Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Chennai, You are in Safe Hands': Woman Who Drove City's First Metro

A young woman was behind the wheel today when the Chennai Metro rolled out for the first time, on a signal from Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

At around 12.15 pm, the Chief Minister, who was connected through video conference from her office, pressed a button and on cue, 28-year-old Preethi drove the metro train out of the Alandur station, gradually picking up speed to touch 80 km. She drove on a 10 km stretch in 18 minutes.

"It is challenging, but not difficult. You are in safe hands," she promised with a smile, speaking to NDTV later.

A year and a half of training has built up to this moment.

"I feel happy and proud," said Preethi.

Her mother A Shanthi said she "floated with joy" at seeing her drive the train. "I really did. Earlier we thought it was too dangerous as she has to take care of more than 300 passengers. Now I am proud. She is trained."

Preethi, who has a diploma in electrical and electronics engineering, quit her job at a research centre and applied to the Chennai Metro. "She was the first woman driver and four others followed," said her father, R Anbu, a businessman.

The train has four coaches and will have a capacity of nearly 1,280 passengers.

The two corridors in the first phase will cover a 45-km stretch. The corridors will be partly underground and partly elevated, and cost R
s.
16,500 crore, say officials.


The second corridor is likely to be ready by the end of this year.

The launch initially planned for October last year was plagued by delays. The Metro Rail Project plan was approved when the DMK was in power. For several people at the launch today, it was the end of a long wait.

"I wanted to board the first metro train, I hope metro makes travel easier and a pleasure," said K Ramesh a young executive.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari is New York’s first Indian-American woman judge


Newly appointed city judge, Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari, rises to take her place for a Judicial Swearing-In Ceremony at New York City Hall in New York on Monday.

Newly appointed city judge, Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari, rises to take her place for a Judicial Swearing-In Ceremony at New York City Hall in New York on Monday.

Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari has been sworn-in as a criminal court judge in New York by Mayor Bill de Blasio, becoming the first India-born woman to be appointed a judge in New York City.
Ms. Rajeswari, 43, who had migrated to the U.S. from Chennai as a teenager, previously worked with the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office for her entire career in several bureaus including Criminal Court, Narcotics, Supreme Court, and the Sex Crimes Special Victims Bureau, where she last served as Deputy Chief.
Ms. Rajeswari took the oath of office at a ceremony in New York City on Monday along with 27 other judges appointed earlier this month to the Family Court, Criminal Court, and Civil Court, which are part of the New York State Unified Court System.
The mayor appoints judges to 10-year terms in the New York City Criminal Court and the Family Court within the city.
“To ensure New Yorkers have access to a fair, equitable justice system, we need judges who are qualified, honest and reflective of the people of this city,” Mr. de Blasio said.
“With their wealth of legal experience, these appointees represent all five boroughs and all walks of life. From the first female South Asian-American judge in New York City to a former NYPD First Deputy Commissioner, these talented leaders truly reflect the diverse range of communities that make up our great city,” he said.
The mayor said Ms. Rajeswari has an “extraordinary, extraordinary empathy for others”.
He lauded her ability to speak in Indian, Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian languages, saying she put her history as an immigrant and ability to speak all these languages to work, “helping to reach immigrants” in the Staten Island communities where she served as an Assistant District Attorney.
“And she saw as her mission to give them confidence in the justice process,” Mr. de Blasio said.
Ms. Rajeswari came to the U.S. when she was 16.
“It’s like a dream. It’s way beyond what I imagined,” she had told silive.com, a Staten Island news website.
“For someone like me, an immigrant who comes from India, I’m beyond grateful,” she had said. “I told the mayor this is not only my American Dream, but it shows another girl from a far away country that this is possible.”
Ms. Rajeswari hoped to use her new position to improve the judicial system by encouraging interpreters to have more access to aid immigrants, the news site had said.
Ms. Rajeswari had told Desi Talk newspaper that she had observed gender inequality even before coming to the US when some of her “brilliant” girlfriends in India were married off at the age of 14 and 15. “That has always stayed with me.”
As a prosecuting attorney in New York, she has come across numerous cases of spousal and child abuse with in the South Asian community in New York, Ms Rajeswari had said. “Many of the domestic violence victims have been South Asians, Sri Lankans.”
Ms. Rajeswari has served in the district attorney’s office for the past 16 years and has been the deputy chief of the Special Victims Unit for more than four years.
She has worked on cases involving women and children and said they are the ones that touched her the most.
Ms. Rajeswari said that she hopes to use her new position to improve the judicial system by encouraging interpreters to have more access to aid immigrants.
“I’m honoured to sit on a city bench and make Staten Island proud,” she said.
Currently, there are two male judges of Indian descent in civil court settings — Jaya Madhavan on the New York City Housing Court in Bronx County, and Anil C. Singh of New York County Supreme Court, 1st District, according to ethnic New India Times.
Besides her legal acumen Ms Rajeswari is an accomplished Bharathanatyam and Kucchipudi dancer who continues to perform at Indian events and temples with her troupe from the Padmalaya Dance Academy, named after her mother, Padma Ramanathan.

