Shocking: Odisha Doctor Uses Bicycle Pumps For Sterilisation, Inflates Women Abdomen During Laproscopic Tubectomy

It seems no lesson has been learnt from the horrific Chhattisgarh sterilisation tragedy where about 13 women lost their lives. A new case has emerged in Bhubaneswar wherein a doctor used a bicycle pump to inflate the abdomen of 56 women while conducting laparoscopic tubectomy on them. This has triggered public outrage in the area, officials said. 

The doctor Mahesh Prasad Rout operated the women at a sterilisation camp organised by local authorities at Banarpal village, about 150 km from state capital Bhubaneswar.

Mental Health: Is Schizophrenia A ‘Real’ Illness?

British Psychological Society launches new guidance but it’s unlikely to settle any argument with psychiatrists.

In an attempt to move away from the traditional language used to describe psychosis and schizophrenia, the British Psychological Society has launched an update to its thinking on this issue.

The foreword of the report it has published sets out the vision:
'We hope that in future, services will no longer insist that service users accept one particular view of their problem, namely the traditional view that they have an illness which needs to be treated primarily by medication.'

Telugu Land's Dream Merchants: Live In AP, Telangana, Think Chicago, London

They are selling the moon to the masses. Perhaps, it is no accident that both chief ministers – Chandrababu Naidu and K Chandrasekhara Rao of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana respectively – carry the moon (note the Chandra) prominently in their names. 

In a show of great - call it pompous if you please - competitive spirit, the heads of the cash-strapped states have been announcing grandiose plans in breathless succession. Flamboyant ideas and brazen commitments with no means to fulfill them appear to be the flavour of the season in the Telugu land.

Ecommerce Fraud: 'ClearTrip.com' Exploits Holidaying In Jodhpur Deal?

Visiting a new city, experiencing its culture and way of life is an exciting thought, isn’t it? But imagine if this beautiful dream turns into a horrifying nightmare!

Well, victims of such an ordeal are Yatin Taneja and his parents. Yatin had booked a hotel room from Cleartrip.com for his parents’ Jodhpur visit, but little did they know how they are going to remember this trip for all the wrong reasons.

Insight: Compulsory Voting, A Debate Rekindled?

Only a couple of weeks ago, the Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2009 gained the Governor’s assent and was passed as a law in the state.

Recently, two MP’s from the BJP, Varun Gandhi and Jandardhan Singh introduced identical private member bills titled Compulsory Voting Bill, 2014.

To set the record straight, no private member bill has been passed since 1970 and they are “trial balloons floated to elicit public response”, says Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Hegde. “They are rarely brought to house for debating and passed as forms of legislation”, he explains. 

Which R-Day Celebrations Will The Common Governor of AP And Telangana Attend?

Fresh conflict may arise between the states of Telangana and AP with the Republic Day coming up and AP chief minister Chandrababu Naidu planning to hold the celebrations in his own state in either Vizag or Guntur.

Though on the surface, this decision looks harmless, a constitutional crisis could be brewing. According to convention, the governor of a state unfurls the flag and takes the salute soon after the president does so in Delhi.

Why President Obama's Republic Day visit will be a disaster for India?

I must admit I was startled by the news that US President Barack Obama has accepted the invitation to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day 2015. 

This is quite out of character for both Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I had imagined that the two had grit their teeth and held their metaphorical noses and shook hands with each other when the PM went to the US: after all, it’s not every day that a person who had been declared persona non grata for years is welcomed into the US White House.

Ever Wondered How Much MLAs In South India Earn?

MLAs in Telangana are a grumpy lot, now. They want a hike in salaries, in fact they are all set to get a hike, but the government is holding back the announcement, just so that they are not accused of amassing wealth at a time when farmers suicides are increasing in state.

In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, MLAs earn Rs 1,20,000 each month, this including constituency allowances, an allowance to travel within the constituency. Telangana now wants to increase the total salary to Rs 2,00,000.

