Thousands join Kargil martyr's daughter in war against ABVP on FB

Days after Delhi University’s Ramjas college saw violent clashes, a Lady Sri Ram College student who is a Kargil martyr’s daughter has initiated a social media campaign, “I am not scared of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad”, which has gone viral.



Gurmehar Kaur, daughter of Kargil martyr Captain Mandeep Singh, changed her Facebook profile picture holding a placard which read “I am a student from Delhi University. I am not afraid of ABVP. I am not alone. Every student of India is with me. Students AgainstABVP”.

“The brutal attack on innocent students by ABVP is very disturbing and should be stopped. It was not an attack on protesters, but an attack on every notion of democracy that is held dear in every Indian’s heart. It is an attack on ideals, morals, freedom and rights of every person born to this nation,” she said in a Facebook status.

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Ghosts of past tech IPOs could haunt Snap’s performance

Snap Inc appears set to make a splash next week with the biggest tech stock debut since Facebook Inc, but history suggests investors shut out of the initial public offering would be better off waiting a bit to chase this unicorn on the open market.

Globally, shares of most of the 25 largest technology IPOs have languished in their first 12 months on the public market, with 16 of them notching a hefty decline from their debut day closing price, according to a Reuters analysis of market performance.

Eight of the 10 biggest fell by between 25% and 71%.

Among U.S. tech IPOs, 14 of the 25 biggest fell in their first year, including nine of the 15 to raise at least $1 billion in their listings. Declines ranged from 9% to more than 80%.

Snap, the company behind the popular Snapchat app, is expected to raise between $2.8 billion and $3.2 billion, which could vault it into the five largest global tech IPOs of all time, according to Thomson Reuters Deals Intelligence data. It would rank third on the U.S.-only list.

Company executives have been on the road for the last week meeting with potential investors, and Thomson Reuters IFR reported on Friday that the deal is oversubscribed, meaning far more fund managers want a slice than can be accommodated.

Potential IPO buyers appear willing to look past concerns about the company’s governance and lack of profitability and see it as a vehicle to play a red-hot market for tech stocks, the leading sector so far in 2017.

The deal is expected to price next week, and the stock will start trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SNAP on March 2. One red flag

Still, the track record for the largest tech IPOs may be one red flag.

The median year-one performance among the biggest tech debuts globally was a decline of 22.3%, with big stumbles among marquee names like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Facebook, ranked Nos. 1 and 2 respectively. Each dropped about 30% in their first 52 weeks. One did not even survive a year: World Online BV, ranked as the No. 6 tech IPO of all time. The Netherlands-based internet service provider raised $2.8 billion in March 2000, the month marking the peak of the dot-com bubble, and slid 68% before being bought by Italy’s Tiscali SpA 10 months later. The U.S. tech group, which suffered from the inclusion of notable casualties from the internet stock bust of the early 2000s, such as Palm Inc, Viasystems Group, Genuity and Infonet, had a median decline of 17.2% in their first year.

And unicorns like Snap are no exception to the rule. The last five tech names in the U.S. top 25 with a pre-IPO valuation north of $1 billion, Groupon Inc, Zynga Inc, Facebook, Twitter Inc and Fitbit Inc, all nosedived in their first year.Only Facebook has since recovered.

Some notable out performers do dot the list.

Alphabet Inc stands out as the top year-one performer both globally and domestically. Debuting as Google in August 2004, it soared nearly 180% in its first year. Next best was German electronics company EPCOS AG, which is now private but gained 140% after its October 1999 IPO.

For some of the most prominent names on the list, performance did turn a corner after that dismal first year.

Facebook, which raised $16 billion in May 2012 only to have technical glitches mar its debut on Nasdaq, lost more than half its value in its first four months of trading. But its shares have been off to the races since, surging more than 660% from their low-water mark that September to more than 250% above the day-one closing price.

Alibaba’s shares, which rose more than 30% in their first month only to falter over most of the next two years, are also back in the black, though barely.

The stock is up about 9 % from its closing price on Sept. 19, 2014, having gained nearly 80% from its low point a year after the IPO.

By the end of either year five or their latest price, whichever is longer, the biggest U.S. tech IPOs posted a median gain of 29.1%.

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It takes a village to break free of party affiliationsa

In Yadav-majority Bhabhaura, where Thakur families number fewer than a dozen, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is the toast of the village. Parshuram Yadav, who was six years the Minister’s senior in school, puts it this way, “We are all honoured by the fact that he was born in this remote village in eastern Uttar Pradesh. It is he who has put Bhabhaura on the map.”

This is election time, so who will the village vote for? “Barring the Dalits, we will all vote for the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] because the honourable Minister is from our village,” says Bholanath Yadav, who was Mr. Singh’s classmate. Even the Yadavs? Of course, the Yadavs say.

Parshuram Yadav explains, “After Independence, the village would vote for the Congress, then we used to vote for Charan Singh’s party, but after Rajnathji became Chief Minister, we have been voting for his party.” The current narrative of the BJP’s campaign is that only the Yadavs have benefited from Samajwadi Party (SP) rule.