Solar, wind power to be tapped in Spiti: Himachal CM


Terming Spiti Valley ideal for solar and wind energy generation, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Friday said that more such projects would be developed in the area. 

Speaking at a public rally at Kaza, the headquarters of Spitia, the chief minister announced that 'nautor' or right to utilize the waste land owned by the government would be given to those persons who are landless or having a small landholding with them. 

The chief minister said the bridge over the Keer rivulet would be soon constructed and its approach road would be completed soon. 

The bridge was washed away last year in flashfloods. 

"The government is always considerate towards the demands of the tribal people and today Lahaul-Spiti district is fast developing and all the villages of the valley would be connected with roads," the chief minister said. 

Regarding construction of the Mudh-Bhaba road connecting the Spiti Valley with Kinnaur district, he said the state has taken up the case relating to forest clearance for the project with the central government. 

He said the road network in the Spiti Valley would be completed on priority. The roads included Losar to Kyomo, Rangreek to Kwang, Kaza to Langcha and Shithling to Mane to Siluk. 

A part of the remote but picturesque Lahaul-Spiti district, the Spiti Valley, a cold desert dotted by tiny hamlets spread over the Himalayan peaks, adjoining Tibet, is a land of Buddhism and virgin nature. 

What good sex means to Indian women

What good sex means to Indian women
Women have sex for the same reasons men do. Because they can. And then some. Here's a sneaky cure for the 'headache' epidemic.
Basic instincts are anything but basic. If the book Why Women Have Sex by clinical psychologist Cindy Meston and evolutionary psychologist David Buss is to be believed, women and sex have almost nothing to do with love. They have, however, found 237 other reasons. If you thought women were complicated earlier, good luck stroking this one.
After over a thousand interviews, Meston and Buss have managed to fashion a nuanced portrait of female sexuality. Sexual motivations for women are wide ranging — using sex as a defensive tactic against a mate's infidelity (protection); a ploy to boost self-confidence (status); a barter for gifts or household chores (resource acquisition); a cure for a migraine (medication). Somewhere, love finds a mention.
So the question is what makes women tick? Why are Clooney and Saif (for us) and Dilip Kumar (for our mothers) still our mental go-to guys?
Like it or not, it has little to do with your tailored suit and suave haircut and more to do with your genetic disposition and complimentary MHC (Major histo-compatibility) gene complex. In man-speak, that means, she wants you because you're loaded with what biologists call "genetic benefits" and "resource benefits." Genetically speaking, you're the bees knees and any kids produced out of this union will be prime quality. As for resource benefits, let's just say, she married you for the house, the car, the club membership and your ability to protect the aforementioned healthy offspring.
This also explains why certain balding, potbellied men find takers sooner than their well-bodied, charming counterparts. Women are known to give brownie points to loyalty and his ability to provide for the family and not just his ability to spread quality spawn.
According to studies conducted by International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria, how women select their mate finds merit in the Darwinian theory of survival of the fittest. It can be annoying, but the study states that picky women are actually the key to survival and biodiversity. For example, if all women universally liked tall men, short men would be headed for extinction, or men with small feet would find no place in the world.
As for women in 'love', it can be translated into — security, I won't find anyone like him, good father material, apt provider, self confidence. Carnal sexual motivation however, has more options — Revenge, envy, jealousy, money, barter, guilt, punishment, duty, loyalty, a lesson on loyalty, power and domination, to sometimes, pure evil. In effect, they use sex to express love, and to get it, and to try and keep it.
What good sex means to women in Mumbai
Shobha De, in one of her observations about sex years ago, had said that earlier women just hitched up their sarees, closed their eyes and thought about Dilip Kumar. Has the scenario changed in urban India as increasingly more women find themselves freed from the shackles of guilt as far as getting some good, therapeutic action goes?

