Here's Why You Can Never Get Tatkal Tickets

Mumbai, Mar 2 :  If you were wondering why it is so difficult to get tatkal tickets, recent arrests by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) may help you get the answers.

The CBI has busted a multi-crore railway ticket booking scam with the arrest of four persons, who ran a ticketing business in Wadala. The accused used over a hundred bogus personal user IDs with the railway's proprietary software to book confirmed tickets en masse, seconds after bookings would open, depriving genuine commuters of tickets.

A ticket-booking agent is allotted only one user ID, but the accused allegedly accessed the IRCTC portal with simultaneous logins. Cops are trying to ascertain how exactly they procured the software, and the extent of their ill-gotten gains.

The accused, identified as Mehtab Khan, Mehboob Malik, Santaram Yadav alias Pappu and P Naga Kumar, have been booked for cheating and criminal conspiracy. The agency suspects the men have also violated the Information Technology Act, 2000.

While Khan and Pappu were arrested yesterday, Malik and Kumar were nabbed on Wednesday. Khan, Malik and Naga Kumar have been remanded to judicial custody till March 15, and Pappu has been remanded to police custody till March 12.

System abuse
In the remand application for the accused, Inspector Girish Soni said, "This is a big racket run by the accused persons due to which the general public is deprived of their right to get railway tickets booked under the tatkal scheme. Meanwhile, the accused persons are selling the said railway tickets at exorbitant rates to the public." To book the tickets, Khan used the software, which is capable of getting the railway system to accept around 10 railway requisition forms simultaneously. He would access the website through his several fake IDs just after bookings opened for the day at 8.00 am. As anyone who has tried to book a tatkal ticket knows, the limited seats are sold out within minutes after the bookings open. With the software, Khan could book multiple tickets in seconds.

A railway source said, "The public has to wait to be able to make reservations, but the railway's own software does it much faster. If the person in question had access to the software, booking tickets would be a breeze." At the initial stage of investigations, the CBI is yet to ascertain whether the accused kept the profits made by selling the base price of the tickets, in addition to the inflated rates they sold them at. Sleuths will also look into how the accused managed all user IDs to hack into the system.

According to investigations, Malik supplied the software to Khan and Kumar. He himself acquired the software from Pappu, who in turn had acquired it from Uttar Pradesh-based Salman Ahmed, who is yet to be arrested.

The CBI is now in the process of figuring out how many other ticket agents and travel agencies the software was supplied to.

"The matter is under investigation. We cannot share details at this stage," said Rishi Raj Singh, joint director of the CBI. S V Ingale, chief commercial manager, Central Railway said, "No CBI officials have contacted us in this regard. What the accused were doing seems incredible."

Going by the books
The railways periodically issue licenses to booking agents. These agents, called Rail Travel Service Agents, are officially authorised to vend tickets to the public. Another variant of this is the Jan Sadharan Ticket Booking Service agents. These are persons with their own independent stalls who charge a small commission fee for every ticket they book. Both kinds are provided single login IDs to access the system, but Khan and his cohorts had multiple login accounts.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/here-s-why-you-can-never-get-tatkal-tickets-181808&cp

Chapchar Kut Celebrated in Mizoram

Aizawl, Mar 2 : Chapchar Kut, 2012 probably the major traditional festival of Mizos will be celebrated on March 2 (Friday) across the state of Mizoram.

It is learnt that the festival will also be celebrated across the district hqrs with much fanfare keeping in mind the religious and traditional values of the Mizos.

Notably, the main celebratory programme on March 2 to be held at Assam Rifles Parade Ground here will be graced by chief minister Lalthanhawla as 'Kut Pa' (Father of the Festival); Mizoram Governor Vakkom Purushothaman as chief guest and visiting Director of North East Zone Cultural Society (NEZCC), Diampur (Nagaland) Som Kamei as guest of honour.

The Organising Committee informed  today that the Chapchar Kut festival is celebrated some time in March every year after completion of the most arduous task of Jhum operation Jungle Clearing or Shifting Cultivation; adding, this is a spring festival celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Mizos in the Chapchar Kut celebration on March 2 at Assam Rifles ground here will have eye- catching items like Bawhhla/Hlado (Chaldailova & Party), opening song by the Central Young Mizo Asociation (YMA) choir, religious sermon from Rev.Dr.Lalhmnagaiha, Presbyterian Church of India , Mizoram Synod), Traditional Costume Show ( Nagaland, Manipur , Mizoram, NEZCC) including solo numbers from popular singers Judith Lalremruati, Lalthuthaa (Mizo Idol , 2011) and not to forget live band performances from X- strings, Scavenger Project and Dream Hunter.

