With an intent to encourage BMTC drivers to practice safe driving, ORRCA volunteers will gift them roses, chocolates and greeting cards

In a bid to motivate BMTC drivers to put the lessons -- that they had learnt during the 'Traffic Month' in April-- into practise, the Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) has decided to gift them roses, chocolates and greeting cards.

The ORRCA volunteers will gift drivers cards that will have messages like 'thanks for using designated bus stops, thanks for picking and dropping us from bus bays and thanks for keeping with lane discipline' written on it.

 
 
According to experts, the initiative will motivate BMTC drivers and conductors to adhere to the rules.
 

"We are doing this to acknowledge the support that they rendered to us in making the Traffic Month a success," said Vishwanath, general secretary of ORRCA.
 
He added that it would motivate drivers to continue practise safe driving. Experts feel that the initiative will motivate BMTC drivers and conductors.

M Sreenivas, a trainer in personality development, said, "The BMTC staff needs to be encouraged and motivated constantly so that they adhere to the rules. Such initiatives will serve the purpose."

ORRCA, which is running several campaigns to check traffic woes, completed the Traffic Month on May 30.
 
The programme witnessed participation of over 60 IT and non-IT companies, including AOL, Convergys and Accenture.

Volunteers led the campaign by guiding and creating awareness amongst BMTC drivers and conductors about safe driving.
 

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and economist Amartya Sen are among nine Indians figuring in Time magazine's annual list of 100 most influential people while Bollywood sensation Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan tops its 100 Alumnae list.

Manmohan Singh finds himself in the 19th spot in the Leaders list headed by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with US president Barack Obama in the fourth place.

As India's finance minister from 1991 to 1996, Manmohan Singh "released India's potential for the benefit of its people. Now, as Prime Minister, he is guiding India into the ranks of the great powers," wrote PepsiCo's Indian American chairperson Indra Nooyi.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar gets the 13th place among 25 "Heroes" headed by former US president Bill Clinton who is recognised for his work as a fund-raiser and anti-poverty activist.

Writing about Tendulkar's double century in a One Day International match, new age guru Deepak Chopra says: "To millions of Indians and countless fans around the world, this act, which caps a career of record-breaking feats, arouses a sense of awe."

"The Alchemist" is the favourite book of Time Alumnae Aishwarya, who lists "certainly my mother and father" as the two people who had the most effect or influence on her.

Sixth placed among heroes Dr Perumalsamy Namperumalsamy, 70, was recognised for performing cataract surgery at the Aravind Eye Care Hospitals since 1976 and having treated 3.6 million surgeries to date-a new one every 15 minutes.

Indian entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw gets the 16th spot among 'heroes' for donating $2 million to support health insurance coverage for 100,000 Indian villagers and another$10 million for creating the 1,400-bed Mazumdar-Shaw Cancer Centre in Bangalore.

A paramedic from Toronto, Rahul Singh in 22nd place is recognised for his relief work in Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit the poor Caribbean nation on Jan 12. In 1998, Singh founded GlobalMedic to provide disaster relief using volunteer professional emergency workers.

Chetan Bhagat, author of bestsellers, "One Night @ the Call Centre" and "Five Point Someone" is the lone Indian in the list of Artists headed by extravagantly outfitted singer Lady Gaga.

"I've seen the effect Chetan has on his readers," writes Academy Award winner Indian composer AR Rahman. "He often writes about following your dreams and not bowing to others' expectations. That isn't easy in India, where family opinion matters and some professions are regarded as more serious than others."

Nobel prize winner economist Amartya Sen is 20th on the "Thinkers" list. "Occasionally loquacious, often ironic, usually genial, always brilliant," Sen's notion of measuring human development is now central to the work of the United Nations and the World Bank, notes Harvard University history professor, Neil Ferguson.

Indian-America doctor and Harvard professor Atul Gawande is fifth on the list of 'thinkers' for his contribution to medicine. "In this historic time for health policy, the need for smart, creative thinkers is greater than ever. Gawande certainly is one and it is equally certain his influence will grow," wrote former US State Senator, Tom Daschle.

