Monsoon covers entire country but may begin to weaken #SWMonsoon

The South-West monsoon has covered the entire country at least a fortnight ahead of schedule in what has been a spectacular and punishing opening spell.

Progress of monsoon so far has been good but it may start weakening from July, a former Director-General of the India Met Department told Business Line.

ABOVE NORMAL

June was expected to turn in above normal rainfall at the end of one of the best productive phases following an onset, he said.

Meanwhile, Climate Prediction Centre of the US National Weather Services suspected that monsoon activity might start to weaken from next week. Rains may relapse to below ‘climatological mean’ (historical normal for a given period) towards end-June and into July.

DRY WINDS

Paresh Nerurkar, a senior commander with Air India, told Business Line from Kolkata on Sunday that he could detect dry westerlies penetrating the North-West as they blew in from across the border.

On Sunday, the IMD too detected a western disturbance with a strong band of westerly winds parked just outside of Rajasthan-Gujarat. US National Centres of Environmental Prediction too showed skies clearing up over Northwest India (especially western parts) later during this week.

A low-pressure area was bringing heavy rains over Central India but could weaken under the onslaught of the dry westerly winds.

MONSOON LULL?

Drawing from experience, he said conditions reminded him of an impending lull in monsoon. ‘Break-monsoon’ is an inevitable recess after a rain pulse runs it course.

Depending on the extent to which it sustains, break-monsoon can decide fate of the early sown crops, especially during the humongous run in the onset phase of monsoon this year.

The former top official of Met Department cited model predictions to indicate that monsoon could hold good over North India until at least June 20 (Thursday).

It might weaken slightly in the first week of July. As of now, one of the regions where it had been weak was Bihar, he added.

Vinson Kurian  - vinson.kurian@thehindu.co.in

Telegram Breathes Its Last As the Internet Age Takes Over

Telegram was once upon a time the only means of mailing urgent news to the near and dear ones and is on the verge of extinction. It will finally end its long held era this July 15 with the dominance of information technology like mobile phones and internet, as reported by TOI.

It was in the year 1850 when the telegraphic service started its operations in India initially by cable and later wireless as it urged the Indian telecom to overtake it.

Telegraphy which was taken over by cash ridden BSNL from the postal department had increased charges two years ago, from Rs 4 for 50 words to Rs 50. The international telegrams were done away with two months ago and now, the domestic taar is set to come to an end.

BSNL took over the telegram services from the postal department in 1990’s. The BSNL can no longer meet the expenses of continuing the telegram service which has remained inactive with the rising trends of SMSs, emails, fax and smart phones for few years now so it has incurred a loss of over Rs 17,000 crore in the past two fiscals. Even with its losses, BSNL still held on to this 163 year old legacy and made two last-final attempts to keep it alive.

There was a price hiked of telegraph in 2011 after a span of six decades which was priced at Rs 50 for 50 words. This increase in price also failed to make the service possible for the loss-making PSU. Following all the mess, BSNL then seek the government’s help to support the commercially outdated product but the government asked them to find out if it is still in use in today’s world.

BSNL finally decided to stop this service after consulting the department of post in a circular issued by Shameem Akhtar, senior GM (telegraph services).

“The telegram had lost its relevance. The basic idea of a taar was to send a message fast. Now SMS, fax and emails do that job. With smart phones, people send and receive emails on the move. So when we sought government support to keep the telegram alive, we were asked to decide its fate on a commercial basis and hence will now be discontinuing the service,” said a senior BSNL official, reported TOI.

The employees of the telegraph department will now be shifted to mobile services, landline telephony and broadband services over the next few months.

The history of Indian telecom started with the first experimental electric telegraph line that was started between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour. The following year, the British East India Company began to use it.

The telecom service was available to the masses from the year 1854. Till the year 1902, telegraphs were sent by wires after which it adopted the wireless method.

