Bangalore University degree certificates are now just a click away

The Bangalore University (BU) has introduced online-hosting of degree certificates on its website. The new system will allow students to obtain their certificates immediately.Students who have applied for convocation can obtain a copy using a personalized access code. Those who have not applied may also use the facility by making online payment.






The university has introduced online-hosting of degree certificates on its website. Fresh graduates can download their respective certificates soon after the convocation. The new system will allow students to obtain their certificates immediately. MeritTrac has been assigned to execute the project. Formal degree certificates will be issued through colleges soon.

For several years now, the university has stopped giving gold medals to students due to financial crunch. The V-C admitted that it was tough to inform the students that they won’t be given a gold medal. "Years ago, donors had come forward to institute gold medals to encourage students. The interest from the fixed deposits was used to give gold medals. Now, the gold price has shot up. Moreover, we need to have the university logo in the medal. The cost can easily shoot up to anywhere between Rs 16,000 and Rs 17,000 for each medal. We have been writing to donors to increase the amount, but 95% of them have not replied. We will write one last time. If they don’t reply, then it will be turned into cash prize,’’ said BU vice-chancellor N Prabhu Dev

There are 22 rank holders from various courses who’ll neither receive cash prizes nor medals due to lack of donors. Some of these courses include, MSc (electronic media), MSc (textiles and clothing), BCom (vocational) and MSc (audiology). “It’s embarrassing when they ask why no gold medal is awarded. All will get cash prize on the convocation day. In fact, some universities don’t give gold medals,’’said BU vice-chancellor. He said it was difficult for the university to provide gold medals on its own as the cost would be Rs 34 lakh annually. To a query on seeking help from the government, he added: “We are seeking financial aid from the government for various things, including infrastructure.’’

Source: Times of India

Informal Online Marketing Enthusiast (OME) Meetup Bangalore held on Saturday

An informal Online Marketing Enthusiast (OME) meetup held at Brigade Court, Koramangala near Forum Mall on saturday 24,2010. Online Marketing Enthusiast (OME) Meetup is an informal meetup where experts and Online Marketing enthusiast in Bangalore met to discuss about latest trends in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), social media and get to know each other in person. The place buzzed with lot of eager participants and conversation.

The event Was promoted and organized by Shiva Purohith and Suresh. Sanjay, Director, Technosoft Technologies, opened the session with a brief introduction on SEO and its need in present business.Suresh thanked Sanjay for the venue and explained in detail the need to have such a forum to discuss, learn and share challenges of online marketing.

Online Marketing Enthusiast (OME) offered an opportunity to participants to discuss their doubts and share SEO related knowldge. Suresh explained basic of SEO and change in current SEO with past six years where adding images and video were not able. Now one could use images, videos in an html code and work towards optimizing search not just for normal users but for blind and deaf too.

Participants actively participated by asking their doubts and clearing each others doubts. One of the participant Shiv asked "Has anyone used 2 key phrase for optimization?" and Sumit, commonfloor said "as per my experience anchor text works well; write a blog: anchor text should be your key words".

The Audacity to Win - David Plouffe and Groundswell by Charlene Li, Josh Bernoff were two important books recommended by suresh in the event to participants. Meetup which started by 4pm end at 7 pm and participants shared their twitter and linkedin id for keeping in touch and requested Suresh to inform future OME meetup venue and details through their twitter and linkedin id's.

Useful Links
linkedin.com
Wrap up - Online Marketing Enthusiast Meet up Bangalore

Billion Hearts Beating campaign against Heart disease

Apollo Hospital one of leading super speciality Hospitals in India in association with The Times of India, conducts Billion Hearts Beating campaign against Heart disease.It is estimated that Indians are nearly four times more susceptible to heart attacks with 25% of attacks happening to people under the age of 40.

Studies over the last 60 years show an alarmingly high rate of coronary heart disease and premature heart disease among Indians.It isn’t easy to become all heart-healthy overnight. Good news is that scientific evidence indicates 7 risk factors, which, if addressed, can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.


The seven risk factors

Scientific evidence indicates 7 risk factors, which, if addressed, can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease-even reverse it! Following are 7 risk factors for risk of heart disease.

