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The Hindu : A tiled floor adds character to the room. The most sought after option after stone, tiles have long been an integral part of construction. Finding the perfect tile with exact shape, colour and price is easy nowadays. There are many types of tiles available in the market and each one is noted for its specific use.Ceramic tiles top the list when it comes to choice. They areknown to be heat and corrosion resistant in the long run.Priced at Rs.42 to Rs. 67 per square feet (sq. ft.), they come with highlighted colours and designs. The finishes include anti-skid and mat, which are used on steps and in bathrooms.One has to remember that floor tiles come in squares and wall tiles are mostly rectangular.Wooden finishMoreover, a range of designer ceramic tiles come in wooden finishing, thus giving the floor a wooden appearance. Tiles with highlighted pebbles and a glossy look are available for Rs.315 per piece.“These tiles are designed to add personality to the room. For instance a designer tile with glass pebbles, if highlighted with a lamp, will make the room look exotic,” says B.J. Kalyan Chakravarthy, architect with a private firm.Next on the list is the vitrified tile. It is non-porous and does not absorb water like the conventional tile. It is known for its glazed look and classic shine and is mostly being used in offices and commercial buildings.It costs between Rs.49 and Rs.93 for a 2ft. by 2ft. tile and is available in colours such as Pearl grey, Jet black and Oracle Jaisalmer, to name a few.Best optionOn the other hand, if one is looking for the conventional yet glossy look, glass mosaic tiles are the best option. These tiles have multicoloured blocks in them with a glass finish that makes them shine. Mostly used in kitchens, swimming pools, wash rooms and pooja rooms, the tiles are priced at Rs.163 per sq.ft.“Glass…More

The Hindu : Something good is cooking for Indian kitchens, hopefully. After a barrage of the foreign companies coming over to take advantage of the booming modular kitchen market in India, the Indian companies too don’t want to be left behind. The advantage for the Indian companies is in the pricing though. Take TTK Prestige Limited, for instance. In the market for the sixth decade now, and awarded the ‘Superbrand’ status for its Prestige brand, the company is all set to explore the nook and corner of the kitchen and tackle the kitchen space for home improvement.The week saw TTK Prestige launch its modular ‘Kitchen Boutique’ in hometown Bangalore, the company’s second retail venture after the Prestige Smart Kitchen outlets. The endeavour is an exclusive retail initiative that showcases a gamut of designer modular kitchens in a variety suitable to the pockets of both the economy class and the rich with quality features. TTK’s 180 Smart Kitchen outlets with kitchen appliances are already running in 110 cities across the country.For booming salariesSays T.T. Jagannathan, Chairman, TTK Group, “In a country where the environment is friendly, with IT salaries filling up the young graduate’s pockets, the ever busy professional faces a time crunch and isn’t going to run to a carpenter. One has to visualise the growing economy and take advantage of the situation. This is the right time to help professionals with choices and since we are old chefs conversant with the kitchen space, we ventured into hard core space-build with our modulars. After all, weren’t we the pioneers of pressure cookers and split-level duplex gas stoves?”“Retail is the hottest sector and this is another platform to showcase our product portfolio,” said S. Ravichandran, MD, TTK Prestige.Chandru Kalro, Executive Vice-President, TTK, said, “Our offer would suit the Indian sensibilities in the kitchen more and that is what we are trying to address.”The real estate boom is another factor…More

The Hindu : For safe waterS. VISWANATHCome summer and most Indian cities start reporting gastro-enteritis and cholera. In Bangalore this has happened in the month of January itself with boththe problems already in. Residents think that it is the contaminated mains supply from the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) that is the source of the gastro-enteritis.BWSSBthinks it is water bought by residents from the private water tankers that is the cause, but seems to have changed its mind later. An engineer has been suspended for carelessness and the residents are demonstrating in front of the head office of the service provider.It is feared that the cause may be the mix up of sewage and water and its absorption into the water lines or it may be contaminated water from other sources such as private tankers or borewells.What accounts for the real problemThe real issue is the complete inability of institutions in urban India to cover the entire city with their network and keep the water lines fully pressured and supply made available 24 hours a day. It is also the lack of accountability of the institutions for the quality of water delivered with residual chlorine levels as specified, which creates the problem. A re-look is needed at the entire structure of water supply in the city and the endemic problems addressed, else we will face the same health issue arising time and again.The leakage in the distribution network of old water pipes is enormous and of the order of 40 per cent in typical Indian cities. Pipes have not been replaced or upgraded in many places.The sewage system is defunct. Sewage is neither fully collected in a proper manner nor is it treated. People are not paying the true price for water and sewage collection and treatment and subsidies are mis-targeted. It costs the BWSSB Rs.18 to produce a kilo-litre of water and it supplies the…More

The Hindu : Grow aloe vera and benefitThe west is now discovering the value of aloe vera; and of course, as always, we follow the bandwagon and are rediscovering the medicinal plant that our ancestors prized, but we had lost sight of. The sap of aloe vera helps heal cuts and bruises, helps offset acne and its scars, moisturises and enhances skin complexion and hair quality, and cures a host of disorders when imbibed orally under medical supervision.The sap of aloe vera contains almost 20 amino acids, vital minerals including calcium, magnesium and sodium, enzymes, vitamins, polysaccharides, nitrogen and other components.The good news is, it is easy to grow aloe vera and get your daily fresh supply of pure aloe gel.In fact, the plant almost grows on its own, asking for very little from you, except for some water occasionally!Easy to growOur warm tropical climate suits it, and aloe vera grows well in the garden or balcony.Aloe vera can be cultivated on any kind of soil though the soil mixture in the proportion of one part sand, one part manure and one part red earth is best suited for it.Being a desert plant, it will not perish if you forget to water it or leave town for a week. But generally, watering the plant every alternate day will suffice.PropagationYou can propagate aloe vera by root suckers, and a single plant will soon create its own company, as several aloe vera start sprouting up even if you plant just one. The plant is ready for transplanting after the appearance of the first sprouts.To harvest the plant’s gel-like sap, cut the tip of the plant’s fleshy leaves on a daily basis or whenever you want.HEMA VIJAY…More

