Unbeaten India gets promotion to Group I in Fed Cup

Sania Mirza won the crucial second-round singles match and then combined with Isha Lakhani to clinch the decisive doubles rubber as India earned promotion to Asia/Oceania Group I in Fed Cup after a 2-1 victory over Hong Kong in the play-off tie on Saturday.

Down 0-1, after a 4-6, 1-6 mauling of Rutuja Bhosale at the hands of Wing-Yau Venise Chan, India needed to win the second singles rubber to stay in contention.

Sania did not disappoint and came back from a set down to get the better of Ling Zhang 5-7, 6-0, 6-1 to level the tie.

It was for the first time that Sania was fielded in the singles match. Earlier Prerna Bhambri, Isha and Rutuja had played in all the singles matches. Sania and Isha then rallied to win the tough doubles match 6-7 (7), 6-1, 7-5 against Chan and Zhang to help India move to the Group I.

In next year`s competition, India will strive to earn a place in the World Group. India were relegated to Group II last year when they lost all the league stage rubbers and play-off tie.

India`s best Fed Cup performance came in 2006 when they were the runner-up in Asia/Oceania Zone Group I.

Anjum Chopra to lead women`s cricket team in West Indies

Veteran batter Anjum Chopra on Friday replaced Jhulan Goswami as the captain of a 15-member Indian women`s cricket team for the Twenty20 and ODI tour of West Indies starting February 18.

Mithali Raj will be the 34-year-old Chopra`s deputy during the tour which comprises five Twenty20s and three ODIs.

Jhulan remains a part of the team despite losing the captaincy. The Twenty20s will be played from February 18 to 27.

After a day`s break, the teams will play the first of their three ODIs in Kingston.

The squad: Anjum Chopra (Captain), Mithali Raj (Vice Captain), Jhulan Goswami, Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Subhalaxmi Sharma, Diana David, Sunitha Anand, Gouhar Sultana, Mamtha Kanojia, Archana Das, Ekta Bist, Amita Sharma, Madhuri Mehta, Sulakshna Naik.

Is India finally waking up to mental illness?

New Delhi: Ignorance, stigma and lack of doctors have long marred mental healthcare in India. But with stressful lifestyles and ever increasing cases of depression, this much neglected segment is now gaining importance in the country`s medical scenario.

According to an estimate by the World Health Organisation (WHO), depression will become the second largest illness in terms of morbidity in another decade. It already affects one out of every five women and one in every 12 men.

“Social awakening towards mental diseases and their cure has finally started to come,” Anindita Paul, director of Sanjivini Society for Mental Health, told.

“In terms of the urban society, there is lot of awakening which is coming now. Still as a country a lot more needs to be done,” says Paul.

Globally, mental disorders account for 13 percent of the burden of diseases. In India, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the prevalence of schizophrenia, a severe mental disorder, is prevalent among 1.1 percent of the total population while the overall lifetime prevalence rate of mental disorders is 10-12 percent.

While the government has a separate programme for mental health, the segment is marred by lack of adequate doctors and infrastructure.

According to latest figures provided by the health ministry, India has a mere 4,500 psychiatrists.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member P.C. Sharma says lack of proper care for mental patients is a major cause of concern.

“In today`s world, everyone is living under constant stress. Still we have just 40 major mental health institutes,” Sharma told.

Sharma said he had personally called the chief of the Medical Council of India and requested him to consider making psychiatry compulsory for all medical students.

“The mental institutions are in a pathetic condition and the common perception is that these are `mad houses`,” he says.

Paul agrees, but adds that the perspective is changing. “More rehabilitation centres are coming up, but the government needs to take up major steps,” she says.

The WHO preamble states that “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”, suggesting there is no health without mental health.

Stress is seen as a major cause of worry as far as mental health is concerned, with studies showing a constant increase in stress, especially in urban population.

The WHO, in its 130th session of its executive board, adopted a resolution on `Global Burden of Mental Disorders and the need for a comprehensive, coordinated response from health and social sectors at the country level`.

The draft resolution in the matter was moved by India Jan 20.

Sanjivini runs counselling centres, a rehabilitation centre and group consultations for those suffering from mental problems ranging from stress, depression, social problems to severe mental illness. According to figures tabulated by the organisation, of all the patients who have come to them in the last nine years, some 19 percent came to discuss issues pertaining to problems with people around them.

Another 17 percent came to discuss their marital issues, 15 percent for problems related to their personality, 18 percent suffered from different mental ailments while one percent had suicidal tendencies.

Statistics also show women are more vulnerable to mental health-related problems as compared to men. Some 57 percent of the patients in the last nine years have been women.