1. Smoking: Smokers risk a heart attack twice as much as non-smokers.So if you smoke, quit right now. It isn’t easy, but it’s possible. Smoking is also the most preventable risk factor. Please remember that non-smokers who are exposed to passive smoking are at an increased risk. And that’s not fair.
2. Cholesterol: A diet low in cholesterol and saturated and trans fat will help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.Regular exercise will also help lower ‘bad’ cholesterol and raise ‘good’ cholesterol levels. Please have your cholesterol levels checked.
3. Blood pressure: Control blood pressure through diet, exercise, weight management, and if needed, medication.Like cholesterol, blood pressure interpretation and treatment should be individualized, taking into account your entire risk profile.
4. Diabetes: Control diabetes through a healthy diet, exercise, maintaining the right weight, and taking medication as prescribed by your doctor. If not properly controlled, diabetes can lead to significant heart damage, including heart attacks and death.
5. Lifestyle: Try to exercise 30 minutes a day, at moderate intensity, every day.Simple leisure-time activities like gardening or walking can lower your risk of heart disease.
6. Eating: Eat a heart-healthy diet, low in salt, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and refined sugars. Eat plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.Try to increase your intake of foods rich in vitamins and other nutrients, especially antioxidants, which have been proven to lower your risk for heart disease.
7. Stress: Poorly controlled stress and anger can lead to heart attacks and strokes.Learn to manage your time better, set realistic goals, and take up activities like Yoga and meditation. Use stress and anger management techniques to lower your risk.

TAKE PLEDGE TO GIFT SOMEONE A FREE HEART SCREENING

For every pledge taken Apollo Hospitals offers free heart screening to one deserving person.Taking the pledge is good for your heart. It’s also good for someone else’s. For every pledge taken at http://billionheartsbeating.com, Apollo Hospitals will offer free heart screening to one deserving person.

It isn’t easy to become all heart-healthy overnight. But the point is, you need to start somewhere. Take Pledge at billionheartsbeating.com and help one deserving person for free heart screening.

Source: http://billionheartsbeating.com

Opposition's bandh hits life in West Bengal, Kerala, UP

Thirteen Opposition parties led by the Left Front began a 12-hour nationwide protest on Tuesday against price rise.Opposition parties began a 12-hour nationwide protest on Tuesday against what they termed as the government's inability to check prices,with major disruption to life in West Bengal, Kerala and parts of Uttar Pradesh.






In Kolkata and Lucknow, air, train and road transport services were disrupted, while the streets of Thiruvananthapuram bore a deserted look after the closure of all schools and businesses. The state governments in West Bengal and Kerala adopted a lenient stand towards their employees. While no public holiday was declared, the two governments decided to treat any leave by their employees as casual leave.

In Allahabad, workers of the Samajwadi Party (SP) were seen shouting slogans against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the Bahujan Samaj Party's state government. In Lucknow, the protesters were seen marching menacingly toward the state assembly, targeting state-run buses and some trains. This apart, several flights and train services had to be cancelled out of Kolkata.

The thirteen parties participating in the protests include SP, Left parties, Telugu Desam Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Lok Janshakti Party. Their main demand is roll back in the prices of fuels, fertilisers and other commodities.Thirteen Opposition parties against price rise hits life in West Bengal, Kerala, UP.By and large, life was normal in other parts of the country.

Bangalore East had to go without power on Sunday

The weekend was hit by repeated power cuts as heavy rain saw trees falling and snapping power lines.Major repair work at HAL main station had many parts of East Bangalore, mainly Indiranagar, BEML and surrounding areas, going without power for nearly 10 hours.

Many areas of Kothnur and Doddaguppi had no power since Saturday evening as heavy rain saw trees falling and snapping power lines. Overnight repair work ensured that these areas got back power on Sunday. But water supply was restored in the city.Most parts of the city experienced a dry day on Saturday. But by Sunday afternoon, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) resumed water supply across the city.

Around 60 trees were uprooted due to the rains that lashed Bangalore city

Around 60 trees were uprooted due to heavy rains accompanied by thundershowers, hailstorms and strong winds in Bangalore city on Wednesday evening.According to the weatherman, around 17.7 mm of rainfall was recorded on Wednesday.Places like BTM Layout, JP Nagar, Jayanagar, Rajajinagar, Malleshwaram and Magadi Road reported one or two trees fall incidents.

