtra) (March 13)https://t.co/nRNtaBfi6z
‘PK’ superstar Aamir Khan turned 51 and unlike last year, he looked no more young in looks but matured to befit the 50s as he grew thick mustache reminiscent from his earlier film ‘Mangal Pandey’.
Dressed in white T shirt and jeans, Aamir khan has reduced half of his weight gained for the upcoming film ‘Dangal’. But he did not remove the mush which reveal his real age too.
There is one thing the the actor vows on every birthday — to quit smoking — but ends up lighting one at the end of his every new film’s release, revealed his brother.
“Every year he decides to quit smoking but then when a film is about to release he invariably ends up giving into it,” said his brother to the media in whose presence Aamir Khan cut the cake on his 51st birthday.
From his first appearance in his uncle Nasir Hussain’s film Yaadon Ki Baaraat(1973) to his first adult appearance opposite Juhi Chawla in the highly successful tragic romance Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak(1988) to his latest ‘PK’, the actor never turned to exemplary films and is known as ‘Mr Perfect’ in Bollywood.
National Film Award – Special Mention (also forRaakh)
Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Raakh
1989
Yes
Amir Hussein
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Love Love Love
1989
Yes
Amit
Awwal Number
1990
Yes
Sunny
Tum Mere Ho
1990
Yes
Shiva
Dil
1990
Yes
Raja
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin
1990
Yes
Ajay Sharma
Jawani Zindabad
1990
Yes
Shashi Sharma
Afsana Pyaar Ka
1991
Yes
Raj
Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin
1991
Yes
Raghu Jetley
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Isi Ka Naam Zindagi
1992
Yes
Chotu
Daulat Ki Jung
1992
Yes
Rajesh Chaudhry
Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar
1992
Yes
Sanjaylal Sharma
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Pehla Nasha
1993
Yes
Himself
Cameo appearance
Parampara
1993
Yes
Ranbir Prithvi Singh
Damini – Lightning
1993
Yes
Himself
Cameo appearance
Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke
1993
Yes
Screenwriter
Rahul Malhotra
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Andaz Apna Apna
1994
Yes
Amar Manohar
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Baazi
1995
Yes
Amar Damjee
Aatank Hi Aatank
1995
Yes
Rohan
Rangeela
1995
Yes
Munna
Akele Hum Akele Tum
1995
Yes
Rohit Kumar
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Raja Hindustani
1996
Yes
Raja Hindustani
Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Ishq
1997
Yes
Raja
Ghulam
1998
Yes
Playback singer
Siddharth Marathe
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer
Earth
1998
Yes
Dil Navaz
Canadian-Indian film
Released in India as 1947: Earth
Sarfarosh
1999
Yes
Ajay Singh Rathod
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Mann
1999
Yes
Dev Karan Singh
Mela
2000
Yes
Playback singer
Kishan Pyare
Lagaan
2001
Yes
Yes
Bhuvan
National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment
Filmfare Award for Best Film
Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Dil Chahta Hai
2001
Yes
Akash Malhotra
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Acto
Madness in the Desert
2004
Yes
Yes
Himself
Documentary film
Also known as Chale Chalo: The Lunacy of Film Making
National Film Award for Best Exploration/Adventure Film
Mangal Pandey: The Rising
2005
Yes
Playback singer
Mangal Pandey
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Rang De Basanti
2006
Yes
Playback singer
Daljit “DJ” Singh/
Chandrashekhar Azad[IV]
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
In a bizarre incident that was caught on camera and going viral all over India, a young engineering Dalit student who married an upper caste girl was hacked to death in a bazaar road in Tirupur, a city known for its knitting garment exports all over the world.
The chilling video footage shows that three men killed Shanakr, 23, in view of the public on the road and then attacked his wife Kausalya, 19, who is reportedly in critical condition and her father surrendered to the police.
The police have sent out five teams of police to catch the attackers, while they believe two more will be behind the murder that shook the entire country close on the heels of outrage over the HCU dalit student Rohith Vemula’s suicide a month ago.
