University's results website flops
By: Yogita Rao
June 7, 2006
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Many TYBCom students could not check their results on Mumbai University’s website, www.mu.ac.in, on Tuesday, after the site did not open.

The frustrated students had to wait a day for the results to be posted on the notice board to see how they had fared.

“We thought the website would spare us a visit to the campus. But I simply could not open the link. Finally, I went to the college yesterday afternoon and got my results,� said Pooja Somani (20) of Vivek College, Goregaon.

“It is good that they posted the results online, but the university needs a stronger server that can handle so many hits. Some students were miserable, thinking they had failed,� said Girish Chandani, whose brother Haresh is a TYBCom student.

“The university should not have put out the results before its website was in order. My friends spent several anxious hours in cyber cafes, trying to open the website. Pasting the result sheets on the notice board would have been much better,� said Hetal Patel (21), a student of MK College, Borivli.

Prakash Wani, the university’s controller of examinations, had told MiD DAY on Monday: “The website is working smoothly.�

Another dud

The university had also decided to provide results over the phone. This experiment flopped as well, as most students were unaware of the facility. The few who tried, found the line continuously engaged.

__________________
I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.

If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.

Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.

When you're right, no one remembers. When you're wrong, no one forgets.

Slums, sloth corrode rain-ready claims
==========================

Thursday, June 15, 2006 00:50 IST


MUMBAI: While the dry spell may distress the ordinary Mumbaikar, it has come as a blessing in disguise for the city administration. The 15-day break in the monsoon has emboldened both civic bodies � BMC and MMRDA � to claim that the city is safe. They say that when the rains do hit the city, there will be no potholes, and that water-logging is history.

The only work done in the past fortnight is patchwork to bring dug-up roads to a technical “safe mode�. At the time of writing, MMRDA officials are still struggling to relocate shopkeepers on the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road while rocks in the sensitive Poisar lake are being cleared.

Work remains incomplete on crucial roads such as LBS Road in Kurla, Yari Road, Carter Road, Asalfa Link Road, and Andheri-Kurla Road. Merely 15km of the 25km stretch between Andheri and Dahisar is complete. While babus are relieved that Madam Cama and Maharshi Karve roads near Mantralaya are open to traffic, the rest of the city remains on tenterhooks.

But Municipal Commissioner Johny Joseph said, “These 15 days gave us time to finish major road work. The nullahs have been cleaned. The disaster cell is fully equipped. No one will be stranded on roads.�

Amid claims and counterclaims lies the untold story about why both bodies are unable to move professionally. The MMRDA’s biggest headache is the extensive rehabilitation of people � a long, politically fraught and bureaucratic process � which is delaying projects under the MUTP, MUIP, and Mithi river cleanup.

The threat that rehabilitation costs will outstrip the cost of the projects is now real. “We are not here to shift the entire city,� said Metropolitan Commissioner T Chandrashekhar. “Already, extension of the slum deadline to 2000 has increased our workload by 30 per cent. The greed is so high that people want new houses or shops in prime area of equal dimensions. The fact that we are fulfilling this demand will increase influx. All our projects are languishing because of this and there is a danger of them becoming financially unviable.�

For the BMC, the July 26 wakeup call rings only distantly as officials speak of nothing but drainage cleanup and connectivity for this monsoon. There is no talk of reform and no sign of the much-touted planning cell. For instance, why go to Delhi when Mumbai has enough muscle to raise funds for the crucial storm-water drains project?

Unless the city gets a proactive administration, the idea of transforming Mumbai into Shanghai will continue to look farfetched.

__________________
I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.

If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.

Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.

When you're right, no one remembers. When you're wrong, no one forgets.

Porn On Your Cell? Pay Fine!



Rly cops stop commuters with high-end phones, check the contents and impose a ‘fine’ of anything between Rs 2,000 and Rs 25,000 if they find ‘objectionable clips.’ The law says they can’t examine mobiles without a warrant



Binoo Nair and K A Dodhiya



If you are carrying a high-end mobile phone that can store film clips, then be on your guard against Government Railway Police (GRP) constables who have come up with a rather ingenious method to extort money.

They zero in on people carrying high-end mobile phones and demand to check its contents. God forbid, but if they do find something, they will demand several thousand rupees as 'fine'.

People prefer to pay up rather than lose face in public and risk exposure among family, friends and colleagues.

What these unsuspecting victims do not know is that constables do not have the authority to check people's cell phones without a search warrant.

On Saturday at around 1.15 pm, businessman Narayan Ghor was stopped by some cops in civilian clothes while crossing the tracks at Andheri. They took him to the police station on Platform No 1 and started frisking him. While they were at it, they found a high-end phone on his person and checked its contents. Finding some 'objectionable clips', they told Ghor that it was illegal. It was enough to rattle Ghor who offered to give the contents of his wallet - something between Rs 500 and 1000 - to the cops to avoid any action that could put him in more trouble.

