Tweet time
- By Kumar Anshuman

Story Dated: Friday, February 22, 2013 17:44 hrs IST 

 

Governments are often lampooned for not understanding the pulse of the people. So the information and broadcasting ministry’s first live Twitter conference came as a pleasant surprise. The overwhelming response from the Twitterati proved that, for once, everyone was on the same page, maybe webpage.

The live Twitter conference scheduled for half an hour on February 8 went on for more than an hour, and received about 200 questions on different aspects of the community radio programme, the theme of the conference. Though the I&B secretary could immediately respond to only 45 of them, the triumphant smiles on the faces of the officials showed that the experiment was a success.

“The ministry will continue to do such exercises on other issues in the near future,” said a delighted Uday Kumar Varma, I&B secretary. “The conference had provided the ministry the medium to understand the perception of the people in the social media space.”
The idea of using social media to connect to people had been in discussion ever since Manish Tewari took charge of the ministry. The minister is an active tweeter. Though National Innovation Council chairman Sam Pitroda had earlier organised a Twitter conference, it elicited only a moderate response.

The I&B ministry formed a social media cell last September with the intention of promoting and popularising the good work of the ministry and the government. It started with a YouTube channel, INBMINISTRY. In collaboration with Doordarshan, the channel shows ten-minute news bulletins twice a day. Some rare documentaries and famous speeches have also been posted on the channel. The ministry has a blog and a Facebook account in addition to the Twitter handle. Four officers in the social media cell work in rotation to maintain the accounts.

Twitter was chosen for the interaction because it was the only medium where the audience can interact in a live conference-like environment. Many interesting questions and suggestions came up during the discussion, like introducing community radio at school and using it in Naxal-affected areas. Someone even wanted to know about making it a viable business option.

The I&B ministry wants to take it to the next level and has started a digital volunteer programme called My India Initiative. It aims at disseminating the development messages across social media platforms by registering citizens as volunteers. “This initiative is a milestone as it would enable the government to disseminate information to citizens, especially the youth of the country,” said Tewari. “It is a programme rooted in the principles of participative governance leading to real time engagement through social media tools.”

We have done better than the NDA: PM - By Kumar Anshuman Story Dated: Monday, January 21, 2013 11:2 hrs IST  During his speech at the All India Congress Committee meeting in Jaipur, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left no stone unturned in claiming that the achievements of  the eight-year rule of the UPA government are much better than the six years of the NDA rule. Of his four-page speech, he contributed a page to compare between the erstwhile NDA government and the present UPA government. Starting with growth rate, he said, “During the six years of the NDA rule, the annual growth rate was only 5.8 per cent. In comparison, the UPA has achieved a growth rate of 8.2 per cent in the last eight years.” He emphasised, “We had achieved this when the world had been going through two financial crises.” He agreed that growth rate has gone down in the recent times but argued that India is better compared to other countries. While talking about poverty alleviation, he said, “If we compare the works done by the NDA and the UPA government, the poverty rate reduction has increased by two-and-a-half times.” He argued that the agriculture sector must grow faster to remove poverty. He said, “The agriculture growth rate was 3 per cent annually during the NDA government. We have increased it to 3.7 per cent in last eight years.” He claimed that the government has ensured better wages for landless labourers. “The real wages of landless labourers had increased by only 1.1 per cent during the NDA government. It has increased by six times during the UPA government.” Singh claimed that his government has been able to prove the motto of inclusive growth. While comparing the per capita consumption in rural areas, he said, “During 1993-94 to 2004-05, the total growth in rural per capita consumption was only 0.8 per cent. In last six years this has increased six times.” Singh, however, admitted that the communication strategies of the party and the government have not been effective to get the real benefit of works done by the government. “We have not advertised our achievements, one of the reasons why people are not recognising our efforts. Perhaps our communication strategies have not been effective.”

BJP and RSS organising terror camps: Shinde
- By Kumar Anshuman
Story Dated: Monday, January 21, 2013 11:25 hrs IST




Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde made serious allegations against the BJP and the RSS at the AICC meeting in Jaipur, accusing them of organising training camps to promote Hindu terror.

