Jennifer Aniston stars in a new spot for Smart Water that employs all the tropes of viral videos - puppies, dancing babies, a double rainbow... and for good measure.
Aniston kicking a man in the crotch ("Sorry, apparently that's worth about 100,000 hits," she tells her victim.)
In a final bid for eyeballs, Aniston and her team of "Internet boys" decide to call the video "Jen Aniston's sex tape."
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday paved the way for implementing the Medical Council of India's (MCI) notification providing for a common entrance test for undergraduate medical courses leading to the award of MBBS degrees.
An apex court bench of Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice A.K. Patnaik, while giving the go ahead to the MCI, said that anyone aggrieved by the notification can challenge it in court.
"If you (MCI) think you are independent and don't require any approval from the centre, then you can go ahead with its implementation and if you think you need approval from the government, then go to it (government)," the bench said.
The court further told the MCI that if it has already obtained the approval of the health ministry for issuing the notification providing for common entrance test for undergraduate medical courses, then it could go ahead with its implementation.
The MCI Oct 21, 2010 issued a notification providing for common entrance test for undergraduate medical courses all over the country. However, this notification was kept in abeyance in the face of stiff opposition by the Tamil Nadu government.
The state government subsequently obtained a stay against the notification from the Madras High Court.
The apex court said that it could not continue hearing the matter. It said it will not say anything in the matter and if the apex body regulating medical education in the country thinks that it can implement its notification, then it can go ahead and do so.
Source: IANS
New Delhi: On a lazy afternoon in the Delhi University area, 19-year-old Naresh Singh is whiling away his break at a cigarette shop. As he leisurely chews on some gutka, he breaks into a laugh on being told that gutka sale in plastic sachets is banned.
"Is it a joke? That is not possible, I just bought a regular plastic sachet of gutka from this shop," Naresh says, pointing towards the generous cache of sachets.
Days after the implementation of a Supreme Court ban on sale of tobacco products like gutka and pan masala in plastic sachets, consumers and vendors seem to be indifferent.
"It just looks normal to buy it even after the ban. There was no public announcement; neither did the shopkeeper point it out," Naresh tells IANS as he tosses the non-biodegradable sachet in the bushes.
The apex court passed the order while hearing a petition by the tobacco manufacturers challenging the Rajasthan High Court's 2007 order banning the sale of chewing tobacco and pan masala in plastic sachets. The ban came into effect March 1, 2011.
While hearing the appeal, the solicitor general admitted that 86 percent of oral cancer cases in the world originate from India and of these, 90 percent are on account of chewing tobacco products.
M.S. Gupta, an employee at a store selling gutka in south Delhi, said: "We will continue to sell the stock that has been manufactured and supplied till Feb 28. That cannot be helped."
"We sell a minimum of 60 sachets every day. So the dealers supply stock according to our sales," added Gupta.
However, environmental activists call it a "multi-layered" ban and say it has a long way to go in terms of implementation.
"This ban is keeping in view the environmental hazards of plastic sachets, and is not something that comes straight against the gutka industry. The ban does not say that tobacco will not be sold at all," Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, executive director of Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), told IANS.
"It is a welcome step, but only from the environmental perspective. I don't see the ban bringing about any change in the health problems caused by tobacco," added Mukhopadhyay.
However, Bharti Chaturvedi, director of voluntary environmental research and action group Chintan, calls the ban a "muddled up judgment" as it is "neither of full help to the anti-tobacco lobby, nor is it going to help the environmentalists completely".
"However, it can help if there is focus on its implementation," says Chaturvedi, a member of the plastic report team that presented its report to the apex court before the judgment.
She says that "smokeless tobacco, priced between Rs.1 and Rs.7, has wide reach in small segments of society. The local bodies should call the manufacturers, come up with a deadline to stop the supply of plastic sachet gutkha, and take it back from collection centres".
Mukhopadhyay feels "the government and the court need to crack down heavily on the industry directly".
"They need to have stringent restrictions on surrogate advertising of tobacco, the labels and open advertisement and even focus on awareness creation," he said.
The last word of caution comes from health experts who believe that smokeless tobacco has made India the "oral cancer capital of the world".
