Unnao treasure hunt: His dream a joke, sadhu asks for 10 hours to find out gold

Almost a fortnight after his reported "dream" triggered a treasure hunt by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at Daundiya Kheda, religious guru Shobhan Sarkar claimed on Thursday that the gold would not be found unless he is present at the excavation site. Denying that he had "dreamt" of the gold, he said he came to know about it through "chintan" (meditation).

                          

This comes barely two days after the ASI closed down one trench saying it had struck loose stones rather than gold.

Speaking at his ashram in Buxar, Sarkar said he knew the "exact location" of the gold. Demanding that the Army be roped in for the excavation, Sarkar said he could deliver the treasure within 10 hours.

However, he said, the government would have to accept his terms — deposit 80 per cent of the gold in the Reserve Bank of India and use the remaining 20 per cent for the development of the region.

Earlier in the day, Sarkar visited Daundiya Kheda and performed a puja on the banks of the Ganga, as he was not allowed to go near the excavation site.

Angry at the alleged lack of transparency in the excavation process, Sarkar said, "Why this secrecy? Why not put up large television screens away from the site and let the people see what is going on."

Alleging that secrecy was being maintained so that the treasure can be appropriated by a few, Sarkar called for "pressure on the administration" to clear his visit to the site. He said he had written to the authorities on October 27 for permission to visit the site, but had not received any response so far.

"I want to give the gold to the nation," he said, maintaining that the treasure was present at around 15 feet below ground level. Sarkar said the ASI would require a lot of time and funds to find it.

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31 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before 30

There’s something about the big 30 – maybe it’s because you realise that your 20’s are a thing of the past, that it’s a milestone when you are supposed to reached pre-determined milestones, that suddenly the word “responsible” looms large in a very different light, that life, success and financial goals have all taken on new meaning.

Different people choose to bring in their third decade in various ways, depending wholly on how you feel about the number. But you know what, no matter what it maybe seem like in theory, 30s are the new 20s and you’ve got to take on the decade, which is essentially the beginning of the rest of your life. It’s time to stop, take a couple of step back and ask yourself imperative questions. MensXP lists out 31 questions you ought to ask yourself before your 30th.

1. Are you avoiding certain situations and/or people?

As much as we’d like to blackout certain people (and we should if we can), we have to deal with why we’re blanking them out. Looking at a situation as it is and accepting it is the only way forward. Avoid them if you will but leave them in the past. 

2. Are you doing what you should be doing?

If you’re not doing what you love doing by 30, you’re never going to do what you love doing. Work without passion is a mere task and if it’s a task you have to endure for the rest of your working life, it’s time to reconsider. 

3.Do you drag yourself out of bed every morning?

A hangover should be the only reason for dragging. Life’s too short to spend as a drag and irrespective of whether you’re a morning person, you must look forward to the morning. A new day for achievement.

4.Are you ticking off your must-dos?

To-do lists are easily one of the most betrayed lists on earth. Take a closer look at it; that was a younger, more hopeful you who wrote it. Get back to it, rediscover yourself and start ticking... NOW.

5.Have you learnt something new today?

It could be a new word, saying a sentence in a new language, discovered a new author, a new cuisine, restaurant, a new hobby – this can be just about anything under the sun. The point here is to continue learning something new every day because new learning’s only enhance your life and make work and business better.

© Thinkstock

6.Have you done something that’s out of the ordinary?

To be extraordinary, you’ve got to do something that’s out of the ordinary. It could be related to your business or to your personal life. You start living once you refuse to accept the ordinary. And, if you have done something extraordinary, ask yourself when you’re going to achieve your next extraordinary feat.

7.If there was anything you could do without fear, would you do it?

Think about this one – all of us want to do certain things fearlessly. It could be establishing a new business, taking your business overseas, emigrating overseas, giving into adventure sport, etc. The thrill of achievement once done is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will change your life forever.

8.Where do you see yourself in five years?

This is one of the most clichéd questions but it’s a cliché for a reason. Do you see yourself sipping Champagne on your yacht? Do you see yourself buying a holiday home in Switzerland? Do you see your company multiplying it profits a hundred-fold? 

9.Are you working towards achieving your goals so that you are where you in five years time?

The five year plan is only effective when you work towards achieving those goals. And five years can be as short or as long as you want them to be; might as well make the journey memorable.

10.Do you have you “why”?

The “why” is extremely important because all of us do things for reasons. Do you know your “why”? If you don’t have a “why”, you’ll have a “how” and “what” – two words that leads you to excuses for not finding your “why”. You “why” is what will help you get to your goal and move onto greater ones.

