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Mayor Majid Hussain to quit today

March 12, 2014Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, UncategorizedMajid Hussain, Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (MIM), Mayor Mohd Majid Hussain, Mohd Majid Hussainmpositiveone@gmail.com

Hyderabad :

Mayor Mohd Majid Hussain will resign on Friday ending his over two-year term at the helm of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

His party Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (MIM) has asked him totender his resignation from the post on Thursday. MIM is likely to field him in one of the Assembly constituencies in the city.

“My party has directed me to resign from the post on Thursday. Abiding by the decision of the party, I am resigning on Friday. My party will take a decision on utilizing my services,” Majid Hussain told TOI on Thursday.

Majid Hussain took over the reins of the GHMC on January 3, 2012 as part of the power-sharing agreement between MIM and Congress in 2009 soon after the civic body elections.

As part of the agreement, of the five-year term, the mayor post goes to a Congress candidate for the first two years followed by that of MIM for the next two years. The last year should go to a Congress candidate. Likewise, the deputy mayor post would go to the other party during that period. Congress mayor Banda Karthika Reddy had served as the mayor for the first two years and subsequently MIM corporator from Ahmed Nagar, Mohd Majid Hussain, took over the reins in January, 2012 and has completed his two-year term on January 3.

Though in the last one year the mayor post should have gone to the Congress, the party has not been claiming it for various reasons mainly keeping in view the likely tie-up with the MIM in the general elections. Since Congress was not coming forward, Majid Hussain continued in the post.

By pulling out from the mayor post, MIM is likely to snap its ties with the Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha, Assembly and GHMC elections to be held this year.

With the resignation of Majid Hussain, Congress has to announce its mayor candidate. Several corporators, including deputy mayor G Raj Kumar, floor leader Diddi Rambabu, Bowenpally corporator Narasimha Yadav and others are eyeing the post.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / by TNN / March 07th, 2014

Mahrukh Inayet quits Times Now, starts school for anchors

March 12, 2014Arts, Culture & Entertainment, EducationMahrukh Inayet, Mahrukh Inayet - Roving Editor Headlines Today, Mahrukh Inayet - Sr Editor (News)Times Now, Mahrukh Inayet - Studio Talk, Mahrukh Inayet Rizvimpositiveone@gmail.com

If you thought anchoring was just about sitting in front of the camera and talking, Studio Talk, a finishing school for those looking to make their career before the cameras, will prove differently to you. “A lot of youngsters believe that anchoring is not serious journalism and I want to break that myth. It’s time one understands that anchoring is impossible without knowledge,” said Mahrukh Inayet Rizvi, Course Director, Studio Talk, who recently resigned as senior editor (news) at Times Now.

Ms Inayet was part of the core team at Headlines Today, that helped set up the channel. From the TV Today group, she joined Times Now, again as part of the core team that set up the channel. Her 72-hrs non-stop reportage from outside the Taj Hotel during 26/11 earned her much acclaim and was appreciated as an example of unbiased coverage of the Mumbai terror strike. She has reported extensively on national politics with special focus on the Kashmir imbroglio.

From the breathlessness of breaking news to understanding the nuances of business and sports anchoring to the intricacies of entertainment and live events anchoring – Studio Talk aims to prepare the young journalists in all genres. ‘This programme is a must for anyone and everyone looking to work before the cameras in the television,” said Ms Inayet.

Ms Inayet believes that journalism schools teach you how to be a good journalist. But few teach what to do before the cameras and fewer prepare you for what to expect once the cameras start rolling. That’s exactly what Studio Talk aims to do- prepare and polish newbies with an intensive 14-day program on how to be a television anchor/presenter.

The course is aimed at teaching youngsters how to anchor news, business, sports and entertainment stories. The course will have studio simulated environment and the students will be taught how to work in front of the cameras and connect to the audience, ‘either as an on-field reporter who has 60 seconds to connect to the viewer with his/her story or as an anchor who has to present the final product to the audience. The students will also be taught basic make up skills so that they don’t look washed out in front of the camera.’

“The camera is ruthless and does not allow you to rewind and press record the second time. Being on television is hard work. Anchors and presenters have to face all kinds of situations. From just one-line information on breaking news to anchoring in live situations,” Ms Inayet added.

