Sonagachi, Apr 13(ANI): An Indian university has set a benchmark of sorts by pioneering a special educational programme for sex workers and their children in Sonagachi area of India's eastern Kolkata city. Sonagachi, is one of Asia's biggest red light districts with 6,000 sex workers. The initiative by Indira Gandhi national Open University or IGNOU, a central university is aimed at uplifting the status of these women and their children.

Tags: Educational Kolkata Sex Workers IGNOU
Date: 2008-04-14

Vellore, Sept 2 (ANI): Police in Tamil Nadu detained 200 agitators of the Muslim community protesting against a local daily that published a cartoon of Prophet Muhammad. Dinamalar a leading daily in the state published the cartoon on September 2. The cartoon angered Muslim community, who first stoned the office of the newspaper and later destroyed 4 state run buses. Police has reportedly filed a case against the newspaper and is investigating the issue further.

Tags: Tamil Nadu Muslims Prophet Mohammed Dinamalar
Date: 2008-09-02

New Delhi, Apr 11(ANI): Sonam Kapoor’s stellar debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya has caught the eye of one of Bollywood’s biggest banners, Yashraj Films. The production house has approached Sonam to star with Hrithik Roshan in their upcoming film, inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Tags: Sonam Kapoor Hrithik Romeo and Juliet Yashraj
Date: 2008-04-12

Rajkot, October 10 (ANI): It seems to be raining small cars in India. Makers of electric scooters and bikes under the Oreva brand, Ajanta group of India is all set to roll out its first e-car. After Nano, Oreva is also having their plants in Gujarat as Ajanta will be rolling out the car from the same unit as had produced e bikes. National Marketing Head of Oreva Group said that the car would be able to run up to 200-250 kilometers in one time charge.

Tags: -car Oreva Ajanta Nano Bikes
Date: 2008-10-10

Kochi, Apr 15(ANI): Poultry owners in India's southern Kerala are taking to Emu farming to exploit the multiple returns offered by these birds in terms of their meat, oil, skin, feathers and even their colourful eggs, that are in huge demand for ornamental purposes. Also, with the poultry industry being caught in the imbroglio of avian flu, emu farming is fast catching up in Kochi as entrepreneurs are emulating emu farmers in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and

Tags: Emu Farming Business Kerala Eggs
Date: 2008-04-15

Kalsian, February 7 (ANI):Indian Army organised a heritage fair near the border with Pakistan in Jammu, amidst tensions between India and Pakistan. The intended purpose of holding such events is to instill confidence among the people living in the villages nearby the LOC areas of Jammu near Pakistan border due to continued tension. The fortnight long cultural event Virasat-2009 organized by the Indian Army's finally concluded at a tiny village of Kalsiyan situated in Rajouri at Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

Tags: Heritage event Line Of Control Kalsian Virasat 2009
Date: 2009-02-07

New Delhi, March 02 (ANI): According to Australian soon to retire wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist, the lucrative Indian Premier League could repair the bad blood between the Indian and Australian cricket teams. Addressing a new daily in Melbourne on March 1, a day ahead of the Commonwealth Bank tri-series finals against India starting on Sunday, Gilchrist said that he feels that IPL is going to be a ground-breaking territory.

Tags: Indo-Aussie Restore IPL Tri-series
Date: 2008-03-02

Bangalore, November 15 (ANI): The biotechnology industry of India seems undaunted by the global meltdown and is confident of excellent augmentation in the coming years. Experts feel that the industry, which currently holds only two percent shares of the global market, has the potential to grow and emerge as global player in coming years. Experts expect the industry to cross the five billion dollar mark by 2010, through its products and services.

Tags: Biotechnology Industry Global Meltdown Experts Global Market
Date: 2008-11-15

Khandamal, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, 28 Dec (ANI): India's eastern Orissa continues to reel under communal violence with reports of fresh violence during an exchange of fire between the police and unidentified rioters on December 28th. The Orissa government on Friday ordered a judicial probe into the communal violence in tribal-dominated Kandhamal district, which has claimed at least three lives.

Tags: Kandhamal district Orissa Communal violence Hindus Christians
Date: 2007-12-29

Jammu Kashmir, May 1 (ANI): Shedding their traditional veils, enthusiastic girls in the Jammu ;amp; Kashmir valley are getting ready for the rough and tumble of the rugby fields as they take to this male sport with enthusiasm. Rugby, which is a cross between football and soccer, originated in England in the 1800s and features a spherical ball and 15 players to a side. The game involves tackling and constant fight for the ball.