The couple were married eight months ago against the wishes of the girl’s parents who belong to Thevar community, supposedly a powerful upper caste in Tamil Nadu.
Sankar, Tirupur Dalit student killed in public.
The video shows the 3rd year engineering student being dragged on to a pavement and repeatedly attacked with weapons until he rolled down on the pavement and died. Once he was not moving, then they immediately turned their attention to the girl who was shocked and stunned on the pavement. She was repeatedly attacked and left on the road.
And soon, they got on to their motorbike and sped away from the scene. It was not from any Tamil film but a real chilling incident that has shocked the entire nation and the video is going viral on YouTube.
Sankar’s father Velu Samy told media:”We thought her parents would accept them but it has ended in this bloody tragedy. We have lost him.”
Thevar community takes pride in its divine origin and zamindari traditions and was known to have practised female infanticide in the past.
The much awaited the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2015 has been passed by the Rajya Sabha on March 10, 2016. The key points of the proposed bill which is going to benefit property buyers but impact consderably promoters, developers and real estate agents, are as follows:
Ø The Bill requires setting up a new regulator for the real estate sector. As real estate comes under the purview of state governments, individual States are responsible for setting up the Regulatory Authority at the State level. State-level authorities, called Real Estate Regulatory Authorities (RERAs), will now regulate transactions related to both residential and commercial projects.
Ø An authority will be created to help frame policies for the real estate sector. The regulator will also monitor compliance of rules on an ongoing basis as developers have to provide updates on progress and maintain a database on violators.
Ø The specified residential real estate projects need to be registered with RERAs. Further, Promoters cannot book or offer these projects for sale without registering them. The regulator will maintain records of all projects and promoters.
Ø It is mandatory for developers to register all projects larger than 500 sq mtr or, alternatively, more than 8 apartments, to be registered with the regulatory authority. Further, if the project is developed in phases, each phase must be registered separately.
Ø The duly filed application should be submitted by the promoters/developers/real estate agents with the RERA for approval along with prescribed supporting documents like layout plan of the project; the carpet area of property for sale; the details of existing projects of the promoters; details of various approvals received by the promoters; details of land title on which the project is proposed and details about the payment dues on land title etc.,.
Ø If the applicant does not hear back from the RERA within 15 days of the application for registration, the project will be considered as registered. However, RERA is empowered to revoke the approval by giving 30 days’ notice period.
Ø Real estate agents dealing in these projects also need to register with RERAs. The registration is necessary to facilitate the sale or purchase of property in real estate projects that have been registered. Registered agents must not facilitate the sale of unregistered projects.
Ø The regulation requires the buyers to pay consideration on purchase of house on carpet area basis (which clearly defines in the bill). Hitherto, it was payable on super built-up area basis.
Ø In general the buyers faced the problem in the form of change in building plans including change in number of floors constructed after entering into an agreement with promoter. The Bill requires that builders take consent of 2/3rd of the home buyers in case of changes.
Ø To mitigate developers from diverting funds to other projects, which will endup delaying completion of projects, the bill proposed that the 70% of the amount collected for the project by the buyers must deposit in a separate bank account.
Ø In a cases where there are delays in completion, the developers/promoters will not pay any penalty or if pay it will be a low rate of interest as agreed between parties during execution of agreement. To avoid ambiguity/favour to one party, the bill is proposed that both parties have to pay the same rate of interest in case of delays in payment by buyer or hand-over by the developer.
Ø The promoter shall :
a) obtain a completion certificate from the relevant authority;
b) form an association or society of buyers;
c) provide essential services till the association of buyers take over the maintenance of the project.
If the promoter is unable to give possession of the property with agreed time, he shall be liable to return the amount received by him for the project along with interest.