In 1982, India launched a special National Mental Health Programme to ensure the availability of minimum mental healthcare, encourage application of mental health knowledge in general healthcare and in social development and to promote community participation in mental health service.

“We are still somewhere in the middle of totally destigmatising mental illness. There is a need to understand that mental patients can be treated and can lead a normal life again,” Paul told.

India names 30-member probables for AFC Challenge Cup camp

Winger Steven Dias got the axe as India on Wednesday announced 30 probables for the preparatory camp for next month`s AFC Challenge Cup football tournament in Kathmandu.

Dias played in the SAFF Championships, which India won here in December last but has been struggling for form of late and his axing did not come as a surprise.

Star striker Sunil Chhetri returns in the mix after recovering from an ankle injury which he sustained during the SAFF Championships while his strike partner Jeje Lalpekhlua had to be left out as he has been injured during an I-League match last month.

The camp will not have senior players in defender Mahesh Gawli and midfielder Climax Lawrence — who were integral part of the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup held in India after winning which the country qualified for the 2011 Asian Cup in Doha. Lawrence, who was the captain of the SAFF Championships winning team, announced his retirement yesterday after he came to know that coach Savio Medeira would not pick him for the AFC Challenge Cup.

The national camp will start in Dubai from February 15 and the final list of 23 players will be announced later.

The AFC Challenge Cup, whose winners will qualify for the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia, will be held in Kathmandu from March 8 to 19.

The squad will assemble in New Delhi on February 13 and leave for Dubai the next day. India are scheduled to play Oman in an international friendly match on February 23 in Muscat.

The Probables:

Goalkeepers: Karanjit Singh, Subhasish Roychowdhury, Arindam Bhattacharya, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

Defenders: Nirmal Chhetri, Raju Gaikwad, Sameer Naik, Gourmangi Singh, Anwar Ali, Kinsukh Debnath, Syed Rahim Nabi, Arnab Mondal, Gurjinder Singh.

Midfielders: Adil Khan, Anthony Pereira, Clifford Miranda, Reisangmi Vashum, Baldeep Singh, Lester Fernandes, Rocus Lamare, Francis Fernandes, Jewel Raja, Manish Mathani, Lenny Rodrigues, Lalrindika Ralte.

Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Sushil Singh, CS Sabeeth, Manandeep Singh, Joaquim Abranches.

India must prepare turners for Australia, England: Akram

Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram has endorsed Gautam Gambhir`s view that India should play on spinning wickets while hosting teams like England and Australia.

Faced with severe criticism by the Indian media for failing to handle the pace and bounce of the Australian tracks, Gambhir had insisted that the Aussies would sweat on turners in the sub-continent. And Akram also feels the same.

“I always believe in home advantage. If Australia rely on green pitches then the sub-continent teams can make turning tracks too. There is nothing wrong with that,” said Akram.

The 45-year-old also felt that even England also could win only at home. England, who defeated India 4-0 at home last year to snatch the No.1 tag from them, are now trailing Pakistan 0-2 in the ongoing three-match Test series in the UAE.

“It`s (World No.1) a very misleading number,” Akram told `espnstar.com`.

“England are lions only at home. Their weaknesses are always exposed on foreign tours. A top side is one that can handle every condition. West Indies did it in the 1970s and 80s. Pakistan did it for while under Imran Khan, when we were playing. Australia have done that in the 1990s,” he added.

Stating that he was “proud of Pakistan”, Akram said, “After going through a lot of trouble and being slammed by the media, they are back to winning ways. I always believed that Pakistan have the talent and the ability and now they have answered the British media who were overtly critical of them.”

England are in danger of losing the top spot if they lose the third Test. India have dropped to No.3 after their 0-4 whitewash but Akram said he didn`t believe in rankings.

“The rankings may be of interest to the ICC or to the fans but I don`t read much into them. For the players and for people who understand the game, it`s about performance. If you consistently perform well at home and abroad, then you are good. If not, then there is no use of being No.1 or 2.”

No quick decision on seniors` future: Dhoni

The flopshow of India`s senior batsmen in the Test series loss to Australia notwithstanding, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Saturday refused to say anything on their future, insisting that decisions would not be taken in haste.

There is intense speculation on the future of India`s senior batting trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman after their failure to perform in the 0-4 series whitewash at the hands of Australia.

“We will have to wait and watch (if there are changes). Our next Test series is only in September, there is plenty of time, we don`t want to take decisions quickly,” said Dhoni after India`s 298-run loss in the fourth Test in Adelaide on Saturday.