© Thinkstock

11.If not, when are you getting one?

So, you don’t have a “why”! How about getting one right now? After you have your “why”, you’ll find your purpose.

12. Are you optimising your skills to make more money?

Skills and talents are a boon, but they’re a boon only if you enhance them and use them to increase your pile of gold. Under-utilised skills are as good as having no skills at all. Time to take a closer look at your skills and make them work for you.

13. Are you planning to start your business or a new business?

The only way you can own your time is if you’re your own boss. Giving up the stability of a monthly salary to go into business is a risk, but life itself is a risk and we live anyway, right? Alternatively, if you’re already a businessman, what’s stopping you from doing something more? 

14. What should you consider before doing this?

Before going into business or starting a second/third one, there are a few strategic factors you need consider. The market, finance, business plan, business goal, your reach, etc. Jot these points down, go back to your drawing board when need be and consider all that you must.

15. Are you focussing on problems as opposed to solutions?

No matter how hard a truth this is, there is no easy way to success and there is certainly no shortcut. However, the key to success is looking hard and deep for solutions. Problems will always be there but they become an issue only if you let them. Focus instead on your solution, various solutions and see how beautifully things unfold.

© Thinkstock

16. Have you fostered new connections? And if you have, who are they?

Connections and networks are an essential part of your business life. Make it a job to meet with new people, connect often, discuss business possibilities and make sure that you’re with the right people and that the right people know you.

17.Are you still dwelling over “what-ifs”?

All of us have regrets, and almost all our regrets begin with “what-ifs”. Leave those behind; throw them away. Each “what-if” led you to where you are. Accept those mistakes and leave them in the past. The only thing you should take away from it is “lessons and learning”.

18.How much of a risk are you willing to take?

Business is about risk and while risk is an essential, the percentage of risk is a choice. Take a closer look at where you are in terms of your business. Is it as big as you imagined it would be? Can you afford to take another risk? And if yes, in what proportion? Your next step forward depends on the answers to these questions.

19.Are you playing the waiting game when it comes to your business?

The waiting game is a game that often keeps you waiting for the rest of your life. You wait to expand, you wait to take it forward, you wait for this, that and the other. The waiting game is okay as long as you’re aware that this is a game that depends on market conditions and it should certainly not be a game you play for the rest of your life.

20.How focussed are you?

You may want to conquer the world and we know you can. But focus on conquering not on what people may or may not say. Figure out how focussed you are and where your focus is. 

© Thinkstock

21.Do you see yourself living on the edge?

A wise man once said, ‘If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much of space.” Do you see your edge and when are you going to claim that edge as your own?

22.How far and how much can you push yourself?

Success comes with its share of push and shove. Are you willing to sweat yourself silly till you get to your pinnacle? 

23.What fires your spirit?

Find out what burns you so much that it turns you to cinder, only to rise again and scale the next peak. Once you find out, hold it close and allow it to burn you often.

24.Have you planned you trip into space?

This is the ultimate odyssey so far. If you’re not aiming for it, you’re dreams are still too small.

25.Has anyone called you crazy yet (on a serious note)?

Sanity is overrated and so totally strait-jacketed. Some of the greatest minds were always deemed crazy. And crazy is the new sane!

© Shutterstock

26.If you were to leave the world today, what note would you leave it on?

If the man upstairs decided to pull the plug right now, would you go happy? Or would you cry over an unlived life? Goals may be unfulfilled but remember to live, really live, every single day.

27.Are you living or merely existing?

Existence is for the masses and you aren’t one of them... or are you? If you are, get out and live – it’s only as simple or complex as you want it to be.

28.Who is the one person who will forever look up to?

Think about this person, go back in time and think about the positivity and ambition this person exudes.

29.How much of yesterday was memorable?

Did you make yesterday memorable enough for it to be noteworthy? Every single day ought to be memorable.

30.Are you living a life worth writing about?

You’ve got to live a life that’s worth writing about. Are you there yet? Everyone has a few bumps along the way, but get back and live to be written about.

© Shutterstock

31.What next?

These two words should be your mantra. You could be on top of the world but always, always ask, “What next?

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Petrol price cut by Rs.1.15 per litre, diesel up by Rs.0.50.

Oil Marketing companies have cut petrol prices by Rs. 1.15 per litre (excluding state levies).

The revision in prices will come into effect from October 31 midnight.

Retail prices of diesel have been raised by Rs.0.50 per litre (excluding state levies).

The revision ion petrol prices comes after softening of global oil prices and appreciation in rupee.  