The maximum number of uprooted trees were reported from Vijaynagar. According to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike officials, 40 trees fell in the area.The BBMP has declared a compensation of Rs 1 lakh for the family of Shankar R, who was killed on Monday night at ISRO Layout, when a tree fell on him.A private bus was damaged on Magadi Road when a tree fell on it. A BSNL tower too was damaged by strong winds. In Rajajinagar Block 3, a scooter was damaged but no injury to human life was reported.Vehicles were also damaged at several places, but no incidents of human injury were reported.

B Puttanna, director, Met dept said the amount of rain received this month was above normal. He said in April, around 46.3 mm of rain is normal for the whole month. “We have already surpassed that and there are still 10 days left,” he said.He said the city will continue to receive rains for the next two days.Traffic jams and waterlogging were reported from across the city.

Reference:
http://expressbuzz.com/cities/bangalore/bangalore-counts-damage/167364.html

BWSSB on Tuesday restored water supply to areas hit by water scarcity

The BWSSB on Tuesday said it had restored water supply to 70% of areas hit by water scarcity. However, normal water supply to the entire city will be restored only by the weekend. BWSSB is still receiving complains from North and East Bangalore and are sending tankers to these parts. Some areas are getting two to four hours of supply, while some are getting for almost 12 hours.


"Even though supply has been restored, the flow is less." says Joseph Menueaud of Richard’s Town resident association.Many areas saw low water pressure. “Compared to last week, things are a little better. Last evening, we received corporation water. It is improving but the flow is intermittent,” said N G Udayasimha of Nagarbhavi residents welfare association.Residents of Sarvagnanagar (Cox Town) have also started receiving water supply from Monday.

Low water pressure seems to be a common problem.In fact, many of BWSSB’s ground level reservoirs are still empty. “It will take around a week’s time to restore water supply to normal. Now 70% has been covered. Some areas are getting two to four hours of supply, while some are getting for almost 12 hours,” said BWSSB chief engineer, T Venkataraju.BWSSB is still receiving complains from North and East Bangalore and are sending tankers to these parts.

BTM Layout haven’t had a single drop of water for a week

The water supply from the Cauvery IV stage I phase was completely affected by Wednesday evening as a portion of the canal in Handihalla Syphon breached. The problem was sorted out and breach was fixed on friday.While some parts of an area got a small dribble of water on Monday, others were completely dry.Many areas in BTM Layout and Tavarakere haven’t had a single drop of water for a week. Some blocks of Jayanagar too didn’t receive the regular supply.





The BWSSB was forced to ration the supply, given the depleting reserves. “We had water every day till the elections. Now, it’s over a week that we haven’t got water. The corporator in this area is getting water. Why not us?” asked K Peter, a resident of Indiranagar. “I called up a tanker service. He asked for Rs 2,500 for 7,000 litres — almost double the usual charge. It was too expensive for me,” said homemaker Meera.“The water was muddy and not potable. I don’t know why they even bothered to give that. The pressure was low. We got only 700 litres instead of the usual 1,400 litres,” said Anil Kumar of Ejipura.

“There are 6 lakh BWWSB consumers. Almost 5 lakh houses got water supply by Monday afternoon, either by tankers or through pipes. But, it’ll take a week before we return to the normal schedule,” said T Venkataraju, chief engineer, BWSSB.

Source: http://sarjapur-road.com/bangalore-taps-have-been-dry-for-a-week

Low intensity bomb blasts before an IPL match in Bangalore

The twin low-intensity blasts that occurred within five minutes left at least 17 injured on Saturday.In the first blast near Anil Kumble Circle on MG Road, nobody was injured.Ten were injured at G-12 gate, where the second bomb exploded at around 3.15 pm. According to source, Investigators believe Saturday's bombings at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore were executed by an Indian Mujahideen cell led by Mohammad Zarar Siddi Bawa.






Police suspect that the material for preparing the bomb was supplied from Udupi and that the bombs may have been prepared in Tumkur.The investigation has also revealed that the third bomb that was found and defused was a high-intensity explosive that could have killed many.Five bombs, including the two that exploded and one that was defused on Saturday, have been traced so far.

