Home minister P Chidambaram had warned that Pakistan-based terrorists could launch another sea-borne attack despite the bad weather and choppy seas. While the minister did not give details, sources in the central intelligence agencies described the threat as specific and the most serious in two years. A massive coastal patrol was launched following that alert.

The July 8 alert, officials said, was issued after a terror suspect was detained in Jammu and Kashmir and the police recovered photographs of targets in Maharashtra from him. The colour pictures were sent to security agencies in Maharashtra by e-mail. “The photographs are genuine. They include the picture of a reputed bank near the Bombay high court, two railway stations in Mumbai and a railway station in Navi Mumbai,’’ an official said, adding that the Navi Mumbai station was not properly covered “security-wise’’. Over seven million people travel by the Mumbai local trains every day.

The fresh alert, officials said, also mentioned four dates on which the terrorists planned to carry out the strikes. TOI has a list of the dates (one passed last week) and details of the targets.

But the alert did not specify the number of terrorists planning to enter Maharashtra and did not provide any information about possible local involvement.

This is the second alert in two weeks by central intelligence agencies. The first was issued on June 24—it said a 26/11-like terror strike could be repeated again via the sea route by the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The alert put all the security agencies in Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra on high alert and prompted a review of security. It said Indian associates of the LeT were preparing for the attack with the help of their Pak-based mentors.

After losing second ODI against West Indies at Sabaina Park, Kingsten, on Sunday, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that his team misread the pitch after he selected to bat.

It’s well known fact that, no matter how the pitch looks, the side batting first has to be careful for initial overs and once they are settled they can start hitting. However, Team India, fresh from IPL 2 and T20 world cup, seems to have forgotten the basics. They just want to go after the bowling. In Sunday’s ODI India’s openers were in the same mood. Instead of reading the pitch and playing out initial overs safely, as ball was doing a bit, they tried to go after bowlers and brought their own debacle.

“We should have paid a little more respect to the bowlers,” Dhoni said after the game. “The wicket was a bit difficult; it was swinging around a bit. We didn’t judge the wicket well and just went around playing our strokes which really brought our downfall.”

The question is – If Dhoni was not certain about the pitch, why did he go for bat first? In the first ODI, even after setting target of 340 runs, India won by just 20 runs margin. If he was not certain about the pitch he should have gone for chase in the second ODI.

Coming to line-up and batting order. If Rohit Sharma was success in opening the innings in T20 World Cup, why does he have to bat at number three? If Dhoni keeps on trying so many options in every game, what about the stability. In fact the idea of playing a wicket-keeper batsman in the team when a captain himself is keeper does not make sense. Abhishek Nair was one of the finds in IPL 2. Why can’t he be given chance? Ravindra Jadeja was more successful with bowl in IPL 2. But when you have a specialist spinner in the team and part time spinners like Yuvraj, Yusuf and Rohit, why do you want to waste a slot to Ravindra Jadeja. He hasn’t been consistent in his performance. Yet he seems captain’s favorite.

So it’s not just about the pitch and short selection. It seems Dhoni is no more a captain cool of India. He should re-think about his team line up and its batting order. Some players should be given a break and talents like Nair and Badrinath should be tried. Most importantly he should re-think playing two wicket keeper batsmen in the team.

For those parents who are worried about this admission process, the following step by step guide to online admission will provide help.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO ONLINE ADMISSION PROCESS

Note: You will need internet connected computer to complete the entire process

Step 1: Visit http://fyjc.or.in/mumbai and download Online Application Brouchure and Trial Application Form for practice. Take printouts of downloaded form and Brouchure. You can also avail these two documents from your school for a nominal charge of Rs 10.

Step 2: Read the printed copy of Brouchure carefully and practice filling the practice form before actually filling the online form to avoid mistakes.

Step 3: Visit http://fyjc.or.in/mumbai again. Click on Apply Online link. Fill examination and contact details sections.

Step 4: Click on Register button and get login id and password. Applicant can use this id and password for the future transactions on website)

Step 5: If you want to apply for the reservation, fill in the necessary details about your reservations.

Step 6: Select the stream you want to opt. Students can at a time select 2 streams from the available 3 streams

Step 7: Enter the stream wise college code options. Students have option to select maximum 150 options/colleges.

Step 8: Select stream, medium and ward options

Step 9: Check and confirm the list of documents you are going to attach.