Humanitarian worker, Sanjit Bunker Roy's Barefoot College has trained more than 3 million people for jobs in the modern world, in buildings so rudimentary they have dirt floors and no chairs, Time said.

"Roy combines humanitarianism, entrepreneurship and education to help people steer their own path out of poverty, fostering dignity and self-determination along the way," it said.
 

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The government has identified MPs from 33 Naxal-hit districts, who shall be briefed by Home Minister P Chidambaram on the national strategy to deal with Naxals. Chidambaram will seek their cooperation.

The Home Minister is also expected to discuss hurdles in the implementation of various development plans in Naxal-hit districts.

A Planning Commission task force had reported after the Dantewada massacre that development plans had been slowest in the areas with big Naxal presence.

The report found that in Dantewada, claims for the land allocated under the Forest Rights Act had not been given.

Only 35 per cent of the funds meant for roads had been used and only 16 per cent of the healthcare money had been spent.

The government is focusing on connectivity in these terrains as that has been the biggest disadvantage security forces face during anti-Naxal operations.  
 

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Will the prize make up for the slight? The BJP, a partner scorned, is taking its time to kiss and make up, but it is very tempted by the JMM's offer of the Chief Minister's post in Jharkhand.

The party has put on hold its withdrawal of support to Shibu Soren and has called all its present allies in the state to Delhi to consult them before it agrees to head a government in Jharkhand. Those invited for consultations  include Shibu Soren's son, Hemant. The BJP says it is "in principal not averse to having a Chief Minister in Jharkhand."

The BJP's parliamentary board met on Friday to discuss Shibu Soren's apology and peace offer and take a call on whether to forgive his political back-stabbing.

And he is sorry. Really sorry. Shibu Soren sent two letters to the BJP on Thursday apologizing for betraying his ally by voting for the union government, and against the BJP's cut motion, twice in Parliament.

Later in the night, his son Hemant, who has been scurrying to keep his JMM's tenuous marriage with the BJP alive, said his party would support a new government in Jharkhand with the BJP leading the coalition. "Once the BJP decides, we will resign," said Junior Soren.

If the BJP leadership agrees to the offer, Arjun Munda will be a front runner for the Jharkhand Chief Minister's post.

Through Thursday, the party had said it wasn't interested in what Soren had to offer. But it did cancel its three meetings with the Governor where it was meant to formally withdraw support to Soren's government in Jharkhand. (Read: BJP withdraws support to Shibu Soren govt in Jharkhand)

So what made Soren pull the plug on his own chief minister-ship?

His explanation, even by his own standards, was about as solid as a popsicle on a hot day. "It happened just like that," he said of his decision to vote against the BJP on Wednesday. And with that, he forced another crisis upon his home state of Jharkhand, whose various coalition governments have seen more divorces than Larry King. In the last ten years, seven governments have passed through Jharkhand. (Read: Why Soren betrayed BJP on cut motion)

In reality, Soren's action may have been a reaction to the politics within his own family. Soren is currently a Member of Parliament. But in order to stay on as chief minister (he took over in January 2010), he needs to be elected to the Jharkhand Assembly. But neither his son, nor other members of his Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) were willing to give up their own seats for Soren.

So Soren decided he'd ditch the BJP and propose to the Congress. If this new alliance were able to offer him a position at the Centre, his son could take over as chief minister.

But the Congress doesn't see Soren as a suitable boy. The union government is engaged in a critical and exhaustive operation against Naxal insurgents. Soren, whose own state forms a major power base for Naxals, is seen as being too soft on the Maoists. The Prime Minister is reportedly also wary of an alliance with Soren because of the slew of criminal cases Soren faces.

So on Wednesday night, Soren's son apologized publicly to the BJP. And then Soren chipped in on Thursday. But for very different reasons. Soren Senior has offered the chief minister's post to the BJP if they agree to replace him with a tribal leader. Soren Junior, however, is still uneasy with his father's reckless vote against the BJP in parliament. And there is the very real possibility of the JMM splitting over who to tie up with. Senior leaders Teklal Mahto and Simon Marandi want to go with the UPA. 
 

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Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray has lashed out against Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai being called CST.