Ø In case the promoter fails to register the property, he may be penalized upto 10% of the estimated cost of the project. Failure to register despite orders issued by the RERA will lead to imprisonment for up to 3 years, and/or an additional fine of 10% of the estimated cost of the project. The promoter will have to pay upto 5% of the estimate cost of the project if he violates any other provisions of the Bill.
Ø Real estate agents will have to pay a fine of Rs. 10,000/- for violating any provision of the Bill, for each day the violation continues.
With the extension of e-Tourist Visa Facility for 37 more countries, India’s online eTV is available for nationals of following countries/territories:
Albania, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Island, Chile, China, China- SAR Hongkong, China- SAR Macau, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d’lvoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Island, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Vanuatu, Vatican City-Holy See, Venezuela, Vietnam., Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Eligibility
International Travellers whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation , sight seeing , casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visit.
Passport should have at least six months validity from the date of arrival in India. The passport should have at least two blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer.
International Travellers should have return ticket or onward journey ticket,with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India.
International Travellers having Pakistani Passport or Pakistani origin may please apply for regular Visa at Indian Mission.
Not available to Diplomatic/Official Passport Holders.
Not available to individuals endorsed on Parent’s/Spouse’s Passport i.e. each individual should have a separate passport.
Not available to International Travel Document Holders.
Addressing the IMF conference in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Asian people save more traditionally compared to other parts of the world and the future of world economy belongs to them as they have surplus to invest in rejuvenating the global economy, though IMF quotas do not reflect the global economic realities.
Change in quotas is an issue of fairness and legitimacy and is essential for poor nations to respect the legitimacy of such institutions, he saaid welcoming IMF decision to finalize the next round of quota changes by October 2017.
Recalling India’s representative to the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944, which gave birth to the IMF, he said India’s delegate Mr. R.K. Shanmukham Chetty, who later became independent India’s first Finance Minister, paved the way for India’s contribution to world institutions and India has kept its contribution high by becoming a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank.
The PM has also announced a new partnership with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India and the IMF to set up the South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Centre to provide training to government and public sector employees as a part of capacity building process in the region.
The Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi addressing at MOF-IMF Conference on Advancing Asia: Investing for the Future, in New Delhi on March 12, 2016.(PIB Photo)
“Many knowledgeable people have said that the twenty first century is, and will be, the Asian Century,” he said citing figures that three out of every five people in the world live in Asia and its share in global output and trade is now close to one-third. Its share in global foreign direct investment is about 40%, he noted.
Stressing the theme of the conference which is ‘Investing for the Future’, he said, “Asians tend to save to buy a house, rather than borrow to buy a house.”
Pointing out another unique feature of Asia which is its large number of women leaders, he said India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Myanmar, and Philippines have had women as national leaders. “Today, four large states of India – West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan – are headed by democratically elected women. The Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament in India is also a woman,” he said.
Despite a second successive year of weak rainfall, India has increased its growth rate to 7.6 per cent, the highest among major economies in the world, he said.
He pondered on some positive policies of India:
We undertook a highly successful financial inclusion programme, bringing over two hundred million unbanked people into the banking system within a span of a few months.
* Thanks to our financial inclusion programme, we now have the world’s largest and most successful programme of direct benefit transfers, in cooking gas. We plan to extend it to other sectors such as food, kerosene, and fertilizers. This has improved targeting and the quality of public expenditure.
* We have opened up nearly all sectors of our economy to FDI.
* India achieved the highest ever rank in the World Bank Doing Business indicators in 2015.
* India reached an all-time high in many physical indicators in 2015, including
* The production of coal, electricity, urea, fertilizer and motor vehicles;
* Cargo handled at major ports and the fastest turnaround time in ports;
* Award of new highway kilometers;
* Software export;
* Entrepreneurship is booming.
“India is now fourth in the world in the number of technical start-ups, after USA, Britain and Israel. The Economist magazine has called India the new frontier for E-Commerce… We aim to double farmer incomes by:
• increasing irrigation,
• better water management,
• creating rural assets
• boosting productivity,
• improving marketing,
• reducing margins of middlemen and
• avoiding income shocks.”