And, Ms Inayet definitely knows what she is talking about, given her rise from a reporter to being among the senior most anchors at Times Now. It is this extensive experience that has allowed the former Times Now Senior Editor to develop perhaps the only such training program in the country.

While Ms Inayet, as the course director, will personally oversee the 14-day hands-on-training program, Studio Talk will also have some of the best names from the television industry such as Mandira Sawhney Lalwani, former presenter, Times Now, ESPN, Ten Sports & Star News; Prerana Thakur Desai, Producer, Aamir Khan Productions; Ragini Kumar, former sports anchor, Times Now; Mikhail K Vaswani Presenter, Neo Cricketer and Ameet Sawant, Producer & Director, 96 Karatz Productions as guest lecturers to share their experiences on topics like Inside A Television Newsroom, Teleprompter Training, Fundamentals Of News Anchoring, Handling ‘Breaking News’, On Field Reportage and other such relevant topics.

At the end of the 14-day course, the student will be awarded a certificate and a demo CD on completion of the workshop. “Earlier we could learn from our mistakes on the job. But now there is no time to make mistakes. The demo CD ensures that the recruiters realise that the person knows what in required to be in front of the TV,” concluded Ms Inayet.

source: http://www.mxmindia.com / Media Marketing More / Home / by Archita Wagle

Express reporter bags award for TB reporting

March 12, 2014Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social IssuesZubeda Hamid, Zubeda Hamid Journalist, Zubeda Hamid Winner REACH-Lily Media Awardsmpositiveone@gmail.com

Chennai :

Express reporter Zubeda Hamid on Friday received the REACH-Lily Media Award for best TB reporting 2009-10 for an article on DOTS providers. The award carries a citation and a cash component of Rs 30,000.

The award was presented as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of REACH (Resource Groupfor Education and Advocacy for Community Health), an NGO. REACH works on spreading awareness on TB control. In the last 10 years, the NGO has sensitized and roped in 5,000 patients, 5,000 doctors, 500 local pharmacists and 1 lakh students into its programmes.

Zubeda’s article, which appeared in The New Indian Express on March 28, 2009, World Tuberculosis Day, focussed on the contribution of community volunteers to the TB control programmes as the DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, short course) providers are the real backbone of the programme but are hardly in the limelight.

The other best entry award went to Kounteya Sinha of The Times of India, New Delhi, for his article on the stigma faced by female TB patients. A special citation was given to Ramya Kannan of The Hindu, in recognition of her focussed efforts to highlight issues related to MDR-TB.

Recognising the efforts of journalism students, five media students from Mount Carmel College in Bangalore and one from the Asian College of Journalism were given cash prizes.

The jury comprised Dr LS Chauhan, deputy director general (TB), GOI, Dr PR Narayanan, former director, TB Research Centre, Dr Arjun Rajagopal, president, REACH, Dr Nevin Wilson, director, The Union, South East Asia and Dr Jaya Shreedhar, technical health advisor, Internews Network.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / February 20th, 2010

UP govt appoints Rizwan Ahmed as new DGP

March 12, 2014Community Involvement / Social Issues, LeadersIslam Ahmed, Javed Usmani, Rizwan Ahmad, Rizwan Ahmad - DG of Uttar Pradesh, Rizwan Ahmad - Director General Police U.P., UP Chief Secretary Javed Usmanimpositiveone@gmail.com

Rizwan Ahmad takes charge as the new DGP of Uttar Pradesh, replacing Devraj Nagar (left) who retired on Wednesday. / PTI / The Hindu

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has appointed Rizwan Ahmed as the new Director General of Police. An 1978 batch IPS officer, Mr. Ahmed, who assumed office on Tuesday, will hold the top police post in the State for 59 days as he is due to retire on February 28, 2014.

Mr. Ahmed becomes only the second Muslim, after Islam Ahmed served as the IG Police in 1971 ( the State police chief then was known as IG Police), to have become the UP police chief. Significantly, the Chief Secretary of the State is also a Muslim (Javed Usmani ), which meant that for the first time in Uttar Pradesh the top two administrative and police officials are from the minority community.