However, the cops refused to relent. "Flashing a rule book, they told me that I would have to pay a fine of anywhere between Rs 3,000-25,000 or be remanded to custody till Monday for carrying objectionable clips on my mobile phone," Ghor said.

The Cuffe Parade resident pleaded that he could not arrange such a huge amount. After much pleading, the cops asked him to arrange for Rs 6,000.

At this point, Ghor called up a friend who worked in the media. The reporter managed to speak to the cops who had detained Ghor. "Didn't you read newspaper reports on Friday, which says that anyone found with objectionable clips could be fined or even arrested. Hence, we detained Ghor. He will be let off only after he pays the fine," said one of them.

Another cop, Tanay Pawar, said, "Had we known that Ghor was known to you, we would have let him go long back."

A few phone calls to senior railway police officials later, Ghor was let off without any 'fine'.


Another Victim

Two weeks earlier, Jackson S (name changed), employed with a private firm in Marine Lines, was stopped by some GRP cops in civilian clothes just outside the chief health inspector's office on the foot-overbridge at CST.

They checked the contents of his cell phone and found some 'objectionable' movie clips. They threatened to arrest him.

He pleaded for an hour, but was let off only after he withdrew money from an ATM and paid the cops Rs 2,400.

Jackson chose not to pursue the case though the cops still have his memory card, which contains his resume and some vital information.

Senior railway cops admit to the existence of such a racket, but plead helplessness in curbing the menace.

The main reasons are lack of written complaints and the reluctance of victims to pursue the case since they risk the contents of their mobile phones being made public and exposure among family, friends and colleagues.


What the top cop says

P S Pasricha, director-general of police, Maharashtra

"I have spoken to the commissioner of railway police Suresh Khopade and senior inspector of Andheri railway police. I have been told that the person was travelling on the roof. When the railway police brought him to the station, some constables checked his mobile. I have asked the railway police to conduct an inquiry. I will state very clearly that the police is not supposed to check any mobile phone unless it is a matter of security or some terrorism-related issue."

Despite repeated attempts, Khopade was unavailable for comment.


What The Law Says:

Under the Information Technology Act, a person's cell phone can be searched, and/or seized, only by an officer of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police, or an officer authorised by the central government. Besides, there is no provision for payment of an on-the-spot fine. The police has to prove that the cell phone owner published and/or transmitted pornographic material before any action can be taken.

� N S Nappinai, co-founder, Technology Law Forum, which deals with Information Technology-related cases


No random checks Allowed

The constabulary is not vested with powers to check the contents of a cell phone without a search warrant. But, under Section 77 of the Bombay Police Act, the information for carrying out such a search has to be specific. What it means is that cops cannot check people's cell phone at random.

__________________
I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.

If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.

Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.

When you're right, no one remembers. When you're wrong, no one forgets.

Do you have a right to watch
this or not?



Last night there was a lot of snow in Mumbai. But it was not a climatic change, merely a dramatic one. Cable channels across the city went on the blink, leaving millions of Mumbaikars staring aghast at snow on their TV sets or Krishi Darshan on Doordarshan.

The operators pulled the plug on Mumbai's favourite entertainment after a series of police raids by the Social Service branch on cable operators under the Hathway and InCable umbrella and in which they sealed the decoders of nine television channels including that of HBO, AXN, Star Movies, Star One, Sahara Filmy, Sahara One, Star World.. The raids were conducted because cops said cable operators were showing adult films on TV.
In protest cable operators shut shop, saying they could do little as it was the channels that showed adult content and that they were merely the messengers.

Cable TV goes on the blink

While Star TV refused to comment on the matter, Anuj Gandhi, president of One Allainz that handles distribution network for Sony, MTV and Discovery said: "We have little control over this move of the operators . As per law I have no choice. It is not mandatory for the operators to give any prior notice to the public. As of now we only have to wait and hear what the high court says on August 23," he added.

The issue began with morality super-cop Pratibha Naithani filing a petition in the high court against obscenity on television.

Last week (August 16), Naithani's lawyer had argued that despite an earlier order to the contrary, a total of 85 films with 'A' certificate and 42 films with 'U/A' certificate had been shown on Cable TV and that three other films with no censor certificate were beamed.

the High Court asked Director-General of Police Dr P S Pasricha why his department had not pulled up the cable operators who were still beaming channels which showed adult content. However, an affidavit filed by Pasricha only stated that the DCP enforcement has issued only show-cause notice to concerned cable operators. Pasricha's affidavit was silent on the actual action taken, which infuriated the judges. And so the raids on Monday.

