Uttarakhand Mukhyamantri Medhavi Chhatra Protsahan Yojana 2023: Benefits, Registration Form

Uttarakhand Mukhyamantri Medhavi Chhatra Protsahan Yojana: The Uttarakhand government has approved the Mukhyamantri Medhavi Chhatra Protsahan Yojana to enhance education and promote attendance in government schools. This scheme is aimed at providing monthly scholarships to exceptional students from classes 6 to 12 statewide.

Students scoring 80% or above in the Uttarakhand Board's 10th-grade exams qualify for this scholarship until they finish their 12th grade. The government hopes this initiative will significantly boost the state's education standards.

For Uttarakhand students interested in availing the benefits of the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Medhavi Chhatra Protsahan Yojana, this document serves as an informative guide detailing the scheme's specifics. It elaborates on the Uttarakhand Mukhyamantri Medhavi Chhatra Protsahan Yojana, providing an in-depth understanding of its features and advantages.

The Uttarakhand Chief Minister Meritorious Students Incentive Scheme, directed at students in grades 6 through 12 in government and aided educational institutions, has been officially sanctioned. Scholarships will be granted to students who clear the 5th-grade competitive exams conducted at the block level. Approximately 10% of the 79,532 students passing 5th grade across 95 development blocks will initially qualify for this scholarship. SCE RTE Uttarakhand Dehradun will administer the scholarship examination.

The above Sarkari Yojana involves competitive exams in the 5th and 8th grades. The top 10% from the 5th-grade exam will receive scholarships for the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Similarly, the remaining 10% from the 8th-grade exam will qualify for scholarships for the 9th and 10th grades, subject to maintaining at least 70% attendance.

The primary objective behind launching the Chief Minister Medhavi Chhatra Protsahan Yojana is to provide monthly scholarships from the 6th to 12th grade, specifically targeting economically disadvantaged students in government schools. This scheme aims to improve the state's education system by motivating students, encouraging attendance, and curbing dropout rates. The Education Minister has also hinted at extending this scholarship system to higher education, aspiring to enhance educational opportunities for all.

Under the Uttarakhand Mukhyamantri Medhavi Chhatra Protsahan Yojana, students from classes 6th to 12th will receive varying monthly scholarship amounts ranging from Rs 600 to Rs 1200.

Additionally, students scoring over 80% in the 10th-grade Uttarakhand Board exams will receive a higher scholarship of Rs 1200 per month until they finish class 12th. This financial aid aims to support students in purchasing books and other educational essentials.

Scholarships under the Chief Minister Medhavi Chhatra Yojana are granted through competitive examinations conducted by SCERT Uttarakhand Dehradun. The top 10% of students based on exam performance will benefit from the Mukhyamantri Medhavi Chhatra Protsahan Yojana, receiving monthly scholarships from the state government for up to a year.

Eligibility requirements include completion of class 5 in government educational institutions. Students from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Economically Weaker Sections are given a 5% relaxation in the competitive examination criteria to ensure inclusivity.

This scheme aims to promote education in government schools, improve future prospects for students, and contribute to the state's educational growth by offering scholarships.

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Feliz Cumpleaños Cuñada: Say Happy Birthday to Your Sister-In-Law

feliz cumpleaños cuñada! This is what you say to your sister-in-law on her birthday. Well, you always have to take care celebrating birthdays of your loved ones in unique style. 

But when the time comes, you try finding different strategies to greet them on the occasion of their birthday. When you are about to celebrate the birthday of your sister-in-law, you would obviously like to wish her with some precious gifts and more.

Sending gifts to them has now become a traditional way as it as long been followed by people. Today, you have so many options to greet them on the occasion of their birthday. One way which looks perfect is to greet them with a few motivating words on their birthday. 

There are various happy birthday messages or quotes that you may try sharing while wishing them happy birthday. In fact, you can find birthday quotes scattered on the web. All you need is to grab them according to your needs. 

Instead, you can also follow some eminent personalities and get some great birthday quotes or messages. But the best way to greet your sister-in-law is by sending her some beautiful birthday quotes.

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feliz cumpleaños Mama

feliz cumpleaños Papa

feliz cumpleaños Amiga

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Apple shows off thinner iPad Air and retina iPad Mini

Google has officially unveiled the latest incarnation of its flagship Nexus smartphone.

Made by LG, the handset is smaller, slimmer and lighter than the Nexus 4 but its 4.96in (126mm) touchscreen is bigger.

The Nexus 5 has been developed to show off the capabilities of the new version of the Android operating system.

Called Kitkat, the software has been designed to work well on both high-end smartphones and cheaper feature phones.

The alliance with Google has helped bolster LG's fortunes even though, according to statistics from Gartner, it is still a long way behind rivals Samsung and Apple.

In the April-to-June quarter, the consultancy indicated 3.8% of all smartphones sold were LG handsets putting the South Korean firm in third place.

By contrast, Apple accounted for 18.8% of all sales and Samsung 29.7%.

Memory cut

The gadget shares some of the hardware from LG's G2 handset and can record and play back HD video at the full 1080p resolution. Its camera also has a rapid burst system that captures several photographs at the same time so owners can pick the best shot.

The handset is due to go on sale on 1 November in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan and Korea.

"Nexus devices serve an important function for Google," said Ben Wood, head of research at analyst firm CCS Insight.

"The company collaborates closely with the chosen phone maker as it rolls out a new version of the Android operating system and this results in a 'vanilla' version of the software that acts as a reference platform for developers and tech enthusiasts."

Google said a base 16GB version of the device would cost $349 in the US (£299 in the UK), unlocked and without a contract. The 32GB version should cost $399 (£339 in the UK).

With Android Kitkat, Google said it had made the software use less memory so it could be used on handsets with much lower specifications than top end smartphones.