'WHICH IS THE CLEANEST CITY IN INDIA?' - INNLIVE 'Swatch Bharat Abhiyan' Initiative

This is a time when the whole country is in frenzy about the Modi government's 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'. 

While the government mulls how to make cities in India cleaner and more liveable, we invite our readers to tell us which Indian city they think is the cleanest.

The suggestions that come from you will be highly valuable. Based on these ideas, INNLIVE team will visit those cities to find out what makes them better than others.

Write (newscop@gmail.com) your suggestions, news and information to us for quick and perfect action.

Ab Acche Din Gaye: Spoilsport Modi Cracks Down On Lutyen's Power Party

It's winter and it's time for Lutyen’s Delhi to burst into a rash of parties on the lush, sprawling, sun-lit lawns of ministers and leaders. Here the power elite rub shoulders with friends, supporters and journalists over a delectable and scrumptious spread.

For some it was a way to connect with those who matter. For others it was a way of letting their hair and guard down. But the focus remained on the food -- which became a political weapon to win friends and influence people. Recall the spurt of get-togethers in the 1990s and first decade of the new century during Roza Iftar, Eid, Teej, Diwali or Holi as new socio-political forces emerged on the political horizon and sought to establish their hold on their vote banks.

Harsh Reality: Baroda Girl Sells Herself On Facebook To Earn Living, INNLIVE Provides Employment

This came as a shocker to the Baroda city when a girl on social media site Facebook wrote a post for selling herself for money. The girl took this step to earn a living for her family that includes paralysed mother and injured father.   

Her phone was flooded with calls after she made her statement public stating that she is doing all this to get rid of her financial crisis.

Speaking to INNLIVE, she said that it is a shameful act to sell her like this. But, she is bound to do this as she faces a financial crisis and is the only bread earner to the family. Looking on the condition of her parents, she opted for this path.  

Satire: Advani Beats The Astrologer Who Predicted “Smriti Irani Will Be The Next President Of India”

Former Home Minister and senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani couldn’t kept calm anymore and lashed out on Smriti Irani’s astrologer Nathu Lal Vyas.

Recently,  L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were not given  the party’s top decision-making bodies – the parliamentary board and the central election committee – formally completing their marginalization and the shift of power to a younger generation. Later, Advani was not even offered a post in the Modi led government. L K Advani’s been keeping calm since then but he couldn’t restrained himself anymore.

Satire: Srinivasan Threatens To Scrap IPL If CSK Disqualified

Soon after the Supreme Court asked BCCI to disqualify the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, ICC Chairman N Srinivasan has threatened to scrap the whole tournament if his IPL team is thrown out.

Reportedly, the idea to do so clicked in Srinivasan’s mind while recalling his childhood days, when he used to get an extra chance of batting even after getting out – all because he owned the bat.

Thanksgiving: Black Thursday - A Black Day For Employees?

Does making employee’s get up early and have long exhausting days create the best Customer Experience on Black Friday? What about if  you move it back to Thursday, Thanksgiving Day?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for retail.  Most retailers make their year in this time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. It has traditionally always kicked it off on the Friday right after Thanksgiving, referred to by media and retailers alike as “Black Friday.” But this year, some major retailers are kicking it off a little early…like right in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner.

Exclusive: Slow Death of the Black Friday Tradition?

Social media feeds across the USA are sporting this meme. With a cry for solidarity from consumers across the U.S. to boycott Black Thursday, retailers have to make a choice whether to embrace or buck the trend of “Black Thursday.” I wonder, has Black Thursday officially replaced Black Friday? Are we witness to the slow death of a holiday tradition?

Times are changing. In 2012, Wal-Mart moved Black Friday discounts back across the midnight boundary, exploring the potential for Thanksgiving night shoppers. It worked, and other flagship stores followed suit, including Target and the struggling Kmart stores among others. Other retailers responded to the controversial trend by announcing they would honor their employee’s holiday and stay closed.

Focus: Hatching Superbugs in 'Broiler Chicken' In India

At a time when chicken consumption is at an all time high in India, a study by Delhi non-profit Centre for Science and Environment shows poultry meat could be churning out robust microbes that can render all antibiotics ineffective.