India Sitting On Ecological Time Bomb: Loses 333 Acres of Forest Daily

India records for a great amount of forest cover being lost. The extent of forest land being diverted across the nation on an average is 135 hectares (around 333 acres) per day, reported Rohith B R for TNN. These diversions are done stating various reasons like coal mines, industrial or river valley projects, thermal power plants, etc, revealed recent data acquired through RTI from the ministry of environment and forests by environmentalists.

The blatant truth is that large tracts of forest land are being handed over to public and private agencies who claim to use the forest land for development projects.

The figure is said to be much higher as the analysis relates only to projects which have sought more than 40 hectares of area, as per Members of the Environment Impact Assessment Resources and Response Centre (eRc), who were instrumental in compiling the data.

Karnataka is one of the states that has been diverting forest land, informed Ritwik Dutta, an advocate with Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE). He said that “Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh and Jharkhand are some of the other states which are into largescale diversions. We are compiling state-specific data on the extent of land being diverted,” as reported by TNN.

Dutta is also of the opinion that more awareness is needed among the people to challenge such projects, and they should appeal before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against diversions.

Further as per Neeraj Vagholikar of Kalpavriksh, an environmental action group, in spite of India losing existing forest cover, the central government releases figures on increase in green cover every year. He said that “The trick is that the forest department manages to add compensatory afforestation programmes to the total forest cover. In reality, such forest cover is virtually non-existent; nobody is sure whether such programmes will be implemented in future or not,” as reported by TNN.

The forest cover deteriorating at such an alarming rate is an indication of feeble laws that fail to protect the green reserves, inturn harming the environment. It is time the government addresses the issues before it is too late. Quoting the great Mahatama Gandhi “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.”

Arianespace to launch India’s INSAT-3D spacecraft on July 26

Computational fluid dynamics simulations have been carried out in-house for incremental effects on protrusion, overall aerodynamic load distribution and distribution on protrusions, according to ISRO.

European space consortium Arianespace would launch India’s INSAT-3D, an exclusive meteorological satellite, from its spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana on July 26.

INSAT-3D is configured with advanced meteorological payloads – a six Channel Imager, 19 Channel Sounder along with data relay transponder and satellite aided search and rescue payloads, an official of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) told PTI here today.

“The spacecraft platform is adopted from the standard I-2K bus with a power handling capability of around 1100 W with a lift off mass of 2090 kg,” the official said.

India has also contracted Arianespace to launch (expected in August) GSAT-7, a multi-band satellite carrying payloads in UHF, S-band, C-band and Ku-band. The satellite employs the standard 2000 kg class bus (I-2K) platform with power handling capability of around 3000 W and lift-off mass of 2550 kg.

ISRO sources said preparations are on at the second launch pad at the spaceport of Sriharikota for the launch of GSLV-D5 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Development flight 5) in August.

GSLV-D5 aerodynamic characterisation has been revisited following the back-to-back failure of GSLV flights — one with indigenous cryogenic engine and another with a Russian-made one in 2010.

Force measurements, steady and unsteady pressure measurements and aero elastic tests have already been conducted using wind tunnel models at National Aerospace Laboratory, Bangalore and Glavkosmos, Russia.

Computational fluid dynamics simulations have been carried out in-house for incremental effects on protrusion, overall aerodynamic load distribution and distribution on protrusions, according to ISRO.

GSLV-D5 would carry GSAT-14 satellite with six extended C band and six Ku band transponders, envisaged to enhance communication transponder capacity.

The satellite employs the standard 2000 Kg class bus (I-2K) with a power handling capability of around 2.5 KW and a lift-off mass of 1980 kg, the space agency added.

Indian cricket’s mega-rich: Djokovic, Alonso poorer than Dhoni; Sachin richer than Rooney

Forbes rich list has two Indian cricketers richer than many global sporting icons

Normally, it might be seen as something to be proud of.

A game coming of age on the global stage.

However, Indian cricketers do not want the spotlight on their wealth. Not at this time when the Indian Premier League T20’s 6th edition– one of the biggest cash cows for cricketers across the globe – is under a huge cloud of illegal betting and spot-fixing.

India’s cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in the Top 20 of Forbes’ latest list of the world’s highest-paid athletes.

