Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced a series of new initiatives to woo India's 51 million small and medium businesses today.

"The Internet is as much for an established local merchant, as it is for a high-flying startup," Pichai said at an event in Delhi, emphasising the benefits of going digital. The new initiatives include tools to build websites, a training program and support service to help these businesses get online.

Pichai launched Digital Unlocked, a free training program to teach small and medium businesses basic digital skills to get online and start using the Internet to grow their business. The online training comprises of 90 training video tutorials, created by Google, FICCI and the Indian School of Business. The offline version refers to an eight-hour classroom training programme created in partnership with FICCI. Over the next three years, Google plans to organise 5,000 such workshops in 40 Indian cities.

"The Internet is as much for an established local merchant, as it is for a high-flying startup."

The internet giant also announced that it will start a free tool called My Business Website later in the year, to help businesses create free mobile-optimised websites quickly. The new feature includes simple and editable website templates in English and nine regional languages. The tool builds upon a program called Google My Business, which was launched in 2016 to help Indian businesses get an online presence on Google Search and Google Maps, without having to invest in a website or a domain. Google My Businesses currently has 8 million small and medium businesses enrolled on its platform.

Google also launched a free mobile app called Primer to teach digital marketing skills to small and medium businesses. The app can also work offline, and is currently available in English and Hindi, with Marathi, Tamil and Telugu versions coming soon.

"There are 51 million small and medium businesses in India, but only 32% have an online presence," Rajan Anandan, Vice President, South East Asia and India said. " A large number of small businesses don't understand why they need to be online."

Among Google's success stories is Delhi's historic Ram Chander & Sons, which claims to be India's oldest toy store. Established in 1890, the 127-year-old family-run shop hasn't just survived but also thrived, even as many other independent stores in the city have closed down due to falling sales. It's 80-year-old owner Satish Sundra says this is partly due to it embracing the internet at the right time. The store got its Google listing back in 2006, and now makes nearly 40% of its sales online and has customers from 60 countries.

"We've learned that if we solve a problem for India, we solve it for the world."

This is the latest in a series of recent announcements Google has made to grow its presence in India, and Pichai reiterated the country's importance for Google today. "We've learned that if we solve a problem for India," he said, "we solve it for the world."

LAS VEGAS -- Printing and personal computer major HP Inc. unveiled new PCs at Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2017)-- world's biggest annual electronics event.

Designed for work at home or on the go, the new PCs include HP EliteBook x360, HP Spectre x360 and HP ENVY Curved All-in-One 34.

HP EliteBook x360 features 4K UHD display with Windows Hello, pen support and has a battery life of up to 16 hours and 30 minutes.

Following the success of HP's 13.3-inch diagonal model, the second generation of HP's 15.6-inch diagonal x360 powers a micro-edge 4K display, Intel Core processors, NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics, adds two new front facing speakers tuned by Bang & Olufsen and an IR camera for Windows Hello.

HP ENVY Curved All-in-One 34 features a 34-inch diagonal ultra-WQHD micro-edge display and packs four-speaker sound bar tuned by Bang & Olufsen.

To better meet the needs of commercial customers, HP also introduced the new Sprout Pro, the second generation immersive all-in-one PC. It incorporates a grounds-up redesign with a 2.2mm thick, 20-point capacitive Touch Mat display with a sharper, near 1080p projected resolution.

It also now features an Intel Core i7 processor, 1TB of SSHD storage, up to 16GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics for faster 3D scanning.

That place you couldn't visit last year because you didn't have enough leaves? The national park you've been meaning to go to for a couple of years but the dates never worked out? That road trip that the gang has been planning on but just can't seem to get everyone together at the same time?

The year 2017 is a blessing for all your unfulfilled travel plans. Long weekends are lined up one after the other. But everything takes planning, so we are here to help you with some trip suggestions.

Here are some great long-weekend trips that you could take this year:

1. Fagu, Himachal Pradesh

If you want to escape the city, Fagu is the perfect corner to head to. This quaint town is tucked away between luscious green fields and rain-soaked mountains. Enjoy a warm cuppa, delicious Himachali food and expect to hear the leopard roar in the oak forests nearby.

How To Reach: You could drive to Fagu, which is 45 minutes away from Shimla. The Shatabdi train from Delhi to Kalka is also a good option; Kalka to Fagu is 3 hours by road.

Where To Stay: There's a range of home-stays.

Rise & Shine #Himachal #MarcoMeetsIndia #Fagu

A photo posted by Aniruddh Kothari (@aniphotoguy) on May 26, 2016 at 6:44pm PDT

2. Thekkekadu, Kasaragod, Kerala

If you are unwilling to navigate the crowded backwaters of Kerala, then Thekkekadu is the perfect little haven for you. A fishing boat would slowly pass by, while you relax on the tranquil palm fringed banks close near sleepy villages. This is the perfect Kerala-countryside experience, unmatched by few other places.

How To Reach: The Kanhagad railway station is 22 km away and the Calicut International Airport is 167 km.