“We are meeting here and an investigation report has come that says BJP and RSS are organising training camps to promote Hindu terror,” said Shinde. “The Mecca Masjid, Samjhauta Express blasts and Malegaon blasts are examples. There have been instances when they have planted bombs and blamed the minority community for it.” Shinde repeated the statement later in his speech, urging people to stay alert to the Hindu terror unleashed by the BJP and the RSS.
BJP has condemned his speech in strong words. The party immediately organised a press conference to respond to his statement. “A home minister can’t make a comment that disturbs the peace of the country,” said BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. “Terrorists are infiltrating our country, killing our soldiers and our government is welcoming them with roses,” Naqvi said. The BJP termed it as a statement encouraging terror outfits. In a warning tone, Naqvi sought an apology from the Congress top brass. “We demand Sonia Gandhi to apologise to the party and nation. Otherwise they will face grave consequences. They have no credibility and it has been proven once again.”
The party also alleged that by making this statement, the Congress has encouraged terrorist outfits.
However, after the hue and cry, Shinde denied part of his statement. “I was talking about saffron terror, which is not a new thing. It is all in the newspapers and everywhere and I have just said that,” he said.

'Keep egos away, focus on unity' - By Kumar Anshuman Story Dated: Saturday, January 19, 2013 12:48 hrs IST Sun Feb 10 11:29:34 GMT 2013 In the opening speech of the two-day Chintan Shivir in Jaipur, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi started with her ‘chinta’(concern) on several challenges faced by the party in recent times. Attended by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, cabinet ministers, minister of states, senior party officials from the Centre and states and members from the Youth Congress and NSUI, this is the third Chintan Shivir happening after Panchmarhi, in 1998, and Shimla, in 2003. “This interaction is different in at least two respects from our previous sessions in Panchmarhi and Shimla,” said Sonia. “Firstly, it is taking place at a time where we have been in the government, at the Center, for last nine years. Secondly, the last nine years have been a period of tremendous economic growth, social change and technological innovations. New aspirations are manifesting themselves. They call for new responses.”  She, however, added: It is also taking place when we are not in government in a number of states and when we face serious challenges in states, which we long considered our bastions.” Empowering youth, especially women, was the other highlight from her speech, indicating the way forward for the party. “A significant number of participants are from the younger generation,” she said. “This reflects our priorities and resonates with the demographic reality of our country.” For the first time, elected leaders from the Indian Youth Congress and the NSUI were also invited for the Chintan Baithak. In her speech, Sonia confessed the bias towards certain sections of the society, as they have been the traditional supporters of the party, at the same time, also recognised the need to address the middle class. “We cannot allow our growing educated and middle classes to be disillusioned and alienated from the political process.” Though Sonia praised the ‘Congress’ way of thinking’ and ‘Congress’ way of doing things’, she raised several questions on the functioning of the party and also the declining support base. “While we continue to be the nation’s pre-eminent political party, we must admit that we now face increased competition and inroads have been made into our traditional support bases,” were her words. “There are some states, where we have been out of office for too long. Although I do believe that being in power is not the sole purpose of political activity, this does have an adverse impact on our morale and organisational ability.” She praised the UPA government for introducing some truly revolutionary programmes, but was also concerned for this has not been transferred into political support in some states. The recent uproar and protests over corruption and women security issues have caused significant damage to the image of the party and the mention of this in her speech reflected the worry in the top leadership. “We see various protest movements across the country, relating to land, forest, water and livelihood, tribal and gender issues. Our party must proactively take up these causes.” Security of women has become an issue after the Delhi gang-rape and the public anger is a serious concern for the party. “I must say with great anguish and pain that discrimination against the girl child continues. Atocities on women, both in urban and rural India, are a blot on our collective conscience and a matter of great shame. These are disturbing trends that should shake and awake us,” said Sonia. Sonia chose this as an occasion to comment on the recent cross border issues with Pakistan. Though she did not name any country, she argued that better relations with immediate neighbours will make for regional peace and positive impact on border states. “However, let us be clear. We will never compromise on our vigil and preparedness to deal with terrorism and threats on our borders,” she quickly added. Sonia urged the party members to set aside their personal differences and work as a team. “Why do we forget that in the party’s victory lies the victory of each of us,” she asked. Performance not the patronage must be the ladder of advancement in the party. This was her advice to the younger generation. However Sonia showed her unhappiness over lavish lifestyle and extravagant celebrations especially marriage celebrations by the party cadres. “Celebrating weddings, festivals and happy events is one thing; but what of lavish and ostentatious displays of wealth, pomp and status? Does this not beg the question, where is the wealth coming from?” “We have to strike a balance between respecting these alliances and ensuring that the party’s rejuvenation is not compromised,” Sonia said in her opening remarks.