MSD is at number 16 on the list with Forbes citing his total earnings at $31.5 million, salary and winnings at $3.5 million and endorsements at $28 million.

Dhoni is currently battling questions raised by the Indian media about a conflict of interest he has by holding a stake in a sports company that manages some of the players in the Indian cricket team.

Dhoni also captains the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), a team that is in the eye of the IPL match-fixing, betting scandal, with one of its owners in a police probe over spot-fixing.

Dhoni could have done without the focus on his wealth at this point in time.

What is really impressive about the Forbes ranking is Dhoni’s position vis-à-vis other global athletes.

Consider this.

There is only one other cricketer in the top 100.

Sachin Tendulkar, despite his age and his drop in form, still pulls in the bucks.

Wayne Rooney. (AFP)

Forbes has his wealth broken down as Total Earnings: $22 million; Salary/winnings: $4 million; Endorsements: $18 million. Where is he on the list? At number 51.

Much lower than Dhoni, but, higher than Wayne Rooney who can only make it to number 61 on the list with total earnings at $21.1 million, salary/winnings at $18.1 million and endorsements at $3 million.

Dhoni sits high above these two global brand icons and leaves some other big name sportspersons way down the list.

Maria Sharapova (Getty)

Among those that cannot match the owner of cricket’s ‘helicopter shot’ are Fernando Alonso at number 19 (total earnings: $30 million), Maria Sharapova at 22 (total earnings: $29 million), Novak Djokovic at 28 (total earnings: $26.9 million), Rafael Nadal at 30 (total earnings: $26.4 million) and the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt, who can only make number 40 on Forbes’ list with total earnings of $24.2 million.

Dhoni is rich. So rich in fact that he is now in the company of boxing’s elite. Dhoni at number 16 on the list has two of the richest sportsmen in history sitting just above him. These two have more often than not been at the top of this list.

Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao both sit at number 14, just above Dhoni. Floyd’s total earnings according to Forbes is $34 million as is Filipino legend Pacquiao’s.

May be one more IPL and MSD will over-take them as well.

The World’s Top 10 Highest-Paid Athletes

#1 Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods (REUTERS)

Total Earnings: $78.1 million
Salary/winnings: $13.1 million
Endorsements: $65 million
 
#2 Roger Federer

Roger Federer (AFP)

Total Earnings: $71.5 million
Salary/winnings: $6.5 million
Endorsements: $65 million
 
#3 Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant (AP)

Total earnings: $61.9 million
Salary/winnings: $27.9 million
Endorsements: $34 million
 
#4 LeBron James

Total Earnings: $59.8 million
Salary/winnings: $17.8 million
Endorsements: $42 million
 
#5 Drew Brees

Total Earnings: $51 million
Salary/winnings: $40 million
Endorsements: $11 million
 
#6 Aaron Rodgers

Total Earnings: $49 million
Salary/winnings: $43 million
Endorsements: $6 million
 
#7 Phil Mickelson

Total Earnings: $48.7 million
Salary/winnings: $4.7 million
Endorsements: $44 million
 
#8 David Beckham

David Beckham (AFP)

Total Earnings: $47.2 million
Salary/winnings: $5.2 million
Endorsements: $42 million
 
#9 Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo (AP)

Total Earnings: $44 million
Salary/winnings: $23 million
Endorsements: $21 million
 
#10 Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi (Getty)

Total Earnings: $41.3 million
Salary/winnings: $20.3 million
Endorsements: $21 million
 
List courtesy Forbes.com
 
Boxers down, Tiger on top

Manny Pacquiao (AFP) and Floyd Mayweather (Getty/Gallo)

Tiger Woods, whose four wins this season have seen him return to the top of golf’s world rankings, is also back on top of Forbes’ list of highest-paid sports figures.

An article posted on the magazine’s website this week gives the rundown of the 2013 list, which will appear in the June 24 issue.

Woods had topped the Forbes list from 2001-2011 — staying there despite the loss of some sponsors in the wake of the sex scandal that engulfed him in November of 2009.