We spoke to women between the ages of 20-40 and found that while love was a high priority for women, there were several other interesting reasons that prompted them to sleep with men who may not be their knight-in-shining armour. Here are some of the factors that motivate Mumbai's feisty ladies for that spontaneous quickie or a roll in the hay...
Late bloomers
A 26-year-old young entrepreneur giggled as she confessed that it was the best birthday gift she had given... herself. "I was 23 and probably the oldest virgin in the world. At least, that's what it felt like then," she says. "I really wanted to know what I was missing out on." Young women feel the peer pressure if they are the last to be clutching on to their hymens in their group, even if unwillingly. Virginity is finally losing its spot on the pedestal as the greatest gift you can give to someone you love.

Dog training
A large number of the women surveyed also described sex as a tool for 'dog training'. Train the penis, and the man will follow, seemed to be the general philosophy.

A 30-year-old banker said she withheld sex in her marriage when she was displeased, and used it when she was in a pliant mood. "It helps to have owned dogs all your life," she jokes.
Women who want to keep the power in the relationship learn to excel at this very quickly.
Security
A 27-year-old entrepreneur said that her first marriage wasn't promising in terms of sex, but her husband had the right credentials. But in her second marriage, she is crazy about her man even if she earns more than him and he won't fit the bracket of the 'provider'. Other women felt that sex wasn't as important in the larger scheme of things. A good home and status was enough to keep a good marriage going.

Because it's there
When we asked a 27-year-old stylist about her motivations for sex, she asked if it was a rhetorical question. She had a couple of encounters, because, well, they presented themselves. Obviously. "It's like, why the f... not?" she shrugs. What a revolutionary idea. Have sex simply because it's available. It is gaining popularity as a recreational tool, especially when women are between relationships or just plain bored.

The mood lifter 
Women in high-stress jobs or those feeling low sang praises for the therapeutic properties of sex. "It destresses me," said a 32-year-old advertising professional. Another attractive furniture designer said there was nothing like sex to lift up her mood when she was bummed out.

Sex releases the feel-good hormones and what better way to unwind? And you sleep soundly!
To get it over with
A 31-year-old HR professional says, "Sometimes you just want to get it over with and move on to the list of chores that you need to finish." Women sometimes find it easier to tick it off the to-do list than launch into elaborate measures that involve feigning headaches, or making excuses and then feeling guilty when the partner sulks wearing a permanent hurt puppy look.

The United Colors of Benetton experience
Sometimes sex has been a great tool for cultural assimilation, women have found. A young media professional who did a stint in an American university discovered just that. Another banker, a frequent traveler, said that she was always curious. "I'd heard that once you go black, you can't go back. So I wanted to see if that was true," she admits. Curiosity can be a prime motivator for women to experiment sexually. And on holiday, the normal rules don't always apply and the anonymity bolsters confidence for women.

Infidelity
A young IT professional said that she had cheated briefly in her marriage only once. "But that's only because things were not good in our relationship," she says. Another hairdresser said that she felt betrayed when she found out that her husband had cheated on her. She slept with a close friend and felt vindicated. For the moment.

Fear of losing a man
A PR professional candidly said that once she had sex for fear of losing her boyfriend in the initial stages of her relationship. She thought that he might lose interest and move on to someone who "was going to give him some." The smart men can be cunning and play on a woman's insecurities. Younger or naive women tend to fall for this guilt-trap.

Women have needs too
More and more women are cognisant of their needs and refuse to feel guilty about wanting good sex. A whopping 50 per cent of the women said that "they just wanted some" and cited "hormonal reasons". "Hormones have feelings too," said one media professional with a straight face. Two women said they had a friend with benefits. It was convenient and a better than ending up in an arid, sex desert landscape.

Rejection and self-esteem
A media professional found herself in relationships with two 'losers' back to back. When she started dating a nice guy, she had planned to 'hold back and make it special'. "The idea seemed overrated very soon," she says. "I needed to break the jinx!'

A good session that ends on a high note seems to work like a balm for bruised self-esteem. Another young marketing professional, said that when she realised she had dated a loser, she felt such self-loathing that the only cure was to be found in the arms of a man she was wildly attracted to, even if she was not in a relationship with him.
Sex with a new partner also balances off rejection. Women who've been dumped or ended relationships for practical rather than emotional reasons, may find solace without the emotional investment they may not be ready for. As the marketing professional confessed, it makes you feel 'like you're still wanted'.