Dhoni said the hosts were the deserving winners as they played consistent cricket throughout the rubber unlike his team.

“They have played consistent cricket. Whenever a partnership was needed, their batsmen stepped up and put par-plus runs on the board. Their bowlers were also consistent. They always stepped up when needed,” Dhoni said. ”There comes a phase in Australia when once you are set it is difficult for bowlers. That is when you have to be consistent with line and length. They (Australia) never gave us boundaries easily,” he added.

India were mauled by an identical margin in England last year. Stating that the tour Down Under will be a learning curve for the youngsters in the Indian team, Dhoni hoped for revival of fortunes in the upcoming limited overs matches.

“We have the ODI series coming up and there will be a completely different side. It (the tour) is a learning experience for the youngsters. Once you play 100-odd ODIs, it is always good to have that experience when you make your Test debut,” he said.

Australia captain Michael Clarke said even though the 4-0 scoreline suggest their complete domination over India in the series, it wasn`t a cakewalk for the home team.

“It`s a pretty good start. Lot of credit to the players and support staff. But it has not been easy, it may look like that on the scoreboard with 4-0,” he said.

“We resolved to make sure the disappointment of last summer does not recur this summer. We have tried to improve every day. I have been happy the whole summer, I have had a lot of support and needed it.”

“India have a lot of great players, they have copped a bit of flak over the last month. It`s an honour to play against them,” Clarke added.

With 626 runs to his credit from four Tests with a personal best of 329 not out, Clarke was also adjudged the man-of-the-series.

“I have never made so many runs in a series in my career. To score runs against such a good bowling line-up has been good,” he said.

Man-of-the-match Peter Siddle, who scalped six wickets in the game with figures five for 49 in India`s first innings, said lady luck finally smiled on him.

He also lauded his team-mates, especially his bowling colleagues for their superb show in the series.

“I was probably unlucky earlier. The bowling unit has done superbly together. I was lucky to get rewards here,” he said.

“The batting has been lovely. We have stuck to having bowling partnerships every Test. My bowling length has improved, there is consistency,” Siddle insisted.

London Olympics: UK surprised over India’s silence on Dow

The row over Dow Chemical`s sponsorship of London Olympics escalated with the commissioner of an ethics watchdog resigning over its links to the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster even as UK politicians expressed surprise over India’s silence on the issue.

An enraged Meredith Alexander said she is quitting as Sustainability Commissioner to the 2012 London Olympics to bring attention to the “toxic legacy” of Bhopal. India is strongly opposed to Dow`s involvement with the Games due to start in July but has yet not taken firm decisions to express the nation’s anguish over the worst industrial tragedy in the world.

In her statement in London, Alexander said, “I don`t want to be party to a defence of Dow Chemicals, the company responsible for one of the worst corporate human rights violations in my generation. It is appalling that 27 years on, the site has still not been cleaned up and thousands upon thousands of people are still suffering.”

“I believe people should be free to enjoy London 2012 without this toxic legacy on their conscience,” she added. Alexander is one of the 13 commissioners in the body monitoring the London Olympics and it is an unpaid position.

After Alexander`s resignation, senior Labour party figures such as Keith Vaz and Tessa Jowell (shadow Olympics minister) have also called for an audit of the process by which Dow Chemical was awarded the sponsorship.

Keith Vaz said: “Meredith Alexander`s resignation was brave and principled. It is completely unacceptable that a supposedly sustainable Olympic Games is taking sponsorship from a company with as appalling a human rights and environmental record as Dow`s”. He added: “I hope LOCOG and the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 will now see that it is untenable for Dow`s sponsorship to continue. The fact Ms Alexander felt it necessary to resign has brought the Commission`s credibility into question. It will remain so as long as Dow remains a sponsor of London 2012.”

Jowell said: “I have called today for an audit of the steps taken that led the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 to recommend to LOCOG that Dow Chemicals’ sponsorship of the wrap was consistent with the high sustainability aims that we set for 2012″.

She added: “We also need to understand what the role of other Commissioners was in the process which reached that conclusion. We need a solution not a row.”

“Dow Chemicals need to understand the seriousness with which people take the continuing situation in Bhopal following the tragic disaster in 1984. I will do everything I can to make sure this issue does not overshadow the Games. There is still time for a solution to be found.”

Meanwhile, reacting to Alexander`s resignation, organisers of the London 2012 Olympics said there were no plans to drop Dow Chemical as the sponsor of the wrap around the main stadium.

London 2012 chief executive, Paul Deighton, insisted that after Alexander`s resignation, it would not reconsider the decision to award the contract to Dow, which also has a 100 million pounds deal with the International Olympic Committee.

