Govt will end ID card duplication: Nilekani

Nandan M Nilekani, who was appointed as head of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI), on Monday said the government would take steps to end ID card duplication leading to fraud and create a network of verification and authentication.


"The UIAI would create a centralised, national database of Indian residents," the former Infosys co-chairman told reporters in bangalore after meeting Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who felicitated him on his new assignment.

The key issue was to ensure that there were no duplicates, he said.

"The big problem today with identity is that many systems have lot of duplicates which lead to fraud," he said.

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Villagers shun school with HIV students

In a tragic story of how ignorance and stigma continue to haunt HIV patients in the country, villagers of Hasegain in Latur in Maharashtra have refused to allow their children to study with nine HIV positive children - seven boys and two girls.

The children are from an orphanage for HIV positive children close to the village and were admitted to the school in June. But the issue came up two days ago when parents of other children went to the school authorities and asked them to not allow the HIV positive children into the school.

The school refused to agree with the parents and tried to hold meetings with them to make them understand that HIV is not infectious.

So far, parents have refused to budge and have stopped sending their children to the school.

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Under Ground Lakes

1. Cheddar Gorge is Britain’s biggest canyon and is found within the Cheddar Caves, where the UK’s oldest complete human skeleton was found in 1903. Known as the Cheddar Man, the remains were estimated to be 9,000 years old.



2. Hamilton Pool Preserve, in Austin, Texas, was created quite naturally when the dome of an underground cave collapsed revealing this stunning natural pool. It is now frequented by day-trippers and naturalists. That’s naturalists not naturists, although no doubt someone has tried to go skinny dipping at one point!



3. Hamilton Pool from another perspective. When there’s been heavy rainfall, 45ft waterfalls cascade from the rim of the cavern. It must be pretty spectacular when you’re bathing.



4. Stalagtites adorn the roof of Luray Caverns, Virginia, the still waters throwing a perfect reflection.



5. Legend has it that early cavemen inhabited Wookey Caves in Somerset, England.



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Teen ends life as parents forbid him

Ashar Mendon was all set to study in Australia.



But now, the 18-year-old's dream has died with him.

Ashar, the son of a garment exporter committed suicide by hanging himself in their flat in Colaba on Monday.

The reason: his mother scared by the racial attacks on Indians in Australia forbade him to go.

Just days ago, Ashar had got admission at the Bond university in New South Wales for an undergraduate Information technology course.

The police have not recovered any suicide note and are investigating his mobile records and going through his computer to get an idea of why he took this extreme step.

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Doctor arrested for poisoning twin daughters

A gynaecologist, who allegedly poisoned her twin daughters and attempted suicide a week ago in the city, was arrested following her discharge from hospital, police said on Tuesday.

Rupa Singh (35) allegedly injected her four-year-old twin daughters -- Tanya and Twinkle -- on July one and attempted suicide after a fight with her surgeon husband Rajiv Ranjan (38), over the issue of setting up of a hospital.

The woman, working in Ambedkar Hospital in Rohini, had walked out of their Maurya Enclave residence in northwest Delhi with her two daughters and checked into City Park hotel in Peetampura.

She had injected some poison to her daughters before injecting herself with the same substance. While the girls died, Rupa was admitted to Max Hospital in Peetampura.

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Solar Powered Blue Car Hitting the Streets in 2010

Starting this coming spring, a slick new solar-powered electric vehicle will be hitting the streets of Europe. Italian car designer Pininfarina and French battery manufacturer Bolloré have officially announced that the five door Blue Car hatchback is now ready for production. A fully-electric vehicle with solar panels by 2010?

Previously unveiled at last years Geneva Show, the Blue Car is a fully-electric vehicle that comes equipped with solar panels on the rooftop. The vehicle is 3.65 meters long, 1.6 meters high and 1.72 meters wide, and features a 50kW electric motor that provides an acceleration of 0-60mph in around 6 seconds and a top speed of 80mph.

The solar panels on the vehicle’s roof provides some power to the vehicle’s systems. It comes with regenerative brakes and a Lithium Metal Polymer batteries, and has a range of 155 miles per charge. According to the manufacturer, all the materials in the construction have been sourced to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

Every Tuesday we bring word of new concept vehicles that stand to revolutionize the world. Every once in a while though one of those vehicles just happens to become reality. The Blue Car will be available in 2010, with full scale production of 60,000 units in the years to come.

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Rejected by DU, student commits suicide

Unable to get admission in Delhi University allegedly drove a 17-year-old girl to hang herself at her residence in east Delhi on Tuesday evening.

Prachi Singh Gaur had applied for the BA English course in five DU colleges after her Class XII results were announced. She could not get through any of the two university cut-off lists. Prachi had dreamt of becoming a news anchor and was depressed that her friends got their names in the second cut-off lists on Monday.


Gopal Singh Gaur, Prachi's father, is struggling to come to terms with his daughter's sudden death.

Prachi did not leave behind a suicide note but the family says Prachi was deeply upset with not making it to Delhi University's cut-off list.

Prachi scored 46 per cent in her Class 12 boards but the cut off for the BA pass course in the college she applied to was at least 15 per cent higher.

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