Princess still in distress

Illustration by Vinay Kumar
Illustration by Vinay Kumar

The pathos of Princess Jahanara’s life is reflected in her grave too

Jahanara Begum led a life of hardships and now more than 300 years after death her agony continues as her grave lies neglected with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Nizamuddin Dargah Committee washing their hands off the matter. The ASI says guards are there only to protect the tomb from vandals while the Nizami family, trustees of the shrine of Hazrat Nizamuddin, contend that the ASI is the caretaker since the grave comes under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act. As it cannot circumvent this it is just a helpless onlooker. But the fact remains that the grave needs repairs and clearing of waste left behind by pilgrims to the adjacent shrine, most of whom don’t even know who Jahanara was!
It’s not so much grass that grows on Jahanara Begum’s grave these days as shrubs. Her wish to be buried in a “kuccha” grave was duly fulfilled though a sarcophagus protects it from the elements, open as it is to the sky but situated in an enclosed chamber with perforated marble screens, south of the Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. 

Still, when one sees it, one is reminded of the Persian poet Sadi’s poignant lines :

“I saw some handful of the rose in bloom with bands of grass suspended from a dome/I said, ‘What means this worthless grass that it should in the rose’s fairy circle sit?”/Then wept the grass and said, ‘Be still and know the kind their old associates ne’er forgo/Mine is no beauty here or fragrance-true. But in the garden of the Lord I grew.” No wonder grass springs up like hope eternal even on old forgotten monuments, where no roses may bloom. Grass is never a deserter. That was why Shah Jahan’s eldest daughter wanted it to grow on her grave.

Forced spinsterhood found an outlet in poetry and both Jahanara and her sister Roshanara gave vent to their feelings in verse. Persian was the language employed, as Urdu was considered the camp language and was yet to take over its predominant position. Persian similes and metaphors, like the jam (wine cup), the shama (lamp), the moth, the mythical mountain Kohkaf and the bulbul were hardly considered alien at a time when the ambience at the Mughal court was the same as that of Persia, Arabia or Turkey. As a matter of fact, even present day Urdu poetry waxes eloquent on them – and who doesn’t enjoy this escape to a romantic past, so far removed from the mundane image of the modern age when Kohkaf has been identified as the Caucasus mountain?

Even such a selfless person as Jahanara must have no doubt yearned for someone, who could be the master of her heart. Her emotions are portrayed in her poetry, which is that of a pious woman deeply attached to her Maker. She was also a great lover of gardens and laid the Begum Bagh in Delhi, in which was also situated the Begum Sarai. Outside the bagh was the Chandni Chowk, which was also her creation. After Aurangzeb came to power Jahanara preferred to stay with her father, who was held captive in the Agra Fort for seven years until his death on 16th January, 1666. She became a recluse after that and patronized mystics and mendicants until her own death. As per her wishes, she was buried in the tomb she had built for herself in 1681, next to the shrine of the saint she held in high regard.

The hollow sarcophagus is the receptacle, in which the grass grows in accordance with her epitaph. “Let naught cover my grave save the green grass, for grass will suffice as covering for the lowly.” And yet she was the one, who was once the virtual ruler of Hindustan and whose “pandan kharch” (betel leaf expenses literally but pin-money in this case) which was met by the revenue of two flourishing ports of the Mughal empire. Sleep well, gentle princess!

When Rudyard Kipling visited her grave in the 19th Century he couldn’t help comparing her to Christina Georgina Rossetti, the celebrated sister of Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882) writer of the famous poem “The Blessed Damozel”. Christina too died a spinster in 1894 when the last of the Mughal princess were still alive in the Mori Gate. Hence Kipling’s poignant comparison of the green grass growing over their lowly graves, with Christina’s words ringing in his ears; “Be the green grass above me/With showers and dewdrops wet…/I shall not hear the nightingale/Sing on as if in pain/And dreaming through the twilight/That doth not rise nor set/Haply I may remember/And haply may forget.” Few indeed forget Christina Rossetti after visiting her last resting place! The same is true of Jahanara.

Best of both worlds

Interesting study options, lively discussions and a multi-cultural campus. Malvika Elango writes about her enriching experience at Concordia College.