Dow is now the parent company of Union Carbide, whose pesticide plant leaked gas into Bhopal in 1984, killing tens of thousands of people.

London Olympics: UK surprised over India’s silence on Dow

London/Bhopal: The row over Dow Chemical`s sponsorship of London Olympics escalated with the commissioner of an ethics watchdog resigning over its links to the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster even as UK politicians expressed surprise over India’s silence on the issue.

An enraged Meredith Alexander said she is quitting as Sustainability Commissioner to the 2012 London Olympics to bring attention to the “toxic legacy” of Bhopal. India is strongly opposed to Dow`s involvement with the Games due to start in July but has yet not taken firm decisions to express the nation’s anguish over the worst industrial tragedy in the world.

In her statement in London, Alexander said, “I don`t want to be party to a defence of Dow Chemicals, the company responsible for one of the worst corporate human rights violations in my generation. It is appalling that 27 years on, the site has still not been cleaned up and thousands upon thousands of people are still suffering.”

“I believe people should be free to enjoy London 2012 without this toxic legacy on their conscience,” she added. Alexander is one of the 13 commissioners in the body monitoring the London Olympics and it is an unpaid position.

After Alexander`s resignation, senior Labour party figures such as Keith Vaz and Tessa Jowell (shadow Olympics minister) have also called for an audit of the process by which Dow Chemical was awarded the sponsorship.

Keith Vaz said: “Meredith Alexander`s resignation was brave and principled. It is completely unacceptable that a supposedly sustainable Olympic Games is taking sponsorship from a company with as appalling a human rights and environmental record as Dow`s”.

He added: “I hope LOCOG and the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 will now see that it is untenable for Dow`s sponsorship to continue. The fact Ms Alexander felt it necessary to resign has brought the Commission`s credibility into question. It will remain so as long as Dow remains a sponsor of London 2012.”

Jowell said: “I have called today for an audit of the steps taken that led the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 to recommend to LOCOG that Dow Chemicals’ sponsorship of the wrap was consistent with the high sustainability aims that we set for 2012″.

She added: “We also need to understand what the role of other Commissioners was in the process which reached that conclusion. We need a solution not a row.”

“Dow Chemicals need to understand the seriousness with which people take the continuing situation in Bhopal following the tragic disaster in 1984. I will do everything I can to make sure this issue does not overshadow the Games. There is still time for a solution to be found.”

Meanwhile, reacting to Alexander`s resignation, organisers of the London 2012 Olympics said there were no plans to drop Dow Chemical as the sponsor of the wrap around the main stadium.

London 2012 chief executive, Paul Deighton, insisted that after Alexander`s resignation, it would not reconsider the decision to award the contract to Dow, which also has a 100 million pounds deal with the International Olympic Committee.

Dow is now the parent company of Union Carbide, whose pesticide plant leaked gas into Bhopal in 1984, killing tens of thousands of people.

Sri Lanka help India regain 2nd spot in ODI rankings

India got back to second place in the ICC ODI team rankings, thanks to Sri Lanka`s two consecutive wins against South Africa in the just concluded five-match series.

India had lost second place to the Proteas after they won the first three ODIs against Sri Lanka, however, the reversal in the fourth and fifth match helped India regain its position.

Virat Kohli remains India`s highest ranked ODI player at number three while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is at number five.

South Africa`s Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers, meanwhile, continue to lead the batting chart.

Outside the top 10, South Africa`s Graeme Smith is one of the biggest movers, returning to the top 20 in 17th position after gaining five places following his series contribution of 229 runs, including 125 in Johannesburg, yesterday.

Also heading in the right direction are Sri Lanka`s Upul Tharanga and Dinesh Chandimal. Tharanga has gained eight places and is now in 35th spot while Chandimal is in 65th position after rising 35 places. No Indian bowler figures in the top-10 list.

South Africa`s Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who claimed 11 wickets at just under 19 runs per wicket and played a key role in his side`s 3-2 series win over Sri Lanka, has been rewarded with a jump of 10 places and puts him in third spot behind Pakistan`s spin pair of Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez.

Tsotsobe leapfrogged team-mates Morne Morkel, who has dropped one place to seventh spot, and Dale Steyn, who has slipped to 15th position after conceding five places.

Sri Lanka`s Lasith Malinga, who was joint highest wicket-taker along with Tsotsobe, has returned to the top 10 with a gain of one place to be placed at number 10.