“My dream is of a Transformed India. I lay this dream alongside our common dream of an Advanced Asia – an Asia where more than half of the global population can live with happiness and fulfillment. Our joint heritage and mutual respect, our common goals and similar policies, can and must create sustainable growth and shared prosperity,” he said.
Amid sexual harassment charges, University of California at Berkeley law school dean Sujit Choudhry has resigned, while the administration said it made a mistake overseeing similar allegations in July 2015. This is second in row that a famous faculty of the school resigned over sexual scandals.
Chancellor Nicholas Dirks and Provost Claude Steele said in a statement: “We must move in the direction of stronger sanctions, and in doing this we want and need the broad input of the campus community.”
Choudhry’s admin assistant, Tyann Sorrell, complained of daily kisses by Choudhry involving “rude and demeaning” conduct, hugging and other physical conduct — in a law suit she filed in Alameda County Superior Court. She said the sordid saga was going on since he took over as dean in July 2014.
She said she would keep her arms at her sides and make her body go limp until she thought he was done and in response to his kisses she would freeze and try to pretend it did not happen. She said she has repeatedly brought the issue up to superiors, but school officials failed to act on him.
While Choudhary resigned a day after her lawsuit, the administration said, “We believe the dean’s resignation is an outcome in the best interests of Berkeley Law and the university as a whole.”
“This incident highlights UC Berkeley’s history of insulating those who perpetuate sexual violence against members of our community and the culture that allows them to thrive,” student leader Sloan Patrice Whiteside said in an open letter. On his part, Choudhry said he agreed to step aside to prevent the lawsuit from becoming a distraction to the school.
“While I disagree with the plaintiff’s claims and allegations, and will defend against them, I am unfortunately unable to comment on the substance of the lawsuit,” he said in a statement. “However, I can say that I cooperated fully with, and take extremely seriously, the University’s confidential investigation into this matter and ensuing sanction. I will continue to cooperate fully with the University as matters unfold.”
Choudhry remains a member of the faculty though until the case is completed.In 2002, another dean John Dwyer was forced to resign from his post sexual harassment allegations by a former student. Another astronomy professor resigned following similar sexual harassment claims.
With one arrested in threatening posters case, another appeared in Delhi sending relentless death threats to JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, pointing at a move to keep the emerging leader under constant pressure not to seek out any political career.
This time the poster not only threatened Kanhaiya Kumar but also Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who are facing charge of sedition. Earlier poster by a self-proclaimed Poorvanchal Sena had announced Rs 11 lakh on Kumar but he was arrested and jailed.
The new poster that appeared at Jantar Mantar said, “Shooting the traitors is a national duty. I shall shoot Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and Kanhaiya.” It bore the name of one Balbir Singh Bharatiya who claimed to have been a part of the Anna Hazare-led movement against corruption. The poster also contained a phone number and his photograph, posing a challenge to Delhi Police to chase him now.
The poster also threatened Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for extending support to the JNU students. It said, “I shall shoot all who celebrated the anniversary of Afzal Guru’s hanging.”
Delhi’s deputy commissioner of police Jatin Narwal acknowledged the poster’s appearance and said, “We have initiated an inquiry into the matter.” He said when policemen called the number a shop owner at Yamuna Bazar picket up the call but did not commit to have pasted the poster. He had admitted that he visited Jantar Mantar on Friday and that he will be questioned soon.
So, the question is threatening JNU student leaders some way or the other has become a national hobby now and it is increasingly taking an ugly turn of conservative rightists versus leftist forces and unless caution is shown by the authorities, it may spread like a contagious fire in the country, posing a bigger challenge to the nation than seen in the borders.
Although the causes of many age-related diseases remain unknown, oxidative stress has been linked to cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases including diabetes, hypertension and age-related cancers.
