CBSE introduces theatre studies

Kochi: Observing that theatre is one of the strongest mediums of expression and has an important role in reinforcing the learning of other academic subjects that are taught in conventional ways, the CBSE has decided to introduce Theatre Studies as a subject in Classes XI and XII.

Theatre Studies will be introduced in Class XI from the current academic year and will be offered as an elective subject with any combination of three other electives and a language. It will have a theory paper of 70 marks and 30 marks for a case-study based project and viva voce.

“Theatre concretises issues that would otherwise remain abstract and difficult for children to grasp. It puts life back into bookish learning. Students derive many important benefits from their participation in theatre activities.

It is a journey that moves from illiteracy and oral traditions to literacy and sophisticated communications of modernity to the understanding that opens up a wide choice of worthy career options,” said Dr Sadhana Parashar, director (academic), CBSE.

Students will study theatrical forms and genres of their immediate cultural region and larger national and international contexts. The evolution of theatre from the earliest times and the social purposes it served will be part of the curriculum.

Partial Lunar eclipse to be visible on thursday night

The first of the three lunar eclipses of the year will occur on Thursday, giving astro enthusiasts all over the country an opportunity to witness the celestial event.

A tiny sliver of the Moon will be covered by the Earth's umbral shadow at maximum of the partial lunar eclipse, N Sri Raghunandan Kumar of Planetary Society of India said.

This is the third shortest partial eclipse of the Moon for the 21st century, lasting just 27 minutes.

According to NASA, the shortest partial lunar eclipse of the 21st century will be on February 13, 2082, lasting only 25.5 minutes.

NASA data also indicates that on September 28, 2034, the second shortest partial eclipse will last for 26.7 minutes. The April 25-26, 2013, partial lunar eclipse will last for 27 minutes, making it the third shortest lunar eclipse of this century.

The lunar eclipse in various phases will begin at 11.32 pm tomorrow night and end at 03.43 am on April 26.

The noticeable Umbra phase will begin at 1.22 am and end at 1.53 am. Middle of eclipse, or when it is maximum, will occur at 1.37 am, he said.

The eclipse will be visible in the region covering Australia, Asia (except N.E. part), Africa, Europe and Antarctica, Kumar said.

This year, a total of five eclipses, three lunar and two annular, will occur.

Unlike an eclipse of the sun, star gazers do not need protective eye equipment to observe a lunar eclipse, he said.

Fire at a bank in Coimbatore,4 killed

Coimbatore: Four persons, including two women, were killed and an equal number injured when a fire broke out in a multi-storeyed commercial complex here today, top officials said.

The fire broke out in the office of a private bank around 10:30 am, the reason for which is yet to be ascertained, they said. Ten to 12 fire tenders, including some from Army and Navy, were used and the fire was doused after over one-and-a-half hours.

A majority of the people were taken to safety by fire force personnel and locals who rushed to the spot to assist in rescue operations, District Collector M Karunagaran said.

While two women were injured when they jumped from the second floor, two fire force personnel sustained injuries after they fell down when the water-pipe hose got entangled in their legs, officials said. There are eight offices in the complex employing 300 people.

Axis Bank shares rises as results beat estimates

Reuters Market Eye - Axis Bank shares rise 3 percent after the bank posts better-than-expected March quarter results. Results, which came on Wednesday, showed net profit was at 15.55 billion rupees versus estimates of 12.77 billion rupees.

Other banking shares also rise with the NSE banking index trading up 1 percent. SBI rises 1.3 percent, Punjab National Bank up 1.3 percent, Union Bank gains 2.3 percent.

Investors broadly bullish on rate-sensitive stocks such as banks ahead of the RBI's monetary policy on May 3 where it is widely expected to cut rates by 25 basis points.

Sunrisers aim to shine against CSK

Seven games into its IPL campaign, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) finds itself in an enviable position. Defying all pre-tournament predictions and clearly punching above its weight, the team is now in joint-second spot.

For SRH, success has largely been built on the collective effort of its bowling unit — Amit Mishra, Dale Steyn and Ishant Sharma — as seen from the two sub-130 totals it has defended, and the individual brilliance of Thisara Perara as witnessed in the penultimate over heist against Kings XI Punjab. Not to forget Hanuma Vihari’s two Man-of the match efforts.

However, on Thursday when it takes on Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with which it shares the second spot, at Chepauk, the in-form Perera will have to sit out — Darren Sammy or Nathan McCullum is likely to replace him. With Kumar Sangakkara unavailable, Quinton de Kock’s not-so-encouraging displays (2 and 0) and Cameron White’s inconsistent shows, the brittle top-order clearly needs reinforcement.

And this has come in the form of Shikhar Dhawan’s return. The man who made a sensational 187 against Australia on Test debut is all set to play his first game of this edition.

VIJAY’S FORM A WORRY

As for M.S. Dhoni in the match against Rajasthan Royals (RR), some of his prayers were answered — runs for Suresh Raina and a brisk start at the top. But Murali Vijay’s wobbly form (104 runs at 17.33), so far masked by Michael Hussey’s class, will continue to worry him.

The problem of bowling at the ‘death’ still plagues CSK. It leaked more than 50 runs in the last five overs in each of the last two home games against Pune Warriors and RR.

Dhoni will need to plug this hole for his team to consolidate after three wins on the trot.

Raises BSE Sensex gains

The BSE benchmark Sensex extended gains for the fourth-straight day by rising nearly 144 points in early trade on Thursday on buying by funds and retailers amid a firming Asian trend.

The 30-share barometer rose by 143.72 points, or 0.75 per cent, to 19,323.08 with auto, realty and oil and gas stocks leading the gains. The index had gained over 448 points in the previous three sessions.

Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty moved up by 40.70 points, or 0.70 per cent, to 5877.60.

Brokers said sustained buying by funds and retailers driven by a firming trend in the Asian region mainly influenced the sentiment.

Both the BSE and the NSE were remained closed on Wednesday on account of ‘Mahavir Jayanti’.

Meanwhile in Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose by 0.59 per cent, while Japan’s Nikkei up by 0.32 per cent in the early trade. However, the US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.29 per cent lower in yesterday’s trade.

Bangladesh building collapse kills nearly 150 peoples,more than 1,000 injured

The number of people killed by the collapse of a building in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka rose to 147 overnight and the death toll could climb further because many people are still trapped inside, Dhaka's district police chief said on Thursday.

"The death toll could go up as many are still trapped under the rubble," Habibur Rahman said, a day after the collapse of the eight-storey building on the outskirts of Dhaka that housed several garment factories.

Officials said on Wednesday more than 1,000 people had been injured in the accident.

An eight-story building that housed garment factories and shops collapsed in Bangladesh on Wednesday. One fireman said about 2,000 people were in the Rana Plaza building in Savar, 30 km outside Dhaka, when its upper floors slammed onto those below.

At the site of the collapsed Rana Plaza building, a frantic effort was underway to find and rescue victims. Television reports showed young women workers, some apparently semi-conscious, being pulled out by firefighters and troops.

Doctors at local hospitals said they were unable to cope with the number of victims brought in.

The building collapse, which follows a November fire at the Tazreen Fashion factory on the outskirts of Dhaka that killed 112 people, has compounded concerns about worker safety and low wages in Bangladesh.

The two major incidents, and a third in January that killed seven people, could taint Bangladesh's reputation as a source of low-cost products and services and call attention to Western retailers and other companies that obtain products from the country. But industry people and worker's groups in the United States say the lure of cheap manufacturing costs will keep retailers and buyers turning to Bangladesh.