By Sofia Rehman / Bhopal
Brides at mass wedding in MP made to take pregnancy and virginity tests. Controversy seems to be painfully wedded to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s favourite scheme — Mukhyamantri Kanyadan Yojna — that aims to help girls from poor families tie the knot at government expense.
By Niloufer Khan / Mumbai
Former Foreign Minister of Pakistan Hina Rabbani Khar, is reported to have agreed to participate in the upcoming season of the alleged reality show Bigg Boss.
She took the decision after her party PPP’s performance in Pakistan’s general elections turned out to be similar to that of BJP in recently concluded Karnataka assembly elections in India.
The young politician from across the border is being paid an undisclosed amount as participation fee, though unconfirmed sources put it up as equal to the cost of lakhs of her favorite Birkin bags.
By Dr. Rashmi Sanyal / Delhi
A local gym has become the world’s first “full service” gym, according to Gym World Magazine. Unique Bodies in South Delhi offers its members a bespoke “100% personal fitness service” which takes the sweat, strain and injury risk out of exercise.
Whilst most gyms provide towels, showers, steam rooms and massages, the team behind Unique Bodies has gone one step further. “We thought, why not take the strain from the customer?” explains Mohit Vij, creator of the “full service” concept, “so at our gym, the staff run the miles and lift the weights for you.”
By Simi Nagraj / Bangalore
Motivated by an anti rape T-shirt campaign in Cubbon Park, hundreds of professional rapists announced a change of profession today.
Ranjanna alias Rape Ranjanna, a tenth standard dropout had become a serial rapist in order to prepare his resume for politics. He was traveling to St. Mark’s road on bus number 12 ‘A’ when he spotted several people wearing the anti-rape T-shirt.
By Mithilesh Mishra / Raipur
Days after the attack on the Congress convoy in Chhattisgarh that killed senior party leaders, the Maoists were already planning their next strike. Here is the story from inside aMaoist camp, 100 km from Raipur, where an area commander talks of ahitlist and rings alarm bells louder than ever.
Deep Inside the forests, at the Maoist camps in Gariaband about 100km from Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur, there were celebrations over the successful attack on Congress leaders. This was after May 25. The party cadres, some them new recruits, shouted ‘ Long Live Mao!’ in full- throated unison. The excitement was palpable.
But the fight against the ‘ enemy’ was far from over. Plans were already being made for future strikes. Surrounded by the forest and secured his cadres, commander of the zonal committee Jaani Salaam was thinking ahead on the execution of the plans and a hit list.
By Amit Shah / Ranchi
Think Naxals and the image that comes to most minds is of a ragged but disciplined band of armed and deadly men and women scratching out a life while on the run in India’s tribal hinterland.
Others would recall dreadful images of security personnel killed in carefully planned ambushes, vehicles ripped apart by improvised explosive devices and mines, or even of assassinated political leaders.
That couldn’t be further from the truth, however. A former woman cadre of the banned Maoist group has called the movement a den of vice where adultery, rape, wife- swapping and violence against women, including torture, are the norm rather than the exception.
By M H Ahssan / Shimla
Kalpa is known for its pleasant weather and views of Kinner Kailash range of mountains. Legend has it that Kinner Kailash is the winter abode of Shiva. At a distance of approximately 250km from Shimla, it can take the whole day to reach here. Roads are decent, at least for the standard of terrain, and it is not too hard to drive. Buses connect Shimla with Rekong Peo town, and Kalpa is a short 30 minute away from there. You can combine your visit to Kalpa with Sangla and Chitkul known for their mountain scenery.
By Kajol Singh / Delhi
How any peons does the Prime Minister need? According to the PMO website, 111. At present, 45 posts are waiting to be filled. In addition, there are 12 senior peons as well, of which six positions are vacant. The sanctioned staff of the PMO is 524—it has 407 members on the rolls right now. In his bid to beat his own colleagues on the transparency index, the PMO has ironically shown that austerity is not a virtue.
As if 111 peons are not enough, the PMO also has 15 daftaries, or office boys, to do the heavy lifting such as taking papers from one official to another. Eight posts are vacant for the time being. Four farash-es, or doorkeeper’s posts are sanctioned out of which two are on duty.
