26/11 - 5th Anniversary: 'Crippled Investigations, Helpless Governance And Disgusting Leadership Makes Us Proud'

By Sridhar Acharya | Mumbai

Five years after 26/11, India’s intelligence services are functioning with staffing deficits of up to 40 per cent, highly placed government sources told INN Live. The Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), officials said, faces endemic shortages of personnel both with specialist language and area skills, and technology experts critical to modern espionage. The Intelligence Bureau (IB), in turn, has been unable to expand its counter-terrorism efforts, despite mounting threats.

“It is very sad we haven’t sorted out these problems in all these years,” says V. Balachandran, a former RAW officer who headed an official investigation into intelligence and police failures leading up to 26/11. “I fear we will pay for it dearly.”

Rebels May Play 'Spoil Sport' In MP, Rajastan Polls 2013

By M H Ahssan | INN Live

The Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls will not just determine who rules the two states but indicate which way wind is blowing ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The Assembly elections in Rajasthan had almost always been  a bipolar contest  between the Congress and the BJP. But for a change, this time, the desert state is witnessing multi- cornered fights in several constituencies due to the presence of a  third front led by National People’s Party(NPP). Also, a large number of powerful rebels in both Congress and BJP have the potential to influence the outcome of the elections. 

Poll Industry Yields Richest Dividends In The 'Mind Game'

By Prabhu Chawla (Star Guest Writer)

Surviving in politics without black money is like Dionysius living without wine. As the electoral glove game of 2014 gets dirty and malodorous, not a single player involved is extemporising on cleansing electoral economics. Last week, when a portal carried a sting operation on some Aam Aadmi Party candidates, the outfit smelt political vengeance. 

Growing 'Aaradhya' Spotted With Sizzling Mom 'Ashwarya'

Aaradhya Bachchan was spotted in her mother Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's arms as they returned from a family trip in Dubai. Take a look! - Photo: Jasmeera | INN Live

'My Daughter Is Dying With Severe Cancer', A Helpless Dad

By Fauzia Arshi | Jeddah

A 12-year-old girl screams through hospital corridors, seeking an end to her painful ordeal. “Give me poison,” Komala Ahmed, the girl, pleads with her parents. Komala has been diagnosed with cancer, which is spreading fast across her frail body.

Komala’s mother weeps silently as she holds her hand on the second floor of the Saudi German Hospital and her father sits helplessly in the reception area.

Visitors at the hospital can’t help but wipe their tears upon hearing of the girl’s condition, as witnessed by INN Live Correspondent who visited the hospital.

New Video On 'Underage Prostitution' Goes Viral On Web

By Kajol Singh | INN Live

Even as the world marks November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, a new video showing the plight of minor girls being forced into prostitution in India has gone viral on YouTube.

Of the estimated 3 million sex workers in India, nearly 1.2 million are below the age of 18 with about 40 underage girls being forced into prostitution on a daily basis. Over the past decade, underage prostitution has risen in India by about 8 per cent annually.

How To Negotiate When Job Offer Is Non-Negotiable?

By Dr. Shelly Ahmed (Star Guest Writer)

A student who, in his final year of business school, is starting to prepare for job interviews has heard that many of the organizations that recruit on campus are not open to negotiating specific terms of employment. Rather, they offer everyone roughly the same deal terms. The business-school student wants to know to what extent he should respect such conventions and to what extent he should try to negotiate better terms.

Firms that hire a large number of college or professional-school graduates for entry-level positions tend to offer standard packages and avoid negotiating with new recruits. If a firm hires more than four or five people each cycle and has hired "classes" of new employees with similar qualifications for years, the business-school student may have little room to negotiate his offer.

How India's Education System Is Failing Its Economy?

By Raghu Kumar | Chennai

My column from last week on the "reverse brain drain" phenomenon, highlighting the recent trend of NRI's returning to India, seemed to hit a particular nerve among Indians and NRI's alike. The article produced strong opinions from all angles.

On one end, NRI's that have not returned to India commented that although they would like to return to India, they could not due to family obligations and higher incomes. On the other hand, Indians lamented at the fact that NRI's left India in the first place. How dare they leave their beloved motherland to seek money in the West?