Well, more car, for a start. Completely redesigned for 2012, the new Sonata is more refined, better equipped and more freshly styled than the model it replaces.

From a design standpoint, Hyundai has rolled in a healthy dose of its "fluidic sculpture" design, which makes it an inflated Verna in profile. However, the massive chrome grill flanking the cat’s-eye HID headlamps, complemented with two aggressive lines running on the bonnet, puts the Sonata head and shoulders above the contenders. The significantly redesigned tail lamps give the vehicle a splash of class. The exterior, in short, is exhilarating and looks absolutely classy. Thumbs up!

The sophisticated fluidic design character is reflected on the two-tone beige-and-black interior, too. This, combined with Hyundai’s proficiency in interior packaging, has created an interior ambience that delivers class-leading comfort, functionality and practicality. Button-heavy the dash may be, but it’s all clearly labeled and ergonomically Read More »from Road Test and Review: 2012 Hyundai Sonata

Malappuram, Sep 2010 — 26 people dead after consuming illicit country liquor. Excise Minister P. Gurudasan refuses to accept 'moral responsibility' and resign. Several hundred illegal toddy shops destroyed. Compensation of Rs. 1 lakh promised by the government to the victim's families.

South 24 Parganas, Dec 2011 — 172 people dead after drinking spurious hooch. The government promises compensation of Rs 2 lakhs to victim's families for 'accidental death', refusing 'moral responsibility'. Two PILs are filed at the High Court, demanding justice and welfare coverage instead of compensation. The High Court suspends compensation pay-outs for 2 months. Khora Badshah, main culprit for spiking the liquor, convicted in a charge sheet on Feb 11, 2012.

Cuttack and Khurda, Feb 2012 — 34 people dead, 6 blind, 80 under treatment after consuming illegal liquor mixed with cough syrup. 3 government officials suspended. Excise Minister A U Singdeo resigns claiming 'moral responsibility'. Compensation

Read More »from Hooch Deaths

Nimish Rustagi

Sometimes I listen to my instincts like most normal human beings and the last weekend was a time space meant for some spontaneous experimentation. Life has to be interesting, after all. Working non stop in office and attempting to achieve excellence in an otherwise mediocre environment takes its toll on the psyche. (As usual, I can resist an opportunity to self-praise). So I decided to agree with Anubhuti's plea of heading to Jaipur for the "Jaipur Literature Festival" for a day. To make things further exciting we chose to travel by the iconic Indian Railways and we managed to secure tickets, somehow!

I call the last weekend, a sand-witch experience. Why? This too, shall be evident as you read through this piece.

We reached the Train Station and found that the parking had been closed for repairs. Our plan of parking for the night at the station thus was defeated by the overzealous Indian bureaucracy that is always busy repairing the infrastructure be it train

Read More »from The Sand-witch Weekend to Jaipur

According to the Planning Commission, human dignity is worth Rs 2 lakh. That's the maximum compensation for a rape victim who files an FIR with enough evidence and pursues the correct legal channels. The price of a life is higher. A minor or mentally challenged woman, or a woman who gets pregnant or contracts AIDS as a result of the rape, might claim the princely sum of Rs. 3 lakh.

January 2, 2012, the Delhi court awarded compensation of Rs 1 lakh to a 17-year-old rape victim awaiting justice. She was 14 when the incident occurred. In the interim, she tried to kill herself by consuming acid, and was reduced to a vegetative existence. The court, appropriately 'shocked' with the situation, coughed up a lakh and sent her back to the queue.

Article 38 (1) of the Constitution of India provides for Criminal Injuries Compensation Boards in every state. The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of setting up the boards. The National Women's Commission, the Working Women's Commission, and several

Read More »from The Price of Rape: Rs 42

For someone who studied in the mountains, had a psychedelic flash after a whirling windchill at a frozen lake in mountainous Nepal, was stricken with sudden fever on a glacial stretch in Spiti, and spent a winter in London without central heating (by choice), these are happy-learning memories of the cold, in comparison with my brother's horror stories from his first posting at Siachen. Also, in comparison with the immensity of the casually used phrase 'cold wave'.

For a cold wave is first a biting change in the air and, if you are outside, its teeth will come for you. By definition it is a very sharp drop in temperature in under 24 hours or a very long spell of continuous chilling of air. Both can become so extreme when prolonged or very sudden. So when studio anchors in a centrally heated studio pontificate on the statistics of the sub-zero, can they empathize with their brrroadcasting colleagues standing for hours delivering the weather report? Listen in to the 200 watts of Kashmir's

Read More »from Brrreaking news from chilled-out North India

On 21st December 2011, a Delhi based rock band performed a co-concert with the in-house talent at Tihar Jail in Delhi for over two hours. This was the result of a workshop at Tihar with members of the band, Menwhopause and the musical talent of the inmates. This was a first for both Tihar and rock bands in India.Yahoo in an email conversation with members of the band on what has been a life-affirming experience. Here's a look.

Transcript of email Q & A with Menwhopause

Q: So what's is the  music room in Tihar like?

MWP : There are instruments. And there's a curtain to hide the bars.

Q: Tell us a bit about the in-house talent you found in Tihar?

MWP: They are people like us. People with ideas and songs. People with nothing left to lose.

Q: So we take it, you'd gone in to perform there and out came the idea to work with the inmates? How did that happen?

MWP: Tihar officials have been super supportive. They let us go about it however we wanted it to. Singing our songs would have been

Read More »from The Great Indian Jailhouse Rock

Don And a half (yes that's my name for SRK-Akhtar version 1) felt like a turbo-wash scrubbed the circa off the original's flary pants, patchy rope tricks and rustic  Banarsi ale. But here's the scrub. The best dialogues were fully air-lifted from Banarsi to Bacardi zone.

And since it was SRK and not His Baritoneness, intensity got a sidekick. Replaced with a suitable sneer.And now the  F1pace-plot continues to  slicken with graphic novella atmospherics.

Missing in action, in the new Dons - The comic relief of country bumpkin Amitabh.Which had a plotted place for the songs but I guess songs then  were woven with fewer hectic threads than jeez.

To be fair, DON And a half elongated the Don franchise and twisted us successfully, bang into our era. Scam hain naam mera SCAM!
A stupendously less innocent time when the criminal draws us in from everywhere be it murder mysteries, power topis of cops to politicos-Gandi topi anyone?
So much more believable that the crook

Read More »from DON ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin…

The protestor as Time's Person of the Year 2011. From Cairo to New York City. From Tahrir Square to Times Square. And from Ram Lila to Azad Maidan.

Did something really stir this year ? Are Indians zombied-by-unaccountability waking up beyond personal fatigue and tired assaults ?

There is an ire for change but is it as deep as the pockets of the very corrupt? Or is it another instance where the axis of blame is  so wide angle that we  don't see our casual complicity. 2G is now  a numeric uno euphemism for scam and continues to unfold with revelations @ 3G speed. Shock continues to find new voltaic lows everyday ,in exposes of the illegally mined and dined. In a year in which many in India, have gone from who is Anna to I am Anna to why Anna - one experience continues to tether us breathlessly to it all. Corruption.

Wherever you might be on this, you can bet there will be chatter on tv about it, preferably with a hotseat.

A reality show hosted by actor Rajeev Khandelwal where

Read More »from Facing the truth