Following are the revised prices of petrol and diesel in the four metros after oil firms revised rates with effect from midnight tonight.

PETROL 

Delhi
Current Price (Rs): 72.40
Revised Price: 71.02
Decrease: 1.38

Kolkata
Current Price (Rs): 79.52
Revised Price: 78.07
Decrease: 1.44

Mumbai
Current Price (Rs): 79.49
Revised Price: 78.04
Decrease: 1.45

Chennai
Current Price (Rs): 75.68
Revised Price: 74.22
Decrease: 1.46


DIESEL 

Delhi
Current Price (Rs): 52.54
Revised Price: 53.10
Increase: 0.56

Kolkata
Current Price (Rs): 56.90
Revised Price: 57.49
Increase: o.59

Mumbai
Current Price (Rs): 59.46
Revised Price: 60.08
Increase: 0.62

Chennai
Current Price (Rs): 56.01
Revised Price: 56.61
Increase: 0.60
 

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A tale of two states: 'Happy Birthday Andhra Pradesh' has a sad tinge today.

'Happy Birthday Andhra Pradesh' has a sad tinge to it today. For this November 1 could well be the last Andhra Pradesh Formation Day that the state is celebrating in its present form. If the Congress has its way, by December, the state would be cut into two to create a new state of Telangana with ten districts while the remaining 13 districts would continue to call themselves Andhra Pradesh.



In 1956, Andhra Pradesh was the first state to be formed on linguistic basis. In 2013, that will fade into history.

By all accounts it has been a messy divorce, with court proceedings (read appeals in the Delhi Durbar by people from Andhra Pradesh) virulent, emotional and ugly. That is because people from the coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions think they have been given a raw deal. They believe both in the short term and long term, the new Andhra Pradesh or Seemandhra is going to be unviable. A flop state, condemned to doom, from day one.

"Telugu speaking people will lose both politically and economically in a big way. But then if that is a choice that the Telugu speaking people have made consciously, they you cannot complain about it,'' rues Jayaprakash Narayan, President of the Loksatta Party. Narayan who is an MLA from Hyderabad city, is in favour of Telangana but objects to the manner in which the state is being bifurcated.

Interestingly, that it has been a case of 'winner takes all' is a sentiment shared even by Telangana politicians in private. They gloat that they have successfully managed to convince the powers-that-be in Delhi that the "historical mistakes of the past" should be corrected by being overgenerous to Telangana.

Andhra Pradesh sends 42 MPs to the Lok Sabha, the highest in south India. Since 1996, this contingent has played a central role in governments at the Centre, be it the Telugu Desam in 1996, 1998 and 1999 or the Congress in 2004 and 2009. Now Telangana state with 17 MPs and Seemandhra state with 25 MPs, will find their political clout considerably reduced.

"Size matters," points out D A Somayajulu, former Economic Affairs Advisor to Andhra Pradesh government and now a leader with the YSR Congress. "Now we are going to lose this size. So no one will take you seriously. Does anyone take Mizoram seriously the way they take a big state like Andhra Pradesh. They wont.''

But reduced political clout is not the only reason why many feel that it is a lose-lose situation for both states. People of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema are ruing that since Hyderabad will longer be their state capital, it will take away the magnetic power the state had to attract investors.

"Any division will have its advantages and disadvantages. For the people of Seemandhra, losing a capital city like Hyderabad, a city that has been developed over decades is a loss. They cannot replicate even if they are given 2 or 3 lakh crores. That kind of money can create infrastructure but it cannot create an economy,'' says K Nageshwar, political analyst.

Somayajulu argues that the administrators of Andhra Pradesh erred by putting all the goodies in the Hyderabad basket as a result of which there is a world of difference between the the state capital and other cities in the state.

"In 2012-13, Andhra Pradesh had a software turnover of 55000 crores out of which Rs.54800 crores was from Hyderabad. Which means 99.9% is from Hyderabad. This means the engine of economic growth is in Hyderabad while the rest of Andhra Pradesh will have only compartments with no engine. That too at a time when agriculture constitutes just 15-16 per cent of GDP. So you cannot have 84 per cent on one side and 16 per cent on the other. Not the best way to divide a state," he says.

According to the Andhra Pradesh finance ministry, Hyderabad accounts for 70 per cent of Andhra Pradesh's tax revenues. In 2012-13, of the state's revenues of 69146 crore rupees, Rs.48400 crore came from Hyderabad and its neighbouring Ranga Reddy district. The revenue from rest of Telangana was Rs.6206 crore, coastal Andhra Rs.10729 crore and Rayalaseema Rs.3809 crores.

