Sports channel shifts telecast of F1 races

Mumbai: A week after sports minister MS Gill’s statement that F1 not a sport, television channels are scrambling for the right program placement.

Yesterday, Star TV India announced they will shift F1 races from Star Sports to Star Plus entertainment channel. The races will be telecasted between Sajan Ghar Jana Hai and Sabki Laadli Bebo, other equally popular shows. FIA, the governing body of F1 is also contemplating changes in the race format. Like during the pre-race session, racers may discuss their relationship with wives/girlfriends on live television. Other programs on cards are Cooking with Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen Talk Show.

In a similar move, DD Sports is planning to shift World Rally Championship to DD National. DD will also shift Pole Vault competitions because of the usage of carbon fiber pole which does not “satisfy conditions which focus on human endeavor for excelling in competition with others”.

Kaminey row: Underworld lodged FIR against Producer Vishal Bhardwaj

Mumbai : A day after Mumbai gangsters burned posters of Vishal Bhardwaj’s latest film, ‘Kaminey’, protesting against this Shahid Kapoor-starrer containing a ‘‘derogatory depiction’’ of the underworld, local police have filed a case against the producer of the film alleging profanity.
‘‘There are scenes in the film in which the gangsters are shown as merciless killers. They have also portrayed underworld as a threat to law and order and manipulators of corrupt cops. This desecrates our image and discourages young people wanting to join us,’’ said Kallu Zinga, sharp shooter.

Police said Underworld Sena, had lodged an FIR, alleging profanity. ‘‘We have registered a case against the producer for hurting sentiments of gangsters across India and Dubai,’’ said Mumbai inspector Derrick Lobo.

Case registered in parliament ragging case

Delhi: Most of us identify ragging incidences only with students and educational institutes. But an unfolding case has revealed that people with responsibility to run the country also take pleasure in tormenting newly joined colleagues.

Narayan Murthy, non-executive Chairman and Chief Mentor of Infosys, yesterday formally registered a complaint of ragging of his protégé, Nandan Nilekani by other cabinet ministers. Nandan Nilekani had recently moved to Delhi to head an ambitious government program to equip every Indian with a biometric Unique Identification Card.

The five page statement submitted by Narayan Murthy to President Pratibha Patil detailed Nandan’s ordeal since June 2009.

Second day in the job, a group of drunk senior cabinet ministers arrived at Nandan’s home on Tuglak Road in wee hours of morning. He was forcefully taken to the Parliament House and asked to measure periphery of the building with a smartcard. Nandan was set free only when the guards arrived on morning shift. A week later when Nandan was on his way to Parliament cafeteria, some seniors forced him to collect Swiss Bank account numbers from the female colleagues. But the biggest embarrassment to Nandan was when he was invited for a ‘shorts only’ party in what turned out to be the reception of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Narayan Murthy has requested the President to take strict action against the offenders. When asked by the reporters about whereabouts of Nandan, Mr. Murthy said that he is recuperating in Infy’s Mysore campus. He also added that Nandan had been complaining of ragging since the day he joined the parliament.

"He had been complaining of ragging ever since he joined the parliament. When I asked to talk to the PM or President, he said it would hurt his ability to get bills sanctioned if I complained. He said all new cabinet ministers depend on the seniors for getting bills passed. So I kept quiet. This should not happen to any other cabinet minister," said Narayan Murthy.

First ouster in ‘Iss Chintan Baithak Se Muze Bachao’

Simla: The mega hit reality show ‘Iss Chintan Baithak Se Muze Bachao’ (ICBSMB) saw its first causality yesterday. The participants unanimously voted out Jaswant Singh, a veteran BJP leader and MP. Mr. Singh became unpopular when he inadvertently sang ‘Jinnah tere bina kya jina’, a popular Pakistani anthem during the Antakshari competition. Some critics are calling Jaswant Singh’s ouster as a gimmick to increase TRP. If it is true then the move is certainly working. According to Neilson rating agency, about 50% young adults watched the episode on Monday. The only show that competed for eyeballs during the same time was 'Lingerie Walk' on Fashion TV.

ICBSMB was conceived by the cultural wing of Bharatiya Janata Party. According to show’s promotional material, last person standing will be chosen as the successor to current party Chief LK Advani. Incidentally, Mr. Advani is also participating in the show and doing his best to remain in the game.