But he fell to third last year, behind boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

Forbes calculates he is back on top, raking in $78.1 million over the 12 months from June 1, 2012 through June 1, 2013 from prize money, endorsements, appearance fees and golf course design work.

His resurgence on the course has seen him double his prize money from the previous 12 months.

According to Forbes, Woods’s victories have further boosted his income thanks to bonuses tied to wins from sponsors Nike and Rolex, while his course design business is improving after some setbacks.

Swiss tennis great Roger Federer ranks second on the list with earnings of $71.5 million, while Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is third at 61.9 million.

Miami Heat star LeBron James, the NBA Most Valuable Player whose team is battling to repeat as champion this season, came in fourth with $59.8 million and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed the top five with $51 million.

Mayweather dropped from first to 14th this year — tied with Filipino fight king Pacquiao.

Mayweather had earnings of $34 million from his fight with Robert Guerrero in May, while in the period covered for the 2012 list he fought twice.

Pacquiao netted $26 million from his December fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, according to Forbes, which reckons Pacquiao also pulled in an estimated $8 million in endorsements.

Russian Maria Sharapova was the highest earning woman on the list, in 22nd place. Fellow tennis players Serena Williams of the United States and Li Na of China were the only other women in the list of 100 sports figures.

Forbes based its earnings figures on salaries, bonuses, prize money, appearance fees and licensing and endorsement income for the 12 months between June 1, 2012 and June 1, 2013.

MS Dhoni holds no shareholding in Rhiti Sports: Firm

It was reported in the media that Dhoni has a 15% stake in Rhiti Sports which also manages Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Pragyan Ojha, besides the Indian captain.

As a controversy broke out over alleged conflict of interest of Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, sports management firm Rhiti Sports on Monday said he holds no stake in the company.

It was reported in the media that Dhoni has a 15% stake in Rhiti Sports which also manages Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Pragyan Ojha, besides the Indian captain.

However, the firm said that Dhoni was a shareholder only for a brief period, and currently has no stake.

“As on date, MSD holds no shareholding in Rhiti Sports Management (P) Ltd. However, it is made clear that shareholding was allotted to MSD on 22.03.2013 only to secure certain old outstandings which were due for more than one year.

“Further, the payments were cleared in April 2013 and the shareholding was transferred back to promoter of the company on 26.04.2013,” Rhiti Sports chairman Arun Pandey said in a statement.

In 2010, Dhoni signed up with Rhiti Sports reportedly for Rs 210 crore, an average of Rs 70 crore a year, the costliest deal in Indian cricket.

“We at Rhiti Sports Management Pvt Ltd are greatly aggrieved at the widespread media reports regarding alleged conflict of interest of MSD.

“Though not obligated to but in order to put at rest these widespread speculations, we are issuing the following statement to bring in knowledge the correct factual matrix.

“It is made clear that the Management of Rhiti Sports Management (P) Ltd understands its obligations to the field of sport and the country and adheres to the laws of the land,” he added in the statement.

Interestingly, two of these players — Raina and Jadeja — are part of the same IPL franchise, the Chennai Super Kings, which is also captained by Dhoni.

Ojha had joined Rhiti Sports during Australia‘s last tour of India.

While there were no comments from Dhoni, pacer Rudra Pratap Singh, whose name was also mentioned in the report as one of the players managed by Rhiti Sports, denied having any association with the firm.

“Don’t know what exactly is running in the news but just to clarify I am not with Rhiti Sports,” tweeted

R P Singh after the report came out.

RP Singh has played 14 Tests and 58 ODIs for India. He has taken 40 wickets in the longer format and has 69 scalps in the one-dayers.

He has been out of favour for some time and has not played a Test or ODI since 2011.

PTI

Related articles

• MS Dhoni not a shareholder of the company: Rhiti Sports (ibnlive.in.com)
• Dhoni currently not a shareholder: Rhiti Sports (vancouverdesi.com)

Spend On Your Children and Get Tax Benefits

We all look for different ways to save money from paying tax. Taking a home loan, car loan or buying a health insurance policy, are some of the easiest ways to reduce your money on tax payment.