However the Justice Srikrishna committee which studied the situation in Andhra Pradesh, believed that Hyderabad as the bone of contention is over hyped. In its 505 page report submitted in January 2011, it said this about economic viability : "Telangana as a new state can sustain itself both with and without Hyderabad. The other combination of regions - coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema - together can also sustain themselves as a state; in fact they can sustain themselves separately.''

The committee's report pointed out that the Telangana region (excluding Hyderabad) ranks 15th in the list of 28 states in terms of absolute GDP. Including Hyderabad, its rank moves up to 13th place. Interestingly, coastal Andhra ranks 13th too in terms of GDP. The laggard is Rayalaseema, whose per capita income is below the all-India average.
 
Former director of Centre for Public Policy and a votary of Telangana, Dr Gautam Pingle therefore believes that this fear of Seemandhra being a Bimaru state is just not true. "If they are bimaru, we are also bimaru. We are in fact worse off. They have capital, entrepreneurship. For last 150 years, they had 2 million acres under both the deltas, thanks to the Brits,'' says Dr Pingle.

However, that has not prevented the battle for a united Andhra Pradesh from becoming a battle to retain control over Hyderabad, some way or the other. Votaries of status quo argue that it is because they are also interested in Hyderabad's prosperity. Being made the capital of a Telangana state, they argue, is killing Brand Hyderabad.

"If it were not to be the capital of a large state like AP, and be just be an erstwhile princely state like Mysore, Junagadh or Gwalior, it would have deteriorated and degenerated. But because it became the capital of a large prosperous state with two deltas, long coastline, minerals, Hyderabad prospered. Now if it were to become the capital of a state with just 17 Lok Sabha seats and not much economic activity in the hinterland of Hyderabad, then Hyderabad will be lost even before the next 10 years. It will be an insignificant metropolis,'' argues Parakala Prabhakar, a votary of united Andhra Pradesh.

However, Telangana activists say that it is time Seemandhra moved on, instead of crying hoarse that all is lost by losing Hyderabad.

"If we took the same view, we would go to Bangalore ten years ago. Because ten years ago, Hyderabad was not an IT hub, Bangalore was. So you have to start somewhere. If you want to present yourself as a location that is favourable and profitable, there is no point saying, we lost Hyderabad," says Pingle.

But Hyderabad is only one part of the issue in this tale of two states. The region whose concerns are being ignored the most in this entire division debate is Rayalaseema, which for all practical purposes, is even more backward than Telangana. Not everyone is confident that the two regions of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema will continue as one state for too long. They point out that culturally and in terms of prosperity and work ethic, people from the two regions are very different. The apprehension is that Rayalaseema will be seen by people of coastal Andhra as a burden, almost like poor cousins. Especially since the region does not have the kind of resource base that coastal Andhra has.

"Rayalaseema's concerns and future are far more important than Hyderabad. Far too many people are focusing on Hyderabad. But we are ignoring central issue of 16 million people. They are most backward districts of India. There is a genuine sense of being orphaned. If we do not address that, we are not really finding a solution,'' says Jayaprakash Narayan.

Which is why there is almost a consensus that Rayalaseema that consists of four districts may want to break away from coastal Andhra, sooner than later. That a trifurcation of present-day Andhra Pradesh will most certainly take place.

G Omkarnath, Professor of Economics at Hyderabad Central University sees an unviability in terms of Seemandhra surviving as one unit. "There would soon be forces who would play up in Rayalaseema. The same forces who came in Telangana will say look, we in Rayalaseema have our own identity and become a third state instead of two states, sooner or later. It calls for tremendous institutional engineering, political statesmanship, vision on part of polity as a whole,'' says Prof Omkarnath.

When advertising professionals Shashi Vadana Reddy and S K Swaroop got married 13 years ago, the fact that Shashi hails from Telangana and Swaroop from Vizag in coastal Andhra, hardly mattered. But now in a situation where Andhra Pradesh is about to be cut into two, Shashi has to walk that extra mile to ensure peace in her household. She says divisions run so deep that people from her side of the family do not even want to give one of their daughters in matrimony to a boy from coastal Andhra.

"Sometimes it becomes a bit heated. For instance, when my aunt comes over. She is totally into Telangana and has very extreme views on it. When she comes over, I make sure Swaroop is not around,'' says Shashi Vadana Reddy.

