Wedding in India, Divorcing in the US?

 

 

CHENNAI, INDIA, March 19, 2012 (Deccan Chronicle): In a judgment with far-reaching consequences, the Madras High Court (HC) has held that a decree for dissolution of a marriage by a foreign court is not binding in India if a wedding is solemnised in the country under the Hindu Marriage Act.

A division bench comprising justices R. Banumathi and S. Vimala gave the ruling while dismissing an appeal by Sunder against an order of a family court in Chennai declaring a decree of divorce by Superior Court of California not binding on his wife Shyamala.

The couple tied the knot in Vellore district in 1999, but Sunder went to the US within a year and did not communicate with Shyamala after that. In 2000, she received summons from Superior Court of California, which subsequently granted Sunder divorce despite her defense statement.

HC said Superior Court of California was not a court of competent jurisdiction to decide the matrimonial dispute of the appellant/husband married under the Hindu Marriage Act in India.

BPO for differently abled has sound future Vindhya, a venture of Pavithra Y S, is looking to double its employee base of close to 300 in one year

BPO for differently abled has sound future

Vindhya, a venture of Pavithra Y S, is looking to double its employee base of close to 300 in one year

While pursuing her chartered accountancy a few years ago, Pavithra Y S had never imagined that one day she would start her own organisation and employ close to 300 people. With no prior work experience and content with matrimonial responsibilities, Pavithra was clueless about organisational environment and work culture, let alone the challenges that go with starting an enterprise. During her CA days she realised that unlike physically fit people like her, job opportunities for the disabled were scant. This prompted Pavithra to dig into her (and her husband’s) savings, scout for bank loans and put together an enterprise that would focus on employing the disabled and those from below poverty line and rural areas. With no prior work experience and content with matrimonial responsibilities, Pavithra was completely clueless about organisational environment and work culture, let alone the challenges that go with starting an enterprise. Today Vindhya E-Infomedia, the BPO Pavithra and her husband Ashok Giri started in Bangalore in 2006, employs 300, with 90% having various orthopaedic and hearing disabilities. From the receptionist G Srinivas, who lost his hands while working as an electrician, to polio-afflicted Vasantha Kumari, who heads a 15-member team, employees in Vindhya experience a feeling of belonging and confidence. “We started with just two people, with the strength increasing to 22 by the end of the first year, and touched hundred plus by the third,” says Pavithra. Vindhya undertakes work like data entry, data processing, proof reading, data conversion for its 18-20 clients, which comprise companies from banking, financial services, insurance, IT and microfinance domains. Pavithra moved beyond two perceived notions regarding disabled people while setting up Vindhya. Firstly, by stressing that the enterprise is not non-profit and that it worked with the motive of making money like any regular BPO. “Non-profit may not have been sustainable in the long run and the employees need to know that there is no air of charity here. They work and get their salaries like in any other organisation,” says Pavithra. Secondly, she wanted to stay away from domains such as handicrafts, weaving, etc where disabled people have traditionally found employment. Bangalore being the IT city, she felt there would be ample opportunities in the BPO space if clients are assured of quality and timely services. There is always a question mark over whether these people are productive, says Pavithra. “We erase those doubts by training the employees for 15 days.” Though the basic eligibility required for a person to work in Vindhya is that he should have cleared class 10, has basic typing and computer skills and an understanding of English; there are MBAs, engineers, and graduates, too, working in the BPO. “Though it was initially difficult to convince clients, the business is growing favourably,” says Pavithra. So apart from their headquarters in Bangalore, Vindhya has expanded to New Delhi and Hubli. Vindhya is looking at expanding its employee base to 500-700 by March next. It sources its manpower through referrals, NGOs, and by holding camps in rural areas. “The employees are not just from Bangalore but also states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, who are provided with subsidised accommodation,” says Pavithra. She says most are freshers (without any previous work experience) and are now able to support their families, marry, pay back loans, move from villages to metros and talk of career growth. Take the example of Kumari. She joined as a team member four years ago and has slowly climbed the ladder. She now takes home a decent salary which helps in paying her 11-year-old daughter’s school fees. Srinivas has managed to find a bride and supports his old mother despite having lost his hands.