In addition, Google has begun moving some services off Android's core software and onto its app store. Many see this as a way for it to maintain more control over the security of the software and its associated applications.

Apple shows off thinner iPad Air and retina iPad Mini

   Launch: Philip W. Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing, unveiled the newly named iPad Air Tuesday. It features       a new  design that's reminiscent of the iPad mini released last year

The BBC's Richard Taylor has a look at Apple's latest tablet Continue reading the main story

Nokia reveals phablets and tablets Apple suspends HMV app from AppStore

Google launches low-cost TV dongle Apple has unveiled a top-of-the-range tablet called the iPad Air that is 20% thinner than the previous version.

     New version: Apple's new iPad Air, right, is the fifth 9.7-inch model to be sold by the Californian-firm. It is 43 per cent thinner than       the  p revious model and has a 5MP camera. The new iPad Mini, left, has a 7.9-inch Retina display and 10 hours battery life

The 9.7in (24.6cm) computer is 7.5mm (0.3in) thick and weighs about 1lb (469g), which it claims is the lightest full-sized tablet on the market.

It is powered by the same A7 chip found in the company's iPhone 5S.

The launch comes at a time when some analysts have suggested that Google's Android is about to overtake Apple's iOS as the bestselling tablet platform.

Apple also announced a new version of its iPad Mini.

Its 7.9in (20cm) screen has been upgraded to feature 2048 by 1536 pixels - the same as the larger model. It is being branded as "retina" to highlight the increased resolution.

Amazon and Google have already announced small tablets - the Kindle Fire HDX and Nexus 7 - with similar high definition displays.

     Thinner: An Apple employee holds up the new iPad Air in San Francisco. Apple unveiled a new, lighter tablet called the iPad Air           along with a slew of new Macs

"We've got the retina upgrade to the smaller iPad that many thought should have been there in the first place," Tony Cripps, principal analyst at tech consultants Ovum, reflected after the announcement in San Francisco.

The iPad Mini's new screen has 326 pixels per inch, similar to the 323ppi resolution of the Nexus 7

"Market share slip is inevitable because so many rival devices are coming out, which is not necessarily a bad thing as the overall sector is growing.

"Apple does now have a cheaper model thanks to it offering the original iPad Mini at a lower price - but the firm doesn't really want to go to the low-end because that's not where the greatest profit is extracted."

Apple also announced that the latest version of its Mac operating system, Mavericks, would be offered at no cost to owners of computers already running any version of OS X released since 2009. It is the first time the company has not charged for a major Mac OS upgrade.

By contrast the full version of Windows 8.1 is sold for about £100, although it is free to existing Windows 8 users.

Linux-based Ubuntu has always been offered without charge. Chromebook computers also get free upgrades for Google's PC operating system.

    Showing the specs: Mr Schiller stands in front of a graphic that shows the breakdown of the iPad Air. The screen is a 9.7-inch             Retina Display with 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution

New laptops, productivity and leisure apps were also unveiled. However, Apple did not show off a new TV set-top box as some had speculated.

Tablet competition

The California-based firm's most recent financial release said that its iPad range accounted for $25.8bn (£17.6bn) worth of sales in the nine months leading up to July.

That represented 19% of its revenue for the period.

However, Apple acknowledged that the amount of money it was making from the product line was growing three times slower than the growth in unit sales since many customers were opting for its cheaper iPad Mini and iPad 2 models rather than its top-of-the -range "retina display" versions.

Tim Cook, Apple chief executive Tim Cook said the firm had sold more than 170 million iPads

It also faces the fact it is losing market share to rivals.

     Bigging it up: Ahead of the iPad Air's unveiling, reporters were told 'You're going to see some amazing products this morning'

Apple's iOS operating system accounted for 53.9% of all tablets shipped in 2012, according to Gartner.

The tech research firm forecasts that Android will become the market leader with a 49.6% share, versus Apple's 48.6% this year, adding that it expects that gap to widen further in 2014.

However, consultants at IHS iSuppli said those figures needed to be put in context thanks to Apple's success at making money by taking a cut of app sales.

"It is in terms of revenue per active device where Apple's lead is strongest," said the firm's mobile media analyst Jack Kent.

"An iOS device generates around three to four times as much app revenue through Apple's App Store as an Android device through Google Play.

"Apple has so far offered a more compelling range of tablet-specific content, but Google is clearly looking to address this."

       MailOnline's Victoria Woollaston looks at the iPad Mini during the Apple media launch in London

He added that many Android tablets, including Amazon's Kindle and most products sold in China, did not have Google's store pre-installed.

Apple's chief executive Tim Cook noted there were now 475,000 apps designed for iPads available through its online marketplace.

Craig Federighi, Apple's software chief Craig Federighi said the new Mac OS X Mavericks system would extend laptops' battery life.

Another market watcher suggested that Apple's priority remained securing a "premium" margin on the shop price of its hardware, and that add-on software sales were of secondary interest.

"Some players, like Amazon, can afford to slash prices because they have a different business model based on content and commerce," said Thomas Husson, from the tech industry analysts Forrester.

"While Apple has shared $13bn to developers since 2008, it has made less than $6bn out of apps.

"It's a huge stat, but low in comparison with Apple's quarterly results.

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10 reasons why BBM for Android is overrated and can't beat WhatsApp any time soon

A well-received ad campaign never defines the success of a product. Similarly, the arrival of BBM on Android and iPhone may have pulled in a large number of users, but the humongous 10 million downloads in 24 hours is not necessarily an indicator that users are content and would continue using the app, that was once a BlackBerry device exclusive. While I was quite satisfied with the widely used instant messaging (IM) tool WhatsApp and never looked for other IM apps flocking the Google Play Store (besides Google Hangouts - that was previously Google Talk), but I eagerly waited for BBM to come to Android. The app in spite of BlackBerry's sagging fortunes, retained much of its iconic appeal. ALSO SEE BBM for Android, iOS clocks over 10 million downloads in 24 hours Being a late entrant in the world of cross-platform IM services, BlackBerry played smartly bringing BBM to Android and iPhone for free. It might compensate for BlackBerry's late arrival and make it easier to battle WhatsApp on a more equal footing.