"I can't stand that station being called CST," Thackeray wrote in Wednesday's edition of his party newspaper Saamna.

"When it has been named after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, why is it still being called CST? The term CST will simply not do. At least the Marathi manoos must not tolerate the station being called CST. It must be called Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and nothing else! If you wish to use some other Marathi word instead of terminus, then so be it, but the name Chhatrapati must remain,"Thackeray told Saamna.

Thackeray also claimed it was Nana Shankarshet who brought railways to India, adding that CST should have been named after Shankarshet, instead of Victoria Terminus (VT), as it was originally named.  

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A 67-year-old Oklahoma man had quite a fright after backing his car at high speed through a seventh-floor exterior wall of a parking garage.

Ralph Hudson says his foot got stuck between his Mercedes' brake and gas pedal as he was backing up in a towering parking garage in downtown Tulsa on Wednesday.

The car burst through the building's exterior wall and sprayed debris on a parking lot below before stopping just in time. The car's trunk and part of its back wheels were left hanging precariously out of the building but officials were able to safely drive it back inside.

No injuries were reported. Police officer Jason Willingham says Hudson was not ticketed over the incident.  
 

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The police have launched a manhunt for 20-year-old Gurinder Chehal, an NRI, who went missing in Mumbai on Wednesday. Gurinder flew down to the city from the US to attend a wedding, and then disappeared without a trace.

What is intriguing the investigators is the fact that all her online information -- Facebook profile, Gmail account -- was deleted a day before the incident.

Gurinder had come to India with her parents on December 29 from Washington DC, to attend a wedding.

Though her parents returned to the US on January 3, she stayed on at her uncle's place in Vandana apartments in Jankalyan Nagar in Malad (W).

"She used to visit the nearby Gurudwara every day. Other than that, she never left the house by herself. When she didn't return on April 26, we got worried and decided to inform the police," said her uncle Gashdeer Singh Bhullar.

"Gurinder did not come back home after a visit to the gurudwara in Malwani on April 26. The family has registered a missing person's complaint. We are still not sure if it is a case of kidnapping or a love angle. Being an NRI, she might have even lost her way, since she was not carrying a mobile phone," said inspector Joydeep Surve, Malwani police station.

Since her disappearance, Bhullar has been getting blank calls from some private numbers. "On April 27, I got four calls from an unknown number, but no one spoke. Similarly on April 28, I got two blank calls," said Bhullar.

"The girl has been brought up in the US and doesn't know anyone here. We are very worried because we have no clue what has happened to her. Her parents are planning to return to India," Bhullar added.

However, the police are not convinced with Bhullar's version. "We feel they know more about the girl's disappearance, but are not cooperating enough with us," said a source from the Malwani police station. 

Gurinder has been studying and working in the US. Her father Bhupinder Singh is a businessman.
 

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The harried passengers had literally been stood up by an Air India airline crew in Cairo, for 16 hours on end - all because the crew members wanted to see the great pyramids of Egypt.

The flight, which was originally scheduled from Mumbai to Toronto, had to be diverted to Frankfurt via Cairo. However, on April 15, when the Boeing 777 landed at Cairo airport, fliers had little idea of what was in store for them.

After waiting for a few hours, the passengers initially thought there was a technical snag. However, they were surprised to note that the pilot was there in his seat, but the seven-member crew from Cairo that was supposed to board the flight was missing. To add to their shock, they learnt that the missing members were actually sight seeing, which was why they could not return in time for the flight's onward journey.

An Air India spokesperson, confirming the incident, said, "We have initiated action against the crew members who did not report to work on time. Stern action will be taken against them."

One of the crewmembers admitted that they were off to see the pyramids, but denied that the delay was for 16 hours. He said that they were late by only five hours.

"Language is a big problem in Egypt. Hotel accommodation was not provided on time and when we reached Cairo, we were taken to a different terminal, which added to the delay," he added.  
 

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Will there be a thaw between India and Pakistan at Thimphu? That's the big question as the Prime Ministers of the two countries prepare to sit down for talks once again.