All the victims were immediately rushed to the nearby Mallya Hospital for treatment.“The victims are all out of danger, except one as he has suffered deep wounds in the scalp and would have to undergo a minor surgery,” said supervising doctor, Dr Pritee at the Mallya Hospital.

The low intensity bomb blasts before an IPL match in Bangalore was not a direct threat to the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in New Delhi later this year, Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief executive Perry Crosswhite said.Due to minor bomb blast in Bangalore on the previews match, all the semi finals are moved to Navi Mumbai from Bangalore. "Because of some security reason, The IPL semi-finals 2010 have been shifted from Bangalore to Navi Mumbai", Organizers Said.

Health Tips to prevent Heart attack by Dr.Devi Shetty

There was a chat, arranged by WIPRO for its employees, with Dr.Devi Shetty,heart specialist of Narayana Hrudayalaya bangalore a couple of years ago. Dr.Devi shetty suggested a very informative health tips for Wipro employees for prevention of heart attack and suggests best food and lifestyle to prevent heart attack. This tips should not only read but also propogate and give it to those who are not connected to Internet or aware of these things.









The transcript of the chat is given below.

Qn: What are the thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart?

Ans:
1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil
2.. Exercise - Half an hour's walk, at least five days a week; avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a longtime
3. Quit smoking
4. Control weight
5. Control blood pressure and sugar

Qn: Is eating non-veg food (fish) good for the heart?

Ans: No

Qn: It's still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person
gets a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective?

Ans: This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.

Qn: Are heart diseases hereditary?

Ans: Yes

Qn: What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?


Ans: Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.

Qn: Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?

Ans: Walking is better than jogging since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints

Qn: You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so?

Ans: Mother Theresa , who was my patient

Qn: Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?

Ans: Extremely rare

Qn: Does cholesterol accumulates right from an early age
(I'm currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age?

Ans: Cholesterol accumulates from childhood.

Qn: How do irregular eating habits affect the heart ?

Ans: You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body's enzyme release for digestion gets confused.

Qn: How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?

Ans: Control diet, walk and eat walnut.

Qn: Can yoga prevent heart ailments?

Ans: Yoga helps.

Qn: Which is the best and worst food for the heart?

Ans: Fruits and vegetables are the best and the worst is oil.

Qn: Which oil is better - groundnut, sunflower, olive?

Ans: All oils are bad ..

Qn: What is the routine checkup one should go through? Is there any specific test?

Ans: Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP, Treadmill test after an echo.

Qn: What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack?

Ans: Help the person into a sleeping position , place an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.

Qn: How do you differentiate between pain caused by a heart attack and that caused due to gastric trouble?

Ans: Extremely difficult without ECG.

Qn: What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters? I see people of about 30-40 yrs of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems.

Ans: Increased awareness has increased incidents. Also, edentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.

Qn: Is it possible for a person to have BP outside the normal range of 120/80 and yet be perfectly healthy?

Ans: Yes.

Qn: Marriages within close relatives can lead to heart problems for the child. Is it true?

Ans : Yes, co-sanguinity leads to congenital abnormalities and you may not have a software engineer as a child

Qn: Many of us have an irregular daily routine and many a times we have to stay late nights in office. Does this affect our heart ? What precautions would you recommend?

Ans : When you are young, nature protects you against all these irregularities. However, as you grow older, respect the biological clock.

Qn: Will taking anti-hypertensive drugs cause some other complications (short / long term)?

Ans : Yes, most drugs have some side effects. However, modern anti-hypertensive drugs are extremely safe.

Qn: Will consuming more coffee/tea lead to heart attacks?

Ans : No.

Qn: Are asthma patients more prone to heart disease?

Ans : No.

Qn: How would you define junk food?

Ans : Fried food like Kentucky , McDonalds , samosas, and even masala dosas.

Qn: You mentioned that Indians are three times more vulnerable. What is the reason for this, as Europeans and Americans also eat a lot of junk food?

Ans: Every race is vulnerable to some disease and unfortunately, Indians are vulnerable for the most expensive disease.

Qn: Does consuming bananas help reduce hypertension?

Ans : No.