Millions of Android users have installed BBM but will they continue to use it? Ankit Tuteja has his doubts. (Boxer knocking out his opponent, via Shutterstock)

Having used BBM for Android for the last few days, my verdict while BBM has definitely caused a huge buzz, it is still far from being the best IM app and shouldn't yet nurture any dreams of being able to beat WhatsApp. Here are my 10 reasons why.

ALSO SEE Just installed BBM for Android or iPhone? Here's a quick video tutorial 1. The PIN-based invitation model on BBM is something that makes it different from WhatsApp as users get an absolute authority on adding people to their BBM networks, unlike WhatsApp that lets anyone who has your phone number reach out to you. While the PIN-based invites may be considered an advantage, I see it as a bane. Keeping someone away from your BBM does not mean that you would be able to shut off all communication from that person. All a person needs is your phone number and then he has all the other ways - from calling to messaging to IM on WhatsApp - to communicate with you. BBM is only one of the ways. A common belief is that a BBM PIN, at times, is shared when you don't want to give your number but want to stay in touch and maintain communication with a set of people. In such cases I would recommend Google Hangouts (Google Talk) instead, which I believe Android users would be quite used to. You can take their email address and add them to your Hangouts. Here you also have an authority to choose and reject. Another purported BBM advantage washed away.

ALSO SEE BBM for Android, BBM for iPhone finally here, but not for all Also, the model that BBM follows seems to be limiting your interaction in the times when people believe in network building and socialising freely. Anyone of us may come across situations where we want to establish a communication with a person, but may feel a little shy in approaching and asking for a BBM PIN - he may share, may be not. A relation may gets spoiled before it is made. WhatsApp is a much better choice here. Isn't it better to continue with WhatsApp which you have been using for quite sometime as your primary IM tool and use Google Hangouts to remain in touch with those you have not shared your digits with. ALSO SEE BlackBerry issues open letter in attempt to reassure customers I heard a BlackBerry loyalist at work saying to another friend go just got BBM on her Android phone, "apna BBM PIN WhatsApp kar diyo (Please WhatsApp your BBM PIN)." This in itself speaks volumes about the penetration of WhatsApp.

 2. Another thing that BlackBerry brags about BBM is the 'D' and 'R' indicators - where D signifies messages delivered and R says that the messages sent to a recipient have been read. But there seems to be some bug in BBM for Android as occasionally I found a check mark (signifying non-delivery) next to the messages sent by me even when the recipient had already read those messages (something that they confirmed via WhatsApp and/or Google Hangouts). A feature that BlackBerry boasts of seems to be marred by some bugm thereby making it ineffective, till the time BlackBerry manages to fix this. 

ALSO SEE BlackBuried: How BlackBerry is losing its biggest market 

3. In an instant messaging app what matters the most is the appearance of previous messages in a chat window. Before you make a reply, you often want to read the recent messages exchanged between the two or more than two in case of a group chat. I found myself seeing more messages in a WhatsApp chat window than in a BBM chat window. In BBM, I noticed a display picture next to every message, which swallows up space in a chat window, unnecessarily. BlackBerry appears to want us to write without reading, while it is more important to first read and then write. 

4. Today, emoji is a new language of communication. Instant messaging apps have almost dozens of emoji icons to reflect much of your moods and behaviour. Here also BBM loses ground to WhatsApp. WhatsApp has multiple times more emoji icons than BBM. 

5. Like WhatsApp, BBM also lets you share files with other users. But WhatsApp has an edge over BBM as it lets you share more file formats - from photos to videos to audio files to location to contacts. Using WhatsApp, you can share all these files directly from a chat window. But BBM users on Android can share photos and voice notes from a chat window. Videos or MP3 files can be shared on BBM, but not from a chat window. Sharing videos or MP3 files on BBM involves more steps - go to a video/MP3 on your phone and select BBM to share it with a BBM contact. Also, contacts and locations are something BBM does not let you share. 

6. The PING! button on BBM reminds me of the Buzz button on Yahoo Messenger. This is one feature WhatsApp lacks, but it does not hamper my experience on WhatsApp. In fact on BBM too, I didn't find much utility in the PING! button. 

7. By making its BBM app available on three platforms - BlackBerry OS, Android and iOS - BlackBerry is not wrong in calling its app cross-platform, but out of the two, WhatsApp - in real sense - is the more cross-platform app and is available on all the major platforms - Android, iOS, BlackBerry OS, Windows Phone, Symbian, Nokia S40. While BBM connects you with your friends on Android, BlackBerry, and iOS platforms, but WhatsApp, apart from these three OS, also lets you connect with your friends using Windows and Symbian devices. BlackBerry still has no plans to bring the BBM app to Windows, which is the second most widely used smartphone platform in India. 

8. Today, when most of the people own more than one device and prefer the convenience of using an app on multiple devices, BlackBerry released the BBM app in a way that confines users to use one BBM ID on one device at a time. The same issue is with WhatsApp. A WhatsApp account can only be verified with one number, on one device. Being a late participant in the race, BlackBerry could have got an edge over WhatsApp by making the BBM app work across devices. It is here, where Google Hangouts has an absolute advantage over the other two. 

9. It is not always possible to reply to messages immediately, but it seems that BBM urges you to send replies the moment you read them. It may not be the case, but the default keyboard setting in BBM suggests this. As you open a chat window in BBM, the keyboard - by default - pops out, expecting you to respond right away. The keyboard, with an Action Bar placed right above the keyboard, on BBM runs through a chat window and leaves you with only last message. So, to view the previous messages you have to exit the keyboard. There is no setting to permanently disable the keyboard from popping out as you tap on a chat window. While WhatsApp only shows you messages and you can launch the keyboard when you want to reply. Also, WhatsApp lets you see more messages at a time in a chat window. 

