Consumer Notes
Some moves that help
The Government has introduced in the Rajya Sabha several amendments to the existing Consumer Protection Act, which was first amended in 1993. The amendments are expected to be passed during the monsoon session. While introducing these amendments, the gov
ernment declared, with a view to achieving quicker disposal of consumer complaints, widening the scope of some of the provisions of the Act to make it more effective. Some amendments proposed in the Act have been taken up for analysis in the following pa
ragraphs.
Corporate
Is your building thinking?
When a fire broke out in the lift machine room at the IFCI building in New Delhi, a couple of years ago, technology took charge. At the first indication of fire, the building supervisor was automatically paged and the hooter-alarms went off to alert the
occupants of the building and those in charge of the building's safety. All air-handling systems in the building were activated, security doors opened up for evacuation, the public address system and alarms were switched on, all lifts homed down and the
smoke exhaustion systems started functioning. And what is significant is that the entire process happened without any human intervention.
Health
Go for the buzz!
Imagine ... an open-air gym, moist grass sponging under your feet, balmy breezes fondly ruffling your hair, sun smiling warmly on your shoulders as you workout like Grasshopper Green. It's a concept fast catching on in the US. Parks and universities are
laying out `exercise trails' like welcoming red carpets, offering `parcourse training' -- outdoor circuit training -- for those who want to `go for the buzz'.
Hotels
Colours that form a landscape...
It's not without reason that they have called it The Park.hotel. Located at the heart of Bangalore, the dot in the hotel signature gives one an idea of what the hotel stands for. For the young, independent and seeking a new experience.
It's Euro-cuisine!
This summer, business travellers to the capital will have a new address to check out for its unique European cuisine. The Delhi-based Grand Hyatt, a luxury business hotel has thrown open its latest restaurant -- Brix, serving European style cuisine, incl
uding Italian, German, French and Spanish delicacies.
Miscellaneous
Born with a hockey stick
There's a famous saying that every Coorgi is born with a gun in one hand and a hockey stick in the other. This was strongly endorsed at the Nellamakakada Hockey Tournament held recently in the hilly district of Karnataka.
It's the content that counts
Sandeep Goyal, Zee Network's Group CEO, Broadcasting, had an eventful start to his new career. On the first day at Zee, May 16, the Pradhan Mantri came a-visiting. He wasn't the genuine article, of course -- just a character played by Kay Kay Menon in a
serial -- but just for that one moment, as the gun-toting commandos came running in, it seemed real enough.
Help Bangalore!
You hit the nail on the head in the article, ``B for Bangalore, B for biotech'' ( May 7). We the citizens of Bangalore have too much traffic on the roads, too less power, too many people and too less water.
Striding a different world
You can't get a political lineage more impressive. Both her parents -- father S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and mother Srimavo Bandaranaike were former Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka. Her sister Chandrika Kumaratunga is the present President of the island nation a
nd her brother Anura Bandaranaike, the Speaker in Parliament. And yet Sunethra Bandaranaike, the elder sister of Chandrika, was never tempted to take a plunge into the troubled waters of politics.
Time to trash injustice
Every day, before dawn, Anasuya Avte is out of her house, carrying a large, white plastic sack. In her 60s, she works five to eight hours a day to earn a living, collecting and sorting waste. Her neighbour, 80-year-old Ahilyabai Avte, still goes around s
orting garbage. Her children do not look after her. ``On the contrary, they take money from me,'' she complains in a frail voice.
Travel & Places
In the shade of royalty
All too often, while travelling to tourist destinations, what should have been the beginning of a deliciously short break turns out to be suitcases full of unexpected and unwanted interruptions. The paths lead you to places where an altogether populous p
eople have been already. Take Kullu-Manali, for instance. A lot of water has flown under the bridge since Kashmir's insurgency problems removed Jammu and Kashmir from the average tourist itinerary -- it took years but the flow is now firmly in the direct
ion of the Kullu and Parvati valleys.
From the Table top
The view from the top of Table Mountain is as good as it gets. On my left, Lion's Head dwarfed the city which appears wedged between its flanks and those of Signal Hill, while Robben island seemed to hug the sea like a giant pancake.