Qn: Can a person help himself during a heart attack (Because we see a lot of forwarded emails on this)?

Ans : Yes. Lie down comfortably and put an aspirin tablet of any description under the tongue and ask someone to take you to the nearest coronary care unit without any delay and do not wait for the ambulance since most of the time, the ambulance does not turn up.

Qn: Do, in any way, low white blood cells and low hemoglobin count lead to heart problems?

Ans : No. But it is ideal to have normal hemoglobin level to increase your exercise capacity.

Qn: Sometimes, due to the hectic schedule we are not able to exercise. So, does walking while doing daily chores at home or climbing the stairs in the house, work as a substitute for exercise?

Ans : Certainly. Avoid sitting continuously for more than half an hour and even the act of getting out of the chair and going to another chair and sitting helps a lot..

Qn: Is there a relation between heart problems and blood sugar?

Ans: Yes. A strong relationship since diabetics are more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics.

Qn: What are the things one needs to take care of after a heart operation?

Ans : Diet, exercise, drugs on time , Control cholesterol, BP, weight..

Qn: Are people working on night shifts more vulnerable to heart disease when compared to day shift workers?

Ans : No.

Qn: What are the modern anti-hypertensive drugs?

Ans : There are hundreds of drugs and your doctor will chose the right combination for your problem, but my suggestion is to avoid the drugs and go for natural ways of controlling blood pressure by walk, diet to
reduce weight and changing attitudes towards lifestyles.

Qn: Does dispirin or similar headache pills increase the risk of heart attacks?

Ans : No.

Qn: Why is the rate of heart attacks more in men than in women?

Ans : Nature protects women till the age of 45.

Qn: How can one keep the heart in a good condition?

Ans : Eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, exercise everyday, do not smoke and, go for health checkup s if you are past the age of 30 ( once in six months recommended) for at least once in two yrs.

India has more money to spend on luxuries that the bare necessities of life

A new UN study has found that more people in India, the world’s second most populous country, have access to a mobile telephone than to a toilet.India has some 545 million cellphones, enough to serve about 45% of the population, but only about 366 million people or 31% of the population had access to improved sanitation in 2008.If current global trends continue, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) predict there will be a shortfall of at least 1 billion persons from that sanitation goal by the target date of 2015.





According to a 2001 study, 15% houses in urban areas had a ‘flush latrine’, while 85% did not have any facility. In rural areas, 17.4 % homes had toilets. According to statistics given by the rural development ministry in 2008, 60.07% houses in urban areas have toilets, while 57% houses in rural areas have toilets.

“While I do not completely agree with the UN report, it is a fact that India, with its population of over one billion, does need more toilets,” said Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, founder, Sulabh International, a social service organization which aims to make affordable toilets available to all. “Our cultural background,” he said, “is the reason behind this problem.” Traditionally, Indians were told that they should have a toilet away from the house, which is why we didn’t have toilets inside the house,” he explained.

Source: DNA- India has more cellphones than toilets, says UN report

Bangalore Malayalee celebrates Vishu Today

Vishu is festival of Kerala and and adjoining areas of Tamil Nadu (palakkad). Vishu is a first day in the Malayalam month of Medam (March – April). Bangalore Malayalees are busy collecting materials for ‘Vishukkani'.In every Hindu home, the eldest member of the family leads others to the puja room at dawn where the Vishukkani is set. According to tradition "Vishukkani" should be the first sight of the day. It is believed that if you see "vishukkani" on this day, your life will be blessed with prosperity, progress,wealth and happiness.






The Vishukkani consist of a ritual arrangement of auspicious articles like raw rice, fresh linen, golden cucumber, betel leaves, arecanut, metal mirror, the yellow flowers konna (Cassia fistula), and a holy text and coins, in a bell metal vessel called "uruli".The people wear new clothes for the occasion and the elders of the family distribute tokens of money to the children, family members and servants.These tokens are called the Vishukaineetam and are usually in form of coins or Money.


Bangalore malayalees celebrated vishu arranging Vishukkani in their home and visiting temples. Special poojas are held in temples starting from 5 Am with Vishukkani. Madiwala ayyappa temple arranged vishukkani for devotees and a huge crowds of devotees to see vishukkani on morning can be seen at temple premises.Madiwala is a center of bustling activity from grocery markets to IT to shopping malls like Total mall. Being at the center of the IT corridor it is well known across Bangalore.