Moreover did you know that you could save money on tax even by making an investment on your children?

Children are the most important part of our lives. Despite raising expenses we make sure that we give the best to our children. Be it education, spending on their health and indulge them in extra activities to name a few.

However section 80c of the Indian constitution says that if you make any expenses or investment in your child’s name which is within 1 lakh, you will be eligible for special tax benefits.

“Economic Times” has listed out 7 ways that will help you reduce your tax outflow.

1. Education Loan

Education is the basic necessity in everyone’s life. There are number of benefits one gets from education, but the most important part is to gain knowledge.

As education has become very expensive today, it is very essential to plan out well for your child’s higher education.

Taking education loan is the best way to fund your child’s education, as the interest you pay on the loan is fully tax deductible under Section 80E of the Income Tax Act.

This loan can be taken from any recognized financial institutions by the borrower, parents or spouse of the student. Such kind of a loan is given on full time graduate courses that include engineering, medicine, management or any post graduate courses.

2. Expenditure on Tuition Fees

Most of the schools, colleges and universities in India have some fixed amount as tuition fees which the parents have to pay. If you are paying certain amount which is within 1 lakh, you are eligible to get tax deductibles under section 80C of the Indian constitution.

Tuition fees does not include charges like development fees, donation or any other with similar nature, that is paid either at the time of admission or thereafter.

Moreover, tax benefits are only applicable if your child is studying in schools, colleges or universities that are located in India.

However, one parent is eligible for tax deduction for only two dependent children and is only valid to the actual tuition fees paid. Both husband and wife have two separate limits of two children, so that each can claim for both the children.

3. Premiums on Health Insurance

For parents, their children are their main priority. No matter how critical they are financially, parents usually try to buy everything their children ask and make them happy. But, the only situation parents usually feel helpless is when their children fall sick.

When children fall sick, parents have to depend on doctors and price of treatment and medication will depend upon the severity of the disease.

If you are a parent who is financial not stable, will have to suffer both financially and emotionally, by seeing their child suffering. Infact, health expenses may even lead to financial breakdown in the family.

To safeguard yourself from such situations, it’s always better to get your child insured. The insurer will typically pay the medical expenses of the insured due to problems like accidents, or other common sickness to name a few.

There are many private and government companies that offer child health insurance. The amount of premium you pay towards the plan also has a deduction of up to 15, 000 in a year.

4. Treatment for Disabled Children and Other Ailments

The income tax department act of India has given special deductions to parents of disabled children.
The amount that will be incurred for the treatment of the disabled children will fall under two sections.
a) Under section 80DD of the Act, the expenses that are incurred towards the treatment of the dependent children who are disabled are eligible for deduction.
Infact, the parents of the disabled will get deduction of up to 50, 000 in case of normal disability (impairment of at least 40 percent) and up to 1 lakh if the disability is severe (impairment of 80 percent or above).

5. Deduction of allowances

There are multiple allowances that income tax Act has specified, which the company or the employer will deduct from your income.Firstly, 300 per month per child is allowed, which will go up to a maximum of 2 children.
Second is the education allowance, which is 100 per month per child up to a maximum of two children is exempted from income.
These above allowances are still not applicable in India, but the income tax department has plans of bringing this into action at the earliest.Even when it comes to medical expenditure which is incurred for dependent children are allowed with the deduction limit of 15, 000 per year on furnishing of medical bills.
In today’s date where there is inflation, the amount of deduction that are applied is an insignificant amount today, since the deduction limits were made several years ago.

b) Sec 80DDB of the Act allows deduction of income for up to 40, 000 if there is treatment provided for the specified type of illness.

 6. Invest On Your Minor Child

You can increase your income, if you make an investment in your minor child’s name, the income that you gain from that investment will be clubbed along with your personal income.

This is only allowed for up to two children.

For instance, you can keep a long term fixed deposit of up to 15, 000 that will fetch you about 10 percent as an annual return which is also tax exempted.