The curiosity to experience the American style of education drove me to apply for the unique transfer programme that Women’s Christian College (WCC), Chennai, offers. I completed two years of B.Com (honours) in WCC, and later moved to Concordia College, New York, to pursue my Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Management.
The decision to move to Concordia is undoubtedly the best one I have made so far. It is amazing how the western style of education is so different from what I had experienced back home. And fortunately, this transfer programme has made it possible for me to experience “the best of both worlds.”
Interactive classes
What fascinates me about the classes at Concordia is that they are held through discussions, rather than lectures. This makes them more lively and interesting. The numerous projects that are assigned to us help in applying the theory that we learn in class to real life situations. One of the most interesting projects that I did was an analysis of the popular coffee chain, Starbucks. The main aim of the analysis was to identify the key issues affecting Starbucks, and to come up with strategies to tackle the same. Though challenging, such projects help us gain an insight into the practical world of business.
Another interesting part of the education system are the mandatory liberal arts subjects that we are required to take up. To be honest, initially this concept did not make sense to me. Being a business student, I wondered why I am required to take up humanities, sociology and so on, instead of solely focusing on the core business subjects. However, after taking up a few liberal arts classes I realised that they not only expose you to subjects that you are not previously aware of but also play a critical role in developing a lot of essential employability skills, including writing and analytical and creative thinking.
Diverse culture
Being a part of a diverse student body is another major benefit of studying abroad. There are students from over 37 countries at Concordia. This gives us an opportunity to interact with students from different cultures, and thus understand a given subject from multiple points of view.
Apart from the excellent academic life that Concordia offers, one is exposed to many co-curricular activities. The college regularly hosts exciting on-and off-campus events and students can also be a part of various clubs.
Living in New York has proven to be very exciting. Weekends are usually spent exploring the lively city and hunting for new Indian restaurants to satisfy my neverending craving for spicy food!

New HIV vaccine candidate ‘primes’ immune system

Scientists have designed a new experimental HIV vaccine candidate that may stimulate the immune system to block infection from the deadly virus.
New research led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and The Rockefeller University shows in mice that the vaccine candidate can stimulate the immune system activity necessary to stop HIV infection.
The findings could provide key information for the development of an effective AIDS vaccine, researchers said.
The research, published in concurrent studies in the journals Cell and Science, represents a leap forward in the effort to develop a vaccine against HIV, which has so far struggled to elicit antibodies (immune system molecules) that can effectively fight off different strains of the virus.
“The results are pretty spectacular,” said Dennis Burton, chair of the TSRI Department of Immunology and Microbial Science.
While many vaccines for other diseases use a dead or inactive version of the disease-causing microbe itself to trigger antibody production, immunisations with “native” HIV proteins are ineffective in triggering an effective immune response, due to HIV’s ability to evade detection from the immune system and mutate rapidly into new strains.
This challenge has led many researchers to believe that a successful AIDS vaccine will need to consist of a series of related, but slightly different proteins (immunogens) to train the body to produce broadly neutralising antibodies against HIV — a twist on the traditional “booster” shot, where a person is exposed to the same immunogen multiple times.
The scientists tested one of these potential proteins, an immunogen called eOD-GT8 60mer, a protein nanoparticle designed to bind and activate B cells needed to fight HIV.
The eOD-GT8 60mer was tested in mouse models to produce antibodies that resemble human antibodies.
Using a technique called B cell sorting, the researchers showed that immunisation with eOD-GT8 60mer produced antibody “precursors” — with some of the traits necessary to recognise and block HIV infection.
This suggested that eOD-GT8 60mer could be a good candidate to serve as the first in a series of immunisations against HIV, researchers said.
“The vaccine appears to work well in our mouse model to ’prime’ the antibody response,” added TSRI Professor David Nemazee.
In the Cell paper, researchers used the same eOD-GT8 60mer immunogen but used a slightly different mouse model.
“The immunogen again launched the immune system in the right direction,” said TSRI Professor William Schief.

That’s right, kangaroos are lefties

The upright stance of kangaroos allow them to use their front paws freely.

The upright stance of kangaroos allow them to use their front paws freely.

Australian marsupials display a natural preference for using their left hand, say scientists.

Research on wild kangaroos in Australia is challenging the notion that having a strong hand preference is a trait that developed primarily in people and other primates.

Scientists said on Thursday that these Australian marsupials displayed a natural preference for using their left hand for feeding, self-grooming and other activities. So while most people are right-handed, most kangaroos are lefties.

Beyond providing new insight into kangaroo behaviour, the research sheds light on a unique aspect of mammalian evolution, the researchers said.
Unexpected finding

“We found a pronounced degree of ‘handedness,’ comparable to that in our species,” said biologist Yegor Malashichev of Saint Petersburg State University in Russia. “In bipedal kangaroos, in all actions studied, there was a significant left-hand preference in the vast majority of individuals.”

