A concerned parent told the Gulf News daily how his daughter was recently subjected to bullying through her smartphone messenger.

“Someone sent her a message in which the contents were vile, but she pretended that she was married and said that she would inform her husband (about the bullying) but they knew her name and age,” the parent said.

“This person then sent a broadcast message to all their contacts and this snowballed and soon she was getting 10 or so messages a minute with disgusting name calling.”

The phone company told the parent to go to the police.

Psychiatrists have highlighted some of the tell-tale signs of children subjected to bullying.

They advise parents to be particularly mindful of children who appear to be withdrawn, lost in their own thoughts, or who show signs of unhappiness.

“Parents and teachers should address and discuss the issue if they see a change in a child’s behaviour, and they should also look out for their children suffering from headaches, vomiting and sudden weight loss as a result of bullying,” said N.K. Dhar, a doctor.

“Bullied children should be counselled because they can go into depression and their studies will suffer as a result of the bullying,” he said.

“If parents are ‘friends’ with their children online, it will be easier to monitor them, and they will be more likely to know who their friends are, what is going on, and also understand the basic (terminology) of social online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube,” said Jamil Ezzo, general director of International Computer Driving License, a non-governmental organisation in the Gulf.

He said there was a lack of statistics on how critical the problem was, and parents and every single adult in a child’s life should be involved in looking out for the signs of bullying.

“We are living in a borderless world and bullying doesn’t have to happen in schools alone but across countries, and it is our goal now, as a society, to be aware on how to deal with such a problem,” Ezzo said.

“The sad truth about virtual bullying is that the victim would have difficulty running away from it.”

“Traditional bullying has its limits because it can only happen through direct confrontations. But once cruel words or an embarrassing photo is released on the internet, it becomes viral and starts taking on a life of its own, which could leave deeper emotional scars far into the future leading to tragic endings,” he said.

The charges relate to an incident that occurred during the shooting of Rajshri Productions’ “Hum Saath Saathj Hain” in 1998.

The chief judicial magistrate C.K. Jain read out charges one by one against all of the film starts, except Salman Khan, also an accused in the case, who had sought exemption from the court on the ground that he had to be out of the country for medical treatment.

“Salman Khan was not present in the court today (Saturday) as he in not in the country and has gone overseas for treatment,” Hastimal Saraswat, Salman Khan’s counsel, said.

The charges have been framed under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 relating to hunting and inciting to poach blackbucks.

If found guilty, the actors face imprisonment of up to six years.

These actors, however, denied all the charges. The court has fixed April 27 as next date of hearing.

The case was filed against these actors for poaching of blackbucks in 1998 in Kankni village near Jodhpur.

The blackbuck is a protected animal under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Kejriwal began his fast in the morning at a house near the sub-divisional magistrate’s office in Sunder Nagri area in east Delhi. According to the AAP leader, the house owner had to borrow money to pay his water and electric bills.

“The time has come to motivate people against illegal rise in taxes by the Delhi government,” Kejriwal had said Friday.

AAP members will also protest in 264 wards across Delhi and launch a door-to-door campaign, asking people not to pay bills according to the increased tariff.

Kejriwal alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had colluded with power and water companies and illegally increased the tariff.

The new law substitutes bodies such as the Court and Executive Council by the governing board in the university besides carving out posts of distinguished professors and heritage professors and specifying their qualifications.

A search committee comprising of a nominee each from the chancellor, state government and governing board of the university will appoint the vice chancellor.

Taking part in the debate, Communist Party of India-Marxist lawmaker Amjad Hossain criticised the decision to provide more powers to the university mentor group.

He opined that it would curb the university’s autonomy and lead to dispute between the vice chancellor and the mentor group.

“The mentor group is only trying to achieve excellence by bringing in teachers from foreign universities,” Hossain said, adding institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technologies have achieved excellence with teachers from within the country.

Higher Education Minister Bratya Basu said the initiatives regarding Presidency University underscored a new approach at achieving excellence, and if successful, the model would be replicated in other universities.