7. Form a Trust

     
If you are a parent, you will be forced in one way or the other to incur various kinds of expenses on them.The easiest way to cut down on your tax payment is to set up a trust in your minor child’s name. All you have to do is to make a permanent transfer to the trust so that you will not have to claim the money.
Once you have made investment in trust the income that you make through this will not be clubbed with your income.

Amazing Benefits Of Neem Oil For Skin And Hair : #Beauty

Grown throughout India, neem tree is well known not only for its medicinal properties but also for taking care of environmental issues. Neem trees are native to India and other parts of Asia and are known as Margosa Tree in English and their botanical term is Azadirachta Indica.  Neem is a multipurpose herb and because of its exceptional medicinal properties of curing illness, it is often referred to as “plant with a promise”.

In ancient Vedas, neem tree is referred to “Sarva Roga Nirvarini” – one capable of curing every illness and ailments. Neem has been used in India since thousands of years and is used extensively in many Ayurveda medicines for its disease fighting properties. Every part of the tree, branch, leaves, barks, fruits, flowers and root are extremely beneficial as they contain azadirachtin compound which gives neem its anti-bacterial, antifungal and anti-parasitic properties. Neem is extremely beneficial in treating various infections and strengthening the immune system. Besides its several health benefits it is also used in a variety of household products. Neem is a safe product to use and does not lead to any side effects.

From this tree comes the famed neem oil. Neem oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the fruits and seeds of neem tree. The oil is light to dark brown in colour depending upon its method of processing. It is very bitter in taste mainly because of its triglycerides and triterpenoid compounds. It is used for several purposes. Neem oil contains fatty acids like oleic acid and linoleic acid which are beneficial for the skin. The benefits of neem oil are many.

A. Benefits Of Neem Oil For Hair

1. Weekly application of neem oil can result in healthier scalp and healthy hair. Massage the oil well into the scalp and leave it overnight or apply it prior to washing. When using neem oil, dilute it with some other carrier oils like almond oil or coconut oil as neem is a very strong oil and has a strong smell which people with sensitive noses might find difficult to tolerate. Apart from the odour, the concentrated nature of neem oil may cause reactions to people with sensitive skin.

2. Neem oil is a natural cure for dandruff and dry scalp.  Many dandruff shampoos utilize neem oil and regular usage can prevent dandruff from forming. Neem shampoo is the most convenient way to prevent other scalp ailments like itchy scalp and psoriasis. Regular application of the oil can also help to resolve thinning issue as the oil promotes hair growth and strengthens hair from the roots.

3. Neem oil can also be used to condition rough and frizzy hair.  Add a few drops of oil to the shampoo and then apply the shampoo on your hair and leave it for a while. The hair will retain a nice shine once the hair gets dried.

4. Neem oil is a safe way to remove head lice. Other chemical products to remove lice can lead to several undesired effects on the scalp. Leave the neem oil overnight and then comb with a nit comb to remove lice. Neem oil does not have any adverse effects and there has been no allergic reaction to neem.

5. Neem oil is also known for its ability to increase hair growth. It can be used to counter the effects of hair thinning due various reasons including stress, medication, pollution and more. It promotes hair growth and improves the quality of your hair at the same time.

B. Benefits Of Neem Oil For Skin

Neem oil is loaded with nutrients and is used in a variety of lotions, creams soaps and of course cosmetics. It is extremely beneficial for eczema prone skin and will benefit people who suffer from psoriasis and acne. Its astringent properties help to cure minor cuts and wounds. Probably this is the reason ointments carry neem oil as it primary component.  Neem oil helps to relieve dry and itchy skin.

6. Neem contains high level of antioxidants which protect the skin from environmental damage. It also contains carotenoids which provide high antioxidants that defend the skin against age promoting free radicals. Neem oil is high in essential fatty acids and Vitamins. It gets easily absorbed by the skin and rejuvenates it and improves its elasticity. With regular usage, neem also smoothens wrinkles and fine lines, thus fights the signs of ageing.

7. Neem oil is ideal for acne prone skin because it clears up pimples and removes bacteria that cause break outs. Neem oil contains aspirin like compound which removes the acne causing bacteria from the skin. It also helps to reduce redness and inflammation. The high fatty acid content in neem oil prevents and treats scar that occurs because of acne and is non comedogenic. It can also be used as a face mask to remove the entire impurities ad tightens the pores.