However, researchers at the University of Missouri recently found that aging actually offered significant protection against oxidative stress, suggesting that aging may trigger an adaptive response to counteract the effects of oxidative stress on blood vessels.
“Molecules known as reactive oxygen species, or ROS, play an important role in regulating cellular function,” said Steven Segal, at the MU School of Medicine and senior author of the study. “However, the overproduction of ROS can help create a condition referred to as oxidative stress, which can alter the function of cells and interfere with their growth and reproduction.”
To understand the effects of aging on the function of blood vessels when they are exposed to oxidative stress, Segal’s team studied the inner lining, or endothelium, of small resistance arteries. Resistance arteries are important to cardiovascular function because they regulate both the amount of blood flow into tissues and systemic blood pressure.
“We studied the endothelium from resistance arteries of male mice at 4 months and 24 months of age, which correspond to humans in their early 20s and mid-60s,” Segal said. “We first studied the endothelium under resting conditions and in the absence of oxidative stress. We then simulated oxidative stress by adding hydrogen peroxide.
When oxidative stress was induced for 20 minutes, the endothelial cells of the younger mice had abnormal increases in calcium when compared to the endothelial cells of the older mice. This finding is important because when calcium gets too high, cells can be severely damaged.”
When oxidative stress was extended to 60 minutes, Segal’s team found that the death of endothelial cells in the younger mice was seven times greater than those from the older mice. These findings indicated that with advancing age, the endothelium had adapted to preserve cellular integrity when confronted with oxidative stress.
“This finding contrasts with the generally held belief that the functional integrity of the endothelium is compromised as we age. Our study suggests that blood vessels adapt during the aging process to regulate ROS and minimize cell death when subjected to an abrupt increase in oxidative stress. This adaptation helps to ensure that the arteries of older individuals can still do their jobs.”
Selena Gomez has silently updated her Facebook page with a nude picture sending shock waves across the globe, especially for her fans.
Star of “Wizards of Waverly Place”, Selena has been a symbol of deceny for long and her break up with boyfriend Justin Biber has hurt more of their fans than the couple themselves who have carved out their own niche area of expertise and fame.
The nude picture uploaded on September 8 on Facebook has already received more than 1,956,794 likes and 15,160 have shared the page. However, some comments were outrageous, while others just applaud the beauty behind the photo.
Arif Munir was first to compare her to another Miley Cyrus on the cards while Gyzelle Rodriguez wanted to be more artistic in his appreciation when he said: “Girl! You are beautiful! There is a huge difference between miley naked and selena naked. Its called class. Selena brings the art out of the female form. Miley brings out vulgarity.”
Google’s self-driving car relies on a roof-mounted LIDAR sensor to see the world around it.
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley say they’ve developed a new breed of laser technology that could significantly reduce the size, weight, cost, and power consumption of LIDARs, potentially leading to a much broader range of autonomous vehicles.
LIDAR is a portmanteau of “light” and “radar.” In essence, these sensors monitor their surroundings by shining a light on an object and measuring the time needed for it to bounce back. They work well enough, but they aren’t without their drawbacks. Today’s self-driving cars typically use LIDARs that are quite large and expensive. Google, for instance, used $80,000 LIDARs with its early designs. “Most vehicles in the DARPA urban challenge put half-a-million-dollars worth of sensors on the car,” says Daniela Rus, the director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, referring to the government-backed competition that helped spawn Google’s autonomous vehicles.
“This is important for unmanned vehicles on land and in the sky,” says Weijian Yang, one of the researchers behind the project.
Yang’s work is part of a wider effort to refine LIDARs and build a cheaper breed of autonomous cars and other vehicles. A German company called SICK already offers a LIDAR that sells for less than $10,000, and researchers from MIT and the National Research Foundation of Singapore, including Rus, recently built a self-driving golf cart using no more than four of these units (see video below).
As LIDAR technology improves—and as we improve the algorithms that process the data gathered from these sensors—we’ll bring autonomy not just to cars but smaller contraptions, including golf carts, robots, and flying drones.