10. We have heard of misunderstandings, fights and cold wars between people due to the timestamp feature - "last seen today at..." - on WhatsApp, and many believe that with no such time stamp feature on BBM, they can easily ignore certain contacts and can reply to them at their convenience. But late replies when your updates are showing also makes it quite easy for your contacts to comprehend whether you are actually busy or simply ignoring their messages. This does not mean that I dislike BBM, it has been a great app on BlackBerry and brings much of it to Android, but then the smartphone world has evolved much faster than BlackBerry could and BBM for Android is an indicator. Many new BBM users I know have already uninstalled the app, disappointed by BBM. If and when BlackBerry brings voice and video calling to BBM for Android (and iPhone), the scales could tilt a little. Till then, I am sticking to WhatsApp.

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Eid sacrificial animals in Pak can cost more than cars

ISLAMABAD: With preparations for Eid-ul-Azha in full swing across Pakistan, a scramble for buying sacrificial animals at the last-minute has begun.

Yet, much to the chagrin of the general public, several animals have reportedly also been stolen from homes.

This year, the average price of a "qurbani" or sacrificial animal begins from 20,000 Pakistani rupees onwards and goes up to a princely sum of Rs 16 lakh - an amount that has left several appalled, considering a brand new car in Pakistan will cost only about Rs 7 lakh.

It's the first time in years that the prices are so high and have nearly doubled from that of 2012. This means buying a sacrificial animal remains nothing but a dream for the salaried and middle class.

No wonder then, animals are allegedly being stolen from homes. Take for example cricket player Imran Farhat.



After paying Rs 1 lakh for his Eid goats, they were stolen overnight from his house in the upscale Valencia Town, Lahore. Despite police complaints and follow ups, the goats remain missing.

It was "breaking news" on some channels. It is not uncommon for animals to be stolen or abducted in the days leading to Eid. In Karachi, where extortion is rampant in some areas, people who bring home sacrificial animals may even have to pay money to mafia to keep them safe.

This year alone, two animals were shot dead by extortionists after their owners from Kharadar and Ranchore Lines area refused to pay them ransom.

TV channels have also been showing all kind of animals that are up for sale, including a goat that "drinks sprite" and chews 'pan'.

One goat showed on TV was priced at whopping Rs six lakh, while the most expensive buffalo was priced at about Rs 16 lakh.

But then, if one does not feel like making his way through cattle markets crowded with buyers and animals, then help is just a click away.

"Qurbani Online" is among a host of websites which promises to have the animal delivered 'at your home, at any relative's location or any charity organization'.



But as of now, the service is restricted to Karachi. An official of the Livestock and Dairy Development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province told state-run APP news agency that sacrificial animals between Rs 70,000 to Rs 1,00,000 are being sacrificed in the province.

People say rising prices of sacrificial animals have made it hard for them to afford and many joint families have decided to share the cost of sacrificial cows.

Butchers are also in high demand. The current rates are about Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,500 for goat, Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 for cows and Rs 10,000 to 15,000 for camels.

Eid-ul-Azha is an Islamic festival in which devotees mark the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to.


Farhat's sacrificial goats stolen ahead of Eid!

KARACHI: Pakistan's discarded Test opener Imran Farhat got a shocker just two days before Eid when the two expensive goats he had bought to sacrifice on Tuesday were stolen from his house.

A close relative of the batsman said Imran got a shock when he discovered that someone had stolen the goats he had brought to be sacrificed on Eid celebrations.

"He bought the goats for Rs 100,000 but now they are nowhere to be found and have probably been stolen by animal thieves who become active before Eid ul Azha," the relative said.

The two animals were strolling outside Imran's house when they went missing. Imran, a left-handed opener, had withdrawn himself from the national team for the tour to Zimbabwe last month because of the illness of his ailing wife.

But this month, the national selectors didn't consider him for the Tests against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates.

It is not uncommon for animals to be stolen or go missing in the days leading to Eid and in Pakistan's biggest city, where extortion is rampant in some areas, people who bring home sacrificial animals even have to pay money to mafia to keep them safe.

Already this year, in Kharadar and Ranchore Lines area, two animals were shot dead by extortionists after their owners refused to pay them money.

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Cyclone Phailin: Rehabilitation the biggest challenge

Cyclonic storm Phailin slammed Gopalpur in Odisha at 9.15 pm on Saturday, triggering heavy rains and strong winds with speed reaching up to 200 km an hour. Moments after the cyclone hit the town, shards of glass and asbestos strips could be seen whipping through the air "like killer projectiles".

* Cyclone Phailin: Southern Odisha most affected, flooding a concern, says Jay Panda. * Cyclone Phailin: 'Zero' loss of life says IMD chief, compliments media. Read more.

* MET department lifts the cyclone warning on Andhra Pradesh, predicts heavy rains. MET also warns Bihar to be alert, heavy rains predicted.

* Fierce Cyclone Phailin today left a trail of destruction in coastal Odisha where nearly nine lakh people were hit and crops worth Rs 2,400 crore destroyed even as one person was killed in Andhra Pradesh in a house collapse.

* Three dead in Odisha due to cyclone: NDRF. Read more.

* 60-year-old man killed as Phailin lashes Srikakulam district. Read more.

* 18 fishermen trapped in trawler return home. Read more.

* Cyclone Phailin death toll seven in Odisha. Read more.

* Wind speed is now 100 to 110 kmph: IMD.

* Our predictions were right and that helped us evacute people well in time: MET

* Cyclone Phailin leaves behind trail of destruction in Srikakulam. Read more.

* Railway signal, high-tension towers, platforms damaged in Odisha. Read more.