In 1945, after receiving the Nobel Prize for his chance discovery of miracle cure, penicillin antibiotic, Alexander Fleming issued a warning. “There is the danger that the ignorant man may easily under-dose himself and by exposing his microbes to non-lethal quantities of the drug make them resistant,” he said. Since the discovery of penicillin, scientists have made antibiotics to cure multitudes of diseases—tuberculosis, typhoid, urinary tract infection, septicaemia, and the list goes. 

Sterilization Deaths In India: The Undetected Affair Of Family Planning Process

The death of 14 women in Chhattisgarh following botched sterilization procedures has rightfully led to furore across the country. But a detailed, historical analysis of family planning as it has evolved, exposes an inherent and sustained gender bias in policy as well as practice.

he tragedy in a sterilisation camp in Chhattisgarh, where 14 women lost their lives post tubectomy conducted under horrific conditions, calls for a deeper look into the context. Such an exercise would reveal that this has been happening for decades ever since family planning strategies began focussing on women as targets of the government’s agenda on quantitative cutting down of population, with little or no regard to the quality of lives of the people targeted.

Special Report: Cows Are Dying Mysteriously In India And A New Vaccine Might Be To Blame

The Ministry of Agriculture has ordered an investigation into the three companies manufacturing foot and mouth disease vaccine.

The major outbreak of foot and mouth disease last year, that killed thousands of cattle in India’s five southern states, may have been caused by the use of substandard vaccines, says a new report.

A team of scientists from the Chaudhary Charan Singh National Institute of Animal Health in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, tested samples from 52 batches of vaccine provided to the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Programme by three companies.

The Shahi Imam And The Terrible Logic Of Muslim Tokenism

Political parties have used the hollow symbolism of the Jama Masjid’s chief cleric to prop up their 'secular' images.

Muslims have, historically, had a complicated relationship with the clergy. By virtue of their association with religion, clerics obviously wielded a significant amount of power. At the same time, they had their weaknesses: the Islamic clergy was neither a hereditary caste (any Muslim can theoretically become a cleric if he studies the scriptures) nor unified into a single church that could wield political power.

Explainer: What Is Traumatic Brain Injury And How Is It Treated?

Life-threatening brain injuries are thankfully rare in cricket and other sports, even those that involve collisions. But Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes' tragic accident yesterday shows how little control players have over these events.

It also highlights the importance of getting immediate medical attention whenever someone suffers a blow to the head that leads to altered consciousness.

Special Report: Six years after 26/11- Why we are not prepared to prevent another attack

As the nation remembers the sixth anniversary of 26/11, INNLIVE takes stock of what has changed since then and whether India is any safer. Former Union home secretary G K Pillai and counter-terrorism specialist Ajai Sahni explain what ails India's security system.

After the 26/11 attacks, the government brought the Kargil committee report out from the dust and in a flurry of steps launched the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), National Intelligence Grid (Natgrid), Criminal and Crime Tracking Network System (CCTNS), coastal security project, NSG hubs, and police reforms. Clearly, all these are not enough.

New anti-malaria compound causes mosquito parasite's gut to explode

The scientists have recently found a new anti-malaria compound that causes mosquito parasite's gut to swell up and explode.

The international team led by Drexel University's Akhil Vaidya stated that they have discovered a new class of drug compounds that inhibits the malaria parasites' ability to maintain adequate levels of sodium within their cells, leading to excessive water intake.

Malaria is the world's deadliest parasitic disease. It is caused by Plasmodium parasites that spread to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes, causing symptoms including chills, fever, vomiting, seizures and sweating.

Liberals Beware: Modi Govt Is Sangh’s Stepping Stone To Social, Cultural Domination

The RSS has never had it so good since its inception in 1925. It has a government that is dominated by the BJP at the Centre. At least half of the council of ministers in the Modi regime have either emerged from the Sangh or are its supporters. 