Step 10: Check the summary part and check for any errors. If any, correct them.

Step 11: Take the final print out of your carefully filled in form (3 copies)

Step 12: Take the final print out of application form along with necessary documents and Rs 125 as application fees to the nearest submission centre

Step 13: Submission centre will check the form and the cross check the documents attached with the original certificates

Step 14: Deposit fees and get the fees receipt, original certificates and one copy of application form (you need to take 3 print outs of final application form; 2 for submission center and one for your reference)

Step 15: Log in to the website again and check the processing status of submitted application form using login id and password.

Step 16: Students whose names appear in the merit list of a specific junior college, should fill up the admission form of that college, attach the original certificates and their Xerox copies, pay the requisite fees and take admission to that college, within the stipulated days and time for that merit list.

Salary is the most important motivational factor for an employee. So how do bosses keep employees` motivation high during this crisis? How do they ensure that while cutting their pays, employee’s productivity is not affected?

The first and foremost thing every boss should do is to talk to employees more as a friend rather than being a boss. Share with them the current situation of the company and where its future lies. Explain them in detail about how company is planning to survive through this crisis, what if things go wrong and what if things go as per plans.

Talk to them; tell them personally that they are absolutely safe in company. Company is trying everything it can to ensure none of the employees go. Make them aware of the worst case scenario but that too without making them insecure. Make them feel secure when you talk to them. Tell them that you see this problem for a short run only. It won’t last long and delays/ reductions in salaries, delays in bonuses will be normal soon.

Organizations need to be extra careful while announcing bad news for staff. Companies need to take rational decisions in these times of crisis.

Both the leaders met on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit at Yekatherineburg in Russia. Immediately after shaking hands with Zardari rather very warmly, Singh started the talks saying, “my duty is to convey India`s wish to see that Pakistani territory is not used for terrorist attacks on India.“ Zardari seemed to had taken by surprise for a few moments by this.

Media persons were allowed to capture the two leaders greeting each others. After that they were asked to go out and two leaders spoke one-on-one. PM Singh seemed rather firm in his stance on the terrorism and is expected to have made Zardari aware of wish of Indians asking Pak to act against the terror.

Post talks, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that his country was committed to fight against the terrorist element as it has become a headache for his own country as well. He said that Pakistan was planning to seek a judicial review of the Lahore High Court order releasing LeT Chief Hafeez Saeed and it will seriously pursue cases against the accused in 26/11 attack in Mumbai.

India`s Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, however, told the media that the composite dialogue process will not start anytime soon. Both the leaders will again meet on the sidelines of the Non-aligned meeting at Egypt on July 16.

Since the government has announced its plans of disinvesting in PSUs, there has been volatile movement seen in the listed PSUs stocks at the Bombay Stock Exchange. PSU stocks witnessed targeted buying as market expected fresh government initiative for divestments.

At current market prices, if everything goes well for the UPA, the government is expected to mobilize fund to the tune of over Rs 370 billion by selling just 10% in top ten PSUs in which it owns more than 90%. This will enable the government to infuse more money into the market and ease down the pressure of fiscal deficit. The proceedings from the sell of PSU stake is also expected to have a positive effect on country`s GDP.

 However, all said and analyzed, it won”t be that easy for the UPA to go ahead with the disinvestment plans. Trinamool Congress and DMK have already started voicing their opposition against the proposed disinvesting in PSUs. UPA will have to take these two key parties in confidence before moving ahead with its `adventurous` plan. However, Congress seems pretty firm on its decision. The UPA government has conveyed its intentions to reach the stock market for raising funds through sale of PSU shares while retaining 51% in them.

Even President Pratibha Patil in her address to the joint sitting of Parliament said,  “Our fellow citizens have every right to own part of the shares of public sector companies, while the government retains majority shareholding and control.” “My Government will develop a roadmap for listing and people- ownership of public sector undertakings while ensuring that government equity does not fall below 51%,” she added.

Assocham president, Sajjan Jindal also has suggested disinvestment of government equity in leading public sector undertakings up to 49%. It will help government contain fiscal deficit and bring in stimulus in the stock market, according to him. He said that Navratna status for major PSU banks is the need of hour to enable them enjoy autonomy and take bolder decisions without government intervention.

The government is likely to announce its disinvestment policy in the Union Budget for 2009-10 that will be unveiled on July 6, 2009. Till then, the targeted buying is likely to continue in these stocks.