Where To Stay: There are a couple of retreats and resorts here.

A photo posted by Mohammed Jameer (@mohdjameer) on Jul 28, 2016 at 11:05pm PDT

3. Little Rann of Kutch and Banni Grasslands, Gujarat

The only place where the barren, cracked earth looks stunning is Kutch. Depending on when you go, you could be greeted by flamingoes or Asiatic wild asses, or by a meteor shower. There is no way one cannot fall in love with the white, salty earth here.

If this is not enough, then go deep into the Banni Grasslands. You could experience the most stunning of sunsets and the mesmerising landscape, while listening to tales of Banni camel herders.

How To Reach: Kutch is around 400 km from Ahmedabad. You could drive or hop on a bus.

Where To Stay: There are budget and luxury stay options in Kutch.

A photo posted by Nitin Joshi (@the_xplorographer) on Jan 3, 2017 at 10:28am PST

4. Peora, Uttarakhand

If you like forest trails, then Peora is the place for you. Away from the city and even from popular destinations such as Mukteshwar, this small town is the perfect introduction to the idyllic pahari life.

How To Reach: The Shatabdi train from Delhi to Kathgodam is a good option. It is a 2.5-hour drive to Peora from there.

Where To Stay: Several colonial bungalows have been converted into home-stays.

A photo posted by sneha 🌟 (@sneha.choudhary.21) on Jan 2, 2017 at 6:19am PST

5. Mandu, Madhya Pradesh

If you are a history buff, then there are few options better than Mandu. A veritable mine of historical anecdotes and stories of love and war, the ruins of Mandu are situated in the Dhar district. From tombs and gateways to forts and mosques, this medieval city is like a history lesson come to life.

How To Reach: The Indore airport is 95 km from here, and at 124 km is the Ratlam rail-head. One can also reach Mandu from Indore by road.

Where To Stay: There are budget and luxury stay options in Mandu.

A photo posted by Rahul Bhavsar (@rahulbhavsar45) on Jan 3, 2017 at 12:30am PST

6. Dhanachuli, Uttarakhand

If the pitter-patter of raindrops has the same effect on you as the sound of waves on others, then Dhanachuli is your perfect getaway. If doing nothing makes your holiday perfect, then Dhanachuli is perfect for you. Take a stroll on the meandering roads, explore the apple orchards, and while away your time taking in the tranquil mountain air.

How To Reach: The Shatabdi from Delhi to Kalka is a good option. It is a 3 hour drive from there to Dhanachuli.

Where To Stay: There are good hotel and home-stay options.

A photo posted by Rishi Suri (@rishi_suri) on Oct 22, 2015 at 5:03am PDT

7. Gangtok, Sikkim

If you have a couple of days in hand then look no further than Gangtok. The Gangtok air will soothe you while you visit monasteries, gorge on delicious Sikkimese food, pick handicraft souvenirs, explore tea plantations, enjoy the unparalleled view of the majestic Kanchenjunga, go to the Kanchenjunga National Park, or simply nurse a warm cuppa in one of the many cafes in what is one of the least-polluted cities in India.

How To Reach: Gangtok is a 5-hour drive from the Siliguri airport in West Bengal.

Where To Stay: There are many accommodation options in Gangtok.

A photo posted by TrippyOwl™🐣🌍 (@trippyowl.india) on Jan 3, 2017 at 3:53am PST

8. Nameri National Park, Assam

This is another trip that will require just a couple of days. Ditch the very popular Kaziranga National Park for the little-known Nameri National Park. Drive into the heart of the tiger country, take one of the many forest walks it has to offer, go on an angling expedition, spend quiet nights around a bonfire and have yourself a true-blue jungle experience. Vehicles are not allowed inside the park so one would have to take a dinghy to cross the tributary of Jia Bharali.

How To Reach: The Tezpur airport is 37 km from Nameri. One could drive from the Guwahati airport as well, which is 5 hours away.

Where To Stay: One could stay at the Nameri Eco Camp or at the Jia Bhorelli Wild Resort. Booking well ahead in advance is recommended.

A photo posted by Himanshu Sikaria (@himanshusikaria) on Jan 3, 2017 at 10:43pm PST

9. Ranakpur, Rajasthan

Located in the Aravali Range, Ranakpur's rich culture and architecture make it a haven for travellers. The many Jain temples, including the largest Jain temple complex in India, make it a special place. Take a horse ride, take a wildlife tour, explore Ranakpur in a jeep and even undertake a trek in the beautiful Rajasthani town.

How To Reach: Ranakpur is connected by road and rail from Jodhpur. The nearest airport is also at Jodhpur.

Where To Stay: There are many hotels and cottages in Ranakpur.

A photo posted by j.ishita (@ishitajain1994) on Jan 3, 2017 at 6:10am PST

Finally, after years of waiting in the wings, playing the second fiddle, and getting his hands dirty, MK Stalin is the new leader of the DMK and its future in Tamil Nadu. Probably in Indian politics no other eligible leader would have waited this long to head a party and become its chief ministerial hopeful.