But it is not so hush-hush when it comes to Telugu films. The manner in which the Telugu film industry, dominated by people from coastal Andhra, portray people from Telangana as comedians, has always been a grouse with those from the region. If a new wave of Telangana filmmakers emerge, that could change though the argument is that films should be made for all nine crore Telugus and not for four crore in Telangana, five crore in Seemandhra and two crore living outside the state.

Eminent film producer D Suresh Babu predicts that there will be one set of filmmakers on both sides who will try to make extreme regional films. "If they have a broader appeal, they will do well across. But if they have only local appeal, they will do well only locally and will slowly die out. Because business needs better films. So they will also come back - the bigger Telangana director and the bigger Vizag director,'' says Suresh Babu.

The situation is worse when it comes to those practising purist cultural traditions. Varsha Bhargavi, a member of the International Dance Council of UNESCO, fears that dance forms that have their roots in coastal Andhra will find the doors of Hyderabad city as an art patron shut on them for ever.

"I feel the bifurcation will really affect the dance forms in Andhra Pradesh especially those performers based out of Vijayawada and Rajahmundry. Already many of them are not allowed to performed in Hyderabad city, which is really the place for the performing arts. We have seen a lot of negative views on Andhra Natyam dance form when we were performing at the Kakatiya dance festival in Warangal last year. We had to announce it as a temple dance tradition instead of Andhra Natyam,'' says Varsha Bhargavi.

If the borders of Andhra Pradesh are redrawn, future generations will witness water wars. That is the prediction, Seemandhra politicians like Kiran Kumar Reddy and Jaganmohan Reddy are making. Their argument is that river water sharing will at best be on paper, but never implemented in letter and spirit by the upper riparian state, which in this case will be Telangana.

Given the confrontationist nature of river water sharing disputes between Karnataka and Tamilnadu and even Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, people from Seemandhra region predict that this division will sound the deathknell for agriculture in coastal Andhra. They point to Andhra Pradesh's experience with Tungabhadra which is jointly managed by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

"We hardly get 50 per cent of the water allotted to us in any year. In the years of flooding, anyway water will come. But in normal years, we do not even get water that is allotted to us. So now you will have another state created and this state with all its resources can utilise all this water. Who are you going to tell? What are we doing to Karnataka?'' says Somayajulu.

Interestingly, experts predict that Telangana region, that is largely dependent on borewells and tanks, and has seen many farmers burdened by debt killing themselves after their crop failed, could now see its agriculture take a turn for the better.

"Telangana agriculture might show more dynamism. Because they don't have a history of irrigation. Traditionally they have had tank irrigation but now tanks have been closing down due to real estate take over. But as they get more and more into river-based irrigation system, it will improve. Already Karimnagar, according to the Srikrishna committee report, is the rice bowl of Telangana. And the rice millers assocation of Karimnagar is very powerful politically,'' says Omkarnath.

Union ministers like Purandareswari and Pallam Raju from Seemandhra, reconciled to the inevitability of bifurcation, are now bargaining for a hefty package to develop the new state. But it will not be easy to attract private capital, unless juicy carrots are dangled. J A Chowdhary, Chief Mentor of The Indus Entrepreneurs points out that if any industrialist has to set up operations in Seemandhra, he will look for incentives such as tax breaks, both sales tax and income tax.

Analysts also warn Seemandhra against making the mistake Andhra Pradesh did and advise the state's future rulers to develop several industrial hubs across the two regions.
 
But it is not as if everything is hunky dory for Telangana state. Over focussing on Hyderabad could be a strategic error as would be to use the city only as a money-minting machine for the state exchequer. Experts point out that huge differences within Telangana - between a tribal Adilabad and a Mahbubnagar prone to large scale migrations - will have to be reconciled in a more socialist development ecosystem.

Many like chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy have argued that the lights will be off the moment Telangana becomes a separate state. That is because it will be a power deficit state. Telangana region now produces 57 million units in a day, but consumes about 115 million units. If the lift irrigation schemes in Telangana were to be implemented, it would need another 175 million units everyday. Which means the state will face a daily shortfall of over 200 million units. The result will either be loadshedding or a drain on the state exchequer to buy power from other states.

Telangana leaders admit the power situation will remain a concern in a future new state but say they will manage it. "Hyderabad is the hinterland of Telangana and is the economic engine that drives Andhra Pradesh today and will drive Telangana tomorrow. So Telangana being a surplus state can buy power from Andhra or Chhattisgarh and if we get grid connectivity, even from the north east. If power is the only issue, there are avenues to make up for the deficit. But yes, we admit that Telangana as on today will be short on power," says K T Rama Rao, TRS leader.

