Hyderabad slowly losing out August 12, 2013 14:29
Hyderabad is one of the major cities on the Indian map. However, the recent political situation and a pro-Telangana take by the Center has cast doubts on the city's international appeal. If the city loses out on important events, what does that spell for its future? The Golden Elephant is an international children's film festival, which is organized here every two years. With Telangana agitations taking center-stage, the festival's venue is not confirmed yet. Hyderabad had been a permanent venue since 1995. Children's Film Society, India (CFSI), Mumbai, holds the festival and preparations for the 18th international children's film festival have begun. A senior CFSI official told Times of India that Hyderabad as a venue can be announced only after an official confirmation is received. Last year, the venue was Shilparamam, which had limited seating capacity. The state government bears most of the Rs 5 crore cost for organizing the festival. Last date for entry submissions is 15th August and the festival will be held from 14th November to 20 November. (AW: Sruthi)
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Engineering Counseling to begin soon August 09, 2013 17:12
The state government was instructed by the high court to begin Engineering Counseling by 19th August to fill convenor quota and management quota seats based on merit alone. The directive comes after students writ petitions pointing out the delay in the admission process. As the academic year would be unnecessarily delayed, Justice Nooty Ramamohana Rao noted that colleges should begin putting up notices for admissions. He said that colleges must maintain transparency in the issuing application forms and preparing merit lists. Rao urged the government to respond in order to issue notices for the start of A category seats counseling on 19th August. Non-minority colleges must have notifications in at least 2 leading newspapers. (AW: Sruthi)
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Unusual thieves prowl the roads of Hyderabad August 07, 2013 16:34
Hyderabad residents can stop worrying about conventional thieves. It is more productive to safeguard yourselves from unusual thieves, who have a few bright ideas up their sleeves. On the streets are veiled women, passing off as Muslims, but are actually wolves in sheep's clothing. Quite literally! These women wear burqas and prey on unsuspecting women in busy buses and trains. If you think you are better off with a two wheeler, that won't deter them either. The burqad women take advantage of both crowds and speed to stealthily snatch away jewelery from the necks and purses of commuters. Many victims have complained of the robberies to no avail. Another type of thieves are the graveyard stealers. GHMC has, long ago, allotted a certain amount of land space for the exclusive purpose of burying the dead. Hyderabad, unsurprisingly, has a scarcity of land for graves. Nevermind the space crunch, even the alloted land is being sold off by robbers looking for a quick buck. Not able to resolve the issue, some families have begun burying their dead relatives in the same spot of their ancestors. If you think the city is crowded, imagine what the graveyard's residents must be going through. (AW: Sruthi)
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Race for Government jobs in Telangana state begins August 05, 2013 17:32
Telangana as a state is an infant. To help it grow, government employees need to have a vision and dedication. Hopefully, it is with this aim that many have joined the race for government jobs that will soon be up for grabs. However, it has to wait until the state is actually formed after December 2013. The year 2014 will have fresh opportunities for the people of Telangana, particularly those with contacts in high places. Connections with the future Telangana State CM might just land the privileged top posts in the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) and Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC). These bodies will be Telangana's version of AP State Council of Higher Education and AP Public Service Commission. New posts including chairman, vice-chairman, secretary and other staff would be created with the bifurcation. Currently, a large number of aspirants are vying for the posts of vice-chairmen and secretary in APSCHE. A doubling of the number of available posts calls for prepared action for many. (AW: Sruthi)
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Teenage girl reports repeated rapes August 03, 2013 12:55
A horrific incident came to light after a 17 year old girl came out to report repeated rapes that she endured over a week. Two men had kidnapped and brutally raped her over the duration of a week at a room in Dundigal. The teenager and her family are residents of Jeedimetla. The men, who also live in the same neighborhood, held her captive for indulging in the repeated crime. The men then let her off when they realized the girl's parents created a huge commotion over the missing girl. A statement from the girl was recorded at the police station, showing the girl's bravery even after being threatened by the men. The criminals have been arrested and charged under IPC sections 376, 366 and 426. Srinivas and Swamy have been booked under gang rape charges. (AW: Sruthi)
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We are Hyderabadis! August 01, 2013 16:36
After the state's division, there is confusion over what some would call their state. Hyderabad is home to lakhs of people from a wide range of backgrounds who settled here long ago. Not just cultural diversity, Hyderabad has a unique feel that is missing in other major cities in India. The Nawab city has residents who have settled here since decades. These residents have come to call themselves Hyderabadis as well as belonging to the state of Andhra Pradesh. While some have rejoiced on the announcement of Telangana state, many are hesitant to call themselves Telangana people. For those who are not in any way associated with Telangana, it would be difficult to tell everyone that their state is Telangana. It simply does not go with their ancestry and upbringing, particularly Muslims and those from the North. Those in Telangana would benefit from investments promised in Hyderabad. There would be quick development, parallel with development in Seemandhra with the formation of new infrastructure. This offers many opportunities for generating employment all over. However, 10 years is a long time. In this time, there would be many changes and many developments. Shifting shop or getting used to a new state is up to the individuals. Meanwhile, the revenues generated by Hyderabad would probably be a hot topic for discussion in the coming days. Letting go of Hyderabad would be more than difficult for thousands. It is yet not clear if Hyderabad would become a Union Territory or not. The road ahead is long and foggy. (AW: Sruthi)