Sporty and comfy - By Kumar Anshuman Sun Feb 10 11:23:00 GMT 2013 The German luxury car manufacturer Audi unveiled the new Audi Q5 performance SUV with new elements in design, infotainment, assistance systems and engines. “After the overwhelming response to our Q range SUV line-up, it is but logical to introduce the new version of Audi Q5 in India,” says Michael Perschke, head, Audi India. “This new SUV will not only wow the Audi fans with its innovations, but will also help us in consolidating our leadership position in the luxury SUV segment.”  The Q series of SUVs has made Audi the number one luxury automobile brand in India, beating two other serious competitors. In the new Audi Q5, fuel economy has been improved by up to 15 per cent despite increased power. The engines combine direct fuel injection with turbo charging. The sporty design of the new Audi Q5 with its flat roof arch now appears in a meticulously revised and sharpened form. The chrome items on the controls and single-frame grille with chamfering of the top corners with vertical chrome bars is appealing. The bonnet has a kinked design with more powerfully contoured lines. The trapezoidal design of front bumper gives a robust appearance. The interior of the new Audi Q5 is further refined. The new leather-covered multifunction steering wheel in 4-spoke design that is specific to the Audi Q model is enchanting along with many of its controls with chrome rings, and the inner fascia of the radio system/CD player and the air-conditioning are styled in high-gloss black. In the revised Audi Q5, customers can choose from two interior colours. The new electromechanical power steering system represents advancement in efficiency–in straight-line driving, the new Audi Q5 no longer needs any energy for steering. Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) detects the composition of the road and adjusts its interventions accordingly. The revised Audi Q5 also sets benchmarks in its class with its driver assistance systems. If it detects that the driver’s concentration is waning, it recommends a break from driving.  “We hope that the new performance SUV Audi Q5 will drive enjoyment and affinity in the same way as the Audi Q range has so far,” said Perschke. The new Audi will be available in six colours and is priced competitively at Rs 43,16,000 onwards (ex-showroom Delhi). 2012 was a stellar year for Audi India in terms of growth, progress, expansion and performance. The company crossed set target of 8,000 vehicles a year ago and revised the target to 8,600 vehicles. Finally it ended the year with a total sale of 9,003 cars. With this new launch the company is definitely looking for better performance in 2013.