Mr. Ahmed, who, prior to assuming the new charge, was the DG, Government Railway Police (GRP), was made to supersede four police officers of the 1977 batch — Vinod Kumar Singh, Arun KumarGupta, Brij Lal and Suvrat Tripathi. Mr. Ahmed’s name was being mentioned in the police circles as the next DGP after Devraj Nagar’s retirement on December 31, 2013. Since, the Chief Secretary was also a Muslim it was said that the Government may avoid making a Muslim the UP police chief.

Among the other contenders for the top office were the DG, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) Ranjan Dwivedi, an IPS officer of the 1979 batch, another officer of the 1979 batch, A.L. Banerjee, presently the Director (Vigilance) and the DG (Police Housing Corporation) Arun Kumar Gupta.

That Mr. Ahmed will indeed be the next DGP was known at a tea party hosted by the outgoing police chief, Devraj Nagar on Tuesday. Mr. Nagar, was earlier in the day given the ceremonial send off. Present in the tea party were the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary (Home) Anil Kumar Gupta. The new DGP assumed charge at around 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Other States / by Atiq Khan / Lucknow – January 01st, 2014

J&K woman IAS wants to serve state

March 12, 2014Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, LeadersFirst Kashmiri Muslim Girl IAS, First Mjuslim Girl from Kashmir to clear IAS, Khalid Iqbal Bari, Ovessa Iqbal, Ovessa Iqbal - First Muslim Girl from Kashmir to clear IAS, Sameena Iqbal, Shah Faisal, Syed Abdul Bari, Syed Sibtul Ainmpositiveone@gmail.com

Ovessa Iqbal With her maternal uncle Syed Sibtul Ain at her residence in Srinagar. PHOTOGRAPH: JAVAID BHATT

Ovessa Iqbal, the first Muslim girl from Jammu and Kashmir to clear the Indian Administrative Services examination has come a long way from the sleepy village of Chachoot in Leh. 25-year-old Ovessa started her journey with the help and encouragement of her elder sister Sameena Iqbal, a history lecturer at Women’s College, Srinagar. Ovessa completed her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Chandigarh.

Sameena believes Ovessa’s determination helped her clear the IAS in her third attempt. Ovessa recently cleared the Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) examination too. Brimming with confidence she says that the government should set up some mechanism in all the three regions of J&K for students to receive the required education to clear such examinations. Six students from the state have cleared the examinations this year.

Last year Shah Faisal of Kashmir topped the IAS resulted. Faisal has been allotted the J&K cadre.

Talking to this newspaper Ovessa said that her parents wanted her to pursue MBA, but “I wanted to try my luck for IAS.” Ovessa said that she did not join any coaching institute. But Ovessa is broken by the sudden death of her mother Khalida, who died in an accident in Hyderabad recently. “I would have really enjoyed my success with my mother,” she said. “I want to serve the needy and help the exploited lot in J&K which was what my mother dreamt I would do,” Ovessa added.

Ovessa Iqbal’s great grand parents had migrated from Kadikadal area of Srinagar to Leh, Ladakh. Her great grandfather was the first Mirwaiz of Leh. Her maternal side is also from the Kashmir valley as her late mother Khalida Iqbal Bari was the daughter of Syed Abdul Bari of Buchpora, Srinagar.

Ovessa Iqbal would love to be in Kashmir as she considers the valley to be her second home.

Ovessa is firm that she will serve the people of J&K especially women. “I would love to see the end of women’s exploitation. I pray to God to allow me to make some difference,” Ovessa said.

Ovessa lamented that despite having huge potential J&K students were not getting proper coaching and guidance required to appear for such competitive examinations.

The J&K government has not been able to provide proper coaching centres to the students competing for various examinations. For the last few years a small voluntary group known as the Initiative for Competition Promotion in JK (ICPJK) has trained some students for such exams. This voluntary organisation is run by IPS officer Abdul Gani Mir who is the DIG (central) in J&K.

source: http://www.sunday-guardian.com / The Sunday Guardian / Home> News / by Noor-Ul-Qamrain / May 15th, 2011

Tariffs unlikely to rise, asserts Farooqui

March 12, 2014Science & TechnologyM. F. Farooqui, Telecom Secretary M. F. Farooquimpositiveone@gmail.com

Competition, new tech to keep rates down

Telecom Secretary M. F. Farooqui has pointed out that tariffs may not rise as a result of the recently concluded spectrum auction as operators will be kept in check by increasing competition.