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Hyderabad stuck between Telangana, Seemandhra July 31, 2013 18:14
With the announcement of a Separate Telangana, Hyderabad is in a fix. The city is home to a large revenue generating industry for the state of Andhra Pradesh. Since Andhra Pradesh will cease to exist by 2014, where will the revenue from Hyderabad go? The IT and ITES sectors generate a huge percentage of revenue for the state, in the range of Rs 42,000 crores. Hyderabad alone contributes to over 50% of the state's revenue with an estimated 75,000 crores business. Hyderabad, due to its geographical location in Telangana, is woefully in a dilemma. The people of Telangana want the entire revenue from Hyderabad for their new state's development. On the other hand, the government is at a loss to explain how any revenue would be shared between the states. It should be noted that Andhra and Rayalaseema have also contributed towards the city's development. The recent developments spell bad news for the city, with many corporates deciding to shift shop to Andhra. Even educational institutions are considering a shift. The government is yet to present a plan with regard to the city's revenues for the two states. On a related note, it is confusing to think of how the city will accommodate two governments during its 10 year period as a common capital. Two chief ministers and legislatures are sure to create trouble. Hyderabad is caught in a fierce tug of war between Telangana and Seemandhra. (AW: Sruthi)
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Rowdy Sheeter Murdered in Meerpet July 29, 2013 09:56
Rowdy Sheeter Shankar was murdered last night at Meerpet Leninnagar in Saroornagar Mandal. When Shankar was sleeping last night, he was reportedly taken to a building under construction in the locality and he was murdered using knives. Meerpet Police are investigating the case on the complaint of Mangamma, second wife of Shankar. The motive for the murder of Shankar as gathered so far by the police is family disputes. Local problems and disputes are also not ruled out. But the actual cause of committing murder by injuring him indiscriminately with knives is under investigation. (AW-SriJa)
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Annapurna Studios in agreement with JNTU July 27, 2013 15:54
In a pioneering decision, Akkineni family's Annapurna Studios and JNTU university have signed an agreement for training film industry aspirants. Akkineni Nagarjuna, the studio's managing director and Film School President, signed an MoU with the University. Named Masters in Media Business Administration (MMBA), the two year programme will train would-be management professionals in the finer details of films and media. The programme is a collaboration between Annapurna International School of Film and Media and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad. Vice-chancellor Rameshwar Rao signed the MoU on behalf of the University. Speaking on the momentous occasion, actor Nagarjuna noted that recent survey opened up the need for skilled individuals for the thousands of jobs in the film industry later. “Through this course, we are training people. It will help them get closer to their dream,” he added. The course will primarily target media planning, strategy and management. Click Here for the Event Photos. (AW: Sruthi)
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More rains to hit life soon July 26, 2013 15:46
According to updates from Vizag, residents are warned to prepare themselves for more rains. It has been informed that a depression in the Bay of Bengal near the West Bengal border will cause disruptions in Odisha, Coastal Andhra and Tamil Nadu. The strongest effects of the depression will be felt in Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram and Vishakapatnam districts. Heavy rains are in the pipeline for these areas. Areas in Telangana and Rayalaseema will, however, have relatively lighter rainfall, as per data released by the authorities. Heavy rains have already played spoilsport in many areas across the nation. Many are still recovering from the strong blow. Warnings of more rains can only be used as a precaution to prevent any more mishaps. (AW: Sruthi)
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RTC Driver gets Bail In Road Accident Case July 26, 2013 14:59
A teenage girl Riya on a two wheeler was crushed to death by an RTC bus which was being driven by Dayakar. Dayakar was arrested and produced in the court on the charges of negligent driving who in turn applied for bail and got one. Dayakar is given bail and free to move but the family of Riya is still in a state of shock with their minds not accepting the fact that the young member of the family who went on a two wheeler went away from where she will never come back. The family says that the incident extinguished the spark in the entire family. The family members with drawn faces due to the tragedy that is still not registering in their minds totally say that the girl was aspiring to become an architect. One of the persons close to the members of the family says that the punishments for such negligence on the public roads should be stringent so that others will be careful in driving the big vehicles. (AW-SriJa)
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Largest Business School in India July 25, 2013 18:05
The largest business school in India is going to come up at Sadasivapeta in Medak District of AP. The official launch of it was done at Hyderabad today by the management of the School of Business. The representatives of the business school told that the school is going to be constructed in an area of 200 acres in which 3000 students can be imparted training. The founder of the organization Praveen pula is a businessman with head office in UK. He said that the school will start from next academic year i.e., April 2014. He also said that the project is going to cost an initial investment of Rs.500 crores which is pooled by the NRIs. The representatives of the school said that the school will get a name for the State as modern education systems will be used to impart training to the aspirants. (AW-SriJa)
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