They are meeting on Thursday on the sidelines of the SAARC summit; this will be their first meeting since Sharm-al-Sheikh in Egypt

External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said that there was no fixed agenda for talks.

But the divergence in their approach to today's talks is clear.  While Pakistan is insisting that the Sharm-al-Sheikh document, which delinks terrorism from composite dialogue, should be the basis for talks, India is sticking to its position that there can be no composite dialogue but only a channel of communication open till Pakistan takes credible action against the perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.

"Dialogue is the only way forward. And secondly the peace process should not be overshadowed by issues of terrorism," said Abdul Basit, Spokesperson, Foreign Office, Pakistan.

India is hoping to get some commitment from Pakistan to punish them.

India is keeping its expectations from this meeting low as it has a limited political mandate, especially after the Sharm-al-Sheikh disaster. The joint statement issued after those talks in Egypt had led to a major political confrontation back home, with the Opposition accusing the government of selling out to Pakistan.

There were rumblings even within the Congress. The drafting of the statement became a major controversy, as it seemed to indicate that India had agreed to delink the peace process from terrorism and accepted that it had a role in Balochistan.

The PM had to clarify personally in Parliament that India had only agreed to keep a channel of communication open and not delink the composite dialogue from terrorism.
 

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Jharkhand's political crisis is far from over, but top BJP leaders are meeting right now to discuss the offer made by Shibu Soren's son, Hemant, late last night.

A panicky Soren Junior suggested on Wednesday that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) could give up the Chief Minister's post in the state if the BJP would reconsider its decision to withdraw support.

The BJP, which is watching the situation more than working on immediate action, seems to have no plan to say yes in a hurry as party leaders say the proposal is not even a concrete one. 

But the party has missed its 11 am appointment with the Jharkhand Governor to formally withdraw support, with sources saying the party's Parliamentary Board may meet again to review yesterday's decision to withdraw support if it means a BJP Chief Minister in Jharkhand.

But till that happens, the shadow of President's Rule looms large over the state, which has had no political stability for the last decade.

The BJP pulled the rug on Wednesday, shocked at Shibu Soren's vote against its Cut Motion and in favour of the UPA in the majority test. (Read: Cut motion: BJP fumes over Soren betrayal)  

After the voting on the Cut Motions on Tuesday, Soren said, "We just voted... we had to vote for someone... so we voted for the Congress." (Watch: Soren on why he voted for UPA)
 
The BJP's top leaders met and the faction opposed to an alliance with Soren for his unpredictability and criminal record had its way. The party announced it was withdrawing support to the JMM government, reducing it to a minority. (Read: BJP withdraws support to Shibu Soren govt in Jharkhand)

But given Shibu Soren's political track record, the BJP should have known this was coming.
Since 1993, Shibu Soren has displayed an unwillingness to remain in Opposition. To be in power, he has changed loyalties on the floor of the House and changed allies.

So, did the Congress have a hand in Soren's startling U-turn? It has denied this and has ruled out supporting Soren, given his soft approach to Naxals.
 
Sources in JMM say Soren's flip-flop is really about palace intrigue. Shibu's son Hemant Soren was desperate to be the Chief Minister. To remain in the CM's chair, Soren had to get elected to the state Assembly by June 12. But his MLAs, including his son and daughter-in-law refused to step down to make way for him. Upset, Soren has now checkmated them.
 
It is Hemant Soren, thus, who has gone running to the BJP and apologised, claiming his father is ready to resign for a new leader. "We would request them to rethink on withdrawing the support," Hemant said on Wednesday. The BJP will now need to confirm if this offer indeed has his father's nod. (Read: BJP dumps Shibu Soren, gets apology from son)
 
The UPA, meanwhile, is watching the split closely. If the Soren government falls, the Congress has a good chance of installing a chief minister with these numbers:
 
Congress + Babulal Marandi's Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) + Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) together have 31 seats, while Teklal Mahato's breakaway JMM faction has 10. Also, small groups like All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) have eight seats, which takes the potential total to 49. The half-way mark in the 82-member Assembly is 41.
 
"If the getting together of secular forces permits, all reasonable, valid and legal options can be explored," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.
 

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