* Phailin leaves trail of destruction, cyclone intensity weakens Gopalpur, Srikakulam. Read more.

* World Bank concerned over cyclone Phailin. Read more.

Add caption

* No impact of cyclone Phailin in West Bengal: Minister Javed Khan. Read more.

* MET department confirms that the intensity of cyclone Phailin has decreased. Heavy rains will continue for the next 48 hours.

* Armed forces on standby for rescue, relief operations as Cyclone Phailin calms down. Read more.

* Cyclone Phailin pounds India, rescue workers start to assess damage. Read more.

* Intensity of cyclone reduced to 90-100 Kmph in Odisha's Gopalpur: NDMA chief M Shashidhar Reddy. Read more.

* Fierce cyclone rips into India; 550,000 flee to shelters. Read more.

* Intensity of rainfall appears to be reducing in Bhubaneswar and neighbouring areas.

* 7 dead. Next IMD bulletin to be at 11 am on Sunday. There has been some damage to old buildings and large-scale disruption of power and communication lines. Read more.

* The cyclone is one of the reasons why Mumbai is facing a prolonged monsoon. Read how.

* While the world was glued to news channels to see the heavy damage that cyclone Phailin inflicts, more than 500 officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) would be slogging out whole night long and thereafter as well for continuously analysing data and issuing forecasts to help others involved in decision making and relief work. Read dna story on the MET department's work.

* Cyclone Phailin expected to remain a "very severe cyclonic storm", packing winds of up to 210 kph (130 mph), into Sunday before steadily weakening as it moves inland in the states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

* Eighteen fishermen, who had ventured out in the sea despite being warned of Cyclone Phailin, were still stranded on their trawler off the coast of Paradip in Odisha for the second day on Saturday. Read more.

* Cyclone Phailin makes landfall in Gopalpur, Odisha. It will remain severe for six hours, said LS Rathore, Director General, IMD. Read more.

* Army, navy air force and NDRF personnel were ready to move out in the state for rescue.

* Cyclone Phailin caused a lot of inconvenience to air and rail travellers as many flights were cancelled while few others were diverted. However, airlines are not going to charge passengers affected by the cancelled flights. Read more.

* There has been no electricity supply in Gopalpur, Odisha, and Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh since last night.

*The cyclone has made its landfall in Andhra Pradesh, and the eye of the storm is expected to hit Odisha, according to US government website National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service.

*There are conflicting reports about whether Phailin has made a landfall, with the IMD reportedly telling a BBC journalist that it is still an hour away.

*Death toll touches five. Read full story.

* "Cyclone Phailin has made landfall near Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh," says  Eric Holthaus, lead Meteorologist & Weather Editor for the WeatherMob app. "The strongest winds, rain, & surge will be felt NE," he says. Landfall...confirmed by at least one satellite estimate. It occurred near Kapaskuddi, Andhra Pradesh, India, according to him.

TV reports suggest Cyclone Phailin is 80 kilometres away from the coast of Andhra Pradesh and it will hit the coast at a speed of 230 kilometres per hour.

* Around 445,000 people have been evacuated from the coastal areas of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh where the cyclonic storm Phailin will make landfall Saturday evening, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said. Read more.

* Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said all necessary steps have been taken to evacuate people from low-lying areas, and added that relief, medical and food facilities would be supplied to people affected by Cyclone Phailin. Read more.

* List of trains that are cancelled or diverted due to cyclone Phailin.

* One of the biggest cyclones in 14 years, cyclone Phailin is expected to cause maximum damage to the Ganjam district of Odisha. About 40% of the relief and rescue teams will be stationed at Ganjam

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Cyclone Phailin: All you need to know

The cyclone season

The country's cyclone season runs from April to December, with severe storms often causing dozens of deaths, evacuations of tens of thousands of people from low-lying villages and wide damage to crops and property.

Techniques used to predict intensity of cyclones

  •  Climatology

  •  Synoptic
  •  Satellite (Dvorak) techniques

  •  Radar techniques

Why are tropical cyclones named?

  •  Tropical cyclones are named to provide easy communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches, and warnings.

  •  The first use of a proper name for a tropical cyclone was by an Australian forecaster early in the 20th century. He gave tropical cyclone names after political figures he disliked.

  •  During World War II, tropical cyclones were informally given women's names by US Army Air Corp and Navy meteorologists (after their girlfriends or wives) who were monitoring and forecasting tropical cyclones over the Pacific.

  •  From 1950 to 1952, tropical cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean were identified by the phonetic alphabet (Able-Baker-Charlie-etc.), but in 1953 the US Weather Bureau switched to women's names. In 1979, the World Meteorological Organization and the US National Weather Service (NWS) switched to a list of names that also included men's names.

  •  The Northeast Pacific basin tropical cyclones were named using women's names starting in 1959 for storms near Hawaii and in 1960 for the remainder of the Northeast Pacific basin. In 1978, both men's and women's names were utilised.

  •  The Northwest Pacific basin tropical cyclones were given women's names officially starting in 1945 and men's names were also included beginning in 1979. Beginning on 1 January 2000, tropical cyclones in the Northwest Pacific basin are being named from a new and very different list of names.


A satellite image of cyclonic storm 'Phailin'. (The weather Channel)
  •  These newly selected names have two major differences from the rest of the world's tropical cyclone name rosters. One, the names by and large are not personal names. There are a few men's and women's names, but the majority are names of flowers, animals, birds, trees, or even foods, etc, while some are descriptive adjectives. Secondly, the names are not allotted in alphabetical order, but are arranged by contributing nation with the countries being alphabetised.

  •  The Southwest Indian Ocean tropical cyclones were first named during the 1960/1961 season.

  •  The Australian and South Pacific region (east of 90E, south of the equator) started giving women's names to the storms in 1964 and both men's and women's names in 1974/1975.