"The ban would not be of much help even if you increase the cost of gutka as the product is locally manufactured. And now we are seeing patients from rural areas who have serious problem of oral fibrosis," says P.K. Julka, surgical oncologist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
"Lack of awareness is what we are noticing as the major loophole in any ban related to smoking or tobacco for that matter," added Julka.
Source: IANS
Latest actress to fall prey to Photoshop doctoring. This image, doing the rounds online, is fake!
The No One Killed Jessica actress is the latest to fall prey to being photoshopped online
It's the kind of thing that'd demand your attention at first glance. 
And then the realisation sets in. That possibly couldn't be Vidya Balan in a black bikini on the cover of a men's magazine.
The No One Killed Jessica actress is the latest to fall prey to being photoshopped online. The picture you see alongside is doing the rounds of the internet is a doctored one.
There are quite a few loopholes that give the hoax away.
For one, Vidya hasn't been in town for some time now and is out of the country. Two, those close to the actress have denied that she ever did such a photoshoot.
Three, the magazine in question deny that the actress is on any cover of theirs so far. Lastly, and most importantly, it's marked as an 'Annual 2011" issue. Interesting, given that the year has only just begun.
PEHLE BHI... 
Morphed pictures of Sonakshi Sinha in a bikini on the cover of a men's magazine did the rounds online in December. The actress had denied that it was her. 
In 2006, South actress Khushboo was seen in a red transparent bikini. She filed a police complaint against the magazine. 
In 2009, Celina Jaitly had filed a case against a gadgets blog and a Bollywood portal for uploading obscene morphed picture of hers online.
By Sumitha Narayanan Kutty
IPaidABribe.com: A unique initiative that's leading the fight against corruption. Tell the world your bribe story
I've paid a bribe. And yes, so have you.
From creating a simple affidavit, to police verification for passports, we are left with no option but to 'tip' the person involved.
To many, it's no big deal. 'Kaam ho jaata hai' (Work gets done) seems the best policy. And turning a blind eye to it, makes that policy less 'injurious to health'.
The bottomline: In this nation of a billion people, bribery is an open secret and 'Yeh to hota rehta hai' (These things keep happening), the best attitude.
IPaidABribe.com: What's the 'Market Price of Corruption'?
Yet in these dark times, there are some who take a stand, some who forge ahead anyway and believe in change.
They are no A-listers. These are people just like you and me. Citizens who are fed up with the inefficient machinery that the Indian bureaucracy is.
Rather than throw up their hands in despair, here's a group that decided to 'blow the whistle' in a very innovative way.
The idea- 'I Paid a Bribe' (IPAB), an online tool where citizens report instances where they have paid or resisted the demand for a bribe.
The website is the brainchild of Janaagraha- a Bangalore-based organisation. Swati Ramanathan co-founded Janaagraha with her husband Ramesh.
The Ramanathans bring some much needed expertise and optimism to 'the pursuit of real democracy'. Janaagraha powered successful campaigns like Jago Re. The initiative encouraged voters to register for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Over six lakh people did.
In 2010, they launched the 'I Paid a Bribe' campaign.
"Using your stories we'll advocate with the government for an improved system", proclaims the site. And it has swiftly proven effective.
The Numbers Say It All
'I Paid A Bribe' has had over 3 lakh hits since launch last year. Reactions have poured in from 282 cities across India with Mumbai leading the charge. A total estimate of 49 crore rupees has been reported as bribe money by citizens all over.
It's appalling to note that Mumbai alone has registered bribe demands totalling to 4,108 lakh rupees. The website homepage even provides a 'bribe analytics' tab for a more detailed break-up of those figures.
Another feature is the 'Hall of Shame'- where you get all the latest news related to corruption and the fight against it.
You even have a Forum to discuss various issues- land, water, certificates, taxation, etc. How to get a new water connection? What are the fines for trafic violation? All you wanted to know about tax deductions, registrations, reimbursements- everything and anything under the sun. Post your queries or lend advice to others.
In addition, the webpage hosts The One Million Campaign- a signature drive to collect 1 million votes to force the government to ratify the UN Convention against Corruption.
A Step in the Right Direction
So is it only about venting frustrations? No.
IPAB clarifies: "It is also a forum to discuss corruption and anti-corruption methods. Moreover, in our second phase of engagement we compile bribe reports received on the site and analyse them."
It has been a tough year for our country. Its global image taking a huge beating with the nation reeling from one scam after another.