Everyone knew that Stalin was indeed the future of the DMK, particularly after the party patriarch and five time chief minister M Karunanidhi indicated that on multiple times. However, after the first occasion, every time Karuna made this point, it was greeted with some some sort of disappointment than joy by Stalin supporters because that meant that the patriarch still wanted to continue at the helm even when he crossed 90. In fact, when Karuna repeated his succession plan in October in an interview with a local publication, there wasn't any jubilation at all because it still meant Stalin had to wait till his father hung up his boots.

Now that he has been elected as the working president (a new post created for him by the party after amending its bylaws because Karunanidhi cannot be replaced as the party president), the decks have been cleared.

Probably in Indian politics no other eligible leader would have waited this long to head a party and become its chief ministerial hopeful.

Stalin is one of the most eligible politicians in India. He began his political career in his teens and joined the party general council when he was hardly 20, that too after doing the customary ward and zonal rounds. The emerging dynasty of Karunanidhi didn't help fast-tracking his rise in the party because it took another 15 years for him to become an MLA. His MISA-torture during the emergency is a must-read chapter in the party folklore. He still took time to cut his teeth in administration - first as the Mayor of Chennai and finally as a Minister. By the time he became a minister, he was well into his 50s.

Thalapathy @mkstalin political career began as a 14-year old school student, campaiging for DMK in the 1967 elections. #StalinTheLEADER pic.twitter.com/Y7ferQG85e

— #DMK4TN (@DMK4TN) January 4, 2017

Subsequently, he became the deputy chief minister and presently the leader of opposition in the legislative assembly. Meanwhile, he also held key organisational positions and took the lead in revamping the party network. A few years ago, when handling the party reorganisation in the districts, there were isolated murmurs from some quarters, but he skilfully subdued them.

Despite being a beneficiary of a powerful dynasty, that's accused of family rule not only in politics, but also in businesses across the state, Stalin's political graph has been rare and really impressive because he literally worked up his way through the ranks. The old generation in the city may still speak about his colourful past as a young man, but the Stalin of our times is a well-mannered, unassuming, highly experienced and well-trained politician.

That he is the oldest Yuvraj of Indian politics does speak about his legitimate legacy. A patient politician who waited for his day of reckoning. "I did not get any post because of the family. I fought elections and won," Stalin said after his elevation today.

Karunanidhi and the DMK couldn't have delayed the announcement any longer because their Dravidian rival AIADMK is fast filling the vacuum created by Jayalalithaa's death. The AIADMK lost no time in setting the stage and launching Sasikala as the new leader. She has made an impressive first appearance before the cadres and the people and is set to tour the state after Pongal in January. After asserting her leadership within the party, she will now look for the transference of Jaya's legacy in the minds of the people through a mix of emotions and promise, than politics.

Jaya's departure is a great opportunity for DMK and they cannot afford to get it completely offset by Sasikala, who is still an untested asset. If Sasikala manages to resonate well with the people who may still adore Jaya, the DMK will have a task that's tougher than what they would have initially thought. The man to lead the counter attack is not an ailing Karunanidhi, but the gen-next Stalin and his promise for the future of Tamil Nadu because he has proved himself to be a capable politician and administrator.

Jaya's departure is a great opportunity for DMK and they cannot afford to get it completely offset by Sasikala, who is still an untested asset.

Two family questions still remain unanswered. One is the quarrelsome older brother Alagiri, who bitterly tried to undermine Stalin and was ticked off by Karunanidhi; and the second is his half-sister Kanimozhi. It remains to be seen if Stalin will pardon Alagiri and give him some space in his home turf in southern Tamil Nadu because some in the party still feel that Alagiri's fearful presence and organisational capacity are assets that the party shouldn't lose.

However, Stalin's problem is that the fratricidal Alagiri hadn't stopped badmouthing him. Ahead of the assembly elections, he had said that the DMK would lose because of Stalin. "So long as Mr. Stalin is projected (as leader), the party cannot win the election. His family members are interfering with the functioning of the party," is what he said.

Kanimozhi, in comparison, will not be a threat at all because she has no organisational backing except the support of her doting father and perhaps a handful of leaders. She will be at Stalin's mercy and reportedly her mother Rajathi Ammal has been doing her best within the family to ensure that she gets a fair deal. A mild-mannered and sophisticated Kanimozhi's preferred political profile also doesn't clash with that of Stalin.

Anyway, it's going to be an interesting battle in Tamil Nadu. By conventional wisdom, it should be advantage Stalin. Finally, the party has paved the way for the Thalapathy (commander) to become King, nearly five decades after he enrolled as a soldier.

Also on HuffPost India

Sonam Kapoor, who wowed everyone with her performance in Ram Madhwani's award season front-runner Neerja, has always been consciously guarded about her personal life.

She has never been vocal about her love life but multiple reports now suggest that the actress is in a steady relationship with Delhi-based businessman Anand Ahuja.