Gas agencies can’t force their stove, regulator on you

Gas agencies can’t force their stove, regulator on you

In a bid to clamp down on cases of cheating, the Food and Civil Supplies Department has issued a notification according to which a gas agency cannot force a consumer seeking a new connection to buy a fresh stove and regulator. Agency owners have been told to put this directive up on their notice boards in bold letters. If still found guilty of cheating consumers, the agency will have its licence suspended. The department has been receiving numerous complaints about errant gas agencies for the past few months. During a public hearing in the first week of March, chaired by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, serious cognisance of these complaints was taken and subsequently the above notification issued. Further, the notice states that if the consumer takes delivery of a cylinder from a gas agency, the latter cannot receive delivery charges from the consumer, as per the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2000. The agency, instead, has to furnish a bill of every item sold to the consumer. Department officials will visit consumers’ homes randomly to see whether gas agencies have provided them with proper bills for new connections. Moreover, the notification stipulates that while a customer is buying a new connection, the agency should give him the option to be able to pay via cheque or demand draft. A senior official from the Food and Civil Supplies Department, on condition of anonymity, said, “For the last few months, we have been getting a number of complaints about delays in delivery of gas cylinders and agency owners forcing customers to buy new stoves. This is completely illegal, and they cannot do this to consumers. Hence, we issued this notification to the gas agency owners.” He added that as per the new guidelines, if any agency was found cheating again, the department official would inform the concerned gas supply company and would ask for a cancellation of the agency’s licence.

Veer Savarkar’s poems travel from prison walls to patriotic album

Savarkar’s poems travel from prison walls to patriotic album



As a political prisoner at the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the British Raj, Veer Savarkar did not have access to pen or paper. But this did not deter the freedom fighter from writing poetry of courage and patriotism. He used thorns and nails to scribble the verse on the prison walls.
The poems may no longer be on the walls of the Cellular Jail now but they still inspire people touched by Savarkar’s determination and love for his motherland. One such person is classical singer and music composer Bharat Balvalli, who has conceptualised and executed a music album containing 31 poems written by the freedom fighter on the walls of his prison cell.
“I have seen pictures of the walls of the Cellular Jail on which Savarkarji wrote the poems. And I can’t begin to describe the feeling it evoked,” said Balvalli, claiming to have done a research on the subject over the last three years. “I visited the prison in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the New India House in London where the great freedom fighter spent his days,” he added.
The Marathi poems have been sung by playback singers, including Shankar Mahadevan, Shaan, Hari Haran, Javed Ali, Anuradha Paudval, Sadhana Sargam and Sudesh Bhosale. The music has been arranged by the late music composer Anil Mohile.
“Music should have social relevance since entertainment without a cause is of no use to anyone,” feels Balvalli, who wants to take the patriotic poems to the masses. “We need to make the younger generation aware of the sacrifices that great freedom fighters have made for the country’s freedom,” the 25-year-old singer and composer added.
Balvalli said he has also met Savarkar’s family in Dadar during the course of his research on the freedom fighter’s life and times. “They were touched by the gesture since it is a testimony that not everyone in India has forgotten one of its bravest heroes,” he said.

फॅट्सना करा बाय - Say bye to fats

फॅटसमुळे(fats) बेढब होणारं शरीर कोणालाच आवडत नाही. त्यामुळे आपण वयापेक्षा मोठे दिसतो हेही अनेकांना खुपत असतं. पण याची कारणं आपल्या बेसिक(basic habits) सवयींमध्येच दडलेली असतात.