"It is for the Information and Broadcasting minister to come up with a proper guideline for such channels. The police should not harass us for things which are out of control," said an official for Hathway requesting anonymity while Ganesh Naidu, secretary of the Cable Operators Distributors Association said they would be meeting AN Roy on Tuesday before taking a call on whether the cable system would be switched back on or not.

For us viewers meanwhile, there is always Krishi Darshan.

__________________
I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.

If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.

Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.

When you're right, no one remembers. When you're wrong, no one forgets.

Gods must be crazy!

Suresh Nair
Monday, August 21, 2006 19:50 IST






This is getting scary. Idols have started drinking milk again! The sea has turned sweet! Karan Johar has become the new marriage counsellor! Of course, the melee over a matinee masala about marital mess doesn’t worry me as much as the sneaking suspicion that God is actually working these days for the milk co-operatives! In fact, I would like to pose a few questions to God over his attempts to drink milk through idols made of plaster of Paris! And that’s assuming he reads this column, which would be nothing short of a miracle!

For starters, why milk? Why not tea? Darjeeling, Earl Grey or Brooke Bond Red Label? I mean, wouldn’t it be a bigger ‘chamatkar’ if the idol you are feeding milk to suddenly opened its mouth, not for your offering of milk, but to say: “Can I have some tea now, please? Without milk! And just one spoon sugar!” Of course, that might cause a bit of tension in the house with your wife complaining that not only is she tired of making tea five times a day but now she also has to make one extra cup of tea for God!

But my next question is why does God resort to such small scale miracles to assert his presence in this world while there is no sign of Him during troubled times like floods and terrorist attacks? We’re a country of poor people reeling under natural calamities and manmade taxation who can barely afford milk! We need God to save us from ruthless terrorists and selfish politicians instead of adding to our ‘kharcha-paani’! Unless, of course, God is in a bigger financial crunch than Ram Gopal Varma and can’t really afford any larger-than-life divine display!

Thirdly, what’s the big deal about sweetening the Mahim creek? Is this an answer to someone’s prayer that if Pepsi and Coke get banned, there will still be sweet dark-coloured water available to drink in the form of Mahim Cola? Can we also expect a diet version of it for the fitness freaks - maybe at Versova beach?

All this is not to say that my faith in God has lessened in any way. However, I pray to Him to drill sense into those who can’t seem to draw the line between fact and fantasy. Please, God! Hurry up before someone mixes milk with Mahim Cola and offers you a Cola-shake!

__________________
I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.

If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.

Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.

When you're right, no one remembers. When you're wrong, no one forgets.

arranged marriage: root cause of all evils in India?Yeah, to begin with we will get stubborn defenders of arranged marriages.. its our culture,, its our way of life,, its our right (?) blah blah blah...

but lets look at some of the issues:

* there is no point in improving ourselves:

in west, a person has to be his.her best to attract good marriage partner.. so they go for good clothes (creating designers out of tailors - note that there are no tailors.!), try to be nice (good road sense, no “cheap“ corruption etc), try to be responsible etc etc...

Here, all these doesn't matter. You are not getting married, your families are getting married.. so no need to worry. Do whatever, behave like animal or whatever,, you will get married by the sheer presence of yr family.. on the corollary, if your family is average, then too you don't have any incentive to improve yourself for your destiny is bound by your stupid family (which might be product of arranged marriage gone hay wire)



* people start family without knowing anything:

it becomes too predictable and too robotic.. people ahve to get married irrespective of maturity, they have to produce two kids whether they like responsibility or not, the kids have to follow strict guidelines for growth - schools, subjects, college everything is decided when the kid is welll a kid.! So, kids become copy of their parents,, only problem is that they are more in numbers.. and since they are misfit in todays world (for they are copies of their parents of era gone by), it becomes gr8 problem for India as a whole.!



* population explosion:

since everything is robotic, population automatically grows. No control is effective. The worse is that the quality of population doesn't grow.



* imbalances:

people start killing female childs because they can have only two kids,, this create imbalance in society.



* unfulfilled life and the effects of same:

hardly anyone is happy.. this is reflect best on roads where nearly 100,000 peopl perish because of rules flaunting. If a girl is alone for even a single night, she will be raped without doubt,, people have to stay at home, no matter what. girls cannot travel alone.. there is so much of insecurity everywhere because you are not sure what other unhappy person might do to your loved ones.!

People complaing about each others... nothing pleasant news,, fighting over stupidest of the causes,, asking bribe,, honking without reasons, insulting others when you can and more henious than that... root cause is the unhappiness.!

only if people find love (cannot get in arranged ones), they would be happy and things would be pleasant in society.

__________________
I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.

If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.

Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.

When you're right, no one remembers. When you're wrong, no one forgets.