In Arunachal, A Tiny Community With A Huge Suicide Rate

By Samudra Gupta Kashyap

Guwahati, Mar 2 : The Idu-Mishmis are more than just another colourful tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. Apart from their typical hairstyle and costumes and artistic patterns embedded, which distinguish them from other tribal groups of the state, they also have the highest suicide rate in India, according to Tarun Mene, a young scholar from the community.

“Our community hardly has about 12,000 people. But, believe it or not, over 200 persons have committed suicide in less than four decades,” says Mene, 30, who has won a PhD from Rajiv Gandhi University in Arunachal Pradesh.

Mene’s doctoral thesis, “Suicide among the Idu Mishmi Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh”, has opened up the possibility of further studies on this social aspect. Of the 218 suicides that he has gathered from official as well as unofficial sources, most involved young people in the age-group 10-29, with girls and women outnumbering boys and men 53:47. The Idu-Mishmis live in two districts, Dibang Valley and Lower Dibang Valley, the former sharing a boundary with China.

Mene said that in most cases, the suicides had roots in love affairs. “While young people want to choose their life partners, the closely-knit community has numerous barriers brought forward by generations,” Mene said.

The increasing suicides have alerted social activists and institutions in the state. “The state Women’s Commission tried to study the issue,” said Jarjum Ete, a former chairperson. “We found that limited scope for marital relationships (because of the small size of the community) was a major reason for frustration among the younger generations.”

Idu women are good weavers but “they have to face various traditional problems, the most important being forced marriage”, Mene said. In Idu-Mishmi society, a woman, once widowed, can be married by her deceased husband’s brother without any question of consent. A man may marry his stepmother (unless she is his mother’s sister) after the death of his father. And if the stepmother refuses to remarry, she or her parent or guardian has to pay back the bridal price.

“It is an interesting research work that has brought to light a complicated situation faced by a small community. I think two things are immediately required. The first is serious intervention by the government and social groups, and the other is further documentation and research,” said Prof S K Chaudhuri of Rajiv Gandhi University, who was Mene’s guide during his research.

Manipur’s First SEZ Looks To Woo IT Biggies

By Esha Roy

Imphal, Mar 2 : The trouble-torn state of Manipur is all to get its first Special Economic Zone. The state has earmarked 27 acres of land and has engaged Accenture to prepare a detailed project report.

“Apart from IT enabled services the SEZ will be completely self-contained with a hotel, health centre, shopping centre, guesthouse as well as serviced apartments so that the employees can work and stay on the premises,’’ said Chief Secretary of Manipur DS Poonia.

Project-in-charge for the state government N Deben says that an industry was the only way to “bring industries into Manipur’’ and take the state forward. “An IT industry is however appropriate. It is not bound by the environment and that much infrastructure is not required. Manipur is already connected and any shortcomings can always be improved upon,’’ said Deben.

When talking of the inefficient power situation (most households in Imphal are pressed to even receive eight hours of electricity daily) Deben says that a separate substation will be set up within the complex guaranteeing 24×7 power supply.

Accenture will also help the state government set up BPOs within the complex.

“According to the Accenture survey, 25 per cent of the BPO industry is already manned by people hailing from the state. We believe that given the right employment opportunities, most Manipuris will want to come back and work in the state,’’ said Deben.

In January, a team of Manipur government officials visited IT firms in Bangalore to woo them. A team from Nasscom will arrive in Imphal next week to look at the project and the feasibility of setting up IT enabled services. “The plan is to attract a big company like an Infosys or a Wipro,’’ added Deben.

“The state government will therefore be investing between Rs 300-500 crores to get the SEZ up and running and sustainable. This is quite a large figure for a state like Manipur,’’ said Nilaya Verma of Accenture heading the team, adding that the SEZ would take at least 2-3 years to become functional.

Baichung Keen To Promote Football in Northeast

Guwahati, Mar 2 : Former Indian football team captain Baichung Bhutia believes the entire north-eastern region is full of football talents and with proper guidance and support players can be turned to stars. Bhutia, who recently retired from international football, addressing a press conference here today with Gaurav Gogoi and Assam Football Association secretary Ankur Dutta here today, said he is now ready to promote football in Assam along with other north-eastern States.

He hoped, like Manipur and Mizoram, Assam will also be able to produce international footballers soon if proper planning is adopted. Bhutia, who is in Nagaon for a series of friendly matches, advocated hosting soccer friendlies. He said seeing leading players in action youngsters could learn a lot. He also opined that, setting up a football academy is mandatory in order to nurture the talents. Bhutia also said the academies have to tie up with clubs so that the talented players can expose their potentialities through their clubs. He also praised State Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain for organising a series of friendly football matches in Nagaon among the leading teams of the country.