  •  The North Indian Ocean region tropical cyclones are being named since October 2004.


Names reused every six years

  •  Atlantic and Pacific storm names are reused every six years, but are retired "if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of the name would be insensitive or confusing," according to forecasters at the US National Hurricane Center in Miami.

  •  Hurricane Sandy was the 77th name to be retired from the Atlantic list since 1954. It will be replaced with "Sara" beginning in 2018, when the list from 2012 is repeated. Hurricane Sandy was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season that hit the US last year.

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Cyclone Phailin hits 90 lakh people; 23 dead, lakhs of homes damaged

 Cyclone Phailin on Sunday left a trail of destruction knocking down lakhs of homes affecting nearly 90 lakh people and destroying paddy crops worth about Rs 2,400 crore, but Odisha and Andhra Pradesh escaped from widespread loss of life.

As the largest evacuation efforts in the country's recent history helped keep casualties to the minimum, reports from the two states tonight said that 23 people died, all but two of them in Odisha. Most of the casualties were caused by wall collapse, uprooted trees and in floods.

Communication links were vastly disrupted by the strong winds that went upto a speed of 220 kmph when the "very severe" cyclonic storm crossed the coast near Gopalpur last night and weakened before turning into a depression. Ganjam district in Odisha bore the brunt of the storm.

According to IMD tonight, Phailin weakened further turning into "deep depression" with wind speed of 45-55 kmph and currently lay over northern Chhattisgarh, parts of Orissa and Jharkhand. According to M Mohapatra, scientist (Cyclone Warning Division) of the meteorology department, the "cyclonic storm" has now turned to "deep depression" with the wind speed of 45-55 kmph. It currently lays over northern Chhattisgarh, parts of Orissa and Jharkhand. It is expected to weaken further late tonight, he said.

A Panama-registered cargoship M V Bingo carrying iron ore was reported to have sunk in rough seas in the impact of the cyclone off the coast of West Bengal, but the crew were spotted in a lifeboat by a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft.

Authorities in Odisha evacuated nearly nine lakh people, the largest in recent history, ahead of the storm to cyclone shelters and public buildings like schools to avoid a repeat of the monstrous 1999 super cyclone in which nearly 10,000 people were killed.

"We are on the whole quite satisfied with the type of evacuation that was done," Vice chairman of National Disaster Management Authority M Shashidhar Reddy said. In Gopalpur, where the storm struck first, "almost 90-95% people had been evacuated".

Defence and paramilitary personnel were deployed to carry out relief and rehabilitation measures and restoring infrastructure badly affected by the storm.

The IMD earlier in the day said Phailin has weakened into a cyclonic storm with wind speed between 60 and 70 kmph.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik said the primary aim was to minimize loss of human lives and they have successfully managed to do so. "Property to the tune of several crores has been damaged...Rehabilitation will now be done."

Giving details of the devastation, Odisha revenue minister S N Patro said 14,514 villages in 12 districts have been affected, hitting a population of 80,53,620.

Over 2.34 lakh houses have been damaged and more than 8.73 lakh people evacuated.

Over five lakh hectares of standing crops have been destroyed by the gushing waters causing an estimated loss of Rs 2,400 crore, he said.

Power situation under control: Power ministry

There were some disturbances in electricity transmission due to cyclone Phailin which struck Odisha and Andhra Pradesh last night, but were attended to in time, the power ministry said.

"Required load and generation were managed in a balanced manner so as to secure stable transmission frequency," it said in a statement.

In Andhra Pradesh, the load was reduced to about 9,000 megawatt (MW) against normal demand of 10,000MW and in Odisha, it was 600MW against the normal demand of 2800MW.

Based on IMD information, extensive prior preparations were undertaken to tackle the effects of cyclone Phailin in the context of power requirements," it said.

Advance preparations were made to manage generation and load balance for unhindered and secure grid operation. Power stations in the region were also monitored, it further added.

As required load and generation were managed in a balanced manner so as to secure stable transmission frequency.

Also three Emergency Restoration Systems (ERS) of PGCIL were put on standby readiness in AP and Odisha for quick deployment in the event of damage.

The National Load Dispatch Centre under the control of POSOCO was operating 24 hrs and in touch with the regional dispatch centres of POSOCO and the state load dispatch centre (SLDC).

A high level team headed by additional secretary in the ministry was coordinating all the steps required including 2 hourly reports to all concerned, the statement further added.

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Cyclone Phailin kills 14, leaves trail of destruction in India

Hours after it snapped power lines, overturned cars and ripped away bamboo homes, the most powerful cyclone to hit India in years weakened Sunday, but not before it left at least 14 dead. Morning light revealed damage from Tropical Cyclone Phailin after it pounded the eastern coast, the strongest storm in India in 14 years.

Debris littered wet streets. Buildings had gaping holes where roofs and windows had been.

In Odisha state, where the cyclone landed, at least 13 people were killed after trees fell and walls collapsed when the storm hit, Police Chief Prakash Mishra said. Another death was confirmed in Andhra Pradesh state, India's disaster management authority said.Many had feared the death toll would be higher. Massive evacuation efforts helped limit the number of casualties, officials said.

"It is a huge, huge relief," Naveen Patnaik, Odisha's chief minister, told CNN sister network CNN-IBN. "Damage has been minimal." But in the hardest hit areas, the storm's impact was clear, with flooded highways, fallen trees and downed power lines.

As a precautionary measure, authorities cut the electricity in the affected districts. It could take up to a week to restore power, authorities said. Like a fierce hurricane. Hurricanes are known as cyclones in the Indian Ocean. At 140 mph wind speed, Phailin made landfall as the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane. The trongest hurricane is a Category 5, which comes with winds greater than 155 mph. By Sunday, some 13 hours later, it was the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane with winds of about 80 mph.Where have all the hurricanes gone?