“That is just Modi’s chunavi [election time] stunt. He knows Akhilesh has worked for the poor, not just for Yadavs. He is trying to fool people but we believe in Rajnath Singh,” Parshuram Yadav says. “We vote for the man, not his party.”

If the Minister was not from this village, would the Yadavs still vote for the BJP? Bholanath Yadav is about to respond when Parshuram Yadav stops him: “That is a trick question: don’t answer it.” But later, he relents: “One should tell the truth. A few Yadavs will vote for the SP.”

Rajnath Singh is not just the pride of his village, he has brought benefits to Bhabaura. When IDBI Bank offered a sum of money under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme to two villages, Bhabhaura and another in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency were selected.

But today, the money that was allotted has become a bone of contention.

In Bhabhaura, its youthful gram pradhan, Awdhesh Singh Yadav, and village elders meet under a thatched sit-out, discussing the status of an ongoing project being implemented by the Central government. “I hear ₹25 lakh has been spent on toilets for our village school,” says Bholanath Yadav solemnly. “But tell me, is it true that 25 children will be able to defecate simultaneously with these facilities?”

There is an embarrassed laugh, and then the explanation: no, 25 lakh has been sent to improve the school and only two toilets have been constructed.

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7 fat-burning exercises for a flat tummy

 Flat tummy



Losing belly fat is the hardest, they say. And when you want to strengthen your core and lose the flab, we most commonly resort to crunches. Here are some moves that can help you lose fat from the mid-section. Each of these moves stimulate and tighten the core muscles while burning calories.

Pike and stretch



Lie straight on the floor with your legs extended over your hips. Pull yourself up, like one would do while doing crunches ensuring that your hands reach towards your feet. Bring your arms back overhead, lowering your right leg towards the floor. Repeat the same with left leg. Repeat 20 times.

Bicycle crunch



Lie down with your back onto the floor. Bring your hands behind your head. Start with your legs bent at approximately 45 degrees angle; bring the right knee into the chest while straightening out your left leg. At the same time, rotate your top half bringing your right elbow to your left knee, then switch to the other side

The boat pose



Begin in a seated position with your knees bent. Extend your legs so your body forms a right angle. Breathe comfortably throughout the move. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat 5 times.

The plank



Lie on your stomach. Bend your elbows directly under shoulders and clasp your hands. Your feet should be hip-width apart, and elbows shoulder-width apart. Contract your abs, then tuck your toes to lift your body. You should be in a straight line from head to heels. Hold for 30-40 seconds and repeat.

Lunge



Stand with your upper body straight and shoulders back and relaxed, and chin up. Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at 90-degree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle, not pushed out too far. Your other knee should not touch the floor. Keep the weight on your heels as you push back up to the starting position. Repeat with alternate legs.

Push-ups



Get into a high plank position. Begin to lower your body and keep your back flat and eyes focused about three feet in front of you. Push back up and keep your core engaged, exhale as you push back to the starting position. Repeat for 10- 20 times.

Squats



To perform this exercise, first stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your hands straight out in front of you. Sit down like you're sitting on an imaginary chair. Keep your back straight. Your thighs should be parallel to the floor. Keep your body tight, and push through your heels to bring yourself back to the starting

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Here’s what happens to your body when you skip breakfast

The old saying, 'Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper' couldn't ring truer. Beginning your day with a heavy breakfast will give your body enough fuel to keep you going without feeling sluggish or lethargic. Yet, statistics point towards a rather alarming picture — millions of people around the world tend to skip breakfast, choosing to have lunch as the first meal of the day. While recent years have seen increasing awareness about the importance of daily breakfast, health experts say that a large number of the population tends to skip it.

Why breakfast is so essential

Dietitian says, "This is the first meal of the day after your body stays empty throughout the night, hence, breakfast helps kickstart the day. The work 'breakfast' itself means to break the fast that was maintained overnight. This important meal provides fuel to the body and brain, and also helps you meet the daily energy requirement to get you ready for the day. It restores glucose levels that help the brain function and enhances concentration and memory apart from lowering stress levels."
Adds nutritionist Kim, "People need to remember to have their breakfast within one hour of waking up. Studies find that food eaten at breakfast influences what you indulge in eating the rest of the day. The body is in a state of catabolism (muscle breakdown to sustain energy levels) in the night. Hence, it is imperative to replenish or fuel the body as soon as you wake up with the right kind of foods that help in kickstarting the metabolism for the day."

Focus on a well-balanced meal

"An ideal breakfast includes complex cereals, portion of milk and a fruit. Food items like poha, upma, dalia, bhakri, idlis can sometimes be replaced with ready-to-eat cereals like oats, bran, cornflakes or wheat flakes. If you are in a hurry, eat a handful of nuts with cereal and milk," advises Priya.
"An ideal breakfast must comprise energy enhancing foods like complex carbohydrates and low fat protein. The former helps maintain steady energy levels and give calories with minimal chance of fat storage. Low fat protein helps improve muscle growth, increases metabolism and fat burning. It also improves body composition and workout performance," says Kim.

For example:

Oats with low skim milk + egg whites
Wholewheat/ muesli (plain ) in skim milk
Oats/ moong dal chillas + egg whites or whey powder
Oats powder + skim milk + low GI fruit made like a smoothie

Urban professionals inviting health problems due to erratic eating habits

"Erratic meal timings affects the energy requirements leading to digestive problems, heart diseases, obesity and acidity. Small meals at regular intervals will be the best option for those with a busy schedule so that even if they do skip a meal, there will not be a huge gap between meals. The consequences will not be as bad in the long run in such incidents," says Payal.
Ends Kim, "It is important to eat every two to four hours to sustain energy levels, maintain metabolism to improve body composition (body tone) and sustain good blood sugar levels. Having an erratic meal pattern leads to low energy levels, low metabolism leading to fat gain and low blood sugar levels, which lead to headaches, fatigue and irritability."

What happens when you skip the first meal of the day

Explains Palan, "Skipping breakfast has an impact on the calorie count, which affects the intellectual development in infants and children. It reduces attention level, leading to slow learning and increases the risk of hypoglycemia wherein sugar level reduces causing dizziness, headache, lethargy and weakness. It could also lead to a decrease in levels of physical activity, triggering bad eating habits, which in the long run, can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle."
Skipping breakfast basically means you are letting the body be in a state of metabolism — definitely not a desirable environment for your body. "It further results in lowering the BMR (Body Metabolic Rate) to conserve calories, leading to fat gain and triggers off acidity. It also causes one to binge eat during the rest of the day,"

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'I just did what was right to do,' says American who stood up for the two Indians

Twenty-four-year-old Ian Grillot, who stood up for Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani, when they were racially abused by Adam Purinton has said he did what was right to do. He was injured in the shooting that followed, which killed Kuchibhotla.

Bartender Garret Bohnen told the Kansas City Star that Kuchibhotla and Mr. Madasani stopped at Austins for a drink once or twice a week.
“From what I understand when he was throwing racial slurs at the two gentlemen [Kuchibhotla and Madasani], Ian [Grillot] stood up for them,” Mr. Bohnen said. “We’re all proud of him.”

Witnesses told The Star that Purinton, 51, yelled “get out of my country” before opening fire.

Mr. Grillot said in an interview from his hospital bed that when the shooting broke out, he hid until nine shots were fired and he thought the suspect’s gun magazine was empty.

“I got up and proceeded to chase him down, try to subdue him,” Mr. Grillot said in a video from the University of Kansas Health System posted on The Star website. “I got behind him and he turned around and fired a round at me.”
Mr. Grillot said the bullet went through his hand and into his chest, just missing a major artery.

“It’s not about where he [victim] was from or his ethnicity,” Mr. Grillot said. “We’re all humans, so I just did what was right to do.”

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas posted a statement on Facebook, saying he was very disturbed by the shooting. “I strongly condemn violence of any kind, especially if it is motivated by prejudice and xenophobia,” he said.
Brian Eric Ford, 39, set up the account on GoFundMe, jointly for the family of Kuchibhotla and Mr. Madasani.

“I’ve been pretty closely following the rise in white nationalism since the election,” the Kansas City graphic artist told The Star. “I thought this was a chance to do something to show support for these communities that are being attacked.”

As of Thursday night, 816 people had contributed $29,726 to the fund, which has a target of $50,000.                    

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Ignoring Indian talent China’s mistake: Global Times

Ignoring Indian talent and attaching too much importance to the workforce from the United States and Europe was China’s mistake, a Chinese daily said on Friday.

However, the editorial in Global Times caustically said it was way cheaper to hire Indians as “the cost of employing an Indian engineer is just half the cost of hiring a Chinese worker.”

The paper said wooing high-tech talent from India would help China in innovation.

Wooing S&T talent

“China has perhaps not been working hard enough to attract science and technology talent from India to work in the country,” the daily said.

“Over the past few years, China witnessed an unprecedented boom in tech jobs as the country became an attractive destination for foreign research and development centres. China has made the mistake of ignoring Indian talent, and instead has attached a greater importance to talent coming from the US and Europe,” it said.

Citing some reports, the paper said: “The cost of employing an Indian engineer is just half the cost of hiring a Chinese worker, which means Indians could see their revenue more than double if they came to work in China.

“However, now some high-tech firms are turning their attention from China to India due to the latter’s relatively low labor costs. Attracting high-tech talent from India could be one of China’s options for maintaining its innovation ability,” it added.

India increasingly attractive

The report cited how an American software firm had shut its research and development team of 300 people unit and set up a unit in India with some 2,000 professionals.

“With a sufficient young talent pool, India is becoming increasingly attractive. China cannot afford to risk a decline in its attractiveness for high-tech investors. The nation is among the third echelon in cutting-edge technology fields and is working to catch up with the U.S. and the result of its efforts will decide whether China will maintain its status as an emerging global economic power,” it said.

China’s talent pool not enough

The report said China’s talent pool was not large and flexible enough to meet the demand for the rapid expansion of innovation capability.

“Some enterprises in Guizhou province provide convenience for Indian talent in terms of housing, insurance and transportation who could enjoy a much better standard of living in [China] than in Bangalore,” it said.

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