And unlike another Sangh originate and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee---considered a moderate among hardliners--Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seen as an unadulterated embodiment of all that the Sangh stands for. Could the Sangh ask for more?

Winter Session: BJP Shows Mettle, Scuttles Opposition Tactics In Parliament

BJP floor managers can pat themselves on their backs as they succeeded in overcoming brief adjournments and noisy protests from opposition benches to make the maximum on the first day of actual business in the Winter Session of Parliament. 

The conduct of business and passage of some bills in both Houses of Parliament today proved that despite claims of unity, the opposition will have to work lot more harder to corner the government.

Amazing Life: 211 is combined age of world's oldest couple, Karam Chand and Kartari

A couple from Britain has claimed that they are the most elderly married couple. This husband-wife is together since last 89 years and recently they celebrated their combined 211 birthdays.

The couple lives in West Yorkshire, Bradford near England but originally belongs from India.

Their relatives say that 89 years ago Karamchand met Kartari and they got married on December 1925. Recently on November 23 he celebrated his 109 birthday. Kartari is 102 years old.

Airport security measures aren’t good enough – here’s a fix

Catching criminals on the airport is hard, and current methods aren’t helping us do any better.

International airports are a busy place to be. Nearly 200,000 passengers pass through London Heathrow Airport every day. The internal security of the country depends on effective airport checks.

All departing passengers pass through a series of security procedures before embarking their plane. One such procedure is a short, scripted interview when security personnel must make decisions about passenger risk by looking for behavioural indicators of deception.

Special Report: The ‘Make in India’ dream - What’s stopping us from creating an Indian Xiaomi?

When PM Narendra Modi announced the ‘Make in India’ initiative in September, the first thing that struck us was – How about a phone that is ‘completely’ built in India? Not the old assembled units that are sold by Micromax and the like. But a phone that is built from ground-up in India.

After all, in the last couple of years, the Indian mobile sector has evolved by leaps and bounds.With the increasing purchase power of the middle class and growing number of phone users, it has in fact, become a mining hub for phone ‘vendors’.

Redefining Domestic Violence - Experiences of Dalit Women

Domestic violence against dalit women has not caught the attention of social science researchers. 

The National Family Health Survey 2006 showed that the prevalence of violence is much higher against women belonging to the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes as compared to women outside these categories. 

This article is based on fieldwork done in parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Among the causes for domestic violence against dalit women were male alcoholism, the man's suspicious nature, dowry demands, husband's extramarital relations and the complex social situations related to inter-caste marriages. Dalit and tribal women, thus, end up facing caste discrimination and harassment outside the home and domestic violence inside.

Focus: Doesn't India Already Have an IPR Policy?

The National Democratic Alliance government has constituted the IPR Think Tank which, among other things, is to draft the National Intellectual Property Rights Policy. 

India may not have a policy per se but it has a strong legislation on IPRs, a functioning patents office and mechanisms to grant patents as well as protect consumer interests. The Think Tank has other issues it needs to address, but is this talk of drafting an IPR policy the thin end of a wedge to dilute existing legislation?

Counterfeit Drugs Menace: Why Chhattisgarh Sterilisation Tragedy May Happen Again?

With a recent drug sample report confirming the presence of rat poison in medicines administered to Chhattisgarh’s hapless tubectomy victims, it is yet another wake-up call for India to address the threats posed by its $4.25-billion fake drugs market.

In January this year, Dr R K Gupta was honoured by the Government of Chhattisgarh for performing 50,000 laparoscopic tubectomies. 10 months later, he was arrested under charges of causing death by negligence in the same procedure he was once lauded for. On 10 November, Gupta defied government medical protocol and conducted 83 laparoscopic tubectomies in just five hours in a mass sterilisation camp organised by the Government of Chhattisgarh. This fateful stint left 13 women dead and many others battling for their lives.

Andhra Pradesh’s new capital: From cash counting machines to cars, lifestyle takes big leap in 'Guntur'

Swanky cars on the narrow, dusty bylanes, the lingering fragrance of high-end perfume in the air and the rush of the flashy and the flamboyant all day – Tullur, the nondescript village in Guntur district, is relishing its brush with riches.