India evacuated nearly a million people before the storm to avoid a repeat of what happened in 1999, when a cyclone killed 10,000 people.

"We have taken a zero-casualty approach," said Kamal Lochan Mishra, Odisha state's disaster manager. "If people do not move, force will be used to evacuate them."

Phailin has brought nearly 8 inches of rain to Odisha's capital of Bhubaneswar, about 30 miles from the coast. The city's average rainfall for October is 6.5 inches.

The storm will continue to fall apart as it moves over land, but tropical storm-force winds are still possible through early Monday, said CNN meteorologist Judson Jones. Rainfall will also be a problem as Phailin moves up toward the Himalayas in Nepal.

Multiple states in the region were under weather warnings for excessive rainfall and thunderstorms.Hundreds of emergency shelters. About 900,000 were evacuated in Odisha alone. Most people in low-lying coastal areas of the state left on foot or by bicycle, Kamal Lochan Mishra said. Relocating evacuees is a major challenge because of property damage and losses caused by the storm, said Patnaik. Most are housed in nearly 250 emergency shelters set up in sturdy buildings like schools and government offices.

The India Meteorological Department warned of extensive damage to houses made of flimsy materials like mud and bamboo, as well as damage to old buildings. The storm disrupted power and communication lines. Extensive flooding also affected rail and road traffic, and crops are likely to suffer major damage, the agency said.

In Gopalpur, a coastal resort town in Ganjam, restaurants were shuttered and streets deserted. Tourists and local residents left the town. Military deployed In October 1999, Cyclone 05B, also known as the Odisha Cyclone, made landfall in the same area, killing 10,000 people. It was the strongest tropical cyclone recorded in the Bay of Bengal, with winds of 155 mph at landfall. It caused more than $2 billion in damage.

In advance of Phailin, military units and National Disaster Response Force personnel were deployed to coastal areas with relief supplies and medical aid, CNN-IBN said.

All flights to Odisha have been canceled and train services in the state are also disrupted, CNN's sister network reported.

Officials survey damage.

As authorities surveyed the damage Sunday, they said food assistance would be provided to severely impacted villages. Teams from nonprofits were also canvassing the affected areas. Initial surveys indicate the damage was not as bad as many feared it could be, Save the Children said. But strong winds and heavy rains continued to pound some areas. "There may be delays in being able to reach the most vulnerable families with aid," said Devendra Tak, a spokesman for the organization. "This also means it could take some time before the full extent of the damage is known."

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How Bad Will Cyclone Phailin Be for India?

Disaster looms for India as ferocious Cyclone Phailin, currently equivalent in strength to a Category 5 hurricane, bears down on the subcontinent ahead of its expected landfall tomorrow night (Oct. 12), local time.

Experts say that the enormous and powerful storm, with maximum sustained winds of more than 160 mph (260 km/h), will bring a "catastrophic" storm surge, the water that a storm's winds push in front of it and that inundate a coastline as the storm makes landfall, said Hal Needham, a climatologist at Louisiana State University. The storm surge is expected to reach heights of 20 feet (6 meters), Needham told LiveScience.

The storm is likely to be "as bad or worse" than a cyclone that followed a similar trajectory in 1999, called Odisha cyclone for the area it hit. That storm killed nearly 15,000 people and caused $4.5 billion in damages, said Eric Holthaus, a meteorologist for the online publication Quartz. Phailin (pronounced pie-leen) has now tied the record, with Odisha, for the largest cyclone on record in the Indian Ocean, Holthaus told LiveScience.

While a different rating system is used for cyclones in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, cyclones are the same phenomenon as the hurricane seen in the Atlantic, where Phailin would be a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest type. According to the U.S. National Weather Service, these types of storms will destroy "a high percentage of framed homes," with "total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months." [A History of Destruction: 8 Great Hurricanes]

How it got so powerful

Cyclone Phailin underwent a period of rapid intensification in the past couple days — and continues to strengthen — for two primary reasons. First of all, ocean surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal are warmer than 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 degrees Fahrenheit), which is "about as warm as ocean water can get," Holthaus said. Warm temperatures favor intensification, as hurricanes are basically heat engines and are powered by the transfer of heat energy from the water to the upper atmosphere.

Secondly, there have been very light upper winds, and little wind shear, which is a change in direction or strength of winds with increasing altitude, Needham said. When there is too much wind shear, upper-level winds can tear apart developing hurricanes (and that is why there have been few strong Atlantic hurricanes to date this year).These calm conditions allowed Phailin to grow and strengthen, Needham said.Phailin intensified almost as fast as any storm on record, going from the strength of a tropical storm, with wind speeds under 74 mph (119 kph), to the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane, with wind speeds above 130 mph (209 kph), in the span of 24 hours, Holthaus said. It has also grown to be about half the size of India.

All this is a huge problem for India, and to a lesser extent Bangladesh, with a low-lying and heavily populated coastline, Needham said. The Bay of Bengal is also quite shallow, which means that storm surges tend to get higher because there isn't a well of deep water to deflect energy from the strong winds, he said. The shape of the bay also channels water toward eastern India, making storm surges worse, he added.

Storm surge central

This puts millions of coastal residents in a perilous situation. While hundreds of thousands of people have already evacuated, many more are still at home and are likely to be inundated by the cyclone, Holthaus said.

These facts help explain why the Bay of Bengal, which is a relatively small ocean basin, has experienced approximately 17 of the 23 tropical cyclones that have killed at least 5,000 people in recorded history, Needham said.  

Experts say that Cyclone Phailin is likely to be disastrous. "A Category 5 landfall is bad anywhere, and typically the aftermath is described as 'catastrophic,'" said Brian McNoldy, a researcher at the University of Miami, in an email. "It can't get much worse!"

The height of the expected surge would be comparable to that generated by the Galveston hurricane of 1900, which killed more than 6,000 people and is the deadliest natural disaster in American history, the Washington Post reported.