Ahuja and Kapoor recently sneaked out to Amsterdam to bring in the New Year. Before that Ahuja was present in London with Kapoor's family where they brought father Anil's 60th birthday together.

While we'll wait for Sonam to yell it out to the world (she won't) if she's finally found love, going by these pictures, it seems romance is brewing beautifully for her this winter, whether it is in the Indian capital or European ones.

Ahuja also posted this adorable girl of Sonam with a little girl with that smart caption.

Little Girl + Littler Girl @sonamkapoor ✌🏼#Amsterdam

A video posted by anand ahuja (@anandahuja) on Jan 2, 2017 at 5:03am PST

If you still didn't get a good look at him, here's how he looks:

more ✖️'s than the ⛪️ ... #ballislife #NIKEiD #NikeIndia ••• 📸 @bioblad3

A photo posted by anand ahuja (@anandahuja) on Dec 23, 2016 at 6:02am PST

For New Years, Sonam posted this picture with Anand and we cannot agree more.

Also see on HuffPost:

NEW DELHI -- Unable to get a few junked currency notes exchanged, a frustrated poor woman became topless in front of RBI regional office in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The woman, who was with her child, was in tears when turned away by guards after repeated request to exchange her junked notes. In protest she sat in front of the RBI entrance gate.

When the guards tried to forcefully move her away from the entrance, the woman in disgust took off her clothes and sat topless in front of the iron gate, stunning the onlookers as well as the security personnel.

Later, the RBI guards called the police and she along with her kid was bundled away to police station, thus ending the surcharged drama at the high profile building which is just a stone's throw away from the Parliament House.

Many others including retired and aged persons who have come to exchange their old notes said the government should not go back on the promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 8 November address to the nation that old notes could be exchanged at the select RBI offices till 31 March.

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SAN FRANSISCO -- As everyone is talking about their new year resolutions, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday resolved to meet people in real life in every US state by the end of the year.

According to a report in Quartz on Wednesday, Zuckerberg ran 365 miles in 2016 and read 25 books in 2015, but this year's resolution appears his most radical yet.

"After a tumultuous last year, my hope for this challenge is to get out and talk to more people about how they are living, working and thinking about the future," Zuckerberg announced in a Facebook post.

It will take Zuckerberg to visit about 30 states by the end of the year to meet his target as he has spent significant time in other states already.

"By making the rounds across the country, he is sure to stoke speculation that he might someday like to run for political office," the report noted.

Facebook was widely criticised after US elections for spreading fake news, political propaganda that favoured the President-elect Donald Trump.

Zuckerberg said that technology and globalisation have made the people productive and connected but for many, it has made life challenging.

"This has contributed to a greater sense of division than I have felt in my lifetime. We need to find a way to change the game so it works for everyone," he added.

KANPUR -- A Samajwadi Party MLA's gunner was left flabbergasted when he found that his account has been mysteriously credited by nearly ₹100 crore.

Kanpur District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said that SP MLA Irfan Solanki's bodyguard Ghulam Jilani has an account with SBI's Mall Road branch.

He had gone to withdraw money from an ATM on Tuesday night where he found that his account was credited with a total of ₹99,99,02,724.

Jilani then approached Solanki who reported the matter to the DM.

"I have spoken to the Deputy General Manager of SBI branch and they have asked Jilani to submit an application," said Kaushal.

His bank account has been seized, said the DM, adding that he will not be able to withdraw money from it for the time being.

Jilani, who hails from Padrauna area of Kushinagar district, lives in a rented room in Jajmau area of the city.

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Uttar Pradesh is not Bihar. It's a state much bigger, more complex.

Hindutva politics has always been defeated by OBC assertion in Bihar. UP has had a history of communal polarisation propelling the BJP.

Bihar 2015 had the maximum opposition unity possible, with Lalu, Nitish and Congress coming together. Uttar Pradesh is still a three-cornered fight between Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati and Narendra Modi.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP did even better in Uttar Pradesh than Bihar.

And yet, the 2017 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh are beginning to look a lot like Bihar 2015.

1. Big Modi rallies: Addressing a mammoth rally in Lucknow's Ramabai Ambedkar Maidan on 2 January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked that the crowd was bigger than what he had seen during the Lok Sabha elections. He asked Uttar Pradesh to rise above caste politics. He sold vikas (development), accusing other parties in UP of not having done any.

2. Who's Vikas is it anyway? Exactly the same things the prime minister had said in his Bihar speeches, and they never worked. Mobilised rally crowds don't mean election victories, caste politics is a reality even the BJP is deeply engaged with. As for the promise of development, not only does it sound stale because of Modi's Acche Din campaign in 2014, it also appears weak before Akhilesh Yadav's achievements.

Just as Nitish Kumar's image as a man who had delivered on development in Bihar was unassailable, so is the case with Akhilesh Yadav. Everywhere you went in the Bihar elections, you'd see the BJP's saffron and yet people (except the upper castes) would say Nitish had delivered. Similarly in UP, the BJP is the only party that had so far been consistently campaigning on the ground. That is why you see the BJP's saffron everywhere, and a sense the BJP is strong. But if you ask people, they say Akhilesh is the one who has delivered.