8. The root of eczema mainly lies in the genes and runs in the family. Neem oil helps to relieve eczema symptoms but cannot cure the root cause of eczema. Since neem is particularly high in Vitamin E and fatty acids, it quickly penetrates the outer layer of the skin restoring the protective barrier and prevents moisture loss. Its ability to reduce inflammation and heal abrasion soothes eczema irritation. The nimbidin and nimbin compounds and the neem oil help to relieve redness and swelling. It also helps to heal dry and damaged skin. Its antiseptic properties keep infections at bay.

9. Fungal infections of the skin like ring worms, nail fungus and atheletes foot are quite common. Neem being one of the most powerful anti-fungal agents available in nature makes for a good replacement for the over the counter creams that are available at the pharmacists. The two compounds from the leaves of the neem responsible for this are the gedunin and nimbidol. These compounds destroy the fungi that causes this infection. Tests have proven that neem oil is effective on 14 different cultures of fungi.

Other benefits:

10. Dental care products like toothpaste, mouth wash, and rinse contains neem oil as it has antiseptic properties which keep teeth and gum healthy and infection free.

11. It is used in preparing medicines that treat diabetes, arthritis, blood disorder and digestive problems.

12. Skin care companies often include neem oil in their cosmetics as an essential oil. It is extremely popular in all products of aromatherapy that help to restore mental health.

13. This is a multipurpose oil and is also used in the production of pesticides, fungicide and germicide which makes it a valuable component for agricultural purposes. Its active ingredients inhibit the growth of insects by interrupting their life cycle.

14. Neem oil is also used in various pet care products. Neem pet care products are helpful to deter ticks and fleas as well as controlling mange, hot spots, scabies and other skin diseases in animals. Neem oil is powerful enough to kill ticks and lice in pets and also prevent the re -occurrence to a certain extent when added to their shampoo. We can also spray this in the area where your pets usually spend time to prevent them from contracting them again.

15. Neem oil is an excellent repellent for a wide variety of common garden bugs including caterpillars, nematodes, locust’s beetles and mites. At home neem oil can combat ant, cockroach and termite infestation.

16. Neem oil can also be used a deterrent for grounds of mosquito breeding. Emulsify the water in the area with neem oil and the odour will discourage mosquitoes from breeding in that area.

17. Mix neem oil and dish washing liquid in equal proportions well and transfer to a spray bottle. This solution can the be used to preserve your plants by spraying the leaves, barks and roots also.

18. But if you already are facing the trouble of mosquito infestation apart from using neem oil to prevent breeding, you can also use it to ward them off. Add 10% of neem oil to your lamp oil and allow it to burn. The odour will ward off the mosquitoes.

19. Cleaning the carpets and mattress thoroughly is one of the biggest troubles. You can get the grime off but then removing the bacteria is the hardest isn’t it? Just add neem oil to your carpet shampoo and spray your mattress with neem oil to remove all the mites, bacteria or fungi that might have made their breeding ground there.

20. Neem oil can also be used to treat minor cuts and wounds. Mix neem oil and vasaline in the proportion of 1:5 and then allow it to be.

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Bollywood reacts to Mallika Sherawat’s ‘anti-India’ remarks

B-Towners react to Mallika’s statements asking her to leave the country if it depresses her so much, and settle abroad.

Hema Malini
Mallika should not have forgotten what this country has given her. Instead of badmouthing us at an international gathering, she should join hands with other women who are working towards improving the status of under-privileged women.

Lilette Dubey
Women in India are in some ways freer than in other countries. But there are parts of India where women live wretched lives and tradition is a pretext for regressive values. But Mallika’s observations should not be taken that seriously.

Gauhar Khan
If she really feels this way I feel sorry for her regressive thoughts. I wish her a great life somewhere outside India that she finds non-regressive.