The researchers said they did not expect to find hand preference in kangaroos or other marsupials — the pouched mammals — because of brain differences from the more common placental mammals, including primates, the researchers said.

“Any study that proves true ‘handedness’ in another bipedal (two-footed) species contributes to the study of brain symmetry and mammalian evolution,” said wildlife ecologist Janeane Ingram of the University of Tasmania. “Even in the scientific community, true ‘handedness’ was assumed to have evolved primarily in humans and primates.”

Kangaroos use hopping as their primary means of locomotion, and their upright stance allows them to use their hands freely.

The researchers observed two bipedal species of kangaroos and one bipedal species of wallaby in continental Australia and Tasmania. They found that the eastern gray kangaroo and the red kangaroo exhibited left-handedness in all tasks. The research, backed by the National Geographic Society, was published in the journal Current Biology.

BSNL to launch free roaming today


BSNL had a mobile subscriber base of 7.72 crore as of March-end.

BSNL had a mobile subscriber base of 7.72 crore as of March-end.

State-run BSNL will launch free roaming, starting today, which will allow all its mobile customers across the country to receive incoming calls at no cost.
“Now BSNL mobile customers will not need to carry multiple SIMs and handsets during roaming. They are free to talk as long as they want without worrying of any charges during incoming calls.
“In fact, it is like a dream of ‘One Nation One Number’ coming true,” BSNL CMD Anupam Shrivastava said in a statement.
One June 2, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had announced that the telco would be launching free roaming scheme from June 15.
The company also clarified that it has not received any communication from sectoral regulator TRAI regarding the roaming scheme.
“We have not received any such communication from TRAI.
BSNL has announced this scheme with the consent of Minister of Communications & IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad who himself had announced it in a press conference held on June 2. TRAI has no objection to it,” Shrivastava said.
BSNL had a mobile subscriber base of 7.72 crore as of March-end.

A small town girl

Evelyn Sharma, the lead in V.K. Prakash’s Ishqedarriyan , says she is looking forward to playing more varied roles

Move over Katrina Kaif, Amy Jackson and Sunny Leone, there is a new NRI in town and she plans to go places. From the bombshell in Yaariyan to the ditzy girl in Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani , Evelyn Sharma, the actress who made her debut playing the role of Lubaina, the girl next door in the filmFrom Sydney With Love , has come a long way. She is slowly, but surely, creating ripples in Bollywood. The seven-film-old actress, who has been playing supporting roles till now, is the female lead in V.K. Prakash’s Ishqedarriyan .

And although her reel image till now may have been that of a diva, at heart, Evelyn calls herself a small town girl. “I grew up in a small town in Germany where I learnt to enjoy the simple things in life,” says the half German-half Indian.

And that could be a reason why she could identify with Luvleen, her character in Ishqedarriyan . Luvleen is from a small town in Himachal Pradesh. Calling Ishqedarriyan her debut as it is for the first time that she is playing a solo lead actress, Evelyn says: “Although I have enjoyed playing an NRI in the past, I want variety in my work; I want to experiment with roles till I discover my niche. Once I am established as an actor, trying out different roles and genres is a bit risky as the audience might not accept me in such roles. Although I feel comedy is my forte and would love to go the Jennifer Anniston and Salma Hayek way, I want to push myself to see if there are other genres I am good at. Ishqedarriyan will show me in a different light. I get to portray a gamut of emotions – right from being happy-go-lucky to heartbroken and vulnerable. I have gone totally de-glam in the movie and don’t sport any make-up. This is to keep the role as realistic as possible.”

Ishqedarriyan , she says, is a romantic drama. A simple, musical love story, she stars opposite Mahaakshay [actor Mithun Chakraborty’s son] in the film. “Mahaakshay plays a rich boy who realises money can’t buy everything. He also sacrifices his love for someone else.”

Luvleen runs her grandfather’s school for the less privileged.

Evelyn admits she had to work hard for the role of Luvleen. “I had to work with a diction teacher to get the Punjabi accent right,” says the actor who is proud to have dubbed all her films herself.

“I have a flair for languages and although I didn’t know Hindi, with hard work, I can now speak the language reasonably well.”

Her stint in theatre while in Germany has stood her in good stead in Bollywood. “It has helped me emote and get into the skin of the character, easier,” says the die-hard Shah Rukh Khan fan. “My favourite movie of his is Dilwale Dulhani Le Jayange . I would love to work with him one day.”