The Hindu : More than the responsibility of building a house, selecting materials from a teasing variety seems to be a challenge, given the variety that one is exposed to. A coordinated décor for any room begins with laying the right kind of floor, setting pace for the rest of the embellishments to evolve naturally. So, the aesthetic test for a dwelling literally takes off from the ground.Take for instance Sandhya Subbaramaiah’s house in Dollars Colony, J.P. Nagar, where the sprawling ethnicity is further augmented by her choice of Athangudi floor tiles from Chettinad, that fall perfectly in place with the ‘interior rhythm’ of her earthy dwelling. Dextrous use of stone for walls make a statement and the wooden steps for the stairs spell a grandeur with natural grains. A skylight in the near-centre works as an open connect for the kitchen, drawing and dining rooms, bringing natural rays in abundance, while her roof overhangs at the entrance is a sample of her simple sit-out taste. If all these virtues of going green had to be boxed within for gaining a character to step on, it was her decision to have Athangudi tiles that’s paid her a conscience reward.Says Sandhya, an artist, dealing with artefacts-studio-clay pottery, “I wanted to encourage a hand-made product that was a part of the revivalist moment, as it was a renaissance for the tiles after going into oblivion for decades. Generally I feel assembly-made and mass produced items are devoid of character, and even with a poor choice of 10-12 colours in Athangudi tiles, I got something close to red-oxide and yet superior. It’s the sheen and not the gloss in them that appeals.”The land of ChettiarsChettinad, the land of wealthy Chettiars, in the South of Tamil Nadu, is known for its art, architecture and food connoisseurs. It has nurtured, preserved and exported its local craft and culinary skills to the world. Manufacturing…More

The Hindu : Individuals in property transactionsN.C.S RAGHAVAN ARAVIND RAGHAVANIn analysing transactions in immovable property, we have identified elements such as persons and legal entities. The transactions dealt with titles, transfers and taxation covered by proper legal drafting and documentation duly governed by statutory permissions and clearances.Individuals are governed by their personal laws such as Hindu law, Mohammedan law, laws of other communities, general laws on intestate and testamentary succession. They are also governed by the provisions of the Constitution of India in relation to citizenship, fundamental rights and duties. These have been discussed earlier. In the ensuing issues, many issues are to be discussed under FACTFILE column. They include:The legal status of individuals in relation to foreign exchange transactions (both under capital account and current account) and the transactions in immovable property of Residents, Non-Residents and Persons of Indian Origin.The provisions of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (FEMA), and the regulations and notifications issued by the Reserve Bank of India under FEMA.The legal status and identity of these individuals in relation to their rights, duties and obligations under the Income Tax Act, 1961.Three basic categories of individuals as covered by Section 6 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. (The first category is an individual assessed and taxed as a “resident” in respect of all income arising or accruing both inside the country and outside. The second category is “resident but not ordinarily resident.” For such individuals, all income arising and accruing to them inside the country will be assessed and taxed locally. Any income earned outside India but derived from a business or profession controlled in India will also be taxed. The third category will be “Non-Residents.” These individuals will be treated and taxed as non-residents and they will be taxed only on income accruing or arising in India.)The legal provisions relating to the individual as a member of a Hindu Joint Family, as a partner…More

The Hindu : Eco rating for buildingsThe CII-sponsored Indian Green Building Council, which was formed in 2007 as an extension of the U.S.-based Green Buildings Council, offers a rating system for green buildings called LEED-INDIA (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which is getting increasingly popular among corporates.“So far we have received 156 registrations and 19 have already been certified. More are in the pipeline and by the year 2010, we are expecting about 1,000 buildings to go green. Our target is one billion square feet by 2015,” says S. Raghupathy, Senior Director and Head of the Green Business Centre at Hyderabad.Its list of clients includes big names such as ITC, Wipro, Grundfos, L&T, ONGC and Hyderabad International Airport. Of the buildings awaiting certification, about 11 are in Hyderabad.AmbienceThe rating system has every possibility of being dismissed as one of those upmarket whims, if one does not experience the ambience of the Green Business Centre constructed by CII in 2003.The Root Zone Treatment System by which the waste water is treated biologically, low flow water fixtures and waterless urinals speak for the water efficiency standards while the sun-lit rooms, use of double glazed glass, and the installation of wind monitoring systems reduce power consumption and increase energy efficiency. The use of solar energy, fly ash bricks, recycled wood, and floor tiles with 25 per cent recyclable content also stand out.SWATHI V….More

The Hindu : Radio huntRadio City 91.1FM launches “RC Live’, the hunt for India’s best Hindi band. It is said to be India’s first reality talent hunt on radio. RC Live is a month-long national talent hunt to “identify and create a truly world class Hindi band.” It will travel through Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai and conclude in Delhi on February 29. The winner gets a chance to release an album and a contract with EMI.The pre-requisite to participate is a Hindi band with a maximum of eight members.There is no registration fee and bands can send in their entries comprising a CD featuring maximum of three original music compositions in MP3/ WAV format, with the duly filled entry form to Radio City Corporate Office Mumbai by February 12. Registration forms are available onwww.radiocity.in and select Barista and Spykar outlets or write torclive@myradiocity.com or call the help-line 9930076477….More