Gaurav Gogoi, son of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, while addressing the mediapersons said he is very much interested in the uplift of games and sports in the State.

Gogoi said he in his personal capacity will extend a helping hand to the sports organisations so that the talents could be unearthed and nurtured properly. He said he loves the game of football very much and hoped with proper guidance to youngsters, Assam will be able to produce good teams.

Friendly match: I-League outfit Pailon Arrows of Kolkata will take on Green Valley Sports Club in an exhibition football match at SAI New Field complex ground here tomorrow. Informing this in the press conference, AFA secretary Ankur Dutta said the Kolkata team will reach here from Nagaon and the match will start at 2.30 pm. The match has been organised as a part of promotional venture of the game in the State.

Arunachal, Meghalaya Interested in Joint Package For Tourists

Shillong, Mar 2 : Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have expressed interest in having a joint tour package for tourists in the North Eastern region.

"The chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh is enthusiastic about having a joint package for tourists in the region," Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told a workshop on 'Avenues for Entrepreneurship in Tourism' here.

He said, "When two states offers a package jointly, it becomes more attractive for prospective tourists."

Sangma has also suggested to his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart for a joint-workshop to push the idea forward.

He said, once the package was successful, other like minded states in the region would be roped in.

Cyber Crime Rises in Mizoram

Aizawl, Mar 1 : The Mizoram government, rattled by the rise in incidents of crimes in the state, will set up a cyber crime police station in Aizawl, with staff well versed in the use of computers.

A police official in Aizawl said last night that the government wanted to curb cyber offences, from hacking to unauthorised viewing of pornographic videos in cyber cafes and reported attempts to tamper with ATM cards to illegally withdraw cash.

Chief minister Lalthanhawla, addressing a seminar in Aizawl on crimes against women last Sunday, had called for steps to tackle crimes against women.

There were 168 incidents of crime against women like rape, attempt to rape, molestation and trafficking last year while 19 cases were registered in the first two months this year.

At Hnahthial town of Lunglei on Sunday, a six-year-old Mizo girl was lured to the jungle from the church lawn where she was playing with her friends, by Lalthanzauva, aged 40, and raped.

Interim budget: The Mizoram government will present a truncated interim budget in its Legislative Assembly session on March 20, for four months only, from April this year. Sources in the Assembly secretariat said last night that the government was forced to present a curtailed budget in the ensuing session.

They said the Planning Commission had “failed” at the beginning of this year to allot a firm annual plan outlay to the government, led by chief minister Lalthanhawla.

Assembly secretary Ngurthanzuala said state finance minister H. Liansailova would seek a vote-on-account budget for four months only.

Brahmaputra Dries Up Arunachal! China Responsible?

The Siang (Brahmaputra) river originating from Tibet was suddenly found to have almost dried up at a town in Arunachal Pradesh, a state government spokesman said on Wednesday night.

People of century-old Pasighat town in East Siang district found that the water level of the river receded so much on Wednesday evening that it almost dried, Tako Dabi said.

Dabi, also the political advisor to Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, expressed apprehension that China could have diverted the water of the river, which is known as Yarlong Tsangpo in Tibet, or there could be some artificial blockade due to which this has happened.

Image: BSF soldiers patrol on a boat in the waters of river Brahmaputra in Assam
Photographs: Reuters 

'The panic of the people cannot be simply brushed off'

On June 9, 2000, the water level of Siang rose suddenly by 30 m and inundated almost the entire township causing widespread destruction to property besides claiming seven lives following the collapse of a hydropower dam in Tibet, said Dabi, who himself inspected the dried bed of the river.
Dabi suggested that the Centre and its agencies like the Central Water Commission should immediately conduct a study in collaboration with the state government to find the crux of the problem.
The panic of the people cannot be simply brushed off, he said.

Image: Flood-affected people sit in a damaged hut as they wait for relief supplies after an embankment of river Brahmaputra broke in Arunachal
Photographs: Reuters 

China's cascade hydropower dams a challenge

Yarlung Tsangpo, the highest river in the world, is a watercourse that originates at Tamlung Tso Lake in western Tibet, southeast of Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.
It later forms the South Tibet Valley and Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, before entering India at Tuting in Arunachal as Siang, takes the name of Brahmaputra in Assam and enters Bangladesh and is known as Megna.
In the Upper Mekong Basin in Yunnan Province, China has planned to construct eight cascade hydropower dams, the first of which, the Manwan Dam, was completed in 1996.

Image: Manwan Dam