In Bihar, prime minister Modi kept telling people Nitish hadn't kept his promise of improving electricity supply, but actually he had. Similarly in UP, accusing all other parties of doing nothing for development doesn't match the ground reality as Akhilesh has won the perception war on that front, while people still wait for Modi to deliver on his 2014 promises.

3. Modi achievements? In Bihar 2015, even the BJP's supporters were at a loss of words when asked what Modi had done for them – they would say his foreign trips are raising India's stature before the world. Similarly in UP today, Modi supporters are able to cite only one achievement, notebandi, which the rest don't buy.

4. Failed disruption: Modi tried to bring a big disruption in the Bihar elections. He tried to pull the rug beneath Nitish Kumar's feet by announcing a financial package three times of what Nitish Kumar was demanding. But it had no impact. Lalu Yadav made fun of how the prime minister announced it, and Nitish Kumar pointed out it wasn't a new package at all, only a rehash of existing financial aid.

Similarly, before the UP elections the prime minister unleashed the disruption of notebandi. Initially it appeared the poor were enthused by a programme that was fighting black money.

Travelling in the last week of December from Lucknow to Kasganj, through Unnao, Kanpur rural and the Yadav stronghold districts like Etawah, this writer found people still giving Modi time. "Let's see what Modi does after 30 December." They expected two things after 30 December: cash crunch to go away, and some reward for the hardship they had suffered. A lot of poor people expect Modi to put hard cash, lots of it, in their Jan Dhan accounts. None of that has happened, there's still a cash crunch causing economic hardship. The relief measures for the poor announced by the prime minister on 31 December haven't had much political impact.

5. No CM face: As in Bihar, a major problem for the BJP is the lack of a chief ministerial candidate around whom it could build and crystalise its larger campaign. Since Narendra Modi is not going to be chief minister of UP, people don't really have a face they could compare with Akhilesh Yadav or Mayawati.

6. Weak MBC strategy: The BJP's caste strategy in UP also sounds a lot like Bihar. It is mainly to add upper caste vote bank to non-Yadav OBCs. The BJP is doing well with Lodh and some Kurmi voters, thanks to having their senior leaders in the party. But the wider MBC vote is too fragmented to be mobilised en masse. Leaders of these communities have a limited hold over their voters. These are also voters hit hard by notebandi, whose benefits they are not sure about, and by contrast they see the ambulances and roads Akhilesh Yadav has provided. UP does have a lot more upper castes than Bihar, but it risks losing some of its upper caste support because of demonetisation and the Akhilesh wave.

7. Communal polarisation may not work: Like Bihar, the BJP and the RSS have been working on communal polarisation in both localised and state-wide ways. It has given up talking about triple talaq these days, noticing that it wasn't resulting in polarisation. As the election proceeds, the BJP will have no option but to try some more Hindu-Muslim polarisation, and no doubt it will have fruitful results in some pockets. But a state-wide communal polarisation looks difficult as the BJP's main competition, Akhilesh Yadav, has been shedding the Samajwadi Party's image of Muslim appeasement. Akhilesh Yadav's message to Muslim voters is the same as for Hindu voters: development. In Bihar, too, Nitish and Lalu had stayed away from Muslim identity politics. In UP, Mayawati is trying to woo Muslims with identity politics but Akhilesh is staying away from it, realising that would alienate a number of Hindu voters and drive them away to the BJP.

8. Modi image is intact: Despite the hardship of notebandi and its failure to make black money disappear, the Modi image hasn't taken much beating. People still give Modi grace marks for good intentions, for at least trying. Most people's response to notebandi is mixed and unsure. Even if the BJP loses UP, it is likely to be in second position, and it won't be much of a reflection on Modi, and perhaps not even on demonetisation. This election isn't about Modi but about Akhilesh Yadav. In Bihar too, people weren't enthused by Modi's pitch but the sentiment was more pro-Nitish than anti-Modi. Like Bihar, there is the sentiment that Modi is good at the centre and our regional party at the state level.

Things could still change: There are two factors that could change the situation in BJP's favour. Firstly, if Akhilesh contests the election on a symbol other than the Samajwadi cycle, he could face the challenge of voters being unaware of his symbol. Secondly, if there is a big communal disruption and the BJP succeeds in making voters vote for Hindutva, Akhilesh could lose.

For now, it appears the BJP is UP is a strong party with no face, a faltering narrative and an inability to convert the Modi image into a Vidhan Sabha wave.

Also in HuffPost:

NEW DELHI -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday announced to continue the hearing of the Cauvery water issue on 7 February.

A bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Dipak Misra and comprising Justice Amitava Roy and Justice A. M. Khanwilkar extended the interim order in the water issue, directing Karnataka to release 2,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu, till the next order.

The lawyer from the side of Tamil Nadu Shekhar Naphade urged the three-judge bench to bring the matter to a logical end for which there should be continuous hearing.