Anatomy of a LIDAR
A LIDAR operates by repeatedly changing the wavelength of a laser, so that the sensor can properly identify the light as it bounces off an object and returns to the sensor, and such wavelength changes require the precise manipulation of a mirror—or sometimes multiple mirrors. Typically, a separate electrical device moves these mirrors to and fro. But at Berkeley, Yang and his team developed a new option. They can move the mirrors with the laser itself.
“You don’t need an external electrical source,” says Yang, the lead author on the paper describing the technology, which was published today in the journal Scientific Reports. “The laser can change the position of the mirror automatically. The light has some kind of force.”
The result: they don’t need that outside electrical device, the sensor is smaller and lighter, and it consumes less power. The laser can be integrated with the mirror. The whole device can squeeze into a few hundred square micrometers of space. And it can be powered with the equivalent AA battery.
A More Accurate Picture
According to Yang, this same technology could improve optical coherence tomography, or OCT, which is used in medical imaging equipment. But the most intriguing possibilities lie in the world of robotics. Among other things, Yang explains, Berkeley’s method allows lasers to change wavelengths more frequently—one microsecond versus 10 or so milliseconds—and that means a LIDAR could potentially take more readings, more quickly. In other words, it could provide a more accurate picture of its surroundings.
Emilio Frazzoli, an MIT researcher who worked alongside Rus on those self-driving golf carts, says that smaller, cheaper LIDARs aren’t essential to the near future of self-driving cars. “Right now, these sensors are still expensive, but they’re becoming better and cheaper, and I don’t see them as a bottleneck,” he says, pointing out that even with today’s sensors, the price of a self-driving car compares favorably to how much you’d speed for a standard car and a full-time driver.
But he says that better sensors are certainly welcome, particularly for other applications. Indeed, Yang believes that his work could help drive the creation of additional autonomous vehicles and robots, including contraptions the size of a smartphone. In the years to come, more machines will have eyes than you might expect.
Palestinian families take shelter at an UNRWA school in Gaza City (13 July 2014). File Photo: UNRWA/Shareef Sarhan
Living conditions in Gaza are so bad that they’ve been described as “less than human” and potentially uninhabitable by 2020, the UN has said sending out warning signals, which have emanated from the UN trade and development agency, UNCTAD, in its report into the Palestinian economy.
In addition to severe crises linked to water and electricity shortages, the UN agency says that Gaza’s 1.8 million residents have yet to recover from the destruction of last year’s conflict with Israel.
Three wars in six years and eight years of economic blockade have been blamed for terrible living conditions in the Territories Occupied by Israel, the UN trade and development agency (UNCTAD) said Tuesday.
In its latest report into Gaza and the West Bank, UNCTAD experts warn that development is not merely hindered, but reversed. In fact, the figures show that for the first time since 2006, the Palestinian economy has gone into recession.
The conflict in 2014 was particularly damaging, with whole areas of Gaza still flattened by attacks. So says UNCTAD’s Mahmoud Elkhafif.
“The fact that electricity is not enough, that a number of hospitals have been destroyed, the fact that there is no drinking water enough, it’s just what any rational human would (not) doubt what’s going to happen. I mean, we had had a study before the destruction of 2014 indicating that Gaza won’t be liveable in 2020, it’s not that things stayed as they were in 2020 but they got much, much worse in 2014.”
Israel is criticised for withholding almost USD $700 million of import tax revenue from the Palestinian authorities in the first four months of the year.
According to the UN agency it’s the sixth time Israel has withheld the monies since 1997, which are far and away the main source of public revenue in the West Bank and Gaza.
In another sign of the deteriorating conditions on the ground, UNCTAD said that in the year 2000, 72,000 people depended on food aid, but now that number has risen to almost a million. And in Gaza, unemployment is as high as 80 per cent, the UN agency said.