Tags: Rugby Girls Jammu Kashmir
Date: 2008-05-01

Kapurthala, May 19 (ANI): Farmers in Kapurthala district in Punjab are facing heavy losses as outbreak of viral disease has lead to large scale damage of muskmelon crop. Kapurthala district is one of the largest producers of muskmelons in the state. The viral disease has led not only to stunted growth of the muskmelons but also rotting them on the field itself.

Tags: Crop Damage Loss Farmars
Date: 2008-05-20

Assam, December 23 (ANI): Geneva-based International Labor Organization or ILO on Monday recognized ICICI Life Insurance Prudential to provide insurance solution to over 1.2 million tea plantation workers in Assam over the next two to three years. ICICI Prudential Life will provide an effective channel for consumers' funds, to create a sustained savings mechanism as well as create awareness on the need and benefits of life insurance as a social security mechanism.

Tags: ILO Insurance ICICI Assam Geneva
Date: 2008-12-23

New Delhi, July 14(ANI): Eminent author and business consultant Shiv Khera on Monday launched Bhartiya Rashtravadi Samanata Party in a mission to revolutionalize the weaker sections of the society based one economic norms. The party claims to take a public stand against all caste and religion-based reservations and the policies of the pacification. The manifesto of the party was also released.

Tags: Shiv Khera Author Bhartiya Rashtravadi Samanata Weaker
Date: 2008-07-14

Surat, November 19 (ANI): The luster from the diamonds have been missing for long now…. The global recession is hitting exports from the diamond industry, thereby stealing all glitter. Those associated closely with the industry at Surat in Gujarat are struggling to survive the current recessionary trends. The Surat diamond industry employs more than 700,000 workers from across the country. Over 2.5 million people are indirectly associated with trade.

Tags: Global Recession Glitter Diamond Industry Exports
Date: 2008-11-19

Milan, October 1 (ANI): Wrestlers from different countries converged in Milan, Italy, to participate in the first International Indian wrestling championship on Sunday. The wrestling championship was organised by Punjab Educational and Cultural Activates Trust or PECA. The wrestlers from Canada, India, Australia, Great Britain, Switzerland and Europe, participated in the event. The theme of the competition was to preserve and promote Indian Heritage and to strengthen common bonds.

Tags: Wrestlers Wrestling championship Milan PECA
Date: 2008-10-01

Mumbai, June 28(ANI): The financial institutions in recent years have faced a lot of criticism from all quarters for employing intimidating collection agents…but now the days are gone when recovery agents used to threaten loan defaulters. Banks in Mumbai have employed soft-spoken and patient women recovery agents to persuade defaulters to pay up. These women recovery agents are employees of Adhikrut Jabti Evam Vasuli Limited

Tags: Recovery Loan dues Banks Defaulters Vasuli Limited
Date: 2008-06-28

Lakhimpur, June 18(ANI): The onset of monsoons has wrought havoc to India's northeastern region. The region is reeling under heavy floods. Incessant monsoon rains have claimed twenty-five lives in Assam's Lakhimpur district alone. According to the district authorities 366 villages and more than 400,000 people have been affected by the first wave of floods. Red alert has been sounded and the army is continuing rescue efforts in the region.

Tags: Floods Assam Lakhimpur Red alert Monsoon
Date: 2008-06-18

New Delhi, March 15 (ANI): A German model's shoulder strap fell off while she walked in a blue cowl neck for designer Rajesh Pratap Singh's collection on the third day of Wills India Fashion Week in New Delhi on March14.But the model nonchalantly completed her walk after pulling it back. Meanwhile Manish Arora's collection based on the theme 'warrior' stole the limelight on the third day at the fashion week.

Tags: Fashion Malfunction Wills Model
Date: 2008-03-15

Bengaluru, October 6 (ANI): To keep the age-old tradition alive, a family in Karnataka celebrates 'Durga Puja' with idols which are 100 years old. Based in Bengaluru, 67-year-old A. Krishnan is the proud owner of more than 200 idols. Every year on the occasion of ‘Durga Puja’ he puts his collection of idols on display. He has almost every kind of idol-depicting God, Goddess, fruits, vegetables, animals, historical personalities and a lot more.

Tags: Idols Bengaluru Durga Puja Krishnan Tradition
Date: 2008-10-06

Shimla, September 15 (ANI): An audacious bunch of bikers on Sunday roared through the dirt tracks of mountainous Shimla in a bid revive the dying motor sports. The two-wheeler race ‘Shimla Motorcycle Challenge 2008’ was organized by the Motor sports Club of Shimla in association with the Himachal Tourism. The third round saw 28 participants from Punjab, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Mumbai edging past each other on rugged yet beautiful surroundings.

Tags: Dirt tracks Mountainous Bikers Himachal Tourism
Date: 2008-09-15