The apex court mentioned that the hearings would go on for three weeks at 2 p.m. daily from 7 February onwards so that the issue could be resolved and the appeal would be finalised.

Earlier, on 9 December, the apex court upheld its constitutional power and right to hear appeals filed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, against the 2007 Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal final award.

Also on HuffPost India.

NEW DELHI -- A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court on Wednesday granted bail to former Air Force Chief Sanjeev Tyagi and Gautam Khaitan against Rupees two lakh personal bond and one lakh surety in the VVIP AgustaWestland chopper scam.

The court has directed Tyagi and Khaitan to not contact any witnesses and to not leave National Capital Region (NCR) without permission.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear the plea for a SIT probe against some journalists for writing in favour of AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal after being purportedly paid by the company.

The apex court also sought response from Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate on PIL alleging that journalists were paid off ₹50 crore for writing in favour of the deal.

The CBI, however, is not able to ascertain the exact amount of money allegedly paid to former air chief S.P. Tyagi, the main accused in the case

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Arun Mishra agreed to hear noted journalist and author Hari Jaisingh's plea that the top court should intervene in the ongoing investigation of the CBI and ED and direct the two agencies to submit a status report on whether the media played a role in influencing the deal for VVIP helicopters.

The court asked Jaisingh, represented by senior advocate Geeta Luthra, to provide the CBI and ED with copies of his petition.

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Amidst various suggestions, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale supported BJP MP Udit Raj's demand for reservation for Dalits in all sports, including in the national cricket team.

On 15 November, Udit Raj who represents North-west Delhi in the Lok Sabha, brought up the issue of reservation for Dalits in sports, citing the example of a law enacted by the South African government by which at least five players of colour have to be included in the national cricket team.

Reiterating Udit Raj's demand, Athawale said, "It should happen. Talented players from the community would get chances if reservation comes up."

Athawale said that a Dalit quota in the Indian national cricket team would mean more wins for the country. "The team loses on many occasions and to make them win, there should be a quota for the Dalits," he said.

Likening the team under Virat Kohli to the government under Narendra Modi, he said, "at the moment, Virat Kohli's team is in good form as PM Modi's team."

In response to Athawale, Congress leader Panna Lal Punia said that while it was necessary to give Dalits the opportunity for training, the ultimate selection must be done on the basis of merit.

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A group of trekkers from Pune and Mumbai who were holidaying in Lonavala had their new year celebrations marred by a band of self-proclaimed 'bhakts' of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the 17th-century Maratha warrior king who is often appropriated for political ends in Maharashtra.

According to a report in the Mid-Day, the trippers were manhandled, abused, stripped and beaten up by around 15 self-proclaimed bhakts, that included 6 women. They were also made to hold saffron flags and chant "Jai Shivaji, Jai Bhavani" and other slogans.

Over 40 families were camping at the Visapur Fort in Lonavala over the new years weekend. While the revelers were enjoying themselves around a campfire, a group of people armed with bamboo sticks approached them and began abusing them.

Recounting the incident, a woman who was at the camp with her husband and friends, told Mid Day, "They thought we were drunk and had taken drugs. When we told them that we were married couples, they asked us to show our mangalsutras and abused us for not wearing bindis."

Then, the boys among the 'bhakts' made the men take off their clothes and poured soft drinks on them.

Apparently, a five-year-old boy was beaten up too and went into shock after seeing his parents being thrashed and slapped.

The incident came into light after one of the campers, a fitness trainer from Pune, approached the Lonavala police and filed a complaint against the gang.

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There is no doubt that OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T are great smartphones. One of the most appreciated features of these devices is the dash charging technology incorporated by OnePlus.

In our test of OnePlus 3T we found that within half an hour the phone charges almost from 0 to 60 percent. And it takes just about an hour to charge the phone till 3000 mAh completely. OnePlus supplies a special charger with Dash Charging technology with the phone.

The company today released a new video starring actress Emily Ratajkowsk explaining how the dash charging technology works. The video shows that while the other fast charging technology relies on providing the higher voltage to the device Dash Charging generates more power through higher amperage. It should be noted that OnePlus supplies a charge of 5A and 4V rating with the device.

The video also shows that the charger itself converts the power in the adapter and uses a thick cable to transfer that to the device with USB C port.

OnePlus Dash charging technology currently only works with OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T by using the dedicated charger and the cable. It is based on Oppo's VOOC charging technology. There are other fast charging technologies such as Qualcomm's fast charge in the market as well.

IDUKKI -- The police on Wednesday arrested two labourers in Kerala's Idukki district on charges of raping and killing a 30-year-old woman.

The victim, whose body was found in a naked state, was reportedly murdered on 1 January. She herself was a migrant labourer from Odisha and had been living with her husband in Kerala for the last one year.

The accused, identified as Viswanatham (54) and Prahladh Badra (20), were migrant labourers, who hailed from Tamil Nadu and Odisha respectively.

The duo allegedly hit the victim on her head with a sharp object, and raped her before abandoning her in a bush.

As per the post-mortem report, the victim succumbed to her head injuries.