ICBSMB consists of part games and part brainstorming sessions. BJP president Rajnath Singh seems to be overall favorite after winning five meter dash on crutches and bladder control competition. Narendra Modi has become another hot favorite after he gave foot massage to several senior party leaders.

The show had its awkward moments too. During the Vegetable Cutting team competition, BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi refused to go near to his partner Varun Gandhi who was wielding a large knife.

According to a BJP insider, Vasundhara Raje may end her rebellion against the party’s directive to quit as leader of the opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly in exchange wild card entry to the show.

There is lot more excitement coming in the future episodes of ‘Iss Chintan Baithak Se Muze Bachao’. So keep your eyes glued to the idiot box.

Real person lifts phone at bank helpdesk

Miracles do happen and who better than Vijay Sawant from Mumbai to tell you so. On Friday morning Vijay experienced a marvel when he called at ICICI bank to cancel to his credit card. The phone was answered by a real person instead of automatic voice response system (AVRS). “It looked like a normal day. I woke up at ten. Got ready and was planning to go at Rakesh’s house for video games. Just thought to dial the ICICI helpdesk number.” Vijay said.

In fact, to all his previous eleven calls to ICICI were answered by AVRS. According to Vijay, AVRS kept hanging him whenever he reached near the credit card cancellation menu. Vijay excitedly added, “So this was my twelfth call and heard ‘hello’ from other side. Initially I thought it is the AVRS, but the voice said ‘who is it’, and that’s when I realized it was a real person, a lady on other side”. Apparently, no one believed Vijay when he narrated the incidence to his friends including Rakesh.

This reporter tracked down the person who had talked to Vijay that day. Pinky (name changed) has been working with ICICI call center for past 9 months. “The AVRS was down and we were all chatting and sipping coffee. The phones were continuously ringing everywhere but as per protocol customers can’t talk to us directly without being bombarded with useless 10 minute AVRS messages. Then Rekha, the big show-off was telling us about her new handbag. I don’t know what happened next. There I lifted the nearest phone”. She also confirmed that the customer (Vijay) could not believe it was a real human on phone. “Glad that I made his day. Unfortunately I couldn’t help him with card cancellation. The systems were down” She concluded with a blush.

Mayawati Plans New Statues

Lucknow: Just after a few days when her political rival Mulayam Singh threaten to bulldoze her statues, Chief Minister Mayawati has come back with vengeance. The UP Minister of Infrastructure Development has declared a plan to build 10 more of Mayawati statues in and around Lucknow.

However, it lookes like the threat to bulldoze has been taken quite seriously. According to the plan, all statues will be made with Titanium, one of the strongest materials known to man. The plan further explains that the statue base will be buried 20 meters underground to make it enormously tough to uproot the structure.

The entire project will cost about 1000 Cr to UP Government coffers. One of the senior BSP officials said that the money is no matter since the benefits outweigh. “Imagine that everywhere you go in this beautiful city you see figurine of our great leader, wouldn’t it be such awe inspiring sight to the people of UP”, he said. He also applauded CM’s efforts to curtail cost by promising to reduce her weight by 5KG, thus requiring less Titanium proportionately.

Kapil Sibal faces ire

New Delhi : Class 4 employees associated with various examination boards across country expressed their anger in front of HRD Minister Kapil Sibal’s Delhi resident today. The protest was staged against proposed making the class X board exam optional in CBSE-affiliated schools, if possible from next year itself.

The crowd comprising of peons, drivers and cleaners are concerned that in important source of income through leaking questions papers is about to go away with dismissal of examination.

One of the protesters, Mr. Ram Prasad who worked with Delhi University said that Xth standard examinations are like harvest times. “We spend entire year preparing for exam season. Not only we liaison with printing press and paper setters but also train ourselves in skills like opening and closing of sealed packets after snatching questions paper out”, he said.

Mr. Prasad added that some of his experienced colleagues have taken up higher responsibilities like leaking the Law and Medical collages exam papers. “This proposal is like a bad dream. It is not only the matter of money but of our career growth too”, he said.

The protesters also met and voiced their concerns to Mr. Sibal. He promised them to look into the issue.