For the last four years, Andhra Pradesh has been a house divided, a case of Us versus Them, with the differences on regional lines completely exposed. But the real test starts now. For people in both states. They need to ensure that while united they stood, divided too they will not fall.

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On Dhanteras, Sensex hits an all time high of 21,230 after 5 years

The BSE benchmark Sensex on Friday hit a life-time high of 21,293.88 by gaining over 129 points in opening trade on sustained foreign fund inflows in banking, auto, metal and realty sectors.

                         

Rising for the fourth straight session, the Sensex rose 129.36 points, or 0.61 per cent, to trade at record high of 21,293.88 points, surpassing previous intra-day record high of 21,206.77 reached on January 10, 2008. It had rallied 594.24 points in the past three sessions.

Stock brokers said sentiments remained bullish on continued foreign funds inflow and the RBI easing liquidity situation by cutting marginal standing facility (MSF) to 8.75 per cent in its monetary policy on Tuesday.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty rose by 33.45 points, or 0.53 per cent, to 6,332.60.

A mixed trend in the Asian region also influenced the trading sentiment here, they said.

The BSE realty sector index was trading 1.50 per cent higher to 1,363.65 as stocks of DLF moved up (1.58 per cent), followed by HDIL (3.05 per cent), Unitech (0.57 per cent).

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On Dhanteras, Sensex hits an all time high of 21,230 after 5 years

The BSE benchmark Sensex on Friday hit a life-time high of 21,293.88 by gaining over 129 points in opening trade on sustained foreign fund inflows in banking, auto, metal and realty sectors.

                         

Rising for the fourth straight session, the Sensex rose 129.36 points, or 0.61 per cent, to trade at record high of 21,293.88 points, surpassing previous intra-day record high of 21,206.77 reached on January 10, 2008. It had rallied 594.24 points in the past three sessions.

Stock brokers said sentiments remained bullish on continued foreign funds inflow and the RBI easing liquidity situation by cutting marginal standing facility (MSF) to 8.75 per cent in its monetary policy on Tuesday.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty rose by 33.45 points, or 0.53 per cent, to 6,332.60.

A mixed trend in the Asian region also influenced the trading sentiment here, they said.

The BSE realty sector index was trading 1.50 per cent higher to 1,363.65 as stocks of DLF moved up (1.58 per cent), followed by HDIL (3.05 per cent), Unitech (0.57 per cent).

Read More

On Dhanteras, Sensex hits an all time high of 21,230 after 5 years

The BSE benchmark Sensex on Friday hit a life-time high of 21,293.88 by gaining over 129 points in opening trade on sustained foreign fund inflows in banking, auto, metal and realty sectors.

                         

Rising for the fourth straight session, the Sensex rose 129.36 points, or 0.61 per cent, to trade at record high of 21,293.88 points, surpassing previous intra-day record high of 21,206.77 reached on January 10, 2008. It had rallied 594.24 points in the past three sessions.

Stock brokers said sentiments remained bullish on continued foreign funds inflow and the RBI easing liquidity situation by cutting marginal standing facility (MSF) to 8.75 per cent in its monetary policy on Tuesday.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty rose by 33.45 points, or 0.53 per cent, to 6,332.60.

A mixed trend in the Asian region also influenced the trading sentiment here, they said.

The BSE realty sector index was trading 1.50 per cent higher to 1,363.65 as stocks of DLF moved up (1.58 per cent), followed by HDIL (3.05 per cent), Unitech (0.57 per cent).

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Unique Ways To Be Successful And Happy.

Leading a happy and peaceful life is the key to a successful life. We associate happiness with being successful, but the real trick is that every person should seek happiness in life first, success will indeed follow automatically.

So keep aside the burning question of how to be successful and instead relax and be happy. Happy, calm and peaceful mind is the cultivator of successful ideas and life. MensXP tells you unique ways to be happy and successful:

Be Yourself

Image Credit: Shutterstock

To be happy is to be yourself. Don’t stress yourself by trying to be someone that your wife, boss or any other person wants you to be. Accept your shortcomings and flaws, and work on them. Remember no human is perfect!

Do What You Love

Image Credit: Thinkstock

In the pursuit of materialistic things we often forget what we love doing. In the race of being successful don’t ignore things which appeal to your heart rather than your pocket because as we all know money cannot buy happiness. Follow your heart and don’t follow fads.

Take Out Time For Loved Ones

Image Credit: Thinkstock

Late office hours, work pressure often drift away relationships that once ruled our lives. Friends and relatives have now been limited to just Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp. Relax, take a breath and take out some quality time to hang out with your dear ones. No gadget is a substitute to a warm company of friends or relatives.