The Presidency University mentor group, with Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen as advisor and Harvard University history professor Sugato Bose as chairman, was formed by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government to restore the lost glory of the institution.

Presidency University has its roots in the Hindu College — established in 1817 — the institution that cradled the 19th century Bengal Renaissance and was christened Presidency College in 1855.

The erstwhile Left Front government upgraded it into an university in 2010. The college’s alumni include Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore, spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda, freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose, fimmaker Satyajit Ray, Marxist leader Jyoti Basu and scientist Satyendranath Bose.

India’s first president Rajendra Prasad and former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee also studied at the college.

The booming India-US trade relationship already is delivering substantial benefits to the American people, said Robert Blake, assistant secretary of state for South Asia in an address at the University of California, Berkeley Institute of International Studies, Thursday.

Noting that India is also among the fastest growing investors in the US, he said: “Indian companies operating in the United States are adding tremendous value to the local economies in which they operate, the most tangible effects of which are felt at the state and county levels.”

“That’s why one of our top priorities in building the partnership with India is to expand state- and local-level engagement,” he said, noting this year, at least eight American governors and city mayors plan to visit India with trade and investment delegations.

“Our state officials increasingly understand that, as the fastest-growing market for US exports, India provides significant opportunities to drive US job growth and bring economic opportunity to the American workforce,” Blake said.

India-US partnership has achieved much, but it holds the promise for even more with the next generation of students, educators, businesspeople, and artists build new collaborations, he said.

Berkeley is the perfect venue for a discussion on the “US-India Partnership in the Asian Century”, Blake said, as “you understand first-hand how partnerships between American and Indian entrepreneurs can spark innovation, foster prosperity, and contribute to a vibrant, dynamic America”.

Indian Americans are responsible for founding about a seventh of all of Silicon Valley’s startups, Blake noted. “And their contributions are seen not just in Silicon Valley, nor are they limited to IT.”

“Indians start more companies than any other immigrant group in California and also lead all immigrant groups in the number of companies founded nation-wide in the industries of bioscience, environment, defence and aerospace,” he said.

Giving an overview of US relationship with India, he said the education collaboration that is building a vast web of people-to-people ties will carry our relationship through the next generation.

“There is perhaps no nation in the world with which we have travelled faster and farther over the last 15 years than India,” Blake said.

Vijay was batting on 54 along with Sachin Tendulkar, who was on 12, and by the break India reduced the first innings deficit to 127 runs. Cheteshwar Pujara fell after scoring a crafty 52.

India managed 76 runs in the second session as the Australian bowlers kept the hosts under check. Spinner Nathan Lyon bagged two wickets for 32. Pacers James Pattinson and Mitchell Johnson went after the Indian batsmen with their probing line and length.

Pujara and Vijay gave a steady start as India galloped to 59 for no loss at lunch after having bowled out Australia for 262 within the first hour.

Pujara was impressive and hit some crisply timed shots on both side of the wickets. Vijay, however, was living dangerously as some of his edges flew past the slips.

They added 108 runs for the first wicket and at a time when the partnership was growing stronger. Lyon struck to castle Pujara and in the next over got rid of Virat Kohli (1).

Tendulkar walked in and had to see off a fiery spell from Johnson and some clever bowling by Lyon.

Earlier in the day, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bagged his ninth fifer, and fourth in the series, as Australia were bowled out for 262.

Resuming at overnight 231/8, Australia added 31 runs with Peter Siddle emerging the top scorer with 51, his maiden half-century. Siddle became Ashwin’s fifth victim as the off-spinner finished with five for 57.

Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha also completed his 100 Test wickets after he picked up James Pattinson (30) caught at first-slip Kohli to wrap up the tail.

Indian research institutions are undertaking trials to test drugs, including Bedaquiline, Delaminid and PA-824, to treat both drug sensitive and resistant TB, Azad said replying to a question by MP H.K. Dua during a Rajya Sabha session.

He said the National Institute of Research in TB, Chennai, and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, were part of global trials for new TB drug Bedaquiline (TMC207).