The cow dung pasted walls are still there as are the overflowing drains, but these would soon be past. The Andhra government’s decision to locate its new capital around this village, also a mandal headquarters, has brought a sudden change in the economy of the area, and a corresponding shift in lifestyle.

The Inside Story Analysis: The Unspoken IPL Scandal

After the Justice Mudgal Committee report on the IPL match fixing scandal became partially public the media berated BCCI President  N Srinivasan for not resigning. 

The Supreme Court held that  Srinivasan, whose son-in-law was involved in match fixing, had with three others named by the court committed a “misdemeanor”. Media is alleging that the BCCI President was aware of his son-in-law’s involvement but did not stop him. That makes him culpable. But was  Srinivasan the only abettor of the match fixing corruption?

Consider some facts conveniently glossed over by media. A year and half before the IPL scam became public the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) had submitted a report alerting a possible scam.

Straight Talk: Can Corruption Help Development In Modi's Rule?

Prime Minister  Narendra Modi is an admirer of China’s model of development. Bullet trains, modern infrastructure and smart cities are his refrain. 

It is a material approach. Now the government has decided to utilize corruption in order to speed up development. It has revived the Kisan Vikas Patra scheme which provides a safe and sure method of laundering black money to make it white.

Kisan Vikas Patra is a government sponsored savings scheme that doubles the money invested in less than a decade. The Government sells these saving bonds through Post Offices across the country. 

Hoax Alert: Twitter Abuzz With Rumours Of Veteran Actor Dilip Kumar’s Death

Twitter and other social networking sites is on abuzz with rumours of veteran actor Dilip Kumar’s death. People took to the micro blogging site to inquire about the actor’s death while several others declared that the news is not true.

Sources told INNLIVE that the report of his death came to the fore after a filmmaker accidentally retweeted an old tweet about Dilip Kumar’s death. He has apologised for that.

Insight: Will PM Modi now give wife Jashodaben her rights?

In a country where even Lord Rama’s Maryada Purshottam status has been subjected to scrutiny for his decision to cast his wife into wilderness and then insist on an agni pariksha, it is surprising how easily we let the debate on Jashodaben fade away into insignificance.

It has been almost six months since her husband became the Prime Minister. But apart from the fleeting interest in her when Narendra Modi finally accepted his marital status while filing his nomination papers, we let Jashodaben disappear from our discourse.

Saffron - The Costliest Spice On Earth Costs Rs.2 Lakh / Kilo

It's almost as costly as gold and as lucrative a commodity to smuggle. The rich and the blueblooded around the world have loved it for millennia. The richest country in the world, the United States, loves it so much that even (clandestine) imports from Iran are okay. India's elite loves it, too, and it provides the most pleasing link between politically troubled Kashmir and the rest of the country.

It's, therefore, a super-premium product that trumps geopolitics. So, what is it? More clues. Cleopatra bathed with it, Alexander the Great used it to heal battle wounds, it adds that special touch to Indian biryani and Italian risotto, to super premium cakes and lavishly cooked kheer, and it enhances the quality of your skin as well as that of your sex life - if you can afford the Rs 2 lakh/kg price tag.

Special Report: Mystery Virus Turned Millions Of Starfish Into Goo Is Finally Identified

One concern for us humans is how harmful species – diseases or pests – are responding to a changing climate.

We live in a time when our climate is warming more rapidly than ever before. Rising temperature and associated changes in weather are driving shifts in the distributions of species on Earth. Some are thriving in these new climate conditions and have even moved into new regions that were historically inhospitable. One concern for us humans is how harmful species – diseases or pests – are responding to a changing climate.

Sheer Negligence: A Hyundai Car Sent For 'Minor Repair' To Service Centre, And Returned Burnt, Accidentally?

Just imagine that one fine day you send your car for servicing, and a couple of hours later get a call that your car has been turned into ashes!  Well,  this nightmare is Venkatesh’s reality.

