Strong and never silent
The idiot box may not be such an idiot, after all. It scores over other media -- specially in its portrayal of women. A quick glance at the popular serials on air right now reveals that TV women are not the pretty props of Hindi films. Neither are they avenging angels nor the weeping willows of rural India.
"I've learnt to project the good and the bad"
Union Information and Broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj has emphasised the need to make DD International a more effective medium. The reason she and her Minister of State have given is that foreign news channels tend to misrepresent India abroad.
Foreign Bodies
The weather report predicts unfavourable conditions. Particularly for a television serial with the rather appropriate name, Mausam (DD2). This was supposed to be the first NRI serial with real foreigners playing foreigners instead of Indians, wearing light brown hair toupees and speaking as though a table-tennis ball was stuck in their throats.
Site Insight
Getting free advice on stocks is not an easy task. While most newspapers and magazines offer columns from experts, it cannot match the expertise and convenience of a one-to-one discussion with an analyst. There are several sites on the internet which offer advice on stock markets, but most are not free. They need paid registration.
Figure Watch
Salaries in India are among the lowest in the world according to the latest World Competitive Yearbook brought out by Switzerland-based International Institute of Management Development (IMD). India has got a consolidated ranking of four in the 46 countries studied by IMD.
Spinster brigade makes a case for remaining single
As far as petitions go, this perhaps would be a rather unique one. Spinsters employed with the Tamil Nadu Government have sent in a petition, saying that a provision for two extra increments should be made for single women above 50 in the Pay Commission, in the International Women's Year. This would be in lieu of the maternity benefits that married women get, they say.