A talented singer, Evelyn has sung in an album in collaboration with Indo-American artiste Brooklyn Shanti. She enjoys penning her thoughts and ‘Something Beautiful’, her song in Shanti’s album, is a reflection of a time when she did not feel too good about herself. She plans to release an album comprising her songs shortly.

The kind of person who believes in seizing the moment, she grabbed the chance when offered the opportunity to be part of Life Mein Ek Baar , a reality drama-cum-travel show. “Who wouldn’t? You are handed the chance to see the world and paid for it. The only problem is that one tends to face one’s fears on the show as we discover the adventurous side of life. I am dead scared of heights but have managed to conquer it – I flew a helicopter and it was exhilarating,” says Evelyn who has a couple of new films lined up. “I can’t announce them yet, but yes, the audience can look forward to seeing me in new, interesting roles.”

Five things you will find in Evelyn’s bag
Lip balm
Sun glasses
Blush
Hairbrush
Shawl

I want variety in my work; I want to experiment with roles till I discover my niche

Don’t be Hacked Through Hotel Wi-Fi

Having access to public Wi-Fi networks while you are staying at hotels or convention centers is a convenient, often free, service that you can use to stay connected while traveling. However, computer security and online privacy can be severely compromised in these public locations when you connect to the Internet using unsecure devices. If you access public Wi-Fi networks at hotels on a regular basis, you need to know how to best protect yourself, your identity and your business from cyber hacking. Sign up with MyLife.com today to begin securing your online reputation and identity.
In March 2015, cyber hackers overcame the privacy guard of 277 different hotels, data centers and convention centers. This data breach spanned 29 different countries, including the United States. With a cyber-security warning detected by Cylance’s Sophisticated Penetration Exploitation And Research (SPEAR) team, Internet safety was restored that same day.
Unfortunately, this incident, which compromised hotel Internet privacy, was the second in the last six months alone. In November 2014, researchers working for Kaspersky found that a group of cyber hackers had been infiltrating Wi-Fi networks at luxury hotels for the previous four years. Nicknamed “Darkhotel,” these cyber attackers were looking specifically for information concerning nuclear research and the United States defense industry.
While the online privacy of the Darkhotel-targeted groups and information is extremely important to the well-being of the nation, it has less to do with the online reputation of the average citizen. However, the recent data breaches in hotels and convention centers directly affect personal online privacy protection, and the topic is important to anyone who travels regularly or who accesses public Wi-Fi networks. You need to be able to protect yourself and your online reputation, and MyLife.com is here to help you with the tools and comprehensive cyber protection you need whether you are at home or at a hotel.
Track Your Network Encryption
Whenever you send emails, post on social media or share digital photos or videos, you are sending personal information into the cyber world. If you shop online or use online banking, you are sharing personal financial account information over the Internet.
Most banking and shopping websites already use encryption processes to provide identity theft protection, but not all. Most likely, your hotel has updated to an encryption service to help prevent those who are not on the property from accessing the exclusive network. Make sure that you are accessing the hotel’s official network and not an impostor, which may open you up to identity theft or fraud.
Mobile apps, however, do not employ encryption services and often do not tap into the hotel network. This means that if you use a mobile app to shop with your credit card, conduct online banking services or access your social media management, your private information is most likely unsecure. This results in an advantage for potential online hackers.
Some hotel Wi-Fi hotspots do not employ encryption other than on the initial sign-in page. This means that hackers and other cyber criminals are able to see your personal information, private documents and any aspects of your online image that you share over a public Internet connection. Pay special attention as you navigate the Internet from your hotel to ensure that you are staying on an encrypted network.
Avoid File Sharing
The best way to protect your personal data and files is to avoid sharing them over your hotel network. First, make sure that your computer or mobile device’s firewall is turned on and functioning whenever you access hotel Wi-Fi. The firewall is responsible for permitting and denying traffic to and from your device, so it is your first line of defense against cyber threats.
Second, avoid all file sharing websites, such as DropBox, Google Drive and MediaFire, unless absolutely necessary. When you access these sites, you open yourself and your information to the possibility of hackers. If you absolutely must access file sharing websites, be conscious of the type of information you are sending across the hotel network.
Avoid Malware Updates at Your Hotel
Even if you are being careful about the types of data you are sending and are checking to see which websites may be encrypted for your safety, hackers have found other methods to trick you into accepting their invitations. One of the most common methods is through software updates.
Before you travel, be sure to thoroughly update your computer or other mobile device from home while on your secure network. If you do this, you will not be tempted to change your settings or update your software from your hotel. If your device prompts you to do an upgrade or change a software package while you are logged into the hotel network, it is most likely a malware indication, and you should avoid making this change.
Never Forget to Log Off and Forget the Network
No matter what Wi-Fi hotspot or other Internet network you access, you should always remember to log off the service when you are finished. In addition to logging off, you also need to instruct your device to forget the network entirely. By de-selecting the “Connect automatically when this network is in range” option on a Windows device or the “Remember networks this computer has joined” option on a Mac, your device will not automatically connect to your hotel network again.
This preventative measure ensures that your device is not unknowingly connected to the hotel network, giving hackers and other cyber criminals free access to your personal data and files. You will have control over when your device is connected, and that keeps you safe.
Just because you are traveling does not mean you need to be afraid of accessing and using your hotel Wi-Fi. With some simple precautions, you can feel comfortable using your hotel network, and MyLife.com makes that possible. By offering online reputation management and security essentials, you can rest assured that MyLife.com will provide you with a security or fraud alert at the first sign of trouble.