Wish you all a happy and prosperous Vishu...

13 priests and the caretaker detained for Bangalore high-rise fire

A fire broke out Monday afternoon on the terrace of a five-storey Gold Towers, a commercial complex on the busy Residency Road in the heart of Bangalore.There were no casualties in the blaze, which gutted a popular pub on the fifth floor of the building.Police said they have detained Mahesh Kumar Tayaland were searching for his elder brother Vijay Kumar Tayal, who owns the Gold Towers.


13 priests were detained as police believe a 'homa' (a fire ritual) conducted on the fifth floor caused the blaze.The ritual was organized by the night club, police said. According to DC Chengappa, director of state fire services, the building owners had not taken clearance from his department for occupying the premises. The pub owners too had not obtained fire safety clearance, he said.Fourteen fire tenders were deployed to douse the blaze as fire and police department did not want to take any chance in the wake of the Feb 23 fire in Carlton Towers,Bangalore.

Residency Road is one of the busy avenues in Bangalore central business district. Upscale hotels, commercial complexes and several sought after schools are in the area.13 priests and the caretaker were detained on charges of negligence. Priest, on condition of anonymity, said: “We were doing what we were called for. We had asked the owners if the room had enough open space for smoke. We started only after they assured us on that.”

The accused were booked under section 285 of IPC for negligence, a bailable offence.The accused were released on bail. The case will be heard on June 16.When the Ashoknagar police produced the accused in the ACMM court, the court served a show cause notice on the police asking why they were not granted bail when there was provision for the same.

• Source: expressbuzz.com

Highest temperature in 25 yrs

Bangalore City sizzles with maximum temperature in past 25 years. The all-time maximum has been 38.3 degrees Celsius (April 30, 1931) and minimum temperatures been 14.4 degrees Celsius (April 26, 1894) for April till date. Last Sunday Bangalore has become scorching with maximum temperature of 37.6 degrees Celsius and minimum temperature of 24.2 degrees Celsius has been the highest in the past 25 years.


"The month of April always experiences extreme summer heat during day and night. The trend is likely to continue into May," Said state MET in-charge director B Puttanna

Source: The Times of India

Get ready to sip your favorite wine

The two-day Bangalore International Wine Festival is set to kick-start on April 10 at the Palace Grounds.The event will showcase wines from all over the world and allow wine drinkers and novices to experience and understand the vast world of wine.The Bangalore International Wine Festival is going to be held between 10th and 11th April, 2010 and will run from 12:00pm till 10:00pm at White Petals, Palace Grounds, Bangalore.


The festival is expected to provide a meeting ground for international and local brewers, apart from promoting wine as an alternative to hard liquor, organizers said.The festival will feature seminars, grape-stomping, wine-tasting and display of different varieties of wine. An entry fee of Rs 100 will be charged. Get ready to sip your favorite wine between 10th and 11th April at the Palace Grounds-Bangalore.

Source:www.biwf.co.in/index.html

Continuous power cuts make summer hotter and may affect water supply in city

In several areas of Bangalore city, there was a 3-4 hour power cut and in others, it lasted nearly six hours, leaving residents annoyed.According to one BESCOM official, there is a shortage of about 500 MW as there is a generation problem in all the power stations in the state. While some technical snags at RTPS are causing some paucity, there are other problems at BTPS and other hydel power stations. Altogether, there is a huge shortage, which the Bescom is managing by measures like power cuts across several areas, he said.





Dry weather will prevail across the state for the next few days. Temperature is above normal, says state meteorological incharge director B Puttana.BWSSB sources said at least 30 out of 55 pumping stations that lift water from the city’s low-level reservoirs (LLRs), are now hit by intermittent power supply. This will affect water supply to most eastern and northern parts of the city.

“There is no scheduled power cut and power comes and goes all the time, disrupting our routine. We are having a minimum four-hour cut which sometimes goes on to six hours. The worrying part is that whenever we call up the authorities, they don’t even bother to pick up the call and when they do, they speak very rudely, telling us that they can’t help,’’ Said Arun Lobo, a resident of KR Layout in JP Nagar 6th Phase.