It was a usual day for Mr. Venkatesh from Bangalore before he got a call at night from Lakshmi Hyundai service station that his car (Hyundai I20 magna petrol, 2009 model) had met an accident at the service centre. 

He never imagined what was awaiting him, as it was a simple bumper replacement job, what could possibly have gone wrong?

Opinion: US Prez Barack Obama For Republic Day In India! This Is Just 'Public Relations' Not 'Diplomacy'

So, President Obama is coming to town. And how!

Over the past 24 hours, the nation has been treated to a blitz of fawning headlines and breathless commentary about how, thanks to Narendra Modi's "out of the box thinking" and "unconventional diplomacy", a US President would be attending the R-Day celebrations for the first time.

In its excitement to play up the event ("unprecedented", "momentous", "unthinkable") the media has not allowed facts to come in the way resulting in a deluge of half-baked theories, absurd analysis and disputed claims.

Special Report: Hyderabad Metro Rail Next Station Is...?

L&T said it might exit, there are rifts aplenty, how is Hyderabad Metro still upbeat on target?

Sitting in his office at Cyber Towers, HiTec City, L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail CEO Vivek B. Gadgil seems slightly on edge. Talking about L&T’s work in construction of Metro lines across several of Ind­ia’s cities, Gadgil wonders why only in Hyd­e­rabad the media is “nosy”, and keen to run down every aspect of the Metro.

Hubby Can Divorce If Wife Lodges False Complaint: Supreme Court

If a woman's complaint accusing her husband and in-laws of cruelty under the dreaded Section 498A of Indian Penal Code turns out to be false, then the man is entitled to divorce, the Supreme Court has ruled.

Allowing dissolution of marriage between K Srinivas and K Sunita, the court said, “We unequivocally find that the respondent-wife had filed a false criminal complaint, and even one such complaint is sufficient to constitute matrimonial cruelty . We accordingly dissolve the marriage of the parties.“

The Great Indian Series -1: 'Two Cheers For Chamchagiri'

INNLIVE brings you the first instalment in The Great Indian series. We start by tackling the Chamcha, that infuriating species which lurks in every office. `It' usually surfaces when the boss is around and holds a PhD in LBDN -Looking Busy Doing Nothing. If you're part of Sycophants Anonymous, stop reading now. The India of today might well be called the `India of toady'.

Many years ago when he was accused of being a `chamcha' of then prime minister Indira Gandhi, with characteristic aplomb Khushwant Singh said that he was not just her `leading chamcha' but an entire cutlery set. The savvy sardar knew only too well that in India chamchagiri had long replaced Gandhigiri as the unofficial code of state conduct.

Naked Life: The nudity debate uncovering the truth

Wrapped in cultural taboos, nudity has mostly been off-kilter with the increasing notion that it is necessarily sexual and therefore immoral. 

Shots of Kim Kardashian's ample derriere in Paper magazine have ensured all round opprobrium for what many are calling an attention-deficit act. Apart from ensuring she remains the most talked about ("I want to break the internet," she'd said), commented and shared across both mainstream and social media, particularly given the racist overtones of the shoot, it has also opened the floodgates on debates around nudity. Is it art or porn? Obscene or beautiful? Sexy or sensual? Empowering or objectifying?

Health Watch: Did Mumbai's Tata Memorial Hospital intentionally loot its cancer patients?

Just a month after the drug pricing regulator, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, imposed a fine of around Rs 300 crore on Novartis for overcharging consumers for its painkiller medicine 'Voveran', Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai has admitted to overcharging cancer patients for a Novartis-branded oncology medicine over the last nine months.

According to the media report, Tata Memorial Hospital was selling the oncology medicine, Sandostatin LAR for Rs 48,296 – a 26 percent discount to the retail price of Rs 65,499. However, during the October-December quarter of 2013 Novartis slashed the price of the injection to Rs 32,000 but the hospital continued to sell the medicine at Rs 48, 296 even though the same vial was available for Rs 32,000 in nearby pharmacies.