' काय गं बाई कंबर आहे की कमरा, काहीतरी कर गं', 'अरे पोट केवढं वाढलंय तुझं, व्यायाम वगैरे करत जा' असे टोमणे अनेकांना मिळत असतात. अनेक उपाय करुनही कंट्रोलमध्ये न येणाऱ्या बेढबपणाची किंवा वजनवाढीची कारणं तुमच्या छोट्या छोट्या सवयींमध्येच दडलेली असतात. त्यामुळे त्या समजून घेतल्यास वजन आटोक्यात यायला खूप मदत होईल.

मानवी शरीरात जास्तीच्या साठलेल्या कॅलरीजचं रुपांतर चरबीत होतं. ही चरबी साठवण्याची प्रवृत्ती तीन गोष्टींवर अवलंबून असते त्या म्हणजे वय, लिंग आणि जीन्स ! पुरुषांमध्ये शक्यतो पोटाजवळच्या भागात जास्त चरबी साठते ज्याने त्यांच्या शरीराला अॅपल(apple) सारखा आकार येतो तर महिलांमध्ये हिप्स आणि मांड्यांजवळ चरबी साठल्याने त्यांच्या शरीराला पेअरचा(pear) आकार येतो.

तुमचं वजन नियंत्रणात ठेवण्याचा एक सोपा मार्ग म्हणजे जेवढ्या कॅलरीजची तुम्हाला गरज आहे तेवढाच आहार घ्या. यामुळे तुमचे वजन वाढणार नाही. संतुलित पोषक आहाराची(balanced diet) तुम्हाला आवश्यकता आहे. दिवसातून दोन वेळा पोट भरून जेवण्यापेक्षा ४-५ वेळा हलके पदार्थ खाणं चांगलं. फॅटयुक्त पदार्थांऐवजी लो फॅट पदार्थ, अंड्याचा पांढरा भाग आणि प्रथिनयुक्त पदार्थ खायला हवेत.

पोट वाढण्याची समस्या अनेकांना सतावत असते यावर उत्तम उपाय म्हणजे तुमच्या जिम इन्स्ट्रक्टरकडून पोटाच्या स्नायूंसाठी योग्य व्यायामप्रकार कोणता हे समजून घ्या. यामुळे तुमचं शरीरही फिट राहील. जोपर्यंत तुम्ही खाल्लेल्या कॅलरीज बर्न करत नाहीत तोपर्यंत पोटावर साठलेली चरबी हटणार नाही. व्यायामाची योग्य आणि बिनचूक पद्धत अवलंबली तर अपेक्षित फायदा होऊ शकतो.

चालणे, धावणे, पोहणे, सायकलिंग करणे अशा व्यायाम प्रकारांचा आधार घ्या. यामुळे तुमच्या कॅलरीज बर्न (calorie burn) होतील आणि चयापचय क्रियाही सुधारेल.

एक दिवसाआड अॅब्जचे व्यायाम(excercise) करायला हवेत. शरीरातील बाकीच्या स्नायूंप्रमाणेच इतर स्नायूंनासुद्धा व्यायामानंतर ४८ तास विश्रांतीची गरज असते.

पाठीवर उताणे झोपून तुमचे गुडघे वाकवा आणि दोन्ही हात डोक्याखाली ठेवा. हळूहळू खांदे वर उचला आणि त्याचवेळी पाय छातीजवळ आणा. पुन्हा पूर्वस्थितीत जा.

The six best smartphones above Rs.25K

The six best smartphones above Rs.25K

We hope you’ve enjoyed our little series as we have been putting them together. Today, we take a look at the last and final segment, the best smartphones whose prices are above Rs.25,000. In this high-end segment, expect the cream of the crop mobile phones with every imaginable feature you could ever want or need. Phones in this segment have a noticeable bump in build quality where aluminium is the most commonly used material for the chassis. Screen sizes are definitely bigger and the camera’s bundled along giving budget digicams a run for their money. Let’s have a look at DNA Digital’s top picks above Rs.25K.