Terrific @ thirty - By Kumar Anshuman Sun Feb 10 11:18:13 GMT 2013 In 1982, when THE WEEK began publication, India was taking baby steps on the path to economic progress. Two 'revolutions', Green and White, had helped it become self-sufficient in agriculture and milk production. Nationalisation of banks had made capital accessible to the common man. The Licence Raj, however, had a firm grip on lives. Only a privileged few had telephone connections; others had to wait for years to get one. MPs had quotas for gas connection, and people chased them for that. When it came to buying a motorcycle or a car, options were limited. To get a Bajaj scooter, you had to wait for years after booking. Speed Post was four years away; letters were the preferred and the fastest way for friends and relatives to keep in touch. The nineties ushered in economic liberalisation. Thanks to the relatively stable political climate, industry began to grow at a pace never before seen. The decade laid a strong economic foundation on which the technology-driven growth of the 2000s was built. Now, India has nearly as many cellphone connections as its population. Indians no longer depend on post offices to reach out to their loved ones, and they have a wide array of vehicles to choose from. THE WEEK and its readers have been witness to these myriad changes. Meet a few of the famous people who were born in 1982, and were part of India's big transformation in the past three decades. Sumukhi Mendiratta Banking on beauty After working with Bank of America for six years, Sumukhi Mendiratta started MOJO in September. Make-up, beauty products and hairdos had intrigued her since childhood. MOJO's first unisex salon is open in Delhi, and Sumukhi plans to go pan India in 2013. “Being 30 gives me this great sense of accomplishment as I had dreamt and planned of a lot of stuff in my life by the time I am 30,” said Sumukhi. “I am really grateful to God that I have been able to achieve most it and I look forward to the next 30 now.” She does not feel that turning 30 has made a difference as far as her maturity and responsibilities are concerned. “Both these attributes to one's personality are acquired, I feel, over the years. For me, I have learnt to be accountable for all my actions,” said Sumukhi. But she is quite surprised how the world around her has changed. “One marker I have for that is that the most sought after job in 2012 did not even exist in 2004,” she said. Karanvir Bohra Star position The television actor, who turned 30 in August, is planning to strengthen his presence in the industry. “Thirty is when actors start consolidating their position,” says Karanvir Bohra. “There is a certain maturity and responsibility that comes with age.” He made his debut in 1990, as the younger version of Sanjay Dutt's character in Teja. He made his name with Just Mohabbat, a television serial for the youth, in 2000. The success of the serial made people sit up and take notice. Producer Ekta Kapoor cast him in Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, which turned out to be a huge hit. Karanvir has not looked back since. He met his wife, Teejay, when he was 23. “I instantly felt that she was the one for me,” he says. “Marriage completely changed me. It taught me a lot about love, compassion and responsibility.” Does he regret getting older? “No, I am not a footloose kind of guy,” says Karanvir. “I love being in charge of my life.” He admits that he misses his college days. “I miss the innocence that all of us had when we were teenagers. You don't see it in children anymore,” he says. Yamini Reddy Living, step by steps This has been a special year for the renowned classical dancer. Yamini Reddy, daughter of legendary Kuchipudy dancers Raja and Radha Reddy, became a mother in April. “I am a different person altogether,” she says. “Turning 30 is a milestone in everyone’s life and I have been able to do good work. I have vigour and want to do more in my 30s than what I did in 20s.” Yamini describes the years since age 3, when she gave her first solo performance in Delhi to a standing ovation, as “a steep learning curve”. “[At 30,] you no longer do childish things which you used to do in 20s,” she says. “Maturity takes over the impulsiveness.” She is planning to focus on choreography. “I was doing it, but it wasn’t much,” she says. “I am doing well with my dance school [in Hyderabad]. Teaching makes you learn a lot of things. I am glad people appreciate me as a teacher.” Yamini has been able to balance work and personal life, thanks to her supportive husband. “My work makes me what I am,” she says. “I keep telling myself that my children should look at me as an example. It's up to my son to choose what he does, but I should always be the role model.” Priyanka Chopra Crowned crooner She won the Miss World title when she was 18. Today, at 30, Priyanka Chopra is a name fans root for and rivals envy. Her turning 30 also marked her foray into singing, with the launch of her album, In My City.  Her performance in the album has won her three nominations to the World Music Awards 2013 in Los Angeles for best debut, best song and best video. Some of the other nominees in these categories are Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Madonna. Two of her films, Agneepath and Barfi!, crossed the Rs 100 crore mark in 2012. Barfi! also received an Oscar nomination. She won the national award for the best actress in 2009 for portraying a model’s life in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion. What more can a 30-year-old ask for? The coming year is also very exciting for Priyanka. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is making a biopic on M.C. Mary Kom, the Olympic medallist, and Priyanka is playing the boxer in the movie. Photo by Reuters Yusuf Pathan Ready to return The firebrand batsman says he feels more energetic and stronger at 30. “People say that, as you grow older, fitness suffers,” says Yusuf Pathan. “I don’t feel that's true. In fact, I am feeling healthier and stronger.” He has become more mature, though. “Well, you can’t do those childish mistakes and have fun,” he says with a smile. Pathan thanks God for the blessings in his life. “I have come a long way.... We didn’t have house. We used to stay in a mosque. Now we have our own house. And by God's grace, I have seen half of the world.” What keeps him going is the love of his fans. “Whether I do well or bad on the ground, they make me feel special,” says Pathan, who is recuperating from a finger injury at National Cricket Academy, Bangalore. “I have a lot to do. I know the country and my home team, Baroda, needs me.” Abhinav Bindra Shoot and tweet “Bye-bye, IOA. Hope to see you soon, hope to see you clean,” tweeted India’s lone Olympic gold medallist, after the Indian Olympic Association was suspended from the International Olympic Committee. In 2008, the shooter made India proud when he gunned for gold in Beijing in 2008; the country's first Olympic gold in an individual event. He had received the Arjuna Award at 17, and, at 18, was the youngest recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the highest sporting honour. The Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour, came to him immediately after he won the Beijing gold. His 30th year has not been great for Bindra so far. In the London Olympics, he could not qualify for the finals as he came 16th in the 10m air rifle event. “This was not my day. I started slowly and there was a lot of pressure. It was a very highly competitive field, my performance went up and down,” Bindra had said immediately after the loss. The days he shoots on Twitter, he shoots straight. In October, when former IOA boss Suresh Kalmadi was nominated to the parliamentary committee for external affairs, Bindra tweeted: “Interesting that Suresh Kalmadi has been nominated to the parliamentary committee for external affairs. It must be soooo foreign to him.” Bharat Chhetri Sticking to hope He is not in the Indian hockey team for the Asian Champions Trophy (which started on December 20). But goalkeeper and former captain Bharat Chhetri believes that he has achieved a lot in the last 30 years. After all, leading the national side in the Olympics is a great honour, and Chhetri did that in London. “Right from my childhood, I worked very hard to reach where I am today,” said Chhetri. “I was so busy with my career that I could not enjoy things like driving a new bike or car. At 30 now, I will live that part of life I really missed.” The man from Darjeeling, who now flies, could barely buy a train ticket when he went to Patna for coaching in hockey in his younger days. Chhetri remembers how he was eager to go home for Durga Puja. His coach told him, “Either you go for the festival or work hard here so that you can make every day of your future festive.” Young Chhetri stayed back. 2012 has been a mixed bag for Chhetri, with India making a last place finish in London and his being dropped from the team and captaincy. But, he got married this year and is happy with the way life is shaping up. Settled in Bangalore, where he works for Canara Bank, Chhetri said: “Hockey will continue, but I am exploring life  beyond hockey.” Meiyang Chang The voice within Singer, anchor and actor Meiyang Chang said he did not realise that he had turned 30. “Honestly, my friends made me realise that I had turned 30. For me, life is beginning at 30 and I feel like I'm 20,” said Chang, who became an overnight heartthrob with his performance in Indian Idol. His father was a dentist and Chang, too, graduated in dentistry. He says his studies kept him away from all the fun, and, today, at 30, he feels ready for fun! “I realised that life can’t be just about this [dentistry]. There has to be fun,” he said. He started with public speaking, and found that he was good at it. On his sister's insistence, he auditioned for Indian Idol, and discovered the singer in himself. Chang worked for two films, Canvas and Badmaash Company; the first was not released. He is also a sought after host on television. Currently working on a song in a Punjabi film and a TV show for next year, he said he was in a relationship when he was 26, but is single now. Mithali Raj Willowy lass Captain of the national women's cricket team, she turned 30 on December 3. The girl who started playing cricket at 16 has achieved much in the last 14 years. “I think it is just like a roller-coaster ride for me,” said Mithali Raj. “But it was full of action. As a person I have changed a lot in the last 30 years.” According to her she was too involved with her cricketing career in her 20s. “Now I have matured—as a person and as a player,” she said. Mithali has inspired many young women to play cricket. She first came into the limelight with her 214-run knock against England in Taunton in 2001. She held the women's record for the highest individual Test score, which was later broken by a Pakistani. “Right from my childhood, I was very keen on sports” said Mithali. “I played cricket just for fun, without thinking seriously about the game.” In July, Mithali regained the ICC's top ODI woman batsman ranking, after losing it in 2010. She looks forward to the Women's World Cup in January 2013 and hopes to bring the trophy home this time. Ranbir Kapoor Off like Rocket True, he does not look 30. But he is 30 and has the maturity to boot. Ranbir Kapoor, the youngest member of the Kapoor clan, is doing what is expected of him. He got his name from his grandfather, who was actually Ranbir Raj Kapoor. He started his career with Saawariya and has essayed a wide selection of roles with ease. His salesman sardar in Rocket Singh, inspired many an entrepreneur, and the carefree guy in Wake Up Sid moved the urban youth. The grim, handsome politician in Rajneeti was an instant hit, and in Rockstar he accurately depicted the apathy of a star. His silent role in Barfi! received critical acclaim and the movie was India’s official nomination to the Oscars. He has won several awards including the Filmfare best actor award for his performance in Rockstar. Dabangg-fame Abhinav Kashyap is directing him in Besharam, which will be released in October 2013. And he will also be seen in Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani and Bombay Velvet. Despite his star value being in crores of rupees, he still takes 01,500 a week as pocket money from his mother.