15th August: Homage or a holiday?

India completes its 63 years of Independence on August 15, 2010. The country may admire its revolutionaries after watching a patriotic flick in a multiplex, but does it really hold to heart the freedom struggle and the day of our independence, or is it just another 'national holiday'? With rising corruption, honour killings, red-tapism, and increasing crime rates, a lot still needs to be done before we rest on our laurels. Do you think that rather than celebrating history, we should be concentrating on our present and future? Do we really feel empowered by our republic? Or is it just another holiday for us?

Mumbai oil spill

State-run oil marketing companies have ruled out a fuel shortage following the closure of the Jawaharlal Nehru and Mumbai ports, which has disrupted shipment of crude oil to local refineries.

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How to Make Apple Cider Mixed Drinks

"The drink we are about to make is called an Apple Cider Slider. It's got a nice ring to it doesn't it, tastes great too. There we go let's put some ice in here. It's going to be a shot o'kay. We are going to make two shots for your friends that love the taste of apple cider It is going to have a nice kick to it though. Do one shot of Spiced Rum and let's do a half a shot of Apple Schnapps and also a half a shot of Cinnamon Schnapps. There we go and we are just going to do a splash of lemon lime soda. There we go and let's mix it up good here Be careful with the lemon lime soda there, it might get all over. In that case we did alright. Now let's get a couple of shot glasses ready and our strainer and we are going to serve up and you can smell that apple cinnamon, an Apple Cider Slider, two shots. Bottoms up."

54 days to go, is Delhi ready?

Incomplete stadiums, living quarters far from finished and debris strewn all over the city - Delhi looks far from being ready for the Commonwealth Games.


The Jawarharlal Nehru Stadium (JNS), which was inaugurated on July 27, was meant to be a symbol to showcase the Games. But it looks nothing more than a construction site despite its ` 961 crore makeover.



The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) began construction over two years ago. The deadline is September 1 after which the stadium will be locked down. But will it be ready by that date?


No one is allowed inside. But according to sources, the main lights and main announcement systems are in place at the stadium. The field and stadium seats are also ready. But underground cabling for electricity and water supply, water connections, painting and welding of the boundary are still not complete.

Clean-up deadline missed?

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had last Month set August 10 as the deadline for removing all construction and demolition waste from the city and ordered all civic agencies to strictly comply with the time-frame.


She had also reiterated that there would be no deviation in the deadline to halt digging work and to remove the malba. But with tonnes and tonnes of rubble still strewn around across the city, this does not seem possible.