Cyclone Phailin forces tens of thousands to flee northeast India

Cyclone Phailin, the most powerful storm to take aim at northeastern India since 1999, forced the evacuation of tens of thousands along the Bay of Bengal coastline as it threatened to flood escape routes, disrupt rail service and cut off power for weeks.

Phailin, which means “sapphire” in Thai, has winds of 135 mph and was expected to make landfall about 6 p.m. local time Saturday, according to L.S. Rathore, director-general of the India Meteorological Department. The U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii estimated Phailin’s top winds at 161 mph, a Category 5 on the U.S. hurricane scale, which is different than the one used by the rest of the world. Hurricane Andrew in 1992, was a Category 5 storm.

“The storm has the potential to cause huge damage,” Rathore said. “We don’t contemplate it will further intensify. It will remain as a very severe cyclonic storm.”

Phailin sent at least 64,000 people fleeing from their homes and forced ships out of its path, and is expected to cause crop and infrastructure damage. Twenty-six of the world’s 35 deadliest tropical cyclones, the storms that include hurricanes and typhoons, have occurred in the Bay of Bengal, according to Jeff Masters, founder of Weather Underground in Ann Arbor, Mich.

“It’s going to cause pretty complete devastation on the coast where it hits,” Masters said by telephone. The storm weakened slightly as it grew larger but had begun to strengthen again. Masters said it was likely that Phailin would lose some strength before going ashore, probably in the Odisha region, as the equivalent of a Category 4 storm, the second-strongest on the five-step Saffir-Simpson Scale.

Andrew, which hit southern Florida, had top winds of 174 mph and was a 150 mph storm when it made landfall, according to AccuWeather in State College, Pa.

Paradip Port Trust, India’s biggest dry bulk cargo facility, sent all its ships to sea and shut down operations, spokesman Prakash Chandra Mishra said by phone. The National Disaster Management Authority dispatched a 1,500-person rescue force to Odisha and Andhra Pradesh states, while the Indian air force said it sent two IL-76 airlift teams and was committing two C-130J Super Hercules planes.

Andhra Pradesh’s chief minister, Kiran Kumar Reddy, urged citizens in low-lying areas to move to safer ground.

“We are prepared for the worst,” Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, special relief commissioner of Odisha, said by phone from the state capital of Bhubaneswar.

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Cyclone energy? Equal to 100 H-bombs

A tropical cyclone can be compared to a heat engine. The energy input is from warm water and humid air over tropical oceans. Release of heat is through condensation of water vapour to water droplets/rain.

Only a small percentage (3%) of this released energy is converted into kinetic energy to maintain cyclone circulation (windfield).

A mature cyclone releases energy equivalent to that of 100 hydrogen bombs.

What may be the wind speed in most severe storm?

The wind speed may be as high as 300 kmph.

What is the wind speed at the center of a storm? What is weather there like?

Nearly calm wind with fair weather prevails at the center of the storm.

Which sector of the cyclone experiences strongest winds?

In general, the strongest winds in a cyclone are found on the right side of the storm. The "right side of the storm" is defined with respect to the storm's motion: if the cyclone is moving to the west, the right side would be to the north of the storm; if the cyclone is moving to the north, the right side would be to the east of the storm, etc.

The strongest wind on the right side of the storm is mainly due to the fact that the motion of the cyclone also contributes to its swirling winds.

A cyclone with a 145 kmph winds while stationary would have winds up to 160 kmph on the right side and only 130 kmph on the left side if it began moving (any direction) at 16 kmph. While writing the cyclone warning bulletins, this asymmetry is taken into consideration.

For tropical cyclones in the southern hemisphere, these differences are reversed: the strongest winds are on the left side of the storm. This is because the winds swirl clockwise south of the equator in tropical cyclones.

What is the damage potential of a super cyclonic storm 120 Knots (222 Kmph) & above? What are the suggested actions?

Structures: Extensive damage to non-concrete residential and industrial building. Structural damage to concrete structures. Air, full of large projectiles.

Communication and power: Uprooting of power and communication poles. Total disruption of communication and power supply.

Road/Rail: Extensive damage to kutcha roads and some damage to poorly repaired pucca roads. Large scale submerging of coastal roads due to flooding and sea water inundation. Total disruption of railway and road traffic due to major damages to bridges, signals and railway tracks. Washing away of rail / road links at several places.

Agriculture: Total destruction of standing crop / orchards, uprooting of large trees and blowing away of palm and coconut crowns, stripping of tree barks.

Marine Interests: Phenomenal seas with wave heights more than 14 m tall. All shipping activity unsafe.

Coastal Zone: Extensive damage to port installations. Storm surge more than 5 m, Inundation up to 40 km in specific areas and extensive beach erosion. All ships torn from their moorings. Flooding ofescape routes.

Overall Damage Category: Catastrophic

Suggested Actions: Fishermen not to venture into sea. Large-scale evacuations needed. Total stoppage of rail and road traffic needed in vulnerable areas.

Why are tropical cyclones named?

Tropical cyclones are named to provide easy communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches, and warnings. Since the storms can often last a week or longer and that more than one can be occurring in the same basin at the same time, names can reduce the confusion about what storm is being described.

The first use of a proper name for a tropical cyclone was by an Australian forecaster early in the 20th century. He gave tropical cyclone names "after political figures whom he disliked.

During World War II, tropical cyclones were informally given women's names by US Army Air Corp and Navy meteorologists (after their girlfriends or wives) who were monitoring and forecasting tropical cyclones over the Pacific.

From 1950 to 1952, tropical cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean were identified by the phonetic alphabet (Able-Baker-Charlie-etc.), but in 1953 the US Weather Bureau switched to women's names. In 1979, the WMO and the US National Weather Service (NWS) switched to a list of names that also included men's names.
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