Political and Social Issues

Karnataka's luxury train, The Golden Chariot, will run with full occupancy for the first time since its
launch four years ago, when it chugs out of Bangalore on Monday for its ‘Pride of the South' run across Karnataka and Goa.
For the only luxury train of south India, which faced challenges of occupancy, technical glitches and payment of haulage charges to the Indian Railways at the start of the tourist season in September 2011, the full occupancy seems to be a good comeback.
The train, operated by the State-owned Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC), can accommodate 88 travellers in its 44 cabins.
This full occupancy could be possibly because the train reaches Goa ahead of Valentine's Day.
Mr. Srinivas said the Splendour of the South, the next run of the train across Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, commencing on February 13, has over 80 per cent occupancy.

M. Abdul Rahman, currently Director of Vocational Higher Secondary Education, has been appointed Director of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) under the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.
M.Tech. in digital image processing, Ph.D. in computer science and engineering, and MBA in systems and also took a postgraduate degree in human resource management
The AICTE is an advisory and statutory body, established for accreditation and coordinated development of the technical education system, including the engineering colleges, the Indian Institutes of Technology, and the Indian Institutes of Management.

World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh is trying to relive his role.
Diagnosed with lung cancer, he is undergoing treatment in the U.S., with the tumour reportedly showing signs of malignancy.
There were moments during the World Cup when he woke up at night, gasping for breath, coughing and feeling drained out. He continued playing, ignoring the ailment at great peril to his life.
His all-round efforts played the most significant role in India lifting the Cup.

There was a time when elections meant only sloganeering and long speeches. It is all that now, but just add that dash of technology, and it can be much more.
Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) with Netapedia began with a public interest litigation petition they filed in the Delhi High Court, seeking that candidates declare their educational qualification, criminal history and financial assets. “A movement to create an informed voter,”
The site gets its information from the Election Commission, scans and uploads of all affidavits filed by candidates.
It has information about candidates and goes a step further, addressing the issues in the area and putting up on a discussion board the interactions between the elected representatives and the people of the ward.