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To model a debut novel on the plot of a globally admired classic may seem like a safe bet, but in reality it is fraught with dangers.

For one, retelling a familiar story can be tricky business, unless it is delicately balanced by an urge to reinvent its characters and action. Even more worryingly, if the original happens to be hugely popular already, the challenge becomes steeper, if not overwhelming.

Pakistani writer Sarvat Hasin grapples with these twin difficulties in her first novel, This Wide Night, with grace and confidence. Based on American writer Louisa May Alcott's cult favourite, Little Women, Hasin's story takes us to Karachi of the 1970s, where the Malik sisters live in relative freedom under the indulgent supervision of their mother, Meherunnisa. Like the patriarch of the March family in Alcott's story, Captain Malik is a largely absent father, and when he eventually makes an appearance, he is relegated to benevolent obscurity, a bit like Mr Bennett in Pride and Prejudice.

The four Malik sisters — Maria, Ayesha, Bina and Leila — are like the proverbial peas in a pod as far as their allegiances are concerned but also strikingly different in temperament. Maria, the academically inclined, falls in love with Amir, a history teacher at the neighbouring school. Their brief courtship and marriage are unusual by the standards of their time, though not sensational. Ayesha, who aspires to be a writer, forges a close friendship with their neighbour, Jamal (or Jimmy, as he is called), the narrator of the story. Bina is the sickly, somewhat pious, sibling, a bit kooky at times, and Leila, the youngest, is a painter, but also a fount of mystery.

If you know Little Women well enough, the unfolding of Hasin's plot won't surprise you much. In spite of being fast allies, Ayesha and Jimmy do not end up together — or rather, not as a married couple — and the family is plagued by the shadow of illness and death, as in the original.

The real novelty of Hasin's story, for me, is her decision to have Jimmy (Laurie, in Alcott's novel) as the narrator. To choose him as the interface between the reader and the story is to let the latter into the life of the Malik family from outside in. There is the additional problem of creating a convincingly male protagonist, especially one who's sexually invested in some of the female characters, and there I sensed a slight lack of frisson, a guardedness in the writing and a mild tendency to veer towards poetic excess — all the more noticeable in the otherwise stately, even languorous, pace of Hasin's prose.

The real novelty of Hasin's story, for me, is her decision to have Jimmy (Laurie, in Alcott's novel) as the narrator

The bravest part of looking at the Maliks through Jimmy's eyes is to be able to convey the inscrutability of the sisters. In spite of his years of closeness to the family — a teenage crush of sorts on Maria, a deep-rooted and lifetime's attachment to Ayesha, and his marriage to Leila — Jimmy is never fully let in on the secrets of the family. With the progress of the novel, the cold distance he feels from the sisters in spite of being surrounded by them, becomes apparent, even cloying. The effect is powerful, especially since the geographical landscape of the novel is vast — moving from Pakistan to Britain to France and back to Pakistan — and yet the feeling of entrapment, in a family and its histories, doesn't ever leave the reader.

Being the orphaned grandson of a businessman, Jimmy had always been solitary, his craving for a proper family only met by his contact with the Maliks. When he finally imagines himself as one of their own, he is startled to discover the aloofness of the sisters, including his own wife's unconsoling nature. "I'd never lived with anyone before," he says with an edge. "Her lipstick glowed on the rims of empty water glasses; I'd always find her hairs on my clothes, caught in button holes or wound in the links of my watch. All the time I could feel them around me, the girls, breathing in the same house."

In less capable hands, Jimmy's lingering discomfort with the unknowability of the Malik sisters may have become a cop out. Hasin's ending, shocking but understated in its drama, avoids such a possibility.

This Wide Night is published by Penguin Random House, 328 pages, hardback, ₹499.

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KOLKATA -- West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra on Wednesday walked out of the pre-budget meet, saying there is financial emergency in the country and budget has become meaningless.

"I am saying this with heavy heart that I walked out of the pre-budget meet after my presentation, in a protest in the appropriate manner that democracy deserves. I primarily spoke on demonetisation and what it is doing to the economy as the perspective of the budget. This is financial crisis of derailing the economy. The budget has become relatively meaningless because a part of budget has already been delivered by the Prime Minister for the first time in the history of India," Mitra told the media.

Saying with heavy heart that I walked out of the pre budget meet after my presentation, country's growth being sacrificed: Amit Mitra,WB FM pic.twitter.com/L67JUG4bR2

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 4, 2017

He further said the country's economic growth has been sacrificed and ₹1.26 lakh crores have been sacrificed in transaction cost in 50 days, according to research.

Mitra also stressed upon the problem being faced by the small and medium enterprises and unorganised sectors post demonetisation drive while asserting that the Central government is not bothered about the issues.

"The diamond workers have come back to our state from Gujarat. In Maharashtra there are 24 lakh powerlooms, out of which 12 lakhs have been closed today and the workers from there have been gone to their state. Leather industry in West Bengal has completely collapsed. So, small and medium enterprises, unorganised sectors are starving. The poor workers have no way but to go back home and they add to the liability of their home rather than asset," Mitra said.