Pooja Bhatt
It is said that we do not see the world as it is, but as we are. While there are pockets of India that are way more regressive than even Afghanistan, there is another India that is way more progressive than Europe or America. India is too complex a nation to be reduced to a blurb. At the same time it is also a nation that permits everyone to have an opinion, no matter how banal or profound.

Divya Dutta
Wonder why she said what she did! Isn’t she undermining all the Indian women achievers who’ve been given great opportunities by this country? She got her fame here. Women in this country are on par with their sisters in any part of the world.

Raakhee Gulzar
Poor thing. She tried every trick, yet made no impact. If she says we’re regressive then she must leave, find herself a more suitable place of her choice. Maybe a nudist’s colony?

Amrita Puri
The context in which Mallika spoke was ridiculous. She made it sound like she is the only progressive actor in this country. It’s a shame that she was given a platform where she presented such a false and unintelligent point of view.

Shibani Kashyap
She shouldn’t be talking against India. It shows her lack of empathy with her roots and an absence of loyalty to the country that has given her name, fame and stardom. Rather than bitching about India why doesn’t she work towards the safety of women here?

Tapsee Pannu
I don’t want to waste my time and energy commenting on the comments of such people.

Tannishta Chatterjee
The status of women is no different in other countries. The expressions and manifestations are different. The cosmetic pressure on women comes from the West. In the US, being a woman president was made into such a  big deal.

Dia Mirza
Honestly, I believe India is a paradox and for many women in our country the benefits of progressive thought, equal opportunities and a level playing-field are denied.

There have been times when I’ve been deeply disturbed about many issues that trouble women in India. Having said that, I think it’s unfair to make a sweeping statement that encompasses all women. Such a rash generalisation undermines the very voices that strive to make India a better place for women.Instead of being pessimistic we should all make a conscious effort to strengthen those voices thereby further empowering women.”

Richa Chadha
I saw her interview and found it typical of a Colonial prejudice, replete with a gora accent and all. Yes, India has regressive elements that results in rapes, female foeticides and a gender bias. But India is also a country where women choose to wear and say what they want. It has Indira Gandhi, Indra Nooyi and Medha Patkar. And yes, we also have space for Mallika Sherawat. It is uncool for an Indian woman to go abroad  and speak ill of our country.

Dolly Ahluwalia
If she feels so strong against this country, why has she tolerated India for so long? She is forgetting her identity as a woman is due to this country. I am proud to be an Indian woman and to represent my country at international forums.

Khusbhoo
As a woman and a proud citizen of my country I find her statements very harsh. Her comments project my India in a very bad light to the outside world. We do have our flaws. But which country doesn’t? A child was flushed down a toilet in China this week.

Could society get any more regressive than that? Mallika is an Indian. She has the freedom to speak her mind. That shows how progressive we are.

SUBHASH K JHA

#Huawei To Set Up R&D Centre In Bangalore; Invest $ 150 Million

Telecom gear maker Huawei will set up a new research and development (R&D) centre in Bangalore with an investment of $ 150 million (about Rs 813 crore) in the second half of this year.

“Since 2004, we have invested around $ 200 million in activities around research and development. We are setting up new R&D centre in Bangalore with an additional investment of about $ 150 million to consolidate our operations under one facility,” Huawei Technologies Head (International Media Affairs) Scott Sykes told PTI.

He said it will be set up in the second half of this year. In India, Huawei employs around 6,000 people out of which it has close to 2,500 people are working at its R&D.

This new facility will have capacity to house 5,000 people but the company is yet to firm up its hiring plan for India.

“Huawei is building capacity in India. Hiring will be done as per business need. We expect to see better business there in second half of this year” Sykes said.

The company peaked revenues of $ 1.2 billion in 2011, registering a growth of around 30 per cent compared to the previous year. The company’s business had been almost flat in 2012, he said.

Huawei is also evaluating to shift its Indian global network operation centre (GNOC) to this new facility.

“We are looking to centralise our GNOC in India. Under the plan we may shift our GNOC under this new facility,” Sykes said.

The company has about 500 employee at GNOC and manages services for Idea Cellular, Aircel, Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices.