Say Hello to Another
Scam
The raging corporate war over the introduction of limited mobility telephone services has turned political, with the Prime Minister's Office being charged with subverting the regulatory system and favouring a few business houses. An INDIA TODAY investigation looks at the conflict between the sanctimonious claims and the grim reality.

Ballot Boxwallahs
The approaching assembly elections have brought to life five states which are set to witness a stiff fight and whose results can have a big impact on all major parties. A profile of the prime contenders who could tilt the balance either way.

Fall From Grace
Despite a triple-digit growth in net profits of Infosys Technologies and Satyam Computers, the stock prices of the two companies have plunged. Is it the gloomy forecast for software companies that's hammering down the prices?

Unnatural Alliance
The CNG controversy has taken a new turn, with doubts being raised about the propriety of the Delhi Government's selection of Nugas as the sole supplier of the conversion kit.

The Doon Boom
The city that houses Doon School is now playing host to a whole array of new education barons--with big money and even bigger ambitions.

EYECATCHERS

Vision Statement

SCRIPT TEASE: Rodricks (second from right) Castelino (in black); and Acharya (in glasses) flanked by models at Visionnaire

Talking textures, emoting colours, Braille embroidery? At the unveiling of Goa designer Wendell Rodricks' Visionnaire line for the visually impaired in Mumbai, models wore outfits with Braille scripts giving details of colour and material. The idea came from B. Acharya, a blind teacher in the city's National Association of the Blind, and fashion consultant Meher Castelino. What next? Shrugs Rodricks: "It's up to manufacturers to pick up the threads now." No reason why it shouldn't catch the eye.

Not Just Lip Service

She is the lucky girl who got to smooth Shah Rukh Khan in the Pepsi commercial. That kiss got Tara Sharma, 23, more modelling spots, now even a film, Dream Catcher, directed by debutant LA-based Indain filmmaker Tabrez Noorani. The film also stars Raveena Tandon. So that's a plus. A grad from the London School of Economics, Sharma hasn't let her consultant job in the UK go through. "I'm a sucker for security. It's safe to have an option." Smart girl.

Polar Heights

She braved glaciers, summits and snow in temperatures as low as minus 60 degree Celsius for 16 months in the world's coldest desert. Chandigarh-native and team-doctor Kanwal Vilku, 52, the only woman in the 24-member team that set out for the 19th Indian Antarctic Expedition to no-man's land, also studied "the effect of South Pole's magnetism on the body". She said yes, because as an army officer's wife, she'd been "on some of the toughest terrain in India". The Everest will be a cakewalk now.

Move Over, Mausi

Roll over Paresh Rawal and Sadashiv Amrapurkar. Here's another villain on his
way to playing a eunuch. Enthused after meeting Bhopal legislator Shabnam Mausi,
a eunuch, Ashutosh Rana broached the
idea of playing Mausi with Mahesh Bhatt
who has always "loved stories on the
so-called gutter sections of society". The
finer details are yet to be chalked out, but Bhatt's had practice directing Rawal in Tamanna. Rana's gearing up.

MetroScape

Wealth Of Art
April 8 saw an unabashed get together of Mumbai's Who's Who when the annual Harmony Show, well known as "Tina Ambani's baby", celebrated its sixth showing at the Nehru Centre.
more...

Looking Glass

Bangalore Hotel:
Park.hotel

Mumbai Store:
Regent Watch and Jewellery Boutique

A war of words is on at the Jammu border where India is trying to build a fence to stop infiltration, much to Pakistan's dislike, reports
INDIA TODAY's Special Correspondent Ramesh Vinayak in Despatches.