Do One Thing At A Time

Image Credit: Thinkstock

Don’t try to be a hero by trying to prove that you can multitask every time. Multitasking is good but it’s not good all the time. Make a list and prioritize your work. Perform one task at a moment which will in return increase your efficiency of work and will provide a sense of accomplishment and control.

Lower Your Expectations

Image Credit: Thinkstock

Expectations are the biggest cause of melancholy. We all have expectations. Expectations are not bad but expecting more and more out of someone or yourself hurts in the end. Be efficient at your work and relations, but don’t stress yourself with more and more useless expectations

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Unique Ways To Be Successful And Happy

Leading a happy and peaceful life is the key to a successful life. We associate happiness with being successful, but the real trick is that every person should seek happiness in life first, success will indeed follow automatically.

So keep aside the burning question of how to be successful and instead relax and be happy. Happy, calm and peaceful mind is the cultivator of successful ideas and life. MensXP tells you unique ways to be happy and successful:

Be Yourself

Image Credit: Shutterstock

To be happy is to be yourself. Don’t stress yourself by trying to be someone that your wife, boss or any other person wants you to be. Accept your shortcomings and flaws, and work on them. Remember no human is perfect!

Do What You Love

Image Credit: Thinkstock

In the pursuit of materialistic things we often forget what we love doing. In the race of being successful don’t ignore things which appeal to your heart rather than your pocket because as we all know money cannot buy happiness. Follow your heart and don’t follow fads.

Take Out Time For Loved Ones

Image Credit: Thinkstock

Late office hours, work pressure often drift away relationships that once ruled our lives. Friends and relatives have now been limited to just Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp. Relax, take a breath and take out some quality time to hang out with your dear ones. No gadget is a substitute to a warm company of friends or relatives.

Do One Thing At A Time

Image Credit: Thinkstock

Don’t try to be a hero by trying to prove that you can multitask every time. Multitasking is good but it’s not good all the time. Make a list and prioritize your work. Perform one task at a moment which will in return increase your efficiency of work and will provide a sense of accomplishment and control.

Lower Your Expectations

Image Credit: Thinkstock

Expectations are the biggest cause of melancholy. We all have expectations. Expectations are not bad but expecting more and more out of someone or yourself hurts in the end. Be efficient at your work and relations, but don’t stress yourself with more and more useless expectations

Read More

Unique Ways To Be Successful And Happy

Leading a happy and peaceful life is the key to a successful life. We associate happiness with being successful, but the real trick is that every person should seek happiness in life first, success will indeed follow automatically.

So keep aside the burning question of how to be successful and instead relax and be happy. Happy, calm and peaceful mind is the cultivator of successful ideas and life. MensXP tells you unique ways to be happy and successful:

Be Yourself

Image Credit: Shutterstock

To be happy is to be yourself. Don’t stress yourself by trying to be someone that your wife, boss or any other person wants you to be. Accept your shortcomings and flaws, and work on them. Remember no human is perfect!

Do What You Love

Image Credit: Thinkstock

In the pursuit of materialistic things we often forget what we love doing. In the race of being successful don’t ignore things which appeal to your heart rather than your pocket because as we all know money cannot buy happiness. Follow your heart and don’t follow fads.

Take Out Time For Loved Ones

Image Credit: Thinkstock

Late office hours, work pressure often drift away relationships that once ruled our lives. Friends and relatives have now been limited to just Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp. Relax, take a breath and take out some quality time to hang out with your dear ones. No gadget is a substitute to a warm company of friends or relatives.

Do One Thing At A Time

Image Credit: Thinkstock

Don’t try to be a hero by trying to prove that you can multitask every time. Multitasking is good but it’s not good all the time. Make a list and prioritize your work. Perform one task at a moment which will in return increase your efficiency of work and will provide a sense of accomplishment and control.

Lower Your Expectations

Image Credit: Thinkstock

Expectations are the biggest cause of melancholy. We all have expectations. Expectations are not bad but expecting more and more out of someone or yourself hurts in the end. Be efficient at your work and relations, but don’t stress yourself with more and more useless expectations

Read More

Sardar Patel birth anniversary: Modi says country needs secularism of Sardar Patel, not that of vote bank.

The country needed the secularism of Sardar Patel and not that of vote bank politics, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.

He was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a statue of Sardar Patel, country's first deputy prime minister, near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat. 

The Statue of Unity will be the world's tallest at 183 metres. 

"I met the prime minister some days back. He said a good thing. The media misinterpreted it. The PM said Sardar Patel was true secular. I welcome his statement. The country today needs the secularism of Sardar Patel. It does not need the secularism of vote bank politics." 