Medical topper is a film buf

Telangana medical topper Uppalapti Priyanka is a film buff and not just studious as many might believe because of her rank.

A student of Sri Chaitanya Narayana Group of Institutions in Vijayawada, Priyanka who loves to watch films scored a perfect 160 out of 160 in EAMCET reflecting how she manages her pastime and studies beautifully.

“My teachers really helped me to get that kind of score and their faith in me paid off,” said Priyanka, admitting she never expected to get that score. “I always wanted to be a doctor as most of my relatives are doctors. The respect they command motivated me,” said Priyanka, whose parents are postgraduates.
Academic of Directors of the Sri Chaitanya and Narayana group Sushma and Sindhura, said it was a dream come true for their institutions and it reflected the commitment of their teachers and students.
“Getting 90 out of top 100 ranks in engineering and 95 ranks in top 100 in medical stream doesn’t happen without effort,” they said, while felicitating the students.

Olympiad next
Engineering topper Sai Sandeep is attending the Chemistry Olympiad. Sandeep, whose parents hail from Guntur, said he is likely to get into IIT and will prefer it. He stood sixth in the AP EAMCET and also scored among the top six in the JEE Main.

I always wanted to be a doctor as most of my relatives are doctors. The respect they command motivated me

Kangana breaks records

Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut

Nothing smells as sweet as success and Kangana Ranaut is reaping the benefits of it. Her latest film Tanu Weds Manu Returns is a roaring hit and has crossed the 100 crore mark. The production house claims that the second week collection ofTanu Weds Manu Returns (28 crore) is higher than that of second week collections of Chennai Express (23 crore).

Flipkart to sell OnePlus smartphones

Amitesh Jha, VP-Retail, Flipkart:
Amitesh Jha, VP-Retail, Flipkart: "We are excited to have the OnePlus One on our platform."

Smartphone maker OnePlus will start selling its devices on Flipkart from Monday.
“Starting June 22, the OnePlus One 64 GB (Sandstone Black) will be available on Flipkart at Rs 21,999,” Vikas Agarwal, General Manager (India), OnePlus said.
The 16 GB Silk White variant is expected to be made available at Rs 18,999 in a few weeks, Mr. Agarwal added.
“At OnePlus, it has been our constant endeavour to evaluate and evolve our go-to market strategy and this collaboration is another step in that direction.
“We are happy to have Flipkart as our new channel partner, in a bid to expand our reach and make OnePlus One more accessible to people across the country,” he said.

Rain stops play in 2nd ODI; India gasping at 196 for 8

M.S. Dhoni, left, and his teammate Shikhar Dhawan run between the wickets during the second one-day international cricket match on Sunday.

M.S. Dhoni, left, and his teammate Shikhar Dhawan run between the wickets during the second one-day international cricket match on Sunday.

Electing to bat, India were 196 for eight against Bangladesh when rain stopped play in the second cricket One-day International, on Sunday.
Ravindra Jadeja (19) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2) were at the crease for India, who must win the match to level the three-match series.
India had lost the first match by 79 runs at the same venue.
Brief Scores:
India: 196 for 8 in 43.5 overs.(Shikhar Dhawan 53, Mahendra Singh Dhoni 47; Mustafizur Rahman 5/43).
Teams:
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt and wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel, Dhawal Kulkarni
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Shakib Al Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed.

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