HTC Sensation XE
The first Sensation failed to live up to its name but the new XE edition offers a lot more value. Packing in the same DNA as the old one, the XE features a faster dual-core CPU as well as Beats Audio enhancements along with a Beats headset for better audio fidelity. The 8MP camera is capable of capturing great stills as well as record in full HD resolution. The phone also supports DivX video out-of-the-box.
Specsheet:
OS: Android Gingerbread (2.3)
Screen: 4.3-inch (960 x 540 resolution)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi ‘n’, Bluetooth v3, 3G
Storage: 8GB internal, expandable to 32GB
Price: Rs.32,500


Samsung Galaxy Note
Despite its size, Samsung’s Galaxy Note was a runaway success as it gives users the best of both worlds. Aside from being a bit of a challenge to fit in your pocket, the Note offers a brilliantly large Super AMOLED screen making it ideal for videos and surfing the Internet. The phone also comes with the S-Pen which lets you take quick notes. It’s a powerful phone as well, thanks to a speedy 1.4GHz dual-core CPU. The 8MP camera captures good stills as well as full HD video at 30fps. Samsung has also fitted it with a large battery which delivers great battery life. If you can’t decide between phone and tablet, then the Note is a perfect compromise.
Specsheet:
OS: Android Gingerbread (2.3)
Screen: 5.3-inch (1280 x 720 resolution)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi ‘n’, Bluetooth v3, 3G
Storage: 16GB internal, expandable to 32GB
Price: Rs.32,700

Motorola RAZR XT910
Motorola’s RAZR is a direct competitor to the S II as it’s the slimmest Android currently at just 7.1mm in thickness. The back cover is made of kevlar for added protection to the components while keeping it light. Armed with a Super AMOLED screen and Gorilla Glass, it’s completely damage-proof. The phone also features HDMI-out for connecting to a HDTV.
Specsheet:
OS: Android Gingerbread (2.3)
Screen: 4.3-inch (960 x 540 resolution)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi ‘n’, Bluetooth v4, 3G
Storage: 16GB internal, expandable to 32GB
Price: Rs.30,000

Samsung Galaxy S II
The Galaxy S II continues to dominate the high-end Android space and with Samsung rolling out Android 4.0, it’s an even sweeter deal. One of the slimmest droids in the market, the S II features a gorgeous Super AMOLED Plus screen that offers great viewing angles and colours, both indoors and out. Powered by a 1.2GHz CPU and running TouchWiz UX UI, the phone is superfast and you get a lot of functionality straight out-of-the-box. The Gorilla Glass ensures no scratches and the 8MP shooter ensures great stills and video.
Specsheet:
OS: Android Gingerbread (2.3)
Screen: 4.3-inch (800 x 480 resolution)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi ‘n’, Bluetooth v3, 3G
Storage: 16GB internal, expandable to 32GB
Price: Rs.30,900

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S
A speedier version of the Xperia Arc, the S variant bumps up the CPU speed to 1.4GHz for better performance. It packs in the same 4.2-inch display powered by their Mobile BRAVIA Engine for superior display quality. 720p recording is possible, thanks to the 8.1MP camera and the LED flash helps it in low-light conditions. At 117g, it’s pretty lightweight as well. It also has very good multimedia capabilities and the xLOUD sound enhancement does wonders for audio quality.
Specsheet:
OS: Android Gingerbread (2.3)
Screen: 4.2-inch (854 x 480 resolution)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi ‘n’, Bluetooth v2.1, 3G
Storage: 8GB internal, expandable to 32GB
Price: Rs.28,000

Apple iPhone 4S
The iPhone continues to be one of the most expensive handsets; and yet, it remains the most-sought-after smartphone. Armed with excellent build quality and the Retina Display, the 4S carries forward the same features of the iPhone 4, but improves upon it. We now have a faster dual-core CPU and an 8MP camera capable of full HD recording. The phone also features GLONASS GPS support and an improved antenna structure for better reception. This is also the first ‘global’ iPhone with bot GSM and CDMA radios built-in.
Specsheet:
OS: iOS
Screen: 3.5-inch (960 x 640 resolution)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi ‘n’, Bluetooth v4.0, 3G
Storage: 16GB internal
Price: Rs.44,500