"He (Sardar Patel) was secular but that didn't come in the way of his rebuilding the Somanth Temple." 

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi with L K Advani.

But Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, also subtly attacked the PM for saying in his speech on Tuesday at the inauguration of a museum on Sardar Patel that the freedom fighter was a Congress leader.

"Will we only honour those who are BJP members? We will honour all those who lived and died for the nation."

Hitting out at Congress' accusations that he (Modi) was trying to usurp Sardar Patel's legacy, Modi said leaders such as Rana Pratap, Bhagat Singh and Shivaji were not from the BJP but he respected them all.

Modi said though Mahatma Gandhi fought to free the country of untouchability, "political untouchability" still existed. 

"We should not also try and remove political untouchability." 

Modi said B.R. Ambedker was like god for the oppressed and the dalits and it did not matter which party he belonged to. 

"It is not asked from which party he was. His life was an inspiration. It is joint legacy and we should be proud of it," he said. 

"But when we built Mahatma Gandhi Mandir, no one challenged us. No one said Modi is from BJP but Gandhi was not from the BJP," he said.

He said earlier, the central government did not give out advertisements on Sardar Patel's birth anniversary on October 31. 

People at the rally in Gujarat.

"Not any more. This is the Gujarat effect," he said. 

'Don't play politics on Sardar Sarovar dam'

He said the dam on Narmada was the dream of Sardar Patel and questioned the PM for holding up the completion of the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada river.

He said the PM must put the country before his party and allow the gates to be built on the dam. He said he was willing to give the credit for the completion of the dam to the central government. 

"I request the Prime Minister that Mahaarrsta, Gujarat and Rajasthan need water and electricity,

I am willing to put a plaque that the government in Delhi did the work, don't even want to name Modi. Buut please, Let the work on the dam be completed. There should not be politics on this issue," he said. 

"The voice of the poor, farmers and plants and animals of Gujarat will reach the Prime Minister.

The country's welfare more important than party's," he said. 

'Statue of Unity will give India a global position' 

Earlier, Modi said the statue, to be the world's tallest, will draw the world's attention to India. 

"Why shouldn't India be seen with pride? Who cared about China in the earlier days. Then they made Shanghai.

World looked at Japan when it created bullet train," he said. 

"It is important to do our global positioning. We need to emerge as a strong nation and there are various ways of doing it. The height of the state will force the world to look at India and the great leader," he said. 

"The statue will be an inspiration for the country and a tourist attraction for the world," he said. 

Highlights of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's speech:

-- Many people dreamt of this, made suggestions. That's how the statue of unity was born. 

-- Decision has been taken to create a new garudeshwar taluka for the people of Narmada district. 

-- It was dream of Sardar Patel that a dam be built on Narmada and its water is now going to Gujarat and other states. 

-- Our govt spent more money on the project that all the previous governments. We are working to make true the dreams of Sardar.

-- Had it not been for dam's water, who would have helped us? 

Modi being welcomed by the party leaders in Gujarat.

-- Why shouldn't India be seen with pride? Who cared about China in the earlier days. Then they made Shanghai.

-- World looked at Japan when it created bullet train. 

-- It is important to do our global positioning. We need to emerge as a strength in the world and there are various ways of doing it. 

-The height of the state will force the world to look at India and the great leader. 

-- After Chanakya, the person who made the effort to unite the country was Sardar Patel. 

-- Will we only honour those who are BJP members? No. We will honour those who lived and died for the nation.

-- Don't link Sardar Patel with any party. Don't divide legacy. It's a joint legacy. 

-- We must end political discrimination. 

-- PM said a good thing on Tuesday. The media misinterpreted it. He said Sardar Patel was a true secular. The country wants secularism of Sardar Patel and not the secularism of vote bank politics. 

-- He worked to join the country and not divide it. I welcome the PM's statement. 

-- B.R. Ambedker was like god for the oppressed and the dalits. It is not asked from which party he was. His life was an inspiration. It is joint legacy and we should be proud of it.

-- When we made Mahatma Gandhi Mandir, no one challenged us. No one said Modi is from BJP but Gandhi was not from BJP. 

-- There were no government ads on Sardar Patel on his birth anniversary on October 31. Not any more. This is the Gujarat effect. 

-- The next generation should get linked to history. There should be social system that tries to forget history. The statue will be intact for centuries. 

-- Some people have taken the supari to finish Modi. 

--  Country's welfare more important than party's.

Listen: Sardar Patel's speech on secularism

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