STRONG OPPOSITION ONLY NEEDED..NOT LEADER

Amid trading of barbs between main opposition Congress and the government over the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahahan today said a strong opposition was more important than LoP. On ruling through ordinances, she said it would be better if they were lesser in number. "What is the meaning of Leader of the Opposition. Instead of LoP, a strong opposition is more important. A strong opposition is one which raises its issues effectively. It is not necessary that a strong opposition has a leader," she said. Mahajan was addressing mediapersons at the end of the 77th Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies here. The Speaker's comments came against the backdrop of Congress having only 44 members in the Lok Sabha. Though it is the second largest party after BJP (282 members), it still falls short of the 55 members — 10 per cent of the total strength of the Lok Sabha — needed for staking claim to the post. Mahajan has earlier cited precedents of 1980 and 1984, when there was no recognised Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. The Congress happened to be in power then.

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MUNSHI PREMCHAND STORIES IN COMIC FORMAT

Stories by modern Hindi and Urdu literary legend, Munshi Premchand are now available in comic format published by Amar Chitra Katha. The comic books in Hindi detailing two stories by the late literary phenomenon, is part of the publisher's contemporary classics section, which began in 2012 with stories by author Ruskin Bond. "We are launching the comics at the World Book Fair and it is our tribute to Premchand. The idea is to make his stories familiar with children," Reena Puri, Editor, Amar Chitra Katha told PTI. The stories "Buddhi Kaki" (The old Aunt) and "Do Bail" (Two Oxen) have been scripted and illustrated by Pratima Singh and Surendra Murthy. The English version of the comics translated by Nandini Nair is also set for launch within a few weeks, says Reena. The books are priced at Rs 50 each. "Buddhi Kaki" first published in 1921 is the story of an old childless widow who craves for love after she bequeaths her entir…

WORLD's FIRST UNDERWORLD TENNIS COURT IN DUBAI

Dubai, which boasts of the world's highest tennis court, may also become home to the first underwater tennis centre where spectators can watch games from below or above the sea life through a massive glass dome. Krzysztof Kotala, a Polish architect who owns a studio in Warsaw, is currently seeking investment from local players to make the ambitious project a reality. Interestingly, the proposed location for the project (arguably one of the world's lowest tennis courts) is just next door to the highest tennis court atop the Burj al Arab skyscraper in Dubai. "There is not an investor but I would like to get interest (from them) as I think it is a good idea," Kotala, 30, was quoted as saying by a local magazine. When asked why he chose Dubai for his project, Kotala said the Gulf city had a rich tradition of tennis. "This will be something original. This should be somewhere where there is the tradition of tennis. Dubai is perfect for this idea," he said. The in…

DEADLY HABIT...MOBILE CALL ANSWERING ON DRIVE

Nearly 60 per cent of two-wheeler users "instinctively" answer mobile phones on ride while 14 per cent of pedestrians click selfies crossing the road, finds out a survey. Sixty four per cent pedestrians regularly do this and 18 per cent immediately respond to a call from their superior at work, even while switching sides on the road. That is only one part of the story. One in every three car drivers tends to send out an important text message, stated the survey conducted by consumer goods maker Samsung across 12 cities in India. There is one road accident in every four minutes in India, it added, citing government data. "11 per cent of two-wheeler riders would always answer their phone when on the road, regardless of who was calling, 30 per cent would respond to calls from family while 18 per cent of the riders responded to work-related calls," it added. In addition, 23 per cent of two-wheeler riders admitted to reading and replying to texts or social media updates…

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