In retrospect, perhaps a Rs 8,000 crore (CWG) or a record Rs 1 lakh crore scam (2G) should come as no surprise. IPAB's numbers prove that the corrupt begin very early with the odd Rs 100 or Rs 500.
Today, our safest bet might be just this-
Shame the bureaucracy thoroughly enough, to force those in power to take a step in the right direction.
So log in now. Tell the world your bribe story.
Source: India Syndicate
No one was injured in the incident which occurred on Sunday, they said.
The Airbus landed at the Lengpui airport and overshot the runway, requiring the pilot to apply the brakes harder. This led three of its tyres to burst, the sources said.
A special flight for defence personnel operates between Kolkata and Aizawl every Sunday.
According to the Northeast Support Centre and Helpline, at least 96 cases of crime, including rape, molestation and harassment, against people from the northeast community were recorded in Delhi last year.
"The centre and the ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) must issue directive to implement existing laws, policies and plan of actions to end racial discrimination, sexual violence and human trafficking challenges faced by northeast communities in the cities," the centre said a report released here Tuesday.
"The North East MP Forum must take note of the plight faced by their communities and take up the matter with concerned law-enforcing agencies and governments," it added.
"Delhi has become an unsafe city for women with increasing crimes against them. According to Delhi Police, every 18 hours, a woman is raped and every 14 hours a woman is molested in Delhi," said the report.
The report said youngsters migrating from their homes in the northeast, come to Delhi for better educational and employment opportunities.
According to the report, over 200,000 northeastern migrants come to Delhi -- which is 48.21 percent of the total migrant population from the region, which comprises Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
However, Delhi has emerged to be an increasingly unsafe place for the community, especially the women, the report said.
Quoting a study by Jagori, an NGO, in 2009, the report said around 70 percent women were reported harassed on roads while around 60 percent men and 71 percent common witnesses reported that they have seen women being harassed.
The report said 78 percent of the northeast community in Delhi faced racial discrimination in different forms in 2010, which is slightly less compared to 86 percent in 2009.
"However, it's still a big number," it added.
But it's not just the women who face problems.
The report said 83 percent of northeast men face racial discrimination in Delhi.
It said over 414,850 people from the northeast migrated to other mega cities of India during 2005-2010.
In 2005, the population of the community which migrated was 34,000. The average rate of migration annually is 13.62 percent.
The report also explores the reasons for the high migration rate -- lack of good education and employment opportunities. Socio-political unrest is another reason.
By Hamari Jamatia
At a support event for the Dhaula Kuan rape victim.
New Delhi, Mar 8 : New research shows more men complain of discrimination than women
As many as 78 per cent people from the North-East states living in Delhi have said they face racial discrimination in the Capital.
The figure was revealed through a new study on North-East migrants in Delhi. The North East Support Centre and Helpline undertook the research after a Mizo woman was gangraped in Dhaula Kuan recently.
While the figure is lower than that revealed in the study conducted in 2009, which stated that 86 per cent of the North-East population in Delhi undergo harassment, the new study seems more alarming as men too have reported racial discrimination. In fact, according to the research, 83 per cent of the male respondents reported discrimination, as against 74 per cent of women .
The research further states that between 2005 and 2011, the NE Helpline recorded 96 crimes against its people in Delhi and NCR — 58 per cent against women (including 34 per cent molestation cases, 4 per cent rape cases and 2 per cent attempt to rape cases), 26 per cent against men, 5 per cent murder cases, 6 per cent cases of non-payment of salary , 3 per cent cases of non-refund of rent deposit, 1 per cent missing person complaints and 1 per cent media bias complaints.
The research, titled ‘NE India: Migration and Challenges faced in National Capital Cities’, will be released on Tuesday on International Women’s Day. Madhu Chandra, spokesperson of NE Helpline who headed the research, said migration is a serious issue and the push factors are lack of education and job facilities in the North-East states.
The report accuses police of inaction, stating action was taken against only 11 of the 96 cases. “Registering cases was difficult, as most of the cases were refused, delayed and denied by the police officers on duty. This adds on top of the racial discrimination from general public,” stated the report.
“There are 2.7 lakh children from NE states studying in Delhi and other metros. They get their money from their families who reside in the North-East states. So, a lot of money is being channeled to pay for their expenses in the city,” Chandra said.