Mr. Farooqui’s comments, however, come less than a few weeks after Vodafone India boss Marten Pieters had said the point had come where the company would have to increase its tariff levels every year depending on cost levels.

“I am not the operator… I’m the regulator. But there are two elements or factors that will help keep themobile tariffs from rising,” Mr. Farooqui said, on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress trade fair here.

The first, he said, was that increasing competition would help keep tariffs down. “This will make sure that operators will not do anything that will reduce their market share.” The second, he said, was that new types of technology would allow operators to lower costs and also offer a wide range of different services.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Business / by Anuj Srinivas / Barcelona – February 27th, 2014

Vice-President Hamid Ansari releases Darda’s book

March 12, 2014Arts, Culture & Entertainment, LeadersHamid Ansari, Minister New n Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah, Mohd. Hamid Ansari, Vice President Hamid Ansarimpositiveone@gmail.com

New Delhi :

Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Wednesday released senior Congress MP Vijay Darda’s book ‘Public Issues Before Parliament’.

The book catalogues public issues that Darda has raised through his two-decade-long parliamentary career, making skilful use of parliamentary devices: interventions which often drew effective responses from the government.

Those present at the book launch included noted constitutional expert Fali S Nariman, minister for heavy industries Praful Patel , minister for new and renewable energy Farooq Abdullah and Lok Janshakti Party leader Ramvilas Paswan.

Herro K Mustafa, minister counselor for public affairs in the US embassy in New Delhi, and Silvia Costantini, first counselor, political affairs in the delegation of European Union, were also present.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> India / TNN / February 20th, 2014

After Big B, Ismail Darbar in Kannada

March 12, 2014Arts, Culture & EntertainmentIsmail Darbar, Ismail Darbar - Music Director, Ismail Darbar's First Kannada Film as Music Directormpositiveone@gmail.com

You have read in these columns that Amitabh Bachchan will be acting in a Kannada film film along with Shiva Rajkumar. Narendra Babu, the film’s director, has now revealed more details about Bachchan’s role in the film.

The film will also boast of music by Ismail Darbar— his first Kannada film. (BM had reported on August 3, 2013, on Babu’s efforts to rope in Darbar). Babu said, “Bachchan sir will be doing the role of Ramanand, who was Kabir’s guru, in the film. The shooting will be held in July-August.” Currently, Babu is excited about Ismail Darbar’s music being used in his film.

“AsI had told you earlier, I have been trying for several months and finally the dream has come true. It is now official that Darbar sir will compose the music. He will start work on the film around Ugadi.”

The film is not a remake of the Rajkumar-starrerSanta Kabir, but an adaptation of Bhisham Sahani’s Hindi play Baira Khara Bazar Mein.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Kannada> Movies / by Shyam Prasad, S – Bangalore Mirror Bureau / March 12th, 2014

Abbas-Mustan finally get Big B on board

March 11, 2014Arts, Culture & EntertainmentAbbas-Mustan, Abbas-Mustan Bollywood Film Makers, Mustafampositiveone@gmail.com

In a career spanning two decades, Abbas-Mustan, the filmmaking duo known for their brand of racy thrillers, have never worked with Amitabh Bachchan. But that’s going to change with their next.

Mirror has learnt that the directors have convinced Big B to feature in their upcoming thriller, which will have an ensemble cast. While speculations are rife about them taking the Racefranchise forward, the brothers’ next will be a dark murder mystery, with Bachchan in the lead.

A source close to the development said, “Mr. Bachchan had several script narrations with Abbas-Mustan. He has really liked the premise and is figuring out his schedule to accommodate this film.” When contacted, Abbas confirmed the news saying, “It’s true, we met Mr. Bachchan and he found the script fantastic. Along with him, there will be four more actors – two male and two female leads. We’ll be casting them soon.”

When quizzed on Bachchan’s role, Mustan revealed, “It’s a positive character, he plays a man with several children. Then a murder draws him into an intriguing mystery.” Will this film also mark the debut of Abbas’ son Mustafa?

“We keep telling him that we are ready to launch him, but he says he doesn’t want to start off with us. Mustafa wants to make his own mark without our support,” Abbas said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Times of India / Home> Entertainment / by Ankur Pathak, Mumbai Mirror / March 10th, 2014