Razor wire surrounds Debrecen centre for asylum-seekers in eastern Hungary. Parts of the centre are “open” but the facility also contains a unit for detaining asylum-seekers considered at risk of absconding. Photo: IRIN
In the wake of the grim discovery of the bodies of more than 70 people inside a truck abandoned near Austria’s border with Hungary, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the world to come together to provide comprehensive responses to migration issues, including tackling smugglers and resolving ongoing conflicts, among other root causes.
“I am horrified and heartbroken at the latest loss of lives of refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean and Europe, declared the Secretary-General following the discovery of the bodies in the abandoned vehicle, and upon hearing reports that many of the victims were Syrian asylum seekers – including children.
Meanwhile in Geneva, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Melissa Fleming said, “this tragedy shows people smugglers have no regard for human life and are only after profit. It also underscores the desperation of people seeking protection or a new life in Europe.”
Austrian police say that they believe the truck came from Hungary and entered Austria on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, and that the victims might have been dead for one or two days. Their identity is still unknown but it is presumed that they were being transported by smugglers.
After establishing that there were no survivors, the police closed the truck and moved it to another location for further investigations.
UNHCR expressed its hope that this incident will result in strong cooperation among European police forces, intelligence agencies and international organisations to crack down on the smuggling trade while putting in place measures to protect and care for victims.
Ms. Fleming reiterated UNHCR’s call to European countries to approach the refugee crisis “in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation and to provide those seeking safety in Europe with safe legal alternatives – including resettlement or humanitarian admission programmes, flexible visa policies and family reunification – to dangerous irregular voyages.”
Every day last week, the Hungarian border police intercepted more than 2,000 people crossing the border from Serbia. On Wednesday, police reported 3,241 new arrivals, including 700 children – the highest number in a single day so far this year.
Syrian refugees constitute the majority of the asylum-seekers, many of whom are women and children. They travel in large groups of over 200 – walking along rail tracks or crawling under barbed wire – as work continues on a 175 kilometres long wall at the Hungarian-Serbian border.
With a maximum capacity of 5,000 people, Hungary’s four reception centres are overcrowded, causing long waits and further exacerbating asylum-seekers’ angst. The Hungarian police do not have social workers or enough interpreters in Arabic, Dari, Pashto and Urdu, which makes communication difficult.
According to the latest official statistics, so far this year more than 140,000 people have sought asylum in Hungary, compared to 42,000 people last year. Most of those lodging asylum applications are from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan, and they include some 7,000 unaccompanied children.
On 26 August 2015, a distressed child rests over the shoulder of the man carrying him, in the town of Gevgelija, on the border with Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Photo: UNICEF/Tomislav Georgiev
As the “heart-breaking” image of a drowned refugee boy who washed up on a beach in Turkey ricocheted around the world on social media, along with equally painful images of children lying suffocated in the backs of trucks crossing borders and being passed over barbed wire fences by desperate parents, Anthony Lake, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today made a powerful plea for action to protect migrant and refugee children.
“It is not enough for the world to be shocked by these images. Shock must be matched by action,” declared the UNICEF chief.
In a statement issued by the agency, Mr. Lake advocated that all decisions regarding the child migrant and refugee crisis in Europe be guided by the best interests of the children involved, and that measures be taken to ensure they receive adequate health care, food, emotional support, education, shelter and protection.
UNICEF estimates that at least a quarter of the hundreds of thousands of people who have sought refuge in Europe are children, many of whom have fled the conflict in Syria.
Some 2,500 people have died or gone missing this year while attempting the crossing to Europe.
“Our hearts go out today to the families who have lost children – off the coasts, on the shores, and along the roadsides of Europe,” said Lake. “As the debates on policies proceed, we must never lose sight of the deeply human nature of this crisis. Nor of its scale,” he added.
“And we should never forget what lies behind so many of the stories of families seeking sanctuary in Europe: terrible conflicts such as that in Syria, which already has forced some 2 million children to flee their country. Only an end to these conflicts can bring an end to the misery of so many.”