Amazon to set up 1st ‘fulfillment center’ in India

San Francisco, January 21, 2012: Amazon.com Inc is setting up its first “fulfillment center” in India as the world’s largest Internet retailer tries to break into the world’s second most-populous nation. Fulfillment centers are giant warehouses that help Amazon and other online retailers store many products, ship them and handle returns quickly.

The fulfillment center is based in Mumbai, the biggest city in the country, according to job listings on Amazon’s India careers website.

Amazon “has an immediate opening for an IT Manager in our first Fulfillment Center based out in Mumbai, India,” one recent listing said.

Another recent Amazon job posting sought a “Stations Operations Manager” to work for the fulfillment center team in Mumbai.

Amazon was also recently looking for a financial analyst in Mumbai to report to a general manager and controller and help the fulfillment center operate more efficiently and predictably.

Amazon spent heavily last year setting up more than 10 new fulfillment centers in the United States. The company also lists fulfillment centers in China, Germany, Japan and the U.K. on its website, but currently lists none in India.

Fulfillment centers cost a lot to set up, so Amazon’s efforts to start one in India signal the company is serious about getting into the country’s $550 billion retail market.

“While it has been speculated that Amazon would be expanding internationally, it seems that the international expansion plans have been accelerating,” said Ben Schachter, an analyst at Macquarie. “Last year, they launched a country-specific site in Spain and now it looks like India could be next.”

An Amazon spokeswoman did not respond to emails seeking comment on the company’s plans for India.

Amazon has software development centers in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad and a customer-service center in Hyderabad.

Shoppers in India can also buy products from Amazon websites in other countries and have the items shipped to them. But the company does not have a dedicated online retail business in India yet.

That has allowed e-commerce start-ups, led by Flipkart, to expand quickly in India.

“India is a tremendously large potential market for Amazon,” said Mahesh Murthy, a venture capital investor in India and founder of digital marketing start-up Pinstorm.

“In fact, from the metrics we see, Amazon currently gets more traffic from India than Flipkart does, even though the former has no formal presence in India,” he added.

Amazon already does a lot of business in India through its U.K. website, amazon.co.uk, because the company offers free shipping and handles customs for all books, music and DVDs bought from that site and shipped to India, Murthy said.

“But this would be significantly smaller than what Amazon could do if it came with a full offering into India,” he added.

India, WB sign $130m pact for northeast development

January 20, 2012 : India and the World Bank have signed an agreement worth $130 million to improve the livelihoods for over 3 lakh village households in the North Eastern region of the country. The agreement was signed between the multilateral financial institution and the government in New Delhi today.

The money will be used to finance the Centre’s efforts to empower rural communities in the growth-deficient North East region under the North East Rural Livelihoods Project, NERLP. The project is being implemented in the eight districts of the four participating states of the Northeast which include Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

According to an official release, NERLP seeks to develop an institutional platform for the communities, which will help them link up with the private sector, public sector, and civil society and to acquire the institutional, technical, and financial capacity needed for improving their livelihoods.

Women, unemployed youth and the severely disadvantaged groups are the main focus under the project.

It comprises four main components including Social Empowerment, Economic Empowerment, Partnership Development and Project Management.

Former players divided over IPL’s impact on India’s Test show

India`s catastrophic performance in the Test tours of England and Australia has triggered a heated debate as to whether the cash-rich IPL is wrecking havoc with the players` technique and temperament.

While some former players consider the glamorous Twenty20 event as one of the prime reasons for the Test slump, others feel that one event cannot alter a player`s basic technique and approach towards the game.

After being whitewashed 0-4 in England last year, India are staring down the barrel in Australia as well, trailing the four-match series 0-3 right now.

The famed batting line-up that was supposed to make the most of what was touted as India`s best chance of winning a series Down Under has let the team down with even veterans such as Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman struggling on the bouncy tracks.

The team has failed to take even a single match of the series to five days so far, losing the third in Perth with two and half days to spare. The shocking display has left the cricket fraternity baffled as to what has gone wrong with the side which was world number one some months back.

Former Indian captain Bishan Singh Bedi felt that IPL`s emergence is one of the primary reasons for India`s disastrous performance overseas.

“If one starts putting things in a broader perspective, you must understand that this is exactly what happens when you have non-cricketers running the show. You want to run a professional body and at the same time you have all honorary posts,” Bedi said.

“The game of cricket always had a philosophy but sadly IPL doesn`t have any philosophy. It`s just a `hit and run` game. Cricket is indeed a commercial game but the BCCI should have known where to draw a line as far as commerce is concerned.”