Azad said no application under the drugs and cosmetic rules had been received by the the Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) for the grant of permission for any drug from the United States.

A new drug can only be introduced in the Indian market after due approval from DCGI.

The minister said at present, the replacement of drugs used under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme was not required.

Those patients who suffer from drug-resistant TB are treated with a regime containing drugs to which the TB bacillus was not resistant, he said.

For Class 12 students, the first paper is English language and for Class 10 pupils it will be painting.

“Over all 22 lakh students are appearing for the exam this year,” a CBSE official told IANS.

“In Class 10, 1,259,202 students will be sitting for the examination, an increase of 6.70 percent over last year. As for Class 12, 942,035 will be taking the examination beginning today (Friday), an increase of 15.51 percent over last year,” the official said.

This year, in total 1,286 disabled students are appearing for the examinations.

With English language for Class 12 and painting for Class 10 being the first exams, the stress levels are low among the students.

“Thankfully the first exam (painting) is easy, so I’m getting much time to prepare for my next exam which is mathematics. With a easy subject to start with, it helps you start off well,” said 15-year-old Pragya Vats, a student of Sommerville School in east Delhi.

Agreed Renu Singh, a student of Ahlcon Public School in east Delhi: “A good start increases the confidence. With English exams to start with, followed by Functional Physics…I gave more revision time for my second exam.”

The board examinations will end April 17 for Class 12 and for Class 10 it ends March 15.

The home minister, making a statement in the Rajya Sabha, offered details of the case and said that there was no tapping of Jaitley’s phone. Records of calls he made were never disclosed, he said, asserting that the government was not involved in tapping phones.

“In the case being investigated by Delhi Police, it was a case of unauthorisedly trying to access call data records. This was not a case of telephone tapping,” Shinde said.

“The Delhi Police informed us that they came to know that some person had sought call data records of Arun Jaitley. Police came to know about it after the nodal officer of Airtel asked the ACP operation of Delhi police to reconfirm the request, through email. Since no such request was made, the confirmation was not given, and the call data records were not disclosed,” Shinde said.

Opposition members however slammed the government, saying the statement did not disclose anything.

“On whose behest were the call details sought? Government should clarify that, because this government has a notorious record of misusing central investigating agencies,” BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu said.

“I am sure there are some state actors, some non-state actors. Some large-scale operation could not have taken place without any official backing,” alleged Ravishankar Prasad of BJP.

Members across party lines expressed concern and also said that the information offered by the home minister was not even as exhaustive as reports of the matter that had already appeared in newspapers.

Responding to concerns of members, Shinde asserted that the government was not indulging in any phone tapping.

“We are not tapping the phone of any member. If there has to be any tapping, the permission for it has to be taken from the union home secretary,” Shinde said.

“We want to say the phone of Arun Jaitely was never asked (by the government) to be intercepted. The constable was doing it for a private agency. It is very important for us as well, we are also worried. If the leader of the opposition’s phone is tapped… He is not an ordinary person,” Shinde said.

The home minister added that since investigations were still at the preliminary stage, no more information could be provided.

As opposition members sought a time frame for receiving more information in the matter, Shinde said: “Such investigations are serious. Police has to go into details, please don’t insist on a time limit. We will do it as soon as possible.”

The home minister said that a constable and three private detectives had been arrested in connection with the attempt to get Jaitley’s call records.

The arrested constable was identified as Arvind Kumar Dabas. He was earlier posted with the special staff in the New Delhi district and had special access to the email of the ACP (Operations).

The other three arrested people were identified as Neeraj Nayar, Nitish Singh and Anurag Singh.

Anurag Singh, one of the private detectives arrested in Delhi last week, was accused of tapping the phone of former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh in 2005.

“My idea is to provide opportunities for youth to acquire education, skills, decent jobs and live with their families in a safe environment,” the finance minister said.

The flagship midday meal scheme at government schools got an allocation of Rs.13,215 crore (over Rs.130 billion).

He added that thousands of scholarships would be given to girl students, and those belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.