Continuous power cuts make summer hotter and water supply may affect in most eastern and northern parts of the city. “It is the lower and middle classes which voted the BJP to power, but they are the ones who can’t afford UPS and other devices for their children to study during exams. The least the government could do is provide them uninterrupted power during the evenings so their children can study,’’ says N Mukund from Jayanagar 5th Block.

• Source: Times of India

Lalbagh Botanical Gardens Bangalore

Lalbagh is regarded as one of the most richly diverse Botanical Garden's in South Asia.Lalbagh famous botanical garden in the Southern part of the city, was laid out by Haider Ali in 1740 and his son added horticultural wealth to them by importing trees and plants from several countries.



In the 1870s,John Cameron, the Garden's Supsuperintendent imported several more rare species from Kew Gardens in London. Cameron was also responsible for initiating work on Lalbagh's famous Glass House, modeled on London's Crystal Palace and Conceived as a venue for horticultural shows.The gardens encircle one of the towers erected by Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bangalore. The others attractions of the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens include the Lal Bagh Rock, one of the oldest rock formations on earth. The garden is beautifully designed, with lawns, flowerbeds, lotus ponds, fountains, glass houses and stone formations that date back over 3.0 billion years.

Lal Bagh is artistically landscaped with an eye for ordering nature's beauty without confining it. The Glass House, modelled along London's Crystal Palace, is the center of attraction in this 2400 acre park. Bi-annual flower shows attracting participants from all over India is held in the Glass House.The magnificent landscape of the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens truly mesmerized its visitors.

Bangalore has good connectivity to Airport, Railway station and both government and private bus services. If you have difficulty in arranging a plane or railway ticket to your next destination, or you prefer a little more adventure, you can go by bus. There are both government and private busses that run services to major nearby cities like Mumbai, Goa, Chennai, Mangalore, Coimbatore, Madurai etc.

Source: karnataka.com/tourism/bangalore

Report card of day one returned bad grades

With the winning of BBMP election Bangalore, supporters burst crackers and screamed with excitement to celebrate victory of their candidate. The report card of day one returned bad grades wondering citizens who voted in the election with the hope that their representatives would strive to end their woes.


Entourages and carnivals of the candidates and the winners resulted in jam-packed roads near the designated counting centers. Motorcycle riders sans helmet, waving flags of their respective parties in areas such as Freedom Park, Race Course Road, Chamrajpet and Basavanagudi. Supporters of winning parties celebrated screaming with excitement and bursting crackers without considering that their ruckus might be disturbing students giving exams in nearby institutions.

In short, the byproducts of the celebration were hapless commuters on choked roads, irked students and streets littered with remains of crackers and other celebratory material.

BJP created history in Bangalore winning the BBMP election

The BJP won 105 seats out of 198 in the Greater Bangalore City Corporation beating the Congress.It is the first time that the BJP has come to power in the civic body since Independence, ending five decades of Congress dominance.The Congress came a distant second winning 65 wards and the Janata Dal (Secular) 13. The remaining six wards were won by Independents.


The people voted for the development works taken up by the B S Yeddyurappa government in the City, claimed leaders and Ministers in the BJP government.Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa told reporters in Bangalore that he was glad with BJP's performance in the BBMP polls.Reacting to the results, Karantaka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said the victory of the BJP candidates had once again proved the saffron party's strength and the support of the people has increased the responsibility of the state government to fulfill their aspirations.

The civic body polls took place on March 28.Counting of votes for the BBMP elections held on March 28 began at 8 am in 28 different counting centers in the City. The counting of votes in about 38 wards was yet to begin. The process of counting in one station will be taken up only around 2 pm to facilitate the completion of SSLC examination that is underway.

BJP candidate from Vasanth Nagar Mr. Katta Jagadish Naidu, who is also son of Minister for Information Technology Mr. Katta Subramanya Naidu, has registered a victory.Similiarly, Rajarajeshwarinagar BJP MLA M. Srinivas son Venkatesh Babu has won the elections. Minister for Labour B N Bache Gowda said the voters of the city taught a fitting lesson to the JD (S) which launched the NICE campaign against the BJP Government.

Source: mangalorean.com