Bedi was also very vocal about the “role” of BCCI`s technical committee which has now been in existence for nearly two decades. ”The BCCI technical committee is supposed to be the most important committee which should take all major decisions. Sunil Gavaskar headed it for a long time and now Sourav Ganguly is the chairman. Tell me what has been the contribution of this committee for the development of game? They have done absolutely nothing” he stated.

But another former Test skipper Dilip Vengsarkar refused to blame it completely on IPL and said lack of proper planning by the BCCI is the prime reason for the dismal show.

“IPL is not the only thing that is affecting the performance. The (tour itinerary) is faulty. There were not sufficient games before the start of the series or in between the Tests. The reserves in the team, like Rohit Sharma and wicket keeper Wriddhiman Saha have not played for more than a month,” said the former national chief selector.

Vengsarkar felt the IPL should not be overdone and ideally be over in a month`s time.

Former India pacer Manoj Prabhakar said youngsters nowadays want to be a part of cash-rich extravaganza by any means rather than honing their skills in domestic cricket.

“Have you seen any youngster saying that I want to play Ranji Trophy? No. You would only hear them say “Bhai kuch bhi karke IPL mein khila do humein (Just get an IPL contract for me). No one wants to work hard when you can earn crores by playing a month and a half of T20 cricket,” Prabhakar said.

“Is the board bothered about the health of domestic cricket? When you can be a millionaire without playing real form that is Test cricket — you won`t have that required passion and hunger to succeed at international stage,” he added.

Former selector Chandu Borde blamed the Indian batsmen`s inability to learn from mistakes they committed during the tour of England for the batting debacle.

“The IPL is not to be blamed. The players have not learned from the mistakes that they committed in the UK. They keep getting out in the same fashion. Only Sachin Tendulkar has not committed the same mistakes,” said the 77-year-old, who had played in 55 Tests between 1958 and 1969.

Former batsman Aakash Chopra said youngsters nowadays look to play more strokes and are not taking enough time to settle down after the advent of Indian Premier League.

“I don`t want to blame IPL but yes the shift has started with the IPL, young batsman are not willing to give themselves time and look to play too many strokes and fail in situations which are hostile such as in England and Australia. These are worrying times, if we don`t cover it now, the downward slide will continue,” he said.

But another former player Bapu Nadkarni, who represented the country in 41 Tests between 1955 and 1968, said if the IPL affected Indian batsmen it should have similar impact on the international players as well.

“If IPL is to be blamed, then it should have affected other cricketers too? The inability to adapt is the main reason. They are Test cricketers. They should be able to adapt. But if they feel IPL is affecting their game then let them decide not to play in it. You can`t have it both ways,” the former all-rounder said.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar rejected suggestions that the technique of the Indian batsmen has been affected due to the slam-bang approach in the IPL.

“I don`t think so that for batting style, IPL should be blamed. These cricketers have scored a lot of runs in the Ranji, which is first class cricketer and then they are selected to play for India at Test level,” Gavaskar said.

“If IPL is the reason, why David Warner is scoring runs. The batsmen of other (international) teams are also scoring runs so is that only Indian batsmen are suffering because of IPL?,” Gavaskar asked while participating in a TV show.

Gavaskar, who has been a member of the IPL`s Governing Council in the past, said India`s senior batsmen have performed well at international stage despite playing in the event.

“Is VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar`s technique has been affected or for that matter of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir? It`s only that in the last two (foreign) tours they have not played to their potential.”

“Blaming IPL for that is just finding a scapegoat. Jacques Kallis says that T20 format is easiest on body. It may be high on intensity but it is easy.”

“Then BCCI has a rule that Indian players will not play more than 14 matches,” he said.

IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla refuted suggestions that the league was the reason behind India`s defeat.

“It is wrong to blame IPL for everything. The Australian players such as David Warner and Shane Watson also play in IPL, how are they performing well.”

“It is also wrong to say that the players are tired. IPL ended in May and so many series have passed. There is no compulsion on any player to play all matches,” he said.

India all set to lose No. 2 spot in Test ranking

Having conceded a 0-3 lead to Australia in the four-Test series so far, the Indian cricket team is all set to lose its second place in the ICC Test ranking to South Africa.

Even the Indian batsmen have lost their ground after the third Test against Australia at Perth with Sachin Tendulkar losing three rating points to be placed at 9th spot in the table, while VVS Laxman is 21st, down by three.

Virender Sehwag is 24th (down by two), Gautam Gambhir is 32nd (down by one) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is 40th (down by four) in the ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen.

Only exception is Virat Kohli, whose contributions of 44 and 75, have provided him with a leap of 39 places that puts him in 66th spot.

Indian pacer Umesh Yadav is one bowler to have made an upward movement in the bowlers` list, having claimed his maiden five-wicket haul, which has helped him climb seven places to 43rd.

With India all set to drop in the Championship table, which will be updated after the fourth Test at Adelaide, South Africa can rise to as high as 119 ratings points should it be successful in its away series against New Zealand in March.

However, the England team, which is currently on 125 ratings points and ahead of its closest rivals — India and South Africa by seven and eight ratings points respectively — can put itself beyond South Africa`s reach by either winning a Test in the forthcoming series in the UAE or if it loses the series to Pakistan by a one-Test margin. Meanwhile, Australian opener David Warner has made a big move, jumping 35 places to be at 34th position in the ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen, which were updated after the Perth Test.

Ed Cowan, who scored 74 in his only innings, has gained 24 places and sits in 58th position along with Pakistan`s Asad Shafiq.

But Michael Clarke is down by three points to be at 11th position, Mike Hussey is 14th (down by two), Brad Haddin 42nd (down by three) and Shaun Marsh 89th (down by three).

Australia`s fast bowler Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus have achieved career-best rankings after inspiring their side to an innings and 37 runs victory.

Siddle, who won the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year award at the LG ICC Awards in Johannesburg in 2009, had figures of three for 42 and three for 43 that have given him a lift of two places and puts him in fifth position.

Hilfenhaus had match figures of eight for 97, which have helped him break into the top 10 for the first time in his career.

The 28-year-old Tasmanian has jumped five places to sixth position to trail Siddle by just 18 ratings points.

Hilfenhaus had entered the series in 31st position and has gained 25 positions so far after claiming 23 wickets at 16.

The bowlers` list is headed by South Africa`s Dale Steyn, while England`s James Anderson, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad are second, third and fourth, respectively.

The Test player rankings will next be updated after the Dubai Test.

Sibal hits out at states over education reforms

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today took on the states for blaming the Centre for all ills plaguing Education, asking them to play a more “proactive” role since the responsibility in this sector lay “squarely on their shoulders”.

Sibal said any decision taken by the Central Government for overall development of education in the country is perceived as an attack on the federal structure.

“This is the tragedy of the country… we all blame the Central Government for everything. If a child does not go to school, the Minister and the Centre must respond. This is not the job of the Central Government.

If we try and set standards and request the boards to apply those standards, then they say, it is an attack on federal structure,” he lamented.

Seeking a more “proactive” role from states as the delivery mechanism ultimately lay with them, Sibal said they must realise that responsibility of education lay “squarely on their shoulders”. At the same time, he felt, the “federal structure should be far more cohesive”.

Voicing optimism that there would be a marked improvement in quality of education in the coming eight years before 2020, he said “much of that depends on the level of commitment that we will see from the state governments”.

Sibal regretted that states are also not prepared to accept policy issues showing little efforts to abolish class X boards despite the best of intentions of the Centre.

“It’s very difficult to convince the states… they have not abolished class X board till date and they are not onboard on many of the issues,” he said at a function here.

Sibal felt that the Right to Education should be given three more years to show its results and said several provisions under it such as teacher recruitment would bring about a much needed change in the quality.

So far, he said teachers appointed by the state are “next to nothing” and the quality of the text books are not “age equivalent”.

“We can prescribe the quality of syllabi and set standards but ultimately the text books are prepared by the state governments, but I dear say the content of the textbooks are such that they are not age equivalent,” he said.

On the issue of funding, he said there has to be a structural change and the issue has to be addressed because states are of the view that unless Centre provides 100 per cent assistance, they cannot deliver the goods.

He said no government so far in the history of the country has allocated Rs 2.31 lakh crore for elementary education and this should be appreciated by the states.

114 Tibetan exiles detained in Nepal

Kathmandu,January 13, 2012: Over hundred Tibetan exiles, including 52 women, were detained here after they entered the country from India without valid travel documents, police said today.

The 114 Tibetans came from India yesterday via the land route, in four passenger buses, according to the police. They were detained immediately after entering the capital. After preliminary investigation, they will be handed over to the Immigration Department for necessary action, the Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Circle said.

Nepal government has time and again expressed its commitment not to allow any activity directed against its northern neighbour, China.

The Maoist led coalition government has also reiterated its one-China policy and intensified crackdown against Tibetans.

Nepal is home to more than 20,000 Tibetan exiles.

US wants to pursue strong relationship with India

Washington, January 12, 2012: US hopes to sustain a strong relationship with the Indian military, a top Pentagon official has said. “We have and certainly hope to continue a very strong relationship with the Indian military,” Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt John Kirby told reporters at a news conference.

“They are contributing to issues in Afghanistan in a very constructive way, whether it’s training or economic assistance, and we certainly want to see that continue.”

“I think broadly across the US government, we want to continue to pursue a close relationship with India,” Kirby said. ”I mean, they (India) are a major economic power, not only in the region but in the world. They have interests in what’s going on there in South and Central Asia, and we respect those interests and we want to continue that close cooperation,” Kirby said in response to a question.

India to mark milestone in fight against polio

New Delhi: India is preparing to celebrate a full year without any reported cases of polio. The milestone Friday is a major victory in a global eradication effort that appeared to be stalled just a few years ago.

If no previously undisclosed cases of the crippling disease are discovered across the country, India will no longer be considered a polio endemic country. That leaves just Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria on that list.

The achievement gives a major boost to health advocates and donors who had begun to lose hope of defeating the stubborn disease that the world had promised to eradicate by 2000.

It also helps India shed its embarrassing association with a disease linked to poverty.

Indian bureaucracy worst in Asia: Report

Singapore, January 11, 2012:  Indian bureaucracy is the worst in Asia with a 9.21 rating out of 10, according to a report by a prestigious consulting firm based in Singapore.

India fared worst than Vietnam (rated at 8.54), Indonesia (8.37), Philippines (7.57) and China (7.11), said the report released today by Hong Kong-based Political & Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd.

Singapore remained the best with a rating of 2.25, followed by Hong Kong (3.53), Thailand (5.25) Taiwan (5.57), Japan (5.77), South Korea (5.87) and Malaysia (5.89). The report said India’s inefficient bureaucracy was largely responsible for most of the biggest complaints that business executive have about the country.

The complaints included inadequate infrastructure and corruption, where officials were willing to accept under-the-table payments and companies were tempted to pay to overcome
bureaucratic inertia and gain government favours, the report claimed.

The report also highlighted onerous and fickle tax, environmental and other regulations that could make business in India “so frustrating and expensive”.

It said dealing with court system in India was an unattractive option for companies, and would be best to avoid it.

The bureaucrats were rarely held accountable for wrong decisions and it would be extremely difficult to challenge them when there were disagreements, it said.

“This gives them (bureaucrats) terrific powers and could be one of the main reasons why average Indians as well as existing and would-be foreign investors perceive Indias
bureaucrats as negatively as they do,” said the report.

But there were plus points when India was compared to countries within the economic development group. In the 2011-12 Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum, India ranked behind China but ahead of Russia and Brazil for the burden of government regulations as well as for the burden of customs procedures.

India was also second to Brazil but well ahead of China and Russia for the quality of regulation and supervision of the securities exchange, said the report.

India was also better than Brazil, Russia and China as the fastest place to set up a new business and to deal with construction permits, and was the second fastest place to deal
with export and import procedures, the report said.

Sehwag causing rift within the Indian team

The Indian cricket team that is touring Australia; is reportedly divided on the opinion of who should be leading the side and the cause of this polarizing effect is being blamed on Virender Sehwag.

According to a report in Herald Sun, Ryan Harris’s recent comments that the Indians were fighting among themselves aren’t just speculative.

“Some team-mates feel he should be captain instead of keeper MS Dhoni while his detractors are aghast at the lack of fight he has shown in several innings – including his meek second-innings surrender in Sydney when he displayed the resilience of a soggy tissue to waft an airy cut to Dave Warner from the eighth ball he faced.” says the report. The cause of this rift goes deep and is a result of the financial and cultural divide among the players. The report goes on to say that the juniors are afraid of speaking or expressing their views during team meetings.

The daily cited former Indian coach Greg Chappell’s observations that “the team meetings were shackled by a hierarchical system which often made young players too timid to express their thoughts.”

Apparently there is a section in the team that believes that Sehwag should be leading the side instead of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and this is what the source of tension is.

Thailand’s First Woman PM Will Be Chief Guest At Republic Day Parade

Thailand’s first woman Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day parade celebrations on January 26, Thai Trade Representative Nalinee Thaweesin said here today.

Yingluck, who became Thailand’s first woman prime minister last July, will arrive in India on January 24 on a three-day official visit.

During her visit, Yingluck will hold talks on ways to increase trade and investment opportunities between the two countries, particularly in energy, petroleum and food industries.

Yingluck is the youngest sister of former premier and tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra.

Nalinee said Thailand viewed India as a major strategic economic partner because it was a big market with a population of more than 1.2 billion people.

Once the Asean economic community takes affect in 2015, Thailand could become a trade and investment gateway to the community for India, while India would be a distribution centre of Thai products to countries in the South Asia region, she added.

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