Delhi honour killing: What turns loving parents into cold-blooded murderers?

The brutal murder of 21-year-old Bhavna Yadav on the night of 15 November by her parents for marrying outside has once again brought into focus the deeply entrenched, but sadly real idea of 'honour' in our society. Education and exposure to modern life seem to have little impact on mindsets defined and dictated by the larger community to which the parents and their children belong.

Bhavana, a Yadav girl, had secretly married Abhishek Seth, a well-placed Punjabi while her parents had arranged her marriage to a boy of their own caste. She was under pressure from her family to call off the relationship but she decided to formalise her relationship with Abhishek. She had to pay for it with her life. According to police sources, she was strangled by her mother while her father held her legs in a tight grip.

Feature: Forging a photo is easy, but how do you spot a fake?

Faking photographs is not a new phenomenon. The Cottingley Fairies seemed convincing to some in 1917, just as the images recently broadcast on Russian television, purporting to be satellite images showing the MH17 airliner being fired upon by a jet fighter, may have convinced others.

In fact, recently there’s been a proliferation of images appearing in the media that are not all they seem. Did Malaysian politician Jeffrey Wong Su En really receive a knighthood from the Queen? Has Iran exaggerated its missiles, or North Korea its assault hovercraft? Was this cover of Nature manipulated for artistic symmetry? The widespread use and high quality of digital cameras and photo editing software has made the art of faking a whole lot easier and more commonplace – whether convincing or not.

Exclusive: Iranian women visiting Taj Mahal perform 'Asr Ki Namaz' at Hanuman Mandir

Iranian women visiting Taj Mahal found themselves in a difficult situation when they could not find a clean place to perform 'Asr Ki Namaz' in the evening.  

With the help of locals, they performed Namaz in the premises of Hanuman Mandir (Temple). Even the temple priest helped them and said: "Temple belongs to everyone; no one here is denied entry because of religion." Islamic scholars have found nothing wrong in this. 

"Namaz can be performed at any pious place," said Islamic Scholar Maulana Nadimul Wajidi.

Iranian women reached Agra in the evening, they were around Taj View Crossing and time for 'Asr Ki Namaz' was fast approaching. They started looking for a suitable place to perform their prayers. Since they spoke only Farsi Language, no one could guide them to the mosque. Soon they found themselves in front of Hanuman Mandir. 

Special Report: The Hidden History Of The Owaisis Of AIMIM

It is incredible watching the media celebrate the ostensible rise of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi.

Every third day he peers out from newspapers and TV channels, lambasting the secular parties for their failings and declaring his ambition of forging a social alliance between Muslims and Dalits.

This is an amazing turnaround for the man who, only months ago, was dismissed as a hothead prone to making provocative speeches. No doubt, the Maharashtra assembly election results have underscored Owaisi’s significance. His party won two seats, came second on three, and bagged 0.9 percent of the votes polled even though it contested in only 24 assembly constituencies.

Opinion: Salman Khan’s fans and Sant Rampal’s followers – why they aren’t that different?

At first glance, Sant Rampal’s followers clashing with the police and Salman Khan’s sister’s wedding, have little in common.

The two individuals – Salman Khan and Sant Rampal – are like chalk and cheese. One is a popular Bollywood star, the other a self-styled Godman; the only constant is their crazy fan following.

Rampal’s followers had been waging war against the state for almost two weeks.  Salman’s fans on the other hand, simply breathe fire and brimstone on social media every time someone accuses their star. But exactly what is it that drives – normal, sane individuals – to behave so irrationally to defend their chosen heroes? 

Chilling Truth: Your fridge, AC are heating up the planet

The rise in incomes in India has nearly doubled the number of domestic refrigerators and air-conditioners in the country since 2000. This, in turn, has meant India has become one of the top producers of greenhouses gases in the world, along with the US and China.

According to energy experts, this rise in emission of greenhouse gases is a result of the lack of awareness about the link between energy efficiency of appliances and pollution.