"Last year there was 11% growth and this year it is growth of negative two percent which means Bengal has lost 13% of potential taxes. 11% which we have made has been extinguished. States are today suffering with 30 to 40% decline in the budget," he added.

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NEW DELHI -- The deadlock over the Goods and Services Tax (GST) continued on Wednesday with the Centre and states refusing to budge from their respective positions on issues like control of tax payers and taxing high sea trade, a stalemate that threatens to delay the rollout until September.

The two-day meeting of the all-powerful GST Council, the 8th in a row, made little headway in brokering a solution even as non-BJP ruled states saw September as more likely deadline for the rollout of the indirect tax regime.

The next meeting of the GST Council, headed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising state representatives, on 16 January would discuss the issue of jurisdiction over assessees as well as try to reach a finality on taxation of territorial waters.

Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac said the other remaining issues before the GST Council include ways to fund the compensation to states for GST rollout and states participation in Integrated GST (IGST).

"Working overtime, it should be possible to meet the deadline of September. I am not very optimistic about rolling GST out in June/July. Because it is a new tax and lot of complexity involved, it would be better to move in after full preparation. So GST, to my understanding, will be implemented from September," he said.

Isaac said some states wanted the GST revenue from the highest tax bracket to be shared in 60:40 ratio with the Centre, instead of the present 50:50 sharing.

"There are 4 different rates that have been fixed. Highest bracket is 28% and of this how much will be the Centre and state's share, nowhere in the law it defines and it seems to be taken for granted it is 50:50. Ever since the Independence in the Centre-state financial relation the imbalance has been growing wider and states' rights have been curtailed."

"That can be corrected by ensuring that state's share in GST will be 60%. Many states also supported this. The Centre did not respond to the demand but it was decided to be discussed later," he said.

Isaac said convergence has been growing between the Centre and states. "The Centre seems to be in a mood to rethink some of the positions that the Centre has been adopting... On the whole, the Centre has been taking a step backward and if it really takes one more step backward I think we will have a deal."

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NEW DELHI -- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch a 103 satellites on a single rocket in the first week of February, a major unprecedented feat.

As India looks to grab a larger slice of the lucrative commercial space market, with 100 of the 103 satellites set for launch belonging to foreign nations, including the US and Germany. ISRO's workhorse rocket PSLV-C37 will take the satellites into space from its Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh

"We are making a century by launching over 100 satellites at one go," S Somnath, director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre of ISRO, told a plenary session on the second day of the ongoing Indian Science Congress here on Wednesday.

The space agency had earlier planned a launch of 83 satellites in the last week of January, of which 80 were foreign ones. But with the addition of 20 more foreign satellites, the launch was delayed by a week and will now take place in first week of February, Somnath said.

He, however, did not specify the number of countries that would launch its satellites in this mission, but said it includes nations like the US and Germany.

"These will be 100 micro-small satellites, which will be launched using a PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle)- C37. The weight of the payload will be 1350 kg, of which 500-600 kg will be the satellite's weight," Somnath added.

The launch will be a major feat in country's space history as no exercise on this scale has been attempted before.

Last year, ISRO launched record 20 satellites at one go. The highest number of satellites launched in a single mission is 37, a record that Russia set in 2014. The US space agency Nasa launched 29.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet South Asian satellite project, meanwhile, will take off in March.

The South Asian satellite will be a part of GSAT-9, which will be launched in March this year, M Nageshwara Rao, associate director of ISRO said.

The communication satellite was to be launched in December 2016, but was slightly delayed as some other satellites are to be launched before that.

Sources said talks with Afghanistan to have the country on-board for the project is in its final stages.

Envisaged as a gift to its neighbours, the project, earlier known as Saarc satellite, faced stiff resistance from Pakistan. The neighbouring country wanted it to be launched under the aegis of the South Asian regional forum. It later backed out of the project.

Apart from India, the satellite will benefit Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.

There's no stopping Dangal.

After breaking multiple box-office records in various territories, Aamir Khan's Dangal has now crossed the coveted Rs. 300 crore mark.

What is worth applauding is that it has become the fastest film in Indian cinema to reach the number. Interestingly, the record was previously held by Khan's 2014 P.K

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted the following today:

#PK crossed ₹ 300 cr on Day 17... #Dangal crosses ₹ 300 cr on Day 13... Indeed, Aamir is setting NEW BENCHMARKS... India biz.

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 4, 2017

By netting 300 crores in its domestic run, Dangal has joined the ranks of Salman Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Sultan.

Also Read: Dangal Box-Office: Here Are All The Records Aamir Khan's Film Has Broken So Far

Most trade analysts have predicted that Dangal will surpass all previously held records and will become the highest-grossing Indian film of all time.

POLL RESULTS... 49% feel the *lifetime biz* of #Dangal will be ₹ 400 cr + in India... Let's wait and watch! pic.twitter